#zagreus hates children

[bloomingbluebell]

man... rhoam's "redemption" in aoc really sucked, huh?

like botw SHOWED us, several times, how much pressure rhoam put on zelda to unlock her powers, despite her telling him, several times, that it wasn't working. he got angry and banned her from doing not only something she saw as useful, but something that she was clearly very interested in and passionate about because she "wasn't dedicating enough time to her prayers." yes, his diary expresses regret for it, but at the end of the day, if zelda saw that it wouldn't mean much to her. the actions rhoam took, and the way zelda grew up under so much pressure that she nearly died as a child in one of the springs (this is in urbosa's diary, iirc) mean so much more than his regrets and his intentions. it took him nearly 10 years to realize that he fucked up, and by that point it was too late. the calamity had returned, and rhoam had lost any chance he had at making things right with zelda.

meanwhile, in aoc, all that's there is some half-hearted scene in the temple of time that's supposed to make everything better? yes, aoc had a very different and arguably better outcome than the calamity that led to botw, but the damage was still done by rhoam. it's still the same hurts and abuse and trauma that he put his daughter through all because of the prophesized calamity.

[xxcrystalinerose]

Gotta love how Zag's love interests are 1) The punisher of jealousy and oathbreakers, 2) Peaceful Death, and 3) Cute gorgon head maid who's a total sweetheart

While Mel's (possible) love interests are 1) Divine Retribution, punisher of hubris, 2) Doom (feared and hated by all mankind), 3) Strife (Greek pantheon's #1 troublemaker), and 4) Two mortals whose whole life story is a cautionary tale about hubris.

All the while unlike Zag, Mel's implied to have never had a romantic relationship before as an adult, based on her Aphrodite boon dialogues (to me, her and Icarus screams "childhood puppy love", which doesn't actually count as true relationship experience).

Girlie I think you need to get therapy or get laid. Preferably both. And soon.

...

I do think it's cute that at least between Meg/Than and Nem/Moros, both women are deliverers of punishment, while both men are embodiments of concepts that will inevitably arrive at the end of mortal lives. Dusa and Icarus + Arachne also fit the mold of "sweetheart dealing with power dynamics issues" (prince/servant vs. goddess/mortal, in Arachne's case a mortal maligned by gods).

Zagreus and Melinoë may have never known each other, but they somehow have the exact same bisexual taste, which is very important to me.

Also proof that they're DEFINITELY Persephone's children: got their mother's taste for tall big tiddy goths lmao.

[babyrdie]

ALERT OF HADES II SPOILER

Okaaaayyy....seeing a considerable number of people act shocked at how Odysseus is in Hades II and think it's something against Odysseus, and now I'm wondering if they actually paid attention in the first game…I know everyone talks a lot about Hades' art, but I didn't think that was because it was the only thing you guys were really paying attention to.

It makes sense to be disappointed that the characters weren't treated the way a fan would have liked (for example, I'm not a fan of Hades, but I don't really like the idea of him in the game although I understand why he's the way he is), but I think it's weird to be that surprised by it or treat it like it's personal. Hades never fully followed the myths. They didn't do this because they haven't read Homer or because they don't like Penelope or hate Odysseus…it's simply because they don't follow the myths authentically. They don't specifically have anything against Odysseus or Penelope, it's just the way they do things. If this were the first game, I would understand this being unexpected… but it's the second game, we already know that they won't faithfully follow the myths because they didn't do that in Hades I.

I'll admit that I also didn't expect what was done with Penelope and Odysseus, but it's not really such a "wow! I could never imagine!" when it comes to Supergiant (I'm playing the technical test, for context). And I hoped they would already be together without relationship conflicts, because I really wasn't looking forward to a repeat of Nyx and Chaos, Patroclus and Achilles, Orpheus and Eurydice. I know most people wanted this, but I think it would be lazy to repeat this and I'm still hoping to not have this quest, whether with Odypen or other characters. And yet, even if I didn't expect it, I don't think it's as unexpected for Supergiant as some are making it seem.

Examples:

Melinoe and Zagreus are children of Persephone and Hades, and in mythology they aren't children of Hades.

Zagreus and Dionysus aren't the same person. The game makes humans believe that they're because the two played a prank on Orpheus, which made him invent a song with that story. Clearly a joke on the Orphic hymns.

Theseus is proud to be a demigod, but Poseidon denies that he's his father. Clearly a joke with the different versions of Theseus' birth, in which some he is Poseidon's demigod and others he's mortal.

Persephone is the daughter of Demeter and a mortal, not Zeus. For that reason, she and her children bleed red rather than gold.

Persephone isn't actually kidnapped by Hades. The kidnapping was an act that went wrong. Yeah, Odysseus wasn't the first character to have his non-con and dub-con aspect erased.

Achilles has a different personality than in myths. The game explains this as him maturing in the afterlife.

Patroclus is distant instead of communicative as in the myths, also explained by post-death events.

Asterius (Minotaur) is much more humanized than in the myths and he and Theseus are best friends.

There is a character heavily implied to be Medusa (Dusa) and she definitely doesn't behave like a monster.

Sisyphus is a kind and helpful guy, which is explained in the game with him having regretted his actions after his years of punishment.

Artemis and Callisto are on good terms even though they ended tragically in mythology.

Hades has a much more difficult personality to deal with than in mythology.

Thanatos, Megaera (one of the furies) and Zagreus are in a romantic relationship, which definitely doesn't exist in the myths.

The last aspects of the weapons to be unlocked do not even make reference to Greece, but to other figures. For example, the Twin Fists have the "aspect of Gilgamesh", a figure who is definitely not Greek.

Aphrodite says "You do know that I'm married, don't you love? I forgive you if you didn't. For my husband, he's always... busy with his work. I'm grateful that you are there for me to talk to" about Hephaesthus...her husband, she says. Hephaestus and Aphrodite are often divorced in mythology, including in Homer. And it's not because it wasn't yet at the time they got divorced, after all the Trojan War had already happened and they were already divorced at that time.

Also, they clearly don't use Homer as their only guide, so I don't know why you guys are saying "but Homer!" Patrochilles is there and not really canon in the Homeric tradition, but in Classical Greece they were considered a couple in certain sources (Aeschylus mainly). They use the name Asterius for the Minotaur (something Pausanias mentions, for example) although it wasn't the most common, they play with the various versions of Theseus' lineage, they reference Orphic hymns, etc. Like…it's really VERY obvious they took inspiration of more than one source.

On the Supergiant website, part of the Hades presentation is "Greek myth comes from stories of ancient gods and heroes filtered through new points of view; we’re excited to share ours." This already makes it more than evident that certain aspects were purposefully changed. It wasn't a surprise even before Hades I was released, for anyone who bothered to read it.

On Twitter, Kasavin (Creative Director) has already said that "it is a concerted effort over time, although Hesiod and Homer were very significant among the many authors we explored", which makes it clear that they don't focus on a specific source, although he recognizes that Homer and Hesiod are very influential.

In an interview available at Rock Paper Shotgun, he even said that he read more than one translation of the Odyssey and cites other sources like Diodorus Siculus.

