#c: phobetor

[pangeen]

Zombie Planets:

Draugr : PSR B1257+12 b, alternatively designated PSR B1257+12 A, also named Draugr, is an extrasolar planet approximately 2,300 light-years away[ in the constellation of Virgo. The planet is the innermost object orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12, making it a pulsar planet in the dead stellar system. It is about twice as massive as the Moon, and is listed as the least massive planet (with the mass accurately determined) known, including among the planets in the Solar System. Poltergeist : PSR B1257+12 c, alternatively designated PSR B1257+12 B, also named Poltergeist, is an extrasolar planet approximately 2,300 light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. It was one of the first planets ever discovered outside the Solar System, and is one of three pulsar planets known to be orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12.Over four times as massive as the Earth,  it circles the primary at a distance of 0.36 AU with an orbital period of approximately 66 days. Because it and Phobetor have very similar masses and orbit close to each other, they were expected to cause measurable perturbations in each other's orbits. Detecting such perturbations confirmed that the planets were real. Accurate masses of the two planets, as well as their inclinations, were calculated from how much the planets perturb each other. Phobetor: PSR B1257+12 C, alternatively designated PSR B1257+12 d and also named Phobetor, is a super-Earth exoplanet orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12 approximately 2,315 light-years (710 parsecs; 22 quadrillion kilometres) away from Earth in the constellation of Virgo. It was one of the first planets ever discovered outside the Solar System. It was discovered using the pulsar timing method, where the regular pulses of a pulsar are measured to determine if there is a planet causing variations in the data.

Source : © Wikipedia

Pictures Credit: © Melodysheep

[vampirecatboy]

Hello yes tell us about cthonic gods please

ok ok so

clarification for those that need it: Cthonic deities in Greek Mythology are gods and goddesses and entities that reside in the Underworld

first off i want to say that Hades game was such a godsend for me, because to have such a popular, well-made piece of media that is all about my special interest is like the best gift an autistic person can get

i'll start with my two favorite boys: Hypnos and Thanatos

they are twins, first of all, two sons of Nyx, personification of night, and Erebus, who is darkness (i don't know if Hades game ever touched on this but Hypnos' mom was literally within shouting distance)

Thanatos hates mortals because they hate him (he is not the god of death he just is death, and not many mortals like death) and he hates the Olympians because they can't die, juries out on if he hates his own twin but there is this really cute painting that shows them asleep together, so i would guess ol Thanny is fond of his brother

now also the thing about Thanatos is that he is the personification of peaceful death, it's the furies who deal with violent death, like he's giving people a peaceful passing and they still hate him. death is death i suppose

also i know Thanatos is a love interest in Hades game, but in actual mythology he had no consorts and no children, truly aroace misanthropic king

now onto Hypnos, the personification of sleep, who did fuck, and had at least three children but i'll get to them in a sec

he lives in a grotto on the river Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, one of the five rivers of the Underworld (the others are the Styx, of course, Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Acheron), he has his own court of minor gods and goddesses, including one of my personal favorites, Aergia, goddess of sloth and laziness, truly a "yes girl give us nothing!" moment honestly

there's also this story that i love, related to a mortal man who was also the lover of Selene, the moon. his name was Endymion, and in the more well known story, he was so beautiful when he slept, that Selene wanted to keep him in a state of eternal sleep, and they had 50 children, somehow, but the version of the story that i like (for reasons that will be very obvious lol) is that it was actually Hypnos who fell in love with him for the same reason as Selene, so he put Endymion into a state of eternal sleep, specifically with his eyes open, because he loved gazing into them (gay ass) no clue if their relationship was ever consummated like with Selene but one can imagine, this is Greek mythology after all

now Endymion wasn't the only lover Hypnos ever had, he also fell in love with one of Hera's graces (attendants?) whose name was Pasithea, and showing some remarkable restraint for a divine man in Greek myth, instead of abducting her or taking her by force, he asked Hera if he could marry her, and she agreed on the condition that he help turn the tide of the Trojan war (which is not my special interest so do not ask me about it, i know nothing lol)

with Pasithea, Hypnos had three sons, the most famous of which was Morpheus, god of dreams, his other two sons were Phobetor and Phantasos, but they all represent different aspects of dreaming, objects, beasts and people. Morpheus was specifically people in dreams, but he was the clear favorite and sort of took up the whole mantle from the other two Oneiroi

actually, addendum because i looked it up to check and the Oneiroi are the sons of Somnus, Hypnos' Roman equivalent, in Greek mythology they are his brothers. the rest of that is accurate though

so to summarize: Thanatos, aroace king, Hypnos, respectful if a bit weird bisexual, Aergia, just hangin' honestly

the twins have been depicted many ways, sometimes old men, sometimes babies, but i think most often they ended up being depicted as epheboi, teenagers

also it is very important that you know that Hypnos has head wings in a lot of his depictions, i forget if they depicted that in Hades but honestly who cares his design slaps either way

onto the most interesting thing for me about Hades game: Zagreus. he's obscure in Greek mythology, like all of Hades' alleged children, Macaria and Melinoe being the two i can remember. some scholars believe Zagreus to actually be Dionysus, because Dionysus also has ties to the underworld, i think in relation to his mother, like he had to rescue her from there or something? kind of a reverse of what Zagreus is trying to do in the game

i.... i think that's all the info i have to dump

i will not advocate for the accuracy of everything in this ramble (especially not the Zagreus/Dionysus bit, the stance among scholars might've changed since i acquired this information lol) but i certainly had fun thank you so much for asking me about this

[dailyhistoryposts]

On This Day In History

January 9th, 1992: Polish astronomer Aleksander Wolszczan and Canadian astronomer Dale Frail announce the discoveries of the first known extrasolar planets, PSR B1257+12 B (or "Poltergeist") and PSR B1257+12 C (or "Phobetor") orbiting the star PSR B1257 (or "Lich").

In 1994, another planet in this system, PSR B1257+12 A (or "Draugr") would be discovered.

[smallraindrops-blog]

Meet Me in The Sunflower Fields.

(part two)

(A sleep family series)

Summary: out of order snapshots of the hazy days of summer with cherry popsicles and the distant, happy laughter of family. Modern!au

Word count: 1.6k

warnings: no beta, nsfwish, kids being kids, mention of puking

Notes: this will be a daily series for the month of July. Super self-indulgent so beware. I will have a sleep family Masterlist out soon, so yall won’t have to hunt through all the tags.

Did not mean for this part to go this long. Lol

Cocktail

(Early childhood)

Even late into the night, the heat remained oppressive, a damp weight that hung over the land. Thankfully, some genius  had invented A/C, letting the house remain mostly cool.

Creeping down the hallway, you did one last check on all the children. The quiet noises of Hypnos putting away the last of the dishes only served you to move quickly. 

You and Hypnos had barely had a moment alone since summer began and you planned on enjoying your husband tonight.

The twins were first, both sleeping deeply in their beds as you checked that the window was locked. 

Icelos looked like a little princess with her white canopy gleaming in the warm nightlight, her stuffed bunny tucked into her arms. You tugged her blanket up a little higher, smiling when she sighed heavily in her sleep.

However, Phan had already kicked off his blanket, a comic dangling off the side of the bed from his fingers, his limbs starfishing across the bed. He looked so much like Hypnos in that moment, you wanted to laugh.

You went over to him, placing the comic on his nightstand and you adjusted him so he wouldn’t roll off the bed. Again. You placed the blanket halfway up, kissing his forehead lightly. 

Then Morpheus’ room was next. You paused, listening for any noise before peeking in. The lad was deeply asleep, curled up into a loose ball, done in by the summer sun and the new pool you and your parents had installed for the kiddos.

With a quick glance at the window, you whispered a soft ‘Sweet dreams, baby’ before closing his door.

Last but not least, was Phobetor. 

When you opened the door, you gave the floor a wary glance. Far too often, you - or Hypnos- had fallen victim to a stray lego. Once you were confident that you wouldn't be assaulted by plastic, you went to the youngest.

All of his pillows were on the floor, his beloved trex doll under the bed and the blanket were pushed off the end of his bed. His shirt was bunched up, showing his little round belly, drool spilling down his mouth.

He was sleeping like a rock. 

With an amused eye roll, you quietly grabbed his doll, tucking it close to him. It was then you saw the red lego under his cheek, no doubt leaving a deep imprint in his skin.

How in the world….

You debated if you wanted to risk waking him up but you couldn’t leave him with a lego stuck against his cheek. With a nervous grimace, you lifted his small head up and peeled off the block, placing him back down.

Phobetor’ face twisted and you felt your heart stop because once Phobetor was awake, he was awake for hours.

But your son merely smacked his lips and flopped to the other side, his back facing you. You let out a sigh of relief, quickly tucking him in, making sure the room was safe and hurried out. 

You paused in the hallway for a moment, realizing the lego was still in your hand so you placed the lego on a bookshelf as you walked past then hurried down to the kitchen to where Hypnos should be. 

When you got down there, you raised an eyebrow when you saw him with the hidden bottle of vodka, pouring a generous amount into a glass, orange juice waiting close by.

He looked gorgeous, his pale curls loose from his daily bun, his skin darker from time in the pool today. He was wearing one of his thin shirts, the chill in the kitchen enough to make his nipples hard under the fabric.

Your mouth watered.

Hypnos held your stare, still pouring. A moment later, he switched to the other glass.

Biting back a laugh, you went over to him, kissing his temple as you wrapped your arms around his waist. 

