#angelo the flaming son

[the-metatron]

How dare you threaten to evict my brother. He has done nothing to you.

The whole Morningstar family is ready to throw hands.

@e-w-w-morningstar refused to vote for me, his benevolent landlord, father of his best friend and flatmate, @angelo-rib-shack

The Morningstar family may 'throw hands' if they wish, though it isn't something I'd recommend, considering you all will run out of hands eventually and will no longer be able to type. Unless, of course, you're throwing other people's hands, which I believe is illegal.

[echo-stimmingrose]

Frank: Did you guys hear about this guy in Florida who covered himself in hand sanitizer, got tased and then burst into flames?

Leo: *deranged laugh* Oooh

Piper: I'll get the hand sanitizer.

Jason: Leo, no!

Nico: Leo, yes!

Leo: Why not? I'm fire proof!

Percy: I swear to the gods if you start another forest fire that I have to put out I will lose my shit!

[talonabraxas]

The Kerubim, “The Strong Ones”

An “Angel” (Greek angelos or “messenger”) is considered to be a heavenly spirit, a messenger or intermediary between God or the gods and humankind. All religions possess one inherent commonality–the relationship of human beings with the Spiritual realm. In ancient Greek religion, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this relationship is thought to involve angels–divine messengers sent to humans to instruct, inform or command. An angel can function also as a protective guardian, as a heavenly warrior, and even as a cosmic power. Moreover, the line between a good angel and a bad angel, or demon, is sometimes unclear.

Therefore, angels can be broadly described as personified powers meditating between the Divine and the human. Even in its devotion to monotheism, ancient Israel was able to embrace the image of a council of gods by turning all of them into angels that serve the One God. This acceptance of a belief in angels was a development made relatively easy because lesser gods and angels could be referred to as “sons of God.” Later development in both Judaism and Christianity shows a remarkable growth of angelic folklore as a result of continuing this ancient practice of absorbing the gods of polytheistic religions by turning them into angels.

After the period of Israel’s Babylonian exile (597-538 BCE), Jewish thought about angels was considerably altered and enriched. Drawing on Mesopotamian art, artists and writers began to provide wings, even for the anthropomorphic angels, and an interest developed in angels’ garments, names, and relative ranks. In addition to the Mesopotamian influence, the Persian dualistic tradition of Zoroastrianism added another dimension to the Jewish conception of angels by positing hostile and destructive angels who are rebellious against God. The Jewish Qumran sect, or Essenes, saw the world as a battleground, the scene of the struggle between the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Wickedness, the latter an angelic power opposed to God called Belial or more commonly, the “Devil.”

In Judaic Angelology, there are nine classes of Angels: the Seraphim, Kerubim, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels and Angels. According to Henry Cornelius Agrippa, in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy, aspects of the Elements can be attributed to the natures of these orders of Angels as follows: Fire to the Seraphim, Authorities and Powers; Water to Thrones and Archangels, Air to the Dominations and Principalities, and Earth to the Kerubim. Placed in superior hierarchy are the supercelestial angels, who, mediating the pattern of Divine Will, are: the Thrones as the Wisdom of God; the Seraphim as the Goodness of God, and the Kerubim as the Essence and Form of God. As stated by Agrippa, from the Angelic Orders humankind is strengthened with extraordinary attributes.

“From the Angels, Mankind perceives messages of Divine Will and a clearer comprehension of the Mind of God. From the Archangels, humanity obtains rulership over beasts of the field, fish of the sea and fowl of the air.”

From the Principalities, all things are overcome, engendering a comprehension of the ascendancy of all things, and drawing spiritual power to oneself by a secret and divine force. From the Virtues come the power and strength against enemies of Truth. From the Powers, the ability to conquer these enemies within ourselves. From the Dominations, subjugation of these adversaries. From the Thrones we are woven together and collected into ourselves with remembrance fixed on Eternal Visions. From the Seraphim we acquire the perfect flame of Love, and from the Kerubim comesthe light of mind, the power of wisdom, and the exalted images by which we contemplate the Divine.

As stated in Three Books of Occult Philosophy, the Hebrew theologians numbered and called these orders as follows: in the supreme province, are the Chayoth ha Qodesh, or Creatures of Sanctity, to which EHEIEH gave the gift of life. In the second place are the Auphanim, Forms or Wheels, whereby YHVH differentiated the chaos. In the third place are the Aralim, great, strong and mighty angels, by which YHVH joined with Heh (HHYVH) to provide form to the liquid matter. In the fourth place are the Chasmalim by which AL framed the image of bodies. In the fifth order are the Seraphim by which ELOHIM GIBOR drew forth the elements. The sixth are the Malachim which ELOAH produced metals. In the seventh sphere are the Elohim or Gods, by which YHVH TZABAOTH produced vegetation. In the eighth reside the Beni Elohim, Sons of Gods, by which ELOHIM TZABAOTH produced animals. The ninth and lowest sphere contains the Kerubim by which SHADDI EL CHAI created Mankind.

The above has been a short introduction into the realm of Angels. The subject of the Kerubim alone could involve voluminous amounts of information as there are many different classes and functions of the Kerubim–they are not simply limited to the Sephirah of Yesod. The Elements have their analogies at every level, and these attributions can be applied to every Sephirah, but particularly the central Sephiroth on the Middle Pillar. The Kerubic forces of Kether descend the central Column from Kether to Malkuth. This is indicated by the Kerubic signs about the corners of the Tarot Trump XXI, The Universe. Malkuth is the sphere of the Elements and Yesod is its foundation, which, being on the Second Plane, is the sphere of contact with Natural Forces. Tiphareth is the Sephirah from which the Elements are controlled, the Sephirah of the Elemental Kings (Elementals which have begun to respond to Spiritual vibrations).

The Seraphim (derived from the word “Seraph” meaning “burn”) are another class of angels considered to be an upper octave of the Kerubim. Their function is to burn false doctrine and convert man back to righteousness. It is said that they pass on information drawn from the Neschamah during sleep, to the Creator in Atziluth, for the Seraphim are the Holy of Holies, or the Highest Heaven in Briah.

The focus of this paper, however, covers only those Kerubim which include Gabriel, the Angelic Choir of the Kerubim of Yesod, the Archangels of the Elements, and the Right and Left-Hand Kerubs, Metatron and Sandalphon.

Gabriel

Gabriel’s name comes from the same Hebrew root as Geburah (GBR) indicating a relationship between the 5th and 9th Sephiroth. Gabriel serves a triple function, Annunciator, Guardian and Guide. Gabriel is the divine messenger who relays information between the Divine and humanity and bestows the gifts of vision, hearing and psychic abilities as well as the powers of life, procreation and equilibration. This angel is referred to as Gabriel Yesodel (Archangel of Yesod) and as Gabriel Kerubiel (leader of the Kerubim).

As an angel of high eminence in Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition, Gabriel is one of the four most often noted in Judaism and Christianity, the others being Michael, Raphael and Uriel. Gabriel is the heavenly messenger who appears in order to reveal God’s will. In the Old Testament, Gabriel interprets the prophet’s vision of the ram and the he-goat (Daniel 8:15-26) and explains the prediction of the 70 weeks of years (490 years) for the duration of the exile from Jerusalem (Daniel 9:21-27). In the New Testament, Gabriel announces to Zacharias the birth of his son, John, who is destined to become known as John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-20), and in Luke 1:26-31 reveals to Mary that she is to be the mother of Christ. Among Muslims, Gabriel is believed to be the spirit who revealed the secret writings to the Prophet Mohammed. As the Annunciator, Gabriel is most likely to speak to us through dreams.

Gabriel means “Strong one of God” or “Strength of God.” As seen by the position of Yesod on the Tree of the human psyche, the name is not without reason. From the position on the central Pillar of Consciousness on the Tree, Gabriel is the firm and stable foundation of the Spirit. As Yesod in the World of Briah, it is the ego consciousness of Briah, and the Sephirah occupied by Gabriel is a crucial one. It is the last stage before the aspirant reaches the Kether of incarnation, or the Tiphareth of Briah, for beyond lies the threshold between Raphael in Hod and Haniel in Netzach. At this point, he is still Man but may be referred to as “Hero of God” under the guidance of Gabriel. To pass, the initiate must rise up the Tzedek Path of Righteousness where the shadow side of the personality is destroyed, and all remnants of being as a separate entity are dissolved. Only then can one attain Tiphareth in Briah and come under the direct influence of Archangel Michael, or “One Who Is Like Unto God.”

The Kerubim

The Kerubim can be conceived of as a reflection of the Four Holy Living Creatures of Kether, the powers of the Eternal Elements. The duty of the Chayoth ha-Qodesh is to formulate the primary pattern upon which the rest of existence is built. These Kerubic forces descend the Middle Pillar to Yesod where the Kerubim, as the structural powers of the Universe, support this existence. Therefore, the Kerubim are the formative powers of the Elements stationed in the sphere of Yesod, the etheric substructure that supports the physical universe. As these etheric powers, the Kerubim are the formative forces of the world and humankind. As Angels of Lunar Yesod, the Kerubim also have an association with time, the four Kerubic points in the year which are the Hermetic Qabalah’s cross quarter days. Their name means “the Strong Ones” which is derived from the Akkadian word Karibu which means “one who prays” or “one who intercedes.”

The work of the Kerubim is to influence communication between the inner and outer worlds by serving as Guardians, Heralds, Equilibrators and Guides. They work on the building of knowledge and the harnessing of force in etheric or Yesodic methods. One of these methods is the use of symbols relating to Yesodic perception within the depths of the unconscious mind. With the progression of time, these symbols become less ritualistic and more psychic, becoming tools in the hands of the aspirant. These images are the contents of the Treasure House of Images, and the forces behind these images are the Angels of Yesod.

The Tetradic Kerubim are the animated powers of YHVH working through the fixed signs of the Zodiac. As given in Exodus 25:18-19 and 37:9, their shapes represent the aspects of the four dynamics of the Elements. These energies are not the Elements themselves, but rather are placed between the Angels and the Elements in hierarchy. One of the functions of the Kerubim is to take these energies and set them into motion and as such,, this Choir of Angels has a direct affect on the Earth and Man. As presidents of the Elemental Forces, these Four Kerubim are each assigned one of the letters of the Divine Name YHVH, and they operate in and through the four astral Elements in Yesod before these Elements are formulated in the physical world of Malkuth.

This Tetrad serves as Equilibrators by creating a stable nucleus from which the physical world comes forth into being. These four Vice-Gerants of the Elements, under the Presidency of Spirit (Gabriel), are synthesized in the formula of YHSHVH. Yod, Lion, Nequaquam Vacuum, Nowhere a Void; He, Eagle, Libertas Evangelii, Liberty of the Gospel; Vau, Man, Dei Intacta Gloria, Unsullied Glory of God; and Heh (f), Ox, Legis Jugum, Yoke of the law; and in the midst of the four letters is Shin, the letter of Spirit, which, formed from the Tetragrammaton, gives the Divine name of Yeheshua, The Pentagram represents the concentrated force of the Spirit and the four Elements governed by the five letters of the Name of the Restorer, YHSHVH and is not only attributed to the planet Mars, but also shows the Kerubim and the Wheel of Spirit. The Kerubim of Ezekiel have four faces, those of the Lion, the Bull, the Man and the Eagle, alternating with each other by rotation. Beside them was the symbolic form of the Spirit, symbolized by the wheel. As suggested by the two wings that covered their bodies and the two wings that stretched upwards to each other, the synthesis of the Kerubim is found in the revolving Cross, in the Pentagram, and in the idea Spirit dominating the four Elements.

The Kerubim are winged celestial beings which, unlike most conceptions of angels as anthropomorphic, are zoomorphic. On the 32nd Path between Malkuth and Yesod, the Zelator encounters these Four Kerubim who perform elemental purifications which aid in the alchemical transformation of the aspirant. In this ritual, the aspirant learns that the Elemental Spirits are invoked through the power and governance of the Kerubim and their Zodiacal symbols. They are given Hebrew names but their appearance is primarily Egyptian:

Adam (Hebrew for Man), Kerub of Air, stationed in the East, human-headed Aquarius. “The Priest with the Mask of Osiris spake and said, ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Eastern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is replied “Thou art NUT, Goddess of the Firmament of Air. Thou art HORMAKU, Lord of the Eastern Sun.”

Aryeh (Hebrew for Lion), Kerub of Fire, stationed in the South, Lion-headed Leo. “The Priest with the mask of the Lion spake and said, ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Southern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” Of which is replied, “Thou art MAU the Lion, Very Powerful Lord of Fire. Thou art RA, the Sun in his strength.”

Nesher (Hebrew meaning Eagle), Kerub of Water, stationed in the West, Eagle-headed Scorpio. “The Priest with the mask of the Eagle spake and said, “Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Western Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is replied “HEKA, Mistress of HESUR, Ruler of Water, is Thy name. Thou art TOUM, the Setting Sun.”

Shor (Hebrew meaning Bull), Kerub of Earth, stationed in the North, Bull-headed Taurus. “The Priest with the mask of the Ox spake and said ‘Thou canst not pass the Gate of the Northern Heaven unless thou canst tell me my name’.” of which is responded, “SATEM, in the abode of SHU, the Bull of Earth, is Thy name. Thou art KEPHRA, the Sun at Night.”

The arrangement of the Theoricus Hall of only four officers suggests the conciliatory Element of Air reconciling the opposing energies within the Hall, resulting in a perfect balance of forces. The number four is associated with Chesed, the first Sephirah to manifest below the Abyss, but it also refers to Yesod as the firm foundation within which the Four Elements are given etheric form which then later materialize in Malkuth during the course of the Lightning Flash.

In the Theoricus Ritual, as the Hierophant addresses the candidate on the meaning of the Cross within the Triangle, it is stated that the Cross, placed upon the Altar at the base of the Tree of Life, refers to the Four Rivers of Paradise. It is Gabriel who rules the “Living Water streams that well from out the Highest Throne.” “…And he showed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelations 22:1). These Rivers are referred to in Genesis 2:10-14: “And a River, Nahar, went forth out of Eden to water the Garden, and from thence it was parted and come into four heads. And the name of the First River is Pison, it is that which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. There is Bdellium and the Onyx stone. [–Leo.] And the name of the Second River is Gihom, the same as that which compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. [–Scorpio.] And the Name of the Third River is Hiddekel, that is it which goeth forth to the East of Assyria. [–Aquarius.] And the Fourth River is Euphrates. [–Taurus.]” This indicates the Presidency of Spirit (Gabriel) over the four Elements.