Also, Odysseus cheating Penelope isn't even a modern invention, there were already versions of this in the Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus (I'm talking about Callidice). And giving an unpopular opinion here: while I agree that Calypso in The Odyssey is undeniably an SA situation, Circe is more debatable than you guys like to make it out to be, it isn't undeniably. Both the interpretation that there was SA and the interpretation that there was no SA are valid, because the text itself doesn't make it explicit as it does with Calypso. In Circe's case, not necessarily not making it a relationship with SA makes it something that deviant from the myths.

Again because I don't want to be misinterpreted: what I'm taking issue with here isn't the disappointment in how Odysseus was portrayed. This is valid! I'm questioning the idea that this was done because they don't know about the myths or that it was something specific to Odysseus and Penelope. They know the myths, they just purposefully choose not to be completely authentic. They have nothing specific to Odysseus and Penelope, which is precisely why they aren't exempt from the changes they also made to other characters. They are no more special than Persephone, Hades, Zagreus, Melinoe (to name a few who had changes), that's why they receive the same treatment (that is, being changed).

I would never recommend Hades to someone who wanted complete authenticity to the myths. I wouldn't do that because I KNOW that's not the game's purpose. I thought everyone else knew too. You don't go to a vegetarian restaurant that you knew was vegetarian because you had eaten there before and be surprised because they don't have real meat dishes, be serious.

Edit (01/05): guys, you're talking about Epic, but I admit that I've never even heard that musical and I'm not part of the fandom. So I don't really know if Epic has an influence on that mindset 🤔and also my reblog develops a little more what I think based on Hades I if anyone is interested in theories for the narrative.

[lesbianbanana]

The second generation of Olympians are either closer to Hades or Poseidon in terms of domains (and myths). Let me explain.

Athena: Athena's closer to Poseidon. For all the grudges she seems to have against him, she was raised in his domain. It was in his domain that she found and lost her best friend, Pallas. For every argument they ever had, they fought on the same side in the Trojan War. They also share a number of epithets, mainly about horses. (Hippia, Hippios, etc). She's often like the sea in the myths she appears in, unpredictable and unforgiving. Sometimes, she aids, other times, she destroys those whose hubris gets the better of them.

Ares: Hades. Not just for the obvious "war kills a lot of people" reason, but because out of all of their siblings, Ares and Hades are the most villianized for their domains. Ares is constantly pushed to the side, hated on, revered in fear, the least liked out of his siblings, as is Hades, even though in reality they're pretty chill. (Ares is the ONLY male Olympian who hasn't raped anyone).

Hephaestus: Poseidon. Like Athena, he was raised under the sea by Thetis. He's the god of volcanoes, which are explosive and disruptive, just like the sea can be, but also dormant and peaceful, just like the sea.

Apollo: heres where it gets tricky, because Apollo is chaotic and everywhere all at once. In terms of friendship, he's definitely closer with Poseidon, having been sent down as a mortal in punishment with him. He even refused to fight Poseidon during the Trojan War when everyone else was whooping each other's asses. Apollo's rebellious, just like the sea. But Apollo is also associated with funerals and burials, being the god that protects the souls of the dead until Hermes takes them to the underworld, and also he's noted for causing sudden death, of children mostly. So there's definitely a darker, more Hades-like side to Apollo. In the myths, he's closer to Poseidon. In domains? Hades.

Artemis: Hades. Aside from the fact that she went through an emo phase during her Diana era, and got associated with a bunch of witchy underworld goddesses, most of her myths include murder. Like Apollo, she's credited for sudden deaths. Girl could care less lol.

Hermes: Hades. Hermes is the guide of the dead, enough said. He really has no connection with Poseidon. He's one of the few even allowed in Hades' domain. He's the boundary between life and death. Ancient Greeks put him on their gravestones.

Dionysus: Hades. He's equated with the Egyptian god Osiris (which, okay, crazy). he's also been directly said to be the same god as Hades. He'sa a god associated with rebirths, "twice born". Sometimes, he's a son of Hades. In Orphic myths, he's Zagreus. He's just so chthonic, you can't help but not associate him with Hades.

[shanastoryteller]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! i would love it if you could do god!zagreus. i wish you an awesome day!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Megaera at least makes sense. She and Zagreus have been falling into bed off and on for centauries. She challenging. Zagreus has always loved a challenge.

But a mortal? Some mortal woman that he must have met in the few hours that he has above the surface, with no skills or power or anything to catch the attention of a god like Zagreus -

"Are you even paying attention to me?" Zagreus demands. "If you're just going to glare and ignore me, I don't have to be here for this."

Thanatos grabs his wrist even though Zagreus hadn't actually made any move to leave. "What are you thinking? Did you just meet her on top of the mountain and go, good enough?"

"She was stealing from me! I felt bad," he says and Thanatos stares. What could she have even stolen? It's not like a mortal is capable of touching a godly weapon. He frowns. "Wait, that came out wrong."

"Do you have children?" he asks. Meg may have gotten pregnant over the years, but she'd have to go more than a couple months without dying for any of them to notice.

The thought that Zagreus has children he's never met shouldn't make his chest hurt.

"I haven't married anyone and I don't have any children!" he shouts before frowning. "Although, you know, that's a good - considering my domain, I should be careful with that. Huh."

"What domain?" he scoffs.

Zagreus frowns, going still and serious in a way that puts him on edge. "Than. Can I trust you?"

"Why are you asking me that?" He hates this, he hates this whole conversation, and he wants to run. But Zagreus had gotten himself involved in some sort of mess again and he can't leave him to it because he can never leave Zagreus to the consequences of his own actions, because he's an idiot. "What have I ever done to make you think you can't?"

Zagreus is quiet for too long and Thanatos is afraid that he has done something, that Zagreus is going to have an answer to that question, but he just says, "You have to be sure. If I tell you what's going on, you can't unknow it, you know? It will make your life difficult."

"All you do is make my life difficult. How will this be any different?" he retorts.

Zagreus smiles before using the grip that Thanatos still has on his wrist to tug the both of them through his mirror.

[noxspost]

hades 2 head cannons

so in Eris's design she has candy bars. So I headconnoned Eris Is having a very fast metabolism. So does Hermes I also gave her the headcannon of having a fiction version of type one diabetes. Hephaestus and Apollo make her medical a device is when they get damaged but they're pretty sturdy.

hynpos has a mobility disability which was made worse by Zeus's lighting bolts that Hypnos got shot by during the Trojan war. Charon has a speech disability had hurts so he doesn't speak much.

---Here is some more---

I also gave moros a anxiety disorder since he can see all the possibilities of a single person's doom. Hades has war ptsd also depression it was worsen by his trashy father waking up.

Hestia has pyromania ares has sensory issues also is Neurdivergent. Ares and Artemis are both Trans and twitched names when they came out to each other.

Athena is hard of hearing also fear of storms why? Because owls are her animal and Owls don't have the oil needed to repel water. So they avoid flying in rain also shs hates the sounds of the thunder and lighting.

Every child of Zeus that is on olympus has at some point has ran to that library room when Zeus starts storms doesn't matter if he was mad or not. The reason why they go to the library room is because that's the only place in the entire mountain that is soundproof completely.

Ares cheating with Aphrodite wasn't a thing and or surprising to Hephaestus since he has been with Ares it is just Hephaestus is greysexual. He also sees Aphrodite as a friend most of the time. All three deities have made it work.

