#dark demigods ah

[aroaceleovaldez]

Actually one more thing about Sun & Star -

“But can a being made of light survive in the darkest part of the world?”

So like. Is this a metaphorical thing or is Will actually made of light now? Is that a decision we’re making? Cause I am FASCINATED by the implications of that. Also, Tartarus itself isn’t the darkest part of the world, Nyx’s Palace is. Though there was some indication that Nico may have gone there in his first venture to Tartarus, which is Very Interesting because if they return there then you have a literal Son of the Sun venturing into The Literal Realm Of Night and i can only imagine that’ll be a fascinating scenario.

[styllwaters]

KNIGHT DEITIES

It's been a hot minute since I posted Vivere 44 art. Been intensely busy with school for the past few months but now that I've graduated I've got a lot of time to kill! Since the Knights post surpassed 1k notes I figured I may as well elaborate on them more. I'm so blown away by how much love they're getting already! Thank you all <3

I'm gonna talk a bit about Mountain and Plains Knight religions, mythology and a snippet of evolutionary history. I will cover Polar Knight religions in another post. The focus is on two gods in particular, Uwet-Jana and Kiraiarik.

_______

Uwet-Jana is the demigod of good health, vitality, and inner balance. In some regions they are also the god of fertility. The name of their Host is Uwetsil, and their Helmet is Serrjana. Mainly worshiped by Mountain cultures, Uwet-Jana takes the form of a Knight whose Host and Helmet are physically merged into a singular being.

Kiraiarik [pronounced ki-rai-ah-rik] is the personification of the host-helmet symbiotic relationship. They are the god of symbiosis, rebirth, and love. Kiraiarik was the name given to two immortal partners, a Host and a Helmet, who began as a singular being born to the sea in Ettera’s prehistoric era. Ettera decided to make them Two, one half (the Helmet) ruling over the sea and the other (the Host) having domain over the land. The story goes that in every form they take, they try to find each other - for their body remembers being One.

Both gods have lots of lore to their name. Further information below!

UWET-JANA

Uwet-Jana's Host body has long spines and red stripes like a Pike, and long fingerlike paws like a Helmet's manipulators. The Helmet section sports two long horns and elegant facial markings. Uwet-Jana has an iridescent sheen on their golden fur, catching the rays of the sun in a shimmering glow.

The story of Uwet-Jana is as follows: Both Uwetsil and Serrjana were born as runts, in a dark time when sickly Knights were seen as curses and not worth caring for. Their Order, believing them to be bad omens, cast them out to wander the tundra alone. They believed that the natural forces of Ettera (the Knight’s homeplanet) would quickly end them. However, Ettera took pity on the castaway, sending them three blessings. The first gift was a bone with marrow inside that ensured one is never hungry or thirsty again. Then, Ettera sent a warm, sweet wind into Uwet-Jana’s lungs which warded off all sickness and disease. Finally, a sun shower fell, the rains cleansing them and blessing them with a coat made of ivory and gold.

Transformed into a demigod with a hybrid body, Uwet-Jana was offered a place among the deities in the sky - but they refused, preferring to stay on the ground to share their gift with the mortals. Unbeknownst to them, their Order who had exiled them was struck by three curses from the Gods to mirror Uwet-Jana’s blessings: all the rivers in the area dried up and all their hunts were unsuccessful, leaving them with no food or water. Infections and diseases picked them off one by one, and a great storm ravaged the land, destroying their home and all remaining survivors. Uwet-Jana now blesses Knight Orders who take care of their sick and ailing members, and ignores those who don’t, leaving them to the wrath of the Gods.

Although they are nomadic and always on the move, many Mountain Orders will refuse to leave any sick members behind. They may also keep ivory statues of Uwet-Jana in their bags as a token of good fortune. Sometimes these statues are filled with bone marrow, or have holes which make a whistling sound as wind passes through it as a reference to Ettera’s gifts. Occasionally Pike Helmets are born with an extra long ‘horn’ spike, and are considered a child/reincarnation of Uwet-Jana. Additionally, whenever it rains while the sun is still shining, it is seen as a blessing from the demigod.

_______

KIRAIARIK

Kiraiarik's Host is depicted as a small creature with a striped pelt to mirror its ancestral form, and the Helmet as an aquatic beast with long, trailing red fins. It is frequently shown twisting around the Host, sharing its blood. Kiraiarik is also often simplified as two disembodied eyes looking at each other. (And yes, the artstyle is a nod to medieval depictions of heraldic beasts!)

To understand Kiraiarik, one must be aware of how much Plains religions are intrinsically tied to concepts of evolution and paleontology.

Digression on the origins of Etteran symbiosis: 

Large stretches of Plains Knight deserts and scrublands were once submerged beneath the sea. As a result, there are countless fossil hotspots which have been unearthed over the centuries. These high concentrations of fossilised remains have lead to Plains cultures basing their religions around said discoveries. Although many features have been warped, the general timelines are strikingly similar.

For instance, a mass extinction event occurred on Ettera millions of years ago, caused by a series of catastrophic volcanic eruptions on a worldwide scale. This event is known in Plains culture as The Remaking, traditionally interpreted as the planet shedding its skin. Many species were decimated, but some groups survived; these happened to be phyla who possessed an exposed ‘Interfacer’ organ, a precursor to the specialised Integrator organ which connects the Host’s brain to the Helmet’s. Before The Remaking, there was no prior record of the deep symbiotic connection which Knights possess (scientifically deemed ‘Hyperadvanced Mutualism’). The Interfacer organ was used in the phyla for species to communicate simple stretches of data to each other, such as health and reproductive status. After the extinction, populations of these species were dwindling. To ensure their survival, an odd phenomenon occurred in which many individuals began to interface with different species who possessed the same organ - strangely enough, some were able to successfully exchange information. These individuals survived and passed on the practice to their offspring, eventually culminating in what would be discovered as a very primitive form of mutualism. Host and Helmet ancestors (pictured above) were some of the first species to achieve this.

As the planet recovered and populations increased, the relationship continued to solidify and become more complex, with symbiotic species sharing memories, emotions and complex thought. In modern times there is now an entire class of organisms on Ettera which possess an Integrator organ for Advanced Mutualism, including Knights.

Kiraiarik is said to be a manifestation of this relationship. After The Remaking, their two halves finally managed to find each other again, eternally locked in a joyous dance of love. (Side note: the love in question is not platonic nor romantic, but a deeper kind which is indescribable and not easily understood. Due to their intricate nervous systems, Knights have a higher degree of emotional intelligence and can experience sensations we would consider alien). When a Plains Knight is experiencing inner turmoil, they will often pray to Kiraiarik to restore a healthy connection. The god’s blessing is also called upon when an infant Host and Helmet first Assimilate.

Note: Many Plains ‘saints’ and deities have palindromic names which can be read both forwards and backwards, an indicator of holiness. Fun fact, the word Kiraiariku means “Your heart and mine are very old friends.”

Thank you for reading! More Knight content coming soon ;)

[ghostlyloversworld]

.｡.｡:∞♡*♥ making me love you! ♥*♡∞:｡.｡

Percy Jackson! X Fem! Persephone Reader

Idea! - the son of Poseidon and daughter of Persephone realizing that they aren't so different after all.

Waring! Cussing

Song Get him back! By Olivia Rodrigo

One, two, three Wait, is this the song with the drums?.

Percy groans as he tossed and turned in bed. He couldn't sleep that night, which was unusual for the demigod considering he's usually fast asleep drooling.

He pushed the blanket off him. He puts his feet on the ground, why was tonight so warm for no reason?. Gods he hated it ".. " his breathing steadily

I met a guy in the summer and I left him in the spring He argued with me about everything He had an ego and a temper and a wandering eye He said he's six-foot-two, and I'm like, "Dude, nice try".

But he was so much fun and he had such weird friends And he would take us out to parties and the night would never end Another song, another club, another bar, another dance And when he said something wrong, he'd just fly me to France So I miss him some nights when I'm feeling depressed 'Til I remember every time he made a pass on my friend Do I love him? Do I hate him? I guess it's up and down If I had to choose, I would say right now.

The son of Poseidon sighs as he walks to his bathroom. Tyson was fast asleep across the other hallway. He tried to find the light switch in the dark, but he struggles to find it for a good moment until the little 'click! ' noise when he found it he had switched the little switch up words.

He finally turns the water on. He let's it run for a good while before he finally splash water on his face. He turns the water off before grabbing a rag he softly pats his face with the rag. He took a good moment to look at his face, he sighs and runs his hands through his Raven hair.

But he wasn't the only one up. The daughter of Persephone was also up. But she was sitting down. At docks her feet swinging back and forth as she watched the water under her feet. Don't worry she had her shoes on making sure they didn't get wet with the water. She thinks that the water was just the right temperature but she wasn't going to try and figure out.

I wanna get him back I wanna make him really jealous, wanna make him feel bad Oh, I wanna get him back 'Cause then again, I really miss him, and it makes me real sad Oh, I want sweet revenge And I want him again I want to get him back, back, back.

As she sits there looking at the water. She hears the smooth voice of the son of Poseidon. "Can't sleep? " he asked as he walked up to her ".. Are you stalking me?" She asked him as she looks at the water "what? no.. I don't stalk people" he laughs at her question

"Hmm m'kay.." She sighs before she looks up at the boy who had one streak of white in his hair. "You still drool in you're sleep.. But I don't say it to not let you down hardly" she smirks he rolls his eyes "oh shut up.. You're also not pretty when sleeping.. " he laughs. "Ah so you do stalk people" "no I don't I already told you this " he sighs "that's stalking when you watch people sleep" she stats.

But that was last night. Now it was Morning.. She and Percy stayed up talking about nothing important. Just being teenagers.. The usual teasing, just a hint of flirting and just being idiots. They were at breakfast. At their tables. So when the daughter of Persephone looks up from her plate.

