#aphrodite x mortal woman

[hecates-corner]

Even though there’s not a single myth on it, I’d like to think Aphrodite couldn’t give a shit about her sexuality.

She gets bored one day, and particularly curious, and heads down to earth. As she wanders around the markets in her mortal disguise, her attention is caught by a kind woman buying apples. Aphrodite wanders over, curious. She’s so beautiful, not so much that she challenges the goddess’ beauty, obviously, but she’s got these delicate features mixed with a sharp nose that stand out to Aphrodite. She likes how she looks.

The woman notices her, smiles politely, but seems captivated by Aphrodite’s beauty, even in her mortal state. She greets her, and Aphrodite likes that. Her voice.

She reaches for an apple, so Aphrodite picks it up and studies it, as if it’s at all interesting to her. She twirls it in the light, then looks up, and extends it to the woman, offering it.

As the woman takes it carefully, she twines her fingers in Aphrodite’s, for just a moment. It couldn’t have been an accident.

So Aphrodite, smiling softly, asks for her name.

The woman gives it.

Days later, Aphrodite is lounging on Olympus, twirling a strand of her hair and thinking about that woman she’d met. She was like no other, beautiful and prim and yet so powerfully attractive. Aphrodite bids her lover farewell on Olympus, Ares is gone to fight another war. A small one, but a war nonetheless.

She is bored. And roused. She wishes to go and have some sort of good time, but does not know what precisely to do. With Ares gone, and the others truly uninteresting, she huffs in annoyance. Then a thought occurs, perhaps she should simply go and find that woman again. Or attend some festival, who knows?

So Aphrodite takes the form of a dove, and soars through the air, searching. Her eyes land on a stream, sensing there is someone there she wishes to meet.

When she lands, she transforms into the same maiden she had been days ago. She tousles her skirts, and slinks out from behind the tree she used as coverage, and spies a woman with her back turned.

The woman is tying back her hair, perhaps readying herself to wash her face, or take a swim. It is awfully balmy that day, so either is plausible. She turns, and is surprised by the sight of Aphrodite, in disguise.

She blinks, but smiles a moment later. “I knew I had not seen the last of you.”

Aphrodite raises a brow. “You were so sure?”

“I would believe so, goddess. For you must know I was not finished seeking your company.”

Aphrodite is surprised. No one speaks to her in such a way, or calls her on her bluff so quickly.

“You are hasty to supplicate me, dear.” She says, just so.

“No, I am not hasty.” The woman replies. “I am bold.”

Aphrodite smiles.

“If I were a goddess, perhaps,” she begins. “Would you have me?”

The woman chuckles. “I think I am much too consumed by my thoughts of you to care whether or not you are a goddess.” She glances Aphrodite up, and down. “I would have you only if you sought me.”

And the line of the stream between them is much too large, suddenly. Aphrodite reaches for the pins of her dress.

“Come.” She says, a light smile playing at her lips. “Let us swim. It is much too hot to be standing here exchanging polite words.”

When all is said and done, and Aphrodite lays back against the bank of the river, her sweat and exertion mixing with the cleansing drops of water slipping from her locks of hair, she holds the woman close to her. Skin upon skin, tender and simple, for a moment. Pleasant. Just to be here, just to be. Just.

She cards her fingers through the woman’s hair. “I am sure you wonder which goddess I am.”

The woman hums, her throat making a sweet buzz against Aphrodite’s breast. “Perhaps. Only so I may call your name again.” She runs a finger down the goddess’ arm, from shoulder to wrist, then lingering there. “But I have my wits about me.”

Aphrodite smiles. “Oh? And who might you seek me as?”

The woman takes Aphrodite’s hand, now. “I shall love you no matter who you may be, Aphrodite.”

It is not the last time they meet, nor the last time they lay together. They dabble in fields, laugh over wine, and speak to one another late in the night. As it would occur, the woman is a poet, a good one at that, and writes hymns for Aphrodite in her lustrous love for the goddess.

The woman holds such court in Aphrodite’s heart for so many years, that Aphrodite soon fears, actually fears, her death. She laments the fact that the woman is mortal, and will die. The woman does not.

“I have lived a lifetime dappled with you. I do not weep for it, such a blessing.”

But Aphrodite still feels the knowledge gnaw at her. She knows she cannot make a god of the woman, but she may be able to place her judgement in the realm of the dead.

Decades pass, still enjoying one another. The woman ages, and she does not. But they still find each other in the darkness, in the light.

One day, decades and decades later, the woman dies. A peaceful death, a life prolonged by the proximity and life of a goddess. It would have surprised her to know she did not die of a tragedy, like all other lovers of gods. Perhaps that is why she is left out in history.

Aphrodite weeps for her, as she did Adonis, and select other lovers that were as golden to her as her own divinity. She carves a tomb, in memorial, that over time crumbles and breaks. She carves her name into it, but in centuries, it will be lost.

Her battle is not over. She composed herself, and urges her way to a field, near a crack to Erebos.

It is springtime. She may call for her.

“Persephone.”

At the invocation of her name, Persephone comes to the call.

“Aphrodite.” She greets, a mix of warmth and ice.

Aphrodite pauses, the request tingling on her lips. “You may not care, but we have had our moments, dear Persephone.”

They could not be called friends, no. But they could not be denied of the ways of the flesh they had once- twice, perhaps, shared.

She continues at the silence. “I come to request a placement for a soul.”

Persephone raises a brow. “I see.”

“She is virtuous, and a good woman, besides. I believe you should place her in Elysium.”

Persephone narrows her eyes. “Give me her name. I may see what I can do.”

Aphrodite gives it. Persephone returns a blank look. Then it shifts to an amusement.

“She has found her eternal rest, I confess.”

Aphrodite frowns. “I know. That is the reason for my request.”

“You misunderstand.” Persephone laughs. “She had drank from the river Lethe twice over. She has lived three virtuous lives, with this one her third.”

Aphrodite’s eyes widen.

“She resides on the Isle of the Blessed?”

Persephone nods, smiling still. Aphrodite does not know why.

But her heart leaps. There is that, she thinks. She has lived three virtuous lives.

Then a thought crosses her mind. “What made her virtuous, in this one?”

Persephone smiles. “She will write a history, in years to come. Perhaps all because of one lover she had in particular.”

[yandere4lyfe]

can I get a part two of the water god also do you watch or do the amazing digital circus or murder drones

((Here's part 2 of Yandere! Greek God x Mortal! Darking! And to answer your question, I have seen the amazing digital circus! I do not about murder drones, though. Is it interesting?))

The fates.

It was decided long ago that Ketos was to take a mortal woman as his wife. He was furious at first. 

He raged at sea for several days and nights, protesting the fates' decision. It was futile, though. Once something was decided, it was woven into the fabric of one's destiny, permanently bonded together. There was nothing one could do except to accept it.

Ketos couldn't do anything besides his fate. He did contemplate killing every mortal woman by flooding the lands, but it would have been foolish to do so. He didn't want to face the ire of Zeus, who would no doubt come down to smite him if any of his mortal or potential mortal lovers were harmed or killed.

It wasn't until the fates came down and told him the name of his future mortal wife. Things changed when out of his arrogant curiosity, he decided to leave his realm to seek her out. He wanted to see for himself if she was worthy enough to be his wife.

And once he saw her, he did not expect to fall as hard as he did.

She was beautiful, not as beautiful as Aphrodite, but beautiful enough to be his wife. Things he had not imagined before, back when he abhorred the thought of a mortal being his betrothed, hit him and carried him away like the waves crashing against the earth. 

He obsessed over her. Watching her from the sea everytime she took a walk along the sandy shore, taking on human forms to stalk her from afar, and even engaging in conversation with her in disguise just to hear what her voice sounds like among other things.

He had completely fallen for her. He decided the next time he saw her, he would come to her as himself and try to court her.

And well, their first meeting did not go as he had planned.

He had thought she would marvel at his magnificence. He was a God, for Zeus's sake! But she looked at him in fear. Distress plagued her beautiful features and he had no clue why. Surely, there was no reason why she would refuse a God like him, was there?

And so began an unique song and dance where he would try to court her, give her gifts, talk to her, all for it to be for naught! She refuses again and again.

And Ketos was starting to become angry...

How dare she refuse his love? She was his! The fates had already confirmed it! Her destiny lies and ends with him! 

He grew increasingly impatient until it came bubbling up one day and he snapped.

He was already in a terrible mood after facing so many of her rejections. He saw her dreadful look and grew tired of her pleas as she refused yet again. But this time, he was going to have her one way or another.

He lashed out, making the calm waves rage and the clouds above heavy and gray.

He threatened her with the lives of her family, along with all the other villagers she lived and grew up with. He didn't care about any of them! If it took killing everyone around her for her to be his, he would gladly do it. Even if she died in the process, all he would have to do is go to Hades and pluck her soul out of the Underworld so that she can finally be with him. And if he couldn't, he was a God. He had all the time in the world to wait for you to reincarnate and take you as his wife then.

Luckily, he didn't need to go that far. Though reluctant, she finally agreed to come to him! He was ecstatic. She took his hand and he praised her for choosing him. It didn't matter if she wasn't happy at first. He'll make her see the positive sides to being his betrothed. All his thoughts reverted back to all the things he wanted to do with her...

He would love and cherish her as they will soon be husband and wife. 

He was so happy to have her, his lovely wife.

((I think I may do a part 3 that's more of a look into their married life. Hope you enjoyed this one though!))

[thekissofaphrodite]

Hi mi amor! could you do a luke x reader based off of Light Year by Gregory Alan Isakov

I ADORE THIS!! TYSM FOR REQUESTING!

Light Year

Luke Castellan x Daughter of Athena!Reader

Summary: Toxic relationship with Luke Castellan.

Warnings: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Luke being an Ass, Mentions of a S*x tape. (+ FEMALE RAGE)

Author's note: This was requested, i did a research abt Gregory Alan Isakov's song 'Light year' and it FITS Luke's character as a boyfriend!! (Since it's about a toxic relationship)

__

I woke you up with poetry and stones The ragged and the bones Strewn around the room.

Flashback

"What the actual fuck" You mumbled angrily as you scanned your once organized cabin, now looking like a monster just rummaged through it. Luke was passed out on your bed, his shirt riding up a little bit, His face with unfamiliar kiss marks. Bottles of empty liquor and empty beer cans thrashed around the floor.

After leaving a week or two to visit your mortal father in new york, Instead of being greeted by a clean cabin to sleep in after hours of traveling, You were now kicking every empty beer cans in your way, You adjusted you tote bag that sat on your shoulders heavily, Your hair in a clip, Your eyes with dark circles.

Taking care of your mentally deranged father and his children with another woman wasn't exactly the kind of weekend you wanna spend, But you have no choice after all, It's either your step siblings starve and die or take care of them, and now here you are, With Luke Castellan, A grown teenager treated like a damn baby.

"Luke wake up!" You hissed as you shook the your drunken boyfriend awake, He groaned and mumbled a string of curses before sitting up the headboard. The sunlight passing through your self made daisy patterned curtains.

He looked around and sighed "I thought you'll be back in another week, sorry baby" Luke whispered before leaning in to give you a kiss, But you stepped away, That made the boy roll his eyes, clearly annoyed. He knew what was gonna happen.

"Come here baby, you know i hate that fucking attitude" You scoffed, a silent one before slapping him, Fast and sharp, a red mark appearing on his cheeks.

"You're telling me first which slut you brought here" You gripped his collar, showing himself the kiss marks made by someone, But Luke just chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Just Quincy from Aphrodite, She's a good kisser unlike you, too bad she left early-"

You shut him up with another slap in his cheeks, This time there were tears streaming down your cheeks.

"YOU HAD THE FUCKING AUDACITY TO THROW A PARTY WHILE IM GONE IN MY OWN CABIN WHILE HOOKING UP WITH A GIRL, LUKE, I WORKED YESTERDAY 13 HOURS STRAIGHT WHILE CHANGING MY SIBLING'S DIAPERS! HOW DO YOU THINK I'LL FEEL?! ALL I WANT IS TO REST AFTER AN EXHAUSTING DAY" You screamed, Uncontrollable rage filling you inside.

"It's not that big of a deal, You're being dramatic" Luke said calmly, as if you were a joke to him.

You were shaking in fury, You love him, you really do.

But sometimes..His attitude is insufferable.

"Fine. Where's my paycheck then? I sent it to you yesterday" You asked him, Yet again, The dark haired boy shrugged.

"Spent it all on beers and sodas"

You felt weak, You don't why, but this is just too much.

So you cried.

"All of it? MY 150$ PAYCHECK THAT I WORKED FOR?" Your voice raised higher, but Luke towered over you, underestimating your small frame.

"Yes, You've got a problem? Don't you ever give me that attitude, I'm the one who got you enrolled in that fancy university that you can't stop talking for months baby, Once i sent them that one video tape of you, You're done" He blackmailed you, Luke smirked as he watched your expression changed.

Of course, Your video tape with him..that video was from three years ago when you two were young and naive and decided it's best to film your first time with luke. Not knowing he'll use it against you.

Over and over again.

You cowered a little bit, mentally rolling your eyes before leaving your cabin, slamming the door shut.

__

I recall another hazy May Take a round in the ring Gone hungry for the win

Flashback

"Do you think we'll be soulmates in every other universe?" You whispered, Luke's muscular arms wrapped around your body as he pulled you close making you giggle softly.

"We could have been" He replied, fidgeting the hem of your yellow summer dress with daisy patterns all over. You two just officially became a couple, He couldn't get enough of you, kissing you everytime and holding your hands proudly. You felt loved and safe.

But you didn't answer, instead, You kissed him, pure of love expressing your undying loyalty to him, He found himself kissing back, gripping your waist, holding you closely.

"I love you so much" He whispered.

And you found yourself melting into his touch.

But then your relationship lost all its sparks.

No more kissing each other every morning or holding hands while striding at camp, It was more like arguing every day over little things.

"Stop it! What is wrong with you?!" You screamed as tears poured down your cheeks, You watched Luke smash another vase, the loud sound clattering.

"You are my girlfriend! you will do as you are told! if i saw you with that boy again i swear to the gods- " He yelled, you cried harder, you covered your ears as he begin yelling again, but then, you felt a sharp pain engulfing you, Luke grabbed your hair, almost pulling it out of your scalp, He dragged you outside your cabin before hurling you down your cabin stairs, you fell and you fell onto the fence, your ribcage caught the most of it.

Not even a day later, you sat in the infirmary, with yellow-ish purple bruises all over your body.

"Are you okay, baby?" Luke's sickly sweet voice asked as he caressed your tear stained cheeks, as if tho he wasn't the one who brutality beaten you.

" 'm fine" You mumbled, fidgeting your skirt, Luke then gave you flowers, Fresh daisies from the gardens of demeter's children.

You smelt the fragrance of the flowers, before feeling another tear roll down your eyes.

__

Heres the part I just lose everything I cracked a spark just to hear you sing Sing

Flashback

"Surprise! Happy Anniversary, Baby!" Luke said as he untied the blindfold, You were greeted by a small, romantic picnic near the lake, Luke gripped your shoulder's from behind before pressing a kiss on your neck.

"Don't you like it?" He asked, Caressing your long hair at the process, But no, You didn't liked it. Even tho he had put so much effort in this simple picnic, you never felt sparkes like before.

Swallowing your distaste, You nodded before being dragged on the picnic blanket by luke, your sandal crunching on the fallen leaves and rocks.

__

I took it out The papers and the trash Old among the cans This golden love gone bad

Flashback

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry..." Luke whispered, You didn't listen.

Instead, you continued packing your things, shoving clothes after clothes inside you bag, not caring if your freshly ironed clothes came crumpled.

As he tried to touch you, you pulled away angrily.

"You wanna know something? I would rather prefer my dangerous freedom over this peaceful slavery you had done to me" Your eyes met his, but then, You saw him smirk, and pulled out a digital camera, Your loud, wonton moans echoing as he turned the volume louder.

"Freedom over shame? I thought you knew better, baby" He said, you felt your breathing ragged, your hands trembling as you threw you bag on the floor.

You looked around before snatching the camera and breaking it, But it seems like Luke wasn't bothered.

He clearly did something with your tape.

Sensing that you've known, He smirked and started laughing manically. His dark laughter echoing through the cabin walls.

You lost hope now.

Feeling defeat, you slumped your shoulders and fell, You knelt at his feet gripping it tightly, your fresh hot tears dripping on his feet.

"Please" You whispered, Luke just looked down at you, his gaze seemingly judging you. You sobbed harder, pressing your nose against his feet.

"Luke, not this again, Luke, Please, Please"

"Promises are Promises, Baby" The dark eyes boy said, before leaving you.

__

Shined it up Aiming at the sun Just a light year from us Hop a cab ride and we're off

And all the ravens came along to play The simple notes you sang just went astray

Flashback

"I'll be going"

"Okay"

You stopped.

"Just 'Okay' ?" Luke sighed and slammed the book he was reading just, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Yes, Do you expect me to kiss you? Fucking hell you're just going to visit your family, it's not like you're going abroad for fifteen years" He mumbled and leaned against the headboard of his bed.

You just nodded, tears stinging your eyes, threatening to slip.

"Do you want me to buy you anything? Snacks? or mayb-" He slammed his fist into his bedside table, the sound of his lampshade and coffee mug clattering made you flinch.

"Can you just- please shut your damn mouth?"

"Fine." You stormed away, leaving Luke again.

You two weren't always like this, As you stepped outside the camp barrier, You got a glimpse of the Hermes Cabin once more before leaving.

__

Everything was up, its coming down Everything was up, its coming down Coming down

Flashback

You ran around, Dodging attacks and trying not to trip over dead bodies on your way, You couldn't even believe that Luke did all this, The rise of Kronos. The lightning theif.

When you saw him in the distance, Holding a scythe in hand.

"Luke" You called him, with your sweet melodic voice, He turned around, The first thing you saw was his scowl, Then you felt a sharp pierce on the side of your belly.

You barely saw it, But a Chimera had sting you. you gasped, the pain barely registering before you fell down on the cold ground, The blood had dripped, making a scarlet pool right beside you, as you laid down the cold ground, Luke appeared in front of you, Wearing the same evil smirk.

