#*ariadne

[elyariadne]

daughter of spring ( template )

[classicsfem]

types of people: underrated greek goddesses

hemera (ἡμέρα): easy smiles, lacy white curtains, a strong sense of justice, making all of your own beauty products, romantic comedies, bullet journals, baking your own bread, picnics by the lake, leg warmers, paintings of trees and flowers, talks a little too loud.

nyx (νύξ): ghost hunting, heavy old lockets, always starting new collections, horror films, 24-hour diners, listening to the rain against your window, piano melodies, a little paranoid, layered clothing, being comfortable on your own, cautious about new relationships, black hair ribbons, very dark lipstick.

keto (κητώ): pearl earrings, cashmere and amber scents, feeling homesick for the sea, long hair, cooking shows, loves learning, not being able to keep your houseplants alive, the taste of saltwater on your tongue, vintage maps as decoration, unbleached cotton, yearning for adventure, walking barefoot in the sand.

britomartis (βριτόμαρτις): worn leather boots, comfort over style, feeling at home in the forest, string instruments, the smell of pine needles, being underestimated by your peers, loves autumn, road trips, good at crafts, folk music, sitting around the fire with your family and friends, loving too fiercely.

ariadne (ἀριάδνη): walking alone through art museums, braided rugs, dancing barefoot through your house, untamed rose bushes, stargazing, true crime podcasts, feeling like the madwoman in the attic, mending your own clothes, family heirlooms, always trying to find yourself, exploring abandoned places.

epione (ἠπιόνη): a welcoming home, softly playing music, believing in the healing power of freshly brewed coffee, changing your hairstyle every few weeks, too many notebooks, string lights, uses old teapots as planters, the mom friend, puts others’ needs first far too often, an impressive DVD collection.

[classicsfem]

ἀναδυομένη

i. ἀριάδνη — the weaving daughter of minoa, charged with watching over the halls of dread and horror.

ii. ἀφορδίτα — the seaborn daughter of stars and earth, a love as deep and vast as the ocean itself.

iii. hardly loved by one, shallowed gradually by a sea of fleeting deathly faces, she would gladly carve out pieces of her own soul to be embraced, to be truly seen.

iv. a cypriot who longed for lips of ivory, handmaids who looked upon the others in secret—those who loved viscerally, strangely, always found a blessing in her touch. love blooms in the dark, but i will lead you out, said her hands, and she opened their eyes to the eventual light.

v. she unraveled her own string, slowly and carefully, to guide another through her nightmarish maze. he was led to her heart, the heart of her home, and still he did not feel moved.

vi. she could guide those who felt love stir in their hearts, but she watched those without love as well—like the princess who saw so many sacrifices that she become one herself.

vii. she knew well how to alchemize distress into pleasure, so when his eyes drifted far from her face and his tongue dulled his declarations of love, she pretended not to realize. they left minoa behind, and she let her heart be eroded by the crash of the waves against the ship.

viii. it seemed to her that day that the princess was birthed from the sea as well: the storm that came was sudden and fierce in its rage, desperate to claim lives for the depths of the sea. she watched the princess disappear under the violent waves, only to resurface on the shores of amathous, her hair and face scrubbed clean with salt.

ix. her thoughts under the water had been fervent, almost joyous: at last they have come for me, at last i might slip away. the storm was unforgiving and wild, and she was alone in the dark of the sea. she closed her eyes and did not kick. for a few endless moments, she felt at peace—then the world rushed up to greet her anew, with sand coating her hair and a terrible pain in her shoulder.

x. a seaborn woman knew what others did not: the ocean was not a cruel and ungoverned world to bury the dark secrets of men. it was not a watery grave nor a place of absolution. it was a crucible for life, the birthplace of love itself. and above all, the sea was a mirror. its glassy surface reflected the sins of land and sky, and it buried only what it wished to bury; the rest would be delivered in time. she looked upon the face of the princess, and her heart said: this pain was born of men’s sin, and it ends here. so she stepped forward.

xi. the woman was so beautiful that ariadne might have thought she was dreaming, if not for the grounding of her pain and the sound of the waves. distantly she heard the call of her name, but she could not answer for having been overcome with a sense of longing, belonging. she could see calm waters in this woman’s eyes, and she was adorned with strings of beautiful pearls, woven through her curls, hanging from her throat. ariadne felt a sweet ache in her chest and wondered where that feeling had been all her life.