She saw Percy shoved blue pancakes in his mouth. She smirks and rolls her eyes before looking down at her plate again. He sat with Tyson . His half brother the boy who was a actual big sweetheart who was scared of Satyr's she actually felt bad for Tyson. The poor Cyclops

But when she saw the way the Cyclops face lit up with happiness. She smiles she had looked up in time to see it

So I write him all these letters and I throw them in the trash 'Cause I miss the way he kisses and the way he made me laugh Yeah, I pour my little heart out, but as I'm hitting "Send" I picture all the faces of my disappointed friends Because everyone knew all of the shit that he'd do He said I was the only girl but that just wasn't the truth And when I told him how he hurt me, he'd tell me I was trippin' But I am my father's daughter, so maybe I could fix him.

She fixed her hair. She looks away not wanting to seem like a creep but it was a little to late because Percy had saw her staring. He smirks and rolls his eyes

I wanna get him back I wanna make him really jealous, wanna make him feel bad Oh, I wanna get him back 'Cause then again, I really miss him, and it makes me real sad Oh, I want sweet revenge And I want him again I want to get him back, back, back.

Actually he already knew everytime she would look their way.

I wanna key his car (I want to get him back)I wanna make him lunch (but then I, I want to get him back) I wanna break his heart (but then I, I want to get him back) And be the one to stitch it up (but then I, I want to get him back) Wanna kiss his face (but then I, I want to get him back) With an uppercut (but then I, I want to get him back) I wanna meet his mom (but then I, I want to get him back) Just to tell her her son sucks (but then I, I want to get him back).

Tyson kept talking so happily. Not even noticing the staring girl. But it wasn't like she was trying to be rude. She just wanted to make sure they were okay. And laugh at Percy when he shoves blue pancakes in his mouth. God he was so stupid but she loved him. Wait what? She loved him?

I wanna key his car (I want to get him back) I wanna make him lunch (but then I, I want to get him back) I wanna break his heart (but then I, I want to get him back) And be the one to stitch it up (but then I, I want to get him back) Wanna kiss his face (but then I, I want to get him back) With an uppercut (but then I, I want to get him back) I wanna meet his mom (but then I, I want to get him back) Just to tell her her son sucks (but then I, I want to get him back).

So after lunch when breakfast had ended and everyone went their own ways. She finally found him training by himself. She walks up to him " jeez sea boy" he looks over at her "what flower girl" she smirks "oh just being my favorite as always. Mwah" he laughs "what the fu-. " she looks at him "don't cuss. There is kids around" she smirks

I wanna get him back I wanna make him really jealous, wanna make him feel bad Oh, I wanna get him back 'Cause then again, I really miss him, and it makes me real sad Oh, I want sweet revenge And I want him again I want to get him back, back, back.

He laughs more "oh so you're so considered for the children. "Aye.. Those kids are innocent right now" she laughs. Great minds think alike. "Oh wow" he laughs so hard that his face was red "jeez you're blushing over me" she teased him "maybe " he shrugged. "Or maybe you're just to pretty for me" he shrugged.

I'll get him, I'll get him, I'll get him, I'll get him back Get him back, come on, come on I'm gonna get him so good, he won't even know what hit him He's gonna love me and hate me at the same time Get him back, girl, you better get him back I don't know I got him good, I got him really good.

[thekissofaphrodite]

Hey can I request a Luke Castellan x Rodríguez reader she is Chris Rodriguez half sister from mom side and she is maybe a demigod too or half witch or whatever and she is innocent and completely different from him and not one have idea of her existence because him is very protect of her and fluffy and happy ending.

I SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING 🤭

Ms. Rodriguez

Luke Castellan x Rodriguez!reader

Summary: A visit from your halfbrother and his best friend 🤭

Warnings: Some kissing, angst

Author's note: I'm in the verge of having a breakdown, my hair isn't cooperating, I'm uncomfortable and i don't feel well. But I'm still here to serve

——

Chris and Luke stood infront of a cream and yellow coloured suburban house, it had a white picket fence and a small garden, birds were chirping, and the sun was setting within the horizon.

"Are you sure we're in the right address?" Luke asked, looking around the neighbourhood, there were kids playing near the streets, middle aged woman, leaned against their fence, gossiping and a man washing his car. It was surely different, he never left camp and seeing all that was new to him.

"Of course. She'll like you man, don't worry" Chris said, patting Luke at the back, He rang the doorbell, at first, no one answered, but then, there was a teenage girl who poked her head on a window, a beam appeared on her face.

"MOM! CHRIS IS HERE!" The girl yelled, her footsteps thudding while she ran downstairs.

There was an indistinct voice of a woman, and sure enough, the door opened.

It revealed a woman with curly medium dark brown hair, with black eyes and tan skin, she was wearing a floral dress and an apron, when she saw chris, she immediately engulfed her boy into a hug.

"Oh my baby!" The woman began smothering Chris' cheeks with kisses, totally forgetting about Luke who stood beside Chris awkwardly. But Chris decides to pull away from his mom.

"Ma! Stop it's embarrassing" Chris mumbled, his mom laughed, Then, in the corner of her eyes, she saw Luke.

"Oh! Where are my manners?! You must be Luke, I'm Chris' mom, Carmen" Luke acknowledge the woman, he offered his hand for a handshake but was engulfed into a hug.

"We don't do handshakes, Mi hijo" Said Carmen, Luke can smell the mix of spices and a hint of floral perfume on the woman's clothes, He inhailed it, and somehow, it gave him a sense of comfort.

Behind Carmen stood a girl, No older than sixteen.

"Ah, this is Y/n, You've met her, I suppose?" Asked Carmen, You ran and jumped into your brother's arms.

"I missed you chris!" You squealed, Chris smiled and hugged you back, Leaving Luke awkwardly again.

"This is—"

"—Luke, I know" you said, pulling away from Chris and facing his friend. You looked at him, He had curly hair, a tall and muscular figure, there was also this playful grin on his face that he and Chris shared.

"Before all the talking, Come inside!" Carmen ushered, "Y/n, call your father, supper is almost ready, tell him we have guests" You obediently obliged, running upstairs with your thigh length Nike shorts. It'd be weird if Luke admitted that he liked it.

"Sit down, The food is still cooking, would you like some cookies?"

Cookies

Luke froze, Memories of his mother flooded his head again, the noises around him became indistinct, His breathing became ragged and heavy, His eyes blurred with tears. indescribable rage filled inside him before Carmen's soothing voice brought him back.

"Mi querido, are you alright?" Asked Carmen, Luke immediately wiped a tear that rolled down his cheek.

"Yes Mrs. Rodriguez, I'm sorry.."

"What for? We're your family, sweetheart..and no need to call me Mrs. Rodriguez, it makes me sound so old...Carmen would do" She smiled, Her smile brought Luke comfort again..but he can't describe it.

"Of course"

There was a moment of silence as Carmen walked back to the kitchen.

"You okay man?" Chris rubbed Luke's back and recieved a nod from the boy.

"Yeah.."

When you came back down stairs, a middle aged man was walking right behind you, He looked decent with a neatly trimmed beard and a man bun.

"Dad's here ma!" You yelled before flopping on the couch beside Luke.

Chris stood up and went to greet his Stepdad.

"Hey there, bud" Your dad patted Chris' back and hugged him, Luke stood up and shook his hand.

"Dad, this is Luke, My halfbrother" Chris said. Luke assumed that the man would be weirded out, The fact that he was Chris' halfbrother, and the man probably didn't know about Demigods, But surprisingly, The man smiled and patted Luke.

"Nice to finally meet Chris' favourite brother" Your dad joked, Luke smiled.

"He said that?"

"Yeah, i mean, i can see why"

"Don't get fooled by Adrian, he's full of surprises" Said Carmen, She placed the caserole on the table and unwrapped her apron.

When they all sat down, Luke learned more about Chris' family. When Carmen married Adrian 17 years ago and they had you, Adrian being Chris' father figure.

Luke felt quite jealous, All his life, He felt alone, What happened to his mom was Hermes' fault, it was all Hermes, Luke hated him, seeing Chris with his family makes him want to drag Hermes and make him apologise to his mother.

The dinner was full of chatter, Carmen asked Chris what camp is like, and Adrian was preparing desert. You were across Luke, silently eating your mom's Paella.

Luke wanted to start a conversation with you, It was maddening, he wanted to hear your voice and your laughs again.

"What about you, Y/n? I saw you talking to the Adler boy down the street" Said your father, Your head immediately snapped up.

"I was asking him about our homework, we were in the same algebra class" There was a hint of annoyance in your voice, You met Luke's eyes across the dining table.

"And i have a crush on someone else, Okay?" Your dad whistled teasingly, Chris laughed and Your mom suddenly found you interesting.

"Who is it?" Your mom asked, Your dad and Chris looked at you, waiting for an answer.

"Secret" They all groaned, but Luke stayed silent.

——

After dinner, Chris went to his room to get something, leaving you and Luke alone in the living room.

The movie 'Troy' was playing, and you were quietly watching, Luke right beside you.

"I hate that movie"

You turned your head towards him, eyes glinting with fascenation.

"It's not gay enough for you?"

Luke laughed, he threw his head bob giving you a view of his Adam's apple.

"Not quite, i hate the way they represent Heroes" He sat right beside you, watching the scene where Achilles wiped Briseis' face.

"About what you said in the dinner table, is it true you like someone?"

Your heart started beating faster.

"Yes"

"Who is it?"

You turned to him, a blush appeared on your cheeks.

"I think it's pretty obvious"

His hands found your cheeks and before you know it, you were kissing him in the living room, the movie still playing, but the only thing that you feel is Luke's lips and the way it move against yours.

You two pulled away when you heard a car pulling up in the driveway.

The blush on your cheeks won't fade away, but you'll definitely remind your mom to invite Luke on Holidays.

An extra bc ily guys

——

"This is such a nice movie, don't you think?" Chris munched on a whole bucket of popcorn, He was sat in between you and Luke.

"Yeah..."

"I'll remind mom and dad to get another set of couch"

[yuesya]

Far beneath the royal capital of Leyndell and its myriad splendors, there lies a sprawling maze of darkened waterways and shadowed tunnels; antithesis to all that is good and gold upon the surface. All creatures who are shunned dwell down here, to while away their days within the dark.