“Is there a reason you brought out the heavy stuff?” You dipped your head lower, kissing behind his ear. Hypnos shivered, his fingers groping for the orange juice as you pressed your weight on him.

Hypnos finished mixing the drinks, twisting around in your arms to scowl up at you. His hands rested on your chest, “Yes. Do you know what your oldest son called me today?”

“What did he do?” You asked, trying to remember if Morpheus acted up but nothing came. Morpheus had happily been swimming the day away like a little fish.

“He called me ‘dad’.” Hypnos looked devastated. When you remained quiet, he gave you an expectant frown, crossing his arms.

“You are his dad.” You informed Hypnos slowly. Wondering if Hypnos had already been drinking without you.

Hypnos rolled his eyes at you, pushing you away enough for him to grab his drink. “I am supposed to be dada. Not dad. Not daddy.”

He took a deep sip and poked you in the chest. “Da.Da. Nothing else!”

Unable to resist, You leaned down to press your lips against the shell of his ear, keeping your voice low. “Yeah, besides ‘daddy’ is supposed to be your title for me.”

Hypnos smacked your shoulder, gasping out your name in outrage but you saw the smile that formed before Hypnos hid it with another sip. Feeling left out, you got your cocktail and quickly caught up. 

You and him stood in comfortable silence for a long moment, enjoying the quiet house. No screaming, no dramatic ‘oops’ as something fell to the floor or fighting between the kids. 

Just blissful quiet.

”I think we should have another baby.” Hypnos announced as you took a sip, stirring his cup as he peeked up at you under his eyelashes.

You choked, nearly spitting out your drink. You slammed a hand on your chest, coughing after you swallowed.

”What- Hypnos, where is this coming from?” You gasped, staring down at him. “Because Morpheus called you dad?”

Hypnos shrugged, running his finger along the rim of his glass. His curls fell down his cheeks, creating a veil of moonlight around his face. “I just thought, well- The twins will be in school soon enough. And Phobetor could use a playmate.”

“By the time the baby is old enough to play, Phobetor would be in school as well.” You pointed out quietly. You finished your drink and almost went for more but held off. Hypnos still haven't met your eyes.

This certainly wasn’t what you were expecting from Hypnos tonight. You shifted, bracing hands on the kitchen counter, locking Hypnos between your arms. Hypnos polished off the drink before you took it away, but he still wouldn’t meet your eyes.

“Do you really want another baby?” You asked him quietly, studying the way he bit his bottom lip, the kitchen light turning Hypnos’ gold irises honey soft. He was beautiful.

You had loved him since you were a boy, even when he hated you and you hated him back, there had been a type of love there too. A childish one that had shifted and grew into something you wouldn’t trade the world for. 

And… and if he really wanted another baby, you would give him one. You and him would make it work. Somehow. 

You cupped his chin, lifting his face toward you. “Hypnos?”

His expression crumbled. “I want my babies to stay my babies. Isn’t that horrible?” He laughed with a shake of his head. “I should be cheering for every milestone, not becoming this selfish thing.”

Ah. Not even you could offer him that. The power to stop time was beyond mere morals.

”Nothing wrong with being sad that the kids are growing up.” You told him quietly. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you but Icelos had informed me this morning that she is all grown up and doesn't want me to help tie her shoes anymore.”

Hypnos gave a watery laugh at that and spoke. “And Phan had decided to be a fire truck when grows up, did I tell you that?”

You chuckled with a headshake. “A fine choice.” 

Hypnos swayed closer and you kissed him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. You meant to pull back, to finish the conversation. Really you did. 

But the gentle whimper, the soft lips parting under the pressure of your mouth, the warmth of his body against yours, made you linger. Hypnos wrapped his arms around your neck, keeping you close, the kiss shifting to something lewder. 

You silded your hands under his ass, lifting him up easily. You squeezed, smirking at the gasp it earned you. He fist a hand in your hair, tugging at you. 

Placing him on the counter, you gave another greedy squeeze, groaning softly when one of his hands went under your shirt, running up your stomach. Hypnos’ legs wrapped tight around your hips and you were about ready to carry him off to bed when you heard noise from one of the kids’ bedrooms.

“Papa! Dada! Phan threw up!” Icelos cried down the hallway, disgust clear in her sweet little voice. 

You and Hypnos shared a look of utter despair, realizing tonight would be another missed opportunity for lovemaking. 

Both of them went up the stairs, Hypnos taking Phan to get cleaned up as you handled the bed. Icelos was wide awake, toddling behind you as she chatted at you about her dreams about puppies and hotdogs.

When you were bringing up the new sheets, you saw Morpheus out of bed. At your questioning glance, he lifted a cup of water. “I was thirsty.”

Then Phobetor opened his door, tears running down his round cheeks as he wailed. “Papa, a monster ate mister red!”

“Mister red?” You asked before you could stop yourself.

“My Lego!” He wailed even higher, making you wince. Icelos was still chatting happily as her baby brother sobbed and Morpheus ran down the stairs for more water.

You sighed, closing your eyes for a moment. 

if Hypnos really did want that fifth baby, it was going to be a long while.

You heard the sound of more puking from the bathroom. 

A very long while.

[fumikomiyasaki]

Stallmare belongs to @silent-dragon , and he will be another MC to my pile

𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Name: Phobetor Matalon

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿: Male

𝗔𝗴𝗲: 20

𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆: 17th of January

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: Capricorn

𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁:  196 cm before, 234 cm after transformation

𝗘𝘆𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿: red

𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿: ash red

Based of: Nightmares Horse, Nightmare and Soul Edge of Soul Calibur

.

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗦

𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗺: Repose

𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿: Second year

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀: 2-C

𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: student, walking Nightmare, former noble of the Flamestone Kingdom

𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯: Nightmare Mic

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁: Running Archery

Homeland: Lost Fortress

Sexuality:  Omnisexual

.

.

𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦:

𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱: left

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: Pomegrenade, turnip dishes, Borscht,

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: ice cream, anything too cold just vaporates inside him

Likes: Clovers, Violent people, Sunsets, Cats, well maintained weapons,

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀: Dragiselle, Oskar, Knights in general, people trying to therapy him,

𝗛𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘆: Bowling, Telling scary stories, laying on Sofas

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Sword fighting, Scaring others, figuring out people, guessing gemstones worth,

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬:

Born in the Flamestone Kingdom as a noble prince, Phobetor was actually supposed to be the one to marry Princess Dragiselle once her prophecy wouldn't come true, but he secretly fell in love with Camilla, the woman who was supposed to serve him as his guardian... however both often snuck out and met up for secret dates their love slowly blossoming... however it was not meant to be. One week Prior to the tragedy of the Flamestone Kingdom, Phobetor was on a crusade with knights and found a sword lost in the Ruins... he thought it was a famed sword from the legends and pulled it out... since then he heard a voice in his head... one that tried to lead him down... Memories were hazy but as He woke Up... all of his men he took with him were slaughtred... the cursed weapon covered in blood... yet he still took it with him and assumed it wasn't him... at least that is what the sword told him...

As Dragiselle started to set the Flamestone Kingdom ablaze, Phobetor prioritized saving Camilla to anything else... and stood strong trying to hold off Dragiselle from getting to her parents, the King and Queen of their kingdom... yet as Camilla saw him set ablaze by the Princesses Flames... the cursed sword actually helped him withstand it... yet for a prize... slowly taking him over... as he woke up again he was with Dragiselle and Inessa on his way to another Location... the Kingdom destroyed... his love nowhere to be seen. And his body changed, blond hair became red, his skin as Grey as ash... as he looked into the mirror and hated the Monster he looked like.

He faked Amnesia towards Dragiselle and accompanied her to the Magixella dorm on his first year, playing her Knight and loyal servant but Inessa caught onto his revenge plans on her for everything she done and broke one of his horns in an attempt to warn him... knowing he couldn't do anything to acheive his goals, he transfered to Stallmare... hoping to Plan the Nightmares he wants to spread out.

Phobetor is a very charismatic guy, as he was not transformed many people adored and loved to listen to him, yet his current mentality is moreso... I rather play the Villain than let People get attached to me. He is called the prince of Nightmares around the people he met for the reason of his ability causing many people to be scared and have Nightmares. If you are fearless you have better chances to approach him.

He has some actual good advice and he is willing to share his fruits with you of he likes you.

He has quite a dislike for Knights given the bloody memory of the sword which led him to remind him of the corpses of his fallen comrades and Twist his memories that they attempted to kill him. The sword in itself often twists his mind to do some hurt. The best would be to get control and keep the sword away from him.

He noticed Camilla also joined a NRC dorm but hope she doesn't recognise him... in His eyes she doesn't deserve him and he rather push her away than renew their love.

Unique Magic:

Beautifull Nightmare

Transforms himself for 10 minutes in your worst nightmare

[spacecadetspe]

A snippet from last year…

Apr. 3, 2023

It feels like everything came together properly last night.

Had a great cathartic cry in the morning, had a home-cooked breakfast, went to the fair with my two favorite people in the world, took W back to his father, then went home and made ceviche and southwestern-style potatoes and watched anime with Fortitude until bedtime.

And then we got to work. The Forge has been repaired. I called Zoe, Phobetor, and Morpheus, and then called Patience's star, Amitabha, to meet us with his associates at Muspelheim.

The Captain of Surtr's Guard met me in a crushing hug and swung me around like a ragdoll (I do love the Jotnar so!) and led us into the Forge. After awhile, he murmured that we were getting close to Patience's cell.

"How can you tell?" Morpheus asked.

I rubbed my jaw. "It makes me want to clench my teeth," I replied.

