Gen is immortal and always waits for senku to reincarnate, some lifetimes are happy, some are sad, some are bittersweet, some senku is already in love with someone else and gen just watches from afar how the person he loves the most in the world is with someone else because he doesn’t have any memories of their lifetimes. Some lifetimes Senku has some vague memories and he wonders about gen’s love for him, if he really love senku or just the thought of the person he used to be. They are in this cycle of reincarnation and waiting for 2000 years.
Their first lifetime was sweet just a little inconvenient when gen stops aging, it’s childhood friends turn lover. One of the sad life’s is because senku is always into science/magic/alchemy and it is banned because they were living in the empire that start the ban and Senku is ‘i won’t let it stop me’ because there was a plague going around.
Senku was on the look for a cure and later they gen caught, Senku sacrificed his life to save gen because they don’t know exactly how gen’s immortality works. After that lifetime Gen blames himself about Senku’s death, that’s not the only lifetime were Senku sacrificed himself to save Gen. Later he just learns to deal with the pain cause in a lot life times senku sacrifice for him, (again because they don’t know how his immortality works) but later they learn how it works and it’s not pretty.
On one of the lifetimes Senku is born as the prince of a kingdom and his like HA! POWER later meets gen and make a great empire he dies from old age and Gen goes back to the magic tower to wait for Senku.
As I said it’s a mix they do have happy lifetimes one that is happy and bitter sweet at the same time is the one senku doesn’t have memories and falls in love with someone else BUT LOVES GEN PLATONICALLY cause soulmates and gen is happy cause senku is happy
They are soulmates so it doesn’t matter the person they are at the moment (on senku side) they always find each other. their soul is connected in a way that not many souls are connected and they are able to love each other not matter which way platonically or romantic but most of the reincarnation go to romantically it would be so funny to mix it with canon on a way that immortal gen has to die for it but they both reincarnate and find each other again
On my Yuzentai agenda as platonic friends. They’ll find each other. Not on every timeline
I want Senku to be like “now that i have the memories of all this lifetimes there’s more science/magic/alchemy to explore” also because their cycle of reincarnation and waiting goes around 1.5k - 2k Senku knows shit that was forgotten throughout history and he be like “i need to finish a study i started like two lifetimes ago and i didn’t have time to finish it cause that stupid king killed me” so nonchalant while Gen is like “senku dear can we please stop talking how you died two lifetimes ago”
Twist
On their last lifetime on the fantasy world something big happens and all their souls go into the canon universe because what you mean aliens exist and no magic.
Before the reincarnation to canon Gen was the owner of the biggest magic tower but he was the man behind everything while someone pose as the head of the tower Gen was the Archmage. Later on the canon reincarnation he goes to magic and mentalism because of his childhood but because something inside him is calling him aka i’m listening to sleeping giants by crane wives
Also other people from the show will appear but not remember, but they’ll have the feeling of comrade or something going on when they all meet each other.
Also going with crappy (the reason i’m posting this) agenda of suika as sengen child
Notes
for me on the fantasy system that lives on my head souls cannot be replaced with new ones if a soul is destroyed it disappears from existence.
souls can be combine but once that is done the new soul is a new person and the other disappears from existence. the new soul will have echos of their past lifetimes as different persons but they are not those people.
Danny Fenton/Jason Todd, Ghost King Danny Fenton, Danny is the Ancient of Space, Jason becomes a halfa eventually, they are college students in this, Jason is the original Jason of Jason and the Argonauts, Jason reincarnation!au, cursing, injuries but nothing graphic, Bruce Is Trying His Best, Bruce is suspicious of Danny, Danny gets roped into being a vigilante again, Poisoning Mentions, Mentions of Cancer, as in Jason thinks he has cancer when its just memories
Summary:
Jason is trying to live his second chance at life to the fullest: protecting Gotham's streets as the Red Hood, going to college to get a degree, participating in Gotham's Renaissance Faire, getting a boyfriend, all of it. Sure, he's been daydreaming a lot more and it might be becoming a major problem and his boyfriend is apparently a meta who saved his kid brother after a mission gone wrong, but as far as he was concerned those were nothing to worry about. What he does need to worry about is homework and rogues attempting to kill him... right?
like the hands on the clock, the story of jihoon and [first name] will go back to the start.