In the Zelator Ritual the aspirant is told. “And Tetragrammaton placed Kerubim at the East of the Garden of Eden and a Flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the Path of the Tree of Life, for He has created Nature that Man, being cast out of Eden, may not fall into the Void. He has bound Man with the Stars, as with a chain. He allures him with scattered fragments of the Divine Body in bird and beast and flower, and He laments over him in the Wind and the Sea and in the Birds. When the times are ended, He will call the Kerubim from the East of the Garden, and all shall be consumed and become Infinite and Holy.” …. “This drawing of the Flaming Sword of the Kerubim is a representation of the Guardians of the Gates of Eden.

As the Qabalah teaches, the everlasting abode of the Higher Self is in the Eden of Paradise, the supernal sanctuary which is forever guarded from chaos by the Flaming Sword of the Kerubim whirling across borders of the Abyss. After the descent from Grace, the Kerubim were stationed at the Abyss to separate the Supernals from the effects of the Fall.

The Four Kerubim, through their assignation to the four Archangels, are Four of the Seven in the Presence of the Lord. This description of the Kerubim is from John’s vision (Revelations 4:7-8): “And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night saying, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, is and is to come.’ ” Here, the Kerubim are seen as single-headed but having six wings, thus uniting the powers of the number seven (the Planets) with the number four (the Elements).

The Invisible Stations of the Hall of the Golden Dawn

The Stations of the Man, the Lion, the Bull and the Eagle are the Four Cardinal Points without the Hall and these are the invisible Guardians of the boundaries of the Temple. They are placed according to the Four Winds and are stationed beyond the thrones of Hierophant, Dadouchos, Hiereus and Stolistes.

The Kerub of Air, behind the throne of Hierophant, is the power of the Goddess Hathor who unites the powers of Isis and Nephthys. The sign of Aquarius, the zodiacal sign of Air, is the Water-Bearer, the container of Rain. The Egyptian name for the Sign of Aquarius is Phritithi.

The Kerub of Fire, face and form of a lion, with large, flapping wings, is behind the throne of Dadouchos, and is the power of the Goddess Tharpesh or Tharpheshest. The action of the Lion Kerub is through the Flaming Fire of Leo with the Egyptian name of Labo-Ae.

The Kerub of Water, which has the face and form of a great Eagle with large, glinting wings, is behind the throne of Hiereus. It is the power of the God Thoomoo, and his operation is through the Sign of Scorpio, which is called in Egyptian Szlae-Ee (in Egyptological works the name of this god is Tum or Tmu).

The Kerub of Earth has the face and form of a Bull with heavy, dark wings and is situated behind the throne of the Stolistes. It is the power of the God, Ahaphshi, operating by the Sign of Taurus and its Egyptian name is Ta-Aur.

Sphynx, the Synthesis of the Kerubim

The Sphynx is a synthetic of the Kerubic figures. In the Ritual of the 32nd Path leading into the Theoricus Grade, it is written, “The Sphynx of Egypt spake and said, ‘I am the synthesis of the Elemental Forces. I am also the symbol of Man. I am Life. I am Death. I am the Child of the Night of Time.’ ” As stated in Regardie’s Golden Dawn: “Now learn the mystery of the Wisdom of Egypt: ‘When the Sphynx (synthesis of the Kerubim) and the Pyramid (synthesis of the Elements) are united, thou hast the formulae of the magic of nature. These are the keys of the wisdom of all Time; and its beginning–who knoweth it? In their keeping are the sacred mysteries and the knowledge of Magic and all the Gods.”

According to Levi in Transcendental Magic: “You are called to be the king of air, water, earth and fire, but to reign over these four living creatures of symbols, it is necessary to conquer and enchain them. He who aspires to be a sage and to know the Great Enigma of Nature must be their heir and despoiler of the Sphynx, his the human head, in order to possess speech; his the eagle’s wings in order to scale the height; his the bull’s flanks in order to furrow the depth; his the lion’s talons, to make a way on the right and the left, before and behind.”

The Kerub, or Symbolic Bull, which Moses placed at the gate of the edenic world bearing a fiery sword, was a Sphynx which had a bull’s body and a human head. It is the Assyrian Sphynx, symbolic of the combat and victory of Mithras. This armed Sphynx represents the Law of Mystery who watches at the door of initiation to warn away the profane.

The Mosaic Kerub also represents a great mystery in which the elements are expressed by the number seven, without, however, giving the final word. This word is what the Qabalists write as YHVH and interpret by Aleph Resh Aleph Resh Yod Tau Aleph, expressing the triplicity of the secondary principle, the alliance between the triad and the tetrad, in a word composed of four letters, which form seven by means of a triple and double repetition. This word is pronounced “Ararita.”

The universal key of all magical operations is that of the ancient religious doctrines, and it is the key to the Qabalah, the Bible, and the Lesser Key of Solomon. With this key, we are able to understand the enigmas of every Sphynx and penetrate the Mysteries–and the key is this: (1) a hieroglyphic and numerical alphabet, expressing by characters and numbers, a series of universal and absolute ideas, (2) a scale of ten numbers, multiplied by four symbols and connected with twelve figures representing the twelve signs of the zodiac and (3) the four angels of the cardinal points.

The symbolic tetrad, represented in the Mysteries of Memphis and Thebes by the four forms of the Sphynx, i.e. the man, eagle, lion and bull, correspond to the four elements. Now these four signs, with all their analogies, explain the one word hidden in all the Mysteries. It is the name of the four primal letters of the Ineffable Name: YOD, symbol of the paternal scepter of Noah; HE, the cup of libations and also symbolic of maternity; and VAU which emerges from and joins the two. This is the triple sign of the triad in the Divine Word; but the mother-letter, HE appears a second time, to express the fertility and abundance of Nature and of woman to concisely express the doctrine of universal and progressive correspondences, which descends from cause to effect and ascends from effect to cause. Moreover, this sacred word is not pronounced, it is spelled, and expressed in four letters which are the four sacred words, Yod He Vau He.

Metatron and Sandalphon

One of the most common appearances of the Kerubim is the great dyad of Metatron and Sandalphon. These two holy Kerubim are the Sentinels of the Briatic Mother Temple of Light. Metatron is the Great Masculine Kerub, corresponding to the White Pillar of Yakhim, and Sandalphon is the Great Feminine Kerub, corresponding to the Black Pillar of Boaz. These Two Pillars, positioned on the right and left sides of the Tree, are symbolic of the concepts of Active and Passive, Male and Female, Adam and Eve and refer to the Pillars of Fire and Cloud which guided the Israelites in the wilderness. In the Theoricus Ritual, the hot and moist natures are further marked by the Red Lamp and the Cup of Water. These Two Kerubim are the Angels of the Devir, the Holy of Holies of the Hebrew Tabernacle and Temple. In this Temple, one inunense pair of Kerubic Images spread their wings from wall to wall and a smaller pair stood at the two ends of the Ark itself. Between them was the Kaporeth, the Presence of Yahweh.

Eheieh denotes breath and the sound that every being pronounces all its existence, and it is the Name of the Lord of Life. By the inspiration and expiration of Eheieh through the two Great Pillars (Macroprosopus is Aima and Abba, Mother and Father), all things are thrown into vibration. As Guardians over Malkuth, Metatron and Sandalphon are the Two Pillars, but the work of these Dyadic Kerubim is not solely relegated to the role of Guardians. They function also as Equilibrators, balancing opposites and defining the center, the place of balanced power. As Equilibrators, these Two Kerubim are closely related to the Egyptian Godforms of Isis and Nephthys. Nephesch ha-Messiah (also called “Kerubim”) is the animal soul of Messiah, or the Shekinah, and is the Presence between these two Kerubim. The Shekinah represents Aima Elohim, the Supernal Sephiroth as a synthetic unity of the Divine White Brilliance. Since this is spoken of as between the Kerubim, it is the Middle Pillar of the Tree and as such, is the Path of the Redeemer.

The vibrations of the Briatic World of Kether are shown through the influence of the mighty Archangel Metatron, the Great Angel of the Presence and the World Prince. Also called the “King of Angels,” Metatron was the guiding angel that led the children of Israel through the wilderness. Metatron, alone, sees the Face of God. He presides over the Tree of Life in its entirety and is considered the Right-hand Masculine Kerub of the Ark. It is said that Metatron communicated the Qabalah to humankind, and as stated in the Abodah Zarah of the Talmud, he is the “teacher of the prematurely dead children of Paradise.” He is known as the Metatron Ketheriel and is also called IOEL – “I am God.” Metatron functions as the link between God and Man, and the vibration of this Archangel’s name will generate a yearning to return to God or the pure state of Kether. Therefore, he is the guide or source of aspiration in attaining the higher levels of the self and by vibrating his name, we draw down that part of him to aid us in this effort.

The effect of the Briatic World of Malkuth is through the Archangel Sandalphon. She is also the Left-hand Kerub of the Ark of the Covenant. Translated from the Greek “Sandalfon” which means “Co-Brother,” Sandalphon is considered the twin of Metatron or another form of this Archangel. Another translation of the name is “Lord of the Extent of Height” and because of this remarkable height, she is said to be able to reach her twin in Kether, which points to the idea that Malkuth is Kether–but after a different manner. As the Archangel of Malkuth, Sandalphon reconciles the material energies which are brought forth into the physical world. She is also said to convey the power and beauty of the natural world to the Souls of humanity and influences worldly affairs in general by creating the building blocks and designs for each civilization.

On the Microcosmic Tree of Life, Malkuth of Briah is the equivalent to the self of Man. The archangel Sandalphon watches over the Kether (the most spiritual essence) of the physical body and the Tiphareth (the consciousness) of the psychologically unawakened individual. When initiates begin to evolve, Sandalphon guards them as the Neschamah grows, always keeping consciousness on the Middle Path. As the Neschamah becomes stronger, an image of the Briatic World, the realm of Spirit, begins to form. Slowly a foundation is formed on the lower portion of the Briatic Tree, and the initiate begins to perceive and comprehend the images of this World, as is demonstrated by the Chariot and Throne of the vision of Ezekiel. It is here that the creation of a purified consciousness is originated, and with this fusion of consciousness comes the development of an awareness in the Ruach triad. When the crystallization is complete, when it is stable within, it is no longer a passing flash or a gift, but a permanent foundation.

Conclusion

The word “Kerubim” might be better understood as a matter of function, rather than as a title, indicating the working together of groups, or polarities, i.e. dyads, tetrads, enneads, etc. Viewing the Tree as functioning simultaneously, the Elements originate in Kether through the Fylfot or the Spiral–“God breathes.” Chokmah is the pure, inexhaustible force of this “breath,,” and Binah is its vehicle of definition. These two Sephiroth originate the channel whereby the Kerubic forces descend the Middle Pillar, and the Side Pillars maintain this passageway through which they move. These Elemental forces are drawn forth across the Abyss by Geburah, working in conjunction with Chesed which equilibrates them, and it is these two Sephiroth which bring these forces through to individualized potential. They are then manifested as the heart of self through Tiphareth which rules and controls them. Netzach and Hod duplicate the efforts of Chokmah and Binah and of Geburah and Chesed in the lower personality of the self; and it is in Yesod, or the ego consciousness, that these Kerubic forces are structured. Malkuth is the manifestation of these elements within the physical body, the grounding of the circuit. The function of the Kerubim seems to be in guarding the gate of this action.

art: Spitblossoms

[cabinofimagines]

Wait for me?

Ah, it is the yearly Poly!Solangelo fic for my birthday (the 11th for timezone sake) :) Gotta keep writing hehe

thanks to my ex (my muse ) and Danny for proofreading!

Pairing: Poly!Solangelo x reader, Will Solace x reader x Nico di Angelo Request: Hey, I was thinking maybe a solangelo x reader where the reader comes back late from a quest- like it took them longer to complete then they thought it would and Nico and Will were all worried and then just general fluff or something? Feel free to ignore if you don’t want to write it Word count: 3.4k Warnings: mentions of death a few times, some angst

-Asnyox

The low flicker of the campfire put everyone in an orange light. For a bit you had actually managed to sing some songs with the few campers still at camp, but the energy was a little low. 

“It’s always kind of weird when people leave after winter break, huh,” Austin remarked while he was still softly strumming his guitar. “Yeah, the quiet comes back too quickly.” Will said from beside you. He was holding a sleepy Nico close to him on his other side, while softly playing with your fingers too, “At least the infirmary will be empty again,” “Oh no, we might get bored,” Kayla joked softly, “Hey, Rachel, weren't you going back today too?” Rachel nodded her head, after which she shook it again. She sighed. “I wanted to, but I feel like I am forgetting something. There is something I need to do before I can leave camp and it is eating at me.” Rachel stared into the flames before groaning loudly. “I hate this.”

“Well, dear child, I do not remember any tasks given to you.” Chiron spoke as he walked closer to the campfire, “Perhaps a belated prophecy as our Oracle?” he suggested. Rachel perked up. Her eyes widened as green smoke started to come from her mouth.

(Y/n) will return alone, after collecting the stone, and repairing a parents shrine, Only then, all shall be fine.

 Will’s grip on your hand suddenly got tight, as Nico sat up from his position, clearly distressed. The green smoke faded and Chiron quickly caught Rachel as she fell down. 

“(Y/n),” Chiron addressed you as he made sure Rachel was sat safely, “it is most unusual that you have been directly addressed by name. This most likely is a quest from your godly parent, do you accept this quest?” You could feel the eyes of your boyfriends on you, their worried gazes burning into your head. You knew they would not want you to go, but it was your parent, who chose you to do this. 

“I do.” you said, and you heard protests from your boyfriends. 

“I will-” Nico started, “I mean we will go with (Y/n).” the son of Hades looked at Chiron, who shook his head slowly. “I fear that that is not possible, my child.” Chiron stated calmly, “As the prophecy demands (Y/n) to go alone.” Chiron turned to you, “It probably is best if we go over possible details at this moment, so you can leave in the morning if you wish.” 