The Captain nodded. "The gravity has changed."

Morpheus hummed and gestured at me. "I must be spending too much time around her; I can hardly feel it."

"It's not pleasant," I mumbled.

Patience's cell has a door four layers thick, with warding on top. Nobody was taking any chances with him, and that's fair. The menfolk all looked at me to make sure I wouldn't need an escort, but I knew I could do this on my own. The Captain let me in, and then warded the door behind me.

Patience and C were both curled up in the far corner of the room, and glared daggers at me when I entered.

"What do you want?" he growled.

I got straight to the point. "Father wants to know if you're still set on being the Virtue of Patience."

He raised his head a bit. "Why would that be a concern?"

I threw up my hands. "I don't know, John," I said, using his human name. "Maybe because you're at sixty wings and you haven't leveled up in awhile. You've been waffling so long He's not sure you're a good fit."

He finally turned his glare away. "It wasn't the most pressing thing at the time."

"Your identity isn't the most important thing?" I asked, rhetorically. "And you seriously wonder why he's testing you?"

C picked her head up. "All this was a fucking test?" she asked.

"That's the rumor."

"But why did it have to be me?" she cried.

I countered easily. "Your patron is the embodiment of death, honey. Did you think he was going to make an exception for you when it came to doing his job? And I know you didn't think to ask him about what you could learn from this, did you?"

A low, matter-of-fact voice spoke up. "Did you think it was only just you?" I turned and saw Thanatos leaned against the opposite corner of the room from them, to my left. "Shall I show you all the women and children who've lost their lives over the eons because they miscarried?"

C lowered her head. "I'd... rather you didn't."

"I figured," he said with a nod. "But you're acting like you're alone in this, and you're pushing away any attempt at comfort or camaraderie."

I folded my arms. "I saved your husband's soul three times. And you want to push away all Hope because you wanted to be mad and blame someone else for what happened to you. Every olive branch I have extended got slapped back in my face. It's come to the point where Sinmara out there has had to patch me up twice because of all the betrayals I've gone through." I lifted my shirt to show them the glowing runic stitches on my abdomen. "You might be the heart of the universe, C, but you are still just one person. And you're affecting billions of people because you can't stop hiding behind your own trauma." I cocked my head. "Not the smartest choice you could've made. But you know what?" I dropped my hands. "Fine. This is the last time I save your ass."

Patience snorted. "Why do you care?"

I paused, mostly for effect. "I have loved you since the day we met," I said. "I have always cared, and I've never stopped. Not even when I have my own shit to deal with. It never occurred to you that I didn't want you to bear my burdens, did it? It didn't occur to you that running the Dream World is nobody's picnic, and I'm doing that mostly on my own. You get all the fun reports of my adventures, but I don't tell you about the breakdowns, the revolutions, the rebellions, and the nastiness I have to put up with. And by the way, even though I've saved your ass three times, I have never had flaming debris raining down on two of the worlds I supervise because that's how destructive you got!"

I took a breath, and Thanatos patted my shoulder.

Finally, I let my shoulder relax. "So... I'll give you until the end of the year. Then I'll need to see if you're still Virtue material."

"And what if I'm not?" he asked

I shrugged. "That's fine. That's your choice. We'll find someone else to fill the role."

Patience looked at C. "But... she's my wife."

I shrugged again. "So? You're not guiding her. You're not letting any of your guides help you. If you're not going to do it, someone else has to pick up the slack."

"Well... what about me?" he stammered.

"It depends," I replied. "We don't have to be friends. But if you stand against me... if you get in my way... if you try to tear down all that I have built..." I lowered my gaze at him. "I will kill you."

"Seems a bit harsh..."

"Harsh?" I yelled. "You destroyed the both the Forge and the infirmary! The occupants of Muspelheim evacuated to the Dream World because of this!" I pressed my hands together. "We were friends once, so I'll ask you only once; do not fall back into depravity, or I will treat you like a threat. I have three hundred wings. You have sixty. You won't stand a ghost of a chance."

And I left them. I nodded to Phobetor and Morpheus to begin, and the Captain shut them in. I'll need to check on them sometime today. I hope they are all right, after that. They were working with at least four astral guides last night. They're probably exhausted.

[spiteweaver]

previous | next

“Come on, hurry up!”

“If you go any slower, you’ll miss it.”

“It’s on the beach!”

“Myrtle says it’s important.”

“Slow down!” Dreamweaver shouted over the rush of wind in their ears, but neither Morpheus nor Phobetor relented. The twins had been flying for mere months, and yet they could outpace even Phantasos, who was struggling to keep them in sight among low-hanging spring rain clouds. “You’re going to pull a muscle!” Dreamweaver tried again. “You’re going to strain, er, something-or-other!”

Beside them, Banrai chuckled, and maneuvered closer, so that his broad wings cast them in shadow. “You’re worrying too much, dear,” he said. “They’ve never flown this far before. Let them stretch their legs--or, rather, wings.”

“It’s all right, dede!” Phantasos called back. “I can fly faster than they can fall!”

Dreamweaver only groaned in response.

“There it is!” Morpheus squealed. “Look, look, you can see it from here!”

As the royal family dipped down below the cloudline, Dreamweaver thought at first that Danu had risen from the depths to speak with them, and that this must be what was so very important. Only when they drew nearer to the shore did they realize that what they were looking at was not a dragon, but an airship, larger and more magnificent than any they had ever imagined. It was Lightning-make, if the sophistication of its machinations was any indication...

...and it was docking just outside of Seaside.

“This is either really good,” Phantasos said, “or really bad.”

The twins were the first to arrive. Morpheus’ landing was clumsy, and Phobetor had to catch them as they stumbled, but they were off the very next moment. Myrtle greeted them with a warm smile. “We brought da and dede!” Morpheus informed brightly. “Can we go and see the airship now?!”

“You promised to let them see the airship?” Dreamweaver said as they alighted in the sand beside their children. “Myrtle, what have I told you about spoiling them?”

“I didn’t think there would be any harm in it,” said Myrtle in his dreamy voice. “It’s not a warship; we examined it thoroughly before clearing it for landing.”

“Then what’s it doing here?” Dreamweaver asked.

“Dreamy, they’re tourists,” Banrai said, squeezing his mate’s shoulder bracingly. “We get them all the time. A clan as large as ours, in as central a location as ours, with as many resources and local attractions as ours--well, it’s bound to attract sightseers.”

“I know that,” Dreamweaver mumbled.

“Then let’s go and watch the landing.”

Unable to find a flaw in their husband’s logic, Dreamweaver dismissed the twins with a reluctant wave of their hand. Before they could charge forward, however, Phantasos had scooped them both up in his arms. “Me and Ozy will keep an eye on ‘em,” he offered, “and I reckon Thal’ll show up soon enough, seeing as his boyfriend’s here and all.”

“Let’s go,” Ozymandias said, and, grabbing his young ward by the scruff of his neck, propelled him forward. “I’ll keep an eye on them--all of them.”

“Thank you, Ozymandias,” Dreamweaver replied.

“It looks like the vendors are already setting up shop at the landing site,” Banrai said, squinting against the harsh midday sun. “We had best go along and make sure they don’t try to swindle anyone out of anything. I’d hate to gain a reputation as a tourist trap.”

So the pair, along with Myrtle, made their way up the shore to where the ship was just beginning to touch down. Its propellers kicked up a cloud of sand in their wake, but this didn’t seem to deter any of the curious onlookers--nor the merchants hoping to make quick coin. Dreamweaver scanned the craft for Lightning weaponry, but saw only smooth, glimmering copper. If it was a warship, it was unlike any they had ever encountered.

“It’s very pretty,” Myrtle said.

“It’s very impressive,” Banrai added. “I’ve never seen one so large.”

“That’s because the big ones are always warships,” Dreamweaver reiterated. “Dragons have little need of them outside of conflict. If they don’t fly, they walk.”

“Don’t be that way, Dreamy.” Banrai pulled them close, and pressed a kiss to their temple. “Even Snappers can grow weary of walking everywhere.”

“I know,” Dreamweaver conceded, “I just can’t stand the smell.”

Finally, with a resounding boom that shook the earth beneath their feet, the airship came to rest in the sand. Banrai took the lead, parting the crowd so that Dreamweaver and Myrtle could pass, and soon, they stood before the gangway, already thronging with eager passengers. As Banrai had predicted, they were tourists, many with children, and Dreamweaver heaved a sigh of relief when they caught sight of the newcomers gawking at them.

“There,” said Banrai, “you see? You worried yourself for nothing--again.”

“Yes,” Dreamweaver agreed, “but that’s my job, isn’t it? Ah, I’ve never been happier to be stared at by so many strange eyes.”

“They think you’re beautiful,” Banrai said.

“They think I’m unusual,” Dreamweaver replied.

“Can’t it be both?” Myrtle asked.

“Welcome to Clan Feldspar and the Analemma Dominions! Enjoy your stay!”

Dreamweaver pursed their lips. “It would seem our son is already making friends.”

Indeed, Phantasos had taken to greeting their guests with perhaps a mite too much enthusiasm. He shook each hand that was offered to him, and was able to point out every last place of interest on every single map he was shown. Meanwhile, the ship’s younger passengers, buzzing with pent-up energy from their long voyage, joined Morpheus and Phobetor in a romp up and down the shore--under Ozymandias’ watchful eye.

“He’s better at this than us,” Banrai said.

“Well,” said Dreamweaver, flashing their husband a nasty grin, “we’ll see how he feels about it when we make him the official welcome wagon.”