๑彡 lee jihoon x gender neutral!reader
๑彡 reincarnation!au, see you in my 19th life-inspired!au — character death — angst
๑彡 paragraph format — 1.4K words
masterlist
[gif’s full credit belongs solely to its owner]
Lee Jihoon is tired. Exhausted. Drained.
He has seen a million sunsets from multiple corners of the world. He has seen countless empires rise and fall into the ashes they once came from. He has seen hundreds — if not thousands — of people he was once close to succumb to the way of the world.
He has lived through a number of predicted world ends, just to witness another day after.
But Lee Jihoon is not immortal. He is not a vampire, not a werewolf, not a wizard, nor an owner of an elixir.
Rather, Lee Jihoon is a mere mortal — burdened with the memories of his past lives.
However, for someone who can remember all sixteen of his past lives, he sure has forgotten a lot of things over the centuries. He supposed he has the imperfection of human brains to thank, especially in regards to his accumulated memories blurring together after he reached his seventh life. It is not like he prefers it any other way, anyway, since the said flaws actually lessened the burden of remembering.
He no longer remembers when he decided to lessen the deep connections he makes in each life . . . until eventually he stopped all together. He recognizes that decision made him colder in each reincarnation, but he found himself not caring. People will forget him anyway, but he will not. At least not until his memories of them join the blur.
Lee Jihoon has no regrets living detached, especially if he survived sixteen past lives to date without going insane. And now, on his seventeenth life, he plans to live similarly.
Except he met [first name].
[Full name]. The child of his mother’s best friend. The child who is protected from the world’s cruelty by their age and is full of curiosity and wonder because of it. The child who is, more likely than not, currently living their first life.
At first, Jihoon was annoyed by [first name]. How could he not? They literally walked into his life fascinated by sunlight and rainbows, as if they were made of magic. It was appropriate for their age then, single-digit it was, as it was for him — although he was a few years older. He did not count their naïveté against them, though, partly because he would have been in the same boat had he not regained all of his memories a week before they met. If anything, it was safer to say that he was actually jealous of [first name]; envious of their ability to keep their innocence until they are old enough to find out the truth themselves, without memories of past lives ruining the rose-tinted glasses early on.
Jihoon tried his hardest to be nonchalant about [first name]’s existence. It even came to the point where he tried to ignore them the best way he could, just to put more distance between. However, his efforts had been proven to be futile — especially given that [first name] was an oblivious and persistent child. Thus, against his own judgment, he still wound up attached to them.
Instead of using his jealousy to rip away their innocence about the world, Jihoon uses his feelings to protect their innocence for as long as he can. After all, he might have preferred to don a cold exterior, but he is not entirely heartless. And since he is not given the chance to enjoy an untainted world view, he made it his personal mission that [first name] does. For both of their sakes.
Through [first name], Jihoon gets to live. He is not simply existing nor trudging through his seventeenth life. He actually has a purpose — and is actually making memories worth remembering.
And yet . . . he still holds [first name] at a distance. He merely considers them as a child that needs his protection, rather than as a best friend — like how they see him as. It is undeniable that he cares for them more than he would like to admit, but his curse is hindering him from accepting it.
Lee Jihoon simply cannot experience another lifetime of longing for a soul who will not remember him once their life resets. He simply refuses to.
However, like a flame to a moth, [full name] is oblivious to the dilemma they are unknowingly putting him through.
On the day of [first name]’s tenth birthday, they are strangely adamant that Jihoon has to spend it with them. Albeit they have known each other for years at this point, they have yet to celebrate [first name]’s birthday together. It really is not a big deal, especially considering that they see each other fairly often, but it is apparently so for [first name]. And Jihoon, who prioritizes their happiness above all else, just has no other choice.
"What ride are you looking forward to go on, [first name]-ssi?" The chosen address is a manifestation of Jihoon’s attempt to put a distance between, while not ignoring the familiarity. Frankly, it is a stark contrast to [first name]’s chosen address for him, ‘Jiji’ and ‘Hoon-ie’, considering that they are much more unconstrained when it comes to feelings and societal norms.
"The carousel!" The birthday celebrant exclaims excitedly, making him face them in anticipation for their inevitable blabber. Truth be told, Jihoon has grown fond of watching [first name] talk about something they feel strongly about. Especially since he gets to witness the strengthening spark in their eyes whenever they get more excited. "You should ride it—"
However, this time, the blooming feeling in his chest is not light. Rather, once his head turns towards them, he is suddenly filled with a familiar suffocating feeling.
