#thuein

[sasster]

Made It Out Alive

So there I was, on the train ride home from class, and I thought.. Man. I’m gonna write something really indulgent. Hope you guys like it as much as I do! [Doc] —

Turning from the stove to the counter, with a knife and cutting board in hand, Lopard comes face to face with a jade blooded nuisance who smiles back at him from his seated position upon it.

The orange blood rolls his eyes.

“Get your ass off of my counter if you want to keep it.” He warns, waving the knife in the air for emphasis.

“Two problems with that, chief,” the nuisance starts, despite jumping off the counter with an ‘oof’ when his feet hit the ground. “S’not your counter and that’s a stupid threat.”

Once again Lopard rolls his eyes, but happy that there would no longer be an ass where he plans to chop vegetables, he carries on his prepwork.

“I’m sure Areios doesn’t want your ass on his counter either. Make yourself useful and—”

Before the command even leaves his mouth, Demuye is already behind him setting some pots to boil and pulling seasonings from cabinets.

“Yeah, yeah, on it boss man.” He says with a smile he doesn’t bother fighting.

Just as the pair are getting into the groove of cooking together, the owner of the hive paces his way into the kitchen with large, frantic steps that would shake the foundation of a less secure building, worrying the front of his shirt between two very anxious hands. Lopard barely gets to open his mouth before his much smaller “babysitter” comes toddling in behind him, on legs much too short to keep up with the exaggerated gait of the behemoth.

Thuein pauses to catch his breath, resting both hands on his thighs as he heaves.

“Running a marathon?” Demuye questions with ill-contained humor, only to receive a sharp look from the therapist in response.

Areios paces his way to the far end of the kitchen and stares at the undecorated stone for several seconds as silence overtakes the kitchen. His three guests exchange worried glances with each other.

Slowly, unable to be serious for too long, Demuye raises a hand and presses his index finger to the tip of his nose.

Thuein copies the motion.

For the third time in such a short stretch, Lopard finds himself rolling his eyes.

“Alright big guy,” He says as he wipes his hands clean on a dish towel. “What’s eating at you so bad that our best and brightest can’t help you keep it together?”

Truthfully, his annoyance with Demuye and Thuein doesn’t last long. It is barely a fizzle before it dies out on its own, really. As the oldest of this portion of their inner circle, he’d been used to wrangling everyone in for some time now. A part of him thrives on it, if he had to be honest with himself.

Areios lets his shoulders slump forward, too prideful maybe to face his friends as he speaks. “Do you think he’s actually going to come?” He finally asks, after his own silence becomes too much for even him to stand.

Once again the three exchange looks that the behemoth can’t see. Demuye seems annoyed at the notion, indicated by him sucking his teeth, Thuein only frowns, and Lopard lets out a resigned sigh.

“I don’t think he’d lie about something like that.”

Areios inhales sharply and exhales in a way that suggests he wishes, right now at least, that he was smaller than he is.

“What if he gets here and realizes he hates me as much as--”

“Ah,” Lopard interjects, holding up a hand that the other party cannot see but heeds regardless. “I’m not entertaining that sort of talk. He’s going to come and we’re going to have a great time. Just like we always do.”

The orange blood crosses the kitchen and pats Areios on the back.

“I’d beat his ass otherwise.” He offers and gets a laugh out of the purple blood.

“Imagine the emotional toll that’d take on you.”

“Smashing those guys is like second nature to me. Now get out before I put the pair of you to work.”

Demuye emphasizes Lopard’s point by slamming a pot onto the counter and Areios laughs again, putting up both hands, as he and Thuein leave the way they came.

Thuein mouths a ‘thank you’ to Lopard on the way out.

“We really don’t pay you enough.” Bemoans a more than humored Demuye, shaking his head, while Lopard returns to his post.

“Yeah, I’ll have to garnish it from somewhere.”

“If you touch my check, and I mean this so seriously, I’ll skin you.”

—

Later the hive is alive with chatter, the way it used to be when Areios housed most or all of the current guests in their respective times of need. The intoxicating bouquet of Lopard’s cooking carries from the kitchen to the large front room that most of the trolls occupied.

His chest swells with pride each time someone so much as compliments the smell of the goods. It is nice knowing that his hard work is appreciated, after all. Soon the smell will be overshadowed by someone else's, probably Achina’s, baking skills. But for now, the pride was all his.

Lopard plops, exhausted, on a couch between the host and a violet blooded sailor who the pair have not seen in countless sweeps, waving a three fingers hand around as he exposits what’d happened to him in those sweeps.

“It hasn’t been all that crazy,” Velrum concludes, shrugging his shoulders in a nonchalant manner that suggests he was merely describing a shopping trip and not a literal odyssey. “I was on the sea. That’s where I came from, so it wasn’t awful.” He lets his good fin flair for emphasis.

Lanaen, seated in a chair across from them, scoffs.

“Were your more stuck-up personality traits concussed out of you, then?”

