#cepheus and andromeda

[youryurigoddess]

On love and sacrifices

There’s so much more to this scapegoating business and big sacrifices referenced in the Good Omens narrative than the literal goats. And they’re only getting bigger, louder, final.

But let’s take it slow and start with the beginning, quite literally — i.e., with the Good Omens 2 title sequence. As we follow Aziraphale and Crowley on their journey, the universe warps and their usual left and right side positioning switches during the magic show (not accidentally an act of trust and sacrifice required both from the angel and the demon). They stay so throughout the next scene, which is their little dance in the air, and after they seemingly get settled on the A. Z. Fell and Co.’s roof and back to normal, the flipped sky in the background suggests that something’s not quite right yet. In the central part of the shot looms a large, humanlike shadow of the Elephant Trunk Nebula.

The nebula is a part of a constellation called Cepheus, after an Ethiopian king from the Greek mythology who agreed to sacrifice his only daughter in order to appease the gods and end a local calamity started by her mother and his wife, Cassiopeia (talk about generational responsibility). With time and a delightfully ironic twist of fate, the name of said daughter, Andromeda, became more famous than that of her father. Although she was chained up to a rock and offered to the sea serpent Cetus, the girl was spotted by the warrior Perseus, casually flying over the sea — either on the back of the Pegasus or thanks to a pair of winged sandals — after his victory over Medusa. He fell in love on the spot, defeated the serpent (with the help of a magical sword or Medusa’s severed head, depending on the varying sources), and freed the princess. That’s not exactly where their story ends, but we won’t be getting into the rest here.

Not surprisingly, Neil has mentioned two parallel child sacrifice stories from the biblical context back in August. The first is one of the big ones — The Binding of Isaac. God's command to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, was a test of Abraham's faith. The angel of the Lord intervenes and provides a ram to be sacrificed in the boy’s place.

The second one isn’t nearly as popular, but you might have heard a variant of it in fairy tales or as the Law of Surprise invoked in The Witcher saga. In exchange for Israel’s victory over its enemies in battle, Jephthah had rashly promised God to repay the debt with the first thing seen on his return back home. The victorious warrior didn’t suspect to see his only child moving innocently "to meet him with timbrels and with dances" though. In horror, Jephthah covered his eyes with his cloak, but to no avail: ultimately, he was forced to honor his vow to God, and the girl was sacrificed. As grisly as it might look like in the Old Master’s paintings, it’s important to remember that human sacrifices weren’t limited to physical offerings only — Jephthah’s daughter might have been offered to God in the sense of officially shunning her family and dedicating her life to service instead, probably sequestered in a temple somewhere.

Interestingly, the main character of a big chunk of the Bible and the reason for the Second Coming happens to be THE most influential child sacrifice in the modern history. You know, a certain 33-year-old carpenter sent by his Heavenly Father to die on a cross for the sins of the mankind? Someone better call Aubrey Thyme ASAP.

Circling back to Aziraphale, he could be also seen as a representative of the concept of filial piety, since Eden willing to personally take a Fall not only for the humanity’s collective or individual transgressions, but the shortcomings of his Ineffable Parental Figure as well. Our favorite angel angel always fights for what is right and good, sure, but why would that be even a thing if God was truly omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent?

If Aziraphale’s medal is anything to go by, it looks like we might get an answer from the way it’s introducing another mythological narrative into the game, that is the story of Daedalus and Icarus. The most absorbing thing about this is the stark contrast to the recurring child sacrifice references for S3 mentioned in this post — Daedalus isn’t a father who wanted to sacrifice his son, it was his attempt to save him from imprisonment that ultimately drove Icarus to his death. The boy ignored his father’s explicit instructions, committing the grave and culturally universal sin of disobedience to one's parents that simply couldn’t go unpunished, one way or another.

But Icarus’s transgression could be seen both as high-flying ambition and striving for personal accomplishment as well as humanitarian sacrifice for knowledge and humanity’s advancement in general.

Similarly to a certain angel who left everything for what superficially seems like a work promotion, but is the ultimate act of love — both for his demon and the children they have been protecting and nurturing together for six thousand years. From the very Beginning, his white wings have been shielding everything he holds dear in this world.

[sarafangirlart]

There’s something to be said about that one scene in Euripides Andromeda, where Perseus sees Andromeda from a distance thinking she’s a beautiful statue, only to come closer and realize she’s flesh and blood. I’ve been thinking about that scene again, it made me realize that metaphorically, when Perseus first sees her, he realizes that Andromeda is a person, not an object or prize. Which comes in stark contrast to how other ppl in her life view her, even within the play (at least depending on how you interpret the fragments).

Cepheus viewed her as a political tool, to marry her off to whoever he wanted, Cassiopeia viewed her as a status symbol, to flaunt her around like she’s a priceless treasure, Phineus saw her as a means for power, as nothing more than a bride, hell even the ppl of her country didn’t see her as a person and pressured Cepheus into sacrificing her. Perseus might have been the first to see her as a person.

Knowing Euripides this was definitely intentional, after all it’s straight up a romantic drama. So it’s especially disheartening… when I see ppl claim that Perseus only saw Andromeda as a prize… as if he wouldn’t fight for her still regardless of whether her father would let them marry, as if he straight up didn’t demand that the god of love himself help him rescue the woman he just met.

