#the sheer amount of lore in my head for these ladies

[gormlessboy]

u: oooh sexy harvey hozier edit ooo

me: young moms…………………

[antihero-writings]

Before it Kills You Too (Ch2 Snippets 1, 2 & 3)

Fandom: Lore Olympus

Chapter Summary: When Hera gets into a car accident after a fight, Zeus has a moment to ruminate on their relationship. Written using the song “Wait” by Maroon 5 as a prompt.

Character Focus: Zeus

Please note!! This is the previous Ch2 snippets I posted + a new snippet (the new snippet starts with “I would venture to guess she was driving too fast.”)

I’ve been having trouble with this chapter for a very long time, so I’ve decided to post it snippet-by-snippet, because that seems like the only way I’ll successfully finish this fic. 

While this should be as close to the final version as it can be, anything in this snippet is subject to change when the full chapter comes out. (And, hey, to that end, if there’s anything you think needs to be edited here, please kindly let me know!!)

Im really excited about this snippet!! Definitely one of my favorite parts of the chapter!!

Thanks again SO much to those who support this fic and want to read more!! The fact that you want to read more really does mean the world to me!! I appreciate your kind comments so much!!

I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a comment and/or reblog!!! I’m not kidding when I say that makes my week!!

Tagging some folks who’ve shown interest!! @jayyy007 @autumnmoon21 @sunsetsofanemoia, @lynnie51 @what-the-fuckaroni @masquejj

And please do let me know if you’d like me to add you to a taglist for this fic, or message you when new snippets/the next chapter come/s out!!

Chapter 2 Snippets 1, 2 & 3:

Hera was standing in the crowded meadow, surrounded by her friends, laughing that girly little giggle full of sunshine that just about made Zeus’ heart ooze in a puddle out of his chest.

Her blue dress made her eyes look like two shimmering sapphires.

“Have I seen her in a dress that color?” Zeus inquired excitedly from behind the bushes.

“How can we know what you’ve seen?” Aidoneus muttered. “With you creeping around, you might have seen her naked for all we know.”

Zeus punched him in the arm, (lightly).

“I don’t think she’s worn a dress that color!” Posiedon bubbled.

“Thank you, Posiedon. At least someone can answer a question.”

“I think she looks like the sea on summer day.” He put his hands on his face, them sliding slowly.

Zeus eyed him. “Alright, keep it in your toga, Little Green Man.”

“Should we really be here?” Aidoneus muttered. “We weren’t invited.”

“Oh come on,” Zeus stood up, putting his hands on his hips. “Who wouldn’t want to see the King of the gods here?”

Poseidon grinned and stood up behind his brother. “No one!”

“Hestia, Demeter… assorted sane people.” Hades muttered as he stood to follow.

“If that’s sanity I’m glad I’m insane.” Zeus trilled as he strutted up to the entrance.

A cute pink nymph—(rather well endowed in the chestal region—not that he noticed!)—greeted them at the archway.

“Oh! Zeus!” She flushed and bowed. “It’s an honor. Welcome!”

“Why it’s an honor to meet you, my lady.” He kissed her hand, and she giggled. “See?” he turned to his brothers. “They’re delighted to have us.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling.” Hades muttered.

Hera was closer now; she smelled like summer, and she looked like it too. Poseidon was right about the ocean thing; she practically shimmered as she spoke with her friends.

“I’m gonna go talk to her.”

“Wait—!” Hades was soon swallowed by the crowd.

Zeus scooched behind her at lightning speed. One by one her friends began to take notice, their eyes widening.

Hera took a step back and would have tripped in surprise if he hadn’t caught her.

“Careful there, you might fall, Birthday Girl.”

“Oh, Zeus!” She looked up at him, the back of her head hitting his chest, “hi!”

That golden smile.

“I made you something!” As she spun to face him, he produced a little carving of a bird from his pocket. (And, no, he didn’t make it).

“Oh!” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, gently taking it from him, “It’s beautiful!”

All his responsibilities and stresses melted away with the sight of that smile, and he forgot there was anyone else at the party…in the world.

(…He wished he saw that smile anymore.)

Zeus’ chair was spinning empty at his desk before his assistant could say another word—

And Olympus wept, distant peals of thunder rending the sky into pieces.

Lightning crackled and cackled through his hair, creating violet tracks through the air, as Zeus sped through the sky.

It was freezing, and people were staring, but he didn’t care.

All that mattered was getting to his wife.

“My you look stunning.” Zeus sidled up behind his wife, running his fingers gently along her arm. “Is that a new dress?”

“New as that girlfriend of yours.” Hera grunted.

His eyes widened with shock, his voice with an indignant undertone to it. “Is something wrong?”

She paused a moment. He could see words fluttering behind her lips—(like they did so often, too often)—the words Yes you did something wrong, how can you not know?

He knew she wouldn’t believe him when he said he didn’t mean to hurt her.

“You weren’t invited,” she said softly.

“Not invited? Me?” He put his hand to his chest, like the thought of him ever not being welcome to somewhere was absurd. “To what?”

“The party, you nitwit!” She whirled around, her hair nearly whipping him in the face. “You just came barging in like you owned the place!”

“Well…to be fair—”

He stopped short at the look in her eyes, like two blue-hot flames.

He knew it was taking her a great amount of effort not to slap him.

“Do you know how long I’d been preparing for that?! How long it took me to get everything just right? I told you, but you never even listened, did you? And then you just barged right in!”

“Why are you so upset? What’s so important about a party?!”

“They were my friends.” Her gaze softened, and her tone became more serious. “They were—” Until she cut herself off, and her expression hardened as she whirled around, her hair billowing behind her.

“Bunny, wait!” His tone was softer too.

He wished she’d just turn around. That he could say sorry.

Was it really so hard? He should have started there.

Had he ever apologized for that?

He was always doing that; barging in where he wasn’t welcome. The world was his, yes but…he had to concede there were some parts of it he ought not just barge in on.

When he burst into the hospital, however, they wouldn’t dare tell him he wasn’t invited, wouldn’t dare tell him he couldn’t see her.

“Where. is my. wife?” Lightning slammed into a lamppost just outside the front door, shattering its glass box, and making the light spark, the rain pounding at the window like rabid dogs.

The desk clerk looked like she was about to pee out of sheer fear.

“Sh-sh-she’s not out of surgery yet, your majesty...I understand you want to see her, but I can’t let you…until-until they’re finished.” She was practically vibrating. “I assure you the moment she gets out, we’ll notify you.”

Surgery? He wanted to demand. She’s the queen of the gods, how could she be in surgery?

Electricity sparked in his eyes, trailing throughout his hair. He could say I demand you let me see her. He could say I don’t care! She’s my wife, and I’m not waiting! She’s fine! She’s the queen—she’s my queen—she won’t be hurt from a little car accident!

But there were some places he ought not just barge in on… and the surgeons room was probably one of them.

The lightning let out a sighing crackle, before he closed his eyes, his hair falling back upon his shoulders. It was then that he noticed he was dripping wet from head to toe. He sighed himself before muttering something like a garbled “I understand, thank you.” And turning to sit in the lobby. Behind him the desk clerk’s coworker held her to keep her from fainting.

He snapped his fingers, drying off, so as not to get their nice, barf-colored carpet all wet. Once he sat down in a chair—(the cushions didn’t have any cush to them)—a kid in the chair across from him scooched away.

He could have that kid lightly charred if he wanted.

Instead he settled for a nice glare, and reached over to pick up last month’s—(or maybe it was a few months ago)—issue of  “Goddess weekly” listening to the rain die down to a drum.

The same old gossip. Usually if he picked one of these up he’d check for any news he ought to be aware of. You know, as the king. Not to mention the ladies weren’t unappealing. Now he flicked through without seeing any of it.

Speaking of ladies, there was a nymph sitting across the room from him, her skin blue, her ears down, and a cute little half smile. She surely wasn’t in here for anything serious. She kept glancing from her own magazine to him—but not in a nervous way. If he wasn’t mistaken, she wouldn’t be opposed to a session of hide-the-German-sausage.

If he wanted he could take her there in a darkened closet in the hallway. It wouldn’t take long—(if it didn’t need to…or it could take all night). That would be a nice way to relieve the stress bubbling in his body.

—Someone was laying next to him, her skin smooth, practically glowing. There was rather a lot of it exposed.

She turned over, her eyes fluttering open, a small smile creasing her features as she rolled onto his chest, tickling his chin with her fingers.

“I had a wonderful time,” she twittered, and he practically purred, staring into those big blue eyes, glittering like river stones.

He pushed her green hair behind her ear.

“Is that all? I’d like to think a night with the King of the gods would be more than merely ‘wonderful.’”

She giggled. “No no, it was much more than wonderful! It was spectacular! Mind-blowing!” She threw her arms in the air.

“That’s more like it.” He grinned—

When was that again? Two years ago, or two days ago?

It could have been either.

Had he apologized for that?

Would it have mattered if he had? Would she have forgiven him? Would he have stopped?—

Bile rose in his throat, and he dove his nose so hard into the magazine he almost smacked himself with it.

His wife was bruised and bleeding, and potentially worse in a nearby room, at the mercy of some quack holding a scalpel and a few comforting words…and here he was thinking of betraying her for the…

How many times had it been now?

He threw the magazine back on the table and sank in the chair till his head was nearly on the bottom cushion, his lip flapping his he blew out a breath, making his hair fly up a little.

The kid and his mom got called, and seemed glad of a reason to leave.

After a healthy dose of moping he pulled out his phone. After checking fatesbook and playing a few games he decided it was time to open his messages.

He didn’t want to be alone. He wanted some sensible and non-conjugal company.

He scrolled through and clicked on a name.

A number of old conversations sprinkled the page, often detailing Zeus asking about getting together and the correspondent saying they were busy.

He thought a moment about what to say—(a rare occurrence for him)—before deciding any vague requests would probably get ignored, so he simply decided the boldfaced truth:

Hera’s been in a car accident. She’s in surgery.

“WHAT?!” The word was spoken aloud—and very loudly at that.

Hades was standing in front of him. If the king being here wasn’t enough reason for weird looks, this outburst had sent more than a few eyes their way.

Zeus did a finger wave at the nymph, before he grabbed his brother’s arm, whisking him off to a less crowded hallway.

The only thing here was a vending machine, and a few overly picturesque pictures of trees.

“How did this happen?!”  Hades shout-whispered.

“I would venture to guess she was driving too fast.”

“I could have gathered that myself, thank you very much!” Hades was clearly trying not to shout. “What was she doing?! Where was she going?!”

Zeus rolled folded his arms. “Does it matter?”

“Sure it matters! Well at least it’d be good to know!”

“…I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?! What do you mean you don’t know?! She’s your wife—!”

“I said I don’t know!” he kicked the vending machine.

The air shattered and reformed itself.

Zeus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, his voice softening. “I…I don’t know.”

Two sides of him warred. One wanted to shout at Hades. He expected him to know where she was at all times? Oh yeah, that would go over well with her. What kind of helicopter husband would he be then?

And yet, it felt wrong for him not to know. Like some sort of failure. She was his wife. Shouldn’t he? Shouldn’t he have asked? Shouldn’t he care?

Hades’ gaze softened.

“I upset her.” Zeus murmured. “We got into a fight.”

Hades leaned against the wall. He was probably resisting the urge to say he could have gathered that too.

Zeus leaned his head forward onto the glass of the vending machine, his hair falling to the side, his reflection vaguely eyeing him.

“We got into a fight and she…I hadn’t even realized she went for a drive.” He paused, observing the chocolate and chips sitting in neat rows in the machine. “Do you think she liked Twyx?”

“Huh?”

“Do you think she liked Twyx?”

Hades pondered it a moment. “Probably. She tends to like things with caramel in them.”

Zeus smiled wryly. “See? I didn’t even know that.”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to ask her all your burning questions about her favorite candy flavors very soon.”

“That’s not the point.” Zeus whispered.

Zeus was feeling a little off-kilter.

He nearly fell into a three-thousand drachma vase.

Okay, make that a lot.

The sound of heels on the staircase. The white one they’d painted for that one event…what had they been celebrating again?

His hazy gaze made her glitter even more than usual.

“Have I ever told you that you’re like the sea on a summer’s day?” Zeus’ voice came out blurry. He put his hand in his hair, trying to look sexy, you know, like the kind of guy you’d wanna forgive.

This was met by her hair slapping him in the face as she walked by him. She paused a few steps below him, turning.

“Is that alcohol I smell on your breath?”

“I may have had one—“ He hiccuped, “or five, appletinis.”

“And this is what? An intelligent conversation you’re trying to have?” She folded her arms over her chest.

“Actually,” he held up a finger. The action made him feel off-balance so he leaned against the railing, trying to land in a sexy pose. “There is something I wanted to say.”

“You’re barely coherent when you’re sober, at least spare me until then.”

He rolled his eyes—(and made himself feel even dizzier).

She turned to go back up the stairs.

“Wait!” He shouted.

She stopped, looked over her shoulder, eyes narrow as a cat’s. “What?”

“I-hic!” He covered his mouth as if embarrassed. Clearly emotion was dangerous. “I wasn’t trying to get wasted! I just-hic!-needed more than three or four to say this.”

“Oh yeah? Spit it out Grape Sorbet.” She folded her arms over her chest.

“I’m…” he held on to the railing for support. “I’m sorry.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“You…You were right.” He took a step closer.

“About what?” Her breath bated.