Both him and ares have pain flare ups. So both just rest and go easy also the chains were to trap for hera who loves to Snoop in his room and also in Ares's room. He did not mean to trap both his partner and Aphrodite. People think he hates Ares nope he doesn't

Ares is claustrophobic because of his childhood with his two cousins and the jar. Hephaestus can walk with his prosthetic limb, it just hurts a lot of the time, so he uses his wheelchair or his cane to help. Ares is a great sculptor map maker and is a very patient lover.

Athena and him have a good relationship It just gets a little bit more sharp words during war.

Hermes Loves the weird crochet items he gets from Eris. Oizys Is great at comforting people who have lost a loved one.

The fates, hynpos, charon and Erebus raised their children and siblings since Nyx's parenting style is like those clothing that claim to be one size fits all.

I do not hate her it just she's just not really good at showing her kids that she loves them which can be problematic.

Nemesis is a Loyal friend. She wears a blindfold over her eyes when she is working.

when she doesn't answer her domain it can start to build up tillers too much and she has to Answer to the call of her domain.

It happened once when she was younger and It did lead to a Hecate getting hurt around the lower half of her face, hence why she wears double the amount of face protection.

when she's alone she still wears that mask Hecate is super self-conscious of her face scars. Nemesis feels bad but every time she tells Hecate she can react to this in agner as justice.

She would never got the justice and Hecate reassured her that she didn't need that.

That's why she does listen to Hecate when she has to guard the crossroads because if was any other time before that incident...

she would have just not listened, but she did because she's still repaying Hecate for that mistake. No one wants to talk about that though.

Melinoe was too young and doesn't get answers to The question also Odysseus has a fear of the oceans that one's pretty self-explanatory.

He did cry when heacte said he would have to help her raise the princess. He was despondent for about a week and a 1/2. He cried when Melinoe called he uncle once.

Zagreus favorite type of tree is the sandbox tree and yew berry trees.

Thanatos cried when he got to hold oiziys. She was so tiny and he loves her dearly. Zagreus reminds hades of the Dionysus that was his wife's child before Hera thought it was a great idea to kill him.

Persephone has many bats in the pomegranate trees in gardens hence, why there was a gated door and it was locked for most of the first game. Those bats live in the trees in the crossroads now.

Charon taught Thanatos and nemesis how to use a oar as a weapon. The fury sisters see Persephone as a mother.

Melinoe is the bringer of madness and nightmares. Her domain is not fully awake yet because dionysus is too far away and on a madness trip currently.

Everyone in the crossroads repeatedly ask moros what her doom was when dionysus comes back till In the madness half of his domain.

Melinoe Has never been doggered by the darker side of nature, and Hecate is terrified of that because she has brought back multiple spiders the size of Cerberus's biggest paw Pad.

[angeldust-808-2]

If you were to change the terrible names of the descendants kids, what would you name them?

Part 1

1. Red would easily be renamed to Ruby because why would the Queen of Hearts name her daughter Red?! I wish they named her Ruby because it makes sense that the Queen would obviously name her daughter after a pretty gem stone, and it's also better than Red. If I were doing a DRR rewrite, she would nickname herself Red. Her mother and father call her Ruby. Chloe and her friends call her Red because that's the name she likes.

2. Li’l Shang just because it sounds atrocious i think his name would be either Mao (spear) or Sheng (prosperous) i hate how descendants wanted both his and Lonnie’s names to start with L even though that isn’t Mulan and Shang’s first name, yes it’s a family name but still 😭.

3. Herkie I just don’t like it. I just wish Descendants followed Greek mythology lore or chose a better names for these children. Hyllus would be his name; it fits with the Greek mythos, and his name starts with an H, so it's a double win. thank you @cleverqueencommander for reminding me about him because i forgot 😁

4. Hadie same with Herkie trash and also when you say Hadie’s it sounds like Hades which is confusing because you’re not talking about Hades you’re talking about his son! Anywho…. his name will be Zagreus most of the fandom agrees and so do I.

5. Lastly Jay, Jabir will be his name it means comforter in Arabic it makes sense because he is like a big brother to a lot of his friends and it fits. ITS ALSO IN ARABIC!

[ladygreek]

OKAY.. I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS

Blood of Zeus season 2

Spoilers below, proceed with caution!

First of all.. Hades and Persephone are absolutely everything. I adore them as characters and as a couple. Their loyalty to each other was beautiful and their willingness to do anything, no matter how horrible to reunite their family had me crying.

I adore the way they met, how he kept himself hidden because he didn't think she'd want to see him. Hades saving Persephone from Ares but completely able to hold her own with her own powers. *chefs kiss*

WHEN TWO SOULS ARE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER NOTHING CAN KEEP THEM APART.

And I'm sorry, that tree Persephone made of the two of them? I fucking cried like baby. And the way you could see Hades' heart break when it got destroyed KILLED ME.

Rip my heart out why don'tcha. Also, baby Zagreus and Melinoe? Love.

Hera getting a redemption arch was fantastic. I loved her in season one but her anger was misplaced for the most part so it was nice to see her make a come back.

Ares.. oh Ares. I know some people aren't going to like his portrayal but I actually liked it. Not all of Zeus' children are going to be decent and someone had to be a "bad guy" and frankly I'm just glad it wasn't Apollo for once.

Speaking of Apollo, him not accepting that discus because that's how Hyacinth died? My poor baby.

I'm really glad we got some Athena and a bit more Artemis this season. Hestia was great, I absolutely loved her. Hecate (I'm guessing that was her) and seeing Thanatos was also a welcome suprise.

Demeter's portrayal had me conflicted. Lying that your daughter was abducted because you didn't like her sutor is crazy and manipulative, especially letting it continue as the two of them had a family. I also understand that she wants power and control but blackmailing her daughters husband to do so was not the best choice.

Seraphim.. my sweet sweet Seraphim. My heart broke for this man. Introducing a love interest that died "because of him" was gut wrenching, hasn't he suffered enough? I feel like he really redeemed himself and was trying to do right by the one last person he could do right by.

Heron.. okay, so I'm probably not gonna get a lot of love for this BUT I didn't really like his character in season one and I still don't really like him now. He's okay I guess, there's just something about him that doesn't do it for me. I also don't think he's fit to be the next ruler of the heavens. Maybe my opinion will change if we get another season.

Did I mention how much I loved Hades and Persephone?

I read somewhere that the creators of the show have 5 seasons planned out. I'm really hoping we at least get one more because that cliff hanger was UNFAIR.

I hear this season is getting some hate on Twitter and I don't really know why. Overall I enjoyed it much more than season one. I'm definitely biased though considering Hades is my favorite Greek god and Hades and Persephone are my favorite couple.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Now to get my boyfriend to watch it with me. And then watch it 6477858585 more times.

[persephoneflowerpetals]

You know I kind of like the idea of comparing Macaria, Melinoe, and Zagreous to his mother, uncle, and aunt when it comes to relationships.

Oh, you mean Persephone’s brother and sister??

Lol yeah, I mean, I’d say their (“their” being Zagreus, Melinoe, and Macaria) sibling relationship is pretty healthy for the most part. Zagreus and Melinoe have a bit of a sibling rivalry going on when they’re kids (mainly because Zagreus wanted a little brother when he learned his mother was having a baby and instead came Melinoe taking up everyone’s attention since she’s the first baby girl of the “Big 3” family, so he held a grudge against Mel for a while lol) but when they get older it just turns into them making sarcastic remarks and teasing each other. Also Zagreus and Melinoe honestly don’t really have beef or anything with Macaria. Yeah, Melinoe got a little jealous here and there when she was first born because she was no longer the baby or the only girl in the family, but she learned to like Mac and got over it pretty quickly (it was probably when she spit up on Zagreus one day and it made her laugh so hard lol). Macaria is just like her mother lol, she’s too sweet and adorable to hate lmao.

