#muse ;; ZAGREUS ( THREADS )

[tenebriism]

@box-of-characters ;; SWITCHING TO BETA.

That Takumi is not holding it AGAINST him for being so on edge is a blessing, in and of itself, and one Zagreus will certainly THANK him for when certain, unrelenting DOOM is not lingering at their doorstep. One wrong move, one step, and they will fall back into his father's clutches, worse off than either of them had been prior.

Zagreus would be harshly reprimanded for trying to sneak a SPIRIT out of hell itself, and Takumi . . . gods, the prince of the underworld didn't even want to THINK about what would happen to his partner.

" This way. " The first area was the easiest, at least to someone who had been through it dozens of times, but it was DIFFERENT when he was responsible for someone ELSE'S life, now. Instead of dashing through it as he normally would, Zagreus is patient, taking calculated steps and avoiding as MANY adversaries as possible. He gestures when Takumi can ease forward, and signals when the spirit needs to tuck himself away whilst Zagreus fights.

So far, so good . . . but, the fortune would not last long, he's certain.

" You alright so far ? No scratches or scrapes ? Not getting cold feet yet ? "

[littlexhades]

"In the name of Hades... I accept this message." @littlexhades

Indie RP account for Zagreus, Son of Hades, Prince of the Underworld and God of Blood from the video game Hades, written and loved by Foxx/Shurley (she/her). Mun and Muse are 21+ please read rules before interacting. Personal Blogs please do not reblog RP threads otherwise you will be blocked. Mun is Bi so this is an LGBTQA2S+ friendly blog and hate or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. 

(Has Horror, Greek Mythos verses)

**This account is a side-blog to @ironifiicd and will follow back as such.

-UNDER CONSTRUCTION-

FC: Matthew Daddario

[letthemhateme]

eugh it's so hard to find people to roleplay with these days, everyone is in private cliques and discord servers

so anyway here's my last attempt at screaming into the void to find interactions, these are all the canon characters I write in all the different fandoms. I write para/multipara, just about any genre (esp angst and fluff and smut) m/m ships only and 18+ for various nsfw themes, and I'm open to canon compliant threads and AUs. I'm a lil slow on replies sometimes because life sucks and so does chronic pain, but I'm also down to just hang or play games or whatever idk. I don't always feel like writing every muse on the list, and I have my favorites, but I also have pretty niche interests so don't be afraid to reach out if something catches your eye. I'm a lil picky in who I write with, I don't care for drama and I require at least basic literacy, but other than that just be nice :3

I don't write on tumblr because I have no idea how to work this hellsite tbh, but I'm open to trying

Right now my biggest muse is probably Goro Akechi (P5R) and I have the worst akeshu brainrot rn hehe I would die for akeshu interactions

Games

Cyberpunk 2077 — Johnny Silverhand, male V

Persona 5 — Joker, Akechi

World of Warcraft — Anduin Wrynn, Mathias Shaw, Sabellian, Neltharion/Deathwing, Koltira Deathweaver, Azuregos

Warframe — Tenno

Genshin Impact — Childe

Witcher — Jaskier, Iorveth, Gaetan, Detlaff, Regis

Nier Automata — 9S, Eve

Dishonored — Daud, the Outsider

Hades — Zagreus, Thanatos

Morrowind — Nerevar, Nerevarine, Dagoth Ur

The Legend of Zelda — Link (SS, TP, TotK, BotW)

Haven — Yu

Nier Replicant — Brother Nier, Emil

A Date With Death — Casper

Anime/Manga

Jujutsu Kaisen — Satoru Gojo, Toge Inumaki

To Your Eternity — Fushi

Natsume's Book of Friends — Natsume Takashi

B: the Beginning — Izanami

TAL — Baek-Jeong

Hozuki's Coolheadedness — Hozuki, Hakutaku

Bungo Stray Dogs — Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Chuuya Nakahara

Attack on Titan — Levi

Castlevania — Alucard

D. Grayman — Allen Walker, Lavi

Kara no Kiyoku — Tobi

Dororo — Hyakkimaru

The Case Study of Vanitas — Noe, Vanitas, Louis

Kara no Kyoukai — Mitsuru Kamekura, genderbend Shiki Ryougi

Talentless Nana — Jin Tachibana

Night Head 2041 — Takuya Kuroki

Shows/Movies

Every Hugh Dancy character ever tbh

The Witcher — Jaskier

Hannibal — Will Graham

Books

Animorphs — Tobias

Skulduggery Pleasant — Skulduggery, Nefarian Serpine, Lord Vile

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde — Jekyll and Hyde

Other

Fate/ series — Robin Hood, Cu Chulainn, Andersen, Gilgamesh, Zhou Yu

YouTube — Jameson Jackson, Antisepticeye

Forgotten Realms — Bishop, Artemis Entreri, Jarlaxle

Fallen London — Mr Eaten/Candles, Mr Veils, Mr Stones, Mr Pages, Mr Wines

[starter-library]