Morgott and his twin brother, Mohg, had been cast down here upon birth. Demigod children of Queen Marika the Eternal and Elden Lord Godfrey they may be, even such godly, royal blood did not prevent exile. For they both were born Omen –wretched creatures who were not blessed with the grace of the Erdtree. The blood that ran through their veins was cursed, a quality that manifested upon their physical bodies as monstrous deformities. Hulking figures, and bestial horns.

It is a mercy that they still draw breath. That they are only chained and bound beneath the cavernous depths of the royal city. Other Omen are not so lucky; their horns are forcibly excised at birth, an act that more often than not results in death.

And death is something that Morgott is familiar with, too. There are corpses floating in the sewers, those of Omen and vermin alike. Bloated, deformed, crawling with maggots. It is a common sight, this scenery that is ever-present and ever-constant in the dreary darkness of this world.

(The only world that Morgott knows.)

“Brother!”

The distinct clink of chains is preceded by his twin brother’s booming voice. Loud, and echoing. Rats are sent scattering at his approach, fleeing in a messy wave that rattles Morgott’s own chains. The shackles upon his limbs hang heavy, as does the collar affixed around his neck, but this does not stop Morgott from lifting his head to heed his brother’s call–

–what is that?

… Wading through the foul sewer waters, Mohg’s towering, horned figure does not strike an unusual sight. What is unusual, however, would be the child sitting docilely in the crook of his arm, gathered haphazardly to his chest. No visible signs of any distress, or even any alarm at all.

It is a girl. Pale white hair, standing out starkly against the gloom of her surroundings. Blue eyes, abyssal and ringed with a distinct glow. Her appearance is one that is free of any blemishes and other such deformities –she does not appear to be cursed, so it is utterly baffling that such a child is here.

What madness is this?

“You –what have you done?” Morgott demands.

Mohg smiles. “Nay, ‘tis not I who is to blame for any of this! A little stray seems to have managed to wander down here on her own.”

“‘Fell,’” the girl corrects, tugging at the hem of his brother’s tattered sleeve with no compunctions. “I didn’t wander. I fell.”

“Ah, my apologies,” Mohg promptly acquiesces, readjusting his hold on her for better balance. “She seems to have slipped and fallen through the cracks –is that right?”

The girl nods agreeably.

… Except one does not just fall down into the bowels of glorious Leyndell like that. What is this child? And, more importantly–

Morgott clicks his tongue, “How are we to return her to the surface?”

Benign visitors from above are quite vanishingly rare, and for the most part the denizens of the depths below are simply cast aside and left to their fates. Morgott does not know when, or if their Lord-Father would choose to visit them again, and should this child expire during that time–

“Why?” Mohg asks. “We should just keep her.”

Morgott scowls. “Do not say such things in jest. You cannot just keep a child –surely she has family on the surface who are searching for her!”

Mohg peers down at the girl in his arms, “Do you?”

The white-haired girl shakes her head in clear dismissal of the notion. “Queen-Mother would only search for Godwyn.”

Morgott stares at the girl. So does Mohg, for that matter.

Queen-Mother. Godwyn.

The implications of her words–!

“… Your parents,” Morgott finds himself saying slowly, “You are a daughter of Queen Marika?”

“Yes.”

This strange child –one whom Morgott cannot sense any trace of divinity or his mother’s power from– is their younger sister? Half-sister?

This is… certainly unexpected.

[dovahfamily]

Non-locals hearing "The Dragonborn's family is at the Palace": Ah yes, The Dragonborn, her khajiit husband, and two khajiit children are at the palace

What "The Dragonborn's family is at the Palace" really means: The Dragonborn, her khajiit husband, their Imperial husband, her two khajiit children, her three nord children, her snow elf daughter, her two hybrid mer sons, her demigod son-in-law, her argonian son-in-law, her Breton daughter-in-law, her redguard son-in-law, her khajiit sisters and brother, her wood elf brother, her dark elf brother, three dragons, four daedra, a dremora, Hadvar and Ralof, a vampire, and a slew of suspicious folks are at the palace

[diangelosarmy]

Ever since Apollo had been restored to God status, he’d been visiting camp more. Sometimes even spending the night in his own cabin, in the bunk that belonged to Lester. This was such a time, but there always came a point he had to leave. Still, the Apollo cabin always seemed in good spirits when he came to stay, even if it was sometimes embarrassing. Apollo was bidding each of his children a farewell on the porch of cabin 7. Nico di Angelo was also sitting lounged against a support beam. He was a little nervous to hang around the first few times Apollo had visited, but the god didn’t seem to mind his presence and that was enough for Nico.

“Oh Will, I almost forgot!” Apollo beamed, literally. “I’m just doing you a favor, so know that I mean nothing else by it alright?” Will’s expression quickly shifted to confusion but before he could ask, his father had turned away from him and in a single long stride landed in front of Nico. “What-“ Nico started, but he didn’t get a chance to finish either. In one surprisingly fluid motion the God had grabbed Nico by his shirt, hauled the demigod to his feet, and firmly pressed his lips against Nicos. Nico’s eyes went wide and his hands reached out in vain to push Apollo off of him, but he couldn’t pry himself away until the God dropped him. He failed like a wet cat and fell backwards. Will and Nico both flushed deep red. It was Will that managed to find his voice first. “Dad, what the fu-“ Apollo cut him off again “Ah, Ah, watch the language around your father” he winked as he said it. “Take a look” he gestured toward Nico.

For the first time attention turned off Apollo and toward Nico, who was still sprawled out on the ground. “What?” He demanded “What is it?” Starting from his face Nicos skin slowly darkened from the pale white it had slowly become to the Olive tan it had once been. Freckles dotted his nose and cheeks. His hair lightened from black to a dark chestnut. Even his eyes had lightened and seemed to take on golden flecks in the center. “You’re…tan” Kayla offered. Nico looked down at his hands and noticed the difference. He hadn’t been this shade since he was a child, spending his summers in the Italian sun. Not even when the Argo II had circled the African coast. He figured he’d spent too much time underground , or absorbed too much darkness to allow that anymore. “How did…” he trailed off and looked up at Apollo. Apollo winked again and did a little two finger salute “Sun kissed” He said nonchalantly “Mortals do pick up on some things. Don’t worry” he said clapping Will on the back “He’s all yours, just thought you might appreciate a little reset” Will just looked between his boyfriend and father, still too stunned to speak. “Anyway, Love you guys! Gotta run!” He exclaimed and burst into a nearly blinding flash of pure light before disappearing completely. The remaining Apollo cabin as well as Nico stayed in silence for a few long, long minutes. “Will?” Nico eventually managed as he picked himself up off the ground. Will looked at him for a long moment. “You look good. Don’t ever do that again”

[percythalianico]

Nico and Percy ~ Part 1

Hey, you know what we were robbed of?

You know what Nico told, like, all HoO? No one cares about me, I'll left Camp Halfblood and other stuffs?

Now, this is what should have happened after TTC.

(Chiron is the one that told Nico about Bianca's fate, because Percy was another kid and it shouldn't be on him doing something like that!)

Nico: I don't have anyone, now.

Percy: You have me.

Nico: Thanks, but...

Percy: No, you misunderstood me. You have me means: I have packed your stuffs, mom is on her way here and you are going to sleep with me in my bedroom.

Nico: Are you kidnapping me?

Percy: Are you complaining?

Nico: .... No.

Percy: Perfect. Mom is here, let's go.

Nico: What if I said no?

Percy: You don't want to know, believe me.

++++

Nico: I have problem with a boy.

Percy: Like... his body doesn't fit in the bag problem, or more, I like him problem?

Nico: The second one.

Percy: Too bad, I could have helped with the first one.

Nico: What I'm going to do, then?

Percy: Well, my way is to be naive and don't understand if someone likes me.

Nico: And?

Percy: I don't know. I can't recognize if others have crushes on me or not. I have anxiety, but that is for being a demigod. Mostly.

Nico: Okay. I'm going to ask your mom.

Percy: Yeah, that's a good idea.

+++

Nico: Hey, I did something terrible.

Percy: Don't worry, they won't find out anything.

Nico: What did you think I have done? And why do you have a shovel in your hand?

Percy: ...

Nico: ...

Percy: It doesn't matter. They won't discover you.

++++

At the phone: We have your cousin

Nico: Which cousin?

Voice: Uh, what?

Nico: I said which cousin? Gods have too many children, really! They don't know the meaning of 'protection'.

Voice: Uh, dark hairs, green eyes, likes horses..?

Nico: Ah, that's Percy. And, you don't have him, he has you. Good luck.

++++

Nico: You are late.

Percy: I was kidnapped.

Nico: How much?

Percy: They asked for giving me back?

Nico: No, how much time they bear your non-stop and nonsense talks.

Percy: Rude.

Nico: ...

Percy: You are very rude.

Nico: ...

Percy: An hour.

Nico: Ah, I see. I have to say, they bear more than I imagined.

Percy: Yes, I know. I was surprised myself.

++++

Kidnapper: Did you order a pizza?

Percy: Ah-ah

Kidnapper: So, you found a phone and, instead of calling the police on me, your kidnapped, you order a pizza?

Percy: Are you mad cause I used your credit card?

Kidnapper: You used my credit card?!?!?

Percy: Sorry. I was hungry. And being kidnapped won't stop me.

In the meantime

Annabeth: It is peaceful.

Nico: Percy got kidnapped again, so there isn't noise.

Grover: Percy was kidnapped?

Annabeth: Again?

Nico: It happens eight times a week. It's a little annoying.

[sinners-in-paradise]

What was I going to say...? What was I going to do...?

It seems I'm just... so awfully lost...

Give me... a moment... Just a moment...

Ahem! Welcome, traveller! 'Tis only appropriate we take this time to set the stage for you, hm? Let's meet all the pieces on our little board.

Let's start from the very beginning...