But yeah, Zagreus, Melinoe, and Macaria don’t hate each other or resent each other for who they are. They’re just siblings. They have their fights and arguments, but they love each other. I suppose it helps that neither Persephone nor Hades show favoritism towards their kids. That’s the main drive with Persephone and her siblings. They have beef because Despoina and Plutus can’t stand the fact that Demeter shows favoritism towards Persephone and acts as if she can do no wrong. Of course, as I’ve mentioned before (I think lol I’ve answered so many asks, I really need to organize them lmao), Demeter doesn’t mean to show favoritism and probably doesn’t even realize she’s showing favoritism towards Persephone because she really does love all of her children equally, but with the way she constantly praises and talks Persephone up to other people more than she does with Despoina and Plutus really shows that she’s subconsciously showing favoritism. And the thing is, they don’t even blame Demeter because they know their mother loves them, they think it’s Persephone’s fault because she’s “too perfect” and they think she loves getting all the praise and attention and that she gets joy out of the fact that her younger siblings don’t get talked about enough and they won’t listen to reason when she tries to tell her side of the story because they’re just so caught up in their resentment of her that (sorta like what happened with Hades and the other gods) they’ve kinda painted her as a self absorbed jerk in their minds.

So yeah, compared to Persephone’s relationship with her siblings (and Hades’ relationship with his brothers), they’re pretty healthy and happy lol. Also I just now realized that Persephone is in a family of two girls and a boy and she ended up giving birth to two girls and a boy (except instead of Zagreus being the youngest, he’s the eldest lol)! That really is a good reason to compare them lol, they’re almost the same as their mother’s siblings lmao!

[11queensupreme11]

I saw the note on if Persephone was kinda happy in her marriage and OMG I honestly think since they probs didn’t have the best relationship the first 100 years or so Hades would be like “so this is love” when Percy genuinely likes him, willingly wants to spend time with him, and clings to him from here and there when Poseidon acts up. He’ll probs compare both their reaction to him being their uncle/ suitor between them both and poor Percy being unaware at times will accept his affection and confuse it with familiar love. Especially, cause she’ll not only crave love from her ror dad but also wanting to have a great relationship with her ROR uncles unlike the ones from back home who don’t care for her.

I’ll feel bad for Persephone like imagine getting kidnapped, sent to live with your uncle husband cause you eat a fruit and then thrown to the side for the new niece that yo husband be eying like candy.

On a somewhat good note is if this did happen Zagreus probs would’ve insult/ hate Percy for upsetting his mother and wouldn’t have tried to rape her, maybe even try and feed her to their family pet :D

if persephone actually liked hades back (through stockholm syndrome ofc), she'd be heartbroken once she realizes he was falling for percy. THIS is what would lead to her children disliking percy, cuz they see her (and hades) as the reason for their mother's sadness

and tbh, zagreus would probs still rape her but not out of "love" but outta hate. THEN he'd feed her to cerberus

(or try to. hades would definitely put a stop to that)

[primordial-shade]

Back on my bullshit again because I’ve been playing Hades again.

So Zagreus is Hades 2. My unfortunate suspicion is that Zagreus is going to face the unfortunate fate of his mythological counterpart in pet 2.

PrimordialShade! What do you mean?

I mean big bro is gonna be ripped apart and spread all over Hades.

In traditional Greek Myth Zagreus was the son of Persephone by rape of her Father Zeus. Obviously this is different in the game but hang on there. So Zagreus, when the gods faced their predecessors the Titans, was ripped apart. Now in the older myths he was put back together and was reformed into Dionysus. Now this is the older version of the myths and it changed over time but in some of the only myths referring to Zagreus this is his fate. So obviously he won’t become Dionysus because he’s already in game so it might be Melinoe has to put him back together.

It would also explain why he is not in the trailer because as much as he and his dad had a strained relationship Zagreus wouldn’t just sit aside whilst his father was trapped in Hades. Firstly because he is the only one that can cause his old man trouble and secondly all his loved ones are in hades. It could also explain why a lot of the more powerful members of Hades aren’t fighting with Melinoe.

Here’s another thing. Melinoe, in tradition, is the representation of nightmares and madness. Again Persephone was raped by Zeus, this time isn’t the form of Hades, and she ‘sprung forth from Persephone’s fury.’

So, idea of vengeance there. She also has a strong association with gods that assist with the ferrying of souls to Hades which may explain why she can get in and out so easily. It also explains why Hecate is the one to train her instead of her brother or parents. Hades is chained up, so presumably so it lost of the Hades household, but knowing poor Zagreus he put up a fight which got him torn apart, not killed but torn apart so he could be neutralised. Because that fella is DETERMINED.

Hekate is of course a titan in her own right and ridiculously scary at that. So is Nyx but she is possibly also being kept down by Zagreus being torn apart and essentially held hostage. So are probably her children and the furies.

Zagreus reunited the family but if he was torn apart they probably were as well. So maybe part of our quest is that Melinoe has to put him back together in order to bring the house of Hades back together or something like that?

Just rambling ideas but I kind of like it as much as I hate the idea of poor Zagreus being used as a hostage to keep the House of Hades quiet and put down.

[mimbotomy]

10 characters/10 fandoms/10 tags

tagged by the amazingly talented @aeide!

Kassandra (AC Odyssey): Let’s be honest, did anyone who follows me expect anything else? In a game full of amazing characters I adore, she will always reign supreme in my heart 🩷

Mimir (God of War): I love you and your stories, you funky little head.

Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase (PJO): I can’t separate them here or in my heart! Friends to lovers supremacy! Two friends, one brain cell! Nicknames! AHHHHH!

9th Doctor (Doctor Who): I’ve been rewatching relevant episodes of 10s’ run to catch myself up for the 60th anniversary specials but I keep going back to 9s’ run because as much as I love 10, there’s just a sense of wonder in that first season with 9 and Rose that is just so incredible.

General Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist): She can stab me any day 😍

Shawn and Gus (Psych): kinda like Percy and Annabeth, I can’t separate them! They are the definition of ride or die best friends, the gold standard we should all strive for IMO.

Nyx (Hades): Such a fascinating character! Her motives never seem totally clear but her love for her children, Zagreus included, is perhaps her defining character trait.

Boromir (LoTR): He’s not always my favorite character from Tolkien’s work, because Samwise motherfucking Gamgee exists, but I think he is by far the most fascinating and tragic. I know a lot of people love to hate him for trying to take the ring, but IMO those people are missing the love and responsibility he has for his people and his fear for their survival.

Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn 99): I don’t think she’s my favorite character on the show, RIP the late great Andre Braugher and his amazing portrayal of Captain Holt, but she has a special place in my heart because watching her coming out story helped me realize that I was bisexual too!

Stephen Colbert (the Colbert Report): this one might be a cop out but he's definitely playing a character there and the Colbert Show was my third favorite show growing up (following Animal Planet’s Crocodile Hunter and the Most Extreme for more insight on what a weird little kid I was) and it had a huge effect on my humor, my politics, and the way I saw and approached the world.

