god of the dead ▬

▬ {hades} james rathe | {god of the underworld} president of contraband trade ▬ ❝ o h • d e a t h; well what is this that i can't see? with ice cold hands taking hold of me. well i am death, none can excel, i'll open the door to heaven or hell. ❞

[akajamesrathe-blog]

primordialerebus:

“I’m devastated.” Erebus said in mock disappointment. He’d never admit it, but he found Hades’s presence slightly more tolerable than that of any other olympian. Plus the god of the underworld had been an outcast, or still was, and Erebus could identify with being put in such a position. “I can not believe what I am hearing.” Erebus chuckled, as he raised a brow at the other god. He fell silent, letting the other gods words echo in his conscious. “You’re welcome.” He finally said, his face expressionless.  

Hades met his sarcasm and teasing with an eye roll before leaning closer and keeping his next words quieter. “I’m expecting to be filled in.” Of course, his tone didn’t suggest it was merely a request, but he knew Erebus would take no offense. “If the paper is any indication of what I missed... it seems we’ll be discussing quite a bit.” Hazel eyes floated from mortal to mortal as they passed by; his silent way of suggesting a different setting for the upcoming conversation.

[akajamesrathe-blog]

chaotic-willow-kennedy:

Eris scoffed crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah, well at least you got the fuck away.”

A humorless laugh escaped his lips, unfazed by her attitude. “Yet I ended up back here-- I suppose someone had to retake the reigns.” He silently gestured to the seat across from him. “Coffee? Black, if I remember correctly?”

[akajamesrathe-blog]

goldenthronedxhera:

“I’m glad that you missed me so much.” She replied with a hint of sarcasm, sitting down in the chair across from him. She had a better relationship with Hades then with any of her other siblings. “I try to keep our brothers in check as much as possible, so no. The city has not burned down. Anyways, how was your little vacation?”

Hades raised his eyebrows briefly with a small hmm in response to her update on their siblings and the state of the city. Rather unimpressed with the others’ wellbeing and not afraid to show it, he kept his eyes emotionless as they met hers. “Much too short.” He responded quickly. “Alas, I find it hard to believe my little... empire didn’t need me back in charge.” Though it was true he fully trusted Erebus and the rest of his crew, perhaps a small part of him missed it; missed being the boss. “And you?” The god’s tone implying he was really only asking to be somewhat polite. “What is it you do, again? The paper?”

[akajamesrathe-blog]

primordialerebus:

“I find that hard to believe.” Erebus stated as he seated himself next to the god of the underworld. Seeing him here shouldn’t have been surprising - the god seemed to appear when least expected - but Erebus had to admit that he was slightly surprised. “I’m sure you missed me once or twice.” He said with a smirk, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Contrary to whatever it is you believe to occupy my mind, I can assure you it’s not thoughts of missing you.” He teased slightly less bitterly. Whether he’d admit it or not, he found a brother type figure in Erebus that he’d never found in his true brothers, and for that he was grateful; he needed the god of darkness just as much as he liked to believe Erebus needed him. “I suppose a thank you,” his face scrunching up in disgust at the words, “are in order for holding down the fort while I was away. I would have forewarned you... but the decision to leave was rather sudden.”

[akajamesrathe-blog]

goldenthronedxhera:

As she was waiting for her coffee, she turned to see an all too familiar face. Though she hadn’t seen him in what felt like ages, so it was a surprise. A smirk appeared on her face at his comment, her hands resting on the chair back in front of her. “Hello to you too, brother. I must say it has been a long time.”

“Not long enough it seems.” He countered with a silent exhale. The truth was Hera was basically the only sibling that he could stand, or could even remotely stand him. However, his vacation away to Greece with Persephone had left him yearning for the distance between him and the Olympians. “I see you’ve all managed to not burn this whole city down in my absence... I can’t say I’m not surprised.”

[akajamesrathe-blog]

hermesmessengerofgods:

Can Hermes think everything was fine and the situation was normal? He wanted, but he knew was naive thing that was truth. Specially with a gods having powers… without the proper control. Still, apparently these were quiet days and he enjoyed the feeling. He was walking without noticing who was around when he listened the words. “This is what I call a warming welcome…” Hades. He was not sure what happened while he was on China but he missed see Mr. Rathe and his wife.