–––

Name: Celeernyx

Once the queen of Halcandra and a Hero of Yore, Celeernyx was a loving but firm soul who was essential in the first defeat of Void Termina. However, a certain someone soon grew jealous of her and the other Heroes, and desperate for power, orchestrated the downfall of each of them until only Cele remained. Devastated, Celeernyx’s shattered mental state was an easy target for an ancient, malicious artifact known as the Master Crown. Once it had taken her mind and wiped out her kingdom, it decided she was of no further used to it, and swiftly executed her.

Cause of Death: Shattered.

–––

Name: Dulciana

A joy to everyone who knew her, Dulciana lost both of her parents at a young age and was raised by less than adequate caretakers. To escape from the pressures of her everyday life, Dulci often spent time under a favorite maple tree. The course of her life took a turn, however, when she met a handsome young demigod, and eloped to the wilderness with him. The two lived happily until Dulciana succumbed to an unknown illness, ripping her from her lover’s grasp forever.

Cause of Death: Unknown terminal illness, likely genetic.

–––

Name: Guinevere

Though originally an ordinary child, Guinevere (remembered fondly as "Gwen") was corrupted into a demon beast of sorts by Nightmare at a very young age, and upon escaping from his grasp struggled to present as an ordinary girl. Despite her odd appearance and tendencies, she found happiness in joining the GSA in her adult years, after which she was wed and had a single child. Though details are maintained private from the public, an official statement from the army indicates that she attempted to turn against it and was executed for attempted homicide by her partner.

Cause of Death: Blood loss from major lacerations.

–––

And that’s everyone!

Wait….No, something’s not right…

No, this isn’t right at all…

–––

Ah! Of course! I almost forgot!

–––

Name: Dero

A defective dark matter that wished to take no part in Zero’s evil schemes, Dero became a wandering hero, sworn to protect those in need. Though not the brightest, Dero was determined to keep everyone around him safe. Kind, chivalrous, and an expert in the blade, Dero gained renown as a great hero until…..

Until…….

Cause of Death: The willow tree is beautiful this time of year, isn’t it?

–––

Well, seems we have that out of the way. What was I to say next...?

Ah, that's right!

Welcome to hades, dearest.

–––

Credits:

Celeernyx by @moon-mage

Dulciana and Ades by @loaflovesdoodling

Guinevere by @camachine

Dero by @monsterhatdoodles

Art and writing by @camachine and @monsterhatdoodles

–––

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

(???)

[life-winners-liveblog]

OH MY GOD-

Kristin had many brothers??? Drista could you tell us whispers what's the name of Kristin's brothers? To pass some time? Before we all doomed or something :D

-Molly😶‍🌫️

Ah where to start? She's the daughter of Clara aka the goddess of space aka the goddess with oh so many children.

She has like 6 full siblings which include Prime(dsmp goddess of life), my mom, and the fucking World Historian.

Plus theres all of the half-siblings. Aeor, Exor, Herobrine, Nidarc, The darkness, Destiny...

This isn't even condidering all the demigods, and trust me theres many.

[httyddragonfox]

Hazbin Hotel: Christianity slams vs My Defense

Let's get one thing straight first: I'm a fan of the show. It has an awesome person with my own sexuality in the cast (Alastor). It's not a constant string of dark humor and cussing and actually has a well concocted story with well built characters, unlike south park and family guy.

Of course...I am a christian. I've seen so people react to this that say "This is why Christianity is awful!" Ah ha ha...

I feel like I need to defend myself.

Yes, some branches of Christianity are very bigoted, strict, bias, and just horrible. I don't like associating with those people.

First of all: I'm protestant.

There's catholic and protestant.

Catholic believe in the trinity, and strict following of the bible and church going, of course they also believe the pope is someone who's word is god send, and do whatever their priests say will absolve them of their sins and get them and get them into heaven.

Protestants formed because they believed that people don't have the right to judge or absolve us, only god has that power. They are more believers of following religion and being devout on your own terms, that's why everyone has their own bible to read. Praying is more select and can be done whenever, anything to connect us to god.

Now for the sub branch, as some sub-branches of Protestantism are still pretty strict (I'm looking at you, 'god-fearing baptists')

My branch is called 'the United,' formed when several branches merged into one church. It's mainly Presbyterianism with some stuff added on, I still think Presbyterianism can be a bit strict, that's why I like my branch so much.

My branch considers you apart of the community even if you don't go to church all the time. They won't be mad at you if you don't go to sermons. You're allowed to pray at your own leisure and your own preference, I usually just give a dinner prayer every night.

They like it when you ask questions, because our main teaching is that the bible is interpretive. It was written a long time ago by people who had different views than we do today.

Our branch is super accepting of others, we don't even discuss the prospect of going to hell, so I'm starting to think we don't believe in it. If one is suffering, we don't blame them for their own suffering, we teach them god will still be there for them in their darkest moments.

Yes, my church is called the trinity, but I'm not sure how much we believe in it as we don't talk about it much. I grew up thinking Jesus was just God's son, like a demigod. Yeah, Jesus saved us, but we were taught he saved us from the strict society at the time who would kill people for the slightest moral wrong.

I grew up thinking the devil had nothing to do with the fall of man and it was just a snake being a jerk. I grew up thinking the devil and Satan worked for god to test people's faith and thus were not bad.

We don't uphold all the sacraments, just the bread and "wine" and Communion, not to mention baptism (it's not to save us from sin, it's to welcome us into the church. We don't believe in original sin).

My branch is about unconditional love and acceptance, taking religion in your own stride. We are taught to be a good person, that's all that matters. The commandments are an important lesson, (i.e. don't kill, don't steal, no adultery, don't lie, respect your parents and authority, ex).

Yeah my church upheld COVID laws, but that's because they didn't want their congregation getting sick. My mom and dad are pissy about it because they're anti government. I still have faith in them though.

TL;DR, People in the Hazbin hotel community say Christianity is the worst and full of bigoted, bias hypocrites. Don't hate on me please, because my church does preach unconditional love and acceptance.

[outeremissary]

Oooh how about telling us a little about The Thousand Mile Fall? 👀

Thank you Ash and @bearvanhelsing for asking!

I want to begin by apologizing- I suspect you were looking for Tristian, but this is the single BG3 thing that was on the list. Jay, idk where you stand on discourse game of the year, but Ash, I know that you're not a fan and have been working on distance. I'm placing the rest under a cut. You can read it or not read it. Either thing is fine with me.

As compensation: the one actual Kingmaker ask I got on this (sorry it's not a flashy one), or a PF2e one about Kasander/Asperia.

Still with me? Thank you, I appreciate it!! Let's see to what degree I'm willing to bare my soul before I get too embarrassed and awkwardly trail off.

Ah: DUrge spoiler warning. And content warning: DUrgetash (sorry)

So! The Thousand Mile Fall, something which was only just starting to go beyond planning (and originally planning for a comic) when my laptop committed die. I was really interested in the concept of the Dark Urge as a character who was always framed as having fallen from grace, and who had also fallen from a state of divinity. The liminal state excited me, and we all know how I feel about a horrible someone who's a horrible failure of an angel. Horrible failure of a demigod occupies a similar space. I think the nature of that failure- that fall- began to occupy me quite a bit, since I had a strong concept for Asperia from very, very early on in my playthrough (long before I knew anything besides the DUrge plot besides that they were a Bhaalspawn, even before I had become convinced Kasander and Asperia existed simultaneously) and at the heart of Asperia was someone who was infallible and convinced of their invincibility- maybe rightly so.

So, this story is set only a bit before the game and is meant to unpick the loss of that perfect favor- in my mind, the loss of Asperia's "godhood," something which is stolen twice. The second and definitive loss is of course to Orin in a singular act of violence, but Orin's path to victory was opened by the slow and insidious poison of having known Enver Gortash. In a "the bar is in hell" turn of things, their... acquaintanceship is the closest thing Asperia has ever experienced to a normal relationship and a normal life. And that glimpse of the other side is what unmakes her. It's always been crucial to Asperia's role in the system to be the one who loves being Bhaal's beloved child, who can reconcile anything with belonging, who buys in so fully that it is unthinkable to be less than a god and it is unthinkable to have desires besides those of a god. Others hold the questions, the fear, the other desires- Kasander and Bride especially- but Asperia wants nothing else in life, and Asperia believes with painful, self-destructive fervor.

Asperia has already been acquainted with Gortash for some good while here, the wheels turning in the scheme of the Absolute. This is the longest positive relationship of any kind Asperia has ever had outside of whatever pseudo-parental thing he has with Scleritas, and it has been wonderful: novel, collaborative, a meeting with someone who resembles an equal despite being a mere mortal. Asperia has begun to see other facets of the world through this, to see the ways the world of the living comes together for purposes besides inevitable execution. It's all an act of devotion, all furthering the will of Bhaal, all what Asperia desires and wants to do. But the further it's gone the more it's started to be fun for its own sake too, and a certain fascination with a frenemy has begun to blossom into dangerous fantasies.

Asperia doesn't fantasize. Asperia can't fantasize. Asperia is a god, and he only wants things which are real and deserved. Bhaal's favor is proof of that: Orin's ugly, messy desires make her a worse worshiper, and she's never had their divine father's love. Asperia is Bhaal's beloved. Asperia is defined by her distance from those mistakes. And so too is Asperia the perfect disciple, a being beyond sin. If something is what Asperia wants, then it must be acceptable.

And this is how Asperia begins to lose Bhaal's favor.

Asperia starts the story at a personal high and only rising- with the world at her fingertips and Bhaal's love behind her, she's preparing for the victory lap and has taken an extra prize in becoming more intimately involved with Gortash. But you can't have your cake and eat it too- this impossible personal high the seed of Asperia's ruin, already sown, takes root and begins to grow. Bhaal's perfect killing machine doesn't play house with Bane's Chosen. And there are more than enough people who fucking hate Asperia already and are ready to take note- as well as Gortash himself, so much older and colder than young, sheltered Asperia. There may be some genuine affection there in some form, but calculation and power take precedent, as does the enjoyment of solving this Bhaalspawn puzzle by picking her apart.