HADES GAME LYRIC STARTERS

FEEL FREE TO CHANGE PRONOUNS/NAMES/PHRASING AS YOU SEE FIT

Lament of Orpheus

“Hear, o gods, my desperate plea to see my love beside me”

“Sunk below the mortal sea her anchor weighs upon me”

“Don’t look back”

“My doubt betrays the better of me”

“That anguished shade shall haunt me ever on”

“Now the squall’s upon us, we’re foundering, Drowning”

Good Riddance

“Farewell to all the earthly remains”

“No burdens, No further debts to be paid”

“The weight of the world all falls away in time”

“Goodbye to all the plans that we made. No contracts I’m free to do as I may”

“No hunger, no sleep except to dream, mild and warm, safe from all harm”

“Good riddance to all the thieves, to all the fools that stifled me”

“They’ve come and gone and passed me by good riddance to all.”

Hymn of Zagreus

“Sing Of Zagreus, oh muse. Slayer of hydras first of his name”

“In spite of Queen Hera, Zagreus came”

“Wrath Of thunder and lightning struck down the Titans burned into sand”

“The model of the gods at once divine and further flawed In twain”

“Endlessly toiling doomed to remain”

In The Blood

“Fates weave their threads our lives are sewn”

“Born to a life all but our own”

“Loves in your life live ever on”

“Home is not where you live but who cares when you’re gone”

“They’ll follow you to the beyond”

“Run all you like from the place you belong”

[savior-of-humanity]

⭐

MULTIMUSE MEME: Send a “ ⭐ ” and I will list muses I would be interested in throwing at yours, or potential muse combinations if you are also a multi. If you like any of the suggested combinations, you are welcome to come plot or start interactions with them. (Accepting! @thestupidmeanone)

OUGHHH I've been meaning to do a thread w/ ya but I either Forget or get burned out of rp for a while 😔 anyways!!!;

John, Cortana, Thel, Gravemind, Y'shua, Alduin, Swift-With-Arrows, Leon, The Merchant, Kaworu, Spyro, Cynder, Malefor, Guts, Carrie, Zagreus, Vash, V1, Gabriel

[mythvoiced]

HYELLO~ me again, I'm trying to do some maintenance to kind of clean this place up a bit in the hopes it will get my brain a-cooking again, and I've decided to use a BANDAID METHODOLOGY, meaning, I'm RIPPING IT OFF LIKE ONE.

Or, said in a way that isn't absolute clown speech, I'm icing a bunch of muses (again, I know--). I'm not so much removing them entirely as I am putting them on hiatus, simply because hey, who knows, one day, in the future, maybe, WHO KNOWS. I will be dropping all threads including those muses, though, because if I don't do that, I won't even be able to write for muses I can still vaguely write for (vaguely because when I tell you I have been doing SO little writing lately, I don't know if I've written up to 10.000 words in the last MONTHS, I don't even know if I've reached 5000, so, you know).

Some might continue to be available for plotting I've got going on maybe? but seeing them on the muses doc is weirdly overwhelming so I'll be removing them.

SO, YEAH.

Below muses I already know I'll be icing due to lack of muse or my general dissatisfaction with their story ('cus they lack, or don't feel like Them and all that). Small details in parenthesis next, these are in no particular order (or one faithful to the muses doc, can you tell I'm in my low effort era-)

-. Anauel (low muse, might revamp 'em a lil) -. Jung-sik (no muse + can't find voice) -. Titus (in need of a revamp, he's SO COOL but??? i don't know what to DO with him, I need to change his name too) -. Es (will be removed entirely, was added on a whim and then forgotten lmao) -. Wolfwood (muse DIED? i mean... yeah-) -. Odysseus (muse died) -. Loki (will keep just for Miss Amelia) -. Thanatos (kept for one plotting with Lynnie~) -. Ajit (in DESPERATE need of a revamp, he has lore but NO story, dammit) -. Lotte (i'm tired, i'm giving up on him) -. Zagreus (muse died)