As always, I'm sure everyone I would tag has already been tagged, but if not and you see/want to do this, consider yourself tagged and let me know for the future!

[princessmeepa]

Can you tell the difference game from mine version or LO/RS version

Note that I do not own the characters from the Greek Myth, I was doing this for fun.

My Demeter: Note this is an old art of her that I drawn her, when I was 16.

Demeter is the second daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and the sister of Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus. She is the mother of Persephone, Despoina, the twins Plutus and Philomelus, she is the wife of the hero Iasion.

Likes: Farming/gardening, sending time with her children Persephone, Plutus and Philomelus, her siblings, making lover or sending time with her husband Iasion, corn, flowers (mostly poppies), reading, and cooking or baking.

Dislikes: Zeus, losing her love ones, rude people and her father Cronus.

Friends/Allies: Hestia, Hera, Hades (she likes him, because they are close childhood friends and he treats Persephone with kindness), Poseidon (sometimes), Zeus (sometimes), Metis (long time friend), Thesis, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Dionysus (nephew and a student), Persephone, Despoina (daughter), Plutus and Philomelus (twin sons), Hecate (close friend), Iasion (Husband), Hebe, Ariadne (she’s the way she treats Dionysus), Peitho, Daphne (because she is a naiad nymph and she is the daughter of her brother Poseidon), Psyche (because she helps her to find Eros), Eros (because he loves her homemade sweets), Makaria (granddaughter), Melinoë (granddaughter), Zagreus (grandson), the Furies, naiad nymphs (because they work for her), the flower nymphs or Anthousais (because they are the handmaiden of Persephone), Adonis, Ganymede (because she feels pity for him) and the Demi gods.

Enemies: Zeus (because he rapes her), Poseidon (something with Zeus), Cronus (because he ate her) and the Titans

Personally: She maybe a soft girly girl Milf Goddess with a nice hourglass body and a pretty face on the outside, but She is a sweet and kindhearted mother to her children and her family, and she can be over protective of them (mostly her daughter Persephone), she is very hardworking and she is not afraid of getting dirty or getting mud all over her.

LO Demeter

Demter is goddess version of Mother Gothel and a helicopter/or Stalker? Mother who is Obsess with her Pink RS daugther

Personally: She is the evil Mother Gothel and a helicopter or stalker mother with anger issues, because RS hates wholesome mothers and strong/lovable female characters from Greek mythology.

[nysus-temple]

What about Hermes and Dionysus? 👀

DEPENDS if you're asking about sources OR my ideas. Because i can talk for HOURS about both of those. Hermes and Dionysus are just soooo......... They mean so much to me it's stupid at this point.

I'll stick with the sources for now and summarize them the best i can, and then some ideas that i hope i can summarize too; so i talk about both since you didn't specify and i would hate to leave you without an exact answer nskdnfk

Out of all the gods, when Dionysus arrives to Olympus (post-reincarnation), it's Hermes the one who is trusted the most to take care of him. He saved him from Hera's wrath a couple of times. Like Apollonius of Rhodes mentions in the Argonautica, he saved him from FIRE. FROM FLAMES.

Our good Nonnus of Panopolis also talks about this episode ! Saying Hermes traveled around with him for a while, and during that time he also asked several groups of nymphs to educate him. He even played and spend time with him alone, i think we all know this sculpture of Praxiteles, one of the few Greek originals that have survived to this day:

AND when Dionysus was a young man, not an infant anymore, Hermes left him with Rhea, who educated him in relation with his powers, like for example, being incapable of getting drunk.

Not only that, but there's also the fact that we all know, of Hermes being the psychopomp of Hades. I've always liked to imagine it's him, by Zeus' order, who took Dionysus to Olympus when he was Zagreus, after Persephone gave birth to him. Since in the Orphic Hymns, Persephone takes care of him AFTER he's reincarnated, not when she gives birth to him.

Nonnus of Panopolis also specifies in the end of his Dionysiaca that Dionysus sits next to Hermes at Olympus <3

Remember the Minyades shenanigans Dionysus had? Out of ALL the gods, it was Hermes who took pity on them, it was Hermes who was with him-

I think it's really funny that, like, Hermes was there when Ariadne and Dionysus had children, like, look:

What is he doing there lmao. "Hey do you two need a second dad-"

AND NOW, BEHOLD, MY STUFF ! Some random concepts and ideas i had of them, go down if you wanna read them or skip if you were here for the sources only.

i've always felt that Hermes has a hard time showing Dionysus how he feels about him. Why? Because he's really good with words, but not gestures; and Dionysus only finds appreciation though gestures, not words. That's due to his way of thinking that everyone is always liying to him, how no one told him about Persephone and Semele, about Gaia's feelings towards him, about how many people were going to treat him... Bad. No one advised him that. They educated him, took care of him and... Lied to him. He died. He was killed. And yet, no one had the courage to tell him. So Hermes thinks it's... Wrong, to tell him that he loves him. That he always cared about him. That he always sacrificed anything he had for him. That didn't matter how many times he reincarnated, for him, he was still Dionysus, his Dionysus. But the other just, well, doesn't feel anything when hearing that. So used to actors and mysteries, that he's incapable of believing him, even if he wanted to.

"Ariadne hugs me. Mother hugs me. Artemis hugs me. You hug me. What's the difference between you all?" that gesture just doesn't reach him.

i just love how Hermes is... Always looking at Dionysus when they are represented together? How he's always next to him? How he's always like... Feeling bad for the way Dionysus ends up being due to their own mistakes? He feels everyone should have told him the truth about his origins, but the rest insisted in not letting him know.

I KNOW I KNOW there are no actual heights for the gods and they all look the same BUT BUT in human form, Dionysus is taller than Hermes and LOVES to pick him up because it bothers Hermes, since, well, when they were younger it was the other way around, Dionysus was the small one... How the turn tables.

They're both gods and they both had to do things that we might not like to see from a human point of view, but i love how they execute them so... Differently. Hermes seems to try to be more, like, peaceful, when ending someone's life; yet Dionysus will give them the most horrorific and violent punishment a mortal can recieve. Perhaps that's why Hermes took pity on the Minyades.

Hermes LOVES dropping hints towards the rest, because they always laugh and get them, but Dionysus can't !!! You need to tell him JUST what you wanna say, he does NOT get hints !! And that's hard for Hermes because he doesn't express "i love you" by saying it directly. He's SCREWED.

i've always adored the fact that Dionysus is a god so focused with fertility and insanity and whatever that he forgets how sexual themes actually work and. and he. doesn't get that kind of jokes either. You know:

Dionysus: Hey, your legs look great in those clothes. Hermes: You should see me without them. Dionysus: Hermes: Dionysus, confused: Why would you take off your legs??? Hermes, snorting: That's not—

After his own travel around Greece, Dionysus changed a bit. He was always a little different compared to the rest, but due to the resentment he holds now, he doesn't like being asked about what he does much. And Hermes knows that, so whenever someone does it he inmediatly goes "NOPE NOPE NOPE CLOSE YOUR MOUTH I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE ALIVE"

i love to imagine Hermes jumping behind Dionysus' back when he arrives back at Olympus, and that startles him because doesn't matter how many times Hermes does it, he NEVER remembers it.