Over time the increasingly clear dissonance between the impossible misalignment- the first Asperia has ever experienced- between what they want and what Bhaal allows them to desire and have drives them to spiral into a state of exceptional vulnerability that ultimately allows Orin to usurp them. The escalating stress causes them to lose time more and more frequently, beyond what they can explain away to themself and make disappear, and they begin to doubt themself. To fear what is happening, and to develop their own doubts about Bhaal- things that should live elsewhere, things that cause other parts to bubble up in ways they notice. Asperia is straying and rivals like Orin can see it, is becoming less dependable and reluctant allies like Ketheric can see it, is becoming a less than perfect disciple and that butler shepherd of Bhaal can see it (not that every part was always perfect- Scleritas has always known that "Asperia" is more than just Asperia, and has long pitted Asperia against themself). And Asperia is vulnerable and open and easier and easier to see- and Gortash, who has solved the part of this puzzle Asperia refuses to see quite well, sees it all and drives the spiral deeper. Pulls Asperia closer, and begins to learn the others without letting Asperia know (this is a piece of how Kasander knows Gortash, has known Gortash before anything).

So y'know. It's all heading for inevitable tragedy, heartbreak, ruin, bad feelings, and a tadpole in the head, as well as a shitty asshole boyfriend conspiring with one's sister who has been waiting for ages for the change to REALLY wreck one's shit. Yikes! Feel like not enough was spent on the family drama and that's sold Orin short, but she's played a damn active hand through it all. Sacrificial Orin, always underestimated, always overlooked, always surviving.

I dunno how to conclude this and I feel like I probably talked too long (half just to remember things I can't access until the new laptop arrives and is set up). All in all, just a fun little project to play with while I continue to fail to finish the last teeny bit of the actual goddamn game (I'm the worst at wrapping up the last little dregs of things after I've cleaned up the most fun stuff).

TLDR: Asperia, main character of life, starts to Lose the Plot and gets written out of the story for a little while

[dailycharacteroption]

Deity Drop 7: Aksha

And we’re ending off the week with a rakshasa immortal, those rakshasas that have ascended through their cycle of reincarnation to become minor demigods in their own right... wait, no…

Rakshasa immortals are the greatest among their kind, earthbound avatars representing the greatest evils so that evil may be defined… huh?

Ah, well, it seems that at the time of writing, rakshasas are undergoing a bit of a face lift with the advent of the revisions to Second Edition with the Remastered books.

Originally, rakshasas cleaved a little closer to their D&D counterparts what with being reincarnating evils, but Pathfinder actually gave them lore as to why.

Essentially, Rakshasa represent thoroughly evil souls that, through dark ritual or absolute refusal to move on, become twisted into monsters that reincarnate by forcing a fledgling soul out of a newborn and taking over their future, awakening as a rakshasa into adulthood and transforming into whatever monstrous form their current incarnation happened to be. Such fiends are defined by an act of cruelty and theft every time they reincarnate, and depending on the events of their past life, may move up or down in power level and form.

The whole “stealing newborn bodies from the rightful soul” actually lines up with how rakshasa are described in Islam, however, in the original Hindu, rakshasa are akin to demons or fey in that they are earthbound inhuman creatures of great magic and viciousness (though good rakshasa that fight alongside the goodly gods are also mentioned).

I believe that it is the Hindu version that Pathfinder is now trying to emulate with this new lore for the monster group, but the lore for them leaves a little to be desired in depth and interest. “Born to be living examples of evil with no capacity to change or grow (and therefore, no longer able to shift positions on the hierarchy between incarnations). It’s just… lackluster. A creature born to do evil acts over and over again with no variation or free will is just an automaton, and kinda brings into question why they were necessary when so many other fiendish outsiders exist, some of them arguably even older than these new rakshasa, such as the qlippoth.

But that’s the new lore, which means that rakshasa immortals like Aksha here will probably be heavily rewritten the first chance they get.

With that in mind, I’ll detail her and other such immortals as they were originally, but also include notes on how they might be interpreted later.

And with that, I present, Aksha!

I tried looking for any figures called Aksha in mythology, but the only one was one of the male children of Ravana, who was killed in battle, and seems to have little to do with our Aksha.

In any case, Aksha of the Second Breath is a curious creature because while little is known of here in print, she is described as having been a mortal sorceress who sold her own soul to Mephistopheles himself in order to gain the ability to use hellfire as a weapon in her breath. How exactly a perpetually-reincarnating being sold their soul and somehow keeps reincarnating is a mystery to me. Perhaps she exploited a loophole, or the collection will come later. Or maybe the story is apocryphal or a deliberate deception to conceal how she managed to add hellfire to her arsenal. Hard to say.

If we assume she’ll survive the revisions, her Earthbound Evil version may paint her as a rakshasa of sorcery, deception, and theft, and a successful one as she managed to steal the fires of hell for herself. But that’s just speculation on my part.

Very little of Aksha’s appearance has been described, but she is supposedly a tiger-headed rakshasa with two mouths, one of which is a sibilant and eloquent speaker, while the other breathes hellfire.

Her realm is never given, though it can be assumed to be some fancy estate in Vudra somewhere, likely hidden in plain sight.

It can probably be assumed that Aksha is worshipped by those who seek to learn from her and her mastery of hellfire and other magic, as well as those seeking to emulate her deceptive nature. However, that same nature means that dealing with her even in the role of a supplicant is dangerous indeed.

Her relationships are not known either, but it can be assumed that she allies and schemes against other immortals as she sees fit, and ignores all other divinities until the servants of such beings get in her way.

She is likely served by multitudes of lesser rakshasa, particularly marai given their own interest in magic. Additionally, she likely also has many mortal slaves and servants under her control as well.

What is known for sure is her domains, which include Animal, Evil, Law, and Trickery, with the subdomains of Deception, Fear, Fur, and Tyranny. However, it is worth noting that all rakshasa immortals grant the same domains, reflecting their nature as tyrants, deceivers, and beasts.

No information on her has been given in Second Edition, so we don’t know what she might grant there. Probably for the best since they’re still hashing those details out.

She does grant a lesser obedience though, the one part of her divine kit unique to her. Those that mediate under a scented torch for an hour gain resistance to fiery effects. What’s more, her boons are all spells, allowing the faithful to attack with beams of heat, ward themselves with flame, and call down superheated winds on foes.

No info is given on her in Starfinder either, so it is unknown if she still exists or has been permanently killed by now. If she survives, she is likely in the upper echelons of society, having wormed her way in, and probably has easy access to some academy of arcane learning given her interests.

And that does it for this week, and we’ve almost made an entire loop of the various types of divinites in First Edition, so that’s progress! For now though, enjoy your weekend and see you next time with more character options!

[happyk44]

Was writing up a different thing but my thoughts kept stalling so I'm twisting it. I've seen posts before about how Demeter's children logically should've been part of the prophecy and child ban in PJO because she is also one of the eldest gods. And yeah, that's still true, Rick should've altered the wording or maybe made it more clear that "gods" in that context was specifically refering to god as a male term, but whatever.

Anyway, it got me thinking about her children. I never read TOA and don't intend to and I think? One of her kids is a major player in that one, but whatever. This is ignoring TOA because I don't have context (and I don't want to).

We know the Big Three are overtly powerful. We don't see much of Thalia's raw power (or Jason's really, but I already have my own separate thoughts on that), but ultimately we know that they are closer to the gods than other demigods. And I was thinking about Demeter's kids would factor into that and I realized.

Ah. They can't.

See: Zeus is god of the the sky, right? And the sky is often equated with air. Air is everywhere: the ocean, the earth, the sky, underground, everywhere. The only place there is no air is in a vacuum, and that's irrelevant because a vacuum has nothing in it, so no one would have power there and it's pointless to bring it up.

Anyway, Jason and Thalia might be slightly diminished in certain places, but ultimately their power can't die. Even underwater, there will be some kind of air they could manipulate if they just try. And, as I've mentioned elsewhere, lightning is just electricity. Electricity exists in the body in the form of our nervous system. If you look it up, you'll find that technically all biological cells are electrical. So plants, people, animals. Fucking computers too, probably, at this point, why the fuck not. Just sap all forms of electrical energy as a power-up.

Basically even the most basic form of their powers exists everywhere in nature: sky/air and lightning. And they can manipulate that however they choose.

Similarly, Hades, who is often equated with death (even though that's Thantos's business), exists everywhere as well. Death touches everything. It lingers. Darkness too. No matter what, the sun will always set and the dark will prevail. I mean darkness prevails regardless. If you walk into a room with no windows, there isn't light. You have to make that, you have to add it.

And when you factor in my theory that as god of the Underworld, Hades has a touch of specialty regarding the gods/spirits/etc who live in his domain, well you've added in even more for him to reach out to: sleep, dreams, rest and relaxation, and more probably my brain is stalling again.

But anyway, those things exist everywhere. They touch everything. So power is absolute - except maybe the sky. I don't think ghosts can linger in the sky. If you die, you fall to the ground. Even on planes, a corpse will eventually land. But it still graces the sky. A shot bird still dies in the clouds before it is touches the ground. So there's range there, and that's Nico and Hazel.

Poseidon in the ocean, yes, but people still equate him to all forms of water - and maybe that's more a modern thing these days, but I don't doubt that people way back when probably did too, maybe at a lesser degree because they were aware of other water-type gods for specific things and unless you've immersed yourself in Greek mythology/Hellenistic polytheism, you probably aren't and even then you might just default to the big guy anyway BUT I DIGRESS.

Water is everywhere. It is vapour in the air we breathe. Sits in our veins, our bodies. It soaks into the ground, nourishes the plants, drips from cave walls and sloshes in underground rivers. Everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. Even a desert, as dry as it might be, has to have water somewhere. Even if you have to claw your way into the sky and clouds and drag it down into a torrential pour of rain, there is water somewhere.

So there we go with Percy.

Then Demeter.

Earth is not part of the sky. Earth is not part of the ocean. It is part of the underground. But limited in spaces. It is a powerful thing to be reckoned with and I don't doubt that her demigod kids are more powerful than your standard demigod, but there is a difference. The earth cannot follow Jason into the sky, it will fall. The earth cannot follow Percy into the ocean, it will muddy and dissolve. The earth can follow Nico underground but he can combat it head on if he wanted to.