On a separate but related note, I will be changing faceclaims for Sabriel and Soleiel, I want to move even further from the kpop scene if possible (yes, homeboy for Soleiel is also an actor, but-)

[iincantatorum]

//i have a great need to rethink all my muse’s backstories. since tumblr made it basically impossible to edit html bios, i’ll probably make new pages on them, but here’s some ideas in the works:

nix the whole backstory on delia’s background that includes the egyptian goddess hathor. i really wanted to expand on it and plot threads on that aspect of her but it never happened. her original bio keeps resurfacing so i’ll have to rethink it and make it more concise and simple.

perhaps create a connection with delia and maverick, like they are related. like delia’s father is maverick’s maternal uncle, or they could be half siblings. they have a lot of potential if they combine their magic and resources. maverick is half fae, half dragon and delia is a succubi with psionic powers and dream travel tendencies.

ulysses needs to do something ruthless and heartless and not feel guilt and remorse for it, because people forget his original side and it’s his fault for caring too much about what others think

more about zagreus and devlin’s origins

[ourbite-moved]

OURBITE ; a low activity & extremely private multimedia multimuse featuring canon and original characters from baldur's gate 3, the hobbit, and hades / mythos. please read the guidelines prior to following.

carrd. aesthetic sideblog. npcs. blogroll; karsite.

i. private, selective and mutuals only. I reserve the right to unfollow or soft/hard block at any point in time without disclosing why. to ease your mind it means I no longer see us being able to interact or there were far too many post not regarding your character. if I don't know your muse or you are a multi with a majority that I am unfamiliar with, I will not follow.

ii. if I am following it means I want to interact. I am a shy person but I value connection so I will try and make the effort to actually interact. I tend to send multiple memes so you can pick whichever to respond to, don't feel pressed to answer them all. I encourage you to do the same when I reblog memes, this is the best way to begin interactions.

iii. if we speak ooc, we have a higher chance of writing more smoothly together. if threads have the chance to grow longer or you have an idea please don't hesitate to reach out via IMs. if I have to dig on your blog to find any information or guidelines, if there is no pinned or obvious link, I won't follow you.

iv. I will be developing as I write. I do not adhere to canon instead use it more of an outline.

v. at the end of the day this is a hobby. I have a life outside this blog, a job and, go to university. I will write at my own leisure. I insist you do the same. there is no time limit or expiration on responses. take all the time you need.

vi. I personally have no triggers that need tagged but I will tag things as " WORD / " anything that is not safe for the timeline will be tagged simply nsft.

vii. any hate will not be tolerated nor entertained. anons, unless a legit question or coming from a sideblog, get deleted. please keep your drama to yourself. I only reblog call-outs with actual evidence.

viii. shipping: I will admit I love shipping however any and all shipping requires communication and chemistry. if we don't speak ooc the chances of me shipping with you are non-existent. I am a connoisseur of oc x canon ships btw.

muses: eres - lolthsworn drow. barbarian, berserker subclass. neutral evil. cornelius francois bevard - necromancer. human ( lich ). true neutral. ermes - half-drow. bard, college of swords. neutral good. ganon - durge, tiefling storm sorcerer - WILL UPDATE IF REDEEMED OR NOT SOON. achilles - ex-hero now tutor and mentor for zagreus, the son of hades. thorin oakenshield - leader of durin's people, proud dwarrow warrior. vampire oc tba. <3 [ original lore, able to fit into bg3 / fantasy. ] noctis lucis caelum - savior of our star, king of kings.

( secret roster - plot only. please message if interested !! ) sindri. kratos. boromir. spock[ tos ], patroclus.

[tenebriism]

@scarfbond : BETA EDITOR SWITCH ( X ) ;;

A rock CLATTERING to the ground at his feet SHOULDN'T be cause for paranoia--- this particular realm, after all, WASN'T as intact and pristine as one may EXPECT from its prideful, overbearing RULER, the piles of debris and crumbling structures 'round them that would soon ADD to that number a common FEATURE of this desolate ( literal ) hellhole.

It's how CLOSE said rock had gotten to colliding with his head, much like the one that had come BEFORE it. Now . . . NOW . . . it didn't seem so coincidental.

" HEY. " He follows the suspected trajectory, from the spot on the ground it had finally landed upon, to the DIRECTION it had whizzed from.