Hazel eyes rolled slightly with a hint of playfullness at Hermes’ words. “You know me,” he shrugged lightly, “that’s as warm as I get.” Hades gestured to the open seat on the bench beside him before folding the paper and tucking it away for later. “Tell me, old friend, how have things been? It seems I wasn’t the only one taking a break from the concrete jungle.”

[akajamesrathe-blog]

Hades sat with perfect posture, eyes quickly scanning the newspaper in his hands in attempt to catch up on all that he’d missed while in Greece. Though the opposite being was quiet when they drew closer, the god of the underworld felt their presence before any words had been spoken. “Ah,” he exhaled before meeting their gaze, “yet another thing I didn’t miss whilst away.”

[persephone-reigns-blog]

where were you? | persades

[akajamesrathe-blog]

persephone-reigns:

She felt her own hand respond, reaching for him as her eyes hazed over with tears. But Hades’ words pulled her away in an instant. Anger replacing the vulnerability just moments prior. 

“Do you expect me to believe that?” Her words were sharp as she spat them out, furious that he would try to give her false hope. It was a luxury only the naive believed, and she was far from that. She wasn’t the young goddess he had brought home so many lifetimes ago, so fearful of everything that belonged in the shadows, so eager to believe anything that would bring comfort to her heart in all the uncertainty.

Persephone glared at him, her body trembling in new-found fury misplaced from her deep fear. “I know how this ends,” she spoke finally after painful seconds passed between them. Then, she felt herself harden from the inside, as if steel plates transformed her heart to keep it from breaking anymore than it had to. If she was going to lose him, Persephone would be ready. 

There was a sudden coldness surrounding the Queen of the Underworld when she finally approached her husband, eyes drained of any emotion as she took his face in her hands and pulled him to his feet. Persephone decided in that moment a silent vow to herself that if he left her this time, she wouldn’t wait for her death. She’d take it herself.

And like a switch within had been flipped, everything about her aura had changed. The fear seemingly instantly replaced with pure rage as he spoke of false hope. He wasn’t dumb-- she was too of this world to fall for sweet nothings whispered in her ear. Perhaps to others, Persephone was extremely hard, maybe even impossible, to read. She’d gained this cold presence in the heat of the underworld that left her both regal and with an incredible poker face. That was just another thing on the long list of differences between them... almost everyone believed they knew just exactly what he was feeling and what made him tick: his wife and his power.

Hades, however, knew her better than he knew himself. A single glance, one short breath, the hardening of her features; he knew exactly what each slight change in expression meant. He wouldn’t admit it if asked, but this is what he wanted. In some sick, twisted way... he’d rid her of the crippling terror and replaced with an all too familiar feeling. She could handle it, and in turn, so could he. Was it cruel? It couldn’t have been any worse than subjecting her to all of this in the first place. She wouldn’t thank him, in fact she probably didn’t even realize what he’d done, and he wouldn’t want it any other way. 

And so he’d been able to tell her the truth and spare her, if only for a moment, from the horror that came with it. Instead, she was left fortifying the walls he’d never be able to break down but at least she was in familiar territory. This whole situation was a lose-lose scenario, but at least he managed-- in a villainous way-- to make it a little less terrifying. Though this fact made him no more a hero than anything else he did, because at the end of the day, he still brought her into this reoccurring nightmare. But maybe just maybe, he could live with how he’d just handled it, even if he couldn’t truly live with himself for starting all of this in the first place.

He left her question and statement go unanswered; they were far more rhetorical anyway. Silence, though painful, was another familiar territory of theirs as his eyes remained on her. They observed the emotion drain from her... her process of coping; of hating him. Eventually, she moved closer as her small hands encased his cheeks and bringing him closer. She loved him, sure, but this moment she hated him far more. So he took that hate, just as he usually did, and embraced it.

[persephone-reigns-blog]

where were you? | persades

[akajamesrathe-blog]

persephone-reigns:

She’d never asked about the body, had stopped asking after the first night Hades brought her home. The trip from her mundane house shared with Joseph to her new home, the limo ride, everything that night was still fresh in her memory. Persephone never forgot how it felt, knowing he was the one that made Joseph “disappear”.

You won’t see him again because there’s no longer a body to see. He’s dead. 