“I just…I didn’t want to admit it. I couldn’t…” He looked away. “I couldn’t tell you sober.”

“About what?” The words had a rough edge to them, her chest heaving with breath.

Ah. She knew. She knew what he was going to say, even before he said it.

“I…I did cheat on you.”

“Wh-What?” Her eyes tinted red…but there was so much hurt in the word.

Fear and shame rose in tandem like ocean waves, threatening to bowl him over, and he realized that the truth wasn’t going to help at all. But all he could do was let it pour out of him.

“You-hic-You asked if I was with-hic—”

“Stop.” She covered her mouth as if to keep the worst words from spilling out, tears welling in her eyes.

“But I—”

“I said stop!” Her voice rang through the room like something shattering.

Maybe something was.

Her heels against the stairs, fast and sharp, and away.

“Wait!”

Turn around please, let me apologize, let me explain, I won’t do it again.

He threw up in the vase.

“Daddy? What was that all about?” The small voice made his blood run cold. “What did you cheat at? Were you playing a game?”

Zeus turned, horrified, to see Ares, hiding behind a crack in the door.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at her.” He breathed. “It was stupid, really.”

Hades put a dollar in the vending machine and punched in a number.

“People say all kinds of things when they’re angry. Doesn’t mean you’re bad, just means you’re people. Which…” Hades looked him up and down, adding under his breath, “I wonder about sometimes.”

“...You must think I’m a terrible husband.”

Hades grabbed two chocolate bars and handed one to his brother.

“I think you need something sweet, maybe a little hydration, and some rest.”

Zeus unwrapped the bar and took a bite, not really tasting anything.

After a moment Hades sighed.

“It’s not so simple as that.” Hades said between bites, “I don’t necessarily think there’s such a thing as a ‘terrible husband’ or ‘the best husband.’ I…I don’t even think there’s such a thing as good and bad people. There’s just…people. There’s just husbands. But there are rules that come with being a person, and/or being a husband and…” he paused, trying to choose his words carefully, “you don’t always follow those rules.”

Zeus fell back against the wall, looking at the floor, denials dying in his throat.

It was raining.

No, actually it was pouring. And thundering. The lightning was like cracks in a collapsing sky, and Zeus’s gut was twisting like the snakes on the head of a gorgon.

“What? You-you think you can just undo this?!” Hera’s words were biting. “It’s done!” Her laugh was wry and sardonic, like an ache in her throat, red tainting the blue of her eyes. “You can’t just fix something like that! Once someone cheats at the game no one else just keeps playing!”

“It was a mistake! One stupid night!”

“One stupid night, huh?! Then how do you explain this?!” She held up his phone. The pictures. The…Oh Gaia.

The snakes in his gut bit down, and he bit his lip looking away. He hadn’t known she knew about that.

“You’ve got it all wrong! That was just—!”

“I thought you were different!” She bit off his excuse, the anger cracked, and the pain was bleeding through, and he wasn’t the only one making it rain: A tear fell down her face, then another, her mascara running black along her cheeks. “You made me smile, you made me laugh! You saved your brothers from your father. And I thought we could make a kingdom—a world—together!” She shook her head, grimacing, trying and failing to keep more tears from falling. “I thought we could be something!”

“We are! We have! I just made a mistake! I—!”

“No, Zeus.” There was a finality to her tone.

Tears streamed down her face now. He hated it when she cried. She didn’t do it often, and whenever she did he was ready to smite whoever hurt her but…he’d hurt her worst of all.

“I thought you were different. But you’re—“ the words were like an antique vase, riddled with cracks. “You’re just another bad guy.” She punched him in the arm, and the vase broke, the defiance into pain. She punched him in the arm…but it was weak and far too soft, and that’s how he knew she was really hurt; she could bring the sky down on him if she wanted.

She looked down at her hand, twisting her wedding ring with a finger.

“I’m staying with a friend tonight.”

Her wedding ring tinkled on the floor.

As she turned and walked away the word rang out like he was hoping his voice alone could rewrite his sins and bring her back:

“Wait!”

She didn’t stop, didn’t turn, didn’t make any indication she’d even heard him.

“Please…Please just wait.” These were soft.

He fell to his knees on the marble, scooping up her wedding ring and enclosing it in his fingers, holding it to his forehead, and trying not to bring the sky down upon himself.

He’d seen her angry. He’d seen her sad. But this? Seeing her break for him…was so much worse.

It reminded him too much of another time. Of a scar on her stomach. How she broke herself just to be his.

—(And he wondered, for a fleeting moment, if it would have been better if he had been the one to break.)—

“There you are!” Said a voice. “You can come see her now,”—a cleared throat— “your Majesty.”

*

Notes: Aright, so this chapter had a few things I was unsure about I thought I’d ask about here!

1. Does anyone have any other clever play-on-words for candy brands? I feel like Zeus would know that she likes caramel in general, so it’d make more sense if Hades said “she likes [X similar candy] so she’d probably like Twyx.” But Twyx is all my brain came up with and I don’t even know that it’s all that good XD

2. I’m aware that the gods don’t call each other “people” they call each other “beings.” However, Hades’ lines don’t have as much impact with “beings.” Did the fact that I used “people” stick out too much? Should I change it to “beings”?

3. I know Ancient Greek wedding ceremonies are different from ours, and they might not even have wedding rings. But that image was so impactful for me I decided to use it. Should I remove it? Or did you find it impactful?

Please let me know if there’s anything you felt was inaccurate to their characters!!

Thanks so much for reading!! 💕💕

[judehayward]

lady gaga voice slowly fadin in: ju-Das juda-ah-ah… this depressed goblin bastard is honestly my fav male muse like i dnt typically stick w male muses tht long i struggle bt................. i’ve played him the longest of them all n always seem to return to him. jst cnt stay away. way 2 attached to this absurd little man. it’s nai btw!!!! (josefine on the main). launches right in to jude’s intro without further adieu..... (u can also find his playlist here) 🧙‍🎨

「douglas booth & cis-male」⇾ hayward , jude, the senior radcliffe student’s records show that he is a pisces and 23 years old. he is studying ART, living in moris and can be protective, laidback, nonsensical & apathetic. when i see him i am reminded of wearing a faded smiley face sticker on your forehead while receiving a serious lecture, saying “fuck off” to inanimate objects, lead marbles instead of eyes. ⇽「nai & 23 & gmt & she/her.」

he pinterest:

me in the voice of a card magician performing on the street: round up round up pick a pinterest any pinterest!

ta-da it’s aesthetics:

lead marbles instead of eyes, a stolen hearse careening down the wrong lane, wearing a faded smiley face sticker on your forehead while receiving a serious lecture, bags under the eyes that are so big they could pack enough clothes for a three week vacation, a cigarette wobbling from your bottom lip as you squint against the sunlight, passing out on a stranger’s rooftop, placing sunglasses over the eyes of a biology lab skeleton, gangling around the place like shaggy minus his scooby snacks, saying “fuck off” to inanimate objects

about tha Bitch:

born in sheffield in england, bt they went back and forth between there n san fran a lot

jude was an unhappy accident. his parents never rly used protection bc they were super Liberal n Au Naturel n believed in the pull out method bc… they were maniacs. bt then the ONE time they used a condom in an effort to b safety conscious it broke n hence…. jude was born

they just kind of ran w it bc they had such a passionate relationship tht they were like What The Hell…. may as well! itll be fine we’ll learn to be good parents n love him like normal ppl do

spoiler alert: tht didn’t work out

they were ok to him like they weren’t fully Bad bt they just found him to be a massive burden n hindrance to their plans. pretty absent n irresponsible. they literally….. had sex all day every day n acted like a pair of teenagers. it ws a super weird environment for a kid to grow up in bc he literally had no role models or… guidance or…. anything rly. occasionally they’d joke around w him or pretend they properly knew what grade he was going into but for the most part they just Didn’t Care the way parents shd. they lost his birth certificate n dnt remember what they put as his middle name so he’s jst kind of like hmmmm............. n gives himself a diff one every time ppl ask. past variations hv included: jude pauly hayward, jude maureen hayward, jude van winkle hayward. says all of these w a very straight face

despite this he does hv some nice memories w them. usually he definitely sees them fr holidays. frm being rly young their christmas tradition hs been to get a bunch of chinese food like a Banquet Feast n spend all day smoking n drinking into the early hours. perhaps not the healthiest or most responsible bt 😔 jude rly likes it it’s kind of the one time of yr he feels he has a proper family

they r both suuuuper into the arts. rly good sculptors bt they paint too n they actually own a successful gallery in sheffield n san fran

(trauma tw) as a result he grew up around a lot of creative n sometimes pretentious ppl. the friends of his parents were more present in his life than his ACTUAL parents bc they were always jetting off to diff countries to scout out new pieces fr their galleries n just have a gd time in beautiful places without…. the annoyance tht ws being responsible n looking after someone. tbh some of his parents friends were rly damaging too bt….i won’t go into that just yet. it doesn’t rly…need properly explaining bc jude never talks abt it anyway n it….is rather triggering so i’ll jst….leav it for now tbh. basically they just were Not Nice n jude had a lot of bad memories he keeps repressed bt he also??? has some gd ones..... it was a strange environment bt he’s a survivor

(death n grief tw) he hd to do community service bc he kind of… hd a bit of a breakdown before the funeral of his elderly neighbour who bsically raised him bc her kids rly didnt care abt her they jst wanted her inheritance?? so he… stole the hearse w her casket still in it n ws jst like… drivin around the place sort of… tryin nt to cry…..KJJFHSFKJGHKFG i mean. it isnt funny its actually sad bt :/ in a very bizarre n jude way. he gt caught n taken in fr questioning bt her son kind of realised hw… broken up abt her death jude ws n had a heart n didnt press charges. regardless he stil hd to do community service bc it ws like taken seriously even tho it ws his first proper offence. doin it rly exhausted n depressed him so when he wsnt doin tht he ws just hibernatin in his room……. this ws like 4 months ago nw............ just some fun lore fr u all

bc of how he ws raised he has a p cultured taste. he luvs classic lit n p much anything artsy. he can play piano 2 n sometimes gets rly high n thinks he’s mozart level gd at composing he’s jst going fking wild on the keys in a trance...... i mean he’s gd bt… chill

he’s rly sarcastic n so deadpan like he’ll say smthn completely ridiculous bt he’ll say it w his whole chest so sincere.... it’s rly hard to tell when he’s joking or serious honestly. has an overflowing secret sketchbook n if he cares abt someone he’ll probably secretly draw them. does NOT share these drawings w the person he hates being openly sentimental. at heart he is jst a very Sad Boy w lots of repressed issues like depression genuinely just does NAT giv him a single break bt he plasters over this w wise cracks n never discusses his emotions ever. he’s actually p decent or at least tries to b. he’s kind of like tht bit in superbad where michael cera gets rly drunk n makes a toast to women like tht energy...........

he has rly bad insomnia so he like never sleeps idk how he’s Alive straight up. please go to bed sir............. he always has rly sleepy eyes n rubs them tiredly mid conversation. he smokes a lot of weed to try n compensate fr this n make him tired bt he still struggles a lot

ANYWAY that aside he’s at radcliffe doing art, focusing on fine art like painting is............... the thing he luvs most...... his style is kind of.......... taking normal things n painting w surreal colours.... he likes A LOT of colour in his paintings which is kind of a stark contrast to his personality bc his world’s so.... washed out n grey............ lovs art n philosophy n literature n photography n music.... 

ummMMMMmm honestly idk i’m blankin on what else to say. ull find him smoking weed reading an american classic or gnawing at his thumbnail n getting charcoal smudges on all his clothes. wandering the streets in plaid pj bottoms n dr martens eating frm a cereal box without care in the world. he’s p broody n scruffy n he’s mostly here fr a laidback time....... doesn’t rly like when ppl take themselves too seriously........ likes strange ppl thinks the world is mde richer by them n likes when ppl can jst bounce back jokes at him without being like erm. u dont make sense mate. bc frankly he can come up w some strange stuff sometimes.............. talking to him cn b like navigating a dark n bendy road without a flashlight....... 

(drugs tw) once did shrooms n woke up naked in the woods curled up in a pile of leaves. to this day he recounts this as his werewolf transformation. hs no idea hw he ended up there n when ppl r like are u not. concerned jude. tht is so strange? he jst shrugs like.............. dunno....................... suppose i’m jst a werewolf upon occasion. so casual abt it. jst truly does Not care abt most things at all..... almost to the point tht it’s concerning (sometimes way past the point tht it’s concerning too :/)

this is the desc on an aesthetic i mde of his style once n sums it up well!! ‘additionally: too many pairs of trousers, a hideous amount of white t-shirts all somewhat stained with charcoal, a jumper so thinly knit it almost looks sheer, chipped teale nail varnish, a cream corduroy jacket with a cigarette hole singed onto the cuff, vintage wiry reading glasses he almost never wears, a freshly rolled cigarette behind his ear, a thrifted t-shirt with a warped bart simpson wearing a stethoscope with the caption ‘bard knwos cardiology’ and two crops hacked that way with kitchen scissors that he sometimes wears to paint.‘

EXPERT at rolling spliffs like jst. mkes them so precise n neat....... it’s his super power. his fav thing to smoke frm is banana flavour papers.................... linking 2 this he’s like. bad w emotions bt he does try..... once his friend (maggie) ws sad so he brought her a spliff wrapped in grape flavoured paper bc it’s her fav fruit n jst like. wordlessly gave it to her. it’s the thought tht counts.....