Now, who was THIS pompous asshole seated atop this statue like he OWNED the place ?

" Jeeze, don't tell me dad's gone and hired ROCK throwers. Got plenty of those back at the arena, mate, you're not special. "

[littlexhades]

@LITTLEXHADES

"I'm leaving. Try and stop me."

Indie RP account for Zagreus, Son of Hades, Prince of the Underworld and God of Blood from the video game Hades, written and loved by Foxx/Shurley (she/her). Mun and Muse are 21+ please read rules before interacting. Personal Blogs please do not reblog RP threads otherwise you will be blocked. Mun is Bi so this is an LGBTQA2S+ friendly blog and hate or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. 

(Has Horror, Supernatural, MCU, PJO and Greek Mythos verses)

**Side blog to @ironifiicd and will follow back as such

[allidriix-blog]

"I know we were only supposed to be a one-night stand but.." Zee? You can do this. "I.. I'm." He was a little nervous. All you have to do is tear off the band-aid and tell him.  “There’s a reason, well two reasons why I wanted to see you... I’m pregnant.. and about 3 months along." Zee will raise the twins alone if he had too.  "I don’t expect you to be there but I just wanted you to know.”

[begraved]

TAGS  /  18.

[lightconsumed]

tag drop 7/???

Zagreus tags!

[soulgathered-a]

tag drop ? tag drop .

[beepen]

all I did was buy Hades and play it. now it’s been 3 weeks and 

than and zag are idiots, here’s a thing. i love them. fuck. 

hypnos is a little shit

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

There was something about Death that Zagreus believed should be savored, or rather, handled with great care. He didn’t know much about the ceremonies mortals held for their dead, only that Than had mentioned rituals and burials in the few conversations they’ve had about it. Thanatos wasn’t willing to give more than that, claiming he never had time to stay so long and observe the culture in which mortals laid their dead to rest. He simply followed the calling deep within his chest that led him to whatever unfortunate soul he was to take next, and afterwards, leave.

Zagreus hoped there was more to it, though. Not Than’s work—he hoped it was as simple as he described—but the mortals and how they deal with death. Did they honor it? Did they honor him? Did they understand that death was part of life, that they went hand-in-hand; that death...that Death was beautiful….

And gentle, Zagreus quietly mused, peaking around the corner to the West Hall with a bottle of Nectar carefully cradled in his arms. He didn’t even want to jostle it; it had to be in perfect condition. Nothing short of perfect should ever be gifted to Death Incarnate. It wasn’t a rule or anything, of course, just Zagreus’ own personal belief. It should be, though. It should be a rule. If he wasn’t on such bad terms with his father, he would ask that he make it so.

“You just missed him, Zagreus.”

The familiar voice lured Zagreus’ gaze from the empty spot at the end of the hall to Achilles standing at his usual place, just outside the King’s chambers. He had a knowing look about him, subdued yet piercing in his read of Zagreus’ dejected body language.

“He left moments before you arrived,” he informed, and Zagreus huffed in frustration, straightening from his little sneak position and walking towards the old warrior, still mindful of the bottle curled in his arms.

“You mean to say he left after having seen me emerge from the river.” Zagreus meant for it to be witty, but he couldn’t help the bitterness in his tone. Nonetheless, Achilles gave him a warm smile, albeit more out of pity than anything.

“Perhaps. Although he does have a rather demanding job.”

“Of course.”

Zagreus would have thought himself a narcissist for assuming Thanatos would leave in spite of him rather than because he had a duty to fulfill, but the accusation didn’t transpire simply because Chaos was feeling a little bored. Than had been avoiding him, that much was clear. If it weren’t for his obvious absences over longer-than-usual amounts of time, then it was the way in which he disappeared before Zagreus could get a single word in. Zagreus had known Than long enough to realize when the god was hiding away. And right now, Than was hiding from him.

Sighing, Zagreus loosened his hold on the bottle of Nectar and held it up to Achilles, keeping his gaze on the extravagant marbled floor. If Than was hiding from him, then it was probable he wouldn’t take too kindly to an unwanted gift. And Zagreus didn’t want to pressure him….

“For you,” Zagreus forced out, lifting the bottle higher for Achilles to take. “A token of my appreciation for everything you’ve done for me...you’re more of a father than my own—”

“Zagreus.” The interruption prompted Zag to shift his gaze from the floor to meet Achilles’ fixed stare. “I am honored, truly, but I’ve yet to find the time to drink the one you have already given me. Surely this one belongs to someone else?” He raised an eyebrow, as if trying to hint at something, trying to help Zagreus understand without outright saying it. The twinkle in his eyes was all-knowing.