[amorphousbl0b]

Something fascinating about Perseus is that his famous journey is a stitching-together of two separate myths.

First he kills Medusa, then on the way back he takes a random diversion to slay a Ketos and rescue Andromeda. This is hardly unusual for Greek stories, which often feature random diversions, but what interested me is that both seem to actually be explanations for things rather than the usual “a hero killed a monster here and that’s why these particular random crossroads are cool and important” formula these things follow.

First, the story of Perseus and Medusa is connected to the image of the Gorgon, a heavily widespread artistic motif. The gorgoneia are hideous heads that adorn architecture, shields, and coins all over Archaic and Classical Greece. They seem to have served a similar function to gargoyles in Christian myth, driving off evil spirits with their fearsome visage. And Perseus cutting the head from Medusa was the tale of how that icon came to be. Well, that might be a bit backwards: the story would’ve been around for quite a while during the Dark Age before it was written down in the 7th century BCE, around the time those gorgoneia started appearing.

Andromeda is entirely unconnected to this except by the single thread of Perseus himself. This is epitomized, in my opinion, by the recurring indecision over whether Perseus killed the ketos with his sword or with Medusa’s head. Did he even have Medusa’s head in the early tellings of the story? Were they connected later? Because what’s interesting about the story of Perseus, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Cetus, is that you might recognize all of those names from the stars. Every single character in this myth was a constellation!

Except Phineas, screw him I guess.

Of note, none of the characters from the Medusa adventure are constellations. Not Danaë or Polydectes or Dictys or Medusa herself, all of whom were much more important to Perseus’s life than Cepheus who did absolutely nothing even in the one story where he matters. Unlike Heracles, whose whole life is an extended constellation myth, Perseus has this one incident, but it’s a dense one, producing five whole star formations from a single monster fight.

It’s hard to figure out when and from what this would’ve arisen, given all these transformations happened during the Dark Age before the reinvention of writing. Nonetheless, this is a great example of the evolution that I find incredibly compelling about studying mythology. Every tale has its seams, stitches haphazard or clean, reminders that this was a living culture and all of these stories we might fall into the trap of treating as fun fictions with quirky characters were as real as any of our modern religious texts and histories.

[galusandmalus]

"LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT"-perseus choking cetus lmao the other sea divines are running away imagine some teen coming out of nowhere and bodying your epic monster

bro the one eyebrow raised lmao also like one of the few artworks to more emphasis the aeithiopian I guess qualities? das a real question I don't believe in rhetorical questions.

Usually, it's Cepheus who takes the center of ideas like that, here is meant to have a "mongrel" or "half breed" design.

honestly can barley see the black guy next to him, frankly I understand why the ancient greeks mostly had to use whole ass vases to depict a black person I cant see shit on here.

-Perseus and Andromeda, Campanian Red-Figure Bell-Crater, 375–350 BC I like bros drip what can I say

[aliciavance4228]

I cannot help but think about the fact that Io flew to Egypt where she gave birth to her children, married the Egyptian King and was identified with Isis, that her granddaughter Libya was the personification of the Ancient Libya in North Africa, that she and Poseidon had twin sons named Belus (King of Egypt) and Agenor (who became a Phoenician King), that Belus had a daughter named Thronia with whom Hermes had a child named Arabus who became the ancestor of arabs, that one of Belus' sons was Cepheus who was the King of Aethiopia and had a daughter named Andromeda with whom Perseus had a child named Perses who became the ancestor of persians.

Sure, according to Greek Mythology of coursly everything started with the greeks, but it's interesting to see how this genealogy is not very far from the later scientific discovery that humanity most likely developed in Africa about 200,000-300,000 years ago.

[sarafangirlart]

A detail I’d like to add is that according to Lucian’s Dialogues of the gods the Nereids rescued Danae on account of how noble and selfless she was:

Then when they heard that Andromeda was rescued they decided not to be upset bc they like Perseus:

I’m thinking about Danaë, Perseus, and Andromeda.

Danaë was a princess, once. Her happy life was upended the day her father caught wind of a prophecy that his grandchild would be his undoing. She was imprisoned in her own home, and when her son was born, she and the baby were banished and left for dead. Yet Danaë powered through, as heroes are known to do in these types of stories. This single mother in a strange land raised her son with pride — not hubris, but true, righteous pride. They have no need of gods or monsters or the kingdom that cast them out; all mother and son need are each other.

Perseus’s call to adventure begins when yet another evil king decides to treat Danaë as an object instead of a person. Polydectes will force Danaë to marry him unless Perseus can cross the world and return with the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Perseus is in no place to protest, not when the truest hero he’s ever known is counting on him. This is not a quest for glory, but piety: the duty a child owes to their parent.

In his travels, Perseus meets Andromeda, chained to a cliffside and awaiting her grim fate. She too, has a story of a mother and child. Queen Cassiopeia foolishly offended a long list of sea gods and their kingdom will be washed away unless the gods exact their price. Cassiopeia did the offending; it should be her on the cliff. But Andromeda has to suffer for the sins of her family, just like Perseus. He chose to risk his life for his mother; Andromeda had her fate chosen for her.

Maybe Andromeda tried to talk herself into thinking her death would mean something. She’s grown up as a princess, where each generation of the dynasty is meant to be in unbroken continuity with the generation before. The crown she is presumed to wear weighs down any hopes for her own life. If Cassiopeia tells her to die, it is her duty and honor as the child to obey. Secretly, she prays that her death will mean something for her mother — that the next child she has will be granted the freedom of choice Andromeda herself never knew.