Hermes is very clingy due to Apollo educating him in order to be like that, but Dionysus isn't. Not that he dislikes it, just as i explained, he has a hard time understanding what you truly mean OKAY he's had a rough life OKAY he was born three times OKAY

Hermes has rams as very important animals in his whole symbolisms and all that AND i associate Dionysus with rams. i know he was more associated with bulls and goats but RAM HORNS are a metaphor for a LEADER and that's how i view Dionysus. So anyways i just think he would hide between Hermes' rams, but Hermes doesn't get startled because he already knows he does this lmao

"Really, Hermes, what do you even see in that guy" Hermes: he has so many issues and he has me enamored with that

HEAR. HEAR ME. One of the few ways Dionysus actually learns to connect with the other is by DANCING. A very important part from his festivals. And he dances in a different way depending on who is the other. And for Hermes. He's. Elegant, graceful, decorous... He really feels like a LIBERATOR for Hermes. Like. Someone who isn't connected to his duties, because even the twins, who are precious to him, remind him of that somehow. But Dionysus doesn't and everytime they dance Hermes feels so good. Dionysus is just. Chilling. He knows what he's doing for once.

Persephone is Dionysus' mom, and after being separated from him for a long time, she has some fear for the rest of the gods getting near him. You know. Just like Demeter. Persephone was kidnapped from her AND Dionysus was taken away from Persephone as well. So Persephone doesn't, you know, trust Hermes that much. She loves and appreciates everything he does, she doesn't hate him, she can't, he's very dear to her ( just like Hades for Demeter ) BUT she has that resentment feeling tormenting her everytime she sees them together. uuggghhh

After Ariadne dies Hermes has even a harder time to connect with Dionysus. He doesn't know how he feels after that. Due to having various mortals around him (Semele, Ariadne, and others perhaps) die since, they're mortals, he doesn't know how to stay near him without making Dionysus feel he's taking advantage of him. That hurts him a lot, because those aren't his intentions. But he also wished that he learned that, he needs to learn the consequences of getting attached to mortals. Consequences Dionysus never accepts.

Dionysus can act very distant with the rest, BUT he always ends up being gentle with Hermes. He will hold his hands with care, lean on him carefully.

Hermes: [Talks a lot]. Dionysus: [Listens].

Hermes is a master at lying but HAH you can't lie to Dionysus. He's very, VERY good at reading people's minds. Which is even worse for Hermes since almost NO ONE can read Dionysus' thoughts.

HNNNNNNN I'M SO SORRY THAT'S SO MUCH......... If you've read this far ilysm with my entire being ty for listening to my ramblings. Dionysus and Hermes make me sick. In a good way. Biting the air again.

[clockworksteel]

Since Hades II seems to be centered around a Titan, I thought I'd search the first game's lua scripts for the word "Titan" to see what we know about them. I didn’t find anything super interesting and I imagine most of this has already come up in groups speculating about Hades II, but it was a nice review of the lore for me.

These are from NPCData.lua

AchillesMiscMeeting04 Achilles: "The sealed weapons by your chambers; your father won't observe their absence, I don't think. They remind him of a time he stood together with his brothers and sisters. He wants nothing more to do with any of that.  I think it's fitting you've inherited their power." Zagreus: "A power that once sealed away the Titans... maybe it's a power that can break me out of here. Thank you for helping me, Achilles."

The Titans here are referred to as "sealed away". Some other conversations act like they're actually dead.

AchillesAboutSuperLockKeys01 Zagreus: "Achilles, sir? I got a relic of some sort out there... a globule of ancient blood, which formed after I fought with Megaera. Is this really the Titans' blood I found?" Achilles: "As far as I know, yes, lad. That it is. Though whose, exactly, I'm not so sure. You'd best hang onto it, and keep it safe. Your weapons... they shall thirst for it and drink it up. Not yet, perhaps, but soon."

About Titan Blood and the Infernal Arms.

DusaWithMegaera04 Meg: "...We got off on the wrong foot from the start. Just what happens when you're born of Titan blood, I guess. It's for the best we haven't crossed paths much since."

I'm not sure when she says "born of Titan blood" if she means the furies literally just crawled out of a pool of blood or if she's referring metaphorically to lineage. Looking over Wikipedia, though, it seems one possible origin myth (of course there are multiple) is the literal interpretation of that statement, though.

From EnemyData.lua

LordHadesMiscEncounter04 Hades: "My brothers and my sisters and myself. We, too, wanted to slay our parents. The Titans. Bastards. And worse." Zagreus: "And you succeeded. Chopped up some of them into many tiny bits, and sprinkled them throughout the pits of Tartarus so that they can't regenerate! Or so I hear. Inspiring, really!" Hades: "We had no recourse at the time, save to collaborate. Developed a specific plan, and saw it through. And, the Titans...? You think me cruel, yet know nothing of cruelty. But, here, you want something to hate, then have it!"

The current location and state of the Titans as of the first game. I imagine if the pieces were brought together they could regenerate.

From LootData.lua

DemeterAboutFather01 Demeter: "We all are willful children, are we not? I'm daughter to Hyperion, you know; a Titan so obscure and hated that Lord Zeus, he started calling me his birth-sister, so much did he dislike this bit of truth! And to get a rise out of me, too."

Since Demeter was one of the six that stood against the Titans I can't imagine she was interested in helping them, but this was still interesting.

From the Codex

I didn't search it in its entirety because I didn't find a convenient text file for that, but I checked all the infernal arms to verify who used which against the Titans. I mostly wasn’t sure if Eris or Hestia used the gun.

Stygius the Blade of the Underworld: "Back when the six elder gods sealed the Titans in the deepest recesses of Tartarus, that blade evidently played no small role in their success. It must have been Lord Poseidon who brandished that blade before he opted for that trident he so likes."

Varatha the Eternal Spear: "It must have been a sight when Lord Hades wielded Varatha the Eternal Spear versus the Titans, driving back those fiends into the depths, together with the help of his Olympian brothers and sisters."

Coronacht the Heart-Seeking Bow: "...the finest bow ever conceived, and wielded once by none other than Mistress Hera, who stood side by side with Zeus, on better terms back then, as they drove back the Titans under a storm of arrows and thunder."

Aegis the Shield of Chaos: "...the Lord of Thunder defended his brothers and sisters using that very shield when, together, they conspired to drive the Titans back into the lowest reaches of the Underworld. The shield was shattered, yet a burning effigy remains, its power still intact. A power sealed within the visage of a monstrous entity even the titans feared."

Twin Fists of Malphon: "It is said even the Olympians hesitated to embrace the Twin Fists, until Lady Demeter, her hands accustomed to tilling the land, stepped forward and accepted the gift. The Titans recoiled from Malphon's relentless attacks, overwhelmed by its fury, unable to defend against it as one might a spear or blade. The Titan Hyperion suffered the worst of it, his undying body pulverized to such an extent that even his legacy was destroyed."

Adamant Rail: "Least known among the gods who stood together to depose the Titans is the Lady Hestia, reclusive goddess of the hearth, and one-time wielder of Exagryph, the Rail of Adamant" and also "For now, its secrets remain trapped within the darkest regions of the Underworld, along with the remains of the Titans defeated by it. Someday, however, I imagine it shall break free from this place; for any weapon once possessed by Eris, Lady Strife herself, becomes possessed of an eternal hunger to destroy."