Banrai was about to rib them for their mean streak when a call of, “Hey down there!” rang out above the clamor. Dreamweaver’s head snapped up, their ears flicking forward inquisitively. The voice was a familiar one, but the memory of its owner slipped between their fingers like the fine sand under their feet. He stood above them on the ship’s railing, hanging precariously with one arm outstretched, his features obscured by the sun at his back.

Then a cloud bank moved across it, and Dreamweaver gasped.

“Lutece?”

@nostlenne  @serthis-archivist @airris-fr @reanimatedfr @jollyroger-fr @megane-pigeon @griminal-rising @windkissesfr

[a-d-nox]

morpheus, god of dreams and sleep (asteroid 4197)

i feel it is time to talk about the god of dreams given that completely odd tv adaptation of him on the netflix show the sandman. morpheus is one of my deities so i feel compelled to clear some things up.

so who is morpheus?

Morpheus is the son of Hypnos, the god of sleep, and grandchild of Nyx, the goddess of the night - sometimes Morpheus is Nyx's son asexually created. Morpheus is thought to be in control of the human-like beings in a dream. These beings are called the morphai. While the dreamscape and objects in a dream are not his at all but his brothers' - Phobetor (sometimes referred to as Icelus - the ruler of objects in a dream) and Phantasus (the ruler of the dreamscape). Morpheus did rule over his brothers, but he was not the one who decided who dreamt of what - he answered to Iris. Iris is the messenger goddess of the gods, who delivered to Morpheus what the gods wanted the humans to know or see in dreams. The first written appearance of Morpheus in mythology appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In Ovid's depiction, he is a sleep demon who takes on the form of the characters within your dreams. It is believed that Morpheus slept in a cave filled with poppies allowing for uninterrupted sleep - yes, the word morphine comes from this god. IN MY OPINION Morpheus in your chart represents a) where you find yourself dreaming, b) the type of dreams you tend to have, c) where you make dreams into reality, d) how active a dreamer you are, and/or e) how deep of sleeper you are/whether you sleep well or not.

i encourage you to look into the aspects of morpheus along with the sign, degree, and house placement. for the more advanced astrologers, take a look at the persona chart of morpheus AND/OR add the other characters involved to see how they support or impede morpheus!

OTHER RELATED ASTEROIDS: nyx (3908), hypnos (14827), iris (7), and ovidius (2800)!

like what you read? leave a tip and state what post it is for! please use my “suggest a post topic” button if you want to see a specific post or mythical asteroid next!

click here for the masterlist

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[teaplease1717]

Story: Ashes of Love and War

Chapter: 14 / ?

Couple: Todoroki Shouto / Yaoyorozu Momo (TodoMomo)

Rating: M (for language and violence)

Betas: @flourchildwrites​ (Link)  & C’s Melody (Link)

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21638800/chapters/73273167Shouto laid the unconscious pirate face-down on the makeshift cot.

Thank you everyone who follows and supports!

XXXXXX

The flames burning in the bronze tripods flickered, casting long shadows across the man’s pale, sticky skin. Shouto sat back on his heels and tilted the man’s head to the side to make sure the pirate didn’t choke if he got sick.

The man stirred as Shouto adjusted him. His eyes fluttered open, and he moaned as he stared unseeing at Shouto for a moment before his eyelids closed again — hopefully not for the last time — and he shivered.

Shouto leaned down to the edge of the cot to grab the blanket but paused, hesitating. He stared down at the pirate, studying the gashes running across his back.

The skin had been shredded by the stympahlian’s talons. The veins streaking out from around the wounds had turned green and purple from poison. And on the man’s arm was a nasty cut from one of the stymphalian’s feathers. It had sliced along his forearm, exposing bone.

The man shivered again, and Shouto wavered on whether he should cover him.

He decided not to. It wouldn’t be safe to have anything touching either wound until they had been properly cleaned. The pirate would be lucky enough if he didn’t lose his arm; he didn’t need an infection on top of that.

Shouto folded the blanket back up and stood. The rest of the room was filled with the other gravely wounded. Pallets were stacked almost on top of each other in what had once been the dining room. Yet, the space wasn’t big enough; only a third of those who were injured fit. The tents the pirates had brought with them were tattered. Men without life-threatening injuries were set up on cots in the courtyard or crowded in the hallway.

It was uncomfortable. Despair and pain hung over the house, sliding down Shouto’s back like cold claws as it dredged up memories of the war. Of his comrades writhing in agony from incurable wounds, begging the gods for mercy — which they would never grant. And the civilians of Troy, the soldiers and innocents he’d killed, their screams and pleas as he tore Endeavor through them.

Shouto’s fingers twitched, and he turned and walked outside.

The warm night air met him. During the dark, a heavy fog had crept out over the mountain, covering everything in a thick veil. It was denser than normal mist and most likely influenced by the dark magic lingering in the air.

Shouto walked until he got to the edge of the cliffs. The scent of burning stymphalian corpses from the courtyard stung his nose.

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the smell. There was a hollow sensation in his chest as he thought back on the attack. The timing. The coordination. Was it the patron’s doing?

It had to be.

Shouto flexed his fingers and brought his hand to rest on Endeavor’s hilt. The uptick in stymphalian activity had started a month ago, right around the time his brother had attacked their ship. Were the incidents related?

It was hard to say with the evidence they had. Dabi was certainly sadistic enough and petty enough that Shouto wouldn’t put it past him to use monsters to accomplish his goals. But, Dabi hadn’t known he was going to lose when they had fought. And even if he had, Shouto found it hard to believe his brother would have been smart enough to plan something like this himself.

Besides, Aizawa said it was a bird with purple and green plumage that had come to the island…

That didn’t sound like Dabi. His brother’s colors were purple and blue.

So who was the patron?

Shouto’s lips thinned, and he tapped his finger against Endeavor’s hilt. The only god he knew with purple and green as their banner colors was Overhaul — or Phobetor as mortals knew him — the god of nightmares. He had heard rumors that the god had some sort of relations with Dabi, but from what Shouto knew, the god hated monsters and considered them filthy beasts. So, there was no apparent reason he’d be involved with the stymphalian.

A headache was building in the back of his skull. There were too many questions without any answers. Shouto sighed and opened his eyes to stare up at the silvery moon waning in the brightening sky.

At the end of the day, it didn’t matter who the stymphalian’s benefactor was. Shouto would just have to do what he always did. He’d fight, and he’d win because he was–

His throat closed abruptly, and he gripped Endeavor tighter as his hands began to tremble. Heat burned across Shouto’s chest.

Strong.

Was he really strong? After everything that had happened, did he really get to call himself that?

Yaoyorozu had been injured because he hadn’t been able to protect her. And Haimawari and Rin had been kidnapped due to his negligence.

How many countless others had been hurt because of him? Sero. The sailors tasked with bringing them back to Sparta. A flurry of other nameless faces flashed through Shouto’s mind — all the men injured because of his mistakes.

Shouto reached up, and his fingers traced the marred skin around his left eye.

It was the way of life: the strong lived, and the weak died. He had accepted that. It was the motto of Greece. And Shouto had always been strong, or at least he thought he had. But, ever since the injury....or even before….

He dropped his hand and drew in a sharp breath through his teeth.

He had become careless. He had let these fake emotions for Yaoyorozu cloud his mind. And after last night, when he had cracked the stymphalian’s neck with his bare hands to save her, it became abundantly clear the curse wasn’t going away.

The thought made anger bubble in his chest, and Shouto forced his mind away from that line of thinking. It wouldn’t do any good. He didn’t know how to break it.

A voice in the back of his mind wondered if he should finally tell Yaoyorozu.

Shouto gritted his teeth.

The right thing — the honorable thing — would be to tell Yaoyorozu about a curse that was tied to her. Especially on the eve of the operation, it was even more important for any loose strings that could affect or influence the mission be addressed. He didn’t want any more innocent people to be hurt because of the spell.

So why was he hesitating?

His fingers twitched. This wasn't like him at all. Shouto wasn't known for overthinking or being indecisive. If anything, he had been accused of being too rash. But anytime he thought about admitting his failure to Yaoyorozu, somehow, he couldn't get the words to form.

What was wrong with him?

At first, he had thought it was his ego and the notion of telling civilians from a former enemy nation about his weakness, but now he didn’t know. Yaoyorozu was smart and could help him deal with the side effects. It was almost like he didn't want to...like he was nervous.

Could it be...was he afraid of Yaoyorozu’s reaction?

Shouto felt something in his heart twist, and he sighed deeply and tried to focus on something else to calm his temper. It felt like all the thoughts he had been pushing down for the last month had exploded within his chest like magic.

That’s right.

Shouto lifted his left hand and stared down at his palm. His fingers were shaking, but Shouto ignored the tremors as he focused on the slight pulse under his skin.

His magic had come back. Not fully, but he could feel it shifting in his veins again. Dormant but there. Like a dam with cracks beginning to form. He just needed to find a way to unleash.

And by tomorrow.

Before they went on the offensive against the stymphalian.

A noise behind him caught his attention. Shouto dropped his hand and looked up as Fukukado approached. She slid up next to him and stared out over the mountain. The long shadows of the night had grown shorter, and he could see the captain’s face clearly in the morning glow. She looked tired, but some of the distress and unease from earlier was gone.

After a moment, Fukukado asked. “How are you and the girl—Yaoyorozu, was it?” Shouto stilled at her name, his stomach knotting as Fukukado continued. “How are you two fairing?”

To the south, the pirate ship’s sails were barely visible through the fog.