“Quite possibly. And yours?”

“Oh, no. He’s still very much a dick.” Lopard chimes in before Lanaen can defend himself, and the four of them enjoy a good laugh at the fuchsia’s expense.

It has always been too long since the last time they gathered everyone together like this and the hive itself is practically a flutter with it’s own life.

Lopard chances a glance to a corner of the living room occupied by Zurven, of all people, signing away in a conversation with Isnons who appears to have turned off his hearing aid for the evening.

Each of the pair jumped at the chance when they heard that the other would definitely be in attendance, masterful trickery executed by Thuein and Achina, who were convinced neither would come otherwise.

From what he can make out from his bout of eavesdropping Isnons just wrote his first book and Zurven’s gotta get his hands on it.

He smiles to himself, satisfied that he would not have to field any angry partners  for a botched night out. He hardly notices when Velrum and Lanaen leave the room, absorbed in yet another conversation.

This one possibly about the former’s missing fingers.

“See, we’re having fun.” Lopard nudges a shoulder up against Areios as he speaks. “Regardless.”

“Yeah. It’s always nice having everyone back together. Makes the hive feel less lonely.”

“I think that’s called empty nest syndrome.”

“Look at me, your sad mama bird.”

Lopard only laughs and nudges him again.

Very suddenly, Holoth appears in their space, beaming despite the way sleepiness decorates her features.

“Does that mean I can call you mommy?” She inquires, brightly.

“Please don’t.”

“C’mon guys, I brought something you need to see.” She quickly pivots, seizing Areios by the arm and giving him a tug that actually pulls him to his feet.

Nonplussed, he follows her lead with Lopard bringing up the rear.

Holoth leads the two of them outside, away from the excitement of the hive and closer to the cliff that overlooks the sea. It does not take long for Lopard to recognize the form of a troll pacing back and forth at the end of it, but he is certain that Areios cannot make it out, what with his deteriorating eyesight and all.

He turns his surprise on Holoth who only winks back at him. Then she trudges forward with the giant in tow until he and the pacing figure stop short, staring at each other.

Briefly, Lopard thinks that it was very wise of her to not bring him inside for this reunion. He would never tell her the thought, lest everyone have to reckon with her ego for the foreseeable future.

She gives Areios a shove and he continues the rest of the way on his own, where he and the newcomer continue to stare at each other in stunned silence.

What must be running through their heads right now?

“Areios, I’m so sorry I--”

The full apology dies in the doctor’s throat when  Areios, unable to contain himself, wraps him up in his arms and crushes him into his chest.

“I missed you so much, Aelium.”

[hellenic-reconstructionism]

“This statement has long been understood as reflecting a basic distinction in Greek religious practice between the different kinds of worship offered, on the one hand to the Olympian gods, and on the other to heroes, the dead and certain other ‘chthonic’ (i.e. associated with the Underworld) powers. A god has a temple (naos), a cult statue and a raised altar (bomos), at which an animal is sacrificed with its head pulled back so that the throat is pointing heavenwards when cut; a hero usually has a shrine (heroon) at the site of his grave, with a low hearth (eschara) or pit (bothros), where the sacrificial victim's blood can flow directly down into the ground. To sacrifice to the Olympians is to ‘fumigate’ (thuein), because the gods were thought to enjoy the smell of the fatty smoke rising and, after the kill, meat from the sacrificial victim is shared in a communal feast; when sacrificing to chthonians, one had to ‘devote’ (enagizein) the victim, usually by burning it whole (a ‘holocaust’).

Recent scholarship, however, has tended to revise this traditional sharp opposition, preferring to think of individual cults as on a ‘sliding scale’ between the two extremes; significantly, it “has been shown that many heroes received the kind of sacrifice which was followed by feasting, and that there is no clear distinction between types of altar before the Roman period.

At the same time, studies of Herakles have questioned the extent to which Herodotus’ idea of a dual cult was ever put into practice, pointing to the fact that the majority of the evidence seems rather to emphasize his divine nature. Nonetheless, there remain some notable features in Herakles’ cult which cannot easily be explained unless we understand them as reflecting something of the ambiguous status he has in myth."

Herakles, by Emma Stafford

[indig0trolls]

anyway treader and thuein are literally so funny together

[roetrolls]

hi veylin

which of zurvens brothers side will you take in their war hmm?

i hear zurvens going for thueins side and bens hypnotized by lopards biceps

"Ah. Well, I suppose in that case I have no choice but to join Achina's cause! You cannot play a proper game with uneven teams."

[monstrositytrolls]

👐 hi esrune tell me all about how you feel about thuein running off with perseps twin of all people

Mm... I w^s upset ^bout it ^t first, but now I don't p^rticu|^r|y c^re. It's none of my business who he chooses to fi|| his qu^dr^nts with. I w^nt nothing to do with it.

[ivonoris]

Mythology of the Three Continents | Terrebray [1/?]