PLOTS!!!!!

plays bass in a band which cld b a fun connection to get together??? i picture the music being like surf rock type like........... mac demarco...... bt he also luvs elliott smith n glass animals n the cure n metronomy n neutral milk hotel n talking heads n radiohead n mazzy star n wolf alice...................... idk jst like.... within tht ballpark i suppose i imagine it being................

mayb ppl he shares classes w?????? i’d like someone tht does a similar course n they hang out tgether when it comes to trips fr the module to museums or exhibits or wtever................ they both stand in front of paintings analysing it rly wrong n saying stuff like hmmmmmmmmm....... i do declare i see a, uh..... large phallus protruding from the centre of this image...... moves something in me.......... n some elderly person looking at it besides them is like Ergh. sickened n disgraced. leaves w a brow severely furrowed

someone he smokes w on the moris rooftop late at night when he cnt sleep??? mayb they’re up n cnt sleep either fr whtever reason n it’s become an unspoken kind of ritual where they always clamber out n find each other there n jst wordlessly keep them company

jude is kind of like. protective almost to a fault sometimes........... mayb some guy he’s punched......................... if they hurt someone he cares abt........... typically it wld hv been a girl he ws kind of like. affected by his first relationship bc she had a bad home situation n ever since jst wnts..... to Protect it’s kind of like an automatic instinct ingrained in him nw 😔 all sounds very noble n well bt sometimes it cn b a bit of an escalation i wnt lie

perhaps a few hook-ups??? jude doesn’t tend to sleep w ppl he rly knows bc he just..... likes it to b an impersonal thing doesn’t like getting attached fr various reasons so mayb they only kno each other via this OR mayb he bent his rules a bit..... cld either work seamlessly or hv added drama if one side hs mre feelings or whtever

currently living in moris w 2 roommates bt i’d love some neighbours perhaps..... mayb someone tht lives directly nxt door to his room n is like ://// bc he plays music loud n weeds always drifting frm his window n mking their room smell if theirs is open too................. or mayb they get on..... mayb there’s a rly mean seagull tht lands on a branch n poos on pedestrians n they both commentate on it frm their windows like david attenborough...... they’re like he’s at it again. they’ve named him n everything

HONESTLY anything if u have an idea hmu i’d love 2 hear it.......... rubs my hands tgether in excitement to plot up a storm w u all

[radianhazbin]

Not all demons have a rainbow in their heart

Authors note: This story is very graphic, and may not be suitable for every reader. Also, this was my first fanfiction, that I’ve ever wrote on Hazbin Hotel, and it was the first fanfic that I’ve wrote since around 2 years. Even I don’t like it that much. But right now, I sadly have no time and/or ideas to write a new one. But soon, I will be writing all over the place again :)

Also also, this story doesn’t stay true to the HH lore to the end. So because of that one little detail, I will say it’s an AU, even if it’s just that one single thing that’s changed.

So, after all of this, I hope you will still enjoy this fanfiction!

---------------------------- 

It was early morning in the Hazbin Hotel. It has been two days after the defeat of Sir Pentious, and since the Radio Demon, Alastor, moved into the Hotel. Charlie woke up to the red sunbeams that shined through the window of her room. She rolled around, and noticed, that Vaggie was still asleep next to her. She gave her a kiss on the cheek, rolled around to the other side of the bed, and slowly stood up. One stretch later, the young princess found herself in the bathroom of the small apartment. After washing her face, and getting ready for the day, she smiled to her reflection in the mirror.

“Maybe today. Hell is a big place after all. Someone will check in eventually.” She said to herself with confidence.

She opened the door to the corridor, looked back one last time, to see her girlfriend, still asleep. Charlie smiled, and silently closed the door behind her. She walked down the small, cranky staircase into the Lobby of the Building. She stepped into the large room, and looked around. Husk was blackout drunk at the bar, and lied unconscious on the counter, with a bottle of cheap booze in his right hand. Angel was asleep on the couch, with one half of his feminine body hanging from the side. And Niffty was… Somewhere. Charlie had no idea where she could be sleeping. Or even if she needed any sleep at all. The only other figure that was missing was the Radio Demon Alastor. But to be honest, the young girl was quite relieved to not see him anywhere.

“Goooood morning darling!” Screamed a voice from behind her. It sounded like an old timey radio. She turned around in an instant, and saw the gigantic grin of the Radio Demon, just inches away from her face. She stepped back before answering with a slightly shaky voice: “Good morning Alastor. How was your sleep?” She asked while turning around again, to open the front door.

“Ohhh, just magnificent! Thank you, young lady!” he jumped in front of her, stopping Charlie in her way, “And how was your rest?” He asked her, while bowing down, to be on eye level with the girl.

“Good, thanks”, she replied, while carefully stepping around him.

She made her way to the front door, while Alastor still tried to talk to her.

“Are you awaiting any guests, my darling? Or will this be another boring day?” he interrogated her.

“You still don’t believe in me, do you?”

“Well, of course not! Once a demon, always a demon!”

Charlie left out a disappointed sigh.

“Not all demons are inherently evil. And I will prove it to you soon enough!” she called out.

“Well that’s what I call passionate! Although I would call it naive too! Maybe even stupid!”

“You can think what you want.” Charlie muttered to herself.

Soon she stood in front of the big entrance to the Hazbin Hotel. She took the silver keys out of her pocket, and unlocked the door. The heavy glass door slowly swung open, and from one moment to the other, a slim and shady creature stood before her. It was around twice as high as Charlie, and wore a long, oak brown coat, that hid almost its entire body. She slowly looked up, flying past his black, shimmering shoes, the long coat that was buttoned up just above his waist, and up to his chest, where she could make out a white shirt beneath the mantle. And finally, she saw his head. A human like face with pale skin. His hair was tousled, and the right half of his face was covered in bandages. He looked down at Charlie.

“You’re the girl from the news.” He said with a very monotone, and deep voice.

“Y-Yes.” Charlie muttered out.

“I heard demons can get.. Rehabilitated in this place. A chance to leave hell.”

“Y-You heard right!” she said enthusiastically.

“Can I check in?”

“O-Of course you can!” she screamed out. Her face, went from scared to happy within seconds.

She quickly stepped around him, and threw her arm around the figure. 

“Husk! Wake up you drunk idiot! We've got a guest!” she screamed across the room, to wake up the drunk demon. 

“Huh? What the fuck?”, he mumbled, with his gritty and rough voice, while slowly lifting his head up from the counter. 

“Hmm, don’t scream like that. Some people are trying to sleep.”, Angel complained while rolling around, turning his face away from the room and into the soft pillow of the couch.

“Well, that’s something new. A customer!”, screamed Alastor out in surprise. 

“He’s a guest.” Charlie corrected him. “Our first guest of many more to come! I’m so happy!” She let go of the man, and danced a quick pirouette in the middle of the room, never losing her grin, that went from ear to ear. 

“I saw your little song in the news, but I assumed you would just play a role. Are you always this disgustingly happy?”, the man asked grim.

“Uhm, yes! I mean,” she hesitated, and played with her fingers, while she tried to think of something to say. “You’re our first guest! I’m just a little nervous.”

With a grunt, the man proceeded to walk to the counter, where Husk was slowly sobering up. 

“Urgh, name?”, the still drunk demon asked.

“Caleb.”, the tall man answered.

“Here. Room 104. Welcome to the…” Husk began to think. Snipping his fingers, to desperately find the name of the hotel he was working at.

“To the Hazbin Hotel!”, Charlie screamed and swung her arms wide open. 

“What’s with the screaming down here?”, a female voice questioned into the lobby. It was Vaggie, who was coming downstairs, while rubbing her right eye.

“Vaggie! You wouldn’t believe it!”, Charlie jumped around her girlfriend, grabbing her by the waist, and pointing with an open hand towards the first guest of the Hazbin Hotel.

“I introduce you to Caleb!” She turned her head and closed the gap between hers and Vaggie’s eyes. “Isn’t this awesome?!” she asked, still overly excited. 

“I guess so.”, Vaggie turned away, and slowly moved towards the big figure. 

“So, Caleb. What brought you to the Hotel?”, she asked while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Caleb, who didn’t even looked at her yet, replied: “Salvation, I guess. I’m tired of this shit down here. The screaming, the death, the suffering. So I thought that I maybe give it a-”, he turned his head, and stopped in the middle of his sentence, when he saw Vaggie for the first time. “try.”, he finished.

“Is something wrong?”, she curiously asked.

“No. You just-”, a short pause, “reminded me of someone.”

“Really? And who would that be?”, she interrogated him.

“Nobody you would know. I think.”, he said, while undressing his coat, and hanging it onto the dresser.

“Well, maybe we should get to know each other better?”, Charlie proposed, “So Caleb, my name is Charlie, aaaaaand, I run this whole thing. This is my girlfriend Vaggie-”, she pointed at the girl, who still had her arms crossed, and looked at Caleb with an disgusted face, “This is Husk. He’s our bartender and welcomer.”, Charlie lost energy in the last word, when she saw, that Husk was unconscious again. “Anyway! We also have Niffty, who I didn’t find anywhere yet, but is around here somewhere! She’s our housekeeping, so to speak, hehe.”, Charlie let out a nervous laughter. “And this-”, she moved her hand in Alastor’s direction, “Is Alastor!”

“The fucking Radio Demon?!”, Caleb screamed out in fear, “Are you fucking kidding me, girl?!”

“Ohh, don’t worry my big friend! I have nothing evil in mind! I just like to watch Charlie’s dreams getting destroyed and eaten by an vicious demon!”, Alastor screamed out happily.

“Interesting choice of words, Alastor.”, Angel pointed out, while slowly getting up from the couch.

“Uhm, and this is Angel dust he’s our… Uhm-”, Charlie tried to find the right words. “Hotel whore.”, he finished her sentence, “For just a little amount of money, I can make you feel, real good.”, he whispered, while rubbing against Caleb’s shoulder. 

“Uhm, yeah, no. Thank you, kiddo.”, he refused. 

“Your loss.”, Angel said smiling, while going back to his couch.

“So. Are we getting started? And if so, how exactly?”, Caleb questioned Charlie.

“Well.. We can start right now! If you want to.”, she explained

“Great.”, he replied.

Charlie, moved him upstairs, into a small room, where they sat down at a small table. She moved an old, dusty, armchair onto one end of the wooden table, and a clunky wooden chair onto the other. Charlie sat down on the wooden chair, Caleb settled in the armchair. 

“So, why are you in hell?”, Charlie asked.

“I don’t know. I guess because I killed some girls back in the 60’s. You know, drove next to them, at night, offered a lift, then kidnapped them, took them home, killed and ate them.”, he explained.

Charlie cramped up in her seat, still a smile on her face, but visually scared. 

Caleb continued: “I never raped them tho. I’m not that kind of sicko. Just a clean kill. Fine, maybe a little bit of torture here and there, you know? But only on the ones I didn’t like. And then the usual. Cutting them open, sometimes they were still alive at that point!”, he let out a small laughter, “Ahh, but then I would exempt the body, cut out the brain, ate the heart raw, and the rest I kept in my freezer for later. But the heart… Yeah.. You have to eat that raw.”, he drifted away, “That taste of someone who lived sheer moments ago is just… Incredible.”, he proceeded to explain. “But I’m getting off topic. Well, I didn’t really have any use for the bones, so I usually just hid them in the woods. The skin made really good clothing, and the rest was all edible. But then one day… Some bitch ratted me out. She could escape and tell the cops, before I could finish her off. I got cocky and didn’t torture her enough. I mean, I cut out her left eye, and debreasted her.. But the blood loss wasn’t enough. She managed to run away, and tell the cops. And what did I do? Huh. Followed her, and rammed my hatched into her back, right in front of the officer hahaha! Well, he shot me 3 times in the head.”, he finished.

Charlie still scared and cramped up in her chair, slowly calmed down, and sat down normally again. 

“A-Alright… Hehe, uhm…”, she struggled to find her words, “How did you feel, when you commited the murders?”

“I felt alive. I loved it. And I would do it again any time!”

“Oh… Okay. I Didn’t expect that answer, but… We will get there! We will make you a good boy again! Don’t worry! You will be out of here, in no time!”, she assured him with a smile.

The night came quickly. Charlie trained the entire day with Caleb. She tried to give him something else to eat, trained him to be nice to people, and to cook something else than human flesh. But when the night came, and the hotel went to bed, it showed, that maybe, not in every demon is a rainbow in their heart.

The door slowly opened, and what followed where big, clunky steps. Charlie was sleeping tightly, next to her girlfriend, and didn’t notice, the large shadow, that lied itself over the two. The creature stepped around the bed, onto Vaggie’s side.

“You fucking bitch.”, he whispered to himself.

Vaggie slowly opened her eyes, and saw the man standing in front of her.

“Caleb? What’s going on?”, she asked, while rubbing her right eye. 

He didn’t say a word. He instantly jumped down, and pressed a tissue with a substance into her face. She resisted for a few seconds, before falling unconscious. Caleb looked onto the other side of the bed, and saw, that Charlie was still sleeping. He looked down at Vaggie again.

“Now you’ll get, what you fucking deserve.”

he dragged her out of the bed, downstairs, deeper into the basement of the hotel. He tied her up, and threw her on the ground. She woke up just seconds after. 