But Perseus, raised by a mother worthy of her role, knows that is bullshit. He knows Andromeda deserves better than this, and he breaks the cycle by destroying the monster and breaking her chains, will of Poseidon be damned. And when Cassiopeia reunites with her child, it’s clear she has learned nothing. She immediately tries to force Andromeda into an unhappy marriage - just like what Polydectes means to do to Danaë.

Now Andromeda and Perseus are both angry. She is ready to let her so-called family crumble. She shields her eyes, and lets her suitor and her mother meet the Gorgon’s eyes. She walks away from the stone to which she was chained, into a new life of her making.

The young couple returns to Seriphos. Perseus saves Danaë from the dread altar. A worthy king claims the throne, and in a remarkable stroke of luck for Greek mythology, Perseus kills his evil grandfather without technically violating Ancient Greece’s taboos on kin-slaying. Andromeda and Perseus ascend to the throne of Mycenae, and have that rarest thing in any myth: a happily ever after.

Andromeda gets a husband and a crown, sure, but she also gets Danaë. Danaë is everything Cassiopeia wasn’t: humble, resilient, and loving. She raised Perseus well, and she teaches Andromeda how to stand tall against monsters: not the sea beast, but the creatures that would rather offer up their own children than admit that they were in the wrong.

[atlastheexplorer]

"Now you see it. Your lives are falling apart. I'm sorry it took this long for you to see it." - Hercules Heradona to Triangulum Truccilon, Perseus Poxworth, Andromeda Ale'Ale, Cassiopeia Cadensa, Cepheus Chanuuk, and Cetus Copperman.

[violetdoestarot]

♡₊・₊✧ A Prose Of Your Essence *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Basically how I would write about you/your essence from the eyes of a lover or as if I were in love with you! P.S feedback is appreciated :)

✴︎˚｡⋆ Pile 1 ➛ Pile 2 ➛ Pile 3 ✴︎˚｡

Pile 1

I yearn for you, like a gilded poet in a golden cage. I’m rotting in here, lend me a taste? Oh lover, wherefore art thou, my lover? A bite in my cheek, the taste of blood in my tongue would be less metallic than this. You are charismatic, magnetic, and a fearless leader. I always knew I wasn’t the only one to know that. But lover, put your eyes only on me. Rest those electric conductors of your soul onto me. I’m begging. A sharp tongue but soft on mine. A purveyor of words and a knight of the eclectic mind. But oh, I know you love so thoroughly and so generously. You think you are inept at love but sweetheart, who is love for but the fool? Let me be the only receiver of your naivety. Don’t push yourself away from me. Come to me, for you beckon me with your intellect. Others manipulate with honey but I know your honesty tastes sweeter like cinnamon. You detach as quickly as metal, hot and cold, oh, but I know who you are. The core of your soul builds a home for you and me. With sharpened rocks at the bed you know, always remember a warm sheet for you at mine. With cyanotic lips of yours from the blizzard you knew, always know I’d revive them with mine. Every single time, with my heart at my throat hoping you’d feel the beat at your tongue. Let yourself love. Let the hearth at your chest warm up again. For I know lies there a golden heart extinguished by vicissitudes of life. We’re both in tattered rags and gluttonous eyes looking at church windows looking for a scrap of divine love, without knowing we have it right here—in each other’s embrace and tapestry of luxury. So slow down, my love. I fell in love with your passion but feel no need to be restless. Hold my hand, I’ll be the anchor to your raft adrift at an unforgiving sea.

(Damn, Pile 1, y’all got me yearning for you lol)

Pile 2

The light flickers at our place, violent like a police alarm. Still, it feels like home. Maybe it’s the warmth at your touch, the creases from your fingers as they hold my cheek and the calluses that caresses every fiber in me. I feel so soft and safe in your embrace. Like you’d shield me from the world and lift the curtain at the same time. Your eyes are like a yolk of sunlight at sea. So warm, loving, and just—yellow. If I were a fisherman of the myths, I’d wake up at dawn to catch such rarity at the surface of the waves. Maybe even travel to wherever the sea and sky kisses and intrude upon the lovers just to catch a material of your essence. Let the historians speak of your geniality and how you’d catch everyone’s favor with your smile, and poets of my being enslaved because of it. As you trace the night sky’s Cassiopeia, Cepheus to the north and west, Andromeda to the south—let me trace the pores of your skin in the same loop. You’re vulnerable, so let me be your protector in return. I promise I’ll keep you safe. Show me your shadows, the bones deep in your closet that’s webbed and never to be seen again. I don’t care. Whether you tame, placate, or let loose your inner beasts does not matter. I’ll embrace them with open arms even if the lion gnaws on my flesh. I’ll treat my skin bones as steel when that happens. So generous with your heart and patience, my love. Is it too selfish to wish it could only be directed at me? You can accomplish anything you desire, I only hope I am one of them. Let me be the one to stand beside you as you celebrate your wins with that enchanting smile and be the one to make a sanctuary inside the closet full of secrets you’ll seal your lips shut for. Do not tempt me in if you have no intention to keep me. Who knew the devil spoke no malice but of whispers of strength and promises of love?