Those were the exact words Hades had told her blank-faced that night when she had been so naive to ask him what happened to her husband. She should have known better, and part of her did. But Persephone had spent thirteen years of her life since her Awakening running from him, trying to live a normal life. She should have known he would find her. He always did, and he had. And oh, did she hate him. Hate him to the bone for killing the mortal she had shared five years of her life with. She had loved Joseph, truly with her heart. 

Guilt flooded her, along with anguish and pain at the reminder of how much the mortal meant to her. This was their punishment. Not only Hades’ but hers as well. To bear the pain of losing her love to the half of her soul, only to lose the half of her soul to that same love. Even in death, Joseph would haunt her. She’d asked him so many sleepless nights for forgiveness as she lay with his killer. And as much as she wanted to throw the blame at Hades, she was no less guilty. A victim of her own lack of control, a victim of her own passion. 

Standing in silence, Persephone’s chest pulled in two different directions as her face twisted in indecision. He wouldn’t look at her because he knew, he saw even without having to see. 

Hate. For putting them in this situation. Hatred for doing this to to her, to them. To their daughter. The very same hatred that kept her away every single lifetime they reincarnated was always rooted in his reckless actions. But none of those actions, ruthless and cruel would ever be committed if it wasn’t for her. If she hadn’t let herself belief she could be happy with a mortal. This was the guilt. The never ending guilt because Hades had been right at one point. If she hadn’t been so naive none of this would have happened, they would have never been put in their current situation. There would have been no one for Hades to kill to bring her home. And Persephone would hate herself until her very last breath which she couldn’t bear accepting would be after his. 

“I can’t-” she stopped herself, feeling the fear manifest itself in her tears. “I can’t go through this again.” Losing Joseph was hard enough. It had cracked her heart in two, only to reveal her deepest and darkest desire, her truest nature, her soul. The very same soul that would always be held by Hades. There could be no earth if she lost him too.

I can’t go through this again.

Hades drew in a long breath. There it was; the horrible truth he’d be forced to face for telling her where he’d been. She would worry herself sick and fall into a pit of fear that he wouldn’t be able to rescue her from. No matter how this story would play out; he’d never be the hero... always the villain. Of course, he was used to it, his image speaking more for who he was than his actual words. Outrunning the stigma he got for kidnapping his beloved was a future he’d long grown to accept.

But not with her. They were broken records, playing the same haunting symphony life after life. He would inevitably do something unbelievably selfish and stupid to win her over which would only result in her despising him even more. You think he’d learn. Alas, his heart would always lead over his head when he came to her.

No words could have comforted her here, his hands were tied leaving him to watch the tragic scenario he’d caused without being able to help. After a moment, though, he was no longer to silently allow her to suffer. Hazel eyes slowly made their way back to hers, his hand gently reaching out to hers. “You won’t have to... they don’t have enough on me. They just want to cause panic and fear-- but lucky for us they don’t know just who they’re messing with.”

[unenchantedaergia-deactivated20]

Relapsing II Aergia&Hades

[akajamesrathe-blog]

unenchantedaergia:

Things had been chaos recently, this whole conspiracy had royally fucked up with their lives. Even her who stayed out of this kind of business usually, had been dragged in. First the attack on her shop which caused her business too really lose steam making her super stressed, she couldn’t deal with losing her business and having too move out of her apartment, it actually made her scared though she never would admit it too think that someone out there could be watching her every move maybe even planning too make an attack on the shop. And then the shooting cause more shockwaves, more fear. Then she was caring for people, actually caring for others which weren’t her family and that also scared her she wasn’t used too feeling all these emotions she didn’t know what to do with herself. Of course she tried too cure herself by smoking her usual weed but recently it just hadn’t been enough too help her not too feel and she needed that.

So here she was on her way too a place she had heard about from someone else on the streets, somewhere which could provide her with something a little stronger. It wasn’t the first time she would of hit the hard stuff, though it was the cause of her death in her previous life. She had suffered from an overdose during her hippie years and it definitely wasn’t a pleasant way too go. That deterred her from starting to use any again in this life but it felt like the only way she could start too feel ok again…she could stop whenever she wanted, it wasn’t going too end like the last time she’d be more careful.