“Huh? What the fuck? Where am I?!”, she screamed at the man.

“You thought I forgot? You fucking bitch brought me down here!”, he screamed, while kicking into Vaggie’s stomach. She coughed in pain.

“What the fuck are you talking about, asshole?!”, she yelled at him.

“What do you think, woman?!”, he grabbed the bandages on his head, and ripped them right off, revealing three holes in his skull. “You did this to me!”, he accused her.

Then it slowly came back to Vaggie. Why she was down here in hell. She remembered the face. She remembered the pain she felt, when her eye got removed from her skull. When her breasts were ripped off without a warning, and the pain she felt, when the hatched slammed into her back.

“You…”, she whimpered. “You son of a bitch! You’re him! You’re this asshole who killed me!”, she tried to jump up, and tackle him, but without any luck. She only managed to get onto her knees, what Caleb used to kick her right in the face. 

She fell to the ground again, with a bleeding nose, and tears in her eyes. Then she heard the unseathing of knife.

“Get the fuck away from me!”, Vaggie crawled back slowly, but soon hit a damp wall.

“No running away this time, bitch.”, he stated, and shortly after, he jumped down.

He stabbed her belly numerous times, over and over again. Blood was spilling out of every hole in the women's body. She screamed for help, but nobody came. She was going to die in this basement. It was going dark, very dark. She saw the face of Charlie in front of her, smiling, being happy. 

“I love you Charlie.”, she said with her last dying breath, before she closed her eyes. Forever.

Caleb stepped up, and examined his work. Vaggie’s body lied before him. Covered in blood. He bowed down, and dragged the body back into the middle of the room. He untied her arms and legs, and began to cut open her stomach, when he heard a voice from the outside. 

“Vaggie? Where are you? Are you okay?”

It was Charlie. But the man had no time to think of a plan. His clothes were drenched in the blood of the young women too, and before he could really think of anything, the basement door swung open.

“Vaggie? I heard screaming and-”, she abruptly stopped when she walked into the scene of the murder. 

“V-Vaggie?”, she asked out of breath. Tears began to form within her eyes, when she walked towards the body, with shaking legs.

“V-Vaggie? Please, answer?”, she whimpered out. Then she looked at the person beside the body.

“C-Caleb… What have you? Why have you? I can’t… Wha….”, she couldn’t find any words to describe what was going on inside her head. She fell to her knees, and soon, the tears, began to fall. She was crying and sobbing, with a hanging head, while Caleb slowly stood up.

“Well. I guess you were wrong, hehe. Some demons don’t have a Rainbow in their heart. You’re truly pathetic. Thinking this stupid hotel would change anyone. I wasted my entire day, trying to win your trust. Damn, I’m almost as stupid as you are!”, he laughed out loud.

“You didn’t… This isn’t happening…”, Charlie cried.

“Oh, you better believe it. What did you expect? We’re in hell! This relationship wouldn’t have worked anyway. You should thank me!”, he pointed out.

“You son of a bitch.”, she whispered.

“Uhm, I’m sorry, what now?”

“You son of a bitch! I will fucking kill you!!!”, She jumped up, and ran with full speed at the gigantic monster. He readied up his knife, trusting, that in her blind anger, she would just ran straight into it. But when she closed in, the knife just shattered on her skin. The shards of the blade rained down on the ground, when in the next moment, he felt an unbelievable pain in his face. He flew across the room, and slammed against the rear wall. Caleb shook his head, wondering what just happened. Then he turned around and saw Charlie running towards him. She jumped on top of him, and punched him in the face, over and over and over again, until his head resembled nothing more than a mashed potato. 

Charlie let her head sink down again. She looked at her hand, which was dripping with the blood of the murderer of her girlfriend. 

“You son of a bitch.”, she whispered to his body.

She slowly got up, turned around and carefully walked towards Vaggie’s body. 

“V-Vaggie?”

No reaction.

“It’s me, Charlie. We can go back to sleep now.”, she whimpered under tears, but still trying to set up a smile.

“Come on, wake up. We can even have some fun if you want to.”

Charlie stood next to the open body of her girlfriend. She kneeled down, and lifted her head up from the ground and rested it on her thighs. Charlie slowly stroke through the hair of her lost love. 

“I love you, Vaggie.”, she cried, “I’m sorry. It was my fault.”, she said, while her tears fell down to Vaggie’s face, rolled down her cheeks, and dripped off into the puddle of blood that had collected on the ground.

She failed. She was wrong. Because,

Not all demons, have a Rainbow in their Heart.

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

So, now I want to say thanks to @nightsoulvixen for hosting Varlie week! I enjoyed it quite a bit, and hope, that something like this will be hosted again in the near future! :)

[toxic-gorgon]

Punishment: Yomi x Reader

Out of everything I’ve written, this one is the most character and lore driven. It’s one of my favorites. 

The border between human world and demon world was a tad intimidating, would be an understatement, a barrier that only those sensitive to otherworldly beings, but the energy emitting from it was incredibly thick. Taking a step back, your heart pounds at the sheer size, and the possibility of what could be on the other side.

“I don’t know about this. Aria, are you sure?” you shakily spoke, gulping down your anxiety. She scoffs, pointing toward demon world.

“Aren’t you curious, Y/N? Traveling to a far off place, somewhere our kind’s been too scared to tread! We can be explorers or something!” she exclaimed. “Imagine, being the first vampires to be brave enough to cross the barrier.” The dark haired girl, who looked no older than a teen, placed her hands on her hips.

“I must admit, humans do get boring once in a while. No challenge and their blood is so mundane anymore. I suppose something new couldn’t hurt, but we should be careful.” you speculated. “What if the council finds out? We’ll surely be in a lot of trouble.” Aria shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like we’re exactly perfectly behaved anyway.” she paused, grinning. “Remember when we used a cardboard cutout of a “vampire hunter”, so we can sneak out” You smiled at the fond memory “I can’t believe we got off with a slap of the wrist.” The back of your mind held every danger the elders warned you about, as they came flashing through your mind.

“We made it this far, I think that’s a win?” you reasoned with her, or rather attempt to. Gripping your wrist, Aria’s crystal blue eyes turned a dangerous red accent, boring into yours, pleading. Alarming, you’ve never seen her this way before.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of!” she growled. “Don’t chicken out now, please?” she begs, and like a sentimental idiot, your eyes soften, giving her a nod, you couldn’t let her go alone. If something were to happen, you couldn’t forgive yourself. Squealing excitedly, Aria hurriedly hugs you. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Fine, but don’t pull that crap on me again, ok? Let’s get this over with. The sooner we enter, the sooner we can go back home.” you groan, following your best friend through the forbidden boarder.

Demon world wasn’t quite what you would expect. You knew there would be some weird shit, but flying eyeballs and slime critters were just the tip of the iceberg. Uneasyness easily suffocated the air, but Aria seemed determined as ever. She drags you down the city streets, which were probably the most human thing you’ve noticed. Tall buildings like home, you sighed with some familiarity was nice, but one alarmingly large red flag appeared.

“Are we ready to go now? This place is giving me the creeps.” you whispered, placing a hand on Aria’s shoulder, forcing her to stop.

“But Y/N, we can’t! We just got here.” she whines, pouting. You shook your head, turning around.

“We need to leave, I can’t stand this anymore. I mean look, we’re the only people here. Don’t you find that odd?” your reason with her. She rolls her eyes, moving forward.

“Stop your complaining! We’re fine. Look!” she throws her arms in the air, yelling out. “See? Nothing, so stop being a whine ass.” Your eyes darted to the side when a shadow suddenly moved. Your heart pounds in your throat, the hairs in the back of your neck stood upright.

Gulping, you whispered calmly, yet shaky “Aria, we have to leave. I-I ju-just saw s-something. Turn around slowly and let’s go.” She glares over her shoulder, clear annoyance sprawled onto her features.

“Y/N, will you shu-“ From the shadows, jumped burly, monstrous creatures, adorned with armor, reprehending you and Aria effortlessly, keeping an iron grip onto your brittle wrists. “Let go!” Aria yells, thrashing about. You whimper, your fruitless efforts to be released all for not.

“Oi boys, what do we have here? Trespassers on Yomi-sama’s territory. Where you ladies might be from?” The tallest one snorts with his pig snout, looking you and Aria down. Aria scoffs, refusing to back down.

“Human world, now put me down you muscle bound bastard! Or I’ll drain your blood!” shit, her threats were going to get you killed! Guffawing, the ring leader (what you thought was their superior, given he was the tallest) gestures for the men to bring you in.

“Vampires eh? Female ones.” he pauses, whistling. “Pricy on the slave market. Looks like we hit the jackpot boys.”

One excruciatingly long month went by, and you were the only left. Aria long since been dragged off to god knows where, probably sold like the demons claimed was going to happen. Every day, you watched as the cell’s warden trotted around, taunting you with freedom. The ugly, wart infested fucker, you wanted to tear his throat out. A personal promise you made, once you had the chance.

“Oi, vampire skank!” The warden’s voice boomed, his clammy hand slamming against the bars, startling you. Snickering, he twirls his keys around his finger. “Getting lonely in there?” he questions, licking his massive toad lips with a bumpy tongue. Cringing, he did this to you everyday. It was like a game, he made a pass, and you snark back. This world was what the elders warned you about and more.

Not a day went by when you regretted not listening to them, but now you pay the price. You couldn’t stand it here much longer, either you were going to get killed, kill yourself, or by the slim chance, escape. Survival of the fittest was an understatement, but fuck, what were you willing to sacrifice for it? It killed you every time, the thought of that vile creature touch you. Today, you noticed scarce amounts of guards. Conflict with other territories, perhaps? Quite unusual, since such a place is always flooding with enforcements. Was this a sign?

Mustering the courage, you stood up abruptly, pushing disgust aside, all sake for the performance. Turning around and giving the grotesque creature a flirty smile, your slender fingers trace the cold bars. “The nights get unbearably cold.” you drawled. “Since my friend left, I’ve been keeping myself warm.” You hated every single word that passed through your lips. Vampire charm or not, the warden fumbles with his keys, a lusty blush dusted what you assumed were his cheeks. Pathetic.

Giggling, he flings open the cell door, his grubby hands reaching out for you like the fucking lecher he was. You only had a small window to make use of. Baring your fangs, you launch yourself at the toad, tearing through his jugular, using your nails to hang on. He drops to the ground, struggling to push you off, gurgling for his life. With his throat gashed, he convulsed dead within seconds, leaving you draining his blood. His blood was a five star meal compared to what you’ve had in the last month. However, now wasn’t the time to enjoy a full meal. You drank enough to gain your energy back, and ran out the metal, dungeon door.

Slipping behind a wall, you silently caught your breath, watching as two guards ran past you, cursing your escape. Scoffing, you wiped your warden’s blood off your stained lips, turning lightly to keep moving. Staying still for too long, they were bound to find you. When you were sure your breathing was under control, you tiptoed away from your position. Fuck, now what do I do?

You crept by yet another wall, glancing from behind it. An unguarded, large metal door could be the way out. Hell, she didn’t know where she was, but a door is a door, so, she took the plunge and rushed toward it. Your hand shakily grasps the knob, turning slowly, careful not to make any noise. Your breath hitched in your throat, while you opened it to reveal…

Gasping, the door suddenly slammed shut, and your back slams against the cold wall. Looking up with widened eyes, your mouth hung agape as a much taller frame held you in place with your neck, giving it an authoritive squeeze. Taking a deep breath, you stayed calm, regardless of your scarce air supply. The man, from what you can tell, smirked, as his eyes stayed closed, and his eerily calm aura easily overtook your shaken form.

“So, you’re the vampire causing such a fuss. How bothersome.” he observed, squeezing harder. Struggling to breath, your e/c turned a hint of red accent, as your long nails raked along his arm, in a desperate plea for release. “Your people are known for their tenacity, I’m almost curious to see for myself.” Growling, your legs start thrashing. He wanted to see tenacity, he’ll see it.

“Let me go, you demon scum!” you choked out, balling your right hand into a fist, and slam it against his arm. Chuckling, the demon male continued to watch your struggle, but found himself getting bored quickly. He releases you, tossing you to the ground next to him. Struggling to raise yourself up, you coughed, sucking in all the air you could for your shriveled lungs. Hatred clouding your eyes, as you shot up, weak from lack of sustenance, but more stubborn than ever. “I’ll kill you and get out of here.”

The demon doesn’t budge. Instead, he boisterously laughs, as if you were a comedian. “Really now? I’m intrigued, you’re confident in your abilities to take down a king, little one?” You purse your lips, speechless. Fucking king Yomi blocked your path, of all the rotten luck. One bad decision after another, cursing your now presumed dead friend dragging you into this. You’d nearly flat out regret your whole relationship with Aria, but there’s no use placing blame.

“King or not, I’ll drain your blood!” you snarl, launching yourself toward the man, fangs out and ready to maim. Effortlessly, the king moved slightly to the side, catching your arm, and brings you close to him. His free, rough hand traced your cheek, humming in approval. A Wild flush cascade your face, as you squirmed against his chest.

“Not bad, almost pleasing if you weren’t kin to humans.” he taunted, gripping your arm hard enough to leave bruises. You slap him with your free hand, snarling. How dare he! The king’s smirk falters to a frown, his amusement over. “Troublesome woman, you should learn your place. “ he snapped, as his smirk tugged his lips once again with a tantalizing thought. “Perhaps I should train you. Who better than a king to make example of obedience to such defiance.”