You started to stand up, and so did your boyfriends. 

“Will, Nico, I-” you purse your lips. “I want to know the details-” Will started but you shook your head. “How about you go to my cabin while I discuss this with Chiron?” You grabbed both a hand of Nico and one of Will, “That way will probably be quicker, and I will tell you the details afterwards, okay?” Reluctantly your boyfriends nodded their heads, as they watched you walk off. 

───────────

“I don’t care what the prophecy says!” Will grumbled as you were packing your bags, “What about the rule of three!” “That contradicts ‘will return alone’ Will, we’ve been over this.” you sighed, a slight tremble in your voice, “I don’t want to go without you, but I will not” you glared at your boyfriend, “needlessly endanger the loves of my life by ignoring the prophecy.” you waved your hand, “besides, it’s like Chiron said, just a small thing to do for my godly parent and then I will be back! Nothing to worry about.” You heard Will sigh from behind you as you went over your belongings one more time. 

“I don’t like it.” Nico stated, “I want to protect you, you shouldn’t have to go in alone.” You turned around to see your boyfriends sitting together on an empty bunk bed. You walked forward and motioned them to scootch apart, worming yourself between them. You softly grabbed both their hands, squeezing them softly. Nico leaned his head on your shoulder. 

“It’s not like we have much of a choice. It’s either going alone, or most definitely get you two mortally wounded, if not outright killed.” “But what if you get hurt?” Will whispered, “What if I am not there to help you?” “You will be, after all,” you looked at Will, meeting his eyes, “You taught me how to do first aid, don’t tell me you’re doubting your skills as a mentor?” Will grimaced as his gaze softened. 

“We will still be worried about you, love.” Will slowly moved towards you and gave you a careful kiss, “and we’ll miss you.” 

“I will miss you both.” you sighed, “I think that might be the worst part.” You felt Nico snuggle into your neck, “Just promise me you’ll wait at camp for me?” “I guess,” Nico mumbled, “But if I catch any wind of you being in danger I don’t think Will would stop me.” Will nodded his head in agreement. “Nico!” you paused, “Gods I love you both Will, please make sure Nico won’t do anything stupid,” Will hummed in agreement, as Nico protested with a weak ‘Hey!’ “Oh and Nico, please make sure Will doesn’t do anything either-” Now it was time for Will to feign hurt.

“Why is he not allowed to do anything stupid, and I am not allowed to do anything?” Will put a hand over his heart. 

“Love, I think you’ll be too busy looking after Nico.” you shrugged, “and the last time we let you do stuff you somehow came back with six cats to take care of so,” 

Will sighed as he went back to leaning on you, “I am going to miss you,” he pressed a kiss on your shoulder. 

“I’ll miss you too, but if all goes according to plan I will be back in a fortnight!” you promised your boyfriends.

───────────

The next day you were off, leaving behind two worried boyfriends. With a positive attitude, and your sword on your side, you were sure this would all be a piece of cake. However, the first obstacle was already in your way after only a few hours of traveling. 

You sighed as you checked the map. The first part of the quest was to find the right material to repair the shrine, and sadly the Home Depot you went to was all out of it, so the first ‘easy’ part was getting harder with the second. What should you do, rent an Uber to bring you to the next closest Home Depot (you did not have that much money on you), ask the Gray Sisters to do it instead (that would be a near death experience) or try stealing some from a museum? The last one might not be the smartest, but then why would there be a museum right next to the Home Depot? 

On your way you went. 

───────────

The sun was setting and it had been a few days since you left. Nico and Will sat together as they looked out over the strawberry fields, definitely not in case you were going to suddenly show up from outside the border. 

“I miss them.” Nico sighed, “But they will be okay, right?” “I hope so,” Will leaned his head on Nico’s shoulder, “What do you think they ate for dinner?” Will felt Nico sink down a little. “I don’t know, what if they didn’t have any?” Nico tensed a little, “What if they are stuck in a hole right now, desperately trying to get out?” Will huffed. “Do you think they drank enough water?” Will asked and Nico made a non committal noise, and Will sensed his worry, “What if they found a new kind of demigod and became ambassador for their godly parent there without telling us?”  “What do you-” Nico gasped, “Hey! It would have been dangerous to introduce Camp Half-Blood to Camp Jupiter at the time!” Nico protested, roughly sitting up. Will swiftly followed his movement. Nico glared at Will, “I am seriously worried about them, okay?” 

“I know, Nico, my sunshine,” Will smiled, “But what if they get accused of kidnapping their parent and become a wanted criminal throughout the entire states?” Nico’s glare faltered. “I think it’s more likely that they lose their memory,” Nico hesitated, “to get raised by wolves for a bit, before they arrive at Camp Jupiter. At least then we will find them again.” Will softly cupped Nico’s cheek with his hand

“They will come back to us,” Will kissed Nico, “We just need to trust them.” 

───────────

Nico paled when he realized where you were. He had heard the story of Em’s emporium from Percy and Annabeth. Why were you here? 

“Stupid cyclops with it’s stupid hands and fucking-” you walked into frame. Nico tried to move closer, but he noticed he was stuck. Stuck as a statue. “Take a breath (Y/n),” you looked around, “Improvise, adapt, overcome. There must be statues around here somewhere, it won’t be as fancy but it will be enough.” 

You walked up to Nico, staring directly into his eyes. 

“This one should do.” You brazed yourself, and pushed him to the ground. 

Nico woke up in a cold sweat, shaking. Why were you in his dreams- his nightmares? You seemed to be alright, but he knew this was not part of the discussed plan- you were in danger- what if-

Nico started to sit up, only to feel his hand press into another body. 

“Ouch-,” Will groaned as Nico recoiled, “Love?” Nico rested his back against the wall, counting the timing of his breaths- in for four, hold for five and out- in, hold out.

“Nico?” Will entered his vision, “Nightmare?” Nico nodded, reminding himself that you were alright even if you were in his dreams. Will positioned himself next to Nico, not touching him, but he could feel the bed shift. Will recounted a few times where Nico had nightmares, and he fell into a routine the three of you had set up. 

“Do you want to talk, or for me to try to guess what it is?” Will asked and Nico nodded, “Talk?” Nico shook his head.

“About down there?” Will asked, Nico signaled ‘no’, “Your past?” Nico shook his head again, “I don’t know uhm,” Will felt Nico nudge his hand, and he carefully grabbed it, “Can you help me out, love?” Nico licked his lips. 

“(Y/n),” his breath hitched. Will squeezed his hand as he tensed. “Are they alright?” he whispered, and Nico softly nodded, “But you’re scared because they’re in your dreams?” and Nico nodded again, leaning against Will now. Will engulfed his boyfriend in his arms. Will softly rubbed Nico’s back. “It’s okay to be scared,” Will whispered, “I am too,” and Will realized he could no longer promise Nico that you would be alright. He just hoped you would be. 

───────────

After the last nightmare, the nights became restless. If the planning would have been right, you should have been back two days ago but you were not. Nico was scared that the next time he would dream it would be about your dead body, and he continuously attempted to sense your soul. You were getting further away, but you were not dead.

Yet. 

He hadn’t had a new dream about you, and Will got permission form Chiron to stay over most nights. Together they talked, but whenever the topic turned to you the conversation quickly quieted, both of the boys in their own worlds of worry. At some point, Will had put on your favorite movie, putting out the snacks you normally ate. But, the gummy worms went untouched, and as Nico hugged Beanjamin close -his weighted goose plushie - he slowly dozed off. 

Will was worried. He noticed the growing bags under Nico’s eyes, but how could he help? Austin nowadays reassured him multiple times a day that you would be back any moment now, but would you? Will didn’t blame his boyfriend for having a nightmare about you, however Nico and nightmares were never a good sign. What if it just meant you were gone? 

As Will leaned closer, he could already hear Nico whimper from another nightmare. 

Oh no.

Nico turned around, suddenly face to face with his lover. You looked beaten, but not injured. Dirt stains covered your clothes and face, and Nico tried to reach out to you, only to phase right through you. 

“Why the fuck is this tunnel not ending yet!”  You huffed, before sitting down on the floor and leaning against the wall, “This will be easy they said,” you mumbled, holding in a sob, “easy my fucking ass” 

Nico stepped forward, “(Y/n), please” You closed your eyes in defeat. “keep going for me-” he begged you before the dream faded away. 

Will hated how deep Nico could sleep when he was having nightmares. Every time it felt like the dreams would suck Nico in, only letting him go when he had seen everything. “Nico please-” Will called out just as Nico shot up, hitting his head against Will’s head.

“Fuck!” both boys exclaimed. 

“Sorry,” Will said after a moment, “I should not have been hovering above you, I guess.” 

“What are you sorry for?” Nico sighed, “It’s not like you could’ve known.” They both sat in silence, not looking at one another. 

“I heard you say their name,” Will hesitated, “Are they alright?” Nico swallowed harshly. “They didn’t look injured-” Nico clenched his fists. “But?” Will prompted. “Something must be wrong.” Nico sighed, “They were crying, something about a tunnel- I don’t-” Nico looked Will in the eye, “I think we should go.” “Okay, but we need to discuss it with Chiron, tomorrow.” Will said. 

“But!” Nico shook his head, “I guess you are right, fuck.” 

“I know, I am sorry.”

─────────── 

The conversation with Chiron did not go well. Nico was seething, standing at the border of camp as Will held him tightly. 

“They are hurt Will! I can’t just sit here and wait for them to die!” 

“I promised them I wouldn’t let you do anything stupid!” Will tightened his grip, “I promised, Nico.” 

“But what about protecting them?” Nico was no longer yelling, “What about loving them?” Will tensed and he wished to fucking scream at Nico. Instead, he decided to be the bigger person and he took a deep breath. 

“I love them and I love you.” a pause, “and I cannot stand that you are making me choose.” Will felt his shirt slowly get damp. He hated it when Nico cried, but it was better than when he was angry. Will closed his eyes as he felt Nico’s arm sneak around his waist. 

“I can’t lose them,” Nico mumbled, “I can’t lose you but-” he gasped for air, “I’m sorry, I’m terrified.” Will held his boyfriend in silence, pressing his lips to the top of Nico’s head, as he slowly let his own tears flow. The wind blew around them, leaves rustling as they both tried to calm down. Slowly their breaths synchronized. 

And suddenly another pair of arms engulfed the two of them. 

“What-” Will quickly pushed the third person away, as Nico stepped back. “Geez guys, I know that I haven’t showered yet but this is excessive-” “It’s you,” Nico’s voice quivered. “It’s me,” You smiled painfully, “I need to go to the infirmary-” you clutched your side, and before you could even move Will and Nico were at your side, holding you up, “Sorry I took so long.” “I love you, and would love to talk,” Will grimaced, “But my priority is healing you, my love.” 

“Thank you.”

─────────── 

Much to Will’s chagrin, Austin stood on taking care of your wounds as he was on shift. He had tried to object, but Austin was right that perhaps he was not in the most emotionally stable state to professionally assess the injuries you had sustained. So, Nico and him were just standing outside of the infirmary until you were properly patched up. Next to him, Nico had his eyes closed, and if Will didn’t know better he would think Nico was relaxing. However, Will did know better, and the creasing of Nico’s eyebrows worried him. 

“How are they doing?” Will asked. Nico’s eyes sprung open, as he was surprised by the voice of his boyfriend. Nico had been concentrating on the feeling of your soul, which seemed too far away but so close. He had fully forgotten that Will was there with him, waiting on you too.

“Their souls wavers sometimes,” Nico let out a breath, “Which is normal for injured people, I guess.” Will nodded in response. He had to remind himself that Austin had as much skill as he had, and that you were not in any mortal danger when you arrived. You had to be fine, you would be fine. 

These thoughts did not stop Will’s heart from stopping when Austin walked out, looking a little dejected. “How’s-” Will started. “They kept correcting me on what I was doing,” Austin laughed, “A bit embarrassing for me, but they are alright.” 

“Thanks, can we go in?” Nico asked, ignoring Austin’s comment. Austin stepped aside, and Will and Nico made their way inside the infirmary. 

As your boyfriends approached you, they saw the awful state you were in. Nico went to stand on the right side of the infirmary bed you were in, and Will on the left.Neither of your boyfriends dared to step closer, as you were barely sitting upright. Instead they each grabbed a chair and sat down within reach of you, wordlessly.

“Did you get any ambrosia yet? Nectar?” Will slowly moved closer as his stomach churned at the sight of your weakened state. You tried to shake your head, but quickly stopped as you closed your eyes in pain. “I am at my limit already, didn’t really have time to properly heal up on my way here.” your voice came out rough, but steady, “How are you two holding up? Missed me?” Nico’s gaze went from your face to your hand. It was wrapped in a bandage, much like the rest of your upper arm. 

“We were worried about you, my love.” Nico heard Will speak as he softly grabbed the blanket instead of your hand. He didn’t want to accidentally hurt you, and your form seemed so bruised and broken. His ears still picked up Will, who was retelling all that happened since you were gone, but his brain did not process it. Instead, he feared that just being here was already weakening you. He knew his presence wouldn’t hurt but- but what if the essence of death brought you closer? What if he made his nightmares come true? 

“... has been having dreams about you. That’s why we were at the border.” At the mention of his name, Nico looked up, releasing the deathgrip he had on the blanket. 

“Oh?” you looked at the son of Hades, “all good dreams I hope?” Nico’s head stopped any thought it had when he looked into your eyes. Your shining, alive, eyes and your handsome face. “That doesn’t matter,” Nico muttered as he sat more upright, a feeling of ease coming over him, “Now that you’re back, it doesn’t matter.” Nico was never going to let you go alone again, as he promised himself to keep protecting you no matter what. 

Will looked at his boyfriend, as he smiled. The past few weeks had been rough on them, even worse on you, but the three of you were finally together. You still looked tired, but less so after your talk. Will knew that he would need to wait until you were better and as Austin walked back into the infirmary he stood up. 

“I think we should let (Y/n) rest, Nico.” he wanted to hold you in his arms until you fell asleep, but you needed uninterrupted sleep for now. Nico nodded as he too stood up. Tomorrow he would hold you, if you were better. He will wait until you are healed.

