From the time she was a pup, Evie had been taught that two creatures exist: humans and werewolves. And the former could never learn of the latter under punishment of death. However the injured man she’d found... He didn’t smell like anything she’d ever encountered before. He was also shifting back and forth in front of her, scales and fangs appearing and then disappearing. Honestly, she didn’t even know if she was helping him or making things worse. But she was trying to keep him calm and cool in the lone bed in her tiny cabin, and when he finally spoke, she softly reassured him, “It’s okay, it’s all right - you’re safe. I just... Can you tell me how to help you?” A beat passed before she asked, “Should I be taking you to the water?” Given what she’d witnessed - well, if the situation was reversed, completely shifting into her wolf form would help her to heal faster. Maybe the same was true for him.
"I touched her..." Hel lifted her eyebrows in lieu of words, "And she touched my.." Her eyes widened as she turned her head on an angle slightly. "It was the craziest thing." The redhead giggled as her fingers playfully tapped the side of her cup. Her cheeks were red from drink and her thoughts easy as she shot the shit with the man she had clearly come to trust if she was admitting to touching another womans...
What is that word? She thought to herself. Languages were hard and sometimes even native tongues fall lax from disuse. Hel looked to Ulysses, wondering if he had got it through context clues. They had just been talking about mystical items, afterall!
In Greek Mythos AU... Zagreus is basically Devlin’s other half, he's Hades’ son from way back in the mythic timeline, the guy who kept trying to break out of the Underworld. In my verse he’s not some separate, fully active deity; he’s more like the ancient warrior-spirit Devlin ended up fusing with during his years in death. He’s fierce, stubborn, stupidly resilient, and has a long history of rebelling against the Underworld’s rules. So Dev, reincarnated, carries his instincts, his fire, and some of his memories but they’re blended, not two people fighting for control.
Essentially: Zagreus is the older, battle-scarred version of what Devlin could’ve become, and now they’re soul-bound in a way that makes Devlin stronger… and he's occasionally haunted by Zagreus’s past.
Also in this verse, Ulysses (Poseidon’s son; @deepseawarlock ) is actually Devlin’s cousin, since their godly dads are brothers; so the two of them end up with this chaotic, “family reunion from hell” energy whenever they team up.
Sigrid Tanzer had always hated the city. It was literally unnatural--a sharp, uncomfortable constrast to what she'd grown up with. Her father had raised her in a fairly quiet town where everything one needed was just about within walking distance. Beyond that, they went on camping and hunting trips with their family & Sigrid used to love walking with her father in the forest, soft-spoken conversations only interrupted by the occasional howl or birdsong. The city had sudden yells, glaring lights, & the lingering smell of weed combined with gas. Its characteristics weren't alarming to her anymore (as they had been when she'd 1st moved to Norway)...now they were simply annoying.
She loved getting to end her day with a drive up to her home outside of the city, almost as much as she loved the animals she took care of. Sigrid had checked on all of her patients, making sure they had enough food, water, & comfort. She was headed for the back door, ready to leave, when she heard someone knocking. She frowned & stayed quiet--the lights were off. They had been for the past 40 minutes or so, minus the nightlight she kept on for the animals who were afraid of the dark (yes, that cost money). She'd made it pretty damn clear that her business was closed.
Sigrid waited again, expecting to hear the voice of a concerned pet owner, maybe a kid. She'd hate to stay even later in the night (it was climbing awfully closer to 10), but she understood worrying about a friend who couldn't express their frustration verbally or physically handle a bottle of medication with their paws.
"It would be an understatement to say that I am not impressed..."
It wasn't her choice to be turned into a mermaid, and Ulysses knew that. If he thought she was thrilled about no longer having legs and having to lie around in the water all the time, he was mistaken.
“What’s the point of immortality if you’re not going to haunt a few hearts on the way?”
"Arg." Piper looked at him in disgust even though she knew that she wasn't exactly innocent in that department. Not the immortality bit but certainly the breaking hearts one. Still she was going to give him that look no matter what.
"I really hope those aren't the lessons you taught Marisol She has so much potential to be a better person."
A Necessary Regimen? || apollymi & ulysses drabble
@deepseawarlock
Apollymi planted her hands on her hips the moment she found Ulysses lounging on a sun-bleached rock, his seaweed mantle dripping saltwater. He looked smug, as usual, like Poseidon’s least employable nephew.
“Ulysses,” she began, her tone sharp enough to slice kelp, “I just spoke with a certain mermaid-now human-who said you helped her get legs.”
Ulysses spread his arms, grinning. “I provide a valuable public service. Mobility. Opportunity. A chance to try shoes. Very empowering.”
“Yes, but she also mentioned,” Apollymi said, narrowing her eyes, “that you… supervised some kind of ‘conditioning regimen’?”
“Of course.” He sat up straighter, all offended dignity. “You can’t just slap a pair of legs on someone who’s spent her life swimming. There are muscles to strengthen! Tendons to align! Balance to practice!”
“Uh-huh.” Apollymi tapped her foot. “Funny how all of that apparently involved her being in your bed.”
Ulysses blinked, then raised a finger. “Technically, it was her bed. Much better mattress.”
“Oh, that makes it fine then,” Apollymi shot back. “Tell me, are the pelvic stretches really mission-critical, or do you just like to dress up bad flirting as physical therapy?”
He leaned forward, eyes bright with mock seriousness. “Apollymi, these are ancient rites. Do you know how easily a new biped could topple over? One misplaced hip rotation and she’d be face-first in the dirt! I am safeguarding their dignity.”
She barked a laugh despite herself. “Dignity? You’re sleeping with them.”
“Consensually!” Ulysses said quickly, holding up both hands. “I never push. They come to me! I merely… facilitate the transition.”
“Oh, you’re facilitating, all right,” Apollymi muttered, crossing her arms. “You’re basically the ocean’s sleaziest personal trainer.”
Ulysses gasped like she’d stabbed him. “How dare you! I am not a sleaze. I am a healer, a guide, a-” He paused, smirking. “-a man with excellent core strength.”
Apollymi groaned, shoving a hand over her face. “You are impossible. You know that, right?”
“Impossible,” he said with a wink, “but effective. The ladies do end up walking tall.”