Pile 3

If you’re the jack of all trades, I’d be the ringmaster of your fabric to let everyone know my lover is the headliner of every act. How does it feel to light up a room when you walk in? It’s as if the gods carefully crafted a wreath around your head so everybody’s attention is on you. You’re the hero of every epic and the valiant savior of every fairytale. I’d inject your halo into my veins if I could and get high on it. I’ll follow you, wherever you are. Like a shadow warning you of danger, the bane of enemies who wish for your downfall, and a companion in case you decide to step out of the armor you call protection and I call pride. Maybe the tree you climbed up in was more hollow than you thought. Maybe when you planted it, you didn’t realize insects were already infesting on it—the bark rotting inside silently. But that’s okay, I’ll be the pile of leaves beneath ready to catch you when you fall. What’s the burden you carry in your heart, darling? Let it go. Don’t worry, I’ll hold your hand as the kerosene overpowers the rotting smell. And I’ll interlace my fingers with yours as you set the lifeline you built on fire. Let hope be the stalemate of despair.

I am in forever awe of your imagination. Let me into your world? Don’t just let me have a taste or a fraction, let me feast on it. Let me cherish each word borne from that diamond mine like scripture. Let me be your muse even as you become a poet like me’s nightmare. I’ll shed my skin raw for your carnal pleasure, for I know you’d wear it on your sodden form like victory.

[sarafangirlart]

Andromeda’s race/ethnicity and why it’s not inaccurate to interpret her as black/African

Now you’ve seen how I draw my babygirl as Afro Palestinian Egyptian so you know where I personally stand on the subject. However, my interpretation isn’t the only one, ancient authors, from mythographers to historians to poets to playwrights, have proposed various different locations for Andromeda’s homeland, often times contradicting each other, what I’m trying to do here is correct some misinformation as well as argue that even if Andromeda isn’t black/ethiopian, she still wouldn’t be considered white or ethnically European.

I would like to reiterate like I did with my Hephaestus/Aphrodite post that I’m not a mythology or history expert, I just read a lot. So do your own research and come up with your own conclusions.

Let’s go.

The etymology of “Aethiopia”

Aethiopia means "of burned face" which yes is pretty racist be modern standards but basically means that its inhabitants are dark skinned, so even if you go by sources that it isn’t in Africa, the inhabitants still wouldn’t be white or Greek.

Location of the Kingdom

You’d hear the statement that the Aethiopia in mythology is not the same as Ethiopia the modern country, which is true. You’d also hear that it’s a completely fictitious location, that’s only partially true, while Aethiopia existed mainly as a mythological location (mentioned as early as the Iliad) that didn’t stop ancient historians, mythographers and poets from placing it in real locations or calling pre-existing nations Aethiopia. It’s hard to pick which one is more “accurate” bc they all contradict each other, not only that, but these writers didn’t actually visit these locations and ancient ppl weren’t as well versed in geography as we are today so they’d be weirdly vague or confusing about these locations, I mean just look at an ancient map and you’d see what I mean.

So personally, I think you can go with any version you personally prefer, the options are quite limitless, she could be from the Arab peninsula, the Levant, North Africa, Persia, hell maybe even India if you are like Ovid.

Andromeda’s genealogy

(I just realized that these are the Waterson kids color palette while writing this lmaooooooooo)

Yes Andromeda is descended from Zeus (no family tree can escape that man lol) and she’s also the great granddaughter of Poseidon, which adds a whole new layer to the fact he tried to kill her.

Now for a bit of history: The Trojan war (which didn’t happen irl obviously) was dated as taking place in the 12th or 13th century BCE by some ancient writers, that war happens a few generations after Perseus’s story, which means that Egypt was in the New Kingdom era, also called the Egyptian Empire, when Nubians (who would be considered black by today’s standards) were a very important part of society, even becoming Pharaohs. Ancient Egypt was a lot more diverse than modern ppl give it credit for, there were multiple ethnic groups living there. Not to mention that you can’t get more Egyptian than being descended from the god of the Nile River lol

Libya is (obviously) the personification of the region of Libya, not the modern country Libya, but the general area in North Africa west of Egypt. The name Libya comes from the Libu, a berber tribe. So once again, even if Andromeda wasn’t black, even if you interpreted that her kingdom is placed in Asia, she’d still be of African decent.

Cassiopeia is a tricky one, her origins are obscure, she’s called a nymph by Nonnus, while Stephanus of Byzantium (a very late source) states she’s from Ioppa and that the city takes its name from her. However, Ioppa/Jaffa was identified as Andromeda’s home much earlier in Periplus attributed to Scylax, which was composed in the late fourth century bc.

Conclusion

You can make Andromeda black it’s ok. Ancient writers couldn’t agree on her country’s location but we can still speculate. Anyways ummm… I think that’s it? Maybe I’ll add to this if I find or remember more interesting information.

Have a great day.

[yourauthorjen]

| BLUE | — bucky barnes

(requests open)

masterlist

| synopsis: | the most unnerving thing is finding yourself back on bucky's door steps after you vowed to never speak to your childhood best friend again.

| includes: | childhoodfriend!buckybarnes x reader, angst, mutual pining, tension, confessions, pure fluff, flirting

| word count: | 2.1k

| a/n: | inspired by the song blue by yung kai. i swear i listened to this song so many times and i never get over it. the lyrics are just so sweet.