The earth is powerful and stubborn. But it is limited.

Not to mention, Demeter, while regarded as an earth goddess, is not technically the earth goddess - that's Gaea. Demeter is the harvest and agriculture, grain and crops. And as we know, some places, even surrounded by dirt and grass and trees, cannot create a functional harvest. You have to actively put in work to create a functional farm, to grow.

The other three will always exist no matter what. There is no active work into creating their domain. The ocean and water will always flow. Air will always be breathed. People and animals and plants will always die.

I think this would also fall for the other two, if they were to ever have demigod children. Hestia is the hearth and warmth. That has to be created. Hera is marriage and family. That has to be created.

So Demeter's children are probably pretty powerful. But not as powerful as their cousins. Because her domain is crafted out of creation, but the boys' domains exist regardless.

[bookishjules]

ever since they decided riptide was gonna be the promo song for the show, i've seen a lot of takes--it's ridiculous, it's campy, it's 2012 fan-made mv vibes, it's eerie, it's fun, it's stupid, it's perfect--but what it seems like everyone agrees on, is that the only real connection to percy jackson is the title also being the name of his beloved sword. i'm not saying that connection isn't enough by itself.. but i do think we could go a little deeper hehe so let's break down these lyrics, shall we? <3

**Riptide by Vance Joy Through the Lens of Percy Jackson**

I was scared of dentists and the dark

beautiful intro line to get us in the headspace of the literal child that is 12yo percy jackson.. maybe he was scared of dentists, who knows? but the point is that these are the kind of fears that a parent might be there to hold a child's hand through, and percy never had anyone but sally to do that. this line prepares us for just how strong of an impact the loss of her will be.

I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations

this is percy "stands in the corner playing basketball at the school dance" jackson. it's him losing his words when he notices how pretty annabeth is, but it's also an indication of his placement in the social hierarchy of his peers up until this point.

Oh, all my friends are turning green

green with jealousy because he has all the power of a child of the big 3? because he gets granted a quest on like day fucking one at camp? because he's a naturally talented sword-fighter to rival luke? .. or green because he's finally seeing the world as it is through his god-given green eyes? or green like kelp and algae and the tint of the sea as he befriends creatures in his father's domain?

You're the magician's assistant in their dream

i think if you see luke as the magician, with his tricks and lies, you could easily attribute this line to annabeth--i mean he did want her with him in his backwards dreams. he also saw her following him in dreams of the past, and saw her in the dream conjured by the river styx. but!! i think this line could also refer well to luke himself, where the magician is kronos.

Ah-ooh-ooh-ooh, ah-ahh-ah-ah And they come unstuck

(gonna be real.. i've never known what to make of this line oops)

Lady, running down to the riptide

first, i think of percy running straight for the riptide as a representation of how accepting he's a demigod and a child of poseidon also pulls him in deep into this narrative that has been constructed around him, both in regard to zeus's bolt and also the great prophecy as a whole. but, i think this could also be addressing annabeth, rushing toward percy (water, riptide, etc. you get the picture) and counting on him to take her away from the shore (camp). another option here, if we stick with luke as the person being addressed, is his being called and swept up by the seething rage and indignation that spirals him away from the calmer tides and into the hands of kronos, which....

Taken away to the dark side

yeah, this could very easily be referring to kronos. we can also use it for percy and annabeth both when thinking about the quest that took them to the underworld, which is quite literally the dark side. i also think it could refer to the darker side of the life of a demigod.. by percy stepping up to accept his identity, his eyes are opened to the monsters and manipulative gods and backstabbing (literally) friends and the vague promise of his own death.

I wanna be your left-hand man

oh hello zoo transport oreo sharing "bc you're my friend" scene hehehe also if we switch perspectives this does work well for luke for obvious reasons

I love you when you're singing that song And I got a lump in my throat 'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong

okay stay with me now.. sally pov to percy. like he's up on that metaphorical stage all alone and doing his best and he's gonna fail sometimes but he's singing his own song, the song he was always meant to sing *cries*. another option of this is annabeth looking at percy, who almost always gets the words wrong, but it's so enduring--seaweed brain (affectionate). we also have the potential for annabeth to be looking at luke and saying this, only his wrong words were the path he chose, and the lump in her throat is the pain of watching him betray her trust again and again. along those lines, i think there's also an argument here for the percy @ annabeth pov that i would be inclined to associate with this song... because he loves her and the hope and the trust she carries with her, but he sees the way those beautiful traits of hers make it difficult to see luke for the monster that he's become--right tune, wrong words.

There's this movie that I think you'll like This guy decides to quit his job and heads to New York City This cowboy's running from himself And she's been living on the highest shelf

a movie percy would think annabeth would like perhaps? annabeth ran away from home and wound up in new york. before that, she had been basically cast aside to collect cobwebs by her parents. when we meet her at the beginning too, she's very much been set on the highest shelf in the way that she's been set aside despite so desperately wanting a quest. but there's also the case that the movie being referred to here is about luke, who ends up running from himself in the sense that he chooses to stand opposite both his father and the family he created for himself after heading to new york. in that case, there's also the possible attribution of the object living on the highest shelf to thalia, whose tree luke would have looked at every day as a reminder of his cause, but who would have been unable to say anything herself, stuck collecting dust, so to say.

I just wanna, I just wanna know If you're gonna, if you're gonna stay I just gotta, I just gotta know I can't have it, I can't have it any other way

okay talk about percabeth coding.. percy's "annabeth don't" when he thought she was gonna join the hunters. annabeth freaking out after he came back from ogygia. percy printing the picture she sent becuase he couldn't trust that it (she, chb, etc.) was real. "you're not getting away from me, never again." etc. etc. etc. (please feel free to continue spiraling in this vein as i know i will). it's also giving luke and his manipulation tactics tho ngl..

I swear she's destined for the screen Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen, oh

we (percy) support our queen (annabeth). i could get lost in the percabeth of this all, but i also think it's important to go back to a previous pov we mentioned.. sally's as she watches percy go off on his own. and if the she in question is percy from sally's pov, it's his success that she sees, his happy ending, the one she's been willing upon him from day one. there's also the potential of this line to be about sally from percy's pov. he loves his mom and he's proud of her, and he'll do anything to bring her back from the underworld so that she can live the life she deserves.

**

so yeah, ig in conclusion, there's more meaning here than meets the eye :) but also that won't stop me from thinking about my favorite pen sword every time that word is sung <3

[erikalentz]

Pokemon Half Moon - Forgiveness

On the same time the Rift Hunters fight Volo, Giratina have an unexpected visit.

(I wanted to draw Giratina and Arceus in their Pokemon form, but it didn't worked... So I did them in human form)

_________________________________________________

Silence reigned in the Distortion World. Giratina lay full-length on a floating earthen platform at the highest point of his dimension, having abandoned his Original Form for his alternative form, body and wings partly covered in ice that was beginning to melt, and barely able to make the slightest move after his battle with Kyurem. The dragon breathed in and out slowly, one breath after another, trying to forget the cold that was numbing him.

When the three dragons of Unova and their heroes arrived in Hisui, Giratina sensed their presence from his dimension, as did the Lake Trio. It took him less than three days of spying on them in the shadows to discover that they were time travelers from the future. As a Legendary Pokemon, the Renegade Pokemon was quick to recognize the phenomenal power of the monochrome dragons; their powers of fire, lightning and ice may appear classic, but their perfect mastery of their elements and their ability to manipulate the environment made them terrifying adversaries capable of destroying entire lands with their brute force. That said, although Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem were indeed powerful, they remained unknown demigods to Hisui. Although his name had been forgotten and he had been banished from the human world, Giratina remained one of the region's deities present at the creation of the universe, lingering in the memories of the locals in the form of their fear of the dark. Since he was on his native territory and had the full power of his Original Form, Giratina thought he would have the advantage against Kyurem, whom he saw as incomplete and less powerful than Reshiram or Zekrom... But he was too arrogant. The ice dragon was much stronger and more resilient than his frail appearance would suggest: he took the blows without flinching or grumbling in pain, and remained impassive and upright in the face of his attacks. Despite the injuries and their disparity in strength, Kyurem never give up, and their fight eventually ended in a tie.

After long minutes, the dragon slightly opened his eyes. He gazed down at the ground beneath his platform, where he could see his shapeless world, devoid of physical laws, stretching as far as the eye could see. A world which he knew every inch... And a world that constantly reminded him of his status as a fallen deity, and of the millennia he had spent in this dimension since his banishment by Arceus.

... Ah. I am back here again. Giratina dejectedly thought before sighing.

This wasn't the first time the Renegade Pokemon had tried to escape the Distortion World. He tried to join the human world and reach his creator's domain countless times, for as long as he had existed... But he never succeeded. Every attempt ended in failure, and he always ended up back in the land of his banishment, notably at the hands of Palkia, who tracked him across dimensions and forcibly returned him to the Distortion World as soon as he escaped. As he found himself chained and isolated from everyone over the years, anger and resentment grew in Giratina's heart... If Arceus gave him life, then why didn't he belong in his universe? Why did he create him if Dialga and Palkia were enough to shape the world he wanted? Does he consider him a mistake? The Renegade Pokemon had no answers to these questions.

Giratina didn't know what to do, or what to think of himself... And it was during these moments of doubt that Volo came into contact with him. This man had found some faded but still present books and writings of a people he was descended from, and some of them mentioned his name and his status as the third member of the group of Creation gods who gave birth to the universe, enabling him to open a rift in the Distortion World in order to summon him to Hisui. Now back in the human world, Giratina discovered that Volo wished to meet Arceus, and offered to lend him his strength to achieve his goal. The dragon could feel the burning determination that animated the man just by meeting his eyes... Volo possessed an iron will and a steely ambition to get closer to God. That said, although Giratina was impressed by Volo's ability to unearth the traces of his existence, the fact that his attention was focused solely on his creator made him bitter... Millions of years he'd been imprisoned in an unknown dimension without being able to talk to anyone, and the first person to call on him didn't see him as a Pokemon with his own identity. Human accounts described him as a monster, an evil being that causes nothing but destruction and misfortune in his path... And that's exactly how Volo looked at him: a violent, monstrous Legendary Pokemon.