An intuition he only gets whenever he is close to reset.
Jihoon’s mind is immediately at a panic. The fact that his intuition flared up now, while he is still inside a moving vehicle, can only mean—
He feels the impact first, before he hears the shattering and the bending.
He wants to call out to [first name]. But he finds himself unable to. Not when his breath has been knocked out of him. Especially not when he can feel hot liquid oozing down his face.
It takes an incredible amount of will and pain to even try to look at [first name]’s face. However, all of those are nothing compared to the moment when he finally sees what he is looking for.
[First name] suffered more from the impact, no doubt because most of the force came in their general direction. He cannot see how he looks like at the moment, but it is easy to imagine he does not look as bad as [first name]. Especially because their eyes stayed close even after the effect of the impact has subdued. Still, he thinks nothing of their stillness, mostly because he does not have enough blood flowing through his brain to even think.
And yet, just before the blood loss overtakes his consciousness, Lee Jihoon suddenly remembers the first life he has forgotten.
He started out as a prince. In an era where rivalry between neighboring kingdoms were prevalent and deadly, he just so happened to be in love with a child of an enemy. They managed to keep it within themselves in the cloak of the night, but—
Someone eventually ripped the comfort of the cloak away. And with it, came the price.
The prince was forced to watch the love of his life get executed, prohibited to do anything by the rope around his feet and by the strong arms locking his own in place. They showed no mercy with the royal-born, mostly because one had the blood of the enemy and the other had been labeled a traitor.
Fortunately, with the ounce of mercy left within their being, the guards at least allowed the two to bid farewell.
I’ll find you in the life after death. Even it takes a hundred lifetimes, wait for me. I’ll find you.
His so-called curse, as it turns out, originates from an oath. A promise born from pain, which inflicted knives of loneliness once forgotten. A promise so sincere that both the universe and time conspired to see its completion.
And after sixteen more lifetimes, Lee Jihoon has finally found the reincarnation of his love from his first life. [First name].
Unbeknownst to him, long before he started fighting for his life in the ICU, [first name] has already started their journey on the next do-over.
ch. warnings: none? just childe trying the steal the show -.-
wc: 2.8K
a/n: this chapter took on a mind of it’s own tbh. rip
it’s another beautiful spring day, just like the one all those years ago. you’re lost in thought as you finish your final duties for the day. it’s been about 5 years now since ningguang found you lounging amongst a field of grass near a small patch of ruins. you had allowed yourself to be nostalgic on that day. after all, it had been about 15 years since you last visited the guili plains.
you’d made sure that none of the archons or adepti would be present but you had forgotten to account for anyone else. it wasn’t common for the mortals to linger around these specific ruins, at least not in the past. one moment you were enjoying the sunlight beaming down on you while you rested your eyes, the next, a shadow was cast over you by a young woman. when you opened your eyes to peer at the figure interrupting your peace, you were faced with a beautiful and fair woman with long pale blonde hair that subtly turns grey at the ends. her eyes a striking red that were kind hearted but also clouded by a ferocity that intrigued you.
ningguang had managed to capture you, an adeptus that had been a lone nomad since you were put back on this world over 200 years ago. she lured you into her, back then small, jade chamber that was nothing more than the size of a room and still earthbound. if it weren’t for the curve of the coastline and the spear-like stones left behind by the geo archon in the distance, you wouldn’t have recognized that you were once again back in liyue harbor. you had scolded yourself, all that effort you’d put into avoiding the main city in the great nation of the geo archon, gone just like that.
you had been roped into becoming one of seven qixing, a head merchant of the city, and a business partner to ningguang. you’ve become exceedingly close with the ambitious tianquan, head spearing most of the construction added to the jade chamber over the years. she has become your partner in crime and closest confidant. if someone could find one of you, the other wasn't too far behind. much like now, just as you were sealing your last task of the day, ningguang walks in looking quite flustered.
“what’s that look for?” you’re suddenly on high alert, it took a lot for ninguang to get rattled like this.
the obviously stressed official sighs. “i’ve been making preparations for the rite of descension and the fatui are sticking their noses into every minute move i make. i can’t imagine what has got them so on edge that their spies are being this clumsy.”
“i’ll have a word with childe. he owes me a dinner, anyway.” you sigh at the thought of interacting with childe. his own energy always managing to suck out all of yours.