Aergia knew who was in charge at this place, Hades. She’d never had any interaction with him before though of course she’d heard the stories about him but she wasn’t one too judge on that. The drug house didn’t look too scary, she’d kind of expected it too be all run down and dirty but no it looked normal enough, she’d just been watching one too many films. 

She’d never been too one of these places before so she wasn’t particularly sure what too do and so she just knocked on what seemed like the main entrance “Hello?”

Awaiting trial probably should have put a red flag in Hades’ mind to avoid anything illegal. Though, he valued all he’d worked to build far more than mortals in blue uniforms that he could easily have disposed. So instead of avoiding his empire, he took personal charge and made his way to every hotspot of his. They’d had two weeks to fend for themselves, and like the actual children the humans seemed to be, they needed serious supervision.

He’d already cleared a couple of the houses, finding less than impressive results. For now, all that was required was a few stern words, as evil as he may be, the god of the underworld believed in fair chances and everyone got one strike before being kicked out of the game. 

After a few moments at the most recent location, his ‘catch up chat’ was cut short by a knock at the door. Using a hand gesture to tell the humans to return to the other customers littering the old building, Hades took it upon himself to answer the door.

Somewhat to his surprise, the door opened to reveal a familiar face. “Ah, well if it isn’t the lazy one,” he hummed with a devilish smirk. “Can’t say I’m entirely shocked to find you here.”

[akajamesrathe-blog]

bone to pick || zeus/hades

[akajamesrathe-blog]

olympusxking:

Today was the kind of day to avoid the office. At least in Zeus’ mind, seeing the sun without a cloud in sight prompted him to take his work back home and be in a more relaxing setting. The idea worked like a charm as he got through half of his daily duties before taking a nap–using a spreadsheet on quarterly earnings as a mask. Zeus only slept for a few minutes, before furious knocks awoke him. At first, he was going to ignore whoever was waiting behind the door, but the familiar shouts told him it would be a bad move on his part.

“Damn, he’s loud.” Wiping his eyes and groaning at the fact he was about to deal with a sourpuss, Zeus thought it would be better to sneak out through a window than talk to Hades. He took his sweet time getting off the couch, letting the papers fall to the ground as Zeus tried to prepare for the usual shouts and glares from his older brother. Opening the door, he yawned and stretched his arms out in the air before finally speaking. “Hello to you too. Should I ask why you’re trying to break down my door?”

“About fucking time.” He mumbled angrily when Zeus eventually opened the door with freshly awoken features. “Really?? You’re napping? What the hell is wrong with you, honestly? You know, I’d say you were dropped on your head as a baby but that doesn’t quite cover your complete idiocy.” He ranted, pushing his way past his younger brother and into his home without waiting for an invitation. 

“I’m here to discuss the fundraiser event and what in hell’s name made you think that was a good idea.” The words slung in the younger male’s direction with complete disdain as Hades waited impatiently for a response; right hand just itching for a reason to punch him in those perfect teeth of his.

[akajamesrathe-blog]

ms-strange-melinoe:

A tendency to worry?  That was an understatement.  Melinoe closed the distance between them and hugged her dad.  “Yeah, who would have thought that the King of the Underworld was a total worry-wart.”

The breath that had caught in his throat when she questioned his absence escaped him as she moved closer; his arms instinctively returning the hug as he gently kissed her forehead with a warm smile on his lips. And just like that, his troubles seemed to melt away-- if only for a moment, because he had his baby girl in his arms and everything would be okay. “Hey now, I’m full of surprises.” He teased in response.

[persephone-reigns-blog]

where were you? | persades

[akajamesrathe-blog]

persephone-reigns:

Joseph.

The name made her blood run cold and Persephone felt her face fall into horror. Not because of what the name represented; the fact that he was dead, murdered at the hand of Hades’ command. She had long come to terms with that cruel and inhumane act of murder committed in her name. No, the reaction from the goddess of spring was one of familiarity of the worst kinds. She knew what this meant and knew exactly where Hades had been the past two weeks without him saying anything more.

Her hands dropped from his face as she instinctively pulled away when she should have drawn even closer. She should have held on because in that moment, a timer somewhere had started ticking, counting down to the uncertain future where the past always seemed to repeat itself.

