#midnight ocean

[konigsberg]

Midnight Ocean: Update

Fandom: Hades (Game) Pairing: Thanzag Rating: E Status: In progress Word count: 715,782 Tags:  alternate universe, romance, mystery, secret identity, strangers to lovers, marriage of convenience, fake/pretend relationship, domestic, hurt/comfort, gentleness, family secrets, self-discovery, inspired by eros and psyche, first time, cuddling, sharing a bed

“Please consider what I’m about to say. Think of it as you return to your mother. You must put as much thought into it as you can. Will you? Please, promise me you will.” “Yes! Whatever it is, I’ll consider it.” “Eventually Lord Hades will have mercy upon you. He will. I know that must sound strange—the most severe of the gods showing mercy where his kindred won’t—but it’s the truth. The Olympians are more… unreliable. The only way I can see to protect the Underworld and in turn you and your mother is this: Bind yourself to me.” His hands tremble. He brushes his thumb along the crook of Zag’s throat, so very sweet, even when he’s rigid with tension. “Wed me.” Raised by his mother far away from both Olympus and the Underworld, a strange series of events leads Zagreus to meeting a faceless, nameless Chthonic god.

Start from the beginning or go to the latest chapter.

Reblogs, likes, comments, kudos, etc. are all very appreciated!

[konigsberg]

As thanks for everyone's patience, if you want, here are a couple of snippets of what's to come in Midnight Ocean. Of course, beware of spoilers under the cut.

“Come here,” Than murmurs, though he’s the one to step up to Moros.

Moros is deer-still all the while, his eyes never once leaving Than’s face, though they flicker from gold to red to red and green.

“Are you well?” Than asks, swiping a streak of mortal blood from Moros’ cheek with his thumb, thinking of Nyx thumbing at his own cheeks. He doesn’t maintain the contact long, though he stays close and keeps his back to Ares despite the weight of his attention.

Moros’ lips part. He looks soft. Young.

Brotherly instincts are something Thanatos has experienced only rarely. Perhaps those of a little brother, but he’s often felt as if he’s lacking those of an elder. Whatever was engrained in Charon that allowed him to sense when Than, as a little boy, was about to shift somewhere he shouldn’t before the fact, or to catch Hypnos’ head just before it hit a table or some other hard surface when he fell asleep, never quite woke up inside Than. They never stirred, alerting him that he was about to set off one of Moros’ moods. Never told him how to respond when his little brother was sent into a fit of tears because he saw another horrific fate he couldn’t even put into words, beyond broken bits: a liver, a woman with hair like fire and a broken tongue, a swallowing of flesh, they’re going to die, they’re all going to—But Than feels those instincts now.

.

“Oh, what’s this?” Aphrodite leans closer, her endless eyes glinting. “No, no! Allow your mind to wander again, dearest!”

Shaking himself, Thanatos returns to his body. “I—Pardon?”

Aphrodite taps a nail against his gorget, just where it rests over his sternum. “You were thinking of that little godling, weren’t you? I can tell these things!” She dips her head, giving him a conspiratorial look. “You light right up…”

Sweat prickles down Thanatos’ spine. “I-I see.”

[marlodramatic]

you need this bear. you know you do, i know you do. you need him.

[konigsberg]

Midnight Ocean: Update

Fandom: Hades (Game) Pairing: Thanzag Rating: E Status: In progress Word count: 694,235 Tags:  alternate universe, romance, mystery, secret identity, strangers to lovers, marriage of convenience, fake/pretend relationship, domestic, hurt/comfort, gentleness, family secrets, self-discovery, inspired by eros and psyche, first time, cuddling, sharing a bed

“Please consider what I’m about to say. Think of it as you return to your mother. You must put as much thought into it as you can. Will you? Please, promise me you will.” “Yes! Whatever it is, I’ll consider it.” “Eventually Lord Hades will have mercy upon you. He will. I know that must sound strange—the most severe of the gods showing mercy where his kindred won’t—but it’s the truth. The Olympians are more… unreliable. The only way I can see to protect the Underworld and in turn you and your mother is this: Bind yourself to me.” His hands tremble. He brushes his thumb along the crook of Zag’s throat, so very sweet, even when he’s rigid with tension. “Wed me.” Raised by his mother far away from both Olympus and the Underworld, a strange series of events leads Zagreus to meeting a faceless, nameless Chthonic god.

Start from the beginning or go to the latest chapter.

Reblogs, likes, comments, kudos, etc. are all very appreciated!

[konigsberg]

Midnight Ocean: Update

Fandom: Hades (Game) Pairing: Thanzag Rating: E Status: In progress Word count: 694,235 Tags:  alternate universe, romance, mystery, secret identity, strangers to lovers, marriage of convenience, fake/pretend relationship, domestic, hurt/comfort, gentleness, family secrets, self-discovery, inspired by eros and psyche, first time, cuddling, sharing a bed

“Please consider what I’m about to say. Think of it as you return to your mother. You must put as much thought into it as you can. Will you? Please, promise me you will.” “Yes! Whatever it is, I’ll consider it.” “Eventually Lord Hades will have mercy upon you. He will. I know that must sound strange—the most severe of the gods showing mercy where his kindred won’t—but it’s the truth. The Olympians are more… unreliable. The only way I can see to protect the Underworld and in turn you and your mother is this: Bind yourself to me.” His hands tremble. He brushes his thumb along the crook of Zag’s throat, so very sweet, even when he’s rigid with tension. “Wed me.” Raised by his mother far away from both Olympus and the Underworld, a strange series of events leads Zagreus to meeting a faceless, nameless Chthonic god.