xii. aphrodite knew beauty and she knew love, whether it was in its bare infancy or of such a great age that it would soon fade from the mortal world. there was fleeting beauty and love extinguished too soon; there was love that spanned decades and beauty in the thousand-wrinkled faces of a woman who lived to see new generations. civilizations had risen and fallen, and rise and fall they would again, but aphrodite did not think she would be as moved then as she was by the princess ariadne—salt-covered and wounded but whole, whole in a way that she couldn’t stand to see that glory-hungry athenian wear away, not when the whole world had already tried so desperately.

xiv. “where do i lie?”

xv. “you lie on the shores of amathous, on the island of cypros.”

xvi. “i must go now, to my husband.”

xvii.  “what husband is he, beloved? for his ship already moves toward the horizon.”

xix. ariadne knew it to be true before the beautiful woman answered, but still some part of her had clung to the hope that she could be embraced, could be seen, could be loved by another the way that she longed to be. her eyes fluttered closed and she breathed in the cool salty air. somehow, she knew the woman would not leave.

xx. aphrodite watched and waited for her to steady herself. her dark hair was tangled, her dress had torn at the breast, and blood dripped slowly from the cut on her arm, but there was a look on her face that suggested rebirth, something blooming from the dark of the sea. somehow, she knew the woman would not leave.

[northernscruffycat]

wip meme

Rules: post the last line you wrote (from any wip) and tag the same number of people as there are words.  @pandirpus and @krokonoko (also anyone else who wants to do this):  It’s a big bed, after all, so they might as well make the most of it.

[northernscruffycat]

wip meme

Rules: post the last line you wrote (from any wip) and tag the same number of people as there are words.   Tagged by @krokonoko​, tagging anyone Greed is in his nature and he can understand her wanting more and more of him, in the same manner that he does towards her in return.

[northernscruffycat]

wip meme

Rules: post the last line you wrote (from any wip) and tag the same number of people as there are words.   i’m gonna level with you folks, @pandirpus​ and i are just tagging each other back and forth while we work on our stuff, but feel free to join in if you want to power through your wips as well: In response to this, he feels one of Ariadne’s hands move up to his long hair, her own fingers entwining with the purple strands and tugging lightly.

[northernscruffycat]

🌹

“-a waste of time! Would you not be our prince and saviour, I would completely disregarded your command!”

“As would I, be our situations reversed, but can we do to ignore the will of the gods themselves? Their favours are so fickle!”

“Assuming you did indeed hear their words and have not just been enjoying too deeply the fruits of Dionysus to celebrate your own victory!”

“His wine has not passed my lips!”

...This is the argument that Ariadne is awoken to, as the next time she opens her eyes, she is faced with Theseus and one of the elder seafarers, both of whom are completely ignoring her. But Ariadne is still the Princess of Crete and not to be dismissed. She pulls herself to sit up, swinging her legs out over the side of her bed, as she regards the two raging men.

“What is it that you quarrel over so loudly this morning?” she asks.

The seafarer looks between Theseus and Ariadne, seeming hostile towards both of them; “Your betrothed sees fit to waste a day of fine weather, because he believes that Athena herself visited him in the night and gave him a warning from Poseidon to stop off at Naxos. He will not listen to reason!”

Athena...

The dream of golden light...

Had Ariadne, too, been visited by Athena? If this is to be true, then she sees no reason to doubt Theseus's words.

“Whether he speaks truth or not, is it worth risking the wrath of the gods? Besides, Naxos is an island of Dionysus, is it not? I would personally like to visit it and I feel that the crew would not be opposed to a rest.”

“There certainly is too much Dionysus around here...”

The seafarer mutters this, but must realise that he's outnumbered and storms away, leaving Theseus alone with Ariadne. The times when they are both alone are always the most awkward. Ariadne rubs her eyes, talking first, since Theseus looks as distracted as he always is.

“If I was him, I would not be so bold to assume that I knew the waters better than Poseidon.”

“It is not Poseidon he doubts, but me,” Theseus mutters.

“I cannot see why. You may be young, but you've already proven yourself beyond compare.”

“Perhaps if I had seemed more certain in my own assessment...”

With that, the prince walks away, without waiting for her to respond. It would've been a waste, Ariadne decides. For he has made it obvious that he does not respect her words, either when offering advice or comfort. If it truly was Athena last night who promised Ariadne that she would find her true love on Naxos, then Ariadne cannot see how. At least not with Prince Theseus at her side.