“Yes, it was for....” Zagreus stared briefly at the little balcony, where Thanatos would be, if only he were there. He wanted more than anything to somehow find him and ravish him with gifts. Though, that would be too overwhelming for the gentle, moody god—and far too forward. Not to mention impossible, given how Zagreus is practically chained to the Underworld at the moment. There weren’t many places he could travel to in search for him.

Sighing, he shook his head and forced the strange desires to untangle their greedy threads from his heart. He nearly shoved the bottle of Nectar at Achilles.

“First come, first serve,” he joked, waiting for the old warrior to accept the bottle. Achilles didn’t bother even looking at the gift, instead reaching past it to comfort Zag’s shoulder.

“Thanatos will come back—this is his home, afterall.”

“Well, yes. But he won’t come back to me.” Zagreus immediately regretted the words the moment they slipped out, feeling unbearably selfish and exposed to his true feelings that he had, up until now, successfully avoided.. “I mean—that’s not how I meant to say it. It’s just...he’ll be back for you, for Nyx, Meg, and Hypnos, even. But not me. I’m not part of the reason he returns home.”

Not that Zagreus had any right to be. He was trying to leave the place Thanatos called home, for gods’ sake. And without telling him. Than had made it known he was upset about it based on their latest, and perhaps last, confrontation, but Zagreus knew Thanatos hardly revealed even a glimpse of what he truly felt. He couldn’t imagine how hurt Than really was….

Achilles’ grip on his shoulder tightened just barely, laughter twinkling in his eyes. “Prince, you are far too dramatic.” He didn’t elaborate further, almost as if the words were for his own amusement rather than to appease Zagreus’ worries. He backed off, hand slipping from Zagreus’ shoulder, and finally acknowledged the bottle still held up for his taking. “Keep that, and wait for him.”

Zagreus didn’t know what was so funny; the possible end of his friendship with Than was no laughing matter. And he didn’t want to give this bottle to Than anymore, anyway. It was all shaken up.

“Really sir,” Zagreus stepped forward, ready to shove the bottle in Achilles’ embrace if he had to. “It’s yours. I bestow it upon you.”

“I’m fine, dear Prince. In fact, I’m a little offended you would offer me a gift meant for someone else.”

Zagreus balked, interpreting Achilles’ slanted smile to be one of mockery. “Well I’m offended you won’t accept my gift! A gift I quite literally died for, might I add. Besides, I’m only going to offer you more in the future; there’s an abundance of them in Tartarus. Far too many for me to keep but enough for everyone to have multiple. I’m quite certain I will have another by the time Than shows his pretty face. Now, please sir, I demand you take this!”

He couldn’t possibly outstretch his hand farther, but he certainly tried his damned hardest, only for Achilles to cross his arms and shake his head. That slight smirk still adorned his face.

“Forgive me, Prince, but I do not accept your gift.”

Zagreus nearly growled. “Take it! I’ll stand here forever if you don’t!”

“You know as well as I that every soul, shade, and god alike are aware of your inability to stand in one place.”

“I—! I can stand in one place! I’ll do it now!”

It was only a few moments later that Zagreus was seen stomping away from the Great Achilles in humiliated anger, for the old warrior was correct: the Prince could not, for the life of him, stand still.

“Oh, shut up,” Zagreus grumbled, red hot in the face and fire at his heels (literally).

*****

Achilles was not his father, so he would not directly defy him as he did Hades, but he’d be damned if he walked away with a hurt pride and did nothing to make himself feel like a winner. So it was no surprise when he gave the wretched bottle of Nectar to Hypnos, practically announcing it to the entire House as if he were awarding a hero. Hypnos was glad to accept it, feeding off of the Prince’s drama and loudly proclaiming his thanks with a big smile until they were shouting back and forth, like kids playing pretend. That is, until Nyx urged them to be quiet, warning them that Lord Hades would be back any moment and that he did not tolerate the smuggling of Nectar.

And if Nyx heard them, then Achilles most certainly did too, and Zagreus walked back to his chambers with an inflated ego and his pride back in order, ready to tear through his father’s domain once again with the viscous intent to cause problems.