Start from the beginning or go to the latest chapter.

Reblogs, likes, comments, kudos, etc. are all very appreciated!

[konigsberg]

Midnight Ocean: Update

Fandom: Hades (Game) Pairing: Thanzag Rating: E Status: In progress Word count: 682,140 Tags:  alternate universe, romance, mystery, secret identity, strangers to lovers, marriage of convenience, fake/pretend relationship, domestic, hurt/comfort, gentleness, family secrets, self-discovery, inspired by eros and psyche, first time, cuddling, sharing a bed

“Please consider what I’m about to say. Think of it as you return to your mother. You must put as much thought into it as you can. Will you? Please, promise me you will.” “Yes! Whatever it is, I’ll consider it.” “Eventually Lord Hades will have mercy upon you. He will. I know that must sound strange—the most severe of the gods showing mercy where his kindred won’t—but it’s the truth. The Olympians are more… unreliable. The only way I can see to protect the Underworld and in turn you and your mother is this: Bind yourself to me.” His hands tremble. He brushes his thumb along the crook of Zag’s throat, so very sweet, even when he’s rigid with tension. “Wed me.” Raised by his mother far away from both Olympus and the Underworld, a strange series of events leads Zagreus to meeting a faceless, nameless Chthonic god.

Start from the beginning or go to the latest chapter.

Reblogs, likes, comments, kudos, etc. are all very appreciated!

[konigsberg]

Midnight Ocean: Update

Fandom: Hades (Game) Pairing: Thanzag Rating: E Status: In progress Word count: 673,412 Tags:  alternate universe, romance, mystery, secret identity, strangers to lovers, marriage of convenience, fake/pretend relationship, domestic, hurt/comfort, gentleness, family secrets, self-discovery, inspired by eros and psyche, first time, cuddling, sharing a bed

“Please consider what I’m about to say. Think of it as you return to your mother. You must put as much thought into it as you can. Will you? Please, promise me you will.” “Yes! Whatever it is, I’ll consider it.” “Eventually Lord Hades will have mercy upon you. He will. I know that must sound strange—the most severe of the gods showing mercy where his kindred won’t—but it’s the truth. The Olympians are more… unreliable. The only way I can see to protect the Underworld and in turn you and your mother is this: Bind yourself to me.” His hands tremble. He brushes his thumb along the crook of Zag’s throat, so very sweet, even when he’s rigid with tension. “Wed me.” Raised by his mother far away from both Olympus and the Underworld, a strange series of events leads Zagreus to meeting a faceless, nameless Chthonic god.

Start from the beginning or go to the latest chapter.

Reblogs, likes, comments, kudos, etc. are all very appreciated!

[konigsberg]

Hi, sorry to bother, but I have a question. I started reading Midnight Ocean last night but I'm having a difficult time understanding and picturing Than's pall thing. From what I understand, a pall is like a cloth, but if that's so, how can Zag see him frown and smile? Is it more of a thin veil? Sorry for all the questions and if it sounds awkward, I don't normally send asks

I put together some reference images on twitter that I don't think I ever posted here, so I'll put those below, but I think fanart people have made probably expresses it best, so I'll start with some links to those:

Phybe's version of the pall

Sasha's version of the pall

Some versions that come up later in the fic:

Suugiiart's version of the pall

Riptide's version of the pall

I think all of these pieces do a really good job of showing both the concealment and visible expression I had in mind, whether it's interpreted as the pall being slightly sheer (like a wedding veil) so you can make out just enough of Thanatos' expression to interpret it, or for light to almost project his features across it.

The pall is based on the shawl Nyx gives Zagreus, but it's also meant to be a dual reference to both funeral palls and wedding veils.

Galaxy bride from Robert Wun Fall 2024 collection, is a good example and one people often send to me because it resonates well, I think.

This is Jan Punt’s “The Four Corners of the Pall” which depicts a royal funeral procession. The pall over the casket is the sort of thing I had in mind, at least in a symbolic sense if nothing else.

Like Nyx's shawl, I wanted it to have a nature both akin to something celestial, like a nebula's almost "cloudy" form, but also to move like fabric depending on the situation.

Part of how Zagreus is interpreting Thanatos' expression is there being colors moving across or beneath the fabric that outline Thanatos' features and/or correlate with his moods in some capacity. Some of the movements of colors across its surface are also inspired by auroras.

This was also influenced by the way octopuses change colors.

I don't want to put this in here because it's... very slightly adult. So I'll just link to the twitter posts. First, a man in a sort of veil but it's wet, so it clings to his skin. The way wet fabric clings to skin in general is also a big influence, the way it can make the outline of a body clear while also concealing it. Second, body painting.

Hopefully this helps some? There are a few more images on twitter, but I think these are probably the clearest.