“Sleep well. Love you.” Will said as he waited for Nico to be at his side. “Love you, (Y/n). See you later.” Nico had a ghost of a smile on his face. 

You carefully laid down, before saying a final ‘I love you’ to your boyfriends, as you could finally relax.

But just before your boyfriends went away there was one more promise to be made to them.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Will knew that he and Nico would wait forever for them, if they needed it to heal. He didn’t know when this journey would end, but he would walk besides you and Nico, hand in hand. Nico knew he couldn’t promise you a kind road, or a fair sky, but he knew that he would protect you and besides you in any way he can. 

“We will,” Will promised, a promise he can keep.

[groversimp]

Nico di Angelo x male reader who was imprisoned in a sleep for a long fucking time and Nico discovered while on a quest and just imprinted on Nico when he woke up and protects him and they have a bond since they both don’t have a sense in time and Nico dresses them and they are bffs (Reader would be physically 20s mentally around 500 thousand and this would be platonic and really fluffy like a god dad that just likes Nico a lot and is friendly but has an attachment to Nico and Nico loves his god dad definitely got him a mug with “#1 God Dad”

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

Anon <3 this is such a cute request <3

This takes place somewhere after HOO but before TOA, and before Nico and Will get together.

Reader does have kids but they’re dead so..

When Nico had first met you, long long ago on a small quest for Ares (to get an anniversary gift for Lady Aphrodite) he thought you were dead. Your exomis and thorny flower crown made you look like a man of the past. You laid on a wooden bed with plush blankets made from fur and pillows so soft they made Nico’s hand ache. You looked ethereal, so untouchable by the blue flames of the underworld’s candle. The only thing that ruined the sight was the obsidian handcuffs, keeping your wrists captive on the bed frame. Nico frowned, why were you here? Before he went back to Olympus to gift Ares his anniversary gift, he stopped by his fathers castle.

“Dad..” He spoke, Hades glared down at him from his throne. “Nico.” Nico rolled his eyes, his dad’s typical pessimistic tone echoing in the barren hall, “what’s with the sleeping dude in the cave?” Hades gave him a confused,curious look for a minute before taking a breath in and nodding,suddenly understanding. “That’s Y/N.” Nico waited a beat for a further explanation, “and?” “He was a god, a son of Zagreus, who fell in love with a mortal. Y/N tried to turn his mortal lover to a god, but Zeus was enraged by that- claiming that his lover was not worth it. Zeus paid Hypnos, god of Sleep, to put Y/N in an eternal sleep till someone is strong enough to defeat the monsters that live within his dreams.” Naturally, Nico knew he needed to save you.

“But, what is Y/N the god of?” His father looked unimpressed by the constant questions, and let out an annoyed sigh. “He is the god of mercy. Before his eternal sleep, he was the one who decided who does and does not die at a specific point in time. The Fates loved him,” his father finished that last part sarcastically.

Nico nodded. Yep, he was definitely needed to save you. He turned on his heel and pranced away from the palace, leaving only the aura of death and his father’s annoyance behind.

After he had left Olympus, he returned to the underworld, wiping Aphrodite’s lipstick off his cheek. It was mildly annoying, but nice. She was very fond of the gift Ares had picked out for her, so fond infact that she kissed both of Nico’s cheeks and told him that he’ll be grateful later.. Whatever that meant.

Nico returned to your cave- a small,hidden home next to the river Lethe. The air in your cave was somewhat humid, with a sleepy aura around it. Poppy flowers and Yarrow strung the walls and grew on the grassy floor. His eyes felt heavy as he sat down on the bed next to you. Nico set his hand on your head and suddenly he felt himself pass out- getting sucked into your dreams.

The next several hours were ones of fighting and yelling out your name. The atmosphere of your dreams was a big flower field, where Nico was little and all the flowers were ginormous. They looked like skyscrapers and Nico knew that his sister Hazel would either love or hate this place. There were even bigger hourglasses with cryptic messages of the names of mortals and demigods who had died horrible deaths.. ones you couldn’t save.

The only thing that kept Nico from getting lost was a glowing,golden string that he could only assume was a trail leading him to you.

Alas, he was correct- because hours later he discovered you in a big flower-hut. You sat at a table, with an assortment of foods and teas laid out before you nicely. Almost like a tea party. Nico knocked on the wall to let you know that he was there, and the smile you gave him when you looked up made you look half mad.

“Hello, child..” Your voice was honey-drenched and sounded like the melody to a lost birdsong. It made him feel at peace. “I’ve been expecting you.” Nico hummed and sat down at your table, grabbing one of your small sandwiches from a dessert tray and eating it. You frowned at him and started to rearrange the tray so it looked even again.

“I didn’t wait thousands of years for you to come here and fuck up my pretty food!” Nico froze in his tracks. Did you just swear?

“Oh.” He said, awkwardly shifting, “I’m sorry?” You glared at him, but quickly started grinning and let out a laugh, “I like you. You’re weird.”

Wow. Brutal.

Eventually, after more fighting (which you were surprisingly good at), you two got out of the dream world.

Nico flopped down on your bed, but you remained sitting up- looking at the room around you with stars in your eyes. Nico glared up at you, watching as you processed the newly-found world around you.

“Y/N.”

Your gaze snapped down to him. “Yes?” You said, your voice cracking and shaky after years of not being used. Nico sat up and stared at you for a moment before standing.

“C’mon,” he held his hand out to you and you took it. Your legs were shaking as you stood and walked slowly, one step at a time. Nico looked a bit annoyed but he had the grace to help you and not mention it.

You both got back to Camp Half-Blood, where you were immediately put in the infirmary- Dionysus and Chiron had come in to speak with you- you greeted Dionysus first, as he was a reincarnation of your father, then you greeted Chiron. You talked to them for a while about what happened, why it happened, and how you felt, but you didn’t really have much to say.

“Remember, if you need to tell us anything- you can always find us in the Big House.” Chiron said lowly and he trotted out of the room, giving you one last knowing look.

You stayed up there for days, rotting in place and watching as Nico and some Apollo’s kid (terribly) flirted. You snorted one day as the doctor left and Nico glared over at you,

“What’s so funny?” You shook your head and looked away with a boyish grin, “nothing! That’s just not how you get a guy’s attention.”

Nico sucked in a breath then came over to sit at the edge of your bed, “then how do you?” You quickly sat up, surprising Nico. “You’ve gotta use your eyes.” He looked unimpressed, “my eyes? Really?”

“Yes really! See,” you gave an example- fluttering your eyelashes and winking. “I’m not doing that.” He said. “Then don’t expect to ever get a boyfriend.” You countered, Nico groaned and stood up- “bye Y/N.” You muttered a goodbye and watched as he left.

A few weeks later, they let you out of the infirmary- but the medic, and Nico’s crush, gave you firm instructions to come in everyday after lunch for a checkup. Nico brought you to his cabin, closing the door and turning on the lights being you.

“Oh gods, it looks like a goth threw up in here!” You said as you looked around, Nico rolled his eyes. “I designed it when I was like 11, give me a break.”

He pulled some clothes out of his closet, a pair of jeans and some band shirt that said something about a chemical romance.. You glared at him as he handed you the clothes, “I am not wearing these.”

“Yes you are.” Nico pushed you towards the bathroom, “no! Where’s the color, where’s the pizzazz?”

“How do you even know that word?” You glared at him as you went into the bathroom and shut the door, “I just do.”

You came back out of the bathroom a few minutes later, grumbling about how you look like him now. “Is that really the worst thing?” Nico said, “yes. Yes it is.” Nico grumbled at your reply and went back to his bunk, grabbing a mysterious black box.

“What’s in there?” You asked, mischief a clear note in your sweet voice. “Just some supplies Will wanted me to pick up.” A faint blush was apparent on his face, and you immediately sparked up with anticipation. You grinned and got closer to him, pointing a finger at his arm, “someone has a crush!”

“No, I do not!” “Yes, you do!” He huffed and gave you a glare that could stop Ares in his tracks, “no, I don’t.” You backed off for a moment and walked away- “whatever you say, Nico..” you looked back at him, “but I’m here if you ever want to talk.”

The rest of the week was mundane, you started to understand the customs. The next few weeks went by, and you started to fit in. Then months rolled by and you were part of the Camp Half-Blood family.

Finally, fathers day had rolled around. It was a little sad, considering you’d always pop by to say hi to your demigod kids in Old Greece- now they were long gone, only misty memories that you held. But, you had Nico. He had become your closest thing to family. Always coming to you for advice and affection.

So, here you were, laying on your bed in the Hades cabin as you sniffed back tears thinking of your lost children. Your poor,poor kids- so young and vibrant and gorgeous. You could still imagine their laughter, loud and clear as you told them jokes or chased them around the yard. Their yelling as you threw a discus their way, and their triumphant howl they caught it.

A knock on the wooden frame of your bed made you shoot right up- shock and surprise rolling through your stomach, then embarrassment as you realized Nico had seen you cry.

He frowned and sat down at the foot of your bed, slightly out of reach. “Y/N..” Looking down, you cleared your throat and sniffed again, not allowing yourself to start crying once more. “I know that this isn’t easy for you, but I just want you to know that you’re not alone.” You looked up at him, not truly knowing what to say.

Nico gave a wet laugh and you realized that his eyes were filled with tears too. “It’s not easy for me either, not with no family..” He handed you a gift bag that you hadn’t seen, “but I thought we might be able to celebrate together?”

You looked down at the bag, then back up at him, then back to the bag. As you opened it and looked at your gift, you couldn’t help but laugh.

The mug was poorly printed, and the glass was a scratchy,low quality kind- but that only made it better. It said, in bold letters, “World’s Best God Dad.” You shook your head with laughter before setting it down next to you and tackling Nico in a hug.

“You’re my favorite human son,” you said as he cackled. You both laid there, hugging and laughing till your ribs hurt and ached. Nico sniffed and pushed you off of him slightly so he could see your face- “do you like it?” He asked, a smile on his usually distraught face.

“I love it.” He smiled even wider.

[lorethebookworm]

Since my PJO brainrot is back in full swing I went back to check out my notes on the sun and the star and let me tell you as an Italian that book was a whole experience ( I mean it mostly in a positive way I swear )

Allow me to elaborate

Nico, my man , my bestie, my dude is actually called NICCOLO. I know this doesn't seem like much but it's such a normal regular name I was stunned speechless. Do I know someone named Percy? Or Annabeth? Or Even Bianca?No. Do I know someone named Niccolo?? YES. Don't ask me to elaborate further , this was just extremely weird

Then there was this part were Nico tells us his mother had him learn Dante.

And honestly this feels like Rick looked up "Italian+author+hell" and went along with the first thing that came up. Rationally I know that he probably put a little more thought behind this but to me this felt so random. I don't know how things were in the 1930s but I'm pretty sure people didn't just read those books to literal children. Yes ,the Divine Comedy was very important in the development of the Italian language but my brother is eight years old and guess what? I'd never read him those books. We don't even know about them until middle school. Unless Maria di Angelo was a very passionate literature teacher I really don't see why she would read those books to Nico. I'm laughing so hard at the mental image of Rick going " Yes, Italians probably love this man so much that they have parts of his works memorized from an early age" like babe no we immediately forget about him one day after finishing high school.

3. Not happy, Rick then proceeded to say this about Dante's inferno , which honestly made me laugh so hard

If you want to warm up your kid to the idea of Underworld you should just not use these books and not just because of Dante's non-existent survival skills. They are extremely gory, the souls there are obviously full of despair and they get tortured in the most awful and depressing ways it's very much not appropriate for a child. I'm imagining Maria tucking her sweet little son in and then opening the Inferno and going " these people were awful in life so now they rot in a swamp and eat each other for all eternity :)) Get your sleep so tomorrow we can read about those who were doomed to lay in flaming tombs and the ones that are eternally teared apart by ravenous dogs :)))"

4. Back to a sillier note we have this infamous word that killed me

Listen, I have no idea who Rick's source is but they have it very much wrong. On the other hand Maria's Italian is from the 1930s so it's most definitely me who's in the wrong , but still. Nowadays the spelling is "figliolo" and it's still kind of and awkward word that is being used less and less. This particular spelling makes it sound even more ancient and dramatic so I was immediately taken aback.

Now that I've thought about it a little more I'm pretty sure this spelling still exists but it's from a dialect, not proper Italian, so you use it only if you want to sound very dramatic. Tbh I've only ever heard southern Italian grannies say that so it checks out

[melis-writes]

✨ Fanfic Navigation ✨ AO3 ✨Requests Info ✨

❓ What is Victonny? : Victonny is Victoria and Sonny's official ship name. After the events of Chapter 32, the ship took off in full force and is a fan favourite of many Moth to Flame readers. Here you'll be able to find every smut and non-smut written prompts for Victoria and Sonny having an illicit affair/in a relationship behind Michael and Sandra's backs. It is not canon.

SMUT PROMPTS (18+ only).

Alternative ending to Chapter 32: Part 2 - What if Sonny got Victoria pregnant and she kept the baby?

Victoria constantly being horny for Sonny.

Alternative ending to Chapter 32: Part 3 - Victoria and Sonny sleep together.

Alternative ending to Chapter 32: Part 4 - 3+ rounds more of sex.

Sonny and Victoria continuing their affair with no suspicion or being found out.

Victoria and Sonny continue their affair - Victoria gives birth to Sonny's daughter Luciana and son Angelo.

Victoria being insatiably aroused for Sonny.

Sonny and Victoria continue their affair - Both of them only sleep with one another from now on.

Sonny x Victoria's tits.

Victoria telling Sonny to breed her/knock her up.

Pregnancy sex while Victoria is pregnant with Sonny's baby.

Victoria teasing/riling up Sonny.

Pregnancy sex after New York.

Once you have some of Sonny, you can never get enough.

Victoria breaks her one time rule for Sonny.

Victoria loves creampies.

Sonny and Victoria keeping up normal appearances throughout their affair but getting lost in each other inbetween.

Sonny and Victoria sneak off to a tropical vacation.

Alone for three weeks, Sonny and Victoria make use of the entire estate.

AU: Sonny and Victoria had an affair before Victoria met Michael.

Halloween SINspired.

"I know you want me more than Michael."

Victoria calling Sonny 'daddy'.