Groaning, your eyes flutter open, stinging from the light. Fuck, I must’ve passed out. Pulling on your heavy, metal restraints, you sighed with no avail. Shit, I’m stuck here too. After a few minutes, your eyes got use to the light, and quickly you took in the sight. Another fucking dungeon, but not one you’ve been living in for the past month. No, this one was much different. Strange contraptions, restraints, whips, and other questionable instruments lined the area.

“Ah, you’re awake. I hope you got enough rest.” Fake concern from a man’s voice you recognized all too well now. The so called king of Gandara. “You’ll need it for what I have in store for you. Whatever it takes, you’ll be punished thoroughly.” he drawled, now coming into view. Snarling, you turned your head, refusing to meet his features. Grinning, he steps forward, gripping your chin, forcing you to look at him. “Come now. I promise if you behave and receive your punishment like a good slave, you’ll go back to your cell peacefully.”

Frowning, you didn’t give him the satisfaction of a rebuttal, your e/c orbs stared him down. Hissing, you spat in his face. “Like hell I will! I refuse to be bought and sold like a common object!” Without a word, he slaps you across your face, leering down at your pathetic form.

“Have it your way, I like a challenge.” he mocked. Trailing calloused fingers along your bare thighs, he licks from your neck, down to your chest, not surprising it took you this long to realize you’re nude. Shivering, from a mix of cool air and intimate attention, your blush reared its ugly head once more.

“Y-Your big plan to discipline me is this? Forgive me if I’m not colored impressed.” you stutter, hiding your discomfort. Yomi cracks a smile, his hand reaching your core. Nervously, your eyes watched his every move, as you bit your lip when the king sucks your right nip roughly, while his free hand pinches and twists the other. Slowly he enters two fingers into your depths, his smirk widening.

“Oh? What’s this? Tell me, you’re a virgin, am I correct?” he questioned. His speculation was confirmed when you refused to answer him, embarrassedly shifting your gaze to something else. “I see.” he pauses to work your walls, stretching you out. “How rare, a virgin vampire wandering into my territory. I’m conflicted. Should I sell you now, which means you’ll be worth far more than the standard female vampire, or should I keep you for myself, until I get bored that is.”

Whimpering, you lost it when he jams his thumb against your clit, abusing it roughly. He returns to your breasts, as if deep in thought. Dammit, I can’t hold back! A scratchy moan flowed past your lips, as you closed your eyes, and tilted your head back. Lifting his head back up to your neck, he bites, drawing blood, and sucks the wound.

“Enjoying yourself? Don’t get too comfortable, we’ve only begun.” his sultry voice only added to the fire between your legs. Slipping his soaked fingers out, Yomi expertly removes his top, revealing a fine, almost marble-like chiseled chest. You didn’t even try to hide the fact you were staring. If you were anymore mystified, you would be drooling (which was tempting), sadly the demon took notice. “Hmmm? You’re so quiet.” he chuckles. “Don’t tell me I make you speechless.”

Rolling your eyes, you struggle to shoot an insult back, proving more difficult when his hands lay on his belt, pulling it loose, and no matter what, your eyes couldn’t look away. Fuck! Anger welled up in you, not so much with the situation, but mostly at yourself. You’re allowing the laws of attraction get the better of you, and your desires were winning the battle against your willpower.

Pushing down his trousers enough to spring free his hard cock, Yomi stepped closer, rubbing his hands between your thighs, bending down to give your engorged clit a quick lick. Your face contorts into painful, conflicted pleasure. You want to let go, but you can’t lose your sanity, not yet. Grinning, he lines his cock up with your pussy, wrapping a strong arm behind your waist, and pushing himself in down to the base, and thrusting hard without allowing you time to adjust.

Your body jerks in jolting pain, your cries growing louder with each thrust. “S-Slow down! Dammit, it hurts!” Yomi shuts you up with a hard kiss, his nails digging into the back of your restrained thighs. Grunting, he was having a wonderful time at your expense, while your poor pussy throbs from the painful tearing of your hymen. Your limbs lay limp, while he pounds into you relentlessly, waiting until he’s had his fill. No use struggling anymore. Instead, you bit his bottom lip hard, in faint protest.

Smirking, Yomi ignores the pain, and panted as his throbbing cock was growing closer to release. “You’re so tight.” he takes a deep breath. “I’ll shape you to only fit me.” You gasp, as his movements became sloppy, yet determined, and finally with a few more thrusts, he came. Wincing in pain and disgust, you refused to let your tears fall, so you blank them away.

Moments of silenced past, while Yomi regained himself. “Are you satisfied now?” you sneer, while he pulls out of you with a heavy sigh. Slapping your thigh, the demon walks over to a table with an assortment of tools, each more intimidating than the last. Whips, paddles, floggers, unlit candles, crops, everything one could want in a personal, kinky candy store.

“I told you, we we’re just beginning.” he trails off, lifting a bottle without a lable from the table, and turning toward you. You trembled at thought of it being poison, or some sort of flesh eating acid. Shaking his head, Yomi placed his palm on your cheek, a hallow attempt to calm you. “It won’t hurt you, I promise. A close friend of mine made this serum from the rarest plant in demon world. It’s been a long time since I used it, but this is a special occasion.” his voice lingers, while he tips the bottle and pored thick, lucid liquid onto his fingertips, strong floral aroma filling your senses, almost pulling you into a drunken state.

So incredibly strong, your heart thumps with excitement? The hell is this? The floral buzz clouding your head, slowing down your rational thinking. Without hesitation, Yomi kisses you again, his glazed fingers prodding into your freshly fucked depths, rubbing along the walls, and slowly slipping out, only to rub your swollen clit. You hated yourself for giving in, as you lost yourself in the kiss.

“You should be feeling it soon.” he whispers, drawing himself back. Panting, your eyes widen, and as promised, you felt heat rise almost instantly. Potent shit indeed, your throbbing cunt was testament to that. Whimpering, your legs pull their restraints in a pathetic attempt to cross them. A desperate, withering mess you became, waiting to be filled.

Pleased with the results, the king releases your shackles, allowing you to land on your wobbly legs. His strong grip held your hair, tilting your head up to look at him. “Your training begins now.” his perverse intentions echoed, yet fell upon deaf ears, as you made no incline to object.

Hours, or was it days that passed? Your hazy thoughts lost count. Sitting on a metal Spanish horse device with your wrists tied to the ceiling, you panted heavily around a ball gag, your captor was so eager to put on you to stop chanting insults. He switches the vibrations too low for your taste, watching from an ornate throne in front of you, propping his chin up with his elbow on the armrest. Your hips rolled between your over stimulated clit and plugged ass, close, but never pushed over that delicious edge.

The sadistic king watched with pure amusement, your whines of anguish music to his six ears. “Ready to be obedient?” he taunts, while your self-pride dwindles down to a trickle with every slow pulse. Keeping your eyes locked on his admiringly handsome features, you struggled to keep that last thread of sanity, but fuck, that serum was impossible. Deciding your silence was yet another form of defiance, Yomi kicked it up a notch, switching the horse to its highest, brutal setting.

Throwing your head back, your muffled moans became much louder. You arched your back, jerking the chains around your wrist and chain between your pert, clamped nipples. Your wiggling hips bucked against anything that could finish the job. Sweat beads dripped from your brow, your chest heaved, so damn close. Yomi turns the dial again, bringing it back down to the lowest setting. Growling, your eyes shot open, revealing red hued slits.

The king stood from his throne, and sauntered over to you, and removed your gag. “The fuck you do that for? I was close!” you yell, saliva dripping from the side of your mouth. Snorting, Yomi yanked your nipple chain hard, stretching your nipples toward him, in a pleasurably painful gesture.

“Did you forget our talk? A slave is never in any position to make demands.” he lectures, yet again. Drawing back, you bit your lip, holding in your complaints. A pleasing smile makes its way onto the king’s face, as he releases your chain. “Better, but you still have a long way to go.” he critiqued, turning off the horse, and undoing your bounds. “I suppose a reward is in order.” You stare blankly, still shook with desire to speak. Yomi helps you up, and for the first time since you met, gave you a genuine smile. “Don’t give me such a surprised look. I’m not an unreasonable man.” his gentle words mixed with an underlying danger, something you’ve grown to enjoy.

Picking you up over his shoulder, he strolls toward yet another device, this time a leather padded bench, supported by four, strong legs. He sets you onto your feet and immediately you eyed the strange contraption. Five plateaus, each adorned with leather straps, while the larger, middle plateau was up higher then the others. Gulping, who knows what your ‘reward’ will be. Glancing up questionably at him, he pats your head in reassurance.

“You’ll like it, I promise. But first-“ You dropped to your knees, before he finished his sentence, gripping his cock with your right hand, and licking under from base to tip, swirling around its head. Yomi hummed with approval, as you engulf his cock into your mouth, hallowing your cheeks, and bobbing your head. “Good girl, just like I showed you.” he praises, threading his fingers into your h/c locks. His pulsing cock grew with your every suck, as you take the plunge, and swallow to the base, allowing your throat to squeeze it tight.

A throaty moan seeped through the king’s lips, as he pushed your head closer toward his hips. Your eyes water, but gracefully you kept jerking your head back and forth, in rapid speed, gripping his sack with a gentle squeeze. His member pulsed within your maw, reassurance his climax was close. Your tongue toyed with his slit, before swiping past his sensitive head. Before he could reward you with his seed, Yomi pushes you off, your mouth relinquishing his cock with a pop. Your e/c downcast, almost disappointed you wouldn’t be able to taste his sweet nectar.

Pulling you up by your arms, he bends down, planting a passionately domineering kiss on your cracked lips. Surrendering into the kiss, you stayed motionless, allowing him to guide you to the bench, and breaking the kiss to turn you around. He leans behind you, nipping your ear, and whispers “Relax and enjoy it.” Taking a deep breath, you urged your jitters away, as he helps you lift your knees up, one by one, strapping them down, and doing the same treatment to your arms, and finally, your torso.

After tightening your bounds to satisfactory, he lingers his touch down your spine, stopping short near your anal plug. Helplessly laying flat on your stomach, you wait anxiously, as his hands caress your ass, and down to your dripping cunt. Cold fingers push past your petals, a familiar floral scent pass through your nose. Not this again. You pant, and after an extended amount of time of using this stuff, you stopped fighting, and instead enjoyed the ride. Staying quiet, you submit to your position, mewling when his digits stirred your insides, and slipping out.

His rough hands grip your hips, as he aligns himself up with you, dipping his tip between your folds. Your hips wiggle, hungry for his wide girth. Teasingly, he rubs against your wetness, taunting you. Shivering, you glance behind your shoulder, having the urge to demand he fucked you, but instead held back. The consequences were too much, and you needed that sweet climax, one he’s been denying you of for so long. This pains you, and what you were about to say killed you inside. “Y-Yomi-sama-“ you shakily sang. “P-Please, fuck my greedy pussy.”

“Since you asked so politely.” he purrs, slapping your ass, and burrows his cock to your womb, slamming his hips against yours. Sobbing with pleasure, your pussy tightens around his girthy length, ready to cum already. The king trails his claws down your thighs, scratching lightly, and aims his hips up to your most sensitive spot. Relentlessly, your trainer pounds into your depths, his right hand latches onto your hair, and pulling your head back, so better to listen to your pleasure filled melody.

“This is what you get when you’re compliant.” he pants, reaching down with his left hand, grinding his thumb into your clit. You arch your hips, gyrating between his thumb and his merciless thrusts, the sensitivity in your cunt driving you mad. Laying his broad torso onto your back, he trails kisses between your shoulder blades and the back of your neck, his jet black hair cascading around his face.

Your thighs tremble with his erratic thrusts. “Yomi-sama, oh god!” you chanted, quivering with electrifying pleasure. Approaching your edge closer, your walls clench around his pulsing cock, tugging and urging for climax. Hesitant if you should let go or not, you arch your ass, milking every inch of him.

Biting your shoulder, Yomi licks the trickling blood. “I give you permission to cum.” he encourages, you further by pinching and tugging your clit, causing you to arch your back. After a few ferocious thrusts, all senses drown in ecstasy, your intense climax showering you with one of the single best feelings you’ve ever felt, while you screams filled the dungeon. Exhausted, you collapse onto the bench, and shut your eyes while the king’s thrusts struggled to keep his pace, deeply grunting close to your ear.

Bursting within you, his nectar exquisitely coated your walls, while the excess drips down Yomi’s thighs, and onto the bench. Both of you lie in a steamy, panting heap, riding out your highs. He sits up abruptly; still having the energy to move after such an erotic display wasn’t quite surprising. Pulling out of your folds and letting go of your sweat covered locks, he strokes your back, allowing you a calming aftermath.

“A humorous thought occurred to me.” he pauses, taking off your straps. “I may need to keep you for myself, as a personal concubine. You’re far too valuable to sell.” Your head whips around tiredly, you tried forcing words of protest. Yomi just cracks a smile, his decision final. He bends down and gives you heavy kiss. “Hope you can keep up with my interest.”

[friendlycybird]

Season 2 Reactions - part 2

Got about halfway through the season for the last post, let’s just jump right in for this one, huh? 