At that moment, a feeling stronger than his anger towards Arceus took hold of Giratina; a feeling he unconsciously ignored but which had consumed his soul for thousands of years... Despair.

His creator had banished him and refused to see him again. The human world only saw him as a ferocious beast. Even if he saved someone's life in front of witnesses, he would remain a demon in their eyes.

If he had no place in the universe, and couldn't reach Arceus on his own... Then he'd force him to stop him once and for all.

Since they both shared the desire to see Arceus (albeit for different reasons), the Renegade Pokemon agreed to make a contract with Volo: the dragon offered the man the ability to use some of his powers in exchange for giving him access to the human world. Freed from the chains that shackled him in the Distortion World, Giratina began to open space-time rifts across different temporalities, past and future, in his original universe as well as in other dimensions, bringing together all those who had been transported by them to Hisui. As he opened time portals, the region's Pokemon gradually began to be more and more aggressive towards those who walk on their territory, some even becoming gigantic specimens among their species. While Volo expressed admiration and a particular interest in these rifts and their effects, Giratina felt no emotion in creating them... He didn't care about his contractor's true intentions, for he knew that Arceus only agreed to meet those he wished to see by himself, and Volo didn't fall into that category. All the dragon cared about was getting his creator to step out of his role as distant observer, no matter what punishment he had in store for him.

... But he failed. Again. Arceus sent a young boy from the future to Hisui to settle the situation, and a group of time travelers and their dragons later arrived of their own volition to stop Volo. His creator didn't even come forward to confront him in person... This fact hurt Giratina far more than his defeat by Kyurem.

I opened many space-time rifts... I caused chaos in time and space, many Pokemon lost their minds and attacked humans through the effects of the rifts, Child of Man Volo planned to destroy Hisui... And yet it wasn't enough for you to stop me yourself?

The cold gradually faded from Giratina's body, but tiredness began to cloud his mind. The dragon was about to fall asleep... when he suddenly heard a noise not far from him. The Renegade Pokemon then saw two cracks materializing in the void, like glass breaking. After a few seconds, the cracks opened and two huge silhouettes emerged, floating in the air for a short moment before landing on the platform on which the dark dragon lay. It didn't take long for Giratina to realize who it was...

"Dialga. Palkia." He whispered.

A silence fell between the three dragons. Dialga and Palkia had sensed the unleashing of Giratina and Kyurem's powers and attacks at the summit of Mt. Coronet, even from their own dimensions. Both were about to head for the top of the mountain to put an end to the duel, but the ferocity of the battle shook part of time and space, opening some space-time rifts across Hisui and causing Alpha Pokemon to attack anyone who crossed their path. With the situation in the region spiraling out of control, the gods of time and space decided to help the humans and close the rifts, while the Rift Hunters took it upon themselves to stop the cause of the chaos. It would be a lie to pretend that Dialga and Palkia weren't worried for the Unova Dragons, and even Giratina... However, the two Legendary Pokemon suspected that the dark dragon would’ve become furious if he had seen them, and that wasn't what they wanted. What's more, they trusted Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem and their heroes; these time travelers were excellent trainers and good-hearted people, capable of facing any danger and protecting everyone.

Giratina stared blankly at the two gods for a few moments, then sighed.

"No need to be on guard. I am not going to attack you. I do not have enough strength to even fly."

" ... "

" ... I can guess what you are going to ask me. Yes, I opened the space-time rifts in Hisui and in other temporalities. Many Pokemon have become dangerous because of me. I have no intention of lying or denying my responsibility in this disaster... If you have come here to chastise me, go ahead. I will not retaliate."

Dialga and Palkia's faces showed concern. Although their confrontations with Giratina had been sporadic over the millennia, this was the first time the two dragons saw him in such a weakened state.

They glanced briefly at each other, then Palkia asked in a calm voice:

"Giratina. Why did you open those rifts?"

The Renegade Pokemon was surprised by this question. Usually, the god of space didn't talk much and was content to bring him back to his dimension with the strength of his arms. Dialga, though less quick to confront him directly, was nonetheless aloof with him. None of them seemed open to conversation, and Giratina had long since given up the idea in the face of their indifference and coldness... Yet the dark dragon felt none of these emotions as he met their eyes. Neither Dialga nor Palkia showed any inclination to attack or judge him, despite the fact that he was on the ground. Their divine aura seemed to have faded, as if the Distortion World had vanished any notion of hierarchy between the three Pokemon so that they could speak as equal beings.

Giratina remained silent for some time, his gaze shifty and hesitant, before allowing himself to reply:

"... I did it to get Arceus out of his dimension."

"You wanted to push Father into the human world?" Dialga said.

The dark dragon winced at the word "Father", but he nodded.

"Why?" Palkia asked again.

" ... "

Giratina watched the abyss below him out of the corner of his eye.

"When the universe was created... We were the first Pokemon to whom Arceus gave life. It was through your existence that time and space existed, while I kept the resulting antimatter under control. However, after Arceus shaped the human world, I felt a rift beginning to form between me and the three of you... Our creator paid you a great deal of attention, and he did not hesitate to reframe you in one way or another if you came to fight each other. But me? I got the impression that I did not matter to him... I never saw him show any strong emotion towards me, whereas he was a little more expressive towards the two of you. Our trio gradually turned into a duo after 10,000 years... And seeing the being who breathed life into me and those I considered my companions leave me behind hurt terribly."

The Renegade Pokemon's throat knotted as he spoke. His impassive mask cracked, and his sadness showed on his facial features.

"I tried to tell Arceus how I felt on several occasions... But he would not hear me. So anger began to cloud my judgment, and in a moment of impulsiveness, I confronted him in a battle."

Giratina briefly paused.

"The legends claim that I wanted to usurp Arceus’ throne and take his place… But that was never my intention. I did not care about becoming God or replacing my creator, or even about him granting me more powers... I just wanted him to listen to me and understand my pain." Pause. "You probably won't believe me... But I ended up regretting what I did that day. I should not have gotten so angry or even tried to defy Arceus. Resentment blinded my reason... I was punished for it and banished far from everyone, and I have no one to blame for my downfall but myself."

A dejected smile then played across the dark dragon's lips.

"... When I think about it, perhaps my greatest sin was believing that I had a place in Arceus’ world. All that was asked of me was to fulfill the role of stabilizer of the universe by controlling antimatter, and nothing else. In the end, my biggest fault is having a heart... If I did not have a heart capable of feeling attachment, I could have got used to loneliness over time and not caused anyone any harm."

Giratina's smile faded and tears rolled down his cheeks.

"... I do not know why you are both here. But if Arceus asked you to... Then tell him I won't run away from the Distortion World anymore. I won’t try anything to get back to the human world. I will stay here... As a monster." The dragon said, closing his eyes.

Dialga and Palkia looked at Giratina with wide eyes. When they heard about the appearances of space-time rifts in Hisui and other temporalities by Reshiram and Zekrom, the two gods thought that the dark dragon was planning to destroy the region or disturb the balance of time and space in revenge for his banishment to the Distortion World. However, they realized through his confession that it wasn't grudge that drove him to open the rifts... But despair. An unhappiness that Giratina had kept buried inside himself for an incalculable time, only able to scream into the void of his dimension without ears to hear him, before rage and pain faded away to make way for resignation and hopelessness. His plan was not to confront Arceus... He actually wanted to give him a reason to stop him for good by taking on the role of the "bad guy", a role he was reluctant to do.

Dialga and Palkia lowered their gaze, a grave look forming on their faces... They felt guilty about their past behavior towards the Renegade Pokemon. Having been born as deities, their creator took the time to teach them to preserve the universe, while leaving humanity free to forge its own history on Earth. The gods of time and space were keen to protect Arceus' creations out of respect for him, but their lack of emotional development in the early years of their lives before the birth of Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie - one of whom is the Emotion Pokemon - made them aloof towards others, especially when they became independent and fully devoted to their duties as divine guardians. None of them suspected Giratina's growing grief because of their responsibilities and pragmatic upbringing, just as they never questioned the reasons that led their creator to banish him to the Distortion World even millions of years after that day. Dialga and Palkia were close to the dark dragon and could have eased his doubts, but they did nothing to prevent his banishment because of their closed hearts; chains that only began to crack a hundred years ago when they began to truly observe humans, before breaking completely when they felt Emmet and Dawn's emotions themselves through their memories, offering them what they lacked for so many long years: knowledge of emotions, human morality and the ability to empathize.

The gods of time and space felt ashamed to claim to be the guardians and protectors of mankind and the universe when they left their own sibling alone without reaching out to him after his fall. Had they sought to understand him and reach out to him earlier, Giratina would probably not have been banished and the three of them could have lived different millennia... Together, as the Creation Trio.

Dialga and Palkia regretted their past mistakes... This time, they are determined not to repeat them. They too had their share of responsibility in this space-time incident, a fact they fully acknowledge, and they no longer intend to abandon Giratina.

The space master moved closer to the Pokemon Renegade, lowered himself to the dragon's level and extended his hand to gently stroke his head. This unexpected gesture surprised Giratina, who then reopened his eyes and looked at Palkia dumbfounded.

"Have no fear, Giratina. We did not come here to punish you." Palkia said in a calm voice.

"What? Why? I am the one who opened the space-time rifts... I am the one who disturbed the balance of time and space!"

"That may be so. However, you did not do it because you wanted to destroy the world, did you?" Dialga said.

Giratina looked down briefly before answering in the negative with a shake of the head.

"I made it clear to this Child of Man that I refused to be captured, and that the creation of a space-time rift and when it opens is entirely up to me. That is why I have never opened more than one rift at a time at irregular intervals for almost two years. I am a demon, but I am not stupid... I knew his plans were doomed from the start. I just used him for my own reasons, that’s all."

Silence.