"I'm going to get you pregnant again and again..."

NON-SMUT PROMPTS (18+ still applies).

Michael kills Sonny and Victoria after finding out about their affair and 2 children together.

Sonny and Victoria being casually affectionate with one another in front of family.

Victoria confesses to Sonny she wants to have more children with him.

What Sonny and Victoria have together is true love.

Sonny nicknames Victoria "Vicky".

Sonny finds out Michael's cheating on Victoria.

Sonny and Victoria continue their affair elsewhere.

Victoria confesses her love, craving and desire for Sonny.

Victoria pregnant with Sonny's third child.

Soft loving affection and time spent together.

Victoria and Sonny's children calling Sonny as their father.

Michael kills Sonny and Victoria after finding out about their affair and 2 children together.

Sonny and Victoria replace their wedding bands together.

Sonny and Victoria fake their deaths and run off together.

Sonny and Victoria fake their deaths and run off together: Sonny's children confront them.

Love into Lies: The End – Michael finds out about Sonny and Victoria's affair.

Remake Married AU: Carlo punches Victoria and Sonny responds to his wife being hit.

AU: Sonny receives Luca Brasi's Sicilian message with Victoria by his side.

AU: Knocking on Sonny and Victoria's door.

Victoria never feeling more loved in her life than she does with Sonny.

Sonny assembling furniture topless + Victoria's arousal.

Victoria confesses to Sonny she wished she could have married him in the first place.

Victoria and Sonny in a secret relationship before Victoria marrying Michael and with Sonny fathering all of her children.

[ohbutwheresyourheart]

latest installment in fragments from the google docs: what if dmc characters in bloodborne?

this is one I really do want to finish, mostly for the opportunity to, by the end, put Vergil, V, Urizen, and Nelo Angelo all in the same story and make it (mostly) make sense because of Bloodborne being so fast and loose with what is real

Many years ago, long before Nero was born, Yharnam was ravaged by demons with no hope of recourse. The city screamed, and suffered, until it could only moan like a downed beast with its entrails spilled across the ground, waiting for death to slip in and close its eyes for good. The inhabitants wept behind barred doors day and night, praying that the gods would deliver them from their ordeal.

And, just as all hope seemed lost, the gods were merciful.

His name was Sparda, but he was known ever after more by his titles than his name; the Legendary Dark Knight; the Holy Blade; the First Hunter. A brave and valiant man, stronger - by the grace of the gods - than even the mightiest demons. He fought back the horde, secured Yharnam’s freedom from demonic oppression, and taught his hand-picked acolytes how to follow in his footsteps. Thus was born the Church and its Hunters.

At some point - nobody could quite pinpoint when - Sparda vanished from Yharnam, leaving his honourable warriors to keep the peace and protect the innocent in his wake.

Nero himself never set foot in the charred remnants of Old Yharnam. No Yharnamite with their wits about them would dream of it. The old hamlet is still rife with demons, though nowadays they know better than to stray from the blackened ruins they have clawed back as their own.

He’s heard stories, though, from those few gnarled hunters still enduring from that night. It takes work to get them to even speak of Old Yharnam; most veer away from the subject like fleeing hares, muttering only a few words about flames and charred flesh. The stories he does manage to tease out speak in hushed tones of Lugwig.

A hunter beyond compare; a saint, almost, in his own right; a power uncontested and a rallying point for his compatriots. Until that fateful night when Old Yharnam burned like so much dry tinder. The night when his family perished; though by demons or by the Church’s flames, opinions differ. What is known is that Ludwig quit the city that night and was never seen again, not pausing even to sift through the ashes for those belonging to his wife and twin sons.

One hunter, bolder - or just drunker - than all the rest ventures that it’s for the best, though they are all the poorer for the loss of Ludwig’s strength and skill… for say it was the flames that did for them, would that not make Ludwig an enemy of the Church?

There is not a man or woman in Yharnam who does not dream of fighting side-by-side with Ludwig, and who would not wake in the night in a sweat of terror at the thought of fighting against him.

But, back to reality: this was decades ago. Ludwig, unless he were some preternatural creature (and the rumours do not necessarily preclude that possibility), is long since dust himself.

The demons, though - the demons are always there, waiting for the slightest crack in their defences to rise up and overwhelm them.

----

Early evening: the sun begins to dip below the domes and spires, and hunters across the city ready themselves to set out.

Nero is still young but he started early; he’s seen enough hunts to be past the stomach-clenching fear of the fresh blood. Officially, the Church only inducts hunters upwards of eighteen, but the nights have been fierce in Yharnam these past years and there is nobody taking a register of who stays in and who goes out once the sun goes down. Not that he was thrown to the wolves (or allowed to throw himself); Credo was his watchdog until he found his feet.

Nowadays they rarely cross paths, especially during a hunt. Credo joined the Executioners two years ago, elevated to a sphere above mere hunters of demons. Still, the blood of brotherhood runs deep, and Credo does not forget his foster brother. Nor does Nero begrudge Credo his promotion. It helps that he is happy enough where he is; Logarius’s band brings prestige at the cost of endless hours in the chapel and a fervour of purpose that seems on occasion to be bringing new lines and a worrying pallor to Credo’s face.

Credo is here tonight, actually; stopping by to see Kyrie and reassure her they’ll both be home by morning. She’s tough, their Kyrie, but Nero knows when she’s setting her shoulders to emulate the wives of the senior Church hunters who have resigned themselves to incense-filled nights of prayer.

Nero suspects Kyrie will be sending a prayer or ten up to St Eva tonight. It is Burning Eve, after all - and what a night for a hunt - but, even without the added impetus, pious and correct Kyrie has nevertheless always had a soft spot for this particular unofficial saint.

“We’ll be fine,” Nero assures her as he hitches Red Queen over his shoulder and into the holster across his back. “It’s June, the night won’t even be that long.”

Of course, they both know that the hunt lasts as long as it lasts; it starts at dusk by tradition, but the demons won’t recoil at first light like storybook monsters. They have an agreement of such jaunty send-offs, however, to ease the worry of parting. Nero worries less than Kyrie does. As a church songbird she’ll be in the Grand Cathedral all night singing masses to strengthen the hunters and beg mercy (strictly in the afterlife) for the hunted. Surrounded by incense and no small numbers of Church soldiers, in the same building as Sanctus himself, she’ll be one of the safest people in the city.

All the same, he holds her close and breathes her in before he goes. Kyrie hums contentedly against his neck, her fingers twining into the collar of his jacket.

“Come home safe,” she whispers. “I’ll be waiting.”

“There won’t be anything out there to trouble us tonight,” Credo assures her.

As always, he looks torn between indulgence and awkwardness as Nero and Kyrie’s closeness. Nero was raised in their household, and he suspects Credo has never been quite sure whether to denounce their attachment or go down on his knees that Kyrie’s choice settled on a man he inherently approved of. He compromises by, as usual, speaking slightly to the side of them.

Kyrie lets out a huff and pulls him into a hug as well. “Of course not. My brave and valiant hunters.”

Credo smiles and pushes back Kyrie’s bangs to kiss her forehead. “Be safe. Stay in the cathedral, and close to His Holiness.”

Outside, the vespers' bells toll. The three of them tense. It is time to say goodbye.

“We must go.” Credo straightens his robes. It’s an unconscious gesture he’s picked up since his elevation, as if the heavily embroidered white garments of the Executioners - or the responsibilities they entail - sit too weightily on him for comfort.

His gaze flicks across to Nero, who can feel Credo checking off his equipment. It used to annoy him, but Nero recognises the concern for what it is now. Trying to be helpful, he tugs aside his jacket so Credo can see the gun at one hip and the prepared molotov cocktails tied to the other, and then spins a slow circle to show off the sword strapped to his back, but Credo only frowns.

“Noisy,” he remarks, nodding to the bottles. “And aren’t you worried they’ll shatter?”

“Nah, the glass is tempered.” Nero flicks the side of one bottle to demonstrate; his nail reverberates off the glass with a dull ring. “And since when have I been quiet? You know I think subtlety is overrated.”

Credo rolls his eyes; Kyrie tries to suppress a laugh but ends up snorting. Nero winks at them both. He likes to leave Kyrie laughing.

“You have blood?” By contrast, Credo is serious still; the frown lines between his eyes are becoming a permanent fixture. His hand skims over his own belt, where two dozen gleaming vials sit in their padded pockets. “I can spare some--”

Nero shakes his head. “No need, I’ve got plenty.”

Which he does, plus Nico always keeps supplies for him - though she pretends she doesn’t - and Credo will be facing stronger, wilier prey than Nero will tonight. He’ll need all his blood for himself.

“Come on, we need to get going,” he adds as the bells toll again. So many churches, so many bells, that when they ring it is a cacophony, but at least you always know what time it is in Yharnam. On nights like these, the bells can be the only thing to give a hunter hope that morning is slowly but surely clawing its way towards them.

Just so long as the demons don’t claw their way towards you first.

They pause only long enough for Kyrie to fasten her cloak and then leave the house, joining the stream of people hurrying to get to their final destination before night falls. Church folk like Kyrie and some particularly ardent - or desperate - worshippers are heading for the Grand Cathedral to join Sanctus’s prayers, while the hunters are more diverse in their paths. Old friends and new comrades greet each other, exchanging plans for the night; some will rove in bands, while the best marksmen will set up shop in one of the city’s countless high towers to pick off the demons from a distance.

Credo and Kyrie exchange quick, tense pleasantries with various acquaintances, but their eyes and words skim past Nero. An orphan and a whore-spawn, he is noted as a good hunter but that doesn’t quite make up for his origins. In the tightly-regimented, virtue-driven society of Yharnam, it is your blood that seals your fate - and Nero’s has never quite measured up to standard. If Kyrie and Credo’s parents hadn’t taken him in, he doesn’t know where he’d be now. Dead, most likely; pressed into hunting but without a guiding presence to keep him alive.

The three of them stick together down the main boulevard the house sits on, but part ways at the first crossroads. Kyrie goes north to the cathedral; Credo is due to meet with his fellow Vileblood Hunters; Nero… Nero, as usual, has his own plans.

“Be safe!” Kyrie calls out over her shoulder as she is swept away up the street. She raises a hand, pale and bright as a star in the failing light, and Nero raises his own in answer - then she’s gone, and Credo as well.

And where do Nero’s footsteps take him, on such a treacherous night? He exchanges barely a nod with the comrades he spots; for the most part, he keeps his head down, his cap of wizened feathers low over his eyes, and his bandanna pulled up over his nose and mouth. No search for compatriots… not here, at least. Few hunters can keep up with him, and the few times he’s attempted collaboration has ended in either frustration at best or disaster at worst.

That does not mean, however, that Nero is without friends and allies in Yharnam. Even now, he walks against the flow of people before ducking down a series of back-alleys and side-streets. His path takes him by a fountain near one of the city’s numerous stately bridges, then through a smaller square, down an alley, past a heavy wrought-iron gate and into the confines of Agnus’s clinic.

He’s not there for Agnus, who discomfits him at best, but for his daughter. Nicoletta is a comparatively new addition, still a novelty to insular Yharnam, and had caused a scandal on her arrival by diving headfirst into company with the heretical Powder Kegs. An inventor to rival (Nero would wager outshine) her father, she spent three months in the lofty confines of the Church workshop before turning her back on her esteemed colleagues for, as she put it, much more fun.

The Church’s loss is Nero’s gain. For the price of demonic viscera and whatever coin Nero can scrape together, Nico conjures wonders that tantalise and delight him, with his love for chaos, and - most importantly - kill demons with extreme prejudice.

Speaking of which… Nico apparently has something new up her sleeve. Nero has obeyed orders and kept clear for the past two days but Nico swore up and down that her latest creation would be ready for tonight’s hunt. While Nero doesn’t technically need any new toys… well, he’d be a fool - not to mention thanklessly incurious - to say no.

Noise burbles forth from the makeshift workshop Nico has set up in a disused room of her father’s clinic, which Nero takes as a good sign. With wisdom born out of a series of near-misses, he knocks on the door and steps to the side out of the path of any projectiles, whether intentional or otherwise.

A moment later, the door swings open and reveals Nico, grease-covered and grinning.

“About time you showed up!” she scolds him. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten where I live!”

Nero raises his eyebrows. “Weren’t you the one who told me to leave you alone to work on your new masterpiece?”

“Well--!” Nico fumbles for a moment before finding her balance on the reliable footing of brazening out her point. “You’re still late! Look at the time! Now get in here before a demon eats you.”

The Church workshop is a place Nero has set foot in only a handful of times; most of his equipment at the start came second-hand from Credo, or from what Credo and Kyrie’s father had left behind. Still, those few visits were burned into his mind: the gleaming rows of weapons, the cacophony of voices, the whirl of vestments-turned-armour, rank indicated by colour and cut.

Nico’s workshop is… not that. Poky and cluttered with seemingly no system to the storage, though Nico admittedly always does seem to know where to find what she is looking for. Nero also suspects that the chaos is at least partly intentional to better hide the materials she acquires on the black market from other hunters (Nico, having spurned the Church workshop, is now persona non grata to many merchants in the city) or simply steals from her father.Indeed, the only thing that takes Nero back to the high, hallowed rooms of the Church workshop is the smell: gunpowder, leather, oil, and incense. Tonight, it is the gunpowder that he smells most strongly. Nico takes the Powder Keg motto to heart - if a weapon ain’t got kick, what’s the point?