“oh? does he now?” ningguang gives you a pointed look and you scoff.
shaking your head as you rise from your seat, “it’s not like that, ning. he’s hardly tolerable on his best days.”
she hums, “whatever you say, lady y/n.” she mocks with a playful tone and you roll your eyes at her yet can’t help but giggle along with her. “lady y/n” is the title childe constantly and flirtatiously insists on calling you. you always wondered how one man- no - one boy, could be so irritating.
“baixiao? can you come in here please?” the secretary quickly scurries in with an alert expression.
the girl bows before speaking. “what can i help you with, my lady?” no matter how many times you’ve told baixiao that the formalities she kept up with you were unnecessary, she still bowed and refused to call you anything other than by your title or proper honorifics. you don’t care for it, being called by a title, having servants and employees bow to you. it all felt far too… traditional, for your liking.
“please deliver a message to the northern bank, stating i require an audience with childe at 6pm sharp at the liuli pavilion. on your way back make sure to confirm my reservation as well as inform them that i will be having a guest.” you jot down a quick letter for baixiao to deliver and hand it to her sealed.
“i will deliver this right away and inform you of the fatui’s response upon my return.” she bows once more before slipping out in a hurry.
you look at ningguang with a tired expression. “and here i thought i was going to have a peaceful meal to myself tonight.”
“i’ll make it up to you. tomorrow night i will cook us your favorite, qiankun mora meat.” your friend smiles at you brightly and you relax.
you offer her a smile and roll your eyes playfully. “we both know it’s only my favorite when you make it. of all your talents, you still manage to be one of the best cooks i know. i envy your skills in the kitchen.”
“please, they’re nothing special. it’s a hobby, we all need one.” ningguang gives you a pointed look. you shift your weight uncomfortably, knowing she’s referring to your habit of working more than necessary and hardly ever leaving time to enjoy yourself. it was clear you were hiding from something. but you could never bring yourself to tell ningguang the whole truth, no matter how close the two of you had become.
she knew about you being an adeptus, she’d figured that one out on her own, but you never told her about your past. she doesn’t know anything beyond the time the two of you met by chance that day on the fields amidst the ruins. ningguang was okay with that, she didn’t push you to tell her what was going on, but she also encouraged you to do other things. things that involved you exploring liyue and that was something you just couldn’t bring yourself to do.
not only did liyue remind you of what you had lost, but it also reminded you that you could run the risk of meeting the one person you had spent this entire lifetime avoiding. it was too risky for you to get acquainted with the people in the nation of contracts. they would start to talk about you, knowing that you were one of the seven qixing. you knew morax would have his interest piqued by a new adeptus that managed to avoid his presence. he would be able to put the pieces together easily after that. that wasn’t something you were willing to chance.
so, unlike ningguang, you stayed in the shadows much like the other qixing. the other six of you kept a low profile, moving quietly, making deals and orders covertly. it was easy when most eyes were on the tianquan. it was a clause of yours, you told ning that if she took eyes off of you, made people believe that she was the more interesting of the two, you would help her nation. the decision was easy for her. people had already begun talking about her, what were a few more people, a few more rumors?
“you know how i feel about going out and being in the public’s eye. i am perfectly content with the day-to-day minutiae of my life.” you give her a genuine smile. “thank you for your concern, though, ning. i will still try to get out more.”
you both make idle conversation until baixiao’s scurrying back to you with an update. upon her return, baixiao informs you that childe has accepted your dinner invitation. you check the time then excuse yourself, you only have about 3 quarters of an hour left to freshen up. you put on one of your simpler outfits. when going out in public you always went out of your way to blend in, keep a low profile. you didn’t need any unnecessary attention drawn to yourself. that’s why you always made sure to meet childe in private.
being a fatui higher rank, childe had a habit of drawing attention to himself. he even welcomed it more often than not. the first time you met with the flamboyant official, you were lucky enough to be inside of liuli pavilion. he tried to insist on taking you back to the jade chamber himself but you quickly declined, learning fast that he was mostly show.
it didn’t take you long after that first meeting to gather information on the alleged eleventh fatui harbinger. it was just a rumor of course, inklings of what he was and how deep his ties ran with the nation of snezhnaya. after that, however, you knew this man was someone you needed to keep both close and at arms length. he could be useful, but that came with the possibility of him becoming interested in you and your past.
as you make your descent down from the chamber, to the city, you remind yourself to stay composed. childe is one of very few people who knows how to rattle you and he knew that. you’ve learned how to take special care when talking or even moving around the sly man-child. you purposely arrive at the venue 15 minutes early, yet somehow, childe still manages to beat you.
you’re greeted by a head of red hair and a deceivingly charming smile. “you’re late, lady y/n.”