Shouto forced himself to shrug faintly as she turned to look at him. “Fine. I wasn’t hurt. Yaoyorozu sprained her shoulder, but after some rest, she should be okay.”

Fukukado mouthed quirked faintly. “I didn’t mean like that.” Some of her color returned. And, for a moment, she looked like how she had yesterday when he had first met her. Then her playful expression fell. “We haven’t been here for long, but I’ve noticed that you keep to yourself. You’re always alone.”

Shouto shifted, and he brought his hand up to rest upon Endeavor. “Sometimes it's better that way,” he said stiffly.

Fukukado shook her head. “Sometimes. But not like you.” She stared at him pensively for a moment before saying, “As a captain, I have to pay attention to my men. See who they work well with and who I need them to avoid. I need to know how to read people to stay alive. And I’ve been watching you. You don’t socialize with anyone. You purposefully stand apart from others, like you don’t trust anyone. You seem partial to Yaoyorozu, but even with her, you seem hesitant. It’s like you’re a house, and you don’t want to let anyone in.”

Shouto’s grip on Endeavor tightened. He didn’t want to have this conversation right now.

Fukukado seemed to read something in his expression because she continued quickly. “The reason I’m bringing this up now is because tomorrow will be difficult, especially if a god is involved. We are going to need to put our best effort into defeating the stymphalian, and the best way to win any fight is by having something to fight for.”

Fukukado’s expression tightened, and she looked away. “It took ten years to defeat the Trojans not because they were wonderful fighters or because they had an impenetrable city, but because they had things they were fighting for.”

Shouto didn’t say anything.

She sighed. “We aren’t meant to be alone, Todoroki.” Her voice was soft. “Humans, I mean. Whether that's a lover or children or friends. We all need someone. I have my men. They’ll get me through this, but who do you have? Yaoyorozu?”

Shouto’s hand tightened on Endeavor. His throat felt tight. “Yaoyorozu doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’m respecting her wishes,” he said stiffly.

Fukukado was quiet for a moment.

“I think she relies on you more than you think.”

Shouto tried to ignore the way his heart rose at the comment.

“I’ll do what I need to. Is that all?” he finally asked.

Fukukado sighed. “Yes, that’s all I wanted to say. Anyways, enough lecturing. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.” She stretched. “Get some sleep too, Aizawa told me you’ve been up for the last two days.”

She returned inside, leaving Shouto to stare at the rising sun.

Did he really need someone?

Shouto turned and headed back into the house.

He had people back in Sparta, thousands of miles away—Sero, Bakugo, and Midoriya. He liked to think of them as friends (or had thought of them as his friends), but he had frozen Sero. Bakugo had sent him away and everything that had happened with Midoriya before he left…did he really have anyone anymore?

His heart pounded in his chest.

He blinked and realized belatedly that he was in front of the kitchen. Yaoyorozu was inside, busily cutting bandages out of extra sheets.

Shouto paused in the doorway. He had been so lost in thought he hadn’t even been paying attention as he walked, and his feet had brought him back to her.

No.

It was the curse, he reminded himself.

Shouto scowled. Everything stemmed from Kaminari’s arrow. He curled his hand into a fist at his side and was about to walk away when Yaoyorozu looked up.

“Todoroki?”

His feet paused, and he felt the curse pull at him. Shouto sighed. It wasn’t like he was tired anyway. “I can help you, if you need it.”

Yaoyorozu wiped at her forehead with the back of her forearm. She nodded, and Shouto moved closer, ignoring the way his heartbeat stuttered.

“Thank you.” She gave him a thin smile as she handed him a pair of scissors and one of the blankets. “If you can just cut these into long, thin sheets. I’m making them into bandages. Try to make them even, if you can.”

Shouto hummed as he took the scissors from her. From up-close, underneath the exhaustion and despair that they all wore, he could see that Yaoyorozu’s eyes were red-tinged and the thin skin under them slightly puffy.

Realization dawned on him like a kick in the gut.

“You've been crying.”

“Oh,” she twisted away. Reaching up, she self-consciously wiped at her face. “It's nothing.”

A lump formed in his throat. “Are you okay?”

She sighed but didn’t meet his eyes. “Is anyone okay right now?” she asked softly.

“But I mean-”

“It's fine,” she cut him off sternly. Her expression flickered, and she swallowed, dropping her head to stare at the table. “We can’t be infighting right now.”

The anger in Shouto’s chest stirred, but he pushed it down and forced himself to get to work. The logical side of him understood.

He couldn’t make Yaoyorozu talk. Forcing her when she wasn’t ready to speak would only upset her further. And besides, he’d promised only yesterday that he’d be better and more considerate of her feelings. He couldn’t fail, not even a full day after he had made that vow, just because of a stupid curse making him impatient. Shouto gripped the scissors tighter as he sheared them along the sheet.

She’d tell him when she was ready.

But he couldn’t help to wonder what had happened.

Shouto knew she had been angry with Aizawa’s decision. However, when he had left the kitchen, she hadn’t looked so upset that she’d cry over it.

There had been an angry resignation in her expression, but not sadness. But now, she looked sad. And lonely. It felt like something had occurred after the meeting, something more painful.

‘We can’t be infighting right now.’

Shouto’s lips thinned. What did she mean by that?

“Todoroki.”

Yaoyorozu’s voice snapped Shouto out of his thoughts. He jerked his head up to find Yaoyorozu staring pointedly at his hands.

“You’re cutting the sheet too small.”

Shouto followed her gaze down to the table. The makeshift bandages he was cutting were frayed at the edges and definitely not meeting Yaoyorozu’s request for evenly cut strips. He looked back up at her and felt his ears turn red. “Sorry.”

Yaoyorozu shook her head faintly, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “You’ve never used scissors before, have you?”

Shouto shifted, and he looked away. "No."

In fact, Bakugo had explicitly barred Shouto from ever helping with what he called “household chores.” According to the prince, any time Shouto was around, work only seemed to double. Shouto thought the judgment was unfair, but looking at his poorly cut bandages, maybe Bakugo wasn’t wrong.

Yaoyorozu made a noise in the back of her throat that sounded like suppressed laughter as if she could read Shouto’s thoughts. "Here. I'll show you a trick to cutting straight."

She moved closer. Shouto tensed as the heat of her body leaned into his, and she took his bedsheet, her fingers skimming against his.

"First, take your fabric, and hang some off the table.”

Warmth curled in Shouto’s chest as he watched Yaoyorozu work. She seemed calmer now. Her shoulders were not as tense, and there was a faint smile on her lips.

'I think she relies on you more than you think.'

Shouto inhaled slowly through his nose. Fukukado couldn’t be right. There was no way that Yaoyorozu would rely on him, especially if she ever learned about the curse. She'd never trust him.

“Then cut along the edge of the table to get an even strip," Yaoyorozu continued demonstrating, unaware of Shouto’s thoughts. She sliced an even line along the bedsheet, and then looked back up at him. Her smile dropped slightly as she blinked, scanning his face. "Todoroki? What is it?"

Shouto shook his head and then stared down at the perfectly even fabric she had cut. “Nothing.” He exhaled slowly. Then wavered for a moment before adding, “I’m just glad you don’t seem as sad anymore.”

Yaoyorozu opened her mouth and then closed it. Her shoulders dropped. “Is that so,” she said slowly. Her eyes grew glassy. She pressed her lips into a thin line and ducked her head.

Shouto froze.

Fuck.

Did he mess up?

His heart rate quickened. He didn’t understand what he did wrong, but when Shouto opened his mouth to apologize, Yaoyorozu looked up at him from below her long dark eyelashes. Her eyes were still red but a small genuine smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. “Thank you,” she whispered.

It felt like all the air in the room had suddenly vanished. His heart rose in his chest.

Shouto swallowed thickly. Unconsciously, his fingers moved towards her hand when footsteps against the flooring drew Shouto’s attention. He looked up as Tokoyami stepped into the doorway and hesitated.

“Yaoyorozu, I wanted to talk…” The bird half-monster trailed off as he froze and looked between them. His expression hardened. “Todoroki.”

Yaoyrozu stepped back. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said quickly. She dropped her head, her long hair hiding her face as she turned away. “I have to go tend to the wounded,” she said, picking up the makeshift bandages and hurrying quickly towards the door.

Tokoyami visibly wavered as she drew closer. “Yaoyorozu, may I have a word in private?”

Yaoyorozu paused. Her back was to Shouto, so he couldn’t see her face, but when she spoke, there was a faint tremble in her voice. “After. I have to go finish up first.” She straightened and walked out the door leaving Shouto and Tokoyami alone.

Shouto looked back at Tokoyami. The half-monster shifted. His hands curled into fists at his side.

Then it hit Shouto; the reason Yaoyorozu was upset was because of Tokoyami. He had done something to hurt her.

Fury welled up in Shouto's chest, and he pressed his lips into a thin, hard line. His fingers twitched.

‘We can’t be infighting right now.'

Shouto exhaled slowly. That was Yaoyorozu's decision. He needed to respect her wishes. He swallowed the anger back as he waited for Tokoyami to leave.

Except he didn't. Tokoyami straightened and met Shouto's gaze. "What were you doing in here?" He asked finally.

Shouto inhaled deeply to try and pace his rage. He could feel the curse pulsating in his veins. “I was helping make bandages,” he said, holding up his pile of poorly cut sheets.

Tokoyami hesitated. It was hard to read his bird-like expression. After a moment, he inhaled deeply. “I thank you for saving her earlier," he said in a strained tone. His expression rippled. "But please…you should leave Yaoyorozu alone."