[awriterofdivinedreams]

Name Meanings/Etymologies of Devil May Cry Characters

Classic Devil May Cry Canon A: Agnus - lamb Alice - noble, of nobility Alex Lowell - to defend, to protect | young wolf Alyssa Martin - rational, noble | warlike, of Mars, warrior Amanda - worthy to be loved Angelina Hagel - messenger of god | farm Arius - warlike, devoted to Ares Arkham - happy

B: Beryl - colour of the sea Bobby - bright fame, shining glory Butler - servant in charge of the wine cellar

C: Carlo - man, free man Cindy - light Chen the Cannibal - dawn, morning, great, tremendous Christopher Lowell - bearer of Christ | young wolf Claude - lame, disabled Credo - I believe

D: Dante - enduring, steadfast, lasting Ducas - leader, to guide, general

E: Elena Huston - bright, shining light | hugh's town, settlement on the hill Elise - oath of God, God is satisfaction Ernest - serious, determined Enzo Ferino - home ruler | iron Eva - life, living one

F: Fredi - peaceful ruler

G: Gloria - glory Grue - shiver, shudder

I: Isaac - he will laugh

J: J.D. Morrison - son of the dark-skinned Jeffrey Turner - pledge of peace, district, traveler | lathe worker Jessica - to see before, god beholds, to behold Joe - he will add Julio - youthful, youth, downy bearded

K: Kalina Ann - viburnum tree, to make red-hot | grace, mercy, favour Kerry Marcus - dark, dark-haired | warlike, dedicated to Mars Kyle - narrow, strait, channel Kyrie - lord

L: Lady - noble, bread kneader Lucia - light Lynn Marcus - lake | warlike, dedicated to Mars

M: "Mad Dog" Denvers - crazy, insane | canine | green valley Margaret - pearl Mary - bitter, beloved, drop of the sea Matier - friend, friendly Michel - who is like God Mike Hagel - who is like God | farm

N: Nell Goldstein - bright, shining light, weaver, merciful, god is my light | gold stone, touchstone Nero - black, strong, powerful Nesty - place to sit down, pure, chaste Nicoletta “Nico” Goldstein - victory of the people | gold stone, touchstone Nina Lowell - little girl | young wolf

P: Patty Lowell - noble, patrician | young wolf Patty Lowell (heiress) - noble, patrician | young wolf Paul - small, little, humble

R: Rock Goldstein - crag | gold stone, touchstone Roy Martin - king, red, redhead | warlike, of Mars, warrior

S: Sally - princess, noblewoman Santa Claus - saint, holy | victory of the people Sanctus - holy Simon - he has heard, flat-nosed Soldier “Crew Cut” - mercenary | short-length haircut Solemnis - annual, ceremonial, religiously fixed Sparda - sword, simple, frugal

T: Tiki - hope, waterfall, image Tim - to honour

V: V “Vitale” - Roman numeral for five | life giving, lively Vergil - flourishing Vincent - to conquer

X: χ (Chi) - christ, Greek numeral for six hundred

BOSSES and/or DEMONS

A: Abigail - father's joy Argosax - bright, shining Agni - fire, flame Artemis - butcher, safe

B: Bael - lord, master Balrog - demon of might Baul - snail, slow like a snail Beastheads - wild animal | top of body, leader, ruler Belphagor - lord of the gap, lord of the opening Beowulf - bee wolf, war wolf, bear Berial - worthless Bolverk - evildoer, worker of evil Bradley - broad meadow Brian Lowell - noble, high, hill, strong | young wolf

C: Cavaliere Angelo - knight, horseman, rider | messenger of god Cerberus - hound of the earth, black wolfhound, death-darkness

D: Dagon - grain, fish Demon of Capulet City - spirit | hat | citizen Demon of Morris Island - spirit | dark-skinned | watery land Director - to guide Doppelganger - double-goer, double-walker

E: Echidna - snake, viper Elder Geryon Knight - old | earth | boy, youth, servant

F: Freki - greedy, ravenous Frost - to freeze Furiataurus - fury of the bull, furious bull

G: Geri - rules with a spear, greedy Geryon - earth Gigapede - giant foot Gilgamesh - the ancestor is a hero Gilver - [ERROR 404: meaning of word not found]

Gilbert - bright pledge

Goliath - to uncover, reveal, running, destroyer Griffon - curved, bent

H: Hell Vanguard - to cover, conceal | before guard

I: Infested Chopper - to attack, hostile | helicopter Infested Tank - to attack, hostile | reservoir of water

J: Jester - reciter of romances, minstrel Jokatgulm - [ERROR 404: meaning of word not found]

K: King Cerberus - ruler | hound of the earth, black wolfhound, death-darkness

L: Leviathan - to twist, coiled

M: Machiavelli - bad little nail Mad Hatter - crazy, insane | maker of hoods, maker of cowls Malphas - mischief Modeus [Asmodeus] - wrathful spirit, demon of wrath Mundus - world

N: Nefascapitis - head of sin, head of violation of divine law Nefasturris - tower of sin, tower of violation of divine law Nefasvermis - worm of sin, worm of violation of divine law Nelo Angelo - black, strong, powerful | messenger of god Nevan - little saint, little holy one Nidhogg - malice striker Nightmare - a female demon suffocates sleepers Nina Lowell (demon) - little girl | young wolf Noctpteran - night wing

O: Orangguerra - war orangutan

P: Phantom - an apparition, specter Plesio - near, close Plutonian - relating to wealth, relating to riches Pride - brave, pomp, valiant Priest - one who leads cattle

Q: Qliphoth - husks, empty shells

R: Red Eye - airplane flight that deprives travelers of sleep, raw and inferior whiskey Rudra - howler, roarer, to cry

S: Sara - princess, noblewoman Secretary - one entrusted with secrets Sid - wide Sloth - indolence, slowness, laziness

T: Tartarussian - relating to a deep pit Tateobesu - vertical, length, height | fat, stout, plump The Savior - the one who saves others Trismagia - three magicians

U: Urizen - your reason, to limit

W: White Rabbit - bright, shine | young rabbit

Ninja Theory's DmC: Devil May Cry Canon

A:  Assiel - created by god

B: Bob Barbas - bright fame, shining glory | beard, uncle, stammering

D: Dante (DmC) - enduring, steadfast, lasting

E: Eva (DmC) - life, living one

H: Hollow Dante - empty place | enduring, steadfast, lasting Hollow Kat - empty place | pure, clear Hollow Vergil - empty place | flourishing Hunter - one who chases wild animals

K: Kat - pure, clear

L: Lilith - spirit of the night

M: Mundus (DmC) - world Mundus's Spawn - world | to spread out, expand

P: Phineas - mouth of brass, dark skinned, serpent's mouth

S: Sparda (DmC) - sword, simple, frugal Succubus - to lie beneath

V: Vergil (DmC) - flourishing

[beardedmrbean]

When Boubacar Touré and his flatmates heard a sudden, thundering crash beside their apartment, they thought it was an earthquake. But then they opened the windows of their kitchen, where they were cooking dinner, and one shouted: "A bus has fallen."

"We ran down to the spot where the bus was on fire and I heard a woman screaming, 'My baby, my baby,'" 27-year-old Boubacar, who is from The Gambia says, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"I managed to pull her through the window and then pulled out her son, who was badly burnt but still alive."

The bus, carrying tourists back to a nearby campsite after a day in the historical centre of Venice, had been driving along a busy overpass when it suddenly careened off the side on Tuesday evening. It smashed through the barriers and plunged several metres towards a railway track where it burst into flames.

At least 21 people died. Of the 15 who are injured, most remain in intensive care. Some of the victims were children, including a baby.

Warning: This story contains descriptions of distressing scenes

Among the dead are nationals from seven countries, the Venice mayor's office says, including Ukraine, Germany, Romania and Portugal.

Boubacar describes how he grabbed the fire extinguisher from the bus to help quell the flames - but that wasn't enough.

"Passers-by were giving me other extinguishers but nothing helped, we had to wait for the firefighters", he recalls. "So I pulled others to safety, a woman and a man and a child. People were bleeding from their heads, there was so much blood."

His flatmate, Odion Eboigbe from Nigeria, was with him, pulling others through the wreckage of the mangled vehicle - an electric-powered bus whose batteries are thought to have caught fire.

"We were able to save many but unfortunately others died", he says.

"I wasn't scared, I didn't think of my own safety because I saw people with their heads split open. Today my colleagues asked me: 'what were you thinking when you went towards the flames,' and I told them I just had to save the women and children."

Once emergency workers arrived, they spent hours dousing the flames and helping the injured.

The fire was so intense that DNA samples will need to be used to identify some of the dead.

At the spot on the overpass where the bus took its final catastrophic turn, the guard-rails are smashed apart and fragments of glass lie on the tarmac. A passer-by has laid yellow flowers.

Authorities say there was no sign of a sudden braking by the bus. Indeed, CCTV from the moment before the crash shows the vehicle steadily climbing the overpass and then apparently slowing down before inexplicably toppling against the barriers and off to the side.

The driver, Alberto Rizzotto, had worked for the bus company for seven years. The most likely cause, say the authorities, is that he had a sudden medical problem that made him lose control. In his last Facebook post, he said he was "running a shuttle to Venice."

Relatives of the victims have started arriving in Venice from abroad. Among the injured are nationals of Ukraine, Germany, Croatia and Spain.

According to local media, they include two German brothers, aged 7 and 13, who lost both their parents. There were "entire families, grandparents, grandchildren, spouses" on board, said Chiara Berti from the Angelo di Mestre hospital.

The tragedy has already raised questions about the state of the barriers on the overpass, which were clearly rusting and aged.

Domenico Musicco, the head of an association for road accident victims, called it "a tragedy foretold".

"Italian road maintenance is poor. Too little is invested in road safety. It is estimated that 30% of accidents are down to that," he told the news agency AFP.

Venice has declared three days of mourning for a tragedy that has profoundly shaken this city.

Boubacar and Odion say they haven't slept since the crash.

When I put it to them that some would call them heroes, they shrug. "If saving people makes you a hero, then maybe", says Boubacar.

"But when somebody needs help because they're dying, you can't just walk away."

[myrmyrtheorca]

9 & 16 , Edgy/misc OC ask meme for myr

Hello JoJo! Thank you for your question 💙💙

9. specific lyric or quote which you associate with [Myr]: oh boy I love quotes I try my best to write them down somewhere so I can check them later for inspiration. Let me scatter some of my documents here *search search check check skip skip*

...aah! Here's a few examples of what I have for Myr! I had more saved up in the actual books but they're currently all on boxes waiting to move to my new place...

"Sono io la morte / e porto corona, io son di tutti voi / signora e padrona, e così sono crudele / così forte sono e dura, che non mi fermeranno le tue mura." - Ballo in Fa# Minore, Angelo Branduardi

[I am Death / and wear the crown, I am of all of you / ruler and mistress, and so I am cruel / so mighty and enduring I am, that your walls shall not hinder me.]

"And couldst thou "faithful" add? 0 name, 0 sacred name of faithfulness profaned! Faithful to whom? to thy rebellious crew, Army of fiends? Fit body to fit head!" - Paradise Lost, John Milton

I've been there before I felt the fear, I feared the cold Imprisoned in lies Illusions of flames, only in my mind

I opened my eyes To a brand new world A place where darkness Is meant to show your inner light - I Am the Storm, Ad Infinitum

16. What is [Myr]'s pain tolerance like: Myr is really tough when it comes to pain tolerance. She's broken multiple bones during her life because of her habit to climb trees or structures to avoid getting caught after breaking the rules of the Cavalieri, and in general would often get into fights with both normal members and a certain relative of hers (which hopefully I'll be able to introduce shortly after Teodoro!). When she fights she gets tunnel vision and due to her confidence she often gets hurt more than necessary. Since her injuries wouldn't get treated with the appropriate priority while living with the Cavalieri, she learnt to suffer for long periods of time before expecting relief - not saying she'd do that just fine, but she'd definitely underestimate the risks of falling into such situations.

[the-metatron]

Success. I have arrived safely in 1978.

I already thanked the Doctor on the way. He's all yours now, @spine-fairy. (Just don't expect him to be able to walk for the next few days.)

Now, to search for @angelo-rib-shack's biological father, the infamous Greek God Zeus. And I already think I might know where to find him...

Indeed. Just as I suspected. As soon as I entered the Disco Swan pub and dance club, I saw the man himself.

Along with his harem (a bit young for my taste, but I respect his hustle, as the young people call it--or will call it a few decades in the future, rather).

Zeus complimented me on my beautiful purple ensemble, which I won in a bet while playing strip poker with the Doctor and Missy, and offered me a drink, on the house. I know I came here to confront him for so cruelly abandoning poor Angelo, but as someone who ingests things in my time, how could I refuse a stiff drink? (Or a stiff anything?)

I accepted the drink, then another, and soon enough we were laughing and swapping stories like old friends. Specifically, the kind of old friends who used to be lovers. It just felt so easy. Like I'd known him my entire life.

Zeus took my hand and led me to the dance floor. He hid it well, but I could tell he felt unsure. We disco danced until a slow song came on, and then we just held each other and swayed to the music. It was quite romantic, actually. I could tell I was falling in love again. (Sorry @amagnificentobsession)

Eventually, the music seemed too loud, so Zeus suggested we lose this crowd and go back to his place. I consented to this, and we went upstairs to his loft above the club. It was still pretty loud up there, but it was better this way. Now we could finally be alone.

I could finally do what I came here to do.

I demanded Zeus explain why he abandoned the most adorable, angelic little blond boy as a baby. He grew up on the streets, no father or mother, living like an orphan in a Charles Dickens' novel.

Zeus had no idea what I was talking about. He said he hadn't had any new children in thousands of years. He couldn't because his wife Hera always tried to kill them. (She isn't accepting of their open relationship.)

Zeus expressed his sympathy for Angelo, but insisted he was not the father. I looked into his beautiful big brown eyes and saw he was telling me the truth.

"I believe you." I said.

Then, I leaned in and kissed him.

I'll have to pause the story here, because things get quite explicit after that. Click the link below if you want all the juicy details.

Read More on AO3

[yonemurishiroku]

Gotta make a big announcement for this fic because I freaking love it!

It’s about politics, and noblility, and fucking Dark Jason yall *scream* ajdshajda---!!! Seriously? The day this fic is completed is the day I could finally die with my eyes closed.

There’s nothing much that has transpired, yet I can certainly see the potentials hidden in the way the world-building itself is done meticulously and dedicatedly, and moreso that the writing is an absolute delight. The settings, the background, the side-characters,... I’m hooked at this point by how perfectly they are portrayed, fitting and enthralling all the same. It’s like a whole new world (which it’s practically is), guys, and a royal background too?! I’m in tears. 

And then there’s Dark Jason Grace and I’m just akdsjkadhak----- There’s nothing much about him yet but I’m howling hooting screaming like a maniac here because please. the way he’s portrayed in this. I’m on my knees. And the lastest chapter just got me like a moth to flame. Srsly considering selling my soul here, dear atuthor. Actually, just take it and feed me pls pls pls----

I’m very much enjoying everything this fic has to offer so far and I cannot express how excited I am whenever a new chapter comes out. Please give it a chance if you can!