“childe. How many times do i have to tell you to just call me ‘y/n’? and i’m not late. you’re early. to spite me, i presume.” you raise a brow at him in contempt.
childe chuckles as he rises from his seat to pull out the seat at the head of the table, next to him, for you to sit. “presumptuous as always, y/n. i was taught that it’s rude to keep a lady waiting and i know you prefer to show up early to most meetings. i was just being courteous.”
“you? courteous? i never would’ve guessed since you tend to usually have the personality of a wild fox.” despite your harsh words you mumble a gratitude for childe’s chivalrous action.
you watch the man closely as he takes his own seat. something was different about him today. he usually has a charming smile that reaches his eyes and a straight, proud, posture. today however, in addition to the genuine smile, that glint in his eyes was particularly bright and he was a bit more relaxed in his posture, his hair also looked a bit unkempt, more-so than usual anyways. something in you was curious as to what had him so chipper.
as much as you hated to admit it, you had grown fond of the odd friendship you’d grown with the man-child. he was one of very few that was able to banter with you, no restraints. it was refreshing. and although, cunning, you do admire childe’s intelligence. he knew how to play a game of chess with real people, and he knew how to win it almost every time. you were the exception in his mind. after all this time he couldn’t quite get close enough to you to claim a check mate.
you were an anomaly to childe. closed off more so than himself. but where he had formulated a playful and carefree facade, you had closed yourself off entirely. putting up impenetrable walls that were monitored carefully. it made you come off as cold and uninterested. childe knew better than that, having gotten to know you, he found himself looking forward to your time together. more often than not, letting his mind wander to the thought of you. though he would never admit that to himself, let alone anyone else.
childe feigns hurt as he mockingly clutches the left side of his chest and displays a pained expression. “you wound me with your cruel words.”
“don’t be so dramatic. you’re embarrassing yourself.”
“like knives, your words stab my heart.” he lets out a gasped sigh.
with a smirk you retort, “maybe if you weren’t so sensitive, my words wouldn’t affect you so.”
“i am not sensitive.” childe pouts, furrowing his brow in defense.
you’re not sure what it is but childe seemed more…theatrical than normal. further concluding that something about him was different today. unbeknownst to you, it was all your doing. childe hadn’t expected to see you but was pleasantly surprised when he received your invitation. his mood had instantly shifted from indifferent to joyous at the drop of a coin. he radiated enthusiasm and you could pick up on it.
“whatever you say, childe. you’re in a particularly good mood by the way. what’s the reason?”
you’d done it now. you gave him the perfect opportunity to tease you, and of course, childe was going to take it. “isn’t it obvious? ‘m happy to see you, y/n.”
your eyes widen and you feel your face heat up into a blush. you shake yourself out of your shock with your brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. “s-shut up. you're so ridiculous.” your eyes soften but there’s still a crease between your brows as your bottom lip protrudes out slightly. you were pouting, and it takes all of childe’s willpower not to coo at how precious he thought you looked at this very moment.
“am i now? i thought i was just telling the truth.”
you scoff. “don’t toy with me, childe. either way, we have a matter to attend to.”
“oh? and what is that?” he perks up, interest piqued.
“your agents are being sloppy. ningguang is already under a considerable amount of stress and your spies aren’t helping. she can sense their presence with every move she makes. it’s suffocating. do something about it.” you’re previous playful demeanor is gone, replaced by a stern tone and face.
childe’s eyebrows shoot up. “i forget how perceptive the tianquan is. i’m surprised though, you’re not bothered by the fact i have agents tracking her?”
you shake your head gently. “ningguang didn’t seem bothered by it, as long as she isn’t aware of it much like she is now, what right would i have to be if she isn’t?”
“that’s very diplomatic of you, tianji.”
you roll your eyes. “it is my job to be so. now shut up. you know how i feel about being addressed by my title, especially by people i’m close to.” you flinch, immediately regretting your words when you see the look on the red-head’s face.
“ ‘m honored, y/n. i consider us quite close as well. good friends. and as good friends…” childe’s eyes relax and his lips curl into a mischievous smile, “ i feel as though you should spend the day with me tomorrow roaming the city.”