Your hair was scattered in all directions, You truly looked like an angel, With one last kiss on your forehead, Your eyes went still, and before darkness had engulfed your vision, You heard luke say;

"Sleep well, My dear Y/n"

A/N: I researched about the song Lightwork and did the best i can to match the lyrics and story! But i do hope you guys like this!!!

[faithshouseofchaos]

For all of eternity— Ares!Carlos sainz x Aphrodite!reader

Kind of a Percy Jackson f1 AU

Summary— after eons of being stuck in a loveless and toxic you stand up to your husband.

There is a part two to this that is kind of smutty I’m almost done with writing it 🫢🤭😫

Tagged— @moss-on-tmblr @toasttt11 @vivwritesfics @lollypop90907 @laura-naruto-fan1998 @ladymarvel27 @natailiatulls07 @norrisleclercf1 @charlesf1leclerc @penwieldingdreamer @f1ln4dr3cl16mv33 @ironcowboycopnickel @hollie911 @dark-night-sky-99 @dudenhaaa27 @darleneslane @carlossainzwho @vellicora @venusisnothere @ashy-kit @astraeaworld @alwayzbeenale @laneyspaulding19 @badassturtle13 @omgsuperstarg @otako5811

The story goes that there once was a goddess who was very beautiful and graceful. Everyone thought she was exquisite. They all wanted her hand in marriage but she was promised to another her heart belonged to the god Ares. Despite being in love with another she could never be with him and that was a tragedy itself. Her name was Aphrodite, her mortal name Y/n l/n.

The story repeated itself for Eons until now. Ares, who now went by the name Carlos Sainz jr, decided to become a Formula One driver for the team Ferrari. She didn’t love her husband. She never had. He was cold and cruel. Hell, her husband didn’t love her. He loved the status and the attention of having the most beautiful woman on the planet.

It was now 2023, you lost track of how long you had been stuck in this so-called marriage. It wasn’t all bad you had your secret lover. The Spanish god of war, Carlos throughout history had a reputation for being cruel. That much was true but you knew the compassionate,loving and gentle side of the War god. Carlos was good to you; he loved you for you.

Your husband was one of Ferrari's mechanics. It wasn’t that long ago when your husband caught you and Carlos in a compromising position, both half undressing your legs around Carlos waist one hand at the base of his neck pulling on the hairs there. Carlos lips on your neck, his hand between your legs, fingers moving in and out of you.

Despite knowing about your affair with Carlos that didn’t warrant a divorce. Instead he just became more cruel to you and he started taking it out on Carlos messing with his car causing his season to be shitty.

You see this behavior of your husband and know you can't take it anymore. You want to be free. You want to be with Carlos and he with you, to be able to see each other for who they really are and build a life with the one they love. You decide that's it time to stand up to your husband and that there is no point in keeping quiet.

You see your husband mess with Carlos' car again.

"What are you doing?", you ask again. You're not letting this go and want to make him acknowledge what he's doing. He looks up from the car and finally looks at you, his eyes filled with hatred and rage.

"I'm making sure this thing has no chance of winning today," he snarls. "And I'll keep doing it too unless you promise me you'll cut ties with your little lover boy," he threatens.

Your jaw drops as you hear him, and you can feel the anger rising inside you. You want to lash out and say something back to him, but you know it won't change anything. He's dead set on ruining your life and your relationship with Carlos.

“Why won’t you let me go? We both know you never loved me, not like him. So please let me go”

"I'm not going to let you go anywhere until I'm sure you're not going to run back to him the first chance you get," he replies with a tone of bitterness. "So if you want me to stop messing with that car and start treating you better, you need to give up your little fling and be my wife again."

You're shocked at his audacity, but you know he isn't going to give you a choice. You have to make a call, either give up Carlos and keep this loveless marriage, or risk everything. And you don't want to do that, you don't want to risk the chance of you and Carlos being apart.

You finally reach your decision. You know it's a selfish one, but it's the only way for you to be happy. So you look at your husband, and with all the courage you have you say the words that you know will be the end of your marriage, "No, I won't give him up."

"What did you say!?" he yells at you angrily. "You're refusing me, refusing your husband? Do you have any idea what that means? You've chosen him over me, and that's unforgivable."

"I don't care if you're my husband, you've never loved me and I'm done with you," you say firmly. "Carlos is the love of my life and always has been. I'm not going to give him up for you or anyone else."

The moment hangs heavy in the air. Your husband is filled with rage, but he hasn't made a move towards you yet. Instead, he simply stares at you with contempt and hatred until finally speaking up.

"You're a fool," he says angrily. "If you think I'm just going to let you do this, then you're wrong. I'm going to ruin him and destroy everything you two have. And once I do that, you'll come crawling back to me, begging for forgiveness."

Your husband is stunned by your response, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He never thought you'd have the courage to go against him like this. But despite his shock and anger, he remains determined to destroy you and Carlos.

“I don’t care I’m done being afraid of you”

"That's it!" he explodes in rage. "I'm done being nice. You've made your choice and now I'm going to make sure you regret it. I'm going to ruin Carlos and I'm going to destroy everything that you two have. So, be warned, you stupid whore, I'm coming for you both".

Your husband stormed off out of the garage nowhere to be seen Carlos’s mechanics began working on what your husband fucked with. Taking a deep breath to regain control over yourself you made your way to Carlos’s drivers room.

The atmosphere in the garage is tense as the Mechanics try to fix what your husband broke. You make sure to stay out of their way and you're headed to Carlos's driver's room so you can tell him about your husband's threats. You don't want to scare him or stress him out, but you can't stand by and let your husband hurt the man you love.

When you reach Carlos's room, you close the door behind you, the tension is thick in the air. He's just sitting in front of his laptop, going over his data and strategy for the race. You sit down beside him and take his hand reassuringly.

"Hey," you say softly. "We need to talk." You feel the anxiety building up inside you, but you know you need to be honest and open with Carlos about your husband. You don't want to keep secrets from him, especially not when it comes to something as important as this.

"What is it?" Carlos asks, the concentration on his face instantly fading as he turns to look at you. You see the concern in his eyes as he reads your expression. You know you need to tell him what happened. He needs to know what your husband said.

You take a deep breath and slowly tell Carlos everything your husband said. You keep it as straightforward as you can, but it's unavoidable that your emotions and fear creep their way into your voice as you talk. He listens carefully and silently, his eyes never leaving yours.

Once you've finished, he remains silent for a moment, taking in everything you've said. His look of concern lingers on your face, but he isn't surprised by your husband's behavior. He knows he'll do whatever he can to hurt you both and ruin everything you have together.

"I'm not letting him get away with this," Carlos says firmly. "I'll be damned if I let him ruin us or hurt you. We haven't come this far just to let him tear it all down. We're going to fight this and we're not backing down or giving up. As far as I'm concerned, his threats are empty and I'm not afraid of him."

“I know but I am. I hate that I terrified Carlos”

Carlos chuckles a bit at your response and squeezes your hand reassuringly. "Don't worry about me, my love. I'm not scared or intimidated by him. I know he's going to do whatever he can to ruin us, and I'm ready for that. I'm gonna fight him every step of the way for as long as it takes, and I'm not going to let him hurt one hair on your head."

You're touched by Carlos's words and confidence. He's not backing down and he's not going to let anything get in his way of protecting you. You realize just how lucky you are to have him in your life. The two of you share a moment of comfort before Carlos breaks the silence once again.

"I don't want you to worry, " he says, his tone serious. "I know I can handle him and I won't let him get to you. But you have the right to be scared, what he said was scary and wrong. I just want to reassure you that I'm not going anywhere."

[aphroditelovesu]

Random concept. So you know the story of Eros and Psyche? Well basically that but instead of sending Eros Aphrodite goes over to that mortal herself to punish them. But when Aphrodite sees reader she does admit she finds them pretty cute (whether they're actually more beautiful than Aphrodite or not. but cmon it's Aphrodite they probably aren't, but definitely still attractive to be considered so)

❝💗 — lady l: it was supposed to be just a concept but I got carried away and made this mini imagine. I hope you like it and forgive me any mistakes!! ❤️

❝tw: obsessive and possessive behavior, stalking and manipulation.

❝💗pairing: yandere!aphrodite x gender neutral psyche!reader.

❝💗 word count: 487.

Once upon a time, in an ancient age, (Y/N) was a young woman/man of peerless beauty and gentle soul. Their fame spread throughout the kingdom, attracting admiring glances from all who saw them. But (Y/N) didn't preen on their beauty; they was humble and kind, devoting their time to helping those in need.

Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, sexuality and love, watched (Y/N) with hungry eyes. The mortal possessed a beauty that rivaled Aphrodite herself, awakening a burning feeling in the goddess. However, the love Aphrodite felt was unlike any other. It was possessive and overwhelming, burning like an uncontrollable flame.

One day, Aphrodite decided to descend from Mount Olympus and walk among mortals. She approached (Y/N), hiding her divine identity under a veil of mystery. The encounters between Aphrodite and (Y/N) were marked by intimate conversations and intense looks. With each encounter, the flames of desire intensified, fueling Aphrodite's obsessive and possessive love.

(Y/N), oblivious to the true identity of the mysterious visitor, was drawn to her in an inexplicable way. They felt as if they had known Aphrodite all they life, as if an ancient bond held them together. But the closer they got to Aphrodite, the more they emotions turned into turmoil.

Aphrodite could no longer contain her overwhelming love for the beautiful mortal she had once wanted to destroy. She revealed her true identity to (Y/N), hoping the mortal would take her back. However, instead of accepting it, (Y/N) was stunned and scared. They didn't understand the overwhelming feelings Aphrodite had for them.

They tried to gently refuse the goddess, but Aphrodite wouldn't listen to reason. At that moment, the goddess realized that it wasn't love she felt for (Y/N) but a strong obsession. She didn't care, however.

As time passed, Aphrodite became more and more possessive, trying to wrap (Y/N) in a love that was more overwhelming than liberating. She made promises of wealth and power, offering (Y/N) everything they heart could desire. However, (Y/N) realized that they didn't want to be trapped by this intense and suffocating love.

They wanted their freedom, their old life and not to be desperately and obsessively loved by the most beautiful goddess.

Too bad that never happened. Aphrodite, angry and full of hurt, did not accept the rejection and decided to take revenge on her beloved. She had her son shoot lead arrows at people dear to (Y/N), causing them to reject the beautiful mortal. Soon they found themselves alone and abandoned.

Finding themself weeping and lonely, Aphrodite visited her beloved and enveloped them in her possessive embrace. The goddess whispers promises that they would never be alone while she was around.

(Y/N) finally accepted the goddess's affections after being abandoned by the people they loved so dearly. Such cruel punishment for a crime that hadn't even been willingly committed.

[bouncybongfairy]

The Connection Of Water

Percy Jackson x Water Nymph Reader

Summary: After finding your way to camp half blood, you end up befriending a blue-eyed boy who can't keep away from the water. You end up taking a late night swim with Percy.

Word Count: 3k+

Part 2 is now posted! <3

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

You were running through the thick brush of the woods, now and then feeling a sharp branch scrap against your skin. You keep looking behind you, seeing if the minotaur was still chasing you. You were regretting following the glowing dove that appeared to you in the early morning. Hot tears were streaming down your face. You could feel your stamina declining, your legs were getting heavier with every step. You wanted to scream because of the cramping in your body and the terror in your heart. You kept yourself from doing so, not wanting to lure the monster right into you. You really panicked when the dove was losing its glow. You were not only feeling scared for your safety but saddened that this beautiful dove leading you was withering away with no purpose. As you were running, you saw torches glowing a vibrant yellow and red. You follow them, hoping to run into someone who could aid you. You eventually stopped looking behind you because every time you did, you almost tripped. You could hear the minotaur roaring somewhere behind you. This was motivating you to keep going. 

You finally see a wooden sign that was written in Greek letters. You were so scared that you didn't bother looking at what the sign said. You just wanted to get away from the monster that was hot on your heels. There were people in armor who seemed to be surprised that you made it through the gate. You turned around and fell on your bottom, watching as this monster came closer. You tried to scurry away, but the armored people were reassuring you. They helped you into a white tent. This is when your eyes become too heavy to keep open anymore. 

You woke up to the sun shining directly onto your face; you hold your hand up to block it. That's when you noticed white bandages covering the scraps from evading the minotaur. You sat up and looked around to get a better view of your surroundings. Cots lined up against the walls. Some people were laying down in more critical condition while others were just getting quick treatment. You threw your legs over the bed, but before you could stand up, a woman came up to you. 

"Hold on dear, are you feeling dizzy or hungry at all?" she asked, placing her cold hand on your forehead to check your temperature. You shook your head no and let your hands rest in your lap. 

"Do you remember how you arrived?" she asked. 

"I was home, a glowing dove appeared before me. I followed it south until a minotaur chased me. I don't remember how I got.. here though," you said referring to the building you're in, she looked at you raising her eyebrows; almost as if she was confused.

"You don't think you're mortal?" she asked which caused you to crank your neck up at her; you must have looked as confused as she was. 

"I know i'm not mortal I'm a naiad," her eyes widened and she excused herself. At this point all you wanted to do was go home. You missed your sisters and were feeling extremely regretful that you followed the dove. The women came back shortly after being followed by a centaur. 

"Hello little one, my name is Chiron. You must be extremely confused, let's take a walk and allow me to make it all clear," he said. You didn't respond but got up and followed. 

"This is Camp Half Blood where we protect and train the offspring  of half human half mortal young adults. The reason the dove appeared to you was to lead you here. The dove is a symbol of Aphrodite, we have lots of her half blood kins here you are not the first. However these half bloods are half mortal, you are the first naiad we've had here. This is certainly not a bad thing, please don't feel out of place due to that aspect. I just wanted to clear that up and show you around a bit," he said resting his hand on your shoulder as you walked. 

"I can never leave here?" you asked which made him laugh.

"Yes of course, we can't keep you here against your will and students can go home to visit family. However we teach you a great deal of combat and other skills that will help you navigate the world safely as a half blood. Not only that, you get to be surrounded by those who understand exactly what you've been through and the struggles." he said. 

"Is there a lake nearby? I have been out of water for a while, I don't mean to-"

"You don't have to apologize, it's always overwhelming for new campers when they are debriefed. The Canoe Lake is only a 10 minute walk down this path. If you need anything just ask," he said walking away. 

You were happy that he took the hint about you wanting to be alone. It wasn't like it was as big of a bomb as it would have been for a mortal. You knew of the Greek world and of the existence of gods, your dad was a full blooded naiad. The half blooded aphrodite was what really threw you for a loop. Everyone you walked past on the trail was staring like you had two heads and three arms. It didn't matter to you as much as wanting to be in the water did. You could feel your skin becoming tight because of the lack of moisture. Once you saw the rays of light reflecting off the surface of the lake, you smiled and let out a sigh. You strip off your tee shirt and shorts and walk into the lake. The feeling of relief was like pure joy, feeling the soft earth beneath your feet. You dove underneath the water and let the water carry your body for a couple moments. You find them slowly growing and expanding once they are fully submerged. Your eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark water as you went deeper and deeper. 

You swam around for a while, finding lost items like bead bracelets or glasses. There were fish that came right up to your face, oblivious to your being there. Then they would swim away for their lives once they noticed you there. This would make you laugh, a few bubbles escaping your mouth. You got a taste of what the fish were feeling when you felt a literal tap on the shoulder. You whipped around and were greeted by another naiad, she signed for you to follow her which you did. After swimming alongside with her for about 5 minutes you reach a rather large rock. You follow her to the surface and see that there are several other water nymphs sitting on this rock. You joined them at the top where you were greeted by several voices. 

"Hello, so I hear you are the newest naiad to camp half-blood. Is this true?" the girl who led you here asked. 

"Word travels fast. Well I thought I was just naiad but the centaur Chiron told me that I'm actually half god half naiad," there was a long pause before the next girl spoke,

"What god?" she asked. 

"Aphrodite," you said, ringing some of the water out of your hair. 

"Wow, another blonde bimbo to add to the barbie house," she said, causing a couple other girls to laugh. 

"Do you live there? Chiron didn't say anything about overcrowding," you asked, which caused the girl's smile to slowly fade from her face. You looked around and noticed there was a couple of girls snickering, 

"Only the kin of Aphrodite stay in the cabin, Naylene is just a water nymph," one of the more quiet girls explained. 

"I'm sorry I didn't mean any-'' you began to apologize if you came off wrong but it seemed that Naylene's ego had already been bruised. 

"Well good luck making friends, I mean we all know the reputation you bimbos get around the camp," she said, diving in the water, being followed by a couple other girls. This left you sitting on the rock with one other girl. 

"Don't worry about her, she gets so jealous when new girls, especially from your mom, come to camp. She's always been like that, don't take it to heart." She said to you, 

"Yeah I guess, I'm Y|N by the way," you said formally introducing yourself. 

"I'm Madison," she said, holding out her hand to shake which you did, "It's starting to get dark which means supper is going to start soon. You can come with me if you'd like," she offered. 

"No I appreciate you but I've been out of the water for a while, I just need to soak for a little longer," you said. 

"Okay, if you see me at supper or just.. around don't be a stranger," she said as she grabbed her towel and left the lake. 

You sat on the rock for a while admiring the sunset, it was a striking purple and pink color. The water was beginning to get colder and the breeze picked up a bit more. A few tears escaped your eyes when you thought about your sisters and your father that were at home. You wiped them away and practiced a bit of mindfulness. Many kids don't get to experience the beauty of nature in a place like this. As you were talking in your surroundings you noticed a dock attached to a cabin on the lake. You dive into the water and swim over to the wooden platform that was floating above the water. Once you got there you hoisted yourself onto the dock and looked out at the water. From this angle it gave the illusion that the lake went on for miles and miles. The dock was facing west, which meant the sun set directly in front of it. You began to ring your hair out again so the cold water wasn't dripping onto your back. As you were admiring the water, you heard something fall behind you. When you whipped around and saw a dark haired boy staring at you. You immediately stand up and apologize for intruding, 

"I'm so sorry I assumed because of the dock that it was just- I'm really sorry for intruding," you said. 

"It's okay I um- the naiads come up all the time," he said picking up the pen he dropped. 

"Sorry I'll go, I'm late for supper anyway," you said, going to walk past him but were interrupted. 