And caused problems, he did. The more chambers Zagreus tore apart, the more he began to think Achilles had purposely infuriated him. He was the one who trained Zag, afterall. He knew how to stir up trouble even better than the Prince himself, and it was a surprise to no one that the old warrior irritated Zagreus enough that the wretches of the Underworld cowered before his wrath.

Zagreus didn’t even know what he was so mad at. He was just riled up, stuck in his thoughts, so distracted he paid no mind to the aches and strains of his body from unconsciously pushing himself. He thought of nothing; just let the time pass and the monsters be slain, allowing his irritation to consume him entirely. It was almost impossible to recall the conversation he had with Meg, if any. The Fury may have said something upon his arrival, but Zagreus was in no position to respond, so they just fought.

Zagreus only acknowledged her defeat after the Lernagon Hydra crumbled to dust. By then he had ripped Asphodel a new one, with little to no recollection of how or when he got to this point.

“Must be a new record,” he mumbled to himself, the first he’d spoken since he jumped out of his window. He never made it this far….

His awareness came back to him, dragging himself down from the clouds he had been lost in. He took a second to catch his breath as he was made aware of how much his body hurt. Drinking from the fountain dulled it somewhat, but, gods, he must have been one hit away from collapsing. He wanted to collapse now, let the Styx consume him and heal him. And perhaps, now that his little fit was over and he had ransacked enough chambers to appease his emotions, apologize to Achilles for how rude he was back at the House. But up next was Elysium, and he had never been there; never was allowed to step foot in there. He wasn’t going to quit without going as far as his body physically allowed.

He didn’t expect Elysium to nearly blind him with its lush plants and sparkling sky, just as he hadn’t expected Asphodel to be so hot. It was far cooler up here, thank the gods, but he had to stay in the first chamber a few moments longer so his eyes could adjust to the brightness. He broke some precious pots too, of course. All of them, actually, and with a conniving grin on his face as he recalled his father yelling at him to stop being an ignoble brat.

Never.

Laughing almost maniacally, Zagreus dashed into the next chamber with newfound vigor, completely aware this time and not shrouded with overwhelming adrenaline. Every hit he suffered hurt more, but his focus allowed him to dodge more often and think properly, and he completed the chamber with only a few more scratches added to the ongoing list of wounds.

He was feeling good, confident. Anxious still, because he had never survived this far and had no idea what awaited him behind the next door, but what was the worst that could happen? Death? Ha.

And as he practically skipped into the next room, the toll of a bell stopped him in his tracks, draining all the warmth from his body as the already green chamber flashed an even greater, colder shade of green. Zagreus, although yielding under the sudden chill, still found himself wrapped in a blanket of familiarity, of something so beautiful he couldn’t find the words to describe it. That alone was enough to keep him from freezing to the bone.

“Thanatos…?” He whispered. He hoped. He dreaded. His heartbeat picked up, and his soul tried to rip itself from his body, drawn to the figure zapping into existence right in front of him. For a split second, wings encased Death’s godly form, dissolving as soon it appeared. A detail that was hardly noticeable, but Zagreus noticed it everytime and wished it lasted longer. He yearned to see those wings again.

“You’re easy to track down,” Than said, in a voice that was soft yet piercing, the pronunciation of every word perfect and clear. It caught Zagreus’ immediate attention, keeping his feet planted where they were. He smiled; he couldn’t help it.

“Aw, you were looking for me?”

And there it was: the slight downward twitch of his lips, the furrow of his brows, and of course, the subtle scrunch of his nose. Teasing Than was the best.

“No,” was Than’s indignant answer, and Zagreus of course didn’t believe him. “It was simply an observation of the debris you’ve left behind. I just happened to be in the area.”

“And you also just so happened to follow the trail, knowing it would lead to me?”

“No—! Ugh.” Flustered, lovingly so, Thanatos wielded his scythe. “Fight or die, Zagreus. Or, perhaps, do nothing, while I do all the work. Like how it's always been.”

Zagreus smirked. Well, he definitely wouldn’t mind sitting back and watching Death annihilate Elysium’s best warriors. He knew the god would make swift work of them. But to miss the opportunity to fight alongside the God of Death? Why, how could he decline such an offer?

Before the first shade could even materialize, Zag was on them, hacking and slashing like his body didn’t scream for him to follow Than’s advice. It was exhilarating, exciting. They worked as a team rather than competitors, Zagreus even pushing enemies into Thanatos’ dark circle of death. Than took notice, stopping to give Zagreus a confused look, before disintegrating three Brightswords at once.