“no. absolutely not.” you declare without missing a beat and cross your arms over your chest in defiance.
“ah, c’mon now, tianji. when was the last time you truly let yourself relax and enjoyed the city below you?”
you huff as you looked away in embarrassment.
“hold on- have you never….”
your head whips back to look at childe sharply. still refusing to confirm that you had never visited liyue harbor beyond liuli pavilion, at least not in this lifetime.
“it’s settled then. i’ll make sure that the spies i send out are being as discreet as possible in exchange for a day out with you.”
“what makes you think i would agree to such a ridiculous trade off?”
childe leans back in his chair, smile exceptionally arrogant, annoyingly so as a matter of fact. “because, lady y/n, i know how much you care for lady ningguang. these are my terms. if you wish to reject, well then my agents will continue to closely follow the tianquan around.”
your jaw tightens and you grind your teeth to prevent yourself from verbally lashing out at childe. you weigh your options. you couldn’t, with good conscience, continue to let the fatui put further stress on your friend when you had the means to change it. you curse your kind hearted nature and willingness to do anything for the ones you cared about.
you let out a defeated sight and let your arms drop from your chest. “fine. tomorrow we will spend the day in the city as you requested. but you will be paying for everything.”
it was just one day, you told yourself. you couldn’t imagine that you could get into any trouble being in the city for one day. no one knew who you were physically, being known as the faceless qixing. only a select few knew what you looked like, the others of the seven and childe being the beginning and end of the list. who knows? it could even end up being enjoyable.
“perfect, i’ll make all the arrangements, so you have nothing to worry about.”
like childe said, you had nothing to worry about. right?
Hi! Feel free to ignore this, but a random thought occured to me last night and i haven't been able to stop thinking about it. If PoA happens during their fifth year, does that mean reincarnated!Barty shares a dorm with Fred & George Weasley? (Poor guy)
ANOOOOON. I love this message so much that I drew you Barty with the freckled gremlins that he shares a dormroom with :D
"So Jojo -- plucked up the nerve to ask little Miss Ceci out on a date yet?"
"Oh, c'mon, George...don't tease. After all, we all know that girls are ten times more likely to bite than a manticore is..."
"Maybe...but old Joe's supposed to be talented at soothing savage beasts. Dunno what he's so afraid of, honestly -- reckon everyone in school's been saying they'd make a cute couple..."
"Aw, look now, Georgie, you've made the poor guy blush. Don't mind him, Joey-boy -- he means no harm. Though it would be pretty funny to see Ceci Crouch have to stand on a tall box just to snog you properly."
Why yes, Fred and George decided to play off of Barty's last name, Gilbert, which is pronounced the French way, "JOE-bear," by just shortening it to "Joe", "Joey," and "Jojo." Barty actually finds it funny, though he's too soft-spoken to say so. He's too shy to really do much besides laugh at the twins' jokes most of the time, though there have been a few times he's stood up to them, when he felt their pranks went too far. Fred and George honestly consider Barty a pretty good bloke, as even if they really don't have many interests in common and don't spend much time together, Barty is kind of a "blood traitor" in the same vein that the Weasleys are, and they admire how passionately this unusually quiet guy gets about looking after and protecting creatures or people that are less fortunate than him. (Such as when Barty has stood up for his BFF Robert against blood purists and such.) The twins also both think it's absolutely hysterical how clearly head-over-heels Barty is for his childhood friend Cecelia and how all of Barty's friends (except perhaps Atticus Lestrange @cursebreakerfarrier) seem completely oblivious to it. As for Barty himself, although he certainly has been the target of plenty of practical jokes and been woken up out of a sound sleep multiple times thanks to the twins tinkering away at future Weasley Wizarding Wheezes products in their dormroom after dark, he truly admires Fred and George's confidence and determination, even if he's never been forward enough to articulate it.
i'd meet you where the spirit meets the bone (chapter one)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
It starts at a dusty antique store in Manhattan, over a cameo necklace. It began on a small island in Ancient Greece.
Or:
Percy accepts godhood in his first life, and follows his soulmate through her three incarnations. The first, in Ancient Greece. The second, London in the height of the Victorian Era. The third, New York City in the present day. Told through both Percy and Annabeth's perspectives, as well as through flashbacks of Annabeth's last two lives.
It was a blustery January day in New York when she decided to listen to her gut and open the door to Tishby’s Antiques and Oddities.