"You're going to the dinning hall like that?" he asked, you looked down and became painfully aware of just how unclothed you were. Only wearing a cropped shirt and boy shorts, that were still wet.

"I left my bag at the lake side where I jumped in. I was just gonna grab my stuff and change before heading down," you said, he walked over to the dresser and grabbed a bright orange tee shirt that said camp half-blood. Underneath the white lettering was big, sloppy black writing that said 'Jackson'. He then handed you a pair of black basketball shorts. 

"My mom got those for me last summer so they should be small enough for you," he said playing with his fingers before continuing, "I can take you to the dining hall and to pick up your bag on the way, if you get lost you won't make it in time," he said. 

"Oh thank you," you said, waiting a couple seconds for him to turn around so you could change. He didn't so you ended up having to ask which he did. Once you got dressed you thanked him again for his hospitality. 

"I'm Y|N," you said. 

"I'm Percy," he said. 

The walk was really nice, he was telling about about what time meals were. What the different symbols on the cabin meant, even some of the social constructs that had been created in the camp. When you told him about how passive aggressive the other water nymphs were he said he wasn't surprised. He explained that a lot of the girls here get caught up in the social competition of being a teenager. You explained to him how you got here and you both laughed when you realized you had the same experience of being chased by a minotaur. You picked up your bag as you followed the trail and the smell of food. He told you that he was the only half blood in the entire camp which surprised you. It was equally surprising when you told him you weren't half mortal.

"No wonder Naylene hates you, she's intimidated by you." he said in a matter of fact tone.  

Once you both walked into the dining area all the eyes were on you both. Percy whispered that the only reason they were staring is because we don't get new campers all the time. This made you feel better until you saw Naylene who was staring you down with a scowl on her face. You followed Percy to grab your tray. He then took you to the firepit where he explained the custom of giving the best thing on your plate as an offering to the God's. You even met two of his friends Grover and Annabeth who were extremely welcoming. It really turned your entire day around. They warned you about people to steer clear of like Clarise, which you were grateful for. Annabeth even showed you the Aphrodite cabin which was.. overwhelming to say the least. It reminded you of a sorority, so much hair and the smell of perfume was super invasive in your nose. They showed you where your bed was and surprisingly were all very nice. You thanked them for being so welcoming to which one of the older girls responded, 

"Pretty girls are always kind," she said. 

You were happy that bitchy campers were the only thing that was bad about this place. The older girls in the cabin were helping the younger girls get ready. Brushing their teeth and braiding their hair. Cleaning up, sweeping the floors or getting their beds ready to sleep. You were getting a lot of compliments which were giving you a permanent grin. You were getting comfortable in bed, reading a book when someone tapped you on the shoulders. 

"There's someone here to see you," one of the girls said. You were confused but set your book down and went to see who it was. It was Percy, he was carrying a plastic bag that contained your wet clothes from earlier. 

"You're up late, thank you," you said, grabbing the bag from him. 

"Yeah I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd bring that back," he said. 

"Yeah I can't sleep either, I was thinking about going for a swim later to help," you said. 

"Can I come?" he asked, which really surprised you. 

"Yeah, give me like five minutes," you said, going back to your bed to put away the plastic bag. You went up to one of the older girls and asked if you could borrow a bathing suit top which she gladly handed over. 

You changed and made your way back outside. You walked together to his cabin, that was the first time you had seen it a night and it was beautiful. There were slight gaps in between the logs that made up the wall, which made it look as though it was bursting with light. The inside was even more impressive, there was Greek artwork painted on the walls. A big California king bed, right above the headboard was a painting of the famous statue of Perseus holding the severed head of Medusa. Other more modern things sat on his desk like comic books and a laptop. You didn't say much before getting into the water. Due to your dehydration, your tail didn't come out when you were in the water before but after about 10 minutes in the water you were in full naiad form. Percy was sitting at the bottom of the lake and you were swimming slow circles around him. 

You obviously couldn't speak with each other but the look in each others eyes didn't need words. You grabbed his hands and started swimming, with your tail you could swim incredibly fast. You looked over at him and his lips were being parted because of how fast you were going which caused you to stop and laugh. He laughed as well and motioned for you to pay attention. He then started to control the currents slightly so that he could maintain the same speed when swimming around. You would point out different fish to each other or plants that you thought looked cool. After a while you just sat next to each other, enjoying each other's company. He got up and loved the sludge on the ground and pulled out a necklace. He held onto the back of the necklace and used a current and got all the mud off. It was a beautiful necklace. The charm was two acrylic rose charms that were ombre from dark violet to light. In the center of both roses was a pearl. He swam behind you and attached it to your neck, you smiled and blew him a bubble kiss. Bubbles burst out of his mouth from how hard he laughed. 

You both resurface and sit on the dock with each other. Percy looks over and notices that your teeth are chattering. He gets up and grabs a towel from his room and drabs it over your shoulders. 

"Thank you," you said as he sat back next to you.

"It's not a big deal, you know I've never hung out like that with anyone in the water like that," he said looking over at you. He had hair hanging on his forehead, almost covering his eyes. 

"Kinda helps when you're with someone who can also breathe water," you chuckled. 

"No, even with Naylene and them I never will hang out with them in the water like that," he said. 

You looked over at him and noticed he was still looking. His eyes were so blue they almost looked like they were glowing. You lean over and give him a peck on the lips. Although it wasn't a long passionate kiss, it didn't take away from the romantic aspect of the moment. He smiled and blushed a deep red before getting up and helping you stand

"I'll walk you home," he said before returning the peck back to your lips.

[monstaxdirtywonk]

Heaven is a place in hell with you.

Member: San as Hades x Reader Persephone

Plot: It's not the typical myth although it does share some similarities I've made some changes too to fit what I had in mind.

Genre: Angst, Fluff and eventual smut (not in this chapter)

Endless darkness. That's all his eyes have been seeing for the eternity of time. If only someone could imagine the depth of time combined with the depth of the darkness, they'd lose their sanity. Being a God grants you great power but being the God of the dead might not be seen as attractive as other God's kingdoms. Poseidon, ruling the vast sea or Zeus, ruling the mortal world. But death is the most powerful of all, Hades thinks, for it holds the power to diminish everything else. Whether someone was rich, privileged or one of a kind, after their passing, they are just part of the soul parade, a group of shadows with no purpose, just lurking around till the dawn of time. Maybe even after that. Hades has a bit of a reputation if you will, hated by most, if not all the living. The God's aren't fond of him either. He is too monotonous for their liking, keeps mostly to himself, he is on his own, just like what he rules, a lonely experience by default. His body is as immortal as it can be, a vast contrast between his surroundings. He stood tall and proud, well shaped and proportionate. His face chiseled and enigmatic, his prominent bone structure and intense gaze making him intimidating in a striking way. Appearance wise he looked no older than 25, but his soul felt awfully old. Maybe others were right to despise him. He can't stand himself either at times. A gloomy haze was his life, that seemed to have no end.

"A girl is playing around the lake, Lord" Thanatos, his trusted winged friend mentioned.

"She comes here often. She doesn't look human, but not godly either. More like a mixture of them too, not ordinary enough for a mortal, not divine enough for a goddess".

Hades decided to take a closer look after Thanatos' description. He is someone that likes to keep his thoughts and opinions independent, but he couldn't agree more. Her beauty was like something he'd witness before and something entirely different, all at the same time. She appeared delicate and gentle, her hands brushing through the bush, as the wind blew against her face. She seemed beautiful, but in a very different way than Aphrodite is. He didn't feel an ounce of lust for her, her vibes innocent and pure, almost angelic. The type of person you want to protect with your life, if he even had such a thing.

"Maybe she is a nymph? But she is someone I've never seen before and I keep up with them to say the least" Thanatos laughed, confirming his womanizer nature.

Hades laughed as well. His friend had a charm that drew others to him. Maybe they liked getting a taste of death while still alive, literally.

"That's true, you'd know her by now. I'm sure Artemis despise you, my friend. You are ruining chaste virgins left and right."

"Well what can I say? I'm popular with the ladies. I guess they might have a thing for my wings? I mean there aren't that many of us, even in the immortal world. But speaking of getting down and dirty, you haven't been laid in such a long time, Hades!"

The latter's eyes grew at the realization. He had some needs but they never bothered him to that extent. Keeping busy did the trick so far and he was more of an old fashioned man to say the least. His mistress was the night but he grew sick of her. They were too similar, he thought. He wanted some light to enter his world, a blinding brightness to shake him up and warm his icy heart. Or at least that was his persona, his mask. He knew, better than anyone, how much he felt and loved and longed for it. But he could wait for that, he had time, that's for sure.

"Mind your business boy" he said in a teasing tone but failed at intimidating his friend. Hades looked dark, dangerous even, until he became familiar to you. Once you made a place for yourself in his heart, he couldn't be further from that.

"Okay okay, I was just saying that it's a pity for you to go like that. But whatever makes you happy." He answered and raised both of his arms in a defeating manner. Thanatos knew that he was basically a brother to Hades, but he still wanted to keep their relations good, because he had the tendency to say more than he should.

"It's all good, I'm just teasing you!" Hades smiled his way and showed his dimples, the sweetest sight his kingdom had to offer.

Thanatos smiled back and took a look at the lake again, which they were able to see from the inside, as it was the main portal for the underworld. His smile quickly turned sour, and worry played over his handsome features.

"What is it?" Hades asked.

"The girl...seems to be in danger". Thanatos pointed out and Hades took a closer look. A wolf was some meters away from her, moving eerily elegantly for such a creature. Given the area the lake was, it seemed unlikely for an actual wolf to be there. It's size was extraordinary large too, all this made him believe it was one of Zeus' tricks again. A sudden surge of protective energy took over him and he wanted to save this poor girl from Zeus. She didn't deserve Hera's wrath either. None of them did. Hades took a hold of his scepter and pushed it on the ground. The lake started waving and it turned dark as if it was raining during a perfectly sunny day. The girl gasped at the sight in front of her and took a step back since she was almost right next to the lake by now. The waters were divided and a set of stairs showed up. When Zeus realized that the girl was about to escape, he started running towards her and she felt such an overwhelming fear that made her run without even realizing that this was probably a bad idea. She followed the stairs which turned to water again after each of her steps. As soon as she touched the ground, she broke down in tears and hid her face inside her hands, too scared to open them and face her destiny. But sometimes our destiny isn't as scary as we think it is, because there, in this dark and seemingly unwelcome world, she'd find a man with no soul, but more capacity to love than anyone else with a soul ever could.

Next chapter:

[punkeropercyjackson]

The Anomalies:Lore

Layed out for everybody who likes my content of Spiderverse x Pjo x DC but dosen't really understand what's going on/what it means/what brings it on!

@insomniac-jay @mayameanderings @theautisticcentre @jellyfilledeyes @jellyjays @nogender-onlystars @desi-pluto @moonage-gaydream @refrigeratedboombursts @julieemarine @jelmet @genderfluid-bat @a-confused-ranger @imreallyonthishellsite @dead111111111111 @error-core-animations @yukii0nna @tuxedkitt @a-hypnos-v @st4r-fire

The title refers to Miles,Percy and Jason.They're called 'The Anomalies' because they're 'not supposed to exist' and Miles was called one canonically,Percy was born from Poseidon breaking the pact and Jason was ressurected originally from Superboy Prime breaking reality.I came up with the idea of them being a team because i realized back when Atsv came out that with their personalities,they'd be best friends and need to be a trio to work together perfectly as Miles with Percy or Jason is interesting on it's own but better if it's all three of them and Percy and Jason becoming instant besties is ooc and insulting to their characters

Percy and Jason are monoracial afro-dominican and darkskin and they're all trans and audhd-Miles is transmascfem and uses that as his identity due to his experiences with gender as a black person,Jason is transmasc agender with left girl for yuri purposes and Percy is a trans woman who's name is short for Persephone.She named herself after the og as a thank you to her for giving her Metamorphose,food that's been blessed by Aphrodite to give the eater their ideal apperance and is basically hrt when it comes to trans people,and she's super voluptous with realistic muscles and fat

Percy also dyes her faded from gray to white streak sea blue to blend in the mortal world and Miles' and Jason's radioactive spider bite and Lazarus Pit dunk were their own hrt as they have the same effect Metamorphose does in that part.Percy and Miles are pastel punk but Miles leans more into the cutesy/kiddy aspects and Percy's more hardcore/closer to old school punk and Jason is goth punk and Percy's hair is a bit past her hips and she wears it naturally,Miles starts with her canon hairstyle but switches to dreads later on and Jason and her and dreadhead bros

Percy's earth is Earth 27 and Jason's earth is Prime Earth

They met post itsv but pre atsv,post hoo and toa dosen't exist and right after utrh so no og rhato either(everyone say thank you Miles for changing the timeline and saving us and Percy and Jason from that fuckery).Doc Ock came back to New York and literally smacked Miles into another dimension with a device she made,Percy was banished from her realm by the Olympians for her defiement of them at the same time and they both crashed into Jason on his motorcyle in his Red Hood gear just as he made it to the outskirts of Gotham as they shot out of their portals and into his life.After a bit of talking to figure out what was going on and who they were,Jason agreed to guide them since it was his dimension and instantly clicked with Miles but detested Percy and the reverse is also true as they only stuck together to stay with Miles at first

Until the slow burn burned and now they're ride or die best friends.Miles is on the same level to them as they are eachother and they're equally important to him too.Miles reminded Jason of his Robin self('You're like me......The me that died')and to Percy of Nico and she reminded Miles of Gwen and he thought Jason's losercore behavior was the funniest fucking shit so he kept him around for the bit and Jason and Percy clashed so hard because they're the same but foils in a way that leads to bickering unlike with Miles where it leads to soft interactions they don't do with most people

Miles ends up becoming a Blue Lantern as he gets a Power Ring by his friendship with Kyle and their side teamups and earns Apollo's blessing for his sheer artistic talent and earnest dedication to his art that made him actually cry like a baby as he gave it to him and Percy had to hold herself back from slashing him away from Miles and it gives him a blonde streak in his hair that ends up permanent but turns into a white streak with the intensity of the situation.He joins Young Justice as an honorary member too and as an adult,her hero name is 'Ultimate' both for being more sutible and gender neutrality since she's a boygirl that's fully settled into her identity

Percy is part kryptonian because Sally is and that's why her eyes change sea colors as she's an alien hybrid with her grandparents escaping Krypton just as it exploded and got sucked into a portal that led them to 27.She also ends up hosting Venom for a while and he's more scared of her than she is of him by the end.Clark acts as a fatherly mentor to her and even gives her and Sally(once she enters the picture)their own kryptonian names as 'Per-El' and 'Sal-El' but even before that,she makes her hero name 'Hydro' and dons the Superfam emblem on her costume and it's white with the rest of her costume being black and blue and it has a hood and a lower face mask like Stephanie's

Jason develops werewolf-esque spiderperson powers thanks to extensive exposure of Miles' spider dna to his Lazarus Pit dna making him mutate.He was pissed about it at first,especially with Percy's teasing and felt bad about Miles' distressed guilt but learned to control his new abilities and used 'Batspider' as a codename and modeled his costume after Miles' but with his own twists like his Spider symbol being cracked('Jason,you look like fucking Emo Elmo' '.......How would anyone be able to tell i'm black in this,Percy?????' 'Same way they do me and Miles.It's about the vibes').He's also a 'Greek Gadgeteer' aka he worked his ass off to be an expert on and collector of greek mythos items

Miles is found siblings with Percy and Jason.Percy and Jason however are a romantic couple-Yeah idc how much everybody hates this ship anymore,Jaypercy is REAL.Reluctant allies/frenemies to best friends to lovers and Miles threw them a little fake wedding when they got together after a loooong amount of pining and relathionship development

Team Mom Percy so true.She does her best to make sure they all eat good,sleep well,don't go out on missions with too bad of injuries,keep up their training and are reassured they're loved.Miles and Jason gladly return the favor(though Jason's more subtle about it)

Percy and Jason=Miles hype and defense squad

Percy enourages Miles to embrace his inner kid and eventually tells him one of the reason's for it is her own extremely lonely childhood that she dosen't wanna see him go through.That was the first time she'd been his first shoulder to cry on and they were closer than ever afterwards.He appreciated it a lot because he was getting at the age where it's considered innapropriate to act the way he does because it's 'childish' and it was upsetting him

Jason teaches Miles to chanel his anger in useful ways and to fight back instead of playing The Nice Normal GuyTM and Miles helps Jason be a better person just by existing and being his best friend and pseudo-little brother

Jason regularly uses Miles' head as an arm rest and has an arm slung around Percy's shoulder,both as affection but the latter also for protective reasons

Their nicknames for eachother are 'Girasolito' and 'Jaybat'(Percy),'Little Man' and 'Bluey'(Jason)and 'Campanilla' and 'Big Guy'(Miles)

They all have big white blob eyes in their costumes,including Jason with his helmet!!!Also,in superhero dimensions,masks and helmets and equivalents move with the wearers expression('H-How is your-' 'It's a superhero thing' '*Jason points in confirmation*')

They diy'd matching tops that say 'White Streak Gang'(Miles' is a sleeveless hoodie,Percy's is a crop top and Jason's is a baggy t-shirt)

They dubbed themselves 'The Anomalies' in-universe as reclamation against the ones who'd hurt them

CHAOTIC ASF EVEN OFF DUTY.Dairy Super trips at odd hours,saying the weirdest shit because they're just that open with eachother,fucking around with their powers and even more!!Their love language is being sweet freaks together

Misc stuff because most of my brainrot is of them but TA has existed for almost a year so the rest of the gang does get something too!!