Flashes of Angelo La Barbera’s trial flickered through her mind. The questioning, herself on the witness stand, the look on both their faces once the sentence was announced. The heart-wrenching screams of despair when they told her he was murdered from inside. Then being shot herself and finally put to rest only to come back in the next life to do it all over again.

Persephone’s eyes easily switched to blame, the only way she ever knew how to mask her fear. “What did you tell them?” Her voice was still and quiet, barely able to hide the quivering of her lip.

His eyes remained on the floor as he felt her shift away; he knew exactly the look he would find on her face and couldn’t muster up the courage to physically see it. Sympathy was never something the god of the underworld sought out, in fact, he hated it. Just because he didn’t regret how the whole Joseph situation had played out, didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to take responsibility for it. If he were being completely honest, he’d rather her hate and blame him for everything than to pity him.

As her presence drew further away, he felt he was getting what he wanted; her blame. Nothing could be said to mend this... the exact reason he had Geoffrey tell her he was away on business. All this time, he’d believed his ‘punishment,’ so to speak, for having the mortal killed was her utter defiance. In hindsight, his punishment was this: being prosecuted and forcing Persephone’s worst nightmare into reality.

The whispered question brought a heavier weight on his shoulders. She knew exactly what’d said; after all, she’d spent far too much time with him not to know how he reacted to different situations. “Without a body,” he started, voice careful as if he was walking on eggshells, “they didn’t have much to go on. Though... they put two and two together.” 

Hades’ eyebrows furrowed together in a silent plea to stop, as he knew each word would feel like another blow to her chest. Throughout their history, with one exception, she was always the first to leave the world. It was easier that way; it had always been that way. As much as he hated to lose her, be it for the better part of a year or until their next life, he was always willing to bear that burden so she didn’t have to. But the cruel world they lived in had brought them to a very similar dilemma as in their last life, and fear of the reoccurring events would fuel her hatred for him even more.

That was the price he had to pay-- and he resented himself for putting her in such a position yet again.

[akajamesrathe-blog]

bone to pick || zeus/hades

@olympusxking

A call to the younger brother’s secretary confirmed that his Zeus would be home as Hades made his way across town. Even before he arrived, his hands remained formed in small fists as his teeth ground together in anger. This exchange was long overdue; his time in the cell only amplifying his anger rather than calming him what-so-ever.

He slammed the car door shut as he jogged to the front door. Very rarely did he visit this place, seeing Zeus at work was already too often for the god of the dead. It was time like this that he missed being in the underworld to avoiding seeing the shapeshifting rapist’s face.

Absurdly loud nocking ensued as soon as he reached the front porch, and of course, Hades lacked patience at the moment, so he proceeded to yell through the door the moment his knocking wasn’t answered. “ZE--DOMINIC! Open the fucking door! I know you’re in there!”

[akajamesrathe-blog]

A Needed Drink || Prometheus/Hades

@prxmetheus-petrol

Tired. If Hades had describe just how he’d felt in response to the last month of this life, he’s use the word ‘tired.’ He found himself wandering the always-lit streets of New York at an ungodly hour, honestly having no idea what to do next. He was simply overwhelmed, and though he almost never drank, the god found himself entering a bar.

Hazel eyes avoided all the drunks as he made his way to the bartender before sliding mindlessly into one of the bar stools. While waiting to order, he spotted the bartender getting into an argument of some sort with a man in a wheelchair that could barely see over the bar.

One glance was all it took to identify the man, or more accurately the god. With a sigh and a though of ‘why the hell not,’ Hades shifted closer. “Hey,” he addressed the working man, “I’d like a drink and that can’t really happen if you’re distracted by this man.” His head gestured back to Prometheus before placing an hundred dollar bill on the counter. “A shot of whiskey, now.”

[akajamesrathe-blog]

ms-strange-melinoe:

Melinoe tried to remain mad at him, but hearing him call her princess again made a smile slip onto her face immediately.  She hadn’t seen her dad in weeks and then suddenly he just shows up?  “A business trip?” Melinoe asked rolling her eyes.  “Mom already came to check up on me after the shooting.  I wasn’t even there, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Her misbelief was as evident as it got, but he chose to let it pass without an answer; the last thing he wanted was to worry her. “I’m glad.” A solemn nod was given. “But even beyond that-- I’m sorry for just disappearing.” He shook it off, hoping she’d let it go at that. “I just want to make sure you’re okay, even if it has nothing to do with the shooting. I have a tendency to worry, you know.” A dry chuckle escaped him, not that his aggressively protective nature was even remotely funny.