13 YEARS AGO

SOMETIMES IT WAS hard to fall asleep when the stars above were grouped together, side by side as they winked through the night sky. Sometimes it was hard not to envy the way the stars filled the universe, despite it's vastness and endlessness and yet still found a way to flare up the sky with a type of light twinkling that said they'd always find a way back to each other again.

"Look," Bucky tilted your head towards the sky, "That's Andromeda, and that's Perseus. Beside them are Cassiopeia and the king Cepheus. They were the one who decided to sacrifice their daughter to the sea monster."

"I see it," you said slightly breathless. "God, Andromeda was so lucky to have some hot super guy save her."

You were only seventeen, summer was sticky and wild courtesy to the long shifts you took on at the local bookstore, but somehow you always managed to find time for Bucky, even if it mean hauling yourself out of the window up to the rooftop of your apartment to see the stars.

For once, the city skyline was clear, and the stars didn't have to fight through the streetlight haze or the murky clouds that usually covered them. This time, they twinkled faintly in the darkness with the tug of a feeling that felt like this would be the one in a life time type view you might never witness again.

Bucky was beside you, one arm tucked under his head the other around your shoulders, his hair tousled by the light breeze around the two of you.

"Do you want to be Andromeda?" he asked his voice carried by the wind.

You turned your head, eyes meeting his in the dark. "Depends if you'll be my Perseus."

His lips twisted into the boyish smile that always felt like an accomplishment. "You think I'm worthy enough to be your hero?"

"Well it depends. You're definitely not a sword wielding demigod, but you did take me to the beach last weekend when no one else wanted to go."

"And I didn't regret a second of it." he said softly, his blue eyes meeting yours.

You studied him then the curve of his jaw, and the way his mouth twitched when he was trying not to look nervous. This was the boy you’d grown up with. The one who'd spend half of grade five tugging your ponytail until you hit him in the face with a book. The one who'd walked you home in the pouring rain, and the one who'd begged you to come to his home game and had let you wear his jersey.

And now the two of you were lying on the gravel ground, rough pebbles and dirt and digging into your back. But you couldn't care less. The hum of the city had faded to a distant lull, and in that moment, the universe had shrunk down to just the two of you and a sky full of darkness.

You reached for his hand, fingers curling around his as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, his head still tilted toward the sky. You mirrored him, your shoulder brushing his as you moved closer, close enough to feel the warmth radiating off his skin despite the breeze that skimmed around the rooftop.

Your hands stayed linked, his thumb brushing slowly over the your knuckles. It was painful to say the least, like a tender wound under ice water, but still you wanted this to last forever, you wanted to count the freckles on his face, you wanted to feel the way his name rolled off your tongue while you watched the stars together.

It wasn’t until his lips fell across yours and his hand slid across your cheek was when you realized how long you wanted this, the nostalgia of his hands around your wrists as he dragged you into the ocean waves, of how his nose bumped into yours when you had collapsed into the sand.

The reality of it seemed to sink in all at once as your fingers curled around his shirt and the quick beat of his heart pounded under your palms.

Sweet summer air wafted around you as fireworks exploded in your chest and your lips moved with his in a way that felt as if the stars were collpasing and like home.

Your breath turned uneven as you finally pulled away, fingers tangled in his shirt as you watched his lips pull into a smile even though his eyes were closed. He pressed his forehead against yours, engulfing you in the sharp smell of peppermint and cinnamon with a hint of leather, something you had become all to familiar with. And when he finally opened his eyes again, his blue ones locked on yours, as you layed your head in his chest, and his arms wrapped around your body swallowing you with warmth.

“God, I love you,” he whispered burying his nose into the crown of your head, “I love you more than the stars above, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Your heart cracked at the edges, swelling with an ache of love and something you weren’t quite sure what it was.

“I wanted this for so long,” he continued, “I’ve wanted to love you like this since… since a long time ago.”

“Me too,” you choked out, “I love you too Bucky.”

And God, if only you’d known how much those words would hurt later.

If only you’d known how far you’d fall after this perfect moment.

But for now, there was only you and him. And the stars above.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

13 YEARS LATER — PRESENT TIME

You choked on the gasp lodged in your throat, one that threatened to climb up your throat as you sat up, hair stickkng to the backup your neck, the sheets tangling around your legs like restraints.

The tears in your eyes stung, and for a moment you weren’t sure if they were from the painful moment of the dream or the after where you watched him fade away just inches from your fingertips.

Your knees hit the floor beside your window like muscle memory, like this wasn’t the first time your body had come here seeking something the rest of you was too afraid to name. You’d chosen this apartment because the window faced away from the city. There were no buildings, no blinding lights, no city pollution, just sky, just stars.

And right now, they were glowing faintly in the navy-blue dark, distant and unscathed, clustered in that familiar scatter you knew too well.

And right now, they were glowing faintly in the navy-blue dark, distant and unbothered, clustered in that familiar pattern you knew too well.

Andromeda. Perseus. Cassiopeia. Cepheus.

Your fingers pressed to the glass, eyes following the curve of the stars, the burn in your chest rising like a storm. You’d come here to forget every pain ridden memory you could think of, every argument, every conversation, every night where you had spent curled up in his arms as he ran his fingers through your hair.

The painful ache in your chest still hadn’t left, but the irony of finally finding out what that unknown feeling that was buried in your heart had finally hit when you had sobbed into your covers after leaving.