"You know, Giratina... What you said is partially true." Dialga said, which caught the attention of the Renegade Pokemon. "Indeed, Father took the time to teach us the knowledge and principles necessary to fulfill our roles as deities. We were the founding pillars of his universe, and he wanted us to be its protectors. However, even though we stayed by his side for many years, we did not know what he was thinking behind his ineffable face. Even today, we do not know who Father really is... It is as if he was near and far from us at the same time."

"Father offered us knowledge that helped us to be the gods we are today... However, the lack of connection and development of strong emotions was gradually distancing us from others, humans and Pokemon, to the point where our hearts ended up frozen. How can we declare ourselves protectors of beings on Earth if we do not understand them on a spiritual level?" Palkia continued, his face serious and his fist clenched.

Dialga in turn approached Giratina and lowered himself to his level.

"To both of us, the three of us were equals. This was an obvious fact, an absolute truth... Yet we had not noticed that loneliness weighed on you over the years or that you felt left out."

The gods of time and space then looked at the dark dragon, their eyes burning with determination and sincerity.

"I am sorry, Giratina. I should have listened to you when you wanted to talk to me." Dialga said.

"I am sorry, Giratina. I should not have been so brutal towards you." Palkia then declared.

Giratina was completely taken aback by his elders' words. The dragon had long thought that they knew Arceus perfectly... But in reality, they were just as lost as he was about their creator. And what shocked him the most… Was that Dialga and Palkia never thought of themselves as a duo. Their distant behavior towards him wasn’t an act of malice or intentional from their part, but the result of a lack of true communication. The two of them always considered him as a part of the Creation Trio, even after his banishment.

"Dialga, Palkia..." The dragon managed to whisper after a few seconds.

"The fact that I did not see your pain earlier is my sin that led to your banishment and this space-time incident today. I have my share of guilt in these events." The god of time said. He then placed his paw on Giratina's right wing and looked at him solemnly. "I forgive you, Giratina. I hope you can forgive us for our mistakes."

"I forgive you too, Giratina." The space god declared, placing his hand on his companion's left wing. "I also have my share of guilt in your banishment and this space-time incident, and I will not deny my sin of not being able to help you back then. You do not have to bear this cross alone... We will carry it with you."

"You are not a monster or a demon."

Palkia gently lifted Giratina off the ground, then he and Dialga embraced him close to them.

"You are our sibling." They said in unison.

The dark dragon remained motionless. He took a brief moment to absorb the confessions of the two gods... As soon as his mind registered their words after this moment of suspension, tears once again rolled down his cheeks. But it wasn't sadness that overwhelmed him... it was relief. The legends were full of sharp verbs describing him as a horrible, merciless beast whose very existence caused such dread and disgust that he came to believe he didn't deserve salvation. Yet Dialga and Palkia held him close, in a protective gesture, and offered him forgiveness. The lost, wandering fragment that he was ceased to fall into the void, and he was allowed a place in the world of his two companions... his two siblings.

Giratina inhaled and exhaled deeply for ten seconds or so to calm his irregular breathing, letting himself be enveloped by the warm embrace of the two dragons, and returned the gesture by wrapping his wings around their waists. He was too tired to raise his voice, but he let out a few discreet sobs, each tear he shed gradually making the negative emotions gnawing at him disappear.

"I am sorry..." The Renegade Pokemon murmured. "I am sorry for everything I have committed in the past."

"It is all right, Giratina." Dialga replied. Palkia, for his part, patted his sibling on the back to comfort him.

The three dragons lay close together in a restful silence. Suddenly, as if out of the darkness...

"Dialga, Palkia, Giratina."

The Creation Trio froze instantly, breathless. They sensed an ineffable presence behind them whose aura engulfed everything around it by its mere appearance, so much so that shivers ran down the backs of the three Legendary Pokemon. Dialga and Palkia knew perfectly well this energy signature... They had spent a considerable amount of time with him to know that it was not an illusion or astral projection, but his physical presence. They turned slowly, and saw Arceus.

"Father..." The god of time spoke.

Giratina's eyes widened in shock. That imposing stature, his graceful movements, that voice as deep and calm as a windless ocean... Although millions of years had passed since his banishment, the dark dragon remembered these details which made him realize that his creator was indeed there, in front of him. His siblings had forgiven him for his sins and accepted him as one of their own, but what about Arceus? Was he angry with him? Had he finally decided to punish him for opening the space-time rifts?

Arceus noticed Giratina's confusion and fear, and then said in a reassuring voice:

"Have no fear, Giratina. I did not come here to fight."

The Renegade Pokemon wasn't expecting this answer, and neither were the gods of time and space. After a moment's hesitation, Palkia ventured to ask:

"Why are you here, Father?"

There was a silence.

"I heard your confessions..." Arceus then looked at Dialga and Palkia. "And I have seen the memories of these two Children of Man." He said, pointing to Emmet and Dawn's diamond and pearl.

The Legendary Pokemon recognized the two gems. They had left them with their creator after their conference with him, having observed and felt a fragment of a human's life due to the blessing of Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie, and had offered to see the perspective of a being from his universe before leaving and discreetly helping the Unova Dragons. Dialga and Palkia didn't know if Arceus would be receptive to the Lake Trio's spell as they had been, or even if he would observe Emmet and Dawn's memories in the first place... However, it seems their words intrigued him enough to do so.

Arceus contemplated the lives of the Subway Master and the young teenager, and felt the emotions linked to the events and trials they went through. He was initially somewhat confused by the experiment... However, discovering the spiritual perspective of two humans for the first time aroused his curiosity, and he repeated the experiment for some time in order to understand them better. As God and the first being born from the void, he had immortality and infinite powers to create anything he could imagine, a gift he put to good use in shaping the universe; stars, galaxies, planets, and the beings and environments that inhabit these new lands... Arceus gave form and life to everything that made up his world, like a director building a stage for actors before they join the audience to see the play they were putting on. First it was one play that spanned a certain period of time, then another, then another, one after the other for millennia. The Creator never tired of watching the lives of beings living on Earth, leaving free will to humans while ensuring that the world was preserved from destruction from the sidelines.

However, while his role as producer and spectator gave him the privilege of observing everything and changing the direction of a script to get the ending he wanted if necessary, Arceus gradually forgot that his perception differed from that of humans, who didn't have immortality and the same notion of time as he did. As he looked at Emmet and Dawn's memories, he realized that his plan to end the space-time crisis in Hisui without intervening directly hadn’t been without consequences; Both found themselves suddenly separated from their loved ones without knowing what happened to them or the reasons behind their disappearances, and the year and eight months they’d spent without them - which seemed like a very short time to the creator - had been an infinitely long time for them, causing wounds that they healed as best they could after escaping death.

Arceus was baffled... He never wished any harm to anyone in his long life. His only desire was to see the universe he created live on and become more beautiful. That said, after taking time to reflect on his own memories, the Creator recognized that his role as a distant observer had its limits, and that his indirect actions had caused both good and harm. He’d never been an actor himself, unlike humans and Pokemon, which made his judgment and perception incomplete. What Palkia said also applied to him: he couldn't claim to be a protector if he kept his heart sealed and without fully understanding humans and Pokemon.

The God took note of this lesson. He accepted that he was fallible, that logical, pragmatic thinking didn't always mean it is the best solution, and that he didn’t need to be afraid to show his doubts and emotions to others.

This time, he won't be a spectator. He'll walk on the stage as an actor. For Giratina and these two Children of Man who haven't given up hope.

Arceus floated towards the three dragons, then lowered himself to their level. The Renegade Pokemon, past the shock of the presence of his creator whom he thought he'd never see again, lowered his head and let his gaze wander elsewhere. In the years since his banishment, he had only dreamed of howling his resentment towards the God, lacerating him with the most incisive words that existed in the human world. However, now that his fury had faded, Giratina found himself silent... He took advantage of the silence that had settled to put his mind in order, then after a moment of reflection and apprehension, took a deep breath and looked at his creator.

"...Arceus."

"Yes?"

"I know it does not seem much considering my actions... But I want to say it again in front of you... I am sorry. I am sorry for my anger that day... For opening the space-time rifts..." Tears streamed down his face again, but he managed to keep his voice clear. "I am sorry for everything."

A few seconds passed, and then the creator's face softened.

"I also ought to apologize. My lack of emotional display and overly pragmatic reasoning led you to believe that I did not care about you, when that was never the case. I never intended to cause you pain or make you feel inferior to anyone... But I ended up hurting you unintentionally through my ignorance. I am sorry, Giratina."

"Arceus..." The dark dragon whispered, his throat knotted with emotion.

"I have my share of responsibility for this space-time incident. I will not look away from my past mistakes. From now on, I will open my heart and soul to others in order to get to know them better, and I will make sure that tragedies like what happened today never happen again. I care about this universe and all the beings who live in it..."

The God brought his head closer to Giratina, and gently rested his forehead against the dragon's one, closing his eyes.

"And I care for my children more than anything."

Dialga and Palkia stared at each other briefly, looking surprised.

"I... I am your child?" The Renegade Pokemon said, completely taken aback.

"Yes." Arceus replied in a quiet voice. "You are my child, Giratina. I have never ceased to regard you as such, even after your banishment. I apologize again for my past actions... And I forgive you for your sins."

The dark dragon froze for five minutes at this sentence... When the shock wore off, new tears rolled down his cheeks and he snuggled up to his creator, his breath irregular and his voice stuck in his throat. Soon afterwards, he felt Dialga and Palkia close by, having joined the embrace in their turn. The pain and hatred Giratina felt towards himself had led him to believe that no one would forgive him, that he was nothing but a repulsive demon and the only way to absolve his sins was to disappear into oblivion for all eternity... At that moment, his fears disappeared completely.

His existence is not heresy. He is not a monster. His two siblings and Arceus forgive him, and he belongs to this universe.

He has been granted the right to live. Giratina vowed not to waste this opportunity and to do what is right to protect the world.

"Thank you... Father." The Legendary Pokemon said in a weak voice, but filled with gratitude.

"You are welcome, my child." Arceus replied in a soft, comforting voice.