They have a B-Team:The Abnormals,Peni,Hazel and Duke!!Duke is 15 and Robin as Bruce's adoptive son,Hazel got bitten by an interdimensional spider like Miles did and so she's Earth 27 Spiderwoman and nicknamed 'Pinkspider' who agreed to join Spider Society to find Percy and Peni is fresh out of her Canon Event when they meet at it and closer to her comics version.Duke ends up in Spider Society while dealing with Cironielian Chrysalis Eater who teleports him to it and that's how The Abnormals began as he knocked over Peni and Hazel trying to disentangle himself from goop the second Hazel realized she's a lesbian and has a crush on Peni.They become a super middle school friend group(despite being high school age LMAO)and do hero work together too,Duke is a reality warper,Peni is a cyborg with new body parts to replace the ones lost in Spidergeddon and Hazel's Spiderpowers are really horror based to match her macabe self.Penzel dosen't get together until they're both adults with their current dynamic a very chaste one

Stephanie becomes a mermaid shifter by Amphirite turning into one at her wish and her Atlantian-adjacent name is Stefano and she instantly hit it off with Percy,Gwen changes her name to 'Songspider' post-saving herself from 'Gwen Stacy always dies',Miles G retires from direct vigilantehood out of trauma to become their Guy In The Chair under 'Orpheus',Hobie mutates into having a supersonic voice by being with Percy all the time in her Venom days and dubs himself 'Punk Canary' the same way Jason did with Miles(including being like a big sister and her little brother)and Batspider,Thalia gains Speedster powers and names herself 'Shockstrike' as she pseudo-joins the Flashfam,Nico dosen't gain new powers but joins in as 'The Ghost Cape' because he wants to be with his sisters(meant to type 'The Ghost King' and came up with an actual legit moniker for him finally)and Jason is injected with the Wolverine X-gene and his codename is 'Wolv'.Gwen's half afro-dominican on her mom's side,Stephanie is jamaican-south korean,Nico is black monoracial and Beryl Grace was a snowbunny /hj

Technically there's also a C-Team but i'd only call it that because Cass is on it since she wants no connections to Jason and it's her-A Hades 27 legacy,Thalia,Nico and Hobie and they call themselves 'The Analogues'.I keep thinking Gwen should be a main Anomalies member but i love the Miles Percy Jason Trinity too much to add anyone else so her and the above gang are filed under Honorary Anomalies!!

Yara is Percy's soul sister and drops into the plot very often both seriously and just to hang

Aaaaaand Tim x Miles x Hobie is a thing!!!I can't stand Tim/Hobie for no reason so it's a vee relathionship!Tim is black/white mixed because i don't wanna insert a white boy into Punkflower and Timiles is a Zing Moment a la Hotel Transylvania and their following relathionship is just as goofy as that description

[0lympian-c0uncil]

*walks past your room*

blah blah blah--what if Poseidon subconsciously changed its form to be more feminine when enraged because the Sea's Rage is seen as a Feminine Being by fishermen and those dealing with ships--blah, blah, blah--what if Demeter subconsciously changed her form to be more masculine & bulky-muscular when enraged because that is what the stereotype of being powerful is and she doesn't give a fucking damn at the moment of promoting 'feminism' because she just wants to kill this ignorant man and who the fuck cares about feminism when there are ignorant bigots around. If it gets the job done, it gets the job done--blah, blah, blah

*keeps walking past your room & into the distance*

(Middle children & their weird-ass concepts of gender *shakes head* can't bring them anywhere

[But like. Seriously. I doubt Demeter would care about her gender or appearance. She's got enough stuff on her plate without eradicating the patriarchy, like making sure the mortals she likes don't end up killing themselves in their own stupidity and that Desponia eats her vegetables instead of feeding them to Arion. Besides, she's got Hera and Persephone to do all that stuff. And Hestia, and Artemis, and Aphrodite, and Athena, and all the other goddesses of the pantheon. Food doesn't have a gender, and neither does shelter or a place to come home to. As long as it gets the job done, her form will be however it may be.

And Poseidon... Poseidon's Poseidon. We all know that dude's a little fruity, inside and out /hj])

I love gender fucked big six theory's so much.

Poseidon having quality's that are seen as both male and female is such a cool concept in so many ways. And I feel like it would be the same for Amphtrite.

They are girlboss x malewife

And with Demeter I Hc her hard as gender fluid. She kinda just does and looks however she wants regardless of the fact that she is a goddess and that other gods think she should act more like a woman.... I'm sure.

I have a lot more theory's but I can't put them into words on a page

[hecates-corner]

more Aphrodite and her mortal lover por favor? *hopeful eyes*

Of COURSE! Me encanta escribir esta historia.

How about a nice little POV switch, hm?

She is as lovely the poets paint her. As the bards sing her to be.

My lady is warm as sun-blessed honey, swift-running and golden as the very voice she beholds. Even in her mortal form, the very one that drew me in like a frail moth to a flickering flame, her eyes shine blue as the cresting sea: now light, and now dark. The bubbles of the tide are painted into the hue, white flecks that could very well be misplaced stars in the sky of broad daylight.

Her olive skin glints like bronze, the corn color of her hair flowing down it as a stream tumbles down gentle rocks of a cliff. Her hands, small and smooth, with lightly visible veins, twist and fly through the air as we dance with one another. The rosy dawn cannot hold a candle to the flush on her high cheeks, as plush and pink as the roses that grow where I would come to lay.

We run, through a field of rustling grain, wind whistling as it blows through each strand. The bright sky begins to rumble, a horde of swelling clouds growing dark, moving in towards us. We know of the drops, of the cold tears that will fall when those cotton clumps swarm our once-vast, shrinking skies.

She turns, enough to tilt her teasing form towards me, and extends a hand. It curls out, her graceful wrist like the neck of a sweet swan, bending just so to lay her paled palm flat. An invitation.

When I take it, she laughs, laughs, and it is of falling feathers, snow white and soft. It is the unfurling petals of a waking blossom, and the scent of apples in the breeze. She is perfect, though I did not think a word to exist.

My Aphrodite guides me, out bare feet leaping and landing upon soft earth, the soil that will soon be damp with water from the domain of my love's familiar, lord of cloud. Was he chasing us, pursuing us then? I could not say, for I thought of no one but her. Though I did not think so. We were small and unimportant to such a great gaze, especially then. To us, the world was not ours, nor were we owned. We simply were.

She led me gently over a hollow log, dark and soft with impending rot, and we were there.

Together we tumbled backwards, as she tugged me into her embrace and we landed upon the spongey moss that cushioned our fall. I laughed, then, louder than before. Giggles that shook us both, holding fast and clutching one another gently, for we knew neither of us would escape.

Mortals fear gods will come to them in forms of doves, of oxen or bulls, in showers of light. Some fear gods will leave them the same ways. I did not feel weary of either. My dearest was many things, but I knew her, for how little we had been acquainted.

The skies rumbled again, vibrating deep within the earth. The sound of the rain began to approach earshot, incessant white noise of the showering pull. It smelled of rain.

A fig tree loomed over us, shielding the remaining sun and the imminent rain from our skins, and casting the gentle comfort of its matronly power over us.

I pressed my face into her neck, her soft locks like myrtles crushed beneath my cheek. She let me nuzzle my nose into the underside of her jaw, feeling out the sweet concavity of the bone. I kissed the space there, where tongue tissue connected with the muscle inside of her mouth.

She hummed, contentedly. "My dear," she spoke, so smoothly and with such ease that it would have brought tears to my eyes at the loveliness. "If we do not return to your home soon, we will be caught in the haze of the storm."

I chuckled. "You do not think I hope for such?"

She was quiet, but even I could feel the grin spread on her lips. She need not say a word, just the buzz of the laugh in her throat was enough for me.

The clouds consumed the sky, and drops dripped from their vastness, dropping down and rolling like sips of water down thirsty throats. The chilly tears landed sweetly upon us, one by one, dissonantly. I tipped my chin up to watch her blink a drop from her dark lashes.

"Do you truly look like this?" I asked.

She was curious. Not surprised, simply curious.

"The way you see me?" She closed her eyes, in place of where a head shake would be. "No."

"No?"

She laughed, a songbird's throaty call. "I appear differently to every mortal. But I know how they see me." Aphrodite cast me a knowing glance. "Blonde, and blue eyed? That is your peak of beauty?"

I flushed. "Like the ocean, and the sand over which it drapes."

She snorted. "Like the children of Zeus."

My hand flew up and swatted her shoulder gently, her body rocking harder with larger giggles. "Oh, please, my lady. Do not scorn me."

"I do not, love." My Aphrodite laughed. "I simply wonder what beauty is to you."

"You are beauty to me," I replied, much too quickly to have been untrue. "In whatever form you may take."

She paused, but there was no word to speak, no comment to mutter. She simply was, and so I was, too. Silence enveloped us, the comfortable and easy quiet that cupped us so gently.

At last, she spoke.

"I do have a true form." Aphrodite said.

I waited. "You do?"

"Yes." She spoke, simply.

Perhaps I could have said a million things: show me, or what shape does your hair hold? Or asked if she even had hair.

But I did not. I did not say any of those, or anything close.

"Good." I said, because it was the only thing I needed to say.

[thewidowsghost]

Seeing the Beauty (Piper McLean x Fem!Jackson!Reader) - Chapter 14

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Piper dreams she's back in Medea's department store. "Please let this be a dream," she mutters, "and not my eternal punishment."

"No, dear," says a woman's honey-sweet voice. "No punishment."

Piper turns, afraid she'd see Medea, but a different woman stands next to her, browsing through the fifty-percent-off rack.

The woman is gorgeous — shoulder-length hair, a graceful neck, perfect features, and an amazing figure tucked into jeans and a snowy white top.

Piper had seen her share of actresses — most of her dad's dates were knockout beautiful — but this lady is different. She's elegant without trying, fashionable without effort, stunning without makeup. After seeing Aeolus with his silly face-lifts and cosmetics, Piper thinks this woman looked even more astonishing. There's nothing artificial about her.

As Piper watches, the woman's appearance changes. Piper can't decide the color of her eyes, or the exact color of her hair. The woman becomes more and more beautiful, as if her image is aligning itself to Piper's thoughts — getting as close as possible to Piper's ideal of beauty.

"Aphrodite," Piper says. "Mom?"

The goddess smiles. "You're only dreaming, my sweet. If anyone wonders, I wasn't here. Okay?"

"I —" Piper wants to ask a thousand questions, but they all crowd together in her head.

Aphrodite holds up a turquoise dress. Piper thinks it looked awesome, but the goddess makes a face. "This isn't my color, is it? Pity, it's cute. Medea really does have some lovely things here."

"This — this building exploded," Piper stammers. "I saw it."

"Yes," Aphrodite agreed. "I suppose that's why everything's on sale. Just a memory, now." The goddess gestures around the department store. "You have other trials to face, my sweet. Medea will be back, along with many other enemies. The Doors of Death have opened."

"What do you mean?"

Aphrodite winks at her. "You're a smart one, Piper. You know."

A cold feeling settles over her. "The sleeping woman, the one Medea and Midas called their patron. She's managed to open a new entrance from the Underworld. She's letting the dead escape back into the world."

"Mmm. And not just any dead. The worst, the most powerful, the ones most likely to hate the gods."

"The monsters are coming back from Tartarus the same way," Piper guesses. "That's why they don't stay disintegrated."

"Yes, their patron, as you call her, has a special relationship with Tartarus, the spirit of the pit." Aphrodite holds up a gold sequined top. "No . . . this would make me look ridiculous."

Piper laughs uneasily. "You? You can't look anything but perfect."

"You're sweet," Aphrodite says. "But beauty is about finding the right fit, the most natural fit. To be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself — avoid trying to be something you're not. For a goddess, that's especially hard. We can change so easily."

"My dad thought you were perfect." Piper's voice quavers. "He never got over you."

Aphrodite's gaze becomes distant. "Yes . . . Tristan. Oh, he was amazing. So gentle and kind, funny and handsome. Yet he had so much sadness inside."

"Could we please not talk about him in the past tense?"

"I'm sorry, dear. I didn't want to leave your father, of course. It's always so hard, but it was for the best. If he had realized who I actually was —"

"Wait — he didn't know you were a goddess?"

"Of course not." Aphrodite sounds offended. "I wouldn't do that to him. For most mortals, that's simply too hard to accept. It can ruin their lives! Ask your friend Jason. His poor mother was destroyed when she found out she'd fallen in love with Zeus. No, it was much better Tristan believed that I was a mortal woman who left him without explanation. Better a bittersweet memory than an immortal, unattainable goddess. Which brings me to an important matter . . ." She opens her hand and shows Piper a glowing glass vial of pink liquid. "This is one of Medea's kinder mixtures. It erases only recent memories. When you save your father, if you can save him, you should give him this."

Piper can't believe what she was hearing. "You want me to dope my dad? You want me to make him forget what he's been through?"

Aphrodite holds up the vial. The liquid casts a pink glow over her face. "Your father acts confident, Piper, but he walks a fine line between two worlds. He's worked his whole life to deny the old stories about gods and spirits, yet he fears those stories might be real. He fears that he's shut off an important part of himself, and someday it will destroy him. Now he's been captured by a giant. He's living a nightmare. Even if he survives . . . if he has to spend the rest of his life with those memories, knowing that gods and spirits walk the earth, it will shatter him. That's what our enemy hopes for. She will break him, and thus break your spirit."

Piper wants to shout that Aphrodite was wrong. Her dad is the strongest person she knew. Piper would never take his memories the way Hera had taken (Y/n)'s.

But somehow she can't stay angry with Aphrodite. She remembers what her dad had said months ago, at the beach at Big Sur: If I really believed in Ghost Country, or animal spirits, or Greek gods . . . I don't think I could sleep at night. I'd always be looking for somebody to blame.

Now Piper wants someone to blame, too.

"Who is she?" Piper demands. "The one controlling the giants?"

Aphrodite purses her lips. She moves to the next rack, which holds battered armor and ripped togas, but Aphrodite looks through them as if they were designer outfits.

"You have a strong will," she muses. "I'm never given much credit among the gods. My children are laughed at. They're dismissed as conceited and shallow."

"Some of them are."

Aphrodite laughs. "Granted. Perhaps I'm conceited and shallow, too, sometimes. A girl has to indulge. Oh, this is nice." She picks up a burned and stained bronze breastplate and holds it up for Piper to see. "No?"

"No," Piper said. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"Patience, my sweet," the goddess says. "My point is that love is the most powerful motivator in the world. It spurs mortals to greatness. Their noblest, bravest acts are done for love."

Piper pulls out her dagger and studies its reflective blade. "Like Helen starting the Trojan War?"

"Ah, Katoptris." Aphrodite smiles. "I'm glad you found it. I get so much flack for that war, but honestly, Paris and Helen were a cute couple. And the heroes of that war are immortal now — at least in the memories of men. Love is powerful, Piper. It can bring even the gods to their knees. I told this to my son Aeneas when he escaped from Troy. He thought he had failed. He thought he was a loser! But he traveled to Italy —"

"And became the forebear of Rome."

"Exactly. You see, Piper, my children can be quite powerful. You can be quite powerful, because my lineage is unique. I am closer to the beginning of creation than any other Olympian."

Piper struggles to remember about Aphrodite's birth. "Didn't you . . . rise from the sea? Standing on a seashell?"

The goddess laughs. "That painter Botticelli had quite an imagination. I never stood on a seashell, thank you very much. But yes, I rose from the sea. The first beings to rise from Chaos were the Earth and Sky — Gaea and Ouranos. When their son, the Titan Kronos, killed Ouranos —"

"By chopping him to pieces with a scythe," Piper remembers.

Aphrodite wrinkles her nose. "Yes. The pieces of Ouranos fell into the sea. His immortal essence created seafoam. And from that foam —"

"You were born. I remember now. So you're —"

"The last child of Ouranos, who was greater than the gods or the Titans. So, in a strange way, I'm the eldest Olympian god. As I said, love is a powerful force. And you, my daughter, are much more than a pretty face. Which is why you already know who is waking the giants, and who has the power to open doors into the deepest parts of the earth." Aphrodite waits, as if she can sense Piper slowly putting together the pieces of a puzzle, which makes a dreadful picture.

"Gaea," Piper says. "The earth itself. That's our enemy."

She hopes Aphrodite would say no, but the goddess keeps her eyes on the rack of tattered armor. "She has slumbered for eons, but she is slowly waking. Even asleep, she is powerful, but once she wakes . . . we will be doomed. You must defeat the giants before that happens, and lull Gaea back into her slumber. Otherwise the rebellion has only begun. The dead will continue to rise. Monsters will regenerate with even greater speed. The giants will lay waste to the birthplace of the gods. And if they do that, all civilization will burn."

"But Gaea? Mother Earth?"

"Do not underestimate her," Aphrodite warns. "She is a cruel deity. She orchestrated Ouranos's death. She gave Kronos the sickle and urged him to kill his own father. While the Titans ruled the world, she slumbered in peace. But when the gods overthrew them, Gaea woke again in all her anger and gave birth to a new race — the giants — to destroy Olympus once and for all."

"And it's happening again," Piper says. "The rise of the giants."

Aphrodite nods. "Now you know. What will you do?"

"Me?" Piper clenches her fists. "What am I supposed to do? Put on a pretty dress and sweet-talk Gaea into going back to sleep?"

"I wish that would work," Aphrodite replies. "But no, you will have to find your own strengths, and fight for what you love. Like my favored ones, Helen and Paris. Like my son Aeneas."

"Helen and Paris died," Piper says.

"And Aeneas became a hero," the goddess counters. "The first great hero of Rome. The result will depend on you, Piper, but I will tell you this: The seven greatest demigods must be gathered to defeat the giants, and that effort will not succeed without you. When the two sides meet . . . you will be the mediator. You will determine whether there is friendship or bloodshed."

"What two sides?" Piper's vision begins to dim.

"You must wake soon, my child," says the goddess. "I do not always agree with Hera, but she's taken a bold risk, and I agree it must be done. Zeus has kept the two sides apart for too long. Only together will you have the power to save Olympus. Now, wake, and I hope you like the clothes I picked out."

"What clothes?" Piper demands, but the dream faded to black.

. . .

Piper wakes a table at a sidewalk café.

For a second, she thinks she's still dreaming. It's a sunny morning and the air is brisk but not unpleasant for sitting outside. At the other tables, a mix of bicyclists, business people, and college kids sit chatting and drinking coffee.

She can smell eucalyptus trees. Lots of foot traffic passes in front of quaint little shops. The street is lined with bottle-brush trees and blooming azaleas as though winter was a foreign concept.

In other words: they're in California.

Her friends sit in chairs around her — all of them with their hands calmly folded across their chests, dozing pleasantly. And they all have new clothes on. Piper looks down at her own outfit and gasps. "Mother!"