61. So. At this point, Do Not Open was still the scariest episode of TMA to me. It just, in terms of sheer NOPE, FUCK THAT, it was yet to be beaten.  I thought, for a moment I thought, that getting answers about the coffin would...help.  It did not. It did the exact opposite because now I know exactly what would have happened to Joshua if he’d been a little less smart except oh wait I DON’T because WHERE THE FUCK DO THOSE STAIRS LEAD AND WHAT WAS SCRATCHING AND MOANING AND JUST NO.  NOPE. Text Alone Can Not Express The Amount of Pure <b> NOPE </b>

62. Okay, I was excited enough for another Gertrude episode, but when I realized the other old lady was Mary Keay I was through the fucking roof. I also realized something about Gerard because of this episode. Well, less a realization and more...a theory? Maybe? But. The entire reason Gerard was implicated in his mother’s death is because of the mutilation. Multiple patches of skin removed and marked. When we meet Mary Keay in Pageturner, she is covered in writing head-to-toe, and then in this episode, we learn that removing a piece of skin and using the correct sanskirt writing is a way to bind the deceased. We also learn that it’s very difficult, especially if you’ve never done it before. What all that says to me is that Gerard tried, again and again and again to bring his mother back, to bind her, and he eventually succeeded, only to eventually be accused of murder for his efforts.

63. Fucking. Shadows.

64. Forgive my amusement at Jon’s *profound* irritation at this statement. I just. I don’t know I think it’s hilarious? A fucking Mummy, and it’s the worst of all words as far as Jon’s concerned, and I love it.

65. Hey, remember how I said a couple episodes ago that Do Not Open *was* the scariest episode in the series? All that Nope-ing I did about the coffin? That was nothing. Nothing compared to *this*.  This episode hit me right where I live and hit me hard. Like, I loved the beginning. I still love it. I expected this to be one of my favorite episodes, but instead I never want to listen to it again. Every word of the opening five or so minutes of Tessa Winters spouting philosophy on...technology and humanity and the mind and the statement about there being nothing Binary about people just gave me all sort of joy - and then we find out what she went through. And. I can’t. I just. Can’t. I can’t deal with that and I’m not sure I can accept her conclusions no matter how much I agree with it and. Someday I’m gonna go back to this episode, and I’m gonna properly challenge...a lot about myself. But for now I’ve ranked it as Scariest Episode and have no definite plans to return. If anything in this series ever scares me more...I...well I don’t know.

66. I’m not sure of the spelling of the name of the reoccurring dealer from this episode, but his episodes are always...I always come away with the impression that he’s in over his head? 

67. It was strange, thinking of Agnes as an adult instead of as a creepy child. Of course, I knew about the Agnes that died when the tree came down in Burned Out but...I don’t know. For all that we’ve learned about The Lightless Flame there’s still a lot I at least still don’t know. 

68. I was kinda sad when we found out Joseph Russo died after giving this statement, I liked him. He seemed to have such genuine enthusiasm for the Institute and the paranormal...as a Gravity Falls fan characters like that hold a special place in my heart. 

69. Okay, terrifying Spider Experiment aside, the beginning. The beginning of this episode with Martin bringing Jon some tea and carefully trying to nudge him to communicate with Tim and...I love Martin okay? That said, a quick glance through the transcript reminds me that Annabelle Cane is still out there, quite possibly with a nineteen-strong army of...who knows the fuck what. And that’s just. Freaky. 

70. You know, Mary Keay talked in episode 62 about a time before Leitner started his collection, and then in this episode it comes up that perhaps a few books outright escaped his attention altogether. Which...before this, they were marked. Leitner may not have gotten to be the guardian he fancied himself but his name became a warning when you open a book not to go on. The idea that not every danger was marked though...unsettling. 

71. Disappearances on the London Underground, a near-miss with becoming one of those disappearances and this woman gives the most matter-of-fact statement ever. Like, she’s completely immune to what I would imagine would be inevitable trauma. Something’s up there. 

72. I keep feeling like we’ve seen the shopfront marked only with what it does before but I can only think of a season 3 episode where this also happened right now? Regardless, the thing about this episode I can’t get over is the fingers. Like, the pile of fingers but also the fact that they *grow back*

73. I love Basira

74. Y’know, it scares me a little that the real Jonathan Sims said in the season 2 Q+A he didn’t have to research this episode at all because of his own experience with not sleeping. 

75. Another look at Mike. I wonder what he had to gain from taking Grant. He saw a moment of true courage, conquering a phobia to help his brother.  Was it that? Or was it just the fear? 

76. I genuinely enjoy the dynamic between Jon and Melanie, and given the events of season 3, I hope to see more of them with their new situation. 

77. I think I guessed the premise of this episode from the title. 

78. A second statement in a row with the same premise. Took a lot to get the truth across to Jon. 

79. My impression of the opening of this episode was that Tim was worried Jon would hurt someone else and Martin was worried Jon would hurt himself. Meanwhile, Not!Sasha is the creepiest fucking thing ever. 

80. All the mysteries solved, all the answers about Lore, even Elias showing his true colors at the end - all that stood out to me from this episode was the confirmation that Sasha’s dead. I spent the whole season in denial, hoping that...maybe they’d save her somehow. I forgot what genre I was dealing with and I really ought to have known better but having it...stated, so bluntly... it...remember earlier this season? The relief when we heard the words that Jane Prentis was dead? This was the opposite of that. 

[royal-writer]

dnd au short

And remember kids: do not write things when tired and zoning in and out of what you’re writing becuz it turns out like this. Bad.

plz keep me away from yuan-ti lore/backstory it inspires shit

It was the desert heat broiling their skin that made everyone so grumpy. Truthfully Essatha preferred this heat; the waves of sun felt like they were sinking through her skin and into her bone. It was funny to watch how the various skin tones reacted however; some were sunburned with welts, some acted fine, some darkened a bit like herself.

At the very least, they weren't going to die from lack of thirst. With Cackle's ability to create water, and careful rationing as hot days turned to cold nights, they survived. Even the pickiest of eaters of them had to eventually succumb to eating the lizards and birds of prey they could manage.

It was a brutal journey, but much faster than what they would have endured going around the desert to their next destination.

The lizard on the stick proved as bland and tasteless as the last one Essie had eaten. It was more like jerky; overcooked and tough. She dared to pass a smile to the latest cook for their mid-day snack in what little shade they could find by some tangled growth.

No one said a word. Dried cracked lips, parched tongues. They passed around any cantins on them filled with water to try quenching a thirst despite the gallons of sweat that seemed to leave their bodies faster than they could replenish at times.

Bags were repacked and into the desert they wandered once more.

Upon the horizon, there glimmered the heat waves baking the cracked and sandy earth. Sometimes Essie could swear she could see images but she said nothing of it. They were illusions of course. Sometimes she thought she could see the outline of buildings and sometimes trees, even a silhouette of someone wandering just as crazy as they among the dunes and crags.

But no amount of walking turned up any of these to be true. And no one else spoke a word.

Passing a bluff of blissfully shady jagged rocky outcrops, Essatha could swear she could see something moving over top from side to side. She'd pass a glance to the others; feet dragging a bit, eyes dry, dirt on their faces. They didn't seem to notice. She could swear Penimra and Adela glanced a few times themselves too towards the cliffside, but the idea of voicing her concerns seem paranoid.

Crumbling rocks fell from overhead. Slowly, some of them looked up.

"You think there might be big game up there?" Ravamora piped up in a raspy voice. "Maybe a goat?"

"A goat?" Abernathy snorted. "Unlikely. Though it could be a camel, or some wild dog or coyote."

Sulhadur, silent until the remaining pebbles hit the ground or landed upon the team, brushed his shoulders lightly. "Whatever it is, we should leave it be. Big game or not, we shouldn't carry any more weight than we already do or it'll slow our progress."

"A fair point," Adela agreed, exhaling into a small coughing fit.

"Onward!" Cackle cawed with insistence, startling Ilamin and Penimra who were closest to her.

Swallowing on the dry feeling in her throat, Essatha turned to glance over her shoulder as the others began to move forward. She could feel a prickly sensation on the back of her neck like someone was watching her.

Making some haste, she quickly went to rejoin the others, purposefully placing herself further into the middle to help ease her paranoia. After a while, the feeling seemed to subside until she forgot about it altogether.

As the sun fell to slumber and the moon arose, they set up camp for the evening.  This time they got the delicacy of a couple hares to eat. Essie felt disgustingly tempted by the hot blood dripping from their hides as they were cleaned before being spitted, but thankfully Cackle provided the next round of water and they all allowed themselves a privilege of drinking a bit more than usual.

The stars were brilliant above. Shining clusters and the half-moon gleaming down. They spoke not frequently but words passed and exchanged with good cheer and fatigue. As the moon traversed the sky, they headed into their tents for the night.

Eyes unseen and silent, watching in the night.

Up came the sun into a new day. There was less shade to be had, and they made less strive because of it, but they managed to survive.

The moon arose.

The sun returned.

Over the next few days, the paranoia would return and falter over and over again. It was consuming. Looking over her shoulder, Essie would see nothing but desert and figures in the waves baking the ground. Uncertainty colored her.

But no one else seemed to notice. It had to be nothing.

Weary and tired, the troop took refugee wandering through an elaborate path splitting between two short cliffsides. Some mused aloud if this had once been a merchants safe path, or a criminal's, or perhaps the remains of a river bed but with little proof without digging what may be underfoot, there was no way of knowing.

"That's not true," Penimra snobbily stated. "We could tell by smoothed rocks, as water would have eroded any."

"Finally, he says something intelligent," Abernathy huffed, cuffing the high-elf lightly on the shoulder.

Between the conversation, Essatha rolled her eyes and dragged out a wheezy sigh. She loved these fools, she did, but sometimes they found the oddest things to bicker over. They were all going mad from the heat, probably.

Her boot scuffed up some dirt as she shuffled along, falling into the back of the line as they skirted around a bend. The buzz of the words from those ahead like flies in her ears. Slightly bothersome, but not enough for her to really do anything about it.

The eerie sensation of being watched made her feel an itch. She went to glance behind her, seeing nothing as she paused.

"Oh drat, it opens up again. Prepare for more glaring sun."

"Speak for yourself, it was claustrophobic back there. I can handle the heat."

Frowning, the Yuan-ti turned to follow the others. Nothing once again. She was losing it.

Rocks from the cliffside broke away to lightly fall around her as Essatha stepped forward to go rejoin the others.

She could swear she'd heard a blade unsheathing but it was too late to investigate.

The blade hit her in the shoulder as she went to turn the corner.

With a strangled gasp, she stepped forward and pressed herself against the rock face. One hand went to her shoulder, wincing as she grabbed the hilt of the blade and yanked.

"Essatha?"

Her head jerked towards the sound of someone calling her name, and another knife whizzed by her, striking the rock beside her face.

"Holy shit!" Cackle cried out in alarm.

Startled and having no back-up, no armor, no way of knowing what in the hell just attacked her, she ran in the direction of the others as they moved in her direction. Another blade flung past Essatha as someone dropped from the cliffside, knocked aside by Sulhadur's shield before it could hit anyone else.

The figure, cloaked in a loose white robe, darted forward with longsword in hand. He took a wild swing and missed by inches. As he moved to swing again, Abernathy and Sulhadur had already ate up the distance between themselves and the intruder as Essatha slid past them.

The dragonborn brought up his shield as the half-elven orc swung overhead. The figure was too fast; quick on his feet as he moved back out of range. With alarming skill and swiftness, they looked up and jumped, grabbing the cliffside to haul themself and swing over the armored duo.

Metal on metal slammed with a clammer of noise and sparks as the next fighter stepped forward. The figure grunted, and perried to swing Penimra's sword aside as their blades danced against each other. They swiped at Penimra once more so that he fell back, moving to leap over the high-elf just as Sulhadur and Abernathy turned to swing their weapons in his direction.

Bows drawn, Adela, Ravamora and Essatha fired. The later struck the stranger in the side, the former glancing their hood and tearing it from their face to reveal a human-looking face beneath, and the first connecting with their arm.

Giving a convincing battle cry, Cackle swung her mace as the man approached; missing by the sheer weight of her armor as it dragged down the speed of her attack. The nimble figure, though grimacing in pain, dodged around her. His arm reaching to break off the arrows as he moved past her.

It was Ilamin's chanting that did the trick as the furious gaze of the man suddenly turned to one of pain. He released a brief howl of agony, shaking his head as his steps grew to stumbles and uneven pacing moving forward.

Taking the opportunity, Abernathy and Sulhadur moved past the others to swing. Both missed as the man gave a shocked gasp, scrambling back to the cliffside.

Arrows flung past him or struck the rock face. Eyes glowing, the man made a gesture in the ladies directions as he muttered a harsh incantation. Their bow strings suddenly snapped in unison as they went to notch an arrow.

Having scaled back onto the jagged ridge, the man's eyes snapped in Essatha's direction. A clear look of disgust on his face as he looked upon her.

"You protect such vile putrid filth and villainy?" the man rasped, his voice clear and confident as he extended a finger in Essatha's direction.

Shaken, Essie pulled her damaged weapon close against her chest. Her eyes widened, confused. She hadn't done anything to this man. Why was he accusing her of anything? She didn't recognize them in the least.

On each side, she was being flanked as her equally confused but enraged comrades regrouped in the wider opening.

"Fine," the figure growled, watching as they all moved to protect each other. "Stand in my way, and you will all but brought down. That monstrosity you're harboring will meet an end by my blade, you have my word."

As he spoke, the man lifted his longsword. Essatha could make out the somewhat unkept surface. She really hoped those were rust stains, but she had a good idea that's not what they were. Her stomach churned.