Other mentions I skipped over earlier

For completeness, the word "Titan" also came up in these conversations but there was little to learn about them that wasn't elsewhere: NPCData.lua

HadesShrineProgress02 (Zagreus says he used "your discarded Titan-slaying weapons", among other things, to overcome the Pact of Punishment.)

AchillesAboutLuciferAspect01 (Achilles speculates that maybe Lucifer's rebellion was before the Olympains rose up against the Titans, but he doesn't know.)

MegaeraAboutSisters01 (Another confirmation that the Titans were cut up and scattered in Tartarus)

OrpheusTallTale04 (Zagreus is outright lying about stuff.)

PersephoneMeeting06 (She compares a possible war with the Olympians to the war against the Titans. We already knew the Gods slew the Titans.)

PersephoneAboutHades01 (In a conversation about whether he hates Hades, Zagreus mentions hearing about the Olympians "rending their immortal Titan parents to bits" and that he doesn't feel that way. We already knew the Titans were in pieces.)

EnemyData.lua

SkellyAboutSuperLockKeys01 (Just about earning Titan Blood. No new lore.)

SkellyAboutSuperLockKeys02 (Just a hint about how Titan Blood is used. No new lore.)

SkellyAboutWeaponEnchantments01 (Skelly acknowledges Aspects have unlocked. No new lore. Although Zagreus saying "Calm down, Skelly. I'm sure whatever it is is perfectly normal for a legendary semi-sentient Titan-slaying weapon from the dawn of time." is kinda funny.)

LordHadesHasGuanYuAspect01 (Hades comments on Varatha having changed form, which Zagreus says is from Titan Blood. Also Hades' current spear is called Gigaros, which he says is "the mightier weapon, with none of the treacherous past".)

LordHadesExtremeMeasures02 "You wish to test yourself against the full extent of my wrath, then very well. You have earned that right. Besides yourself, only the Titans have."

LordHadesExtremeMeasures03  "You vanquished me... even when I threw everything I had at you, and more. I fought you as I fought the Titans themselves, and still I failed."

LordHadesHasWeaponUpgrade01 (Another mention of the Titans being chopped up with the Infernal Arms. Hades muses "Perhaps the Fates decided that its wielders ought to all eventually wind up on its receiving end. Come, then! Let us see what the great Achilles has taught you.")

LootData.lua

ZeusBackstory03 "My brothers Hades and Poseidon once fought bravely by my side, you know that, don't you, Nephew? We prevailed against the Titans and established law upon the earth. Your father then descended to the land of death, and we've not seen much of each other since."

ZeusHasWeapon01 "You fight your father's legions with Varatha, the Eternal Spear? The irony must not escape him, for he long ago stood by my side against the Titans, with that thing in hand!"

AresAboutWar03 "Do you ever think to yourself that you were born a bit too late, my kin? For my part, I wish that I could have been there myself when my father and the others waged ferocious war against the Titans. Ah, it must have been a sight!"

AresHasWeapon02 "Ah, you wield Coronacht, the Heart-Seeker. It pierced three Titans in one shot back in the war amongst our kind. Please do take care of it!"

DemeterPostGiftPickup02 "My, but you're as determined as my foster-brothers were, when my sisters and I stood with them 'gainst the Titans way back when."

DemeterAboutFather02 "As seasons give to one another, so do generations, I suppose. Hyperion, my father? He'd not a one redeeming quality. My sisters and my foster-brothers and myself; this world owes us a debt for ridding it of him and his kind."

ChaosAboutHades01 "Your father and his brothers, when they sealed the Titans in the darkest reaches of this world, that was the last they saw of me, as well. You are dissimilar from them, and I feel safe communicating thus with you."

ZeusWithDemeter01 (Zeus mentions Demeter isn't actually his sister. She's not impressed. Her reaction includes "Almost as though you felt compelled to speak the truth only whilst I'm directly within earshot.")

[smallraindrops-blog]

May I please request a Hades fic about Melinoe again? That while she's on the surface working and hanging out with her mom Persephone and grandma Demeter, she's picking up trinkets for everyone back in the underworld but mainly for Zagreus? Also they finally learn what birds actually are! Please and Thank you.

Unseen Footprints

Fandom: Hades

Rating: PG

Word count: 2k

Warnings: death, ghosts, family drama, no beta

Notes: Hi! Thank you for waiting! Thanks for the fun request, I found I’ve gotten a soft spot for Melinoe.  I read that she often had ghosts traveling with her so I decided to include that. Hope that okay. 

Enjoy!

~

It was a small fluttering sound that caught their attention. Melinoe tossed her braid over her shoulder, looking up to the tree with a frown. It was a cool day, the air carried the faint smell of wildflowers and of the nearby sea. 

She and Zagreus were on their knees, their hands covered in fresh dirt and she spotted a smudge of mud on his cheek. Persephone’s - their mother- she reminded herself, the garden was in need of tending. It was hard work of cleaning up deadfall and breaking up the hardened earth. 

“Autumn will be coming soon.” Persephone told them with a smile, faint lines forming around her green eyes. “The grapes will be plentiful and will make good wine.” 

But damp dirt nor the promise of sweet wine held your attention. The leaves ruffled again then what had to be the most odd thing she ever saw appeared. It was a small thing, pure black. 

Melinoe blinked, not able to tell what kind of fur or skin it wore. It looked nothing like anything she had seen in the underworld. 

it disturbed her greatly.

The thing cocked its head, looking at them with one eye then with the other. Zagreus made a sound of disgust. The mouth opened and let out a loud cry before lifting it’s- arms, wings? It looked like what Hypnos had in those messy curls of his- and took off into the everblue sky.

“What in the blood and darkness is that?” Zagreus muttered as he stood, trying to follow the animal. Melinoe was just glad it was gone. 

“A raven.” Demeter spoke as she joined them, the grass turning yellow under her footsteps. Frost appeared for a moment but melted the moment she moved. Her mouth pursed at how filthy they were. 

Persephone wasn’t far behind, the grass coming to life. Her basket was full with tomatoes and onions and herbs. Persephone was always a little more quiet when Demeter was visiting but that didn’t stop her bright smile toward her children.

Zagreus blinked, “How does it fly?”

“With its wings.” Demeter said with a sigh, “All birds can, my little spouts.”

“There are more of those things?” Melinoe said, aghast. This got a laugh from their mother and for a moment, she thought she saw Demeter’s lips twitching in amusement.

“Tell us more.” Zagreus requested, his eyes lit up in a way that went warning bells off in Melinoe’s head.

“Have you ever seen a chicken?” Persephone asked, the same gilt reflected in her own sparkling green eyes. 

~

Melinoe leaped back, “Keep that thing away from me, Zagrues!” 

The very fat chicken squawked loudly as Zagreus shoved the chicken closer. It flapped its wings, white feathers going everywhere. Her little brother only crackled madly, not letting up. 

“We should take one home.” Zagreus said, turning the chicken back to him and grinned at it. “Father would hate these things.”

He made a kissing sound at it. “Wanna come to live with me?” 

“Who wouldn’t hate these loud things?” Melinoe said, stepping back from a different chicken that was pecking the ground. Persephone chuckled, brushing a hand on the chicken’s head. Demeter stayed back, deeply unimpressed by such animals. Melinoe turned around to her grandmother, planning to join the only other sane person.

Two chickens glanced up at her, heads moving in quick jerks.

Such odd creatures. Loud and ugly. 