The guilt and the loneliness had turned into the fear of forever, when you had finally realized that the fear of missing him had broken the two of you apart from each other.

You thought you’d buried it, outgrown it, but grief had a funny way of wearing different clothes.

You didn’t remember standing, you didn’t remember grabbing your keys— only the pulse in your throat and the throb behind your ribs as his muffled laughter played over and over again in your head.

Maybe you were impulsive, maybe you were just desperate, but still you found yourself on the street, coat barely on, hair a mess, walking faster than your mind could catch up.

It was the same path you had spent years walking to, one that you knew would be forever engraved into your head like a mental tattoo.

The building hadn’t changed much, the bricks still chipped on the lower left corner, ivy curling stubbornly along the stairwell railing. Even the second-floor window—your window, from all those years ago— still creaked open at a slant, like it was inviting you to crawl through it again, to nap under the moonlit skies with him again.

This was still the same place where you had left your heart on his porch the day you’d ran out without looking back, the same place where you had woken up to his sleepy morning eyes glittering like the stars above, and where he had told you he loved you more, and that it’d always stay by you.

Your fingers hovered by the buzzer— one press was all it took.

But all you could remember was the unforgettable pull of his mouth on yours, like gravity had found its favorite thing, and the way he said your name, like it was the most priceless thing on the planet.

So you pressed it, the small buzz sounding so loud to your ears as blood rushed through your head and your knuckles turned white against the hem of your sleeves.

Maybe this was a mistake, knocking on his door so late, maybe this was an impulsive decision that had been fueld by your loneliness. But before you could convince yourself to turn around and walk away, the door clicked, the lock turned and it opened.

The air in your lungs seemed to rush out as the porch lights turned on and Bucky stared at you, his blue eyes digging into your face.

He was older, more rugged, a light stubble casting a shadow on his jaw. His hair was shorter, and his frame more sturdy, but those steel coloured eyes were still the same eyes you had looked into for most of your life.

The boy who once kissed you under the stars like you were the only thing left in the universe.

“Hi,” you managed to choke out, blinking furiously at the tears that had threatened to prick at the corner of your eyes.

“You…”

The lump in your throat seemed to grow as the painful jabs in your chest returned.

“I’m so scared,” you whispered, holding his gaze. “I shouldn’t be here, I don’t deserve to but I…”

“I waited,” he said, his fingers gripping the edge of the door. “I called you, I tried to look for you, I tried everything, I tried to call Sam but he wouldn’t budge. I spent nights waiting for you to come back but you never did.”

The words stung as your vision shimmered. “I couldn’t, Bucky, I thought… I thought you’d hate me after I came back, and it’d just be easier if I just let it all go.”

“But was it?” he asked quietly, “Was it worth it?”

You shook your head, pressing your lips together to keep them from shaking.

“I still love you,” he said softly, opening the door wider as he took a step back. “I never stopped because you’re the the best thing that could happen to me. I couldn’t bring myself to hate you, even when I convinced myself I was over it; because everytime I saw something that reminded me of you I could never make myself forget.”

You shook your head, a silent apology slipping from your lips, as guilt burned shamelessly in your stomach. Despite the guilt, your arms still moved until they were wrapped around his body, fingers fisting into the back of his shirt like muscle memory.

Somehow he didn’t hesitate either, his strong arms around you, pulling you into the warmth of him.

Even though it wasn’t forgiveness it was the feeling of relief that made the ache in your chest soften, like the light breeze of the salty summer air again.

Bucky didn’t say anything else, and neither did you.

You just stood there, held together by arms that still remembered what it felt like to be his.

Maybe someday there would be the right words. Maybe someday you’d explain all the nights you cried for him, all the mornings you looked for his name and never said it aloud. Maybe you’d finally tell him the nights you had slept underneath the stars even without the firmness of his arms underneath you.

But for now, you let yourself stay in this quiet.

Some things didn’t need to be fixed all at once, because some loves don’t break. They bend, they stretch across time and space, and across pain and silence.

But for now, all you knew was that you still loved Bucky Barnes, no matter how much you lied to yourself.

Even if you two had the distance of the universe placed between the two of you, you’d always care for him, he’d always be your forever and you’d always love him more than the stars above.

[landofanimes]

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac Battle for Sanctuary Part 2

Pictures from episodes 7 and 8

[hero-shrine]

⛓️‍💥Andromeda worship guide/suggestions⛓️‍💥

Domain: relief, good marriages, freedom, given safety, tragic predicament, Ethiopian people.

Epithets: Princess of Ethiopia, the innocent, beautiful, Queen of Mycenae, fair, dark-skinned, the chained woman, wife of Perseus, daughter of Cepheus.

Imagery/symbolism: Broken chains, the sea, the sky, crown, boulder, Andromeda constellation, flowing hair.

Color: white, silver, red, brown, yellow.

Animal: turtledove, winged horse.

Offerings: Flowers, Candles, incense, art, poetry, lamps, silver/medal, gold, jewelry, water, sweets, wine, milk, honey, meat, bread, perfume, crowns, star imagery, seashells, oils, stones, white feathers, images of Ethiopia.

Devotional acts: Relieving someone in stress, star gazing, acts of Advocacy, focusing on liberation, reading “Andromeda” By Euripides, researching the Andromeda constellation, horse riding, Studying Ethiopian history.