Beautiful. Beautiful.

A few more Brightswords materialized, including a Greatshield and some Chariots, but they met their demise quickly before they could so much as breathe. Not that they needed to breathe; they were dead.

And now you’re deader, Zagreus mused, finishing off the last one while Than, ironically, floated and watched him do the work, perhaps giving him a pity kill. Zagreus didn’t keep track of their last competition and he wasn’t about to now; he’d let Thanatos worry about that. Though, he could estimate that he himself killed about five, while Thanatos...more than that, probably?

With the last warrior slayed, Elysium was quiet and peaceful once more, as Zagreus imagined it would be if he was sentenced to live his eternal life here. He took this opportunity to gather and absorb the dark energy a few enemies dropped, thinking about Nyx’s gift when he felt eyes watching him.

Goosebumps riddling his skin, he turned towards Thanatos, who continued staring a moment longer before offering his hand. Zagreus, confused, tilted his head and waited for an explanation. Upon receiving nothing except for Than’s unreadable expression, he took the invitation and shuffled closer.

“Your reward,” Thanatos mumbled, yet it was clear as day. Energy popped in his upturned palm, the remnants clinging to Zagreus’ skin and melting into the tissue, the bones. Zagreus watched a few scratches heal themselves. His body still ached, but his vitality grew stronger, like he could withstand more.

“Centaur heart,” Zagreus muttered, and he tilted his head back, traveling up Than’s floating form before stopping at a pair of two golden orbs. “Why?”

“It was a tie.”

“Oh.”

Zagreus was suspicious, but he didn’t speak on it. If Thanatos wanted him to stay home, like everyone else apparently, then he wouldn’t have given him something to keep his body going unless it was well-earned. Death was honorable like that.

“Ah,” Than cleared his throat, and standing this close Zagreus could see the beginnings of discoloration dusted across his cheeks. “My brother—Hypnos, that is—gave me a bottle of Nectar a little bit ago.”

Zagreus didn’t react to the random statement at first. He wondered why Thanatos was telling him, but also, how Hypnos could have gotten another bottle himself. The God of Sleep didn’t travel nearly as much as his older twin, or even Zagreus for that matter. Though, Zag supposed maybe he didn’t really know where Hypnos went when he wasn’t dozing off by the entrance to the River Styx. He always assumed the god was off sleeping somewhere more comfortably. Or maybe—

Wait. Zagreus frowned. He sensed something was amiss; something wasn’t right. The bottle, the one he gave Hypnos just before his most recent escape...he wouldn’t...couldn’t have…?

His eyes widened. No. Nonono—

“He said it was from you, Zagreus. That you asked he give it to me...as a gift.”

For the second time that day—or night, whatever—Zagreus found himself sputtering with disbelief. Irritation, embarrassment, anger, betrayal, amongst other feelings he refused to acknowledge—he couldn’t sort out which ones he felt the most.

“That—” he tried, but the words were locked in his throat, clogged together so he could hardly talk, hardly breathe. How dare Hypnos give away a gift Zagreus had given him. And how dare he thus give that same gift to Thanatos, lying in his name on top of it all!

“Zag?”

The nickname made Zagreus flinch and want to wilt away, perhaps turn into a butterfly and hide in Than’s chiton forever. At least until Than eventually ran into Hypnos, where Zagreus would then use the element of surprise to strangle the sleepy god. But to hear Than call him by his childhood nickname rather than cruelly addressing him as ‘Zagreus’ enveloped the Prince with so much nostalgia and belonging it ached. What was the point of rewarding Zagreus a centaur heart if he was only going to wound him like this moments after?!

“I...Than.” The exchange of nicknames felt natural, but Zagreus was ashamed. It was enough to zap him out of his momentary panic, and he briefly locked eyes with Death before taking in not only the concerned tilt of his brow, but also the specks of flustered gold alighting his face. Than was...flattered, to say the least. Zagreus wasn’t so oblivious he couldn’t figure out that much. But it wasn’t because of his doing; not really. He could go along with it, pretend that it was, but. That wasn’t right. Death should be honored. This was not honorable.

Upon the sigh Zagreus released from his emotionally-constricted lungs were everything he had managed to feel in less than a second after the reveal of Hypnos’ betrayal. Whatever the reason for it, Zagreus wouldn’t accept the benefits of it, if any. He wouldn’t accept the outcome if it wasn’t truthful.