There was a faint choking sound that was all too familiar and Melinoe twisted around and lunged forward on pure instinct. The chicken landed on the ground with a ruffle. Melinoe caught Zagreus in her arms, adjusting to Zagreus’ heavy weight.

Persephone was already next to them, helping Zagreus lay down on the soft grass. Demeter sighed and turned away. Melinoe bit back harsh words, but kept to herself. It was understandable, Melinoe had seen Zagreus die countless times now and it never got easier.

Persephone’s eyes were shiny with tears and she leaned down, kissing Zagreus’ forehead. 

Zagreus blinked up at them, blood coming out his mouth. He gave them a bloody grin, “I will see you again soon.” 

And with that he breathed his last. 

A breeze drifted by, pushing the fat clouds in the skies, the chickens kept pecking at the dirt and the sea crashed against the sand. 

The world went on. 

~

Mortals were more of Zagreus’ thing. 

Melinoe had taken a while to warm to Achilles, both wary and charmed by his kindness toward her and her brother. Zagreus had wanted to know everything about mortals, hungry in a way Melinoe simply wasn’t and Achilles was willing to tell them everything. 

Or almost everything.

It wasn’t until she was older that she understood the shadows in those blue eyes. 

She tugged the dark veil around her head, hiding away under the canopy of trees, watching as mortals hustled around in the city streets. She had never seen alive mortals before. They were flushed in a way that was simply not possible as shades. 

A little girl with a doll in her arms paused, staring at Melinoe. The little girl had sweet ringlet curls that gleamed in the sunlight. She flashed a smile at Melinoe before moving on.

Taking a deep breath, Melinoe willed herself forward. She would keep her promise. She had nothing else, she couldn’t return home and Zagrues couldn’t leave. 

The city was unlike anything else, and she took notes of everything. Everywhere she looked, there was life. An explosion of colors and sounds that almost overwhelmed her eyes and ears. A pair of mortal men paused their conversation, their eyes on her but she only hurried past. 

Back home, no shades would dare stare at her like that, their eyes respectfully on the ground. Melinoe grimaced, wishing that she could call them out on it but Persephone had warned her of… different mortals were. And she wasn’t willing to reveal herself.

Eventually she found the market. 

Mortals shouted out their wares and it took everything in her not to turn around.  Rugs and beautiful fabrics swayed in the wind, some booths were heavy with vegetables and fruits. There was a mouth watering smell of fresh bread in the air. Small children darted between adults and carts, screaming and laughing. Even the animals she saw had signs around their neck, and one of them -a goat if she had to guess- made a loud sound at her.

Zagreus would have loved the chaos. Not for the first nor the last time, Melinoe’s heart broke just a little. It was too easy to imagine him playing with the children and asking every single mortal what they were selling.

It should have been Zagreus who stood here but it wasn’t. 

Her mother had told her that mortals had amazing talents for crafts and that there might be something for Zagreus so Melinoe straightened herself up and joined the madness. 

One hour later, with a pounding headache, Melinoe was already to give up. How in the world did mortals do this? Was this why Achilles and his beloved Patroclus were often so quiet themselves?

Melinoe hid in a dark alley, letting the shadows claim her for a few minutes. She leaned against the building, watching the huge crowd of mortals. She let out a long sigh, closing her eyes. 

“It is a bit much isn’t it?” A low voice said. 

Melinoe jerked in surprise and whirled around, her hand tight around her veil. A man was sitting on the ground, a long stick resting on his lap and he had a faint smile on his face. His skin was dark, much like Patroclus. He wasn’t dressed in fine fabric like many of the other mortals, only a simple white chiton nor did any jewelry adore his skin. His hair was done in neat, thick dreadlocks.

He lifted his head and his eyes were milky white, like the moon itself. 

“I never took to crowds well.” The man continued mildly, not quite facing her. There was a hint of amusement, an old joke to himself. 

Melinoe realized she was being rude and cleared her throat, “Oh. This is all new to me. I have never seen such a busy place.”

She bit her lip, and there was something about the man that made her speak up. He reminded her of Achilles. “I honestly just came here to get something for my brother. He… he can’t leave home.” 

The man was quiet for a moment and he inclined his head. “My lady, if I may. I believe what you are looking for will be at the end of the road, look for a tent with a  dark blue top.” 

“A dark blue top.” She repeated softly. She peeked out to see if maybe she could spot it. It was busy but there was an end to the long line of tents and mortals. Somehow she knew the man wasn’t lying.

With a smile, Melinoe turned back to the man, her mouth parted to tell him ‘thank you’ only to find out she was alone. 

Her smile faded.

It didn’t take long to find the place the man told her. 

Another man was there, his hair shorn and his eyes a soulful brown. He beamed at her as she approached. 

“Good afternoon, my lady. What can I do for you?” He greeted Melinoe. 

“I was told to come here. I’m looking for something for my brother.” She told him, her eyes scanning the inside of the tent. 

“Tell me about him.” The mortal ordered, his eyes narrowed. Melinoe narrowed her eyes back at him.

“Please.” The mortal added with a sheepish grin that reminded her far too much of Zagreus. 

“For one, he is much nicer than me. He wants to see the world.” Melinoe said, stepping in the tent. “However his health won’t allow him.” There were countless scrolls and maps everywhere. She frowned, maybe the blind man was wrong. 

“The world, huh?” The mortal rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He held up a finger, “Just a moment.” 

Then darted behind a flap, muttering to himself. He reappeared, something carefully wrapped in his arms. It was round like a ball. He unwrapped it with gentle fingers, and Melinoe gasped.

It was like a map but not. There were the names and outlines of landmass and sea carefully written on it. It was beautiful. 

“It is a globe. A map of the whole world. Or at least everything we know so far. My master helped make this before he passed on.” The mortal said. 

“It’s perfect.” 

~

Melinoe had taken a few steps into the woods when she realized she was being followed.

She turned around and saw two figures, a little girl clinging to her doll and holding on tightly to the tunic of the blind man. The man smiled, leaning on his stick just so. 

“You found it.” He told Melinoe.

“I did. My brother will love it.” She agreed, turning around to go to them. The little girl watched her, a nervous smile on her round face. She looked painfully sweet.

“I don’t know how I didn’t see it before.” Melinoe admitted. In the dying light of the day, it was clear these two weren’t among the living. Not anymore.

“Why haven’t you gone to the underworld?” She asked. Such a thing shouldn’t be possible, all the dead souls belonged to her old home.  

It was the little girl who spoke up. “I didn’t want to leave my mama. She cried for a really long time.” 

Hearing that broke something in Melinoe, her eyes darted to the blind man, his own face pained. She kneeled down to get on her eye level. The little girl gave her a sad grin, “Then Mama was gone and I couldn’t follow.”

Melinoe held out a hand and the little girl took it, her chubby fingers curled around Melinoe. 

She looked up, “And what about you?” 

The man shrugged. “I don’t know. I remember a sudden chill, then I was left to roam.  Honestly, I’ve wondered about it myself for a long time. I know mortals couldn't see me anymore and I thought maybe gods no longer couldn't either. A curse maybe.” 

How odd. 

Melinoe rose, her hand still holding on to the little girl’s. She will need to speak to the others about this. But until then.

“Follow me.” Melinoe told them under the night sky, under the countless stars and moonlight. “Follow me and I will take you with me.”