[persephone-reigns-blog]

where were you? | persades

[akajamesrathe-blog]

persephone-reigns:

Both hands found either side of his face as she drew herself closer to him, gazing down at the features of his mortal vessel. She hadn’t realized how much she missed him until she stood there seeing, touching, and feeling him. His words were above a murmur while the smile was one of relief rather than joy. The soft ever-present crease of disapproval and warning now dipped deeper into his forehead. There was faint darkness just below his eyes. 

His eyes, they told her everything.

Persephone stood in silence, taking in the image of her husband in this life as the many faces of his past shifted just below the surface. She saw a mighty emperor, the ruthless Impaler. She saw the honorable Yoshitsune, and the influential Robespierre.. The notorious Angelo La Barbera, the magnificent Suleiman. 

He had always found her. Made it his life’s mission. And she had fought him every time only to end up by his side, albeit kicking and screaming the whole way. Every life time there was a dread, a newfound reason to add onto the last as to why she hated him. She blamed him for everything, for the unspeakable things he did because of her. She blamed him for the lives he had given them, both good and bad, but always finding the bad in even the best of lifetimes. She blamed him for who she had become, stripped of her innocence, deflowered and forced to become a Queen so many moons ago.

But she rarely thanked him. Even more rarely did she ever show him her whole heart. Hades was only granted glimpses at a time, peeking through the cracks of her fortified walls to see parts of his name and face adorning it with forbidden acceptance of their toxic love. Everything he did, everything she defied both to him and to herself always came full circle to answer the perpetual question of why.

Why did she stay every time? The easy answer was that he would find her, that there was no point in trying to leave. This wasn’t a lie. But only Persephone and Hades knew the real truth. It was moments like this one, silent moments staring into each other’s soul that one could find the answer. Moments of uncertainty and fear that gave all the fighting and screaming meaning. 

She stayed silent, reading his eyes for answers that he was attempting to mask, reading him as if she could see what was in his mind. Her thumb brushed the surface of his freshly shaved jawline while fingertips outlined his face, his brows, his nose, his lips. Her own eyes asking him the question he would soon have to answer. Where have you been?

To say Hades had the instinctual gift of deception was putting it lightly. Not quite a trickster as Hermes, but rather a god who was capable of twisting the ‘truth’ in a way to get him what he wanted. Lying was simply second nature, the same way as it was to any villainous human in history; the gift of using his ideals in such a way that brought others to his feet, begging to be apart of his movement.

And then there was Persephone. The god of the underworld was not foolish, he was certainly aware that she had picked up that trait, perhaps at a small and less evil scale, but that had made her immune to such tricks. Even still, Hades had never wanted to lie to her in the first place... he valued her far too much. If there was one thing he could pride himself on for being her lover, it was that he was almost always honest.

Sure, little white lies slipped by from time to time, far too long in-between to ever even remember. From the goddess’ first night in the underworld, Hades was only open and completely truthful about their situation. It was cruelly ironic, for him to be so honest about his love for her while she did everything in her power to hide her love for him.

This brought him to an inevitable decision; her petite hands framing his face as they stood silently lost in each others’ eyes. He’d had Geoffrey lie. The truth of where he’d been was likely enough to push her over the edge, and he wasn't entirely sure if it was worth it not to lie again. Perhaps he had a slight advantage over his brothers, their wives would have this same conversation nearly day after day, only their husband would have to admit to their infidelity rather than their criminal punishment. Hades would never... could never find himself in the arms of another woman. Was it a relief? An even trade off? A life of evil rather than a life of cheating? He honestly didn't know which Persephone would have preferred if given a choice.

No longer able to hide behind the silence as her eyes screamed the simple question, the god drew in a heavy breath. “I've been...” he started before his voice faltered, hazel hues practically begging for forgiveness for the hurt and fear his actions would cause her; silently taking responsibility for the mess he’d made.

“Right after the event... I wanted to check up on you-- to be there for you. But... the cops brought me in for questioning.” He drew another long breath as his eyes lowered to avoid meeting hers. “They asked me about Joseph.”