Annabeth Chase was not exactly an antique-shop girl. She didn’t care all that much for thrifting and she preferred to keep dust out of her nose whenever possible--except perhaps, when she was in a library. One would think that a young woman so interested in the architecture of the antiquities would also have a calling toward the vintage, but the blonde had never felt particularly drawn to old and borrowed and passed-down objects. That was her dad’s thing, wanting to hold on to the old. Certainly, Annabeth enjoyed learning about history and the worlds that came before this one--the patterns and artifacts intrigued and stunned her. She distinctly remembered being in an archaeology class her freshman year for a gen-ed credit that needed to be filled. Her professor had brought out a human jaw that dated back hundreds of years, and Annabeth had felt as if she was staring at something so much bigger and so much more important than her. The memory of it still excited her, still made her feel so small when her whole existence made her out to be a savior. It was grounding.
But owning a piece of history, even if it was an item as simple as clothing, was not something Annabeth had ever really felt a need to do. Maybe if it came about naturally, sure, but she certainly never felt a desire to collect or own.
That evening, however, as she’d been walking home from work at the architecture firm she was interning at, something had called to her. Something had told her to stop, and look into the window. Take a moment, is what she heard. Just one.
And so she did. Annabeth wrapped a gloved-hand around the doorknob, a light bell jingling over her head as the door swung open.
The shop was dusty, as many antique shops were, and full of memories made tangible, of lives preserved in trinkets.
Immediately, that little voice in the back of her head chimed in again, urging her further into the store. Annabeth wondered if the Fates were playing with her, or if she was finally losing it from all the shit she’d been through. Maybe saving the world hadn’t been enough, and she was about to face karmic justice for not doing exactly what the gods wanted. She followed the voice, though, to a large glass-sealed display of jewelry, and her eyes fell on one particular piece.
It was old--very, very old, by the way the strands of pearls were yellowed. At its center hung a cameo pendant, depicting a woman, carved into a brown background. Annabeth assumed it was a shell of some kind, but she didn’t know what. She stood there for several moments, entranced, eyes glued to the piece, something rising in her chest. Some feeling of yearning, of longing. Something deep and unknown to her.
Annabeth heard steps headed her way, and couldn’t tear her gaze from the necklace until she felt the wave of divine power roll over her.
Gray eyes snapped up immediately, meeting a pair of sea-green and a surprised face. “What do you want?” She asked brusquely. “I already told them I was done, no more. They can do their own dirty work for once.”
The god was so handsome he nearly made her breath catch in her throat--tall and muscular, with tanned olive skin and a bone structure no model on the earth possessed, and messy, raven black hair. He looked to be about her age, but that could have just been the appearance he chose. He searched her face for several seconds, those deep, swirling eyes roaming her expression. Something unreadable was set in his face, though Annabeth didn’t care. She didn’t involve herself with the gods unless she absolutely had to, and this was not a necessary exchange as far as she could tell.
When he didn’t stop staring, she barked out, “What?” Teeth bared, brows furrowed. It seemed to shake him from his daze, and she could tell the smile he threw on wasn’t exactly genuine. She could see it in those eyes, the ones she couldn’t pull away from.
The god seemed to center himself, clearing his throat before he spoke. “You reminded me of someone. Forgive me.” His voice was surprisingly sincere, what with the fake grin twisting his lips.
That was...unexpected. It wasn’t often a god apologized, forced or not. Annabeth did not care. “You still haven’t answered my question,” she said, tone taut. Causing a scene was the exact opposite of what she wanted, and she had no clue who this guy was. It was better not to attract attention. “What do you want?”
The smile became a smirk, and with a lifted brow those eyes flicked toward the cameo necklace. “That. The necklace you had your eye on.”
The daughter of Athena felt a sudden possessiveness fall over her, and her brows furrowed even more. That necklace was not his--she could feel it in her bones, as if it were meant to be hers. “No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I was here first.”
His smirk stretched, and the expression in his eyes became something else. “Were you, though?” He asked, mischief layered in his words. “I’ve been looking for this necklace for years, and you would deny me, a god, of the thing I desire?”
“You should’ve been faster then, if you wanted it,” she replied stubbornly. “Not my fault you got here too late. It’s mine, I’m taking it.”
“Can you, hero?”