[sarafangirlart]

Yes, tho Aphrodite wasn’t the one who was angry with Andromeda, it was the nereids, a whole group of women who used their social standing to ask Poseidon to punish Cassiopeia for them, it’s a story of women hurting other women not of men being bad, or “being swept in the tides of men”.

Sure Cepheus and Phineus suck but they weren’t the ones to nearly get Andromeda killed, Cepheus wasn’t great bc he betrothed his daughter to his brother who was a terrible match who didn’t even try to rescue Andromeda, Phineus is a scumbag and a coward who had the audacity to crash Andromeda’s wedding and demand her back, which only further traumatized her. What upsets me about the framing of this story is that Perseus is presented to be at the same level as Phineus, sure he rescued Andromeda due to his attraction to her but she was attracted to him too and she made the choice to marry him and live in Greece, yet this part of the story is completely ignored so… she can be shipped with a character she has no actual connection to other than that they feature in the same story of a man? Not to mention that Medusa’s sisters are being completely erased.

Found this comic that really annoyed me, I’ve complained about it before but wanted to show someone else to complain with me.

See that's the issue with this, the need for these creators to "fix" ancient myths.

That men are the bad guys. That men in ancient Greece were nothing but cruel and sexist stripping them of their humanity.

Andromeda funny enough was in this place because of her mother and Aphrodite's jealousy. And medusa was simply a Gorgon from the beginning.

This thing of trying to make these women something outside of the men in the story doesn't make any sense 😭. Life back then sure was a patriarchy society but women historically had normal lives, some made achievements, some simply became wives and mothers. Life in ancient civilizations was complex.

Andromeda in this case achieved the best. Being married to a hero that loved and valued her, their stars next to eachother for all eternity, their union marking the beginning of many famous characters in Greek mythology.

Her story is nothing if you erase everything from her

[atlastheexplorer]

“If you don’t tell me who you really are, I will make you tell me.” - Andromeda Ale’Ale to Cassiopeia Cadensa and Cepheus Chanuuk

[lightsoutletsgo]

i told the stars about you — op.81 (royalty au)

pairing: prince!oscar piastri x lady-in-waiting!reader

word count: 1.5k

warnings: angst? heartbreak, slightly inaccurate and semi-confusing greek mythology references, a spot-the-princess-diaries quote just bc i can

I actually wrote this listening to the bridgerton soundtrack... it's not what I usually write so I hope it's okay! please lmk what you think and if you'd like to see more like this. for extra heartbreak, listen to "love is a choice" from the bridgerton soundtrack on repeat while reading happy reading! love mimi 🤍

It was an accident really. Well, less of an accident and more of a cruel twist of fate if you had to summarise it. After all, such a cliche thing to happen. The lady-in-waiting to the Princess falls in love with the visiting Prince her future ruler is tied to in an arranged marriage.

Had any sensible person heard the predicament you were in they may have sympathised but still scoffed at how foolishly the two of you were behaving. Desperately entangling yourselves with one another despite the inevitable heartbreak that was bound to come any day now.

“Did I ever tell you how much I love the stars?” You led on your back on the grass underneath the night’s sky, delicately raising a hand to trace invisible lines between each star above you. Oscar chuckled next to you as his hand slid over yours, joining you in your night sky tracing, “I believe you may have mentioned it once or twice before…” You gave a faint smile as your arm grew tired, choosing to link your hand with his and rest them by your sides. “Have I ever told you why?” Oscar rolled onto his side, facing you as his eyes searched yours, smiling at the way they reflected the moonlight,

“Actually, I don’t think you have told me that.” You sat up quickly, always excited to share the story with someone. 

Oscar sat up before he moved to sit behind you, pulling you to lean back into his chest as his arms encircled your body, head gently resting on your shoulder. “See that star up there?” You pointed to almost directly above you, “That’s the North Star isn’t it?” You nodded and turned your head to reward his correct answer with a soft kiss to the cheek. “Mmhmm! When I was a child, my mother used to tell me stories of the stars every night…” You sighed happily at the memories, “There was one story that I loved far more than any others. The story of Perseus and Andromeda.” “I think I learned about that a long time ago… During my classical classes…” “Show off…” You reached one hand up to gently flick his nose. “Well, the story goes that Princess Andromeda was a very beautiful woman. Her mother, Queen Cassiopeia, claimed her daughter was more beautiful than Poseidon’s daughters. As punishment for her vanity, Poseidon sent the sea monster Cetus. Andromeda’s father, King Cepheus, trusted the sea monster to disappear if they were to sacrifice her. Just before she was devoured by the sea monster, Perseus came by on his flying horse Pegasus. He was on his way home after one of his great adventures. Perseus fell in love with the beautiful Andromeda and struck a deal with her parents. Perseus would save their daughter by killing the sea monster and in return he would be allowed to marry her. Andromeda however, was already promised to marry another man, Phineus. A fight arose between the two which Perseus eventually won. And so Perseus and Andromeda lived happily ever after.” 

Oscar smiled at the sight of your eyes lighting up as you told the story. He nuzzled his nose into your neck making you giggle as you carried on, “All of the people in the story were placed in the sky by the gods, so their story would never be lost. Perseus and Andromeda are still positioned close together in the sky, where they rotate around the North Star, see?” Oscar’s eyes followed to where you were pointing once more. He kissed your cheek as you gave a happy contented little hum.“Mother always used to say that lovers who needed advice or guidance would talk to the stars… And that those confessions of lovers to the stars meant that their love would last forever, just like Perseus and Andromeda…” You reached for the bouquet of daisies you’d picked earlier that evening.