“Thanatos,” he began, the name not as sweet on his tongue, “That gift...was for Hypnos, not you. I never asked him to hand it off to you.”

The look on Than’s face was hard to read at first—perhaps a mixture of confusion and horror—but Zagreus hated it. Desperately did he wish to replace it with the bashfulness from before. That feeling he had felt earlier, to bask Thanatos in gifts, was back full force.

“You mean to say…” Than’s voice trailed off before his expression hardened. “This is a prank, then.”

“No! Of course not. Not by me, at least.” When Than didn’t look convinced, Zagreus stepped closer, reaching for his dark Chiton but pulling back when he noticed Than’s shoulders stiffen. “I swear, Thanatos, on my father’s name. I gave him the bottle and that was it. Maybe...maybe there was a miscommunication? Or perhaps he overheard—”

He stopped himself there, looking past Thanatos at nothing in particular. Maybe Hypnos overheard his back and forth with Achilles? He was right around the corner, afterall. And if Nyx could hear Hypnos and Zagreus, then Hypnos would have no problem eavesdropping on the happenings of the West Hall. If that’s the case, maybe Hypnos believed he was doing a favor by giving the bottle to its original intent?

“Overheard what, Zagreus?”

With another sigh, Zagreus gave up. “Okay. The Nectar was for you.” Before Thanatos could process the words, Zagreus rushed the next sentences out, fearing the god would think it was all a joke again. “Originally! It was intended for you, at first, but you weren’t at the House. You—you’re rarely at the House, and it’s clear you’ve been avoiding me as of late, so. And the bottle, it was shaken up. I couldn’t just give something like that to you! I wasn’t sure you would even accept a gift from me anyway so I tried to give it to Achilles but he wouldn’t accept it because he said it wasn’t for him even though I was obviously giving it to him and we may have argued about it loud enough for Hypnos to hear but he didn’t say anything about it when—”

Zagreus, whose words were starting to blend together as he quickly rambled his explanation of things, abruptly stopped when something small and hard was thrusted against his chest. He was nearly pushed back from the force of it, and he scrambled to hold onto the object when Thanatos pulled his hand back. Confused, Zagreus stared down at his hands.

“Do you ever stop talking?”

Zagreus had to force himself to look away from what appeared to be a butterfly, mesmerized by the intricate designs he could briefly make out before giving Thanatos his attention once more. He wasn’t looking at him, rather, his head was turned to the side, arms crossed with his scythe cradled between the bulge of his biceps. Dust of gold once again sparkled the soft glow of his cheeks.

“You shouldn’t worry about giving me anything, Zagreus. I’ve no interest in the little souvenirs you find in your futile attempts to escape this place.” Slightly, he cocked his head, fixing his golden stare on the small artefact held gently in Zagreus’ grasp. “But if you insist...you’ll have no choice but to hold onto that.”

A flash of green, a schlink, and Zagreus was alone in Elysium.

Than’s swift exits always left a hole in his chest, but this time he didn’t bother dwelling on it, the weight of the butterfly in his hands keeping his heart full and healthy and...happy. His fingers smoothed over the coolness of it, its subtle ridges and edges a fine testament to the workmanship it must have taken to create something so beautiful. And the colors—shades of purples and grays with a green tint on the outer rims of the design, giving the butterfly a glowing effect—reminded Zagreus so much of Thanatos, and the beauty of Death.

The Prince’s tendency to ramble, although grating to the ears of most in the House of Hades, seems to have avoided what would have been a terrible rift between the likes of Life and Death, courtesy of a telltale lie; but the Prince’s desire to strangle the God of Sleep still stands as is.

Blood trickled to the tips of Zagreus’ ears. “What are you talking—? Ugh, just shut up!”

[mvsicinthedvrk]

october (mobile) starter call!

looking for some new threads on ALL of my muses, since I really only have a couple current ones on each… anyway, reply and let me know if you want a starter with anyone and I’ll work on them this weekend, since I have a lot of free time.

wei wuxian? (with: jester’s open! louie! & huaisang!!)

martin blackwood? (with: john pruitt!)

yuri plisetsky? (with: KJ!)

orpheus? (with: zagreus!)

patroclus? (with: diana!)

pippin? (with: kili!)

ki yu ri?

wen kexing? (with: kieran!)

noah czerny? (with: luke p!)

peter pettigrew? (with: alecto! frank! draco!)

xie lian?

yan wei? (with: a-xiang!)

xu xialing?

thank you for your consideration! 🎉