That stopped Annabeth in her mental tracks. It sounded like a threat. For all intents and purposes, in any other situation, it probably would be a threat. But there was something in this god’s voice, in his eyes, that told her something else was at play here.
She blinked, narrowing her eyes at him. “Are you threatening me?” She asked bluntly, and her hand itched for the knife at her hip. Annabeth could feel her blood start to rush, instincts ready to kick in at any second, but the god standing in front of her did the weirdest thing in response: he laughed .
He laughed boisterously , head thrown back and a tear leaking from his eye. The exchange was odd, and made Annabeth even more wary than she already was. After a good long minute, the god’s laughing slowed and quieted, a sparkle in his eyes.
“Oh, Annabeth Chase,” the dark-haired god drawled, a smile left on his lips. “I don’t think I could hurt you if I tried.”
Him knowing her name was not unusual. After all, she was one of the Heroes of Olympus, and its Architect. Not to mention, a Titan-killer. Her name often found its way thrown around in conversation in the mouths of gods and monsters and demigods, so it was no surprise. However, she was really getting tired of whatever game he was playing, and she still hadn’t figured out what he was doing here other than trying to buy a necklace, which seemed very much like an excuse.
Annabeth waved a hand in the air, an indignant expression on her face. She probably could be a bit friendlier, which she acknowledged, but she truly wasn't in the mood for whatever mind games this deity had in store for her. She'd had long day at work, and she just wanted to get home--right after she bought that necklace, of course. “Okay, enough. Who are you and what do you really want? If you’re looking for someone to do you a favor or fulfill some quest, look elsewhere. I’m busy.”
“Wow, some people just really don’t read up on their Greek myths, do they,” he complained under his breath. His next words were spoken confidently. “I’m Perseus, God of Calamity.”
At Annabeth’s blank look, Perseus sighed, and ran a hand through his dark locks. “God of catastrophe and natural disaster? The Grave-Maker? Surely you’ve heard of the Grave-Maker. I’m kind of infamous, as the name would suggest.”
Wordlessly, the blonde shook her head. “I have heard of you--the Grave-Maker, that is. Didn’t know your name. Sorry.”
His whole demeanor had changed; he’d started to speak much younger than his probably thousand-years, but she guessed he liked to keep up with the times. He looked young, and spoke young, and wore young fashion (what with the sweatshirt jean-jacket and Converse combo), so he was probably trying to blend in with the crowd.
Perseus gave her a deadpan look, annoyance in his eyes. “Are you serious? You’re supposed to be designing my new temple on Olympus, and you don’t even know anything about me? C’mon.” His lip was curled in an expression that could only be described as "teenager", and it bewildered her even more that this guy was a god--of calamity, no less. He was so...different than she would expect an incredibly powerful deity to be. The whole situation just boggled Annabeth's fried brain.
Annabeth put her hands up defensively, brows furrowing. “Hey, look, I’m a busy woman. I’ll get around to yours eventually, and then I’ll look into your history and symbols, we’ll talk, and I’ll design. I’m going alphabetically, so it’s gonna take some time.”
Perseus scoffed, and rolled his eyes. “You know what, forget it, it’s fine. Can’t say it doesn’t happen,” he replied with a sigh. “But to answer your question, I really am here for that necklace. It belongs to me.”
“Then why’d you sell it?” Her nose scrunched up.
“I didn’t, I gave it to someone.”
“Hm, sounds to me like you gave up ownership, then. I’m taking it.”
“She’s dead, so it reverts back to me. It is mine, ” he insisted.
The blonde shook her head and sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Eh, I don’t think so, considering it’s sitting in an antique shop. I think I’m gonna get it.” Her finger tapped the old bell on the counter twice, and Annabeth heard rustling from a backroom somewhere.
Perseus made a sound to signal his objection, but before he could say anything, a hunched little old man with circular wire glasses was staggering over. Annabeth assumed he was Tishby, and greeted him with a smile before she pointed to the necklace in the case. “I’d like to try that on,” she said quickly, her own smirk splitting her face. The shopkeeper nodded, and pulled out a keyring with shaking hands.
The god groaned next to her, but went to stand against the wall. “Martin, I can pay double what you ask of her,” Perseus called out to the old man, but Martin waved him off.
“Let her try it on, Percy,” he coughed out, finally finding the right key on his ring for the jewelry case. Percy. Huh. She hadn’t expected a god to be on a nickname/first name basis with an antique shop owner. Annabeth silently wondered what that