I have lost the Immortal (what remains is Beastial) by  dehydrated_thot

Nearly a decade after Nico di Angelo brings his younger sister to Camp Jupiter, a massacre of the noble houses after a revolt led by Jupiter's son has led to Jason Grace taking on the throne of the Roman Empire. 

Well. Not quite an Empire yet.

When Nico takes matters into his own hands and decides to investigate on his own, he quickly realizes that he has fallen into a game that the aristocrats and powerful families of New Rome have been playing for decades, and that he has no choice but to take this investigation directly to the ringleader himself.

Just as rising tensions and government push New Rome to the brink of war, Nico is given a golden opportunity to infiltrate the palace......if only he is willing to gamble with his life.

[tsarisfanfiction]

Eclipse: Chapter 3

Fandom: Trials of Apollo Rating: Teen Genre: Family/Adventure Characters: Apollo, Hades, Nico di Angelo, Will Solace Here's our second narrator for the story! Hades and Apollo will alternate every two chapters, and yes in the spirit of TOA, every one of Apollo's chapter titles will be (probably bad) haikus. There have been a few guesses regarding what's going to happen here, and for those of you for whom "Monopoly" means something - sorry, you were wrong! <<Chapter 2

APOLLO III

An oath on the Styx Again: You shall not go there Forgive me, my son

The sight of his son so disoriented from something as simple as shadow travel cemented any trailing resolves Apollo might have had about taking his son’s place in Tartarus.  He was terrified at the idea of going back down there, especially considering the last time he’d been down there, but he knew that it was the right decision.

Will was too bright, too kind, too everything that Tartarus was the antithesis of, and if even a short trip to the Underworld was enough to disrupt him, albeit briefly, then Tartarus would destroy him.

Still, he had to admire his son’s bravery as he pulled himself to his feet, flanking Nico determinedly, and stared down the two gods before them.

“We have to go.”  At least Nico didn’t try and lie to his father, although Apollo caught the glare the son of Hades sent his way.  The silent accusation of being a tattle tale was blunt, but Apollo was entirely unapologetic about it as he sent a sunny grin back at the demigods.  Will’s own look, less a glare, but still along the veins of a betrayed why, cut a little deeper, but he kept his smile up.

If it kept his son alive, he refused to have any regrets.

“I expressly forbade you,” Hades reminded his son, his taller stature – because Apollo preferred the young adult look while Hades liked to be thin and imposing, and for no other reason – looming like the shadows he inhabited.  “I do not care what your reasons are, I will not be disobeyed.”

“Lord Hades.”  Apollo was not surprised that Will decided to speak up in defence of his son, but he did wish he hadn’t; his safety, although admittedly the demigod didn’t yet know it, was entirely in the hands of the god he was addressing, and causing offence would be fatal.  “We’re not going there out of choice.  A prophecy-”

“Prophecies are not a clear cut command, son of Apollo,” Hades dismissed him.  “Even if my son fails to recognise that, I would expect better from you.”

“It was spoken to us,” Nico complained.  “Apollo was there.”  Those dark eyes, inherited from his father although missing the flames of the gods, fixed him with a pointed look.  “Did he tell you that?”

Technically Apollo hadn’t, but he didn’t think Hades would mind that he’d neglected to mention that little titbit of information when he’d given him the far more important fact that it had been directed at their sons.

The dismissive hand wave of his uncle suggested he didn’t mind.  “Irrelevant,” Hades said firmly.  “You were intending on disobeying me, and that I will not stand for.  The troglodytes are not to be trusted, and I am insulted that you thought you could hide your dealings with them from me.”

Pale skin blanched directly to white, Hades’ son clearly not ignorant to his father’s moods, although it didn’t stop him arguing back.  “You didn’t leave me with a choice!”

The palace darkened further, until the only lights were those emitting from himself and his son.  “Your choice would have been to obey me and ignore the denizen of the Pit attempting to lure you in and use you to escape,” Hades told him pointedly.  “Then the prophecy may never have been spoken at all.”

Technically prophecies didn’t work like that, and Apollo couldn’t help shifting his weight where he stood, although he refrained from interrupting his uncle for the moment.  He really needed stay on Hades’ good side until this was all over and Will’s safety no longer depended on the Lord of the Underworld’s good wishes.  Hades did not often have those.

“Well it has,” Nico retorted, somewhat petulantly, and Apollo was starting to find himself wishing to shut the demigod up for his own safety; Hades’ temper was vicious, like most gods’, and quite frankly it was disturbing that he was permitting his son to speak to him like that.  “We don’t have a choice, now, so are you going to help us or make things even worse?”

“Any help would be very gratefully received, Lord Hades, Dad,” Will interjected, grabbing his boyfriend by the scruff of his neck and forcing him to bow while doing so himself.  Apollo couldn’t even be mad that he was addressed second when he supposed he seemed less likely to smite them for impertinence right then.

“Help?” Hades scoffed, but Apollo decided he’d been silent long enough; now his son was involved in the conversation, he was going to play his cards.

He stepped forwards, letting his light shine a little brighter and forcibly inserting himself as the centre of attention.  “I’m not here to help you, Will,” he said, and found the look of dismay that crossed his son’s face painful.  Despite what he’d said before, when the prophecy was first issued, it was obvious that Will had been harbouring hope that he’d changed his mind, and seeing his son’s faith in him take a visible blow was painful.

“Dad?” he asked, in a voice that was small and weak and a little afraid.  It drove another metaphorical dagger into Apollo’s essence, but he reminded himself that Will just didn’t yet understand.

“I’m not here to help you because you are not going,” he clarified, crossing the rest of the distance to his son and shrinking with every step until he was only a little taller than Will.  His hands clasped his son’s shoulders tightly.

“You want me to abandon Nico-”

“The Pit will destroy you!”  He didn’t mean to flare up quite as brightly as he did, but he felt Will flinch beneath his grasp – a too-tight grasp that was imprinting bruises that had to be painful on the fragile mortal before him but Apollo couldn’t let go.  “If you go, you will not come back, and I will not let that happen, Will Solace.”

“Did you see that?” his son demanded, wriggling futilely against his grip, “or are you trying to scare me into abandoning Nico?”

“I am a god, Will,” he reminded him, a little harsher than he meant to.  “I do not try, I do.”  Not strictly true in every situation, but that was irrelevant right now.  “And I will swear, on the River Styx-”

“Dad, don’t you dare.  You broke enough-”

“-that for as long as it is in my power to prevent it,” because Apollo had learnt lessons about making promises that were impossible to keep, “you will not step foot inside Tartarus.”

The oath sealed with a crack of thunder, rolling around the palace with the deafening acoustics that could only come from making such a promise so close to the borders of the river itself, and Will’s face turned as pale as his boyfriend’s.

“Dad, no,” he pleaded, “you can’t do that.  You can’t make me stay behind.”

Apollo sighed and used his too-tight grip on his son to pull him into an embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around the fragile teenage body and resting his cheek on the blond waves Will had inherited from him.  “I can and I will,” he said firmly.  “I meant what I said; you are not going in there.  Lord Hades has agreed to house you here until the quest is complete,” he informed Will.  “We’ll have to do something about the lack of food fit for mortals, but you’ll be safe within the Underworld.”

“But Nico!” Will protested, still wriggling in a desperate attempt to get free, the pain in his voice making Apollo’s entire being ache.  “And the prophecy-” he added, clearly an afterthought but one a frantic one, as though he thought bringing Apollo’s own domain into the conversation would somehow change his mind.

Apollo shook his head and reluctantly released Will from his hold, embracing the pain as Will immediately grasped for Nico’s hand, both demigods going white-knuckled as they clutched each other tightly.  If only he could replace both of them, spare Nico the trauma as well and keep both demigods safe and out of Tartarus, but the prophecy was clear that one would not be enough.

Still, “I think I make a pretty good claim to sunshine,” he commented, trying for levity and hoping it didn’t sound quite as flat to his companions as it did to his own ears.

“But-” Nico interrupted, and Apollo turned to him with a raised eyebrow, “what about the Ancient Laws?  And, I can’t say I’m not happy Will’s going to be safe, but… no offence, Apollo, I don’t think you’d keep me as sane as Will would.”

Behind Apollo, Hades let out a dry laugh that had even his hair standing to attention, no doubt because Hades was still in his godly height and the sound affected those of human stature differently.  “You appear to be misunderstanding, my son,” the Lord of the Underworld said.  Apollo glanced over his shoulder to see his uncle approaching them, shrinking in size himself until the four of them were all, near enough, equal.

Hades was still a head above the rest of them, because of course he was.

“Have I not made it clear enough?” the older god demanded.  “Nico, my son, you are not returning to the Pit.”

Apollo frowned, a little confused and very disconcerted.  Two of them had to go down – if he replaced both of them, that really did break the prophecy; it was quite explicit that two were to descend to Tartarus, and no matter how amazing Apollo was, he still only counted as one.  Not that he wanted Nico down there in the slightest – if it was possible to spare Nico as well, he would have jumped on that loophole no matter how small, prying it open with his bare hands if he had to, but  there was only so much he could do about the darkness part of the prophecy, and Nico was the one of very few who would likely even count, let alone be willing, as much as anyone would be willing to go to Tartarus.  He was also the one that had intended to descend into Tartarus even before the prophecy was issued, to rescue the titan.

Apollo had no doubts that convincing Nico not to go into Tartarus for the sake of the titan would be a waste of breath – Will had not managed to convince him, and if he couldn’t, who could?

“You and your boyfriend will be remaining in my palace,” Hades continued.  “My brother cannot enter here.  As for the Ancient Laws…  There are loopholes.”

“Such as?” Will asked, rubbing at his shoulders and wincing.  Apollo reached out and brushed his own hands over the hidden bruising, trailing healing touches across them.  His son didn’t even glance his way in acknowledgement, focused instead on Hades and Nico in a way that screamed avoidance as much as respect for the older god, and Apollo suppressed a wince – it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve it.

“Those do not concern you,” Hades dismissed, which Apollo could immediately translate as we’re still working out how we’re going to talk ourselves out of trouble if we get caught – or at least, that was the stage he was at.  If Hades had already worked something out, that would be useful to know.  “What does concern you is that both of you will remain here, while your father and I investigate what necessitated this prophecy to be spoken in the first place.”

What?

Had Apollo heard that right?

No, he must have been mistaken.

But he was a god, he had perfect hearing.  He didn’t do mistaken.

But what could possibly have prompted Hades to decide that he, too, would take his son’s place on the quest?  It was a good thing – a really good thing – in that it meant Nico would also not be entering the Pit and would instead be safe and still with Will, but Apollo had never, ever, expected Hades volunteering to go in his stead, not even with all the foresight in Olympus.

“What?” Nico choked, unknowingly echoing Apollo’s carefully-hidden surprise.  He was glad for it, the son keeping his father’s attention firmly on him and buying Apollo time to make sure his own shock wasn’t evident on his face.  The demigods would never notice, especially as both of them were pointedly looking anywhere but him, but Hades might.

“I will not repeat myself,” Hades said firmly.  “Do not even think about attempting to make your own way to the Pit.”

“But-”

The shadows surged around them, flowing over Hades’ son, and when they receded the demigod was gone.

“Nico!”  Will stumbled forwards, almost falling over as his boyfriend’s hand disappeared from his own white-knuckled grip, before seeming to realise that he was alone in the presence of two gods and visibly collecting himself.  “Where is he?”

His voice didn’t even shake as he addressed Hades, and Apollo was torn between being proud and terrified.

“I sent him to his room,” the god replied, seemingly unconcerned by Will’s attitude, to Apollo’s private relief.  “He will stay there until I release him.”

“And… what about me?”  Given that Will was clearly upset with him, Apollo was slightly surprised – although relieved – when his son’s eyes flickered over to him, as though trying to reassure himself that Hades wouldn’t dare do anything to him while his father was there.

Hades would, but that was beside the point.

“What about you, indeed,” Hades mused.  “Apollo, how is your son going to survive his stay?  There is no mortal food in my palace.”

“I have food,” Will started, reaching for his pack, but the problem with mortal food in the Underworld was that it didn’t last.  Will might be able to eat for a day, but after that, it would all have perished and he’d be risking starving to death.

Apollo ignored his son’s words and found his eyes meeting Hades’, the fires of which were flickering in clear amusement.  Trust his uncle to be amused by his predicament – it was all his fault, anyway.  If Hades hadn’t decided, for some unknown and incredibly bizarre (and rather concerning; Apollo didn’t like it when his brethren behaved surprisingly) reason that he, too, was going to replace his son on the quest, then he could have subtly provided mortal food daily.  It was still much, much, better that Nico’s place was also being taken by a god, but it left Will’s survival in the Underworld rather less secure.

It was summer, and Persephone was enjoying the bright warmth of the sun with her mother for the next month or two, so she’d be no help, either – not that Apollo was quite sure he trusted the goddess with his son.  He didn’t really trust Hades with him, either, not really, but at least he had the leverage with Nico.  In terms of safety, both from the gods and from Tartarus, Hades also leaving the palace and Will remaining with Nico was the best possible scenario – but it still created the food situation.

“We don’t have all eternity,” Hades drawled.  “My brother will no doubt notice your absence soon, Apollo.”  Apollo knew that; he still had a sliver of himself in the sun chariot, attending to his primary duty and the one in his father’s immediate attention, which would stay there until the last possible moment – he was not so foolish as to think he could take on Tartarus at anything less than full power (and yet demigods kept ending up down there and almost-dying) – but the rest of him was collated into his current form, ignoring the rest of his duties.  His father would notice, and soon.

“Dad?”  Wide, blue eyes looked at him, uneasiness clear in their depths.  He couldn’t blame Will for being nervous in the face of Hades, and part of him twisted at the fact that, despite being upset with him, Will still looked to him for help.  He didn’t deserve his son’s faith at all.

“If you don’t do something now, I will,” the other god promised.  “Don’t waste my time.”  It wasn’t even a threat; Apollo could see his raising hand, and panic blossomed.  He didn’t know what Hades had planned, but he heavily suspected that it wouldn’t actually help Will; if Hades trapped his son in the Underworld, it would simply ensure that Nico lived down with him all the time.  Will didn’t have to be dead for that to happen.