"What do you have against our companion?" Abernathy bellowed, his voice a menacing challenge.

"You're protecting a demon in disguise," the man stated with fury. "It is my rightful duty and vow as a paladin to destroy such beasts. I am sorry you have all be lied to and charmed by your ally, but should you live, you'll thank me for saving you one day."

"Bastard," Adela seethed, grabbing her arcana focus as she drew her hand forward.

Essatha sucked in a sharp breath, catching the man's eyes as they looked to her. She felt frozen, her head instantly splitting with pain as a voice invading her thoughts.

'I WILL COME FOR YOU, WRETCHED FIEND.'

As a blast of fire leapt forth from Adela, the figure turned, cloak whirling. As the flames dispersed, there was nothing to be seen. The figure had simply vanished.

Exhaling, Essatha nearly jumped out of her skin as Sulhadur placed a hand upon her shoulder. He wasn't looking to her though as she glanced his way, but to the cliff. Everyone else she realized as she glanced around, was uneasily looking around after the sudden and strange assault.

Her pupils thin frightened strips, Essie looked down at the ground. She could feel her pulse in her throat and her head still ached from the alien voice echoing in her thoughts.

Quietly, Adela's voice carried through the group faintly as she whispered, "A paladin with a vow to... take out yuan-tis?"

Uncomfortably, Abernathy spoke up: "It's... not a vow I'd be familiar with. But it's possible they twisted their vow to a selfish desire of destruction..."

She could feel eyes on her. Familiar gazes; concerned ones.

She didn't dare look up. Her stomach did flips inside of her. Sure, they'd dealt with worse. Cults, criminals, killers, mages and necromancers, oathbreaker paladins and blood hunters who had lost their way, creatures of darkness and demons.

But there was something to be said about having a target on your back because of what you were. It was personal.

He didn't even know her.

What lengths would they go to to kill her?

Sul's hand on her shoulder squeezed tighter, but it did nothing to reassure her.

If it was the holy mission of this man to end her, if his goal was to eliminate Yuan-tis because of what they were, she had no clue what to expect next. It all made sense though; the paranoia, the feeling of being watched. He was targeting.

How long did they have before they could strike again? Could they even prepare for the unpredictability?

All because of something she couldn't control. All because of what she was. She hadn't chosen to be a yuan-ti. She didn't ask for this; didn't sacrifice or kill for this life and these abilities. Hell, she didn't /want/ them, frankly.

Despite the hot sun and friends surrounding, she felt alone, and cold, and more scared then she'd warranted in a long, long time.

[nazrigar]

Hey there everyone! WHOO! Finally got a reprieve, as I’m done with my drawings for my final project, now I have to continue typing the written parts.

Done largely in part because I love the lore, practice drawing human characters, and to pass the time whenever I need a breather from from college.

While researching for the lore of Dark Souls for my In-progress AU Comic, I noticed how LARGE the mythology of Dark Souls and the deities that reside, along with the fan speculation of which god corresponds with whom and etc. In spite of all this, from what I can tell, outside of Gwyn’s family, there has never been a, for lack of a better term, “compendium piece” of the gods and goddesses of dark souls, so I made my own :D

Because some gods are not represented in imagery, I decided to design how they might look if they ever showed up amongst mortals. I owe a lot to Tumblr, Reddit and the DS fandom as a whole, the amount of theory and lore discussions are always gold, and of course, the lore-lords like @vaatividya and @silver-mont, their vids are always interesting to watch :)

From the Top Row: The Bearers of the Lord Souls

Gravelord Nito: No need for an explanation here xD

Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight: Drawing him was easy, but here I wanted portray a very stern, no-nonsense god king who really, REALLY is someone you don’t want to piss off, and someone who is almost NEVER happy and/or satisfied.

The Witch of Izalith: I’m honestly surprised there’s not much fanart of how her face might look like, so I pitched in. She basically resembles her daughters, but with a more matriarchal vibe, with a stronger jawline and sharper eyes to reflect that. She’s also very tall, towering over Gwyn and just slightly edging out NK in height.

The Furtive Pygmies, featuring Manus and a Pygmy Lord: With the Ringed City revealing that there were SEVERAL pygmies, I had quite some fun with the speculation and possibilities of how the Pygmies as a whole looked like.

Personally? I simply interpret them as humans but more, with more power over the dark soul, but otherwise having different roles in society like regular folk, the Ringed Knights are Warriors, the Lords are the rulers, etc.

I put Manus amongst them, why? Because no way should ONE man be able to have THAT much abyss power just because he’s a human. Since the dark soul is divided amongst humans, I interpret him having a huge chunk of the Dark Soul (as per these two threads), and thus was simply a mighty sorceror who happened to be really, REALLY old, even by Pygmy standards. Plus I always wondered... How does one torture a dead man? The Mad King was described as undying, so according to my own logic, he wasn’t totally “dead” when he was buried. His grave could signify him wanting a modicum of peace, after all, his entire race was basically put in a glorified prison by Gwyn... Sensing the growing madness within him (probably due to sheer isolation), he probably decided to “die” on his own terms in Oolacile... then future idiots proceeded to listen to TOTALLY NOT SUSPICIOUS AT ALL SERPENT and dug up his grave.

The random Pygmy Lord is basically representing one of the first Pygmy Lords.

Second Row: The Children of the Gods

The Nameless King, Firstborn of Gwyn, God of War: In a short period of time, has become my favorite character amongst the gods... There’s so much of a story to tell from him, his relationship with his family, the reasons as to WHY he betrayed the dragons, and thanks to lore threads a-plenty, I interpret him as one of the most honorable and dedicated of the gods. He watches over his warriors of sunlight even if they ARE humans (whom Gwyn HATES) AND he protects Dragons. Despite meI head-canoning him bigger than Gwyn and is in general a wall of muscle and armor, he’s STILL shorter than his sisters.

Gwynevere, Goddess of Fertility: Gwynevere here I interpret as one of the nicer gods, so I made her expression to reflect such. Because Gwyndolin’s illusion of her may be simply him projecting what he remembers most of her and thus potentially exaggerating certain aspects, I toned down a lot the “Aphrodite-esque” glamor, in favor of a more personable look, though still decked out.

Filianore: The daughter we know even less of than Gwynevere, but thanks to a certain reddit thread that discussed how dedicated NK was to her via the floral carvings that is present in Archdragon peak... She must have been someone who NK was VERY close with, so I interpret her as the “Always trying to bring life to the family” kind of sister, though closest to her eldest brother.

Gwyndolin: The Dark Sun himself. Not much else to say here, I just wanted to draw him happy for once... Because WHY FROM? He really, really needs it.

The Daughters of Chaos

Quelana, Mother of Pyromancy: Due to her own title, I interpret her as the Studious Daughter, incredibly dedicated to her craft and always finding out ways to further her pyromancy... Until the Chaos Flame incident happened of course... Then she became wracked with survivor’s guilt...

I also interpret her as being the responsible one looking out to make sure her sisters don’t do anything too brash... Though in hindsight, that would make her suvivor’s guilt worse.

Quelaag: The most well known Chaos Daughter, and whom I interpret as The Aggressive Daughter, hence why she’s the only one of the sisters with a melee weapon. As the most in-your-face daughter I head-canon that she is the one who lowers down her hood the most, especially when she feels like challenging someone. Also VERY protective of her family.

Quelaan, The Fair Lady: Last but not least, I interpret Quelaan as always having been the shyest and nicest of the daughters. Her hood is more drooped down compared to Quelana, to highlight her shyness.

Fun fact, while trying to find her real name, turns out the name Quelaan was the name the community gave to her, and just became established fanon, so I just opted to name her just that.

Third Row: Other Members of the Larger Pantheon

All-Father Lloyd: Gwyn’s uncle, founder of the Way of White. Now there IS speculation that he’s not real, but here I interpret as the real deal, and thus looks like a wimpier, older version of Gwyn, yet still has an aura of authority. I used a bit of Paladin Leeroy for his crown, because I interpret that, when he REALLY needs to get his hands dirty, he too wields a mace, setting an example to all paladin-esque worshipers after him.

His clothes are tattered despite being the godly equivalent of a pontiff, to highlight two things:

One, despite him being a “lord”, his tattered look is to signify he is not “above” the rabble/his followers.

Two, I head-canon him becoming slowly more insane and full of hate toward the undead,as more and more of his family and friends either dies off or leaving home... He eventually disappears for unknown reasons and becomes forgotten.

Fina, Goddess of Love: The most popular candidate for Gwyn’s wife, or at least his first, I wanted to design her with the Embraced Set in mind, just modified to look more queenly rather than armor. Going by the general fanon, I interpret her as the mother of both NK and Gwynevere, but due to unknown circumstances, just up-and-left. Why? I dunno I haven’t thought that deep :(

Also wanted to try out and giving her a different look, skin-tone and facial wise compared to all the other gods and goddesses out there.

Velka, Goddess of Sin: My favorite goddess, her lore and weaponry associated with her is cool, but even with DS3 and all its DLC, I wish we got to know more of her and how she even became the one to hold the title of “goddess of sin” and how she absolves it. She is also, I noticed in fan-art and fanfic, the other most popular candidate for Gwyn’s wife.

Due to the fact that both Gwyndolin and Filianore are associated with illusions and magic, I interpret her as the mother of Filianore and Gwyndolin. She has sharp features and very pale skin, and share’s Filianore’s dark hair.

For her design, I compared aspects of the Statue of Velka from DS3, and both Oswald of Carim and Cromwell the pardoner. I didn’t want her to strictly dress like Oswald and Cromwell, so I incorporated more feathers to her outfit to give her a more “regal” look, as befitting a goddess, and not just pardoner. Funnily enough, with her book of sins and outfit, she also gives the aura of a medieval judge.

Caitha, Goddess of Tears: The third goddess associated with Carim, and one that I intentionally kept her eyes hidden. Mentioned in both 2 and 3, I want to reflect her constant “mourning” nature, and since ‘Gentle Prayer’ is associated with her chime in DS3, I thought her being in a position of prayer would be most appropriate.

Nahr Alma, God of Blood and Murder: Take Titchy Gren, make him more beast-like in proportion, now make him the size of Father Ariandel with the animalistic agility of the Orphan of Kos or Slave Knight Gael, and you have the God of Blood himself. I interpret him as a kind of god that is shunned by the rest, and is mostly treated as an attack dog, and nothing more. REALLY resents the other gods.

[antihero-writings]

Before It Kills You Too (Ch2 Snippet)

Fandom: Lore Olympus 

Chapter Summary: When Hera gets into a car accident after a fight, Zeus has a moment to ruminate on their relationship. 

Written using the song “Wait” by Maroon 5 as a prompt. 

Character Focus: Zeus

Please note!! 

1. This is only a snippet of chapter 2, and not the full thing. I usually don’t post this way, but a) lots of people have been asking for chapter 2 lately--(which, thank you SO much for the support, by the way!! The fact that you want to read more really does mean the world to me!!)--and b) this is one of the hardest fics I’ve ever had to write, so I don’t know when I’ll finish, so I wanted to give you something, at least.

Do let me know if you’d like me to keep using this posting-snippets format, or you’d rather I just wait to post the full thing, however far in the future that may be!!

2. While this should be as close to the final version as it can be, anything in this snippet is subject to change when the full chapter comes out. (And, hey, to that end, if there’s anything you think needs to be edited here, you may kindly let me know! I’d appreciate if you said things you liked too though.)

I'd REALLY appreciate it if you could leave a comment and/or reblog!!! I'm not kidding when I say that makes my week!!

Tagging some folks who said they were interested! @jayyy007 @autumnmoon21 @sunsetsofanemoia

And please do let me know if you’d like me to add you to a taglist for this fic, or message you when new snippets/the next chapter come/s out!!

Chapter 2 Snippet: 

Hera was standing in the crowded meadow, surrounded by her friends, laughing that girly little giggle full of sunshine that just about made Zeus’ heart ooze in a puddle out of his chest.

Her blue dress made her eyes look like two shimmering sapphires.

“Have I seen her in a dress that color?” Zeus inquired excitedly from behind the bushes.

“How can we know what you’ve seen?” Aidoneus muttered. “With you creeping around, you might have seen her naked for all we know.”

Zeus punched him in the arm, (lightly).

“I don’t think she’s worn a dress that color!” Posiedon bubbled.

“Thank you, Posiedon. At least someone can answer a question.”

“I think she looks like the sea on summer day.” He put his hands on his face, them sliding slowly.

Zeus eyed him. “Alright, keep it in your toga, Little Green Man.”

“Should we really be here?” Aidoneus muttered. “We weren’t invited.”

“Oh come on,” Zeus stood up, putting his hands on his hips. “Who wouldn’t want to see the King of the gods here?”

Poseidon grinned and stood up behind his brother. “No one!”

“Hestia, Demeter… assorted sane people.” Hades muttered as he stood to follow.

“If that’s sanity I’m glad I’m insane.” Zeus trilled as he strutted up to the entrance.

A cute pink nymph—(rather well endowed in the chestal region—not that he noticed!)—greeted them at the archway.

“Oh! Zeus!” She flushed and bowed. “It’s an honor. Welcome!”

“Why it’s an honor to meet you, my lady.” He kissed her hand, and she giggled. “See?” he turned to his brothers. “They’re delighted to have us.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling.” Hades muttered.