“Just like you’re leaving her?”

Shit. Shouto meant to keep his anger in check, but now that the words tumbled out, he could feel how angry he was for Yaoyorozu.

Tokoyami's eyes widened. "I’m not leaving her!" He shifted as he met Shouto’s gaze. “But she needs to stay behind; it is for the best. She’s human and our only healer outside of Aizawa.”

“You made her cry.”

Tokoyami’s yellow bird-like eyes flickered momentarily before they hardened in anger. “Yaoyorozu knows it’s the right thing to do. She’s a healer, not a fighter.”

“Then why did you teach her to fight?” Shouto growled.

Tokoyami clicked his tongue. “We were at war. Of course, she needed to know.”

“But you doubt her now?” Shouto asked, his voice low as he stepped around the table.

“It’s not about doubting or not. It’s about not having another healer and the fact that she is human. Her body won't last fighting the stymphalian or a god…not like ours.”

“She doesn’t need your protection. She’s strong.”

“I never said she wasn’t strong. But I’m not risking her. I don't know what you see her as, but she's like a sister to me,” Tokoyami said, eyes flashing in challenge. “I won't lose any more people I care about because of you.” His voice was hard and tight. “But she’s your slave. If you want her to fight, then order her.”

“I’m not going to order her,” Shouto hissed indignantly. "Never. If I made decisions for her, I'd be no better than you."

Unconsciously, his hand moved to Endeavor.

Tokoyami’s eyes flickered down for a moment, then back up to his face. His eyes grew hard. “You say that, but as soon as we leave this island, you’ll hurt her. If you really cared about her, you’d use your powers and end this, but you haven’t.”

The accusation hit him like an arrow in the gut, poisoning him with the truth of the situation.

If only he had access to his power...if only he wasn’t so weak...

Shouto’s tongue twisted with all the anger and frustration he had been feeling since arriving on the island. He wanted to pour out his rage on Tokoyami, but that wouldn’t do any good.

His fingers shook, and he curled them tighter around Endeavor’s hilt as he forced himself to swallow his fury. “I won’t hurt her. Ever. That’s a promise. We’re on the same side now. You're the only one hurting her.”

A shadow appeared in the doorway behind Tokoyami, but Shouto ignored them as he stepped closer.

Tokoyami’s yellow eyes flashed, a hint of regret flickered in their depths before hardening in defiance. “I only said what was necessary.”

“Enough,” Aizawa’s gravelly voice snapped.

Shouto rolled his jaw but didn’t look away as Aizawa approached and stepped in between them. The older man pushed Shouto away. Reluctantly, Shouto took a half a step back.

“That’s enough, both of you. I know everyone is tense, but we can’t be fighting before tomorrow’s operation.” Aizawa’s eyes flashed as he looked between them. His lips thinned, then he turned towards Tokoaymi. “You two can’t seem to comprehend the situation, so I’ll split you up. Tokoyami will take my place for the morning patrol. Everyone else will stay here and prepare.”

Tokoyami’s expression hardened. “No complaints,” he muttered darkly.

Notes: Deimos – is the god of terror and one of the banner men of Ares. In this story, Dabi is Deimos. Phobetor – is the god of nightmares. In dreams he takes the form of animals or monsters.

[ryqoshay]

Happy Life: How to Walk a Familiar

Primary Pairing: YohaRiko Words: ~2k Rating: G AU: Angelic? Time Frame: Sometime during their college years Story Arc: Stand Alone

Author’s Note: Someday I’ll get back to the other YohaRiko scenes I’ve started, including the one that this one was supposed to be...

“Ne, Yocchan!” Riko called as she left her room on her way to the living room, her pug in tow.

“What’s up, Riri?” Yoshiko responded as she paused her game.

“I’m going to take Prelude for a walk. Want to come with us?”

“Definitely!” The blue-haired girl made to jump up from the couch before realizing there was a purring furball in her lap. “Uhm… one moment… Sorry, Phobetor.” She nudged the cat gently in an attempt to have him leave of his own volition.

For his part, Phobetor took his time getting to his feet and stretching with a sizable yawn before stepping down onto the cushion beside Yoshiko. He glanced among the other three occupants of the apartment as though trying to determine the purpose of his nap being interrupted.

“We’ll be back in a little bit.” Yoshiko assured, patting the kitten’s head before moving toward the entryway.

“Merow!” Phobetor uttered, rubbing up against Yoshiko’s leg as she knelt to tie her shoe.

“Be a good boy while we’re out.” Yoshiko responded, petting her cat. She frowned, however, when the meowing continued as she stood. “We’ll be back before you know it.” She assured.

Phobetor switched tactics and moved toward Prelude, bunting against her while his vocalizations became more pleading.

“C’mon, Prelude.” Riko started to open the door and was about to step out when she felt resistance at the other end of the leash. “Prelude?” She turned to find her puppy sitting squarely in place. “Do you think we should let him come with us, Yocchan?” Riko inquired of her girlfriend.

“I’d like to bring him.” Yoshiko admitted. “But I don’t know how we would do that. I haven’t even bought a collar for him as I wasn’t expecting to take him anywhere other than the vet on occasion. I should probably get one…”

“Hrm…” Riko considered, watching the protesting pets for a moment. “I wonder if…” She trailed off as she closed the front door and opened the closet instead. “Ah, here we go.” She said after a minute or two of searching. “I wonder if Prelude’s old collar will fit?”

“Maybe? It looks a little big.” Yoshiko took the collar and knelt. Phobetor immediately stopped yowling and moved to sit in front of her. “Usually owners use harnesses on cats because they’re harder to get out of and there is less risk of the cat choking. Huh, just barely. Still pretty loose...” She commented as she used the last hole in the leather to secure the collar.

“Perhaps we can add a stop at the pet store to our route.” Riko said, holding out a spare leash. “Maybe Ryoushi-kun will be there and can meet him?” She mentioned the name of their favorite associate.

“Sounds good.” Yoshiko agreed as she attached the leash to her cat’s collar. “You’ll be a good boy and not pull out of this, right? We just need to make it to the store and we’ll get you one that fits better and a proper harness. Oh, and a nametag too!” She knocked her knuckles atop her head. “I don’t know why I didn’t think to get one earlier.”

“Well we haven’t really let him out…” Riko tried to reason.

“Yeah, but there was always a risk that he could have gotten out at some point.” Yoshiko lamented. “I don’t want anyone thinking he’s a stray anymore now that we’ve given him a good home.”

As if responding to her change in mood, Phobetor ran himself against her hand, earning a couple pets.

“Well, better late than never, right?” Riko offered. “Anyway, we should head out so we have enough time to get to the park and back in time for dinner. Let’s go get Phobetor a tag worthy of his status as Yohane’s familiar.”

That seemed the brighten the younger girl’s mood. “Indeed!” She jumped up. “A fallen angel’s familiar deserves nothing but the best!”

Riko smiled and opened the door again to lead everyone out.

“Ah, Riko-san, Yohane-sama.” A boy greeted the two girls as they moved down the store aisle. “Good to see you as always.” He knelt and produced a small treat as their dog hurried over to him. “Welcome back, Prelude-chan.” He smiled as he patted the pug before standing again.

“Hi, Ryoushi-kun.” Riko returned the greeting.

The young man’s attention turned to Yoshiko’s shoulder. “Pray tell, might this be the legendary familiar for which Yohane-sama hath sung many a praise?”

Yoshiko grinned. “Thou hath a keen eye, Choukyoushi!” She intoned. “Indeed, this day, Yohane hath summoned forth my most faithful of servants to honor you with his presence! Meet Phobetor!”

The cat reached out a paw and leaned forward as though to jump.

“He loves meeting new people.” Yoshiko explained as her voice returned to normal.

“Well it is indeed an honor to finally meet you in person, Phobetor-kun.” Ryoushi replied, taking the kitten into his arms. “Let’s see what I have for good little familiars.” He shifted the cat to cradle him in one arm so he could retrieve another treat from his apron. “Are you four here for normal restocking or for something specific?” He turned his attention back to the two humans.

“Phobetor wants to join us when we walk Prelude,” Riko spoke up “so we need a harness for him.”

“And since we’re here, I want to get a proper collar and tag for him.” Yoshiko added.

Ryoushi nodded. “I believe we can find ones that will suit him.” With that said, he turned and lead the way with Phobetor still purring in his arms.

“Yocchan, look” Riko said soon after the group had found the display “doesn’t that one look a little like the symbol you used during our time with Aqours?”

Yoshiko leaned in to inspect the tag in question. “It does!” She cried excitedly, pulling it from the rack. “Good find, Riri! Ne, Choukyoushi, can you etch a demon face on this?”

“Our machine does have a custom setting.” The store associate confirmed. “Let me show you how to use it.” He lead them to the device at the end of aisle where he pulled up an image representing the tag.

Yoshiko hummed happily to herself as she used the touch screen to draw eyes and a fanged mouth on the digital blank.

“Alright, now use this button to flip it over.” Ryoushi explained. “Then type his name in the upper box and your address in the lower one. Perfect. Now while this does its thing, go ahead and pick out a collar to put it on.”

“Back in a moment, Phobetor.” Yoshiko called to her cat before practically skipping away.

Riko and Prelude followed at a more normal pace. By the time they caught up, Yoshiko was already inspecting a collar in her hand.

“Is black really a good color?” Riko inquired. “Phobetor’s fur is black, so won’t the collar blend in too much?”

“Hrm…” Yoshiko pondered.

“Maybe this grey one will stand out better?” The redhead selected a different one. “Grey was your color as an idol after all.”