“I’ve got it!” he protested, returning to his son’s side and resting his hands on Will’s shoulders.  If his positioning served to place him directly between his son and his uncle, thereby getting in the way of whatever Hades was about to do and buying him a few more seconds, well, that was just a coincidence.

It also would buy only seconds.  They were in the heart of Hades’ domain; Apollo could only do so much against his wishes, and it wasn’t too late for his uncle to throw him out and drag Will down into Tartarus if it for some Olympus-forsaken reason pleased him, oath on the Styx or not.  His thoughts raced, discarding options as fast as it generated new ones.

The overwhelming instinct was to transform him into something that didn’t need sustenance.  Some form of cave-dwelling plant – Olympus knew there were enough of those in the Underworld, and Nico could be easily relied upon to keep him alive – but there was a nagging thought in the back of his mind that stayed the action.

No-one Apollo loved had ever been able to turn back from being a plant.

The swish of tortured-soul robes on the obsidian floor heralded Hades’ approach, and Apollo realised he was out of time.

“Will,” he said quietly, cupping the side of his son’s face with one hand.  “I’ll see you soon.”

The answering, confused, Dad? was overridden as he started to sing, a quiet, peaceful number that he steadily eased an increasing level of power into.  Behind him, Hades’ advance silenced, which was all the attention Apollo cared to give his uncle right then as he spun a delicate web of healing magic.

It wasn’t ideal; it was far from ideal, but Apollo’s options were severely limited – no thanks to his uncle.  He couldn’t just sing Will into an enchanted sleep, partially because that was more Morpheus’ domain than his and opened his son up to dreams which could be easily invaded by any god with intent, and partially because that didn’t actually fix the food issue.  It had to go deeper than that, staying firmly within Apollo’s own domains, and there was only one type of sleep he could induce that was his.

Will wavered in front of him, eyes drooping as the song washed over him, and Apollo pulled him close against his chest, guiding them down to the floor of Hades’ throne room as his son’s weight grew heavier against him.  Not that Will was heavy, to a god.  He might have been a feather for all the difficulty he posed Apollo as he slumped against him, but Apollo chose to feel the warm weight of his son as he sank away from the waking world.

The song didn’t stop even as Will lost the battle to stay awake, falling limp in Apollo’s arms.  He adjusted his grip until his son was cradled protectively against him, but kept singing, drawing Will down further and further.

It was risky; not so risky that Apollo feared getting it wrong, but risky enough that the feeling of his son’s pulse slowing to extreme lethargy sent a jolt of fear through him.  Will’s head lolled limply against his shoulder, his light fading away to nothing as Apollo’s power washed over him and ran through him, soothing every part of his body.

He finally let the last strains of melody fade away as Will’s body slowed, his chest rising and falling barely perceptively at a rate that on a mortal should be a major cause for concern.  Apollo’s own concern was only mitigated by the fact that he had done this, and that he didn’t make mistakes.  Not with his son’s life.

Growing slightly, enough that Will’s lanky growing-teenager frame fit perfectly in the cradle of his arms, Apollo pushed himself to his feet again, turning to face his uncle.  Hades raised an eyebrow at the unconscious boy, already matching Apollo’s new stature, plus his customary extra head of height.  “I’ll leave you to explain what you’ve done to my son,” he said.  “I doubt that was what he had in mind for keeping William ‘safe’.”  The other god sounded amused at the idea of Apollo facing Nico’s wrath, which didn’t surprise Apollo in the slightest.

“Where is Nico’s room?” he asked, resisting the urge to look away from Hades, even if it was just to glance down at his son in his arms.  He could feel Will’s vital signs clearly, on the cusp of too slow but in no danger of slipping over the edge.

“I rather thought you’d turn him into a flower,” his uncle continued as though he hadn’t spoken.  Apollo grit his teeth, reminding himself that his son was still going to be staying in the Underworld, and that even if Hades was going to be temporarily vacating it, it wouldn’t do to agonise him, just in case.  “Both you and my wife seem to have a fondness for doing so.”

Apollo had to fight to keep the frown off of his face.  “I thought Nico would prefer not to be dating a flower,” he said, trying to keep his tone light but aware that there was something sharp glinting in the depths of his voice.  Hades’ smirk told him that his uncle heard it.  “Nico’s room?  I believe you were the one to bring up the time pressure, uncle.”

Hades snapped his fingers and a skeleton materialised.  “Show Apollo to my son’s room,” he ordered it.

The skeleton bowed to the god, bones rattling in A Minor as it did so, before heading through a door to the side of the throne dais.  Apollo watched it go, before a noise caught his attention.  Hades had a raised eyebrow.  “Go,” he ordered.  “I will meet you there once I have put some affairs in order.”

It made sense that Hades had to sort some things out before leaving his domain entirely.  Apollo had had time to plan and put in contingencies, but Hades’ decision had been, well, it appeared to have been a spur of the moment conclusion, and his domain was far, far more involved than any of Apollo’s.  He nodded, and followed the skeleton.

Chapter 4>>

[cherryskkks]

Reposting my fanfics in english because in my original linguage the people don't care about them

I write a lot of creative (at least in my perspective) fanfics and show them in fanfics sites like Wattpad and Spirit Fanfiction. I write them in Portuguese, my original linguage and... the people don't give a fuck. And I sad because I take so much time to write those fanfics and liked them so much, and almost anyone see or liked them. (The one people that read ALL of my fanfics is my friend, ILY CAMYY)

So, now, almost one year after I stoped writing, I have a decision to repost my fanfics with my horrible english (most of them with Google Translator help because my english is not one of the best) and looking for readers.

So, enjoy the fanfic :)

Son of Hades, little emo is!

Mo dao zu shi X Percy Jackson. Wen Ning as Nico di Angelo. There is a bit short, srry!

SPOILER OF THE BOOKS 3 AND 4 OF PERCY JACKSON!

Wen Ning stared at his reflection in the water of the camp lake. The hair that was originally tied up in a perfect and neat ponytail was now loose and covering much of his face, his skin had never been so tanned but was now so pale that anyone would think he was a corpse.

Wen Qing, his sister, went on a mission with Wuxian, a son of Hermes, Wanyin, a son of Ares, Xue Yang, a satyr, Wanjin, a son of Athena, and her sister's new friend, Mian Mian, a hunter of Artemis. It had been exactly a week since they had been away, and it made the poor boy restless.

He couldn't adjust to the Hermes cabin, people were always stealing his blankets and pillows and he didn't have the courage to ask someone to steal them back. The girls at Aphrodite's cabin also kept talking about his appearance, no matter how much Yanli asked them to stop. The Ares cabin didn't leave him alone either, normally Wanyin was there to tell everyone to shut up and be quiet, but since Wanyin wasn't there, they could mess with anyone without getting scolded. And not to mention the Apollo cabin, who looked at him as if they were looking for the slightest mistake to say something bad about.

And the result was: He didn't fit in this place. He missed his sister and just wanted to go away with her, to get away from all these people who talk bad about him. He made Wei Wuxian promise to bring his sister back safely.

"Wen Ning, we're back." A voice suddenly sounded behind the boy, who jumped back and came face to face with the son of Hermes who always wore a red ribbon to tie his hair.

"Where is my sister? Is she okay?"

"Well… she asked me to give you this." The boy gave a necklace with a skull symbol engraved in the center, around it it had small flames "She… asked me to give it to you before…"

The enormous silence deepened, Wuxian just looked away and begged Wen Ning to understand what he meant since he himself didn't have the courage to say it. Even though he knew that he was the cause of Wen Qing's death, it was his job to talk about what happened to his friend's sister.

"Wuxian, where is my sister?" Wen Ning's voice sounded broken, as if he was about to cry, Wuxian didn't have the courage to respond, the boy just hugged the younger's shoulders as a way of comforting him.

"I'm sorry, I tried to stop her but–"

"You promised! You promised you would protect her!"

"I tried but–!"

"No! You lied! You didn't protect her!" Wen Ning desperately tried to get out of the elder's embrace, but the more he tried to get out, the tighter the hug became. Fat tears repeatedly came out of the youngest's eyes "Let go of me! I want my sister…

Not far from the boys was Xue Yang nervously chewing on a piece of wooden furniture and Wanyin and Yanli giving the boys sad looks. Wanyin found out about what his cabin did to Wen Ning while he was away, and made sure to get into a fight with his brothers from the Ares cabin.

None of the three noticed that Wen Ning managed to escape Wuxian's embrace and ran towards the forest. They only realized when they heard Wuxian's screams.

"No! Wen Ning go back, it's dangerous!" A hand stopped the boy from running after his friend, that hand was Fegmian's. The camp's centaur instructor, who is also responsible for the campers' safety.

"Leave him. The only thing we can do is hope that Kronos doesn't find him and that he gets eaten by a monster."

"Come on A'Xian, you, A'Cheng and A'Yang need to take a shower urgently." Yanli pushed the three boys towards the bathroom, in the girl's arms they had different soaps and perfumes (Don't ask how she got all those types of soaps).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wen Ning looked around for something to heat the makeshift fire he had created, next to him was a red spirit staring at him amusedly.

"Master, are you cold?"

"Unlike you, I have a body, Wen Chao." Wen Ning's voice was no longer as gentle as before, the boy was colder than before

"HA HA HA! I loved your sense of humor today master!" The spirit let out loud laughter that made the silence of the forest disappear completely.

"Are you sure you're going to make it so I can see my sister again? Or are you just trying to trick me?"

"Of course I'll make you see your sister! You just need to kill someone, you know, one soul for another." The laughter disappeared, making room for the ghost striking a pose.

"Okay... and who do I have to kill?" The boy still didn't seem completely convinced.

"Oh! None other than the person who killed your sister! Wuxian, half-blood son of Hermes!"

Wen Ning closed her eyes, wondering if this was really what her sister would want. No! She would definitely do it for him too! After all, they are brothers right? Brothers do this for each other, right?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later the boy discovered that Wen Chao only wanted to kill him to get his body and apologized to Wuxian for trying to kill him. It wasn't easy, as he still felt sad about his sister's death.

Wen Ning was surprised when people learned about his divine father, until they explained that Hades' children were completely killed during World War II. Hades' cabin was made of dark wood, with everything inside it being the same color, bunk beds, drawers, wardrobes, everything was black. It was common for the boy to bump or trip over objects from time to time.

"I envy you, A'Ning! You have a cabin all to yourself and you don't have to worry about people stealing from you. This is true paradise." Wuxian sighed, eating his food which consisted of an apple, fish and rice grains.

"Well, it's boring and boring to be alone in a big cabin." The shy boy played with the rice grains on his plate. For some reason, he didn't feel like eating "Especially when the cabin is all black..."

"You get used to it, I didn't like the gold paint on my cabin either. And honestly, compared to the rest of the cabins, yours is the most comfortable." Wuxian spoke with a mouth full of food, but for some reason Wen Ning managed to understand.

"And why do you think that?"

"The Ares cabin is full of people who have no patience and fall into blows after five minutes of conversation. The Apollo cabin most of the time stays up late practicing singing in the middle of the night. Everyone in the Hephaestus cabin lives working in forges and they don't even care if they're interrupting someone's sleep. In Aphrodite's cabin, the air is contaminated with expensive perfume and the girls there would say horrible things about the way you act. The cabin of–"

"Okay! Okay! I understand! There's no need to say more."

"Seriously, I was still going to talk about Athena's cabin. Man, those are the worst."

As if with a sixth sense, Wanjin from the Athena cabin quickly turned his gaze towards Wuxian and Wen Ning. The younger one lowered his head in shame for being caught talking bad about someone while the taller one smiled at Wanjin, who felt his ears burn involuntarily when he saw Wuxian's bright smile.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wen Ning had left the camp again to investigate Kronos and the recent war that was about to break out. When he returned, Wuxian didn't hesitate to run to see his friend. He just didn't expect his friend to return with a giant black dog with him.

"This is Chenqing! She's sweet, isn't she?" The giant dog frantically wagged its tail on the ground as Wen Ning stroked its nose.

"A-Ahem, a g-great sweet.."

"My father gave her to me when I visited the underworld, she was still a puppy and now she's a big girl!"

"Hey, do you know where the... OH MY FUCKIN ZEUS WHAT A CUTIE THING!" Wanyin shouted, drawing the attention of the two half-bloods that were there and the big dog, who almost instantly jumped at her new friend. "Who's the cute little dog? Yes, it's you!"

"A'Cheng! Thank you for saving me!" Wuxian cried out in relief

"She liked you Wanyin."

"What's this cutie's name?" The son of Ares who is normally always aggressive was now looking like a little child playing with the big hellhound "Yes I'm talking about you!"

"Chenqing." "Demon." Both Wen Ning and Wuxian spoke at the same time The two teenagers ignored what Wuxian said about the lovely Chenqing.

[put-me-out-of-my-destiny]

I've been having vague Hollow Knight AU thoughts lately (disclaimer, I'm not good at the game and get all the lore from YouTube):

Mundus was a moth-like Higher Being who reigned as king of the Dream World.

Sparda was a Wyrm, also a Higher Being.

Eva was a Root, also a Higher Being (the one thing this AU has in common with the reboot).

Vergil and Dante, of course, are vessels (Don't ask me if/why Eva and Sparda would kill their sons and reanimate them with void, I said this was vague).

Yamato is basically the Dream Nail.

Does this make Nero a half-vessel? Idk.

Red Queen is powered by Nightmare Flame, and the Blue Rose has some kind of Delicate Flower motif.

I feel like Fortuna would be a lot like Pharloom, given the religious overtones.

Kyrie resembles Bretta.

Trish is the same species as Nosk.

Lady is a regular pillbug-looking individual like you'd see wandering the Forgotten Crossroads.

Nico as a bug would actually resemble Angus's Angelo form from DMC4.

Vergil's whole arc in DMC5 was him succumbing to infection. Urizen was a Broken Vessel situation, and V was his shade.

The familiars are also made of Infection Goop. Griffon resembles a vengefly.

(I realize V being a void being who utilizes beasts in battle has major Collector vibes).