She yells louder than she meant. Jason flinches, bumping the table with his knees, and then all of them are awake.

"What?" Hedge demands. "Fight who? Where?"

"Falling!" Leo grabs the table. "No — not falling. Where are we?"

(Y/n) blinks, trying to get her bearings. She focuses on Piper and makes a little choking sound. "What are you wearing?"

Piper probably blushed. She's wearing the turquoise dress she'd seen in her dream, with black leggings and black leather boots. She had on her favorite silver charm bracelet, even though she'd left that back home in L.A., and her old snowboarding jacket from her dad, which amazingly goes with the outfit pretty well. She pulls out Katoptris, and judging from the reflection in the blade, she'd gotten her hair done, too.

"It's nothing," she says. "It's my —" She remembers Aphrodite's warning not to mention that they'd talked. "It's nothing."

Leo grins. "Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You're gonna be the best-dressed warrior in town, beauty queen."

"Hey, Leo." Jason nudges his arm. "You look at yourself recently?"

"What . . . oh."

All of them had been given a makeover. Leo was wearing pinstriped pants, black leather shoes, a white collarless shirt with suspenders, and his tool belt, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a porkpie hat.

"God, Leo." Piper tries not to laugh. "I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the tool belt."

"Hey, shut up!"

"I think he looks good," says Coach Hedge. "'Course, I look better."

The satyr is a pastel nightmare. Aphrodite had given him a baggy canary yellow zoot suit with two-tone shoes that fit over his hooves. He had a matching yellow broad-brimmed hat, a rose-colored shirt, a baby blue tie, and a blue carnation in his lapel, which Hedge sniffs and then eats.

Jason is wearing a baby blue collared, short sleeved dress shirt, tucked into khaki slacks, a pair of black dress shoes, and a navy blue tie.

"Well," (Y/n) says, "at least your mom overlooked me."

Piper knows that isn't exactly true. Looking at her, Piper's heart does a little tap dance. (Y/n) is dressed simply in black skinny jeans, a clean sea-green t-shirt, a black leather jacket. She has new track shoes on, her hair is newly trimmed, and she is wearing her bead necklace – four beads for four completed summers at camp, and on the necklace, is two wedding rings and Piper wonders if they're hers, or her parents. (Y/n)'s eyes are the same color as the sea in the distance. Aphrodite's message is clear: This one needs no improvement.

And Piper agrees.

"Anyway," she says uncomfortably, "how did we get here?"

"Oh, that would be Mellie," Hedge says, chewing happily on his carnation. "Those winds shot us halfway across the country, I'd guess. We would've been smashed flat on impact, but Mellie's last gift — a nice soft breeze — cushioned our fall."

"And she got fired for us," Leo says. "Man, we suck."

"Ah, she'll be fine," Hedge replies. "Besides, she couldn't help herself. I've got that effect on nymphs. I'll send her a message when we're through with this quest and help her figure something out. That is one aura I could settle down with and raise a herd of baby goats."

"I'm going to be sick," Piper fake gags. "Anyone else want coffee?"

"Coffee!" Hedge's grin was stained blue from the flower. "I love coffee!"

"Urn," Jason said, "but — money? Our packs?"

Piper looks down. Their packs are at their feet, and everything seems to still be there. She reaches into her coat pocket and feels two things she hadn't expected. One is a wad of cash. The other is a glass vial — the amnesia potion. She leaves the vial in her pocket and brings out the money.

Leo whistles. "Allowance? Piper, your mom rocks!"

"Waitress!" Hedge calls. "Six double espressos, and whatever these guys want. Put it on the girl's tab."

It doesn't take them long to figure out where they are. The menus say "Café Verve, Walnut Creek, CA." And according to the waitress, it is 9 a.m. on December 21, the winter solstice, which gives them three hours until Enceladus's deadline.

They don't have to wonder where Mount Diablo is, either. They can see it on the horizon, right at the end of the street. After the Rockies, Mount Diablo doesn't look very large, nor is it covered in snow. It seems downright peaceful, its golden creases marbled with gray-green trees. But size is deceptive with mountains, Piper knows. It's probably much bigger up close. And appearances are deceptive too. Here they are — back in California — supposedly her home — with sunny skies, mild weather, laid-back people, and a plate of chocolate chip scones with coffee. And only a few miles away, somewhere on that peaceful mountain, a super powerful, super-evil giant is about to have her father for lunch.

Leo pulls something out of his pocket — the old crayon drawing Aeolus had given him. Aphrodite must've thought it was important if she'd magically transferred it to his new outfit.

"What is that?" Piper asks.

Leo folds it up gingerly again and puts it away. "Nothing. You don't want to see my kindergarten artwork."

"It's more than that," Jason guesses. "Aeolus said it was the key to our success."

Leo shakes his head. "Not today. He was talking about . . . later."

"How can you be sure?" Piper asks.

"Trust me," Leo says. "Now — what's our game plan?"

Coach Hedge belches. He'd already had three espressos and a plate of doughnuts, along with two napkins and another flower from the vase on the table. He would've eaten the silverware, except Piper had slapped his hand.

"Climb the mountain," Hedge says. "Kill everything except Piper's dad. Leave."

"Thank you, General Eisenhower," Jason grumbles.

"Hey, I'm just saying!"

"Guys," Piper says. "There's more you need to know."

It's tricky, because she can't mention her mom; but she tells them she'd figured some things out in her dreams. She tells them about their real enemy: Gaea.

"Gaea?" Leo shakes his head. "Isn't that Mother Nature? She's supposed to have, like, flowers in her hair and birds singing around her and deer and rabbits doing her laundry."

"Leo, that's Snow White," Piper looks amused.

"Okay, but —"

"Listen, cupcake." Coach Hedge dabs the espresso out of his goatee. "Piper's telling us some serious stuff, here. Gaea's no softie. I'm not even sure I could take her."

Leo whistles. "Really?"

Hedge nods. "This earth lady – she and her old man the sky were nasty customers."

"Ouranos," Piper says. She can't help looking up at the blue sky, wondering if it has eyes.

"Right," Hedge says. "So Ouranos, he's not the best dad. He throws their first kids, the Cyclopes, into Tartarus. That makes Gaea mad, but she bides her time. Then they have another set of kids — the twelve Titans — and Gaea is afraid they'll get thrown into prison too. So she goes up to her son Kronos —"

"The big bad dude," Leo said. "The one they defeated last summer."

(Y/n) lets out an annoyed grumble, and Piper wonders if she'd remembered anything else – Piper makes a mental note to ask her about it later. Well, Piper's brain betrays her, if we live long enough for me to ask.

"Right. And Gaea's the one who gives him the scythe, and tells him, 'Hey, why don't I call your dad down here? And while he's talking to me, distracted, you can cut him to pieces. Then you can take over the world. Wouldn't that be great?"'

Nobody says anything. Piper's chocolate chip scone doesn't look so appetizing anymore. Even though she'd heard the story before, she still can't quite get her mind around it. She tries to imagine a kid so messed up, he would kill his own dad just for power. Then she imagines a mom so messed up, she would convince her son to do it.

"Definitely not Snow White," she decides.

"Nah, Kronos was a bad guy," Hedge agrees. "But Gaea is literally the mother of all bad guys. She's so old and powerful, so huge, that it's hard for her to be fully conscious. Most of the time, she sleeps, and that's the way we like her — snoring.''

"But she talked to me," Leo says. "How can she be asleep?"

Gleeson brushes crumbs off his canary yellow lapel. He's on his sixth espresso now, and his pupils are as big as quarters. "Even in her sleep, part of her consciousness is active — dreaming, keeping watch, doing little things like causing volcanoes to explode and monsters to rise. Even now, she's not fully awake. Believe me, you don't want to see her fully awake."

"But she's getting more powerful," Piper adds. "She's causing the giants to rise. And if their king comes back—this guy Porphyrion —"

"He'll raise an army to destroy the gods," Jason puts in. "Starting with Hera. It'll be another war. And Gaea will wake up fully."

Gleeson nods. "Which is why it's a good idea for us to stay off the ground as much as possible."

Leo looks warily at Mount Diablo. "So . . . climbing a mountain. That would be bad."

Piper's heart sinks. First, she'd been asked to betray her friends. Now they are trying to help her rescue her dad even though they know they are walking into a trap. The idea of fighting a giant had been scary enough. But the idea that Gaea is behind it — a force more powerful than a god or Titan . . .

"Guys, I can't ask you to do this," Piper says. "This is too dangerous."

"You kidding?" Gleeson belches and shows them his blue carnation smile. "Who's ready to beat stuff up?"

. . .

Leo had hoped the taxi could get them all the way to the top.

No such luck. The cab makes lurching, grinding sounds as it climbs the mountain road, and halfway up they find the ranger's station closed, a chain blocking the way.

"Far as I can go," the cabbie says. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back, and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you."

"We're sure." Leo is the first one out. He has a bad feeling about what is wrong with the cab, and when he looks down he sees he was right. The wheels are sinking into the road like it is made of quicksand. Not fast — just enough to make the driver think he had a transmission problem or a bad axle — but Leo knows different.

The road is hard-packed dirt. No reason at all it should have been soft, but already Leo's shoes are starting to sink. Gaea is messing with them.

While his friends get out, Leo pays the cabbie. He's generous — heck, why not? It was Aphrodite's money. Plus, he has a feeling he might never be coming off this mountain.

"Keep the change," he says. "And get out of here. Quick."

The driver doesn't argue. Soon all they can see is his dust trail.

The view from the mountain is pretty amazing. The whole inland valley around Mount Diablo is a patchwork of towns — grids of tree-lined streets and nice middle-class suburbs, shops, and schools. All these normal people living normal lives—the kind Leo had never known.

"That's Concord," Jason says, pointing to the north. "Walnut Creek below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way . . ."

He points west, where a ridge of golden hills holds back a layer of fog, like the rim of a bowl. "That's the Berkeley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Francisco."

"Jason?" Piper looks at the son of Zeus. "You remember something? You've been here?"

"Yes . . . no." He gave her an anguished look. "It just seems important."

"That's Titan land." Coach Hedge nods towards the west. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco as we want to get."

But Jason looks towards the foggy basin with such longing that Leo feels uneasy. Why did Jason seem so connected with that place — a place Hedge said was evil, full of bad magic and old enemies? What if Jason came from here? Everybody kept hinting Jason is an enemy, that his arrival at Camp Half-Blood was a dangerous mistake.

No, Leo thinks. Ridiculous. Jason was their friend.

Leo tries to move his foot, but his heels are now completely embedded in the dirt. "Hey, guys," he says. "Let's keep moving."

The others notice the problem.

"Gaea is stronger here," Hedge grumbles. He pops his hooves free from his shoes, then hands the shoes to Leo. "Keep those for me, Valdez. They're nice."

Leo snorts. "Yes, Coach. Would you like them polished?"

"That's varsity thinking, Valdez." Hedge nods approvingly. "But first, we'd better hike up this mountain while we still can."

"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asks.

(Y/n) points towards the peak. Drifting across the summit is a plume of smoke. From a distance, Leo had thought it was a cloud, but it wasn't. Something is burning.

"Smoke equals fire," Jason agrees. "We'd better hurry."

The Wilderness School had taken Leo on several forced marches. He thought he was in good shape. But climbing a mountain when the earth is trying to swallow his feet is like jogging on a flypaper treadmill.

In no time, Leo had rolled up the sleeves on his collarless shirt, even though the wind is cold and sharp. He wishes Aphrodite had given him walking shorts and some more comfortable shoes, but he is grateful for the Ray-Bans that keep the sun out of his eyes. He slips his hands into his tool belt and starts summoning supplies — gears, a tiny wrench, some strips of bronze. As he walks, he builds — not really thinking about it, just fiddling with pieces.

By the time they near the crest of the mountain, Leo is the most fashionably dressed sweaty, dirty hero ever. His hands are covered in machine grease.

The little object he'd made is like a windup toy — the kind that rattles and walks across a coffee table. He isn't sure what it could do, but he slips it into his tool belt.

He misses his army coat with all its pockets. Even more than that, he misses Festus. He could use a fire-breathing bronze dragon right now. But Leo knows Festus would not be coming back — at least, not in his old form.

Finally Jason crouches behind a wall of rock. He gestures for the others to do the same. Leo crawls up next to him. Piper has to pull Coach Hedge down.

"I don't want to get my outfit dirty!" Hedge complains.

"Shh!" Piper says.

Reluctantly, the satyr kneels.

Just over the ridge where they are hiding, in the shadow of the mountain's final crest, is a forested depression about the size of a football field, where the giant Enceladus had set up camp.

Trees had been cut down to make a towering purple bonfire. The outer rim of the clearing is littered with extra logs and construction equipment — an earthmover; a big crane thing with rotating blades at the end like an electric shaver — must be a tree harvester, Leo thinks — and a long metal column with an ax blade, like a sideways guillotine — a hydraulic ax. A lake sits about fifty feet to the right of the bonfire.

Why a giant needs construction equipment, Leo isn't sure. He doesn't see how the creature in front of him could even fit in the driver's seat. The giant Enceladus is so large, so horrible, Leo doesn't want to look at him.

But he forces himself to focus on the monster.

To start with, he is thirty feet tall — easily as tall as the treetops. Leo is sure the giant could've seen them behind their ridge, but he seems intent on the weird purple bonfire, circling it and chanting under his breath. From the waist up, the giant appears humanoid, his muscular chest clad in bronze armor, decorated with flame designs. His arms are completely ripped. Each of his biceps are bigger than Leo. His skin is bronze but sooty with ash. His face is crudely shaped, like a half-finished clay figure, but his eyes glow white, and his hair is matted in shaggy dreadlocks down to his shoulders, braided with bones.

From the waist down, he is even more terrifying. His legs are scaly green, with claws instead of feet — like the forelegs of a dragon. In his hand, Enceladus hold a spear the size of a flagpole. Every so often he dips its tip in the fire, turning the metal molten red.

"Okay," Coach Hedge whispers. "Here's the plan —"

Leo elbows him. "You're not charging him alone!"

"Aw, c'mon."

Piper chokes back a sob. "Look." Just visible on the other side of the bonfire is a man tied to a post. His head slumped like he was unconscious, so (Y/n) couldn't make out his face, but Piper doesn't seem to have any doubts. "Dad," she says.

Leo swallows. He wishes this was a Tristan McLean movie. Then Piper's dad would be faking unconsciousness. He'd untie his bonds and knock out the giant with some cleverly hidden anti-giant gas. Heroic music would start to play, and Tristan McLean would make his amazing escape, running away in slow motion while the mountainside exploded behind him.

But this wasn't a movie. Tristan McLean is half dead and about to be eaten. The only people who can stop it — four fashionably dressed teenaged demigods and a megalomaniac goat.

"There's four of us," Hedge whispers urgently. "And only one of him."

"Did you miss the fact that he's thirty feet tall?" Leo asks.

"Okay," Hedge asks. "So you, me, (Y/n), and Jason distract him. Piper sneaks around and frees her dad."

They all look at Jason.

"What?" Jason asks. "I'm not the leader."

"Yes," Piper replies. "you are."

They'd never really talked about it, but no one disagrees, not even Hedge, and not (Y/n), who could've pulled the 'I've been at camp longer' card or the 'I was offered immortality by the gods' card. Coming this far had been a team effort, but when it comes to a life-and-death decision, Leo knew Jason is the one to ask. Even if he has no memory, Jason has a kind of balance to him. He can just tell Jason been in battles before, and he knows how to keep his cool. Leo wasn't exactly the trusting type, but he trusts Jason with his life.

"I hate to say it," Jason sighs, "but Coach Hedge is right. A distraction is Piper's best chance."

Not a good chance, Leo thought. Not even a survivable chance. Just their best chance.

They can't sit there all day and talk about it, though. It has to be close to noon — the giant's deadline — and the ground is still trying to pull them down. Leo's knees had already sunk two inches into the dirt.

Leo looks at the construction equipment and gets a crazy idea. He brings out the little toy he'd made on the climb, and he realizes what it can do — if he's lucky, which he almost never is. "Let's boogie," he says. "Before I come to my senses."

. . .

Piper scrambles along the ridge, trying to keep her head down, while Leo, Jason, (Y/n), and Coach Hedge walk straight into the clearing.

(Y/n) and Jason summon their magic weapons – Jason's coming up as a lance. (Y/n) brandishes her sword over her head and yells, "Giant!" which sounds pretty good and a lot more confident than Leo could've managed. He is thinking more along the lines of "We are pathetic ants! Don't kill us!"

Enceladus stops chanting at the flames. He turns towards them and grins, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's.

"Well," the giant rumbles, "What a nice surprise."

(Y/n) doesn't like the sound of that; Leo's hand closes on his windup gadget. He steps sideways, edging his way towards the bulldozer.

Coach Hedge shouts. "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up you –"

"Coach," Jason deadpans. "Shut up."

Enceladus roars with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowns at Leo. "I don't think that was a compliment."

Enceladus opens his mouth wide, and his teeth begin to glow.

"Scatter!" Leo yells.

Jason, (Y/n), and Hedge dive to the left as the giant blows fire — a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous. Leo dodges behind the bulldozer, winds up his homemade device, and drops it into the driver's seat. Then he runs to the right, heading for the tree harvester.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Jason and (Y/n) rise in unison and charge the giant. Coach Hedge rips off his canary yellow jacket, which is now on fire, and bleats angrily. "I liked that outfit!" Then he raises his club and charges, too.

Before they can get very far, Enceladus slams his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shakes.

The shockwave sends Leo sprawling. He blinks, momentarily stunned. Through a haze of grassfire and bitter smoke, he sees (Y/n) and Jason staggering to their feet on the other side of the clearing. Coach Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head on a log. His furry hindquarters sticking straight up, with his canary yellow pants around his knees — a view Leo really doesn't need.

The giant bellows, "I see you, Piper McLean!" He turns and blows fire at a line of bushes to Leo's right. Piper runs into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her.

Enceladus laughs. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"

Leo's gut twists. This is the moment Piper had warned them about. They'd played right into Enceladus's hands.

The giant must've read Leo's expression, because he laughs even louder. "That's right, son of Hephaestus. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?"