1. Thuein [Tu•ain] | Goddess of Death

2. Avyllia [Avil•lia] | Goddess of the Sun

3. Zutheni [Zu•teni] | Goddess of the Moon

4. Pulchri [Pul•chri] | God of Love and Beauty

Starting a new edit series on the mythology of my fantasy series, beginning with the gods and goddesses shared across Terrebray, the first continent. Taglist below read more:

Taglist: @leicawri | @dreamvevo | @typewritists | @nerocael | @lefttowritee | @midnightsawakening | @reeseweston | @artiewrites | @summerincarnated | @incandescent-creativity | @juliannelynsay | @forlornraven | @shewolves | @write-like-babs | let me know if you want to be added/removed <3

[madamlaydebug]

IN THE fourfold division of the human body. such as that made by Philolaos, the Pythagorean, the four elements are assigned to the cavities of the body in the following order: Earth. the generative aspect of the soul. to the pelvic cavity; water. the passional aspect of the soul. to the abdominal cav- ity; fire. the psycho-intellectual aspect of the soul. to the thoracic cavity; and air, the higher intellectual aspect of the soul, to the cranial cavity. The word thumos-the lower mind in Greek metaphysics-is derived from thuein, "to sacrifice," and is the key to the whole Christian mythos, reveal- ing the true significance of the sacrifice of the one just man slain for the sins of the world. The fact that the word thymus is also derived from thumos should prove of interest to students of the ductless glands. Esoteric com- mentaries reverse the elements of fire and air, so that the psycho-intellectual man may be assigned to the cranial cavity and the spiritual. or higher intellect, to the thoracic cavity. Philolaos seats the emotions in the navel and surround- ing parts, which is in harmony with Madam Blavatsky, who says there are three principal centers in man-the heart, the head, and the navel. These may again be correlated to spirit, intellect, and emotion respectively. MAN-The GRAND SYMBOL OF The MYSTERIES Manly P Hall

[sasster]

many sweeps ago for Aelium 😇

Okay <3

Memories

—

“You’re absolutely sure about this?” Aelium asks, breathless, nearly reaching out to  touch the other troll before stopping himself.

He works just as hard to keep his eyes from darting to the brand in the shape of his own sign on the forearm of the maroon blood, his own hands fidget restlessly at his side now.

Thuein doesn’t speak, instead he reaches to grasp at Aelium’s shirt.

“I can put you up somewhere nice until you figure everything out and you won’t have to--”

He doesn’t get to finish the thought before Thuein crushes himself into his chest, arms wrapped so tightly they’d run the risk of cutting circulation if he wasn’t but skin and bone.

A few seconds of awkward silence pass, as Aelium gently pats his back, before he speaks.

“The thought of you out here all alone with no one to take care of you was driving me insane,” he whispers, voice muffled by his chest. “Don’t send me away.”

“You were worried about me?” Aelium replies, incredulous. “You would think our situations were the reverse.”

“Please, I could handle a hundred sweeps more of Persep.” He sniffs. “But solitude never suited you.”

[sasster]

Lopard! youre babysitting Aelium right now right? hows that goin?

“I’m with him today. While I do appreciate the help the rest of our little family is giving, I am selfishly quite eager to spend some quality time with my moirail.

He’s doing better now that he’s talked about it some.. But y’know, he still clams up about it sometimes.”

[sasster]

Hi Thuein! Do you have anything cool going on these days?

“Me? That’s surprising.

No, I don’t really do cool things. I’m what you might call a stick in the mud. Very boring in my old age.

Retirement behavior without the retirement.”

[sasster]

THUEIN LOOK OUT PERSEP IS BACK

"Funny.

I'd kill him myself."

[sasster]

No ball for you, Thuein?

"Are you surprised?

I'm not a big party filled with practically every planet-side adult you can think of kind of guy.

You know?"

[sasster]

I poke my head in!!! Hiiii Aelium!! can we talk about your cat(s)? How are they faring? :}

"Aelium's been pretty busy with work lately, so I've been taking care of Princess and Milkshake.

They've been.

Whiny.

Because they miss their dads."

[sasster]

Hey Thuein, what made you decide on being a psychiatrist? :0 Did you ever wanna be anything else before deciding on your current occupation?

"Just wanted to help people, didn't matter doing what. Just doing it any way that I could.

Had a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do while I was sequestered away from the world.

[sasster]

Where do you rank on the tallest to shortest scale in your family Thuein? also, do you like your placement in the ranks or do you 'lament' it?

"Achina has an inch on me and Lopard is an entire six foot six.

Zurven's uhm.

Well, he sure is tiny."

>He laughs a bit to himself. You know like a good natured chuckle.

"I'm pretty happy where I am."

[sasster]

Hey Thuein how are you with technology? Do you game or read ebooks or anything like that?

"Oh, I'm technologically hopeless! I get motion sickness from games too, even. Not exactly a hot gamer boyfriend if we're honest.

I can handle an e-reader though."