“Riri makes a good point. Alright. I’ll get this one.” The blue-haired girl took the offered collar. “Phobetor!” She called, moving back to the end of the aisle. “Look at what I got for you!”

Phobetor looked over from his position on Ryoushi’s shoulder and cocked his head to the side with curiosity. He seemed fine until Yoshiko reached toward him, at which point he turned his head away.

“Just let me get the old one…” Yoshiko said.

The cat eluded his master’s hands again before retreating to Ryoushi’s other shoulder.

“Phobetor.” Yoshiko chided.

Another attempt was made to remove the old collar but this time, Phobetor jumped down and scampered over to Prelude, pressing in against the larger dog as though using her as a shield.

Yoshiko handed the new collar to Ryoushi before kneeling down in front of the two animals. “Are you sure you want to keep that one? It might be a little heavy for a while and loose until you grow into it.” She asked, reaching a hand forward and smiling as her cat stepped forward cautiously but eventually rubbed against her palm. She looked up at her girlfriend. “Can he keep this one?”

Riko chuckled. “Of course. He seems to like it.”

Yoshiko grinned and stood. “We’ll put the tag on the collar he has now.” She announced to Ryoushi as though it wasn’t already obvious.

“Alright.” The associate replied, popping the small metal plate out of the etching device. “Here you go.” He handed over the tag as well as a pair of pliers.

“It came out perfect.” Yoshiko marveled at the design. “Here, Phobetor, will you at least let me put this on that collar? If you want to go out with us, you need some sort of identification.” She knelt again in front of the cat.

This time, Phobetor did not retreat, instead he lifted his chin to allow easier access.

“Good boy.” Yoshiko praised as she opened the jumper ring attached to the tag, secured it to the collar and bent it back into place. “There we g- oh, hey…” She caught her cat as he jumped up into her arms. Giggling, she scratched him behind his ears.

“Shall we look at harnesses next?” Riko inquired.

“Those are right here on the other side from the collars.” Ryoushi pointed out. “Let’s size one out for him.”

“I think Phobetor likes his new gear.” Riko commented as she watched their cat strut proudly beside their dog.

“Definitely.” Yoshiko agreed. “I’m so glad he can join us for our family walks like this.”

“As am I.” Riko agreed. Though not just for his sake, she thought to herself as she also took pleasure in seeing her girlfriend this happy.

“So, we’re headed to the park next?” Yoshiko inquired as the group came to a stop at a crosswalk.

Riko nodded. “I figured we could toss a ball a few times for Prelude and just enjoy the weather for a bit before we head back.”

“Alright. Oh, the light chang- eh?” Yoshiko paused with her foot a few centimeters off the ground as their cat suddenly jumped onto their dog’s leash. “Phobetor wha-?”

A box truck careened through the intersection against the red light, plowing through the crosswalk where the four of them would had been had they stepped forward. Yoshiko’s leg came down awkwardly and she overcorrected her balance backward, tipping herself over in the process. She landed roughly, but otherwise safely on the sidewalk.

“What jus… Riri, are you alright?!” Yoshiko looked up frantically to see her girlfriend frozen in shock.

“I’m… f-fine…” Riko’s movements were like a marionette with missing strings as she reached down to help the other girl back to her feet.

“Did Phobetor… just stop us from being isakai’d?” Yoshiko stared at the cat who was now playing with the leash that had been dropped.

Phobetor rolled onto his back held the braided nylon with is front paws while biting it and kicking at it with his back legs, seeming to be completely oblivious to the reactions of the two girls.

The chuckle that escaped Riko’s lips from her girlfriend’s bad joke felt odd, yet somehow still managed to ease some of her tension. She swallowed before asking. “Are you okay, Yocchan?”

“Well, either my familiar has a strange way of saving us, or the luck of my angel ascended did the trick.” Yoshiko knelt to retrieve Prelude’s leash. “But so long as Riri and her familiars are alright, so is Yohane.”

Of course, Yoshiko would be calmer about the situation, Riko realized, this was by no means her first close call. Heck, she fell off a balcony back in high school and was back to normal in moments, or at least as much as normal applied to her.

Something stirred in the back of Riko’s mind, but when she tried to focus on it, it was gone. Same as always.

“Shall we go?”

Yoshiko’s voice pulled Riko back to reality and she looked down to see the other girl holding out her dog’s leash.

“Right…” Riko replied, taking the handle as the four of them resumed their walk.

Author’s Note Continued in Followup Post

[kale-is-a-bitch]

Here’s most of my Sans-species ideas from NewCanvas7941 for y’all to use cuz it’s too much for me and i wanna see this shit go somewhere:

Before anything, here’s some geographic info:

CLUSTER is the Canvas’ capital. it is also labeled as the RED ZONE.

ASTER is a mix of forests and valleys that makes up the Magic Capital. Nicked as BLACK ZONE.

CALLISTO makes the coast area and goes around most of the map. Also called YELLOW ZONE.

COLOSSUS is a desertic area with tons of mountains. Known as BLUE ZONE.

ALMONTE is the far north. It’s the most dangerous place on the map, since prisons are held there. Also known as the WHITE ZONE.

----------------------------- so, SANS IDEAS-------------

Ceruleans

Mermaids, sirens, whatev ya wanna call em.

They are oddly nice, very curious of the world around them.

It’s not unheard of them marriying land-dwellers. 

They all look kinda the same.

Can be found on the deep waters or the coast in Callisto.

Micahs

Fairies. (ignore the dude down there.)

These lil fuckers are pranksters.

Most of them live in the forests and zones around Aster.

Morally neutral. Their magic has no color, unlike normal monsters.

They love shiny things and might steal all your gold coins while you’re not looking.

Their clothes are made of flower petals n stuff.

Gods

Well shit, gods. (in pics: Morpheus, god of dreams, Phobetor, god of nightmares, and Aviv, spring god.)

Not that dificult to come across.

Each of them has an especific task, which is why there’s so damn many of them.

If you do something for them they might grant you a wish or something.

They’re e v e r y w h e r e .

Tribal peeps

Most of them are part of the original NC population.

They use animal skulls as masks, decorated on mineral stones and feathers.

Their weapons are sharp and covered in venom (kinda like the effect of Karmic Retribution)

Not really violent, in fact. They seem especially fond of Papyri.

Only attack if attacked first.

Might have kidnapped a HORROR-Pap who might now be their precious king... maybe.

Wizards n witches

Most of them are either non-magical peeps or just monsters that cannot form normal attacks.

Not that uncommon, but really sneaky.

Don’t fight the cranky ones or they might beat your ass into another dimention.

They have their own council on Aster, as well as a few especialized schools. (dark academia fans where u at-)

Baby on the pic is my dear Belladona from the Kingdom AU (which is basically now a really gay soap opera on NC about a queen and a witch that fall in love n stuff-)

Scarlet Unit Nurses

Not really a species, but an organization.

Made of FELL Sanses who want to help other FELL-folk or survivors from Genocide timelines.

They work for other multiversal organizations inside of NC and attend all kinds of verse-folk equally.

They often help on the adaptation program for agressive monsters.

A perfect excuse to do fluffy stuff.

Might make another part with diferent organizations inside of NC, idk.

REMINDER: NewCanvas7941 is an open AU made by me. If you like some of this stuff and wanna join in then hit me up :>

[possibly-eli]

screaming about  S P A C E

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSR_B1257%2B12

UNDEAD SOLAR SYSTEM ITS SO FUCKING COOL WHAT THE FUCK T H E    S T AR    I S    N A M E D     L I C H

THE PLANETS ARE NAMED ‘’DRAUGR’’ ‘’POLTERGEIST’’ AND ‘’PHOBETOR’’ I FUCKING ADORE THIS ITS SO GODDAMN COOL WHAT THE FUCK

:D

[empcthis]

ARCHIVE: Plot Background VERSE(S): Childhood AU PRIV. Glad to be a real nightmare, so save your prayers SUBJECT(S): @fearedone​

      By some reason,  William has always regarded  the voice  in his head as one of his own;  the one that wanted to inflict the same fear and pain he feels whenever he sleeps and dreams.  The nightmares come and go,  the timing and coincidences are sometimes too intentional when the voice and Will agree at some point,  but as a young child (PRE-S1),   he didn’t pay much attention to it because since he cannot control what and how much he  “ sees ”,  he supposed it’s one of many that make up the sounds of the stream in the forest within his mind.  

      The voice grow louder and stronger throughout the years (S1),  forcing William to adapt strategies and pills to drown it along with the bad dreams.  Became worse when he’s forced to step back into the FBI’s stable as their instructor,  so he chose to befriend it once again instead — his childhood’s imaginary friend and confidant.  With no stable support system,   no soothing techniques yet learned,  no one to listen,  no one to talk with his thoughts,  William entertained this idea,  rejected it,  fought it... until Will had no one left when blood spilled and bones broke during that night,  when the world deemed him as a monster the morning after,  when he was condemned for crimes he did not commit months later. 

      Swallowed by his nightmares and fortified by his fears yet when he finds comfort and familiarity in them,  Will Graham chose his Reckoning (S2).  He took his nightmares and made it his own;  striking a proposal with Phobetor.   On others who deserve it,  he willingly recreates the nightmares Phobetor keeps feeding him all throughout his life in exchange for the Eldritch being to spare Will of their childish mind games for whatever reason he wants with Will.  Rather than shattering again and again to pick himself up then dying unaware whenever the fickle God likes,   Will decided to be Phobetor’s living nightmare.