“You know..." Slowly, you plucked each petal off of the daisies you carefully held. "I told the stars about you." Oscar chuckled, not expecting to hear such words from the lady sitting with him. "What did you tell them?" You turned to look at him and smiled, staring at his brown eyes. "I told them you have your own constellations on your cheeks." Your stare landed on the faint few freckles dotted on his face. He laughed, "What? What does that even mean?" 

You showed him a half smile before looking down at the daisies and plucking the petals again. "I told the stars you have more stars in your eyes than there are stars in the sky"

His smile slowly faded, instead he looked almost like he was holding his breath, like he didn’t dare breath incase it ruined the moment, "I told them that you are the moon that shines brightest in my eyes when I'm surrounded by darkness. I told them I always wish for you on a shooting star." You gave him the daisies you had been holding since you’d sat next to him. All petals now plucked. Oscar looked confused as he took the flowers, about to open his mouth.

"Do you want to know why?” You cut him off with a sweet smile before he could even open his mouth to answer, “Because I got tired of asking the flowers if you love me or not." “Y/N…” Oscar’s voice was barely above a whisper. You spoke softly, "Do you know what the stars replied?"

"W-what?" He thought he’d lost his voice for a moment. 

You smiled.

"Go after him."  

Silence. “So will you…” “I'm in love with the King-to-be, and I'm inquiring if he loves me too…” Oscar’s eyes lit up and in that moment, you felt as if all the air had been taken from you. One of your hands gently cupped his face as your thumb rubbed over his cheekbone, “You really do have stars in your eyes.” “And your eyes hold the whole galaxy, my love.” Oscar pulled you close to him and sighed in contentment as you shyly buried your face into his shoulder, the stars twinkling at you both from above, as if centuries of lovers were sprinkling their blessing on the two of you. In hindsight you supposed it might have been a warning, that heartbreak would ensue no matter how much you loved him 　 ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆　　　

“I told the stars about you!” Oscar cried out. 

You stopped. “I told the stars about you,” he repeated, trying and failing to hold back tears that were already falling, “I told them that I would never let you become one and end up so far away from me, I told them how you said you would always stay by my side, and...” Oscar looked back at you, where you were now facing him.

“I told them I loved you.” Your eyes widened slightly before your face fell again.

“...We always knew this was going to happen. We cannot change what our fate is, Oscar, I mean…” You looked back down at the ground, clenching your fists tightly before you spoke again. “Your Highness-”

“Don’t call me that, Y/N.” Oscar said immediately, rushing up to you. “Y-you’re not a lady-in-waiting. I'm not a Prince. We’re just Oscar and Y/N, two people who fell in love the instant they saw one another.” He stared at you, not fighting the tears anymore. “Two people who fell in love under the stars… I want that Y/N back.” Your heart broke as his voice cracked, overcome with emotion. “Please my love…”

But still you said nothing

“Where’s the Y/N who would tell me she loved me, the Y/N who vowed to be by my side forever, and… the Y/N who would tell the stars about me?” You finally looked up at him, and Oscar searched your eyes desperately for a shred of his Y/N in you. A lone tear spilt over and fell down your cheek. Sparkling in the moonlight, it almost looked like a shooting star. ‘How ironic.’ He thought to himself bitterly. You wiped the tear away and as quickly as it had appeared it was gone.

Oscar’s eyes darkened, and he wiped his face, his expression hardening, “My apologies, Lady Y/N.” He said, his voice cold. “This has been rather inappropriate. I believe you must have somewhere to be?” “My apologies, your Highness. Permission to leave?” It was time to accept that the old Y/N was gone, leaving a stranger in front of him. And if his Y/N was gone, there was no reason to keep taking up a stranger’s time.

“...Granted.” You began to move before you hesitated, leaned into his side, whispered something, and left. Oscar’s eyes widened once again, and a tear fell down his cheek. 

“I never stopped telling the stars about you.”

Oscar quickly turned around to watch you leave. A pained smile slowly spread across his face. He didn’t try to stop you. You wore a similar smile as you forced your feet to walk away. You wanted nothing more than to kiss him once again, but that was a dream you couldn’t have anymore. It was a dream you’d have to tell the stars about.

[whencyclopedia]

Andromeda

Andromeda is a princess in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Cepheus, the king of Aethiopia (Ethiopia), and his wife, Cassiopeia. The most famous myth associated with Andromeda is the story of her rescue by the Greek hero Perseus, who saved her from being sacrificed to a sea monster. She married Perseus, and they had several children together.

Andromeda is also one of the best-known and recognised star constellations, which also contains the Andromeda Galaxy, the largest galaxy closest to the Milky Way.

Family

Andromeda is the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, the king of Aethiopia. However, some sources mention that Cepheus was the king of Joppa (in modern-day Israel). After Perseus rescued Andromeda, they got married, and together they had seven sons and two daughters, including Perses (the legendary founder of Persia, from whom all Persian kings are descended), Helios, Alcaios, Mestor, Electryon, Sthenelos, Cynurus, Autochthe, and Gorgophone.

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