Hera was closer now; she smelled like summer, and she looked like it too. Poseidon was right about the ocean thing; she practically shimmered as she spoke with her friends.

“I’m gonna go talk to her.”

“Wait—!” Hades was soon swallowed by the crowd.

Zeus scooched behind her at lightning speed. One by one her friends began to take notice, their eyes widening.

Hera took a step back and would have tripped in surprise if he hadn’t caught her.

“Careful there, you might fall, Birthday Girl.”

“Oh, Zeus!” She looked up at him, the back of her head hitting his chest, “hi!”

That golden smile.

“I made you something!” As she spun to face him, he produced a little carving of a bird from his pocket. (And, no, he didn’t make it).

“Oh!” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, gently taking it from him, “It’s beautiful!”

All his responsibilities and stresses melted away with the sight of that smile, and he forgot there was anyone else at the party…in the world.

(…He wished he saw that smile anymore.)

Zeus’ chair was spinning empty at his desk before his assistant could say another word—

And Olympus wept, distant peals of thunder rending the sky into pieces.

Lightning crackled and cackled through his hair, creating violet tracks through the air, as Zeus sped through the sky.

It was freezing, and people were staring, but he didn’t care.

All that mattered was getting to his wife.

“My you look stunning.” Zeus sidled up behind his wife, running his fingers gently along her arm. “Is that a new dress?”

“New as that girlfriend of yours.” Hera grunted.

His eyes widened with shock, his voice with an indignant undertone to it. “Is something wrong?”

She paused a moment. He could see words fluttering behind her lips—(like they did so often, too often)—the words Yes you did something wrong, how can you not know?

He knew she wouldn’t believe him when he said he didn’t mean to hurt her.

“You weren’t invited,” she said softly.

“Not invited? Me?” He put his hand to his chest, like the thought of him ever not being welcome to somewhere was absurd. “To what?”

“The party, you nitwit!” She whirled around, her hair nearly whipping him in the face. “You just came barging in like you owned the place!”

“Well…to be fair—”

He stopped short at the look in her eyes, like two blue-hot flames.

He knew it was taking her a great amount of effort not to slap him.

“Do you know how long I’d been preparing for that?! How long it took me to get everything just right? I told you, but you never even listened, did you? And then you just barged right in!”

“Why are you so upset? What’s so important about a party?!”

“They were my friends.” Her gaze softened, and her tone became more serious. “They were—” Until she cut herself off, and her expression hardened as she whirled around, her hair billowing behind her.

“Bunny, wait!” His tone was softer too.

He wished she’d just turn around. That he could say sorry.

Was it really so hard? He should have started there.

Had he ever apologized for that?

He was always doing that; barging in where he wasn’t welcome. The world was his, yes but…he had to concede there were some parts of it he ought not just barge in on.

When he burst into the hospital, however, they wouldn’t dare tell him he wasn’t invited, wouldn’t dare tell him he couldn’t see her.

“Where. is my. wife?” Lightning slammed into a lamppost just outside the front door, shattering its glass box, and making the light spark, the rain pounding at the window like rabid dogs.

The desk clerk looked like she was about to pee out of sheer fear.

“Sh-sh-she’s not out of surgery yet, your majesty.”

[antihero-writings]

Before it Kills You Too (Ch2 Snippets)

Fandom: Lore Olympus

Chapter Summary: When Hera gets into a car accident after a fight, Zeus has a moment to ruminate on their relationship.

Written using the song “Wait” by Maroon 5 as a prompt.

Character Focus: Zeus

Please note!!

This is the previous Ch2 snippet I posed + a new snippet (the new snippet starts with “I understand you want to see her”)

I’ve been having trouble with this chapter for a very long time, so, even though I’ve never done this before, I’m thinking continuing to post snippet-by-snippet is perhaps the only way I’ll successfully finish this fic. 

Thanks again SO much to those who support this fic and want to read more!! The fact that you want to read more really does mean the world to me!!

While this should be as close to the final version as it can be, anything in this snippet is subject to change when the full chapter comes out. (And, hey, to that end, if there’s anything you think needs to be edited here, you may kindly let me know! I’d appreciate if you said things you liked too though.)

I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a comment and/or reblog!!! I’m not kidding when I say that makes my week!!

Tagging some folks who said they were interested! @jayyy007 @autumnmoon21 @sunsetsofanemoia, @lynnie51

And please do let me know if you’d like me to add you to a taglist for this fic, or message you when new snippets/the next chapter come/s out!!

Chapter 2 Snippets 1 & 2:

Hera was standing in the crowded meadow, surrounded by her friends, laughing that girly little giggle full of sunshine that just about made Zeus’ heart ooze in a puddle out of his chest.

Her blue dress made her eyes look like two shimmering sapphires.

“Have I seen her in a dress that color?” Zeus inquired excitedly from behind the bushes.

“How can we know what you’ve seen?” Aidoneus muttered. “With you creeping around, you might have seen her naked for all we know.”

Zeus punched him in the arm, (lightly).

“I don’t think she’s worn a dress that color!” Posiedon bubbled.

“Thank you, Posiedon. At least someone can answer a question.”

“I think she looks like the sea on summer day.” He put his hands on his face, them sliding slowly.

Zeus eyed him. “Alright, keep it in your toga, Little Green Man.”

“Should we really be here?” Aidoneus muttered. “We weren’t invited.”

“Oh come on,” Zeus stood up, putting his hands on his hips. “Who wouldn’t want to see the King of the gods here?”

Poseidon grinned and stood up behind his brother. “No one!”

“Hestia, Demeter… assorted sane people.” Hades muttered as he stood to follow.

“If that’s sanity I’m glad I’m insane.” Zeus trilled as he strutted up to the entrance.

A cute pink nymph—(rather well endowed in the chestal region—not that he noticed!)—greeted them at the archway.

“Oh! Zeus!” She flushed and bowed. “It’s an honor. Welcome!”

“Why it’s an honor to meet you, my lady.” He kissed her hand, and she giggled. “See?” he turned to his brothers. “They’re delighted to have us.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling.” Hades muttered.

Hera was closer now; she smelled like summer, and she looked like it too. Poseidon was right about the ocean thing; she practically shimmered as she spoke with her friends.

“I’m gonna go talk to her.”

“Wait—!” Hades was soon swallowed by the crowd.

Zeus scooched behind her at lightning speed. One by one her friends began to take notice, their eyes widening.

Hera took a step back and would have tripped in surprise if he hadn’t caught her.

“Careful there, you might fall, Birthday Girl.”

“Oh, Zeus!” She looked up at him, the back of her head hitting his chest, “hi!”

That golden smile.

“I made you something!” As she spun to face him, he produced a little carving of a bird from his pocket. (And, no, he didn’t make it).

“Oh!” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, gently taking it from him, “It’s beautiful!”

All his responsibilities and stresses melted away with the sight of that smile, and he forgot there was anyone else at the party…in the world.

(…He wished he saw that smile anymore.)

Zeus’ chair was spinning empty at his desk before his assistant could say another word—

And Olympus wept, distant peals of thunder rending the sky into pieces.

Lightning crackled and cackled through his hair, creating violet tracks through the air, as Zeus sped through the sky.

It was freezing, and people were staring, but he didn’t care.

All that mattered was getting to his wife.

“My you look stunning.” Zeus sidled up behind his wife, running his fingers gently along her arm. “Is that a new dress?”

“New as that girlfriend of yours.” Hera grunted.

His eyes widened with shock, his voice with an indignant undertone to it. “Is something wrong?”

She paused a moment. He could see words fluttering behind her lips—(like they did so often, too often)—the words Yes you did something wrong, how can you not know?

He knew she wouldn’t believe him when he said he didn’t mean to hurt her.

“You weren’t invited,” she said softly.

“Not invited? Me?” He put his hand to his chest, like the thought of him ever not being welcome to somewhere was absurd. “To what?”

“The party, you nitwit!” She whirled around, her hair nearly whipping him in the face. “You just came barging in like you owned the place!”

“Well…to be fair—”

He stopped short at the look in her eyes, like two blue-hot flames.

He knew it was taking her a great amount of effort not to slap him.

“Do you know how long I’d been preparing for that?! How long it took me to get everything just right? I told you, but you never even listened, did you? And then you just barged right in!”

“Why are you so upset? What’s so important about a party?!”

“They were my friends.” Her gaze softened, and her tone became more serious. “They were—” Until she cut herself off, and her expression hardened as she whirled around, her hair billowing behind her.

“Bunny, wait!” His tone was softer too.

He wished she’d just turn around. That he could say sorry.

Was it really so hard? He should have started there.

Had he ever apologized for that?

He was always doing that; barging in where he wasn’t welcome. The world was his, yes but…he had to concede there were some parts of it he ought not just barge in on.

When he burst into the hospital, however, they wouldn’t dare tell him he wasn’t invited, wouldn’t dare tell him he couldn’t see her.

“Where. is my. wife?” Lightning slammed into a lamppost just outside the front door, shattering its glass box, and making the light spark, the rain pounding at the window like rabid dogs.

The desk clerk looked like she was about to pee out of sheer fear.

“Sh-sh-she’s not out of surgery yet, your majesty...I understand you want to see her, but I can’t let you…until-until they’re finished.” She was practically vibrating. “I assure you the moment she gets out, we’ll notify you.”

Surgery? He wanted to demand. She’s the queen of the gods, how could she be in surgery?

Electricity sparked in his eyes, trailing throughout his hair. He could say I demand you let me see her. He could say I don’t care! She’s my wife, and I’m not waiting! She’s fine! She’s the queen—she’s my queen—she won’t be hurt from a little car accident!

But there were some places he ought not just barge in on… and the surgeons room was probably one of them.

The lightning let out a sighing crackle, before he closed his eyes, his hair falling back upon his shoulders. It was then that he noticed he was dripping wet from head to toe. He sighed himself before muttering something like a garbled “I understand, thank you.” And turning to sit in the lobby. Behind him the desk clerk’s coworker held her to keep her from fainting.

He snapped his fingers, drying off, so as not to get their nice, barf-colored carpet all wet. Once he sat down in a chair—(the cushions didn’t have any cush to them)—a kid in the chair across from him scooched away.

He could have that kid for breakfast if he wanted.

Instead he settled for a nice glare, and reached over to pick up last month’s—(or maybe it was a few months ago)—issue of  “Goddess weekly” listening to the rain die down to a drum.

The same old gossip. Usually if he picked one of these up he’d check for any news he ought to be aware of. You know, as the king. Not to mention the ladies weren’t unappealing. Now he flicked through without seeing any of it.

Speaking of ladies, there was a nymph sitting across the room from him, her skin blue, her ears down, and a cute little half smile. She surely wasn’t in here for anything serious. She kept glancing from her own magazine to him—but not in a nervous way. If he wasn’t mistaken, she wouldn’t be opposed to a session of hide-the-German-sausage.

If he wanted he could take her there in a darkened closet in the hallway. It wouldn’t take long—(if it didn’t need to…or it could take all night). That would be a nice way to relieve the stress bubbling in his body.

—Someone was laying next to him, her skin smooth, practically glowing. There was rather a lot of it exposed.

She turned over, her eyes fluttering open, a small smile creasing her features as she rolled onto his chest, tickling his chin with her fingers.

“I had a wonderful time,” she twittered, and he practically purred, staring into those big blue eyes, glittering like river stones.

He pushed her green hair behind her ear.

“Is that all? I’d like to think a night with the King of the gods would be more than merely ‘wonderful.’”

She giggled. “No no, it was much more than wonderful! It was spectacular! Mind-blowing!” She threw her arms in the air.

“That’s more like it.” He grinned—

When was that again? Two years ago, or two days ago?

It could have been either.

Had he apologized for that?

Would it have mattered if he had? Would she have forgiven him? Would he have stopped?—

Bile rose in his throat, and he dove his nose so hard into the magazine he almost smacked himself with it.

His wife was bruised and bleeding, and potentially worse in a nearby room, at the mercy of some quack holding a scalpel and a few comforting words…and here he was thinking of betraying her for the…

How many times had it been now?

He threw the magazine back on the table and sank in the chair till his head was nearly on the bottom cushion, his lip flapping his he blew out a breath, making his hair fly up a little.

The kid and his mom got called, and seemed glad of a reason to leave.

After a healthy dose of moping he pulled out his phone. After checking fatesbook and playing a few games he decided it was time to open his messages.

He didn’t want to be alone. He wanted some sensible and non-conjugal company.

He scrolled through and clicked on a name.

A number of old conversations sprinkled the page, often detailing Zeus asking about getting together and the correspondent saying they were busy.

He thought a moment about what to say—(a rare occurrence for him)—before deciding any vague requests would probably get ignored, so he simply decided the boldfaced truth:

Hera’s been in a car accident. She’s in surgery.

“WHAT?!” The word was spoken aloud—and very loudly at that.

Hades was standing in front of him. If the king being here wasn’t enough reason for weird looks, this outburst had sent more than a few eyes their way.

Zeus did a finger wave at the nymph, before he grabbed his brother’s arm, whisking him off to a less crowded hallway.

The only thing here was a vending machine, and a few overly picturesque pictures of trees.

“How did this happen?!”  Hades shout-whispered.

*

Notes: The part I’m most stuck on is the conversation between Zeus and Hades. We rarely see Zeus being real and emotional with people...so I’m really struggling where to go with that with little to nothing to base it on. If you have any ideas for that, or think you can help, feel free to DM me!!