Leo can see Piper's dad more clearly now. He wears a ragged dress shirt and torn slacks. His bare feet are caked with mud. He isn't completely unconscious, because he lifts his head and groans — yep, Tristan McLean all right. Leo had seen that face in enough movies. But he has a nasty cut down the side of his face, and he looks thin and sickly — not heroic at all.

"Dad!" Piper yells.

Mr. McLean blinks, trying to focus. "Pipes . . .? Where . . ."

Piper dares her dagger and faces Enceladus. "Let him go!"

"Of course, dear," the giant rumbles. "Swear your loyalty to me, and we have no problem. Only these others must die."

Piper looks back and forth between Leo and her dad.

"He'll kill you," Leo warns. "Don't trust him!"

"Oh, come now," Enceladus bellows. "You know I was born to fight Athena herself? Mother Gaea made each of us giants with a specific purpose, designed to fight and destroy a particular god. I was Athena's nemesis, the anti-Athena, you might say. Compared to some of my brethren – I am small! But I am clever. And I keep my bargain with you, Piper McLean. It's part of my plan!"

(Y/n) is on her feet now, sword ready; but before she can act, Enceladus roars — a call so loud it echoes down the valley and is probably heard all the way to San Francisco.

At the edge of the woods, half a dozen ogre-like creatures rise up. Leo realizes with nauseating certainty that they hadn't simply been hiding there. They'd risen straight out of the earth.

The ogres shuffle forward. They are small compared to Enceladus, about seven feet tall. Each one of them has six arms — one pair in the regular spot, then an extra pair sprouting out the top of their shoulders, and another set shooting from the sides of their rib cages. They wear only ragged leather loincloths, and even across the clearing, Leo can smell them. Six guys who never bathe, with six armpits each. Leo decides if he survives this day, he'd have to take a three-hour shower just to forget the stench.

"What the hell are those?" (Y/n) asks.

Piper's blade reflects the purple light of the bonfire. "Gegenees."

"In English?" Leo questions.

"The Earthborn," Piper replies. "Six-armed giants who fought Jason — the first Jason."

"Very good, my dear!" Enceladus sounds delighted. "They used to live on a miserable place in Greece called Bear Mountain. Mount Diablo is much nicer! They are lesser children of Mother Earth, but they serve their purpose. They're good with construction equipment —"

"Vroom, vroom!" one of the Earthborn bellows, and the others take up the chant, each moving his six hands as though driving a car, as if it were some kind of weird religious ritual. "Vroom, vroom!"

"Yes, thank you, boys," Enceladus says. "They also have a score to settle with heroes. Especially anyone named Jason."

"Yay-son!" the Earthborn screams. They all pick up clumps of earth, which solidify in their hands, turning to nasty pointed stones. "Where Yay- son? Kill Yay-son!"

Enceladus smiles. "You see, Piper, you have a choice. Save your father, or ah, try to save your friends and face certain death."

Piper steps forward, her eyes blazing with such rage, even the Earthborn back away. She radiates power and beauty, but it has nothing to do with her clothes or makeup. "You will not take the people I love," she says. "None of them." Her words ripple across the clearing with such force, the Earthborn mutter, "Okay, okay, sorry," and begin to retreat.

"Stand your ground, fools!" Enceladus bellows. He snarls at Piper. "This is why we wanted you alive, my dear. You could have been so useful to us. But as you wish. Earthborn! I will show you Jason."

Leo's heart sinks, but the giant doesn't point to Jason. He points to the other side of the bonfire, where Tristan McLean hangs helpless and half-conscious.

"There is Jason," Enceladus says with pleasure. "Tear him apart!"

The biggest surprise: one look from Jason, and all four of them know the game plan. When had that happened, that they can read each other so well?

(Y/n) and Jason charge Enceladus, while Piper rushes towards her father, and Leo dashes for the tree harvester, which stood between Mr. McLean and the Earthborn.

(Y/n)'s instincts kick in, and her gut tells her she'd dueled opponents almost this big before. Size and strength equaled slowness, so (Y/n) just has to be quicker – pace herself, wear out her opponent, and avoid getting smashes or flame-broiled.

(Y/n) rolls away from the giant's first spear thrust and jabs Enceladus in the ankle. Jason's javelin manages to pierce the giant's hyde on the other ankle, and golden ichor – the blood of immortals – trickle down the giant's clawed feet.

Enceladus bellows in pain and blasts (Y/n) with fire. She scrambles away, rolling behind the giant, and strikes again behind his knee.

It goes on like that for seconds, minutes — it was hard to judge. (Y/n) hears combat across the clearing — construction equipment grinding, fire roaring, monsters shouting, and rocks smashing into metal. She hears Leo and Piper yelling defiantly, which meant they were still alive. (Y/n) tries not to think about it. She can't afford to get distracted.

Enceladus's spear misses her by a millimeter. (Y/n) keeps dodging, but the ground stuck to her feet. Gaea is getting stronger, and the giant is getting faster. Enceladus might be slow, but he isn't dumb. He begins anticipating (Y/n)'s and Jason's moves, and they're attacks are only annoying him, making him more enraged.

"I'm not some minor monster," Enceladus bellows. "I am a giant, born to destroy gods! You're little toothpick can't hurt me!"

Neither (Y/n) or Jason waste energy replying. Jason is already tired. The ground clings to his feet, making him feel like he weighed an extra hundred pounds. The air is full of smoke that burned his lungs. Fires roars around him, stoked by the winds, and the temperature is approaching the heat of an oven.

Jason raises his javelin to block the giant's next strike — a big mistake. Don't fight force with force, a voice chides him — the wolf Lupa, who'd told him that long ago. He manages to deflect the spear, but it grazes his shoulder, and his arm goes numb. He backs up, almost tripping over a burning log. He has to delay — to keep the giant's attention fixed on him while his friends deal with the Earthborn and rescue Piper's dad. He can't fail. He retreats, trying to lure the giant to the edge of the clearing. Enceladus can sense his weariness. The giant smiles, baring his fangs.

"The mighty Jason Grace," he taunts. "Yes, we know about you, son of Jupiter. The one who led the assault on Mount Othrys. The one who single-handedly slew the Titan Krios and toppled the black throne."

Jason's mind reels. He doesn't know these names, yet they makes his skin tingle, as if his body remembers the pain his mind doesn't.

"What are you talking about?" he asks. He realizes his mistake when Enceladus breathes fire.

Distracted, Jason moves too slowly. The blast misses him, but heat blisters his back. He slams into the ground, his clothes smoldering. He is blinded from ash and smoke, choking as he tries to breathe.

He scrambles back as the giant's spear cleaves the ground between his feet.

Jason manages to stand.

(Y/n) moves in front of Jason, and Jason can feel the power radiating off her.

"Ah, the sea god's brat!" Enceladus bellows.

"Piece of shit," (Y/n) replies, and she charges the giant on her own.

Jason can only watch, his body dragging with exhaustion, as (Y/n) advances on the giant.

A lake about fifty feet to (Y/n)'s right explodes, dousing the bonfire, and putting it out, making the clearing darker, and suddenly, Leo, Jason, and Piper feel a strength wash over them as water laps at their shoes.

(Y/n) dodges the first strike, and then stabs the giant in the kneecap, and then jumps off her sword, ripping it out of the giant's knee and scrambles up and stabs him in the ear.

Enceladus lets out a roar so loud, it distracts Piper from her dad. She stares at (Y/n) atop the giant's shoulder, watching as (Y/n) stabs her sword into his neck.

Jason takes a deep breath and charges.

Enceladus shakes (Y/n) off and she rolls, landing on her feet, though she staggers with the momentum.

Jason fakes a strike and rolls between the giant's legs. He comes up quickly, thrusting with all his might, ready to stab the giant in the small of his back, but Enceladus anticipates the trick. He steps aside with too much speed and agility for a giant, as if the earth is helping him move.

He sweeps his spear sideways, meets Jason's javelin – and with a snap like a shotgun blast, the golden weapon shatters.

The force knocks (Y/n) off her feet and squeezes the breath out of her chest.

When she regains her focus, she and Jason are sitting side by side at the rim of a crater. Enceladus stands at the other side, staggering and confused. The javelin's destruction had released so much energy, it had blasted a perfect cone-shaped pit thirty feet deep, fusing the dirt and rock into a slick glassy substance.

Neither Jason or (Y/n) are sure how they'd survived, but their clothes are steaming. Both demigods are out of energy, and Tsunami had skittered across the clearing at Leo's feet.

Both demigods try to get to their feet, but their legs are like lead. Enceladus blinks at the destruction and laughs, "Impressive! Unfortunately, those were your last tricks, demigods.

Enceladus leaps the crater in a single bound, planting his feet on either sides of the demigods. The giant raises his spear, its tip hovering six feet over (Y/n)'s chest.

"And now," Enceladus laughs, "my first sacrifices to Gaea!"

. . .

Time seems to slow down, which was really frustrating since (Y/n) still can't move. She feels herself sinking into the earth like the ground is a waterbed – comfortable, urging her to relax.

(Y/n) can't feel her arms. She can see the tip of the spear coming towards her chest in slow motion. She knows she should move, but she can't. Funny, she thinks. All that effort to stay alive, and then, boom. I'll just lie here helplessly while a fire-breathing giant impales me.

Leo's voice yells, "Heads up!"

A large black metal wedge slammed into Enceladus with a massive thunk! The giant toppled over and slid into the pit.

"Jason, (Y/n), get up!" Piper calls. Her voice energizes (Y/n), shaking her out of her stupor. She sits up, her head groggy, while Piper grabs her under his arms and hauls her to his feet. And then Leo grabs Jason.

"Don't die on me," Piper orders. "You are not dying on me."

"Yes, ma'am." (Y/n) feels light-headed, but Piper is about the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Her hair is smoldering, and her face is smudged with soot. She has a cut on her arm, her dress is torn, and she is missing a boot. Beautiful.

(Y/n) looks down in the crater and sees Enceladus struggling to rise, an ax blade the size of a washing machine stuck in his breastplate.

Amazingly, the giant manages to pull the ax blade free. He yells in pain and the mountain trembles. Golden ichor soaked the front of his armor, but Enceladus stands.

Shakily, he bends down and retrieves his spear.

"Good try." The giant winced. "But I cannot be beaten."

As they watch, the giant's armor mends itself, and the ichor stops flowing. Even the cuts on his dragon-scale legs, which Jason and (Y/n) had worked so hard to make, are now just pale scars.

Leo curses. "What is it with this guy? Die, already!"

"My fate is preordained," Enceladus says. "Giants cannot be killed by gods or heroes."

"Only by both," Jason says. The giant's smile falters, and Jason sees in his eyes something like fear. "It's true, isn't it? Gods and demigods have to work together to kill you."

"You will not live long enough to try!" The giant starts stumbling up the crater's slope, slipping on the glassy sides.

"Anyone have a god handy?" Leo asks.

Jason's heart fills with dread. He looks at the giant below them, struggling to get out of the pit, and he knows what has to happen. "Leo," he says, "if you've got a rope in that tool belt, get it ready." He leaps at the giant with no weapon but his bare hands.

"Enceladus!" Piper yells. "Look behind you!"

It's an obvious trick, but her voice is so compelling, even Jason buys it. The giant says, "What?" and turns like there is an enormous spider on his back.

Jason tackles his legs at just the right moment. The giant loses his balance. Enceladus slams into the crater and slides to the bottom. While he tries to rise, Jason puts his arms around the giant's neck. When Enceladus struggles to his feet, Jason is riding his shoulders.

"Get off!" Enceladus screams. He tries to grab Jason's legs, but Jason scrambles around, squirming and climbing over the giant's hair.

Father, Jason thought. If I've ever done anything good, anything you approved of, help me now I offer my own life — just save my friends.

Suddenly he can smell the metallic scent of a storm. Darkness swallows the sun. The giant freezes, sensing it too.

Jason says to his friends, "Hit the deck!"

And every hair on his head stands straight up.

Crack!

Lightning surges through Jason's body, straight through Enceladus, and into the ground. The giant's back stiffens, and Jason is thrown clear. When he regains his bearings, he is slipping down the side of the crater, and the crater is cracking open. The lightning bolt had split the mountain itself. The earth rumbles and tears apart, and Enceladus's legs slide into the chasm. He claws helplessly at the glassy sides of the pit, and just for a moment manages to hold on to the edge, his hands trembling.

He fixes Jason with a look of hatred. "You've won nothing, boy. My brothers are rising, and they are ten times as strong as I. We will destroy the gods at their roots! You will die, and Olympus will die with —"

The giant loses his grip and falls into the crevice.

The earth shakes. Jason falls toward the rift.

"Grab hold!" Leo yells.

Jason's feet are at the edge of the chasm when he grabs the rope, and Leo, (Y/n), and Piper pull him up.

They stand together, exhausted and terrified, as the chasm closes like an angry mouth. The ground stops pulling at their feet.

For now, Gaea is gone.

Word Count: 8931 words

[samieree]

Hi! So... I just finished an idea given by @manymaria111

Thank you and hope I understood you well and you'll enjoy this 💕

Heimdall x reader (Greek Goddess)

As a survivor of the Greek Pantheon, goddess of beauty and love, you've never had a problem of getting what you want. Ordinary mortals could even beg to be able to do something for you... After the fall of Olympus, when you managed to escape from there, you came to the lands of nine realms, where Odin noticed you. He decided he could use your beauty manipulation gift, and that's how you settled in Asgard... You never had any problems getting along with anyone, except for Heimdall, who stubbornly claimed that you were trying to manipulate everyone... Are you really that bad?

~

"You look lovely, you should tie your hair like this more often" you said, tying a dark ribbon just behind the bead at the end of Thrúd's braid. Immediately after, you put your hands on her shoulders and you both looked at your reflections in the mirror.

"They only look good when you comb them." replied the girl, examining herself more closely.

"Nonsense, you're beautiful all by yourself." you smiled as you stood in front of her. "I have no doubt that you'll be the most beautiful of Valkyries."

"Lies." you heard from the corridor. You looked through the open door and of course that comment was made by no one else than Heimdall.

"No one asked for your opinion." You said, giving him an appraising look.

"Oh yeah, I forgot... Keep hammering that nonsense into her head. After all, manipulating others is your passion, Aphrodite."

"I have a real name." you barked back.

You hated anyone calling you by the name given to you by your followers back in Greece when they still prayed to you. You didn't like the fact that almost everyone was judging you so superficially. As a person who only uses her charm and body beauty to achieve what she wants.

Anyway... After all, that's why Odin kept you. He figured the kind of manipulation you were mastering might be of use to him.

You might not like that skill and your perfect looks, but it was the only thing that kept you alive. Thanks to this, you traveled without problems all the way from Greece, and for free. Everyone was too charmed by your beauty to refuse, and even if it didn't work, the idea of ​​possibly spending the night with you was enticing enough. Of course, this never happened... You've changed a lot since the fall of Olympus. You finally realized who you really are and what is important to you.

"Y/n, come on. You know it's useless to argue with Heimdall..." Thrúd said, grabbing your hand.

"Because I'm honest? Ah, yes, that nasty truth, how dare it be so awful…"

Well, Heimdall... a God who could easily read your mind and intentions. He was the one person your charm didn't work on because he just saw through it.

However, if he really knew what your true values ​​are and looked inside you... He would know what a curse your beauty is for you.

"The truth applies to everyone, including you. And the thing is, you're as annoying as a pain in the ass, and like a pain in the ass, you don't do anything at all." You almost shouted back nervously, squeezing Thrúd's hand a bit tighter as she grabbed you.

"It looks like someone is itching in the crotch... If you lack sensations so much, then go to the tavern, there many people will throw themselves at you from the moment you enter." you were silent. You glared at him with hatred, while his eyes only saw amusement. You slowly released Thrúd's hand and walked over to Heimdall, forming what you wanted to say in your mind. Exactly.

"I can see you looking at me from across the room. With a smirk on your lips and your hand on…" You whispered and suddenly stopped smiling maliciously. "If anyone's itchy, it's you. Need my help with this?" You added, turning on your heel and returning to Thrúd, closing the door surprisingly lightly behind you.

If he saw you as such a woman of loose morals, that is how you will behave towards him. Until he finally breaks away from you. Or see who you really are, which the odds were... Ha, slim.

"What did you tell him?" she asked you right away. "He seemed lost for words for the first time in his life."

"It doesn't matter." you replied smiling. "What? Will you comb my hair now?"

* * *

Later that day, when Thrúd left for training, you went to the tavern. But not to look for sensations, but to alleviate the conflicts that often occur there.

Some time ago you decided that it's time to look for new ways to use your personal charm.

You found a use for it in quarrels. When, like now, you stepped between two people and gave them your happy, slightly dreamy look.

"What's the fuss for, boys?" you asked, placing your hands over your heart. "You don't even know how sad it makes me to see such... Aggression. Mindless aggression." Both aggressors looked at each other in confusion.

"Y/n, we're just... We're solving things out between ourselves... We weren't going to..." one of the men began to explain convolutedly. You placed your hand on his shoulder, stroking it lightly.

"You can talk calmly, you don't have to fight." just when you thought the conflict was over because the men had quieted down for a long time, suddenly the one you were holding by the arm started walking towards you and leaning in.

"Leave Y/n!" Just as you pulled away, the man was slapped in the face by his friend. "She looked at me first!"

"But she touched me!" Well, no, it wasn't supposed to be like this... They were supposed to reconcile thanks to you, not start a fight in the whole tavern.

"Fight!" shouted someone in the crowd, throwing his plate and mug at someone.

You were about to shout something to try to smooth things over, but there was no way they'd hear you over the noise.

Ugh, how could you be so stupid? After all, that's why you were married on Olympus, so that no one would quarrel over you, beat because of you... Or even start a war! And you stupid thought that your beauty might not be a curse after all, that you can do something good...!

Just as you were about to get punched in the face by accident, someone grabbed your waist and arm and escorted you out of the tavern quickly and confidently.

"You followed my advice?" once you got outside you saw that... Well, let's just say you'd rather stay inside and get beaten up than see Heimdall smirk.

"What about you? Did you get the idea that I made you an offer?" You replied in the same tone, already fixing your tousled hair out of habit.

"If I did, we wouldn't be talking here, sunshine." You sighed as you looked at the tavern where everyone was still fighting.

"Why did you drag me away?" You finally asked, hoping that maybe you could talk to him normally for once.

"I figured you are useful in some way with a pretty face."

"I hate this." you said quickly, looking at him. "I'm not just a pretty face to sigh at. Unlike you, I'm not just an asshole, and I'd like to represent something good!" you shouted, pointing your index finger at him the whole time. With each word you came closer, so that now your finger was almost touching his chest. "But…" You didn't finish. You knew perfectly well that everything you said might somehow come to Odin's ears, so you preferred not to say that you were afraid of him... that you were afraid that if you stopped being useful because you changed, he would throw you out on the pavement like a trash, or worse, kill.

You slowly lowered your hand but didn't look away. It was hard not to cry over the hopelessness of your situation, but you found yourself able to bear his usual negative gaze.

"Me too." he replied unexpectedly.

Your mood changed immediately. Now, more than heartbroken and angry, you were in shock. Was he telling the truth? He read your thoughts and answered your inner dilemmas?

No, definitely not...

"I don't believe you." you said and you wanted to walk past him and go back to your room, but he surprised you again. This time by holding your hand.

"Y/n…"

"Let me go." You groaned, trying to get away from him at first. There's no way he's having a laugh at your expense again. You weren't in the mood to make fun of you, especially in the way he was probably trying to do it now.

"Look, I didn't..." You cut him off again.

"If you want to implement that 'proposal', you'll have to try harder." You replied, throwing an annoyed look again. You finally broke free from his grip and went to your room.

He didn't even go after you. Ugh, what an asshole... He always finds an opportunity to make fun of someone, anywhere...

If you only knew how you hurt him with that behavior. The first time he tried to open up to someone was there, when he saw something different about you... That maybe you're actually not that bad, that you want to be better, that... He misjudged you.

When he first thought that someone could understand him, maybe even like him despite his heavy character... That relations don't work like between Odin and his sons. You don't have to prove your value to someone all the time and assure them that you are useful, so that they'll maybe tolerate you or like you, because love is hard to talk about here.

And now, when he wanted to open up to perhaps the worst person, because the goddess of beauty and love, you rejected him so brutally. You didn't believe a word.

You both desperately tried to prove something to each other

Him - that some people may not be so bad and that he doesn't have to prove his usefulness all the time for someone to like him.

And you - that you aren't the goddess you used to be, who had mostly pleasure in her head. You were y/n, the real you, not Aphrodite. That your beauty doesn't have to be a curse...?

You both tried to prove it to yourself, but also to each other. And you fucking failed.

* * *

In the evening you went to sit on the wall, in peace and solitude. Heimdall seemed to hang out there rarely, and rather around noon, so you hoped he wouldn't be there.

You stared off into the distance, lost in your own thoughts. How is it possible that such an innocent 'gift' as beauty can cause so much harm? Or are you just cursed?

"Are you planning to take my job?" You chose to ignore those words. You must have been really unlucky indeed, wherever you went, Heimdall seemed to haunt you. Perfect for times when you're down and he's getting you down even more, or when you're too happy and he needs to spoil your mood. Like your personal demotivator. "You admire the landscape and wonder how it can be prettier than you?"

"What's your problem, huh? You have nothing to do? Then undress and watch your clothes so they don't run away!" You didn't even pay much attention to what you actually said and what kind of reaction it would cause.

You preferred to look down the wall, at your legs dangling freely over the precipice, than at him. A suicide jump would have been more fun.

"Well, I'm bored, but not bored enough to undress in front of you, sunshine." he replied, standing behind you and leaning over your shoulder.

"Why are you even bothering me? Are you looking for an argue for entertainment? Do you want to keep laughing at me? Here I am! I don't care, do what you want!" You replied without looking at him.

Why did you have to care what people thought about you? Why did you care what he think about you? You guessed it's time to accept the fact that you'll never be given happiness and he won't let you forget 'what you are'.

You just hung your head and waited for another snarky comment.

"Actually, I…" He paused for a moment. Couldn't he find a strong enough insult? "I want to talk."

"About what kind of manipulator am I?"

"Among other things, that I was telling the truth. I feel the same for him as you do. " Did he read your thoughts about your fear of Odin? Didn't he make fun of you that time, outside the tavern?

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because we're similar in a way." You furrowed your brows.

You and him alike? Like from which side? You thought he got it wrong or it's another bad prank, fun at your expense.

"I don't want to hear it..." You replied, already wanting to get up, but he stopped you.

Suddenly grabbing you by the shoulders, he pulled you back and you lay on your back against the cold stone wall. Heimdall was kneeling over you, holding you by the shoulders the whole time, measuring you with his piercing gaze of those beautiful violet eyes.

"You'll listen to what I have to say to the end, and then... Then you will do what you want." you were silent. Your heart suddenly started beating faster. You haven't been this close to anyone in a very long time, and since you've changed, it's... Never. It was a very strange feeling when you could almost feel his warm breath on your neck. You weren't sure if that was the impression he was trying to make on you, but… Damn, he was sure to silence you and get your attention for a while. "Great. What I meant was that we're both heavily influenced by our… Abilities. And while they are, in a sense, our curse, they are what keep us alive. How ironic, isn't it, sweetie?"

"Is mind-reading a curse?" You replied skeptically, raising an eyebrow once you had recovered from the initial shock of this closeness.

"Oh, it's nice to see how fake people are, isn't it? Noticing that your own father isn't interested in you when he doesn't need you?" you were slowly starting to get... sorry for him, when you listened to these words. "Because it's sad and nasty, sweetheart. Desperately trying to prove yourself worthy until you finally get tired of it, sounds familiar?"

At first you wanted to look away, but you didn't. You were determined to endure his piercing gaze as you thought about everything he'd just told you.

And it seemed like he was actually being honest with you… After all these years, he finally decided that you deserved him to confide in you.

He confided everything that had accumulated in his life and weighed heavily on his heart.

Maybe he was even right… You were alike.

"Think it over in that pretty head of yours."

"Wait!" He was about to get up but you grabbed him by the shoulders. "I want to know you better."

He stared at you for a moment, then slowly leaned over you, stopping when your lips were almost touching.

Now it was no longer just imagining the feel of his breath and the warmth of his body. It was all real, he was almost on top of you and your heart sped up again. It was evening, so it was slowly starting to get chilly, but you didn't feel it at all because of this closeness. You couldn't take your eyes off those magical, purple, shining eyes as his hand slowly ran through your hair until it stopped on your cheek.

He leaned in even more for a moment, only brushing his lips lightly against yours before whispering some words.

"We'll talk tomorrow. You'd better go to sleep now, sunshine." With those words, he stood up, leaving you alone.

Completely alone, only with a head full of all sorts of thoughts.

~

-> general masterlist -> God of War: Ragnarök masterlist

(Maybe there will be a part 2 🤷‍♀️🤭)

If anyone has any requests, feel free! 🥰

-> Part 2, I did it 😂🍾

[extremelyblackandwhite]

ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ

pairing: ares!bucky x aphrodite!reader

warnings: forced arranged marriage, angst, cheating, liberties with greek mythology canon (i.e. i do what i want with the canon), smut (18+), oral (female receiving), possessiveness, breeding kink, penetrative sex (p in v), angst

inspired by the myth of ares and aphrodite's affair

He walked past those golden gates in glorious armour tainted with blood which rolled quickly onto the grounds, staining the pureness of the home of the gods with the blood of its bastard and that who represented all which was sung in heroic epic poems. The blood of who was meant to be the pure essence of courage and war - yet, unlike his sister, he was never to be known as the tactile, intelligent general. No, he was brutality and blood lust. He was the emotionless soldier and like one, he was no longer cheered on as he returned from war. He was disliked, hated by all his siblings and even his own parents - he was not the rewards of war or even the heroism at the end, he was the brutality and the blood which now stained his face. Everyone sneered at him as he passed by, his helmet dropping as he wished to merely disappear for the evening. 

Blood or how it stained no longer bothered him anymore, his pale hands had stained from so many people which had been slayed and despite the handsome looks inherited from his own mothered, these appeared almost deformed. Almost as if no one this vile, this brutal should look handsome, sculpted even. 

     - Did you win? - a melodic voice played through the room as the satin golden curtains of his room where pushed.

If James considered himself handsome, he knew of no words to describe the woman who stood in front of him, dressed in light fabrics with flowers decorating her hair.  She playfully moved through the curtains, a small smile on her face as she finally showed herself completely to him, a white cloth dangling from her hand. 

    - I always win. - his voice came rough from battle cries yet her face didn’t stray away from softness. - Shouldn’t you be basking in marital bliss? 

    - There’s nothing to be basking on. - she knelled by his side and started to wipe the fresh blood of his face. - I am not one to be particularly found of marriage itself.

     - Aren’t you supposed to be the goddess of love or something?

     - Marriage is not love. 

     - How can someone not fall in love with you, fairest of all women to ever have been dreamed. - he put his hand over hers which was resting on his face.

She looked at him with uncertainty. It was no secret for any god in the pantheon that he carried affection for the goddess of love and beauty herself. He never cared for any other goddess’ charms or most mortals, he was much too busy being an iron fist for his father’s trials. However, she, she was different. The softest most beautiful of women didn’t look at him like everyone else, she didn’t look in horror or in fear. She merely treated him with kindness and softness, always having a kind word to say or a smile to give. The blood didn’t bother her and sometimes he wondered if there was a bubbling sense of war inside of her either - the rumours grew large about it. 

    - I bring love, I don’t receive it for myself.

    - Does your husband not dote on you? - his blue eyes looked into hers and for the first time she avoided his look. She wasn’t a particularly good liar when it came to him. 

Truth was he did not dote on her. She was not to be a loving wife, she was to be a prize, a happy gift from the God of gods to the one who was most ignored. She was a prize and her husband was happy to parade her around for everyone else to see, enjoyed her title as his wife, but he didn’t want her for any more than that. She could only entertain herself with mortal love stories and toying with them so much.  

    - I am not a normal woman. - she chose to reply. - It’s not a normal wedding. 

    - I am not a normal man, Aphrodite. - he stood up. - Yet, if you were my wife, there would not be a single minute of any hour where you wouldn’t be doted upon.

    - I do not need adoration. I have ... I have my followers and those who pray for me to help them fulfil their romantic pursuits.

     - Shall I pray to you then, my goddess? 

     - Don’t start that again. You know we cannot. 

Anger bubbled within him, anger from being overlooked, for not receiving that which should’ve been his own happiness. He’d done the hard working expecting nothing until the day she’d appeared in his life and she was all he wanted - yet, here she was, long gone. 

    - We were supposed to be. You ... - he clenched his fist attempting to calm himself but failing. - I did everything just so you could be mine. So that my father would be pleased and allow you to be my wife, so I ...

    - James. - she called him his name, not the one mortals had given him or his parents called him. His name, the one he chose, the one he’d rather hear. If he was called by it, he was no longer god of war and courage, he was just a man, no less feeling than the ones who worshipped him. - Please don’t dwell on things you cannot change. 

    - All the blood I spilled and all the lives I’ve claimed have all been in your name. - he knelled in front of her as if she were the goddess of all gods. Perhaps she could be in her rage, outside the loving energy she’d been so known to give. - I don’t think anyone has given you any more sacrifices than me and I cannot stand the thought of not seeing you be loved.

There she stood attempting to forget those words, those very sweet words of the only man she’d ever wished to be betrothed to. She knew why she was married to her husband, she was a gift to appease the ignored son of Hera and Zeus, the one whose beauty and own traits made her the perfect wife to parade around. She was what he wanted so Hera could be freed and had little to no regard if she wanted to be married or ever considered a potential wife. Perhaps they should’ve given her to the other ignored son, yet she doubted they noticed him unless a war was waging on. He hadn’t been the particular favourite during the battle of Troy after all.  

    - Love marriages are not for us. 

    - Marriages are not for me, my goddess. 

    - Some mortal woman is gonna catch your eye, one day.

    - Perhaps. - he got up on his feet, his hand coming up to hold hers up to his lips. - But I doubt she’ll ever be you and as such I’ll never be satisfied. 

    - James, we will never be satisfied. 

He scoffed, a smirk forming on his lips as he pushed a stray hair away from her beautiful face. It felt forbidden to even touch her with his tainted hands, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t fell warm and forgiven for all his sins whenever he touched her. He was never one to believe in worship but he’d worship her every day of every year for eternity. 

   - I thought as a goddess of lust, you’d know about being satisfied. 

   - Perhaps if you’d been my husband ... - she tapped his cheek. - I would’ve known about satisfaction. Rumours about you run wild down there. 

   - Do you query mortal women about satisfaction?

   - I do not need to query them. I am the goddess of love and lust, I know things without needing to ask. 

   - Did you know you were gonna marry him?

   - I’m the goddess of love, not the goddess of arranged marriages. - she attempted to joke about her situation but James had become too good at seeing through her. Not a good look when one’s a goddess who’s supposed to be impossible to read. - I have to go. I will see you at supper tonight. 

   - You won’t, my goddess. 

   - It wasn’t a question or a request. - she threw her hair over her shoulder before disappearing from his resting quarters.

James couldn’t help but smirk at her behaviour for there was only one being in all of Earth who would dare to order the god of war around. The last thing he meant to do was attend a supper in celebration of war winnings, a supper which was more for his sister than for him. Yet, the moment his eyes laid on his goddess, her body covered with gold and pink fabrics, he couldn’t help but convince himself this would be a good supper. She smiled at the laughter and jokes coming from the other gods, yet she was still sat by her husband, one of Hephaestus many jewellery gifts settled around her neck - like a chain. Jealousy pooled inside of him, the tight control he had of his ability slightly cracking, causing the laughter and chatter to turn into petty gossip and fighting in some minor, weaker gods. Her eyes met his as she discovered who was influencing the sudden fighting. Through the middle of petty allegations, she rose from her seat, knowing he’d follow her and possibly stop influencing a fight onto an otherwise good yet cynical supper. 

He followed her through his father’s house, always slightly ahead of him, only her long gown being seen by him until she met a wall. She turned around, hearing the foot steps get closer and soon enough he appeared in front of her, bathed in candle light. 

    - How would you feel if I influenced everyone to just suddenly become lustful?

    - While I would enjoy seeing what you can influence gods to do, my goddess, I didn’t entirely mean to cause a fight. 

    - The God of War didn’t mean to cause a fight? - she crossed her arms. - How interesting.

    - I’m not the only god of war. Honestly, my goddess, I’d rather finish them than start them. 

    - You’ll upset your father.  

    - He’s always upset at me, Y/N. - he taunted her, using the name she’d chosen for herself while at Cyprus. He found it quite funny how she refused to refer to herself as the name given to her by her cult, saying that risen from foam was a terrible way to be named. - Have you taken it upon yourself to watch over me?

   - Have you taken it upon yourself to stare down my husband each time you see him? 

   - Is he overly sensitive?

   - Don’t be mean.

   - I’m not being mean. You don’t love him. - he accused her of a truth she knew all too well. Everyone knew it all too well. She was forced into the marriage and barely spent time with her husband, choosing to instead dwell on what human relationships were happening in her favourite cities. -  We were supposed to be. You know we were supposed to have been wed. 

   - We were never supposed to be. Your father would have to be insane to wed the God of War to a primordial god’s daughter. It’s asking for trouble. 

   - Then tell me you don’t love me. Safe me from this torment and tell me you don’t love me. 

She was an adept liar, a part of love which was dark and had become part of her nature as a survivor goddess during the Titan age. She was smart and covered that with the coat of stereotypes about female love and softness. Despite this, there was one thing she couldn’t do - lie about love. Just like he couldn’t lie about bloodshed, she couldn’t lie about love. If she tried, the words would just die down, silencing her. James awaited, the time spent torturous as he realised she could shatter him - yet, even if she loved him, it would equally destroy him, maddening him to the point of returning to war merely to forget her face.

    - You know I can’t say that.

    - Then save me from my misery. - he took a step towards her. 

Her features shivered as she looked up at the tall, handsome god of war in front of her. Even the feeling of her gown against her skin made her upset, as the mere act of breathing increased a tension which was supposed to have broken a long while ago. Her bottom lip dropped as her gaze lowered to the ground before returning to his eyes, a soft resolve forming on her otherwise calm face. Her right hand touched his plate armour covered chest while the other snaked around his neck before pulling him into a kiss. 

James was no innocent. He’d kissed other women before both mortal and goddesses but kissing her, the goddess of love and beauty, was something else entirely and whatever gentleman principles he held close to him, faded away as her soft lips moved against his. The soft kiss turned bruising as his hands held her hips and pushed her against the concrete wall. Her hand moved from his chest to cup his face through the kiss until they needed to break it off to catch a breath. He looked down at her through fluttered lashes before returning to kiss her, this time his lips wandering from hers to her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips as he kissed and bite down her skin, leaving his mark, marking her as his. She was his and he was hers - end of story. 

   - We can’t do this. - she spoke, as her loyalty to her husband weakened with each kiss laid on her skin. - I shouldn’t.

   - Don’t care. - he kissed up her body once more, his forehead leaning over hers. - Put me out from my misery, my goddess. 

She couldn’t find it within herself to be loyal anymore. Her lips bruised against his as he messed with her gown, soft pastel fabrics falling to the ground leaving the goddess naked in front of him merely adorned in jewellery. His jaw locked as he was once reminded of who had made that jewellery, who had gifted it to her and without any consideration, his hand wrapped around the gold around her neck, breaking it onto the ground before he returned to kiss her. 

   - You’re mine. - he said wantonly, his hand flying to her neck with a soft grip. - You will never lay with anyone the way you lay with me. 

   - James ... - she moaned out his name as her thighs clenched against one another. With a knowing smirk, he dropped to his knees, swinging on her legs over his shoulder. 

He kissed an invisible path from her knee to her inner thigh, biting onto the supple skin before his tongue licked a stripe through her folds to her clit. She shuddered, her hand clasping over mouth fearful anyone may hear them. However, James had no such worries as once he finished with the testing lick, he delved into her as if he were a starved man.

   - You are mine. - he licked yet another stripe before stopping, blowing cold air onto her warm folds. - Mine!

She whined, her face rubbing against the wall as he grabbed her ass and delved deeper, his tongue plunging into her while his finger drew lazy circles around her clit. She found it hard to keep standing, her hand still tightly pressed against her mouth. 

   - Take it off. - he stopped his motions, raising up to her level. She looked at him confused and frustrated before he pushed her hand down. - I want to hear you.

   - They could he ...

   - I don’t care. - his finger trusted inside of her, her whines now coming clear as he curled them. - You’re mine, they should hear you’re mine.

James knew the consequences of his actions, he knew them way too well but once he heard the sweet sounds of her moans, calling out his name as he added another finger. She was beautiful, she looked beautiful with her mouth agape, calling out for him, her walls clenching around his fingers until a high pitched moan had her come undone. He shushed her as he continued to lazily thrust his fingers in and out of her hole. 

   - You ... - he gripped her jaw. - You are mine, you’ll always be mine, no matter who the fuck you’re married too.

Her hands nervously and quickly did his trousers down, his cock sprung up and hit his stomach, a sight which she was sure to never forget. The look in her face changed as she gripped his cock and started to move her hand up and down - he knew he was in the presence of the goddess of lust in that second. He grunted, holding himself up by pressing his hands on each side of her hand as she quickened her movements. She gripped his cock, circling her thumb around his tip which was leaking with precum. 

   - Stop. - he moved his hand to stop hers once his breathe started to quicken, the vein on his neck popping as he attempted to ground himself. - I wanna finish inside of you.

She kissed him, her nails raking up his back as he led his cock to her hole and almost as if the air had been punched out of her lungs, he thrust into her. Her nail dug into his back as he immediately set a quick pace, his hands gripping onto her hips so he could thrust fast into her. She swore to herself she’d never felt something like that, the texture of his cock against her walls as addicting as any drug or ambrosia. 

   - We are meant to be. - he groaned, rutting against her as he took her lips into his once more. - You’re gonna be mine. 

   - James ... - she moaned through the kiss, her moans almost echoing from his mouth. 

   - Fuck, I’m gonna fill you with my cum. - his hand gripped her jaw, so her eyes were looking into his. - You’re gonna be leaking with me for days. 

   - Can’t ... - she whispered, but she couldn’t deny how exciting it felt, she couldn’t deny how her walls clenched around him. 

   - Yes, you can. - his movements appeared angrier, his pelvis hitting hers in a bruising pace. - We’ll start a new age, my goddess.

The elastic band snapped and all the tension faded away as the breathe exited her lips, her head lulling against his chest as he continued to thrust into her abused hole until with a grunt, ropes of white painted her walls, sealing future which both of them would only consider the next day. His arms wrapped around her, holding her against him just so she could hear her heart beat, the sweet soft sound of the humanity all of them held. He loved her, he would always love her, even if it had to be in hidden corners of the Olympus. 

     - I need to go, they’ll wonder where I am. - she said softly against his skin.

     - I know. - he kissed her forehead. - Just not yet. 

     - We were supposed to be, Ares. - she looked at him with sadness in her eyes. 

     - What an eternity that would’ve been. 

[velidewrites]

Immortal. Cruel. Divine.

There is no crossing the Gods—they roam the Earth and reap it of everything the humans hold dear. For Hades, it is their freedom. For Aphrodite, their heart. For Artemis, their very life.

Everything changes when a twisted will of the Fates sends three mortals their way.

There is no crossing the Gods? Well, these men are determined to prove them wrong.

Pairings: Nessian, Elucien, Feysand

Notes: This is my follower celebration series! Thank you all for being here—I hope you enjoy this AU. All three parts include explicit sexual content, but you will find chapter-specific content warnings in individual tags!

Side Note: All of these can be read separately, i.e. you don't need to read Nessian to understand the Elucien chapter, etc. That being said, I've hidden some easter eggs across all three stories—so some of these characters will appear in scenes outside of their respective chapters!

Read on AO3

MASTERLIST

A Woman So Heartless || Hades!Nesta x Cassian || 14k

When the Goddess of the Underworld grants a mortal General an extended stay in the land of the living, she doesn’t expect him to come back with another deal—one she has no idea will ruin her life forever.

Face In The Daylight || Aphrodite!Elain x Lucien || upcoming

After stumbling upon the most beautiful human she’d ever seen, the Goddess of Love will not rest until he belongs to her. Never mind that he’s engaged to be married—and never mind that he wants nothing to do with her.

As Bad As They Say || Artemis!Feyre x Rhysand || upcoming

Betrayed by the only mortal she’d ever loved, the Goddess of the Hunt spends her days exacting revenge. Any man who dares enter her woods is met with a swift end and a pretty smile. Rhysand, a foolish prince from a neighbouring kingdom, is determined to find out just how pretty that smile is.

[dcfanficsgallore]

Didn't plan for this

Wonder Woman x Demigod!Fem!Reader

2859 words

TW: Broken Leg, Hospitals, Reader overthinks everything

Masterlist

Summary: You have only seen a handful of times and have been trying to get her attention ever since, when a disaster occurs, it finally makes her look at you and talk.

A/N: This fanfic doesn't use the usual quotes to show character speaking. Instead they'll use a - to show that they are speaking and every new line of dialogue is a new paragraph. Also English isn't my first language. Enjoy! X3 <33

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Being a demigod in a world that gets invaded by aliens every other week and seems to have a new super-whatever everyday is pretty normal. Especially if you’re a child of Athena, like me… 

We don’t get powers like the children of Zeus or the innate charisma of the Apollo kids, but we’re not as insufferable as the Aphrodite Spawn (Long story), we’re just… Pretty smart and can understand stuff that most can’t. When I was a kid my teachers always told my mortal mom that I was ‘gifted’, my mom knew it was always truer than what they intended, but she never told me about it. Nor about my Godly mom…

Usually when an alien attack happens or a supervillain breaks from prison I tend to help the people around me get to safety and prepare all my contingencies for if the threat gets too close, I only had to use a couple of my plans once, that was a mess! But it made me learn that Plan C and Plan T should not be anywhere near each other. Other than that I just wait until the danger is over and maybe, kinda, try to see if she is taking care of the mess.

Of all the children of Zeus, she is the best. Most caring, most humble, the prettiest, and just all around good person. I only met THE Wonder Woman once, and since then I’ve been trying to get her attention the only way a daughter of Athena like me can… I’ve been sending contingency plans to the Justice Hall in hopes one of them will make them want to talk to me and talk about it. You might say it’s pointless, Batman is the best planner in the world, and to that I say: Maybe he would like someone to delegate a few of his responsibilities to… You never know.

It was during one of my walks to my job that I felt it.

Earthquakes

No worries, those happen all the time in New York. I have nothing to fear, just a mild-

Another one, Bigger

Again, not enough to trigger my alarms, but enough to make me start walking slower… And check my bag to see if everything is with m-

A third one, and this time I fall over

Alright. That’s cause for concern, I start sprinting towards my job while grabbing all the stuff I need to start Plan E.

As I turn a corner expecting to see the street to the building I work at, I am startled back by a falling lamp post.

This is bad

As I enter the building I see Ana, the secretary, ushering people out the building.

- How is it looking? - I ask her as another earthquake begins and doesn’t seem to stop.

- There’s still people inside - She looks at me with a worried expression - You might have to bring out Plan H - She says.

Ana is my best friend and that gives her the privilege of a binder with all my plans so she can help me choose one in big stress situations. That’s still not enough because she just suggested the Bird People Protocol, but I get the gist of what she wants.

- I think you might be right - I say not wanting to get into an argument of my plans with her right now

Being a prepared Child of Athena is very helpful when you're the Chief of Security of the company. I take a deep breath, say a little prayer to my mom hoping for a little luck to get inside and not die. And go in…

The first thing I see as I go through the doors is the bottom floor is collapsing. I rush a couple people out while I make my way to my office, in there I’ll find everything to hopefully save everyone. I just have to go up two floors, the elevators are a bust and a death trap. So the stairs are gonna be my friends.

As I start going up I hit a couple buttons on the wall to trigger the slides that help people go down the stairs faster, (hey, it works for airplanes and they were cheap to install. Just a button and they self inflate).

When I open the door to the second floor I am met by so many people that are injured. I go to usher them to the slides, after finding a couple interns that are so scared but not that bad physically and instruct them on what to do once they get down and keep moving towards my office.

I begin to see my office, it's right there, just a few more moments and everything will be fi-

feel a lot of pain and a crack coming from behind me

Something fell on me. I look back and see that my leg is stuck between a stone pillar and the floor. I feel a lot of pain, but I can't stop. I've already sent everyone on this floor down and there are more above me. If I give up now I’ll die along with everyone else, that’ll not be something that a Demigod will be doing today, I tell myself.

I start to try to lift the pillar with all my strength, it’s hard, it might be impossible, I start thinking of ways to maybe leverage a piece of debris as maybe a lever when the pillar starts to float? It’s not floating, someone picked it up. But who..?

It’s her, in all her glory. She looks exactly like I remember, the black locks of hair flowing, the tiara reflecting the little light inside this crumbling building, her golden lasso on her hand and the pillar on the other, she lifting it like it doesn’t weigh anything. Her ocean blue eyes that are looking directly into my soul, her furrowed brows like she’s mad? Wait, no, she IS mad!

- What are you doing! - She says with an alarm in her tone - I was helping the people off the building when I saw you running INTO it? What are you trying to do?

The reality of the situation finally hits me and I say

- Help me. My office. I can help… - I say with difficulty as my leg starts to hurt a lot more now that the big rock was removed.

She looks at me like I just grew frog legs beneath the pillar, not understanding why I’m trying so hard to go even deeper into the crumbling building.

I say it one more time and she seems to snap out of it.

- What are we looking for? - She says as she picks me up bridal style and starts sprinting into the room. Even with a broken leg I manage to get flustered, but quickly dismiss it as I get my head back in the game

I push myself down and limp to my desk, opening a drawer and pushing a button labeled ‘U’.

Immediately the result can be felt as dozens of inflatable slides appear going from every single window sill, out of seemingly thin air, and gives everyone on the above floors a chance to take a faster way down. But not everything can go according to plan as life constantly likes to remind me. The slide on my window did not trigger so I think I’m stuck until I feel myself being picked up again and my heroine jumps out of the window landing safely with me in her arms.

After that she puts me down on a sidewalk and says

- That was incredibly smart, aren’t you the woman that always has a plan? - She says, and I’m a little upset that that’s how she remembers me.

- Yeah, that 's me. A daughter of Athena trying her best - I say before my leg starts to demand more of my attention and I whimper a little

- Oh your leg! Right! - She says before picking me up again and without all the smoke and panic I can actually feel her muscles and smell a little perfume, strawberry? Maybe Daisy? Maybe alcohol? Wait… That’s the ambulance, I’m in the ambulance getting alcohol rubbed on my leg by a paramedic, staring into her sapphire eyes and she’s saying something... Oh shit she said something!

- Sorry what? - I say trying to cool my nerves from seeing her again

- I said I’ll be right back to check on you, these quakes are not natural. The League is currently stopping the cause of it but there are still civilians trapped in building that don’t have slides that help them get down - She smiles a little and it’s the prettiest smile I have ever seen

- Yeah, it’s cool, you’re a hero and all that - Say in an effort to look casual in the face of all this

A few hours later I had to be taken to the hospital to get my leg on a cast and suspended above me on the bed that I’m laying down on. Ana made it out without any serious injuries and is keeping me company, and by company I mean she’s currently hearing me be anxious about my meeting with The Wonder Woman. 

- She said she would check on me later - I say for what’s probably the thousandth time

- Yup, but when she said you were on the street getting tended to by an EMT. Now she probably has no idea where you - She keeps trying to manage my expectations.

- But look at the TV Ana, a lot of people need help, she’s probably helping them. and this is one of the only hospitals that didn’t seem to be that affected by the quake! - I reason with her.

- Why do I keep getting into arguments with you? - she says with a long sigh - Damn Owl Spawn - she says with a smirk that gets wiped by the pillow I throw on her face

- Because you live in hope that you can win! - I tease back and am promptly met by the same pillow hitting my face.

-But seriously Y/N - She says looking at me - I wouldn’t get my hopes up, she’s a superhero. She’ll probably be busy until the next morning and then she’ll probably go back to her place and sleep for a long time, maybe she’ll forget.

- I can still hope, right? - I say a little sadly to Ana who nods and pulls me into a hug

- You should get some rest Bird Brain, I’ll be here if you need anything - Ana says, going to turn off the light and heading to her chair next to my bed.

- Fine - I say as the day finally catches up to me and I fall asleep almost immediately

It’s probably not until around 4 A.M when I hear a little tapping on my hospital window, at first I think I’m dreaming because I’m quite a way high up on this hospital, I would say about 30,5 meters away from ground level. But then I hear it again

tap tap tap

Okay, that’s not a dream. I take my leg off the suspension gently so as to not hurt myself and open the curtain to see… HER! She’s flying and staring at me through the window looking a bit shy, if I were to guess.

- You’re here!? - I open the window and question a little too happy about this meeting

- I told I would be - she smiles - How are you doing? - she questions looking at my cast.

- I’m doing fine - I shrug - The drugs help with the pain and I heal quite fast.

- Right, you’re also a demigoddess - she says with a smile - So am I.

- You are? You mean you’re not a goddess? - I ask and immediately regret it. You don’t ask a pretty woman that? Are you nuts? I say to myself thinking she’ll be put off by my comment and fly away. But to my surprise, she laughs and it’s the most beautiful laugh I’ve ever heard.

- No no, I’m the daughter of Zeus with the queen of the amazons, Hippolyta - She says in a casual way like that wasn’t a huge bombshell for me to discover

- That’s so cool - I say after making myself pick my jaw from the floor - Would you… ummm… Would you like to come in? - I ask her and to my surprise she accepts

The first thing I notice when she comes in is how tall she is, I think I would’ve figured out she was an Amazon with enough time, I quickly notice that she’s probably 6,2 inches, which makes me feel fuzzy inside. The next thing I notice is how strong she is. When she went inside, she picked me up by my side and sat me down on the bed before finally touching the floor. 

I realize I’m staring again and that I missed what she was saying, again! This never happens to me.

- I’m so sorry, I was distracted, what did you say? - I say hoping she doesn’t think I’m always like this.

- I just asked if she’ll wake up anytime soon. - She repeats without a hint of annoyance. Gesturing to Ana sleeping on the chair in a position that doesn’t seem that comfortable but I’m not one to judge.

- Oh Ana? No, she only wakes with her alarm or when stuff is thrown at her - I say chuckling.

There’s an awkward silence before she clears her throat and says

- I’m Diana, by the way, Diana Prince - she says putting her hand out - I just wanted to say that the fact that you went inside the collapsing building when you could’ve turned the other way and ran, really impressed me.

I blush very hard when she says that, then I shake her hand and say

- I’m Y/N Y/L/N, it really means a lot to me that you found that impressive. And just so you know, running was not an option, that building had so many contingencies inside it I needed to know that one of them worked. If I didn’t try my own plans what kind of child of wisdom would I be? - I say while shaking her hand

- Hm, does your mother require that of all her children? - She asks almost concerned

- No, not at all. She doesn’t even talk to us! - I say without thinking, this woman makes me so flustered my brain stops working I swear! - It’s more, like an itch. An itch in the back of your mind that doesn’t go away if you don’t test your contraptions

- She doesn’t talk to you? I’m sorry… - She says with sympathy on her voice

-Don’t be - I wave it off -  She’s a goddess, she probably has more important things to do. Besides, I got my smarts and that’s all I need. - I say shuffling on the bed and putting my foot back in it’s place.

She sits next to me and says

- It’s still sad that our parents don’t talk to us

I shrug before gathering my courage and finally asking

- Why’d you come to see me? I’m sure you meet people that are more interesting than me everyday and it’s not like you owe me or anything, you saved life twice today and now you’re here checking on me. Why? - I ask and she thinks for a moment before smiling and… Wait, is she blushing?

- Well it’s simple really, I was very impressed by the fact that you had a protocol in place for such an event and had the guts to go in and make sure it went accordingly that I wanted to maybe see if you were interested in… Showing me some of your plans - That last part seemed to catch her off guard, but I’ll never say no to someone willing to listen to my plans so I get very excited.

- Yeah, sure, of course! I’ll probably be out of the hospital in a couple of days, maybe less if I can convince the docs I’ll take it easy. - I agree a little too fast, but I don’t care. Diana wants to see my plans! - Here’s my number - I give her my number scribbled on a piece of paper I got in my bag - Give me a call please, and we’ll set it up. - I say a little too eager and failing miserably to be cool

- Yeah, sure - she says, accepting the paper and… She is definitely blushing! - I’ll give you a call, and we’ll set up our date… - She stops herself after she says that - I mean, like a friend date. 

- I can accept a date - I blush and nod and look away, trying everything I can to not look her in those sapphire eyes

She gets up and goes to the window but before she looks at me and says.

- I hope I get to see you soon - she says before flying off into the distance

a- Same - I say before snuggling in my bed ready to dream about her but not before hearing

- I heard the whole thing! - Ana says before receiving a face full of pillow.

- We’ll talk in the morning - I say ending the conversation.

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Chapter 2

A/N: Some might call Y/N Paranoid, she would say prepared ;)

[eucanthos]

Jacob Jordaens  (1593 - 1678)  after Rubens

The wedding of Thetis and Peleus - Golden Apple of Discord, 1638. Oil on canvas: 181 x 288 cm. Prado

top img Jordaens' edited w Rubens' bright gold-lit miniature painting overlayed [the paintings size 's as if Jordaens worked on Rubens' draft to produce "the real thing" in large format]

Peter Paul Rubens  (1577 - 1640)

The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis, 1636.  Oil on panel: 27 x 42.6 cm. Art Institute of Chicago

When the sea nymph Thetis married Peleus, hero of Thessaly, all the gods were invited but one—Eris, goddess of discord. Annoyed at this slight, she appeared anyway, wreaking havoc by tossing into the crowd an apple inscribed "To the fairest one." Juno/Hera, Venus/Aphrodite, and Minerva/Athena would scramble for the prize and agreed to the Judgement of Paris, setting in motion the events that led to the Trojan War because Venus bribed Paris with the most beautiful mortal woman in the world, Helen of Sparta!

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Apple_of_Discord_by_Jacob_Jordaens.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgement_of_Paris