      With every move to achieve his vengeance no matter the cost,  he slowly and steadily crushes his fears and next,  the tick of his broken moral compass trying to point the right direction;   disassociating from the last shreds of his humanity and trekking too far into the madness.  

                            After all,   what’s there to fear if he becomes Fear itself ?

      ENTER PHOBOS,   Will Graham’s Becoming (S3).  Being alienated from people trying to help him,  threatened to have them killed or do the killing instead of him,  everyone he knows dying within the hell inside their heads...  Whatever hell this twisted,  destructive possessiveness or mad fondness,   Will accepted the price for beating his Terrors at his game.  Flight and panic,  helplessness and irrationality overrules at his presence;   his empathy turned as sharp as apathy in disconnecting from the very people he sworn to protect before,  and the earned trust in connecting their minds to Fear himself turned to be their final mistake.

© Property of W. GRAHAM. Strictly confidential, do not reblog.

[indxstress-crypt]

❛ I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that. ❜

THE AMERICANS – accepting

                            SLEEP ROLLED ITSELF ALONG HER SKIN ,  purred promises against tired temples and was held sulkily at distance through sheer will and combination burned coffee ,  both. thin fingers knit themselves round the mug like holding a lifeline and she aimed a long  b a l e f u l  glare over the rim towards phobetor’s face. 

or what she assumed was his face  ——   it was hard to distinguish exactly what was what amid the blurred edges of the god’s current form; all electric BLACK coagulation ,   s t r e t c h e d   and caved in UNCOMFORTABLE  ,   unnatural places  ,   as if someone had taken a drawing of a human shadow and crumpled it ,  pulled it thin as taffy. somewhere amidst the penumbra mass she saw something glint like the blade of a knife and assumed it was teeth. there the head then  ….  probably.    

her scowl deepened.   ❝ how about you try that again WITHOUT the nightmare fuel. ❞

[fumikomiyasaki]

[evil] Hewwo bestie i offer ❝  you know i’m yours,  right?  i only have eyes for you.  ❞ for jealousy dialogues and [ CARESS ]  for actions for anyone you want :))c

Jealousy

❝  you know i’m yours,  right?  i only have eyes for you.  ❞

Old wounds carve deep they said... and similar it was for Phobetor... even if he was getting better, being closer with Orphne and slowly dealing better with his cursed body... on that day he noticed himself glancing back at his former lover... given this joined event settled different students from different schools into this room, yet Orphne ignored him and focused on what the staff had to say... eventually he snapped out of it and turned his gaze back to her instead of Camilla... feeling somewhat guilty he did and took a deep breath.

He tried to join her in listening but eventually his gaze shifted once in a while... pain stinging in his chest as it got better once Orphne accidentally let her arm lean on his... moreso to relax but it snapped him back... once the talk was done the two oft them were alone near the rose gardens as he spoke up.

"Something on your mind?"

"Nothing really just another daydream..."

She was the same as usual but still he took her hand feeling the guilt pressing into him.

❝ You know i’m yours,  right?  I only have eyes for you.  ❞

"I know, so what?"

"I... often still feel trapped by the past... like some things are left unsaid hence... I felt bad looking at her."

"And what do you want? For me to punch you about it? Whats done is done... and you should accept that."

"You are right..."

With a small smile he held the Dame's hand... walking with her... its good he had her as a somewhat calming force to his broken state of mind... and so he managed for the rest of the day to not look back anymore... only at his current partner... in hopes to not be consumed by the nightmares himself.

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

[ CARESS ]  for one muse to possessively kiss the other in public.

Keres didn't really want to be here, but still they accompanied hiding behind Nanoya and Flynn to this gala to celebrate Flynns debut... in the end for most of the time they were just standing to the side with Nanoya and chatted a little but even he was dragged away being questions by some paparazzi while they hoped nobody would spot them... just to be approached by an actress who looked at them in disdain.

"Urgh and somebody like you gets to hang closely with such a refined actor... he really must take pity on you."

Pity, huh? Thats what they thought alright... it always been like this... people only hanging out with them cause of pity, at least thats how they saw it... maybe it wasn't the best idea to come here... what if they ruin the reputation of the both of them... what if this all is just an elaborate scheme over all this time.. they gripped their arms in annoyance untill Flynn stopped by with smirk.

"Hey is this colleague of mine bothering you, my dear Amber."

"Just admit it, Flynn... You only hang with this person for your own entertainment, they seem like a good person to fool... our scene had far more impact toget-"

Before she could talk on, Flynn already gave her a light smack across the face, much to Keres surprise... but even moreso that he pulled them close for a passionate kiss... clearly marking his territory among the other guests that they belong to him, glaring sharply.

"I am sorry, deary but... if you dare to insult my dearest partner then, you can be assured your next few auditions for roles might not go well... you should watch your back if you dare slander my dear Ambers name."

"You little."

He turned to Keres.

"Are you alright?"

"I a-am but could you not focus on me."

"Right... let me draw all the attention to me so you can rest."

He took one of the mics and went onto the table... it was like he was set on ruining that womans name in front of the crowd... deserved it seems cause she been causing quite some trouble for a while... Nanoya meanwhile came back and leaned his arms around Keres.

"If there is one thing Flynn is passionate about its protecting who he cares about... its always been this way..."

They looked back at him, feeling the warmth of Nanoyas arms and looking how much he made a show out of this somewhat pushed some of the bad thoughts from before away.. but not all of them.

[spacecadetspe]

A snippet from last year...

Mar. 29, 2023

It was only a matter of time before it happened again, I suppose...

Patience collapsed the Forge.  This is the third time I've had to rebuild it.  But it's definitely the first time it rained flaming debris down on the Dream World.

We took in as many penitents as possible, and remanded Patience and his wife to a secluded unit where they could be kept under guard.

As this comes on the heels of a breakdown for me, I was overwhelmed by everything going on.  Patience, C, the sundered Forge, and a random monkey clamoring to meet an astral guide.

I'm not making that up.  It's too silly to make up.

Fortitude heard BG telling a story of an encounter she'd had with the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, and how he'd been badgering her and challenging her for her epithet, Warrior of the Ages.  Apparently she had ignored him until he attacked her... and then she let him have it.  It took about three different instances to properly put him in his place, which apparently ended him up in the Forge.

And when the Forge crumbled, guess who got him!  That's right!  This gal!

So, with a deep breath, I started delegating.

I sent Phobetor to continue the mission debriefing he had planned on doing last night (before all this shit went down), sent Zoe to bind Patience and spouse with ropes I made myself, texted Maya to take Timingila to Muspelheim to start cleaning up the mess, and told Ingrid to bring me the damn monkey.

Sun Wukong recognized me as Guanyin, and stated quite plainly that he didn't appreciate being treated like an annoyance (although he is annoying).  We talked for awhile, catching up over my (relatively) new incarnation and his recent exploits.

When I asked why he was trying to challenge BG for her title, he said that given his lengthy resume, it would be preposterous that anyone but he should have that epithet.  I'll admit that made me laugh.  "Well, then!  It's just as fair that I should have two epithets!  Maybe three!"  Which... I do!  "There's a time and place to challenge a guide for their epithet, Sun Wukong.  Besides that, in doing it to satisfy your ego, you gain nothing...not even an inch of ground."

He harrumphed and folded his arms sulkily.

I allowed him a reprieve from his embarrassment.  "However, perhaps you can gain some ground with me."  I invited him on a walk down the Bifrost to Muspelheim (which he moaned and groaned about), and while we walked, I asked him why he thought Betelgeuse had earned the title of Warrior of the Ages.

"The ceaseless bloodlust and never-ending search to hone her battle intelligence to perfection?" he asked.  Honestly, he makes her out to be a berserker or something.

I sputtered.  "Clearly you don't know her."  And so I educated him.  "The suffix 'of the Ages' refers to anyone who embodies the pursuit of their experience and expertise into the infinite.  So, for Warrior of the Ages, it's not bloodlust.  It's the mindset, the discipline, the craft... the fighting itself is merely a single facet of her study.  How could she take an opponent seriously when you do not acknowledge the demands of the very epithet you challenge her for?"

"I've had demanding teachers," he mumbled.  "I'm no stranger to hardship, Guanyin.  You know this."

"Did BG consent to be your teacher?" I asked.  "Or did you badger her for your 'rightful place' until she put you in it?"  I started repairing the Forge along with my dear fire Jotnar.

Sun Wukong swung an arm in front of him.  "She smacked me through a few planets.  I couldn't tell if she was engaging of declining the challenge."

"I'm going to say that was not an invitation."  I turned and bent down toward him.  "Here's a hint: she likes good wine and stargazing.  She has the most arid sense of humor and a surprisingly even temperament.  She'll be far more receptive (as will most guides) if you ask her advice, rather than challenge her at the first chance you get."

He asked if I knew where she was, but my reply was to be patient and let her come around when she feels like it.  The interim would give him time to challenge a few other preconceptions.

"Conflict is not just about war," I said.  "And a real warrior knows their way around various forms of combat; even verbal ones.  After all, resolution is a handy skill for any warrior."

While we rebuilt the forge, I told him the story of how Odin, in his hubris, challenged an astral guide and died.  In his quest for infinite knowledge and conquest, he challenged the natural order... and Nature fought back.

When he asked if there was no purifying Odin of his corruption, I shook my head.  "The flames took him," I explained.  "It's the same with anyone who enters the Forge; those who emerge have been purified.  Those who don't... well... their influence has been cleansed from the cosmos."

As soon as repairs are done, I'll hopefully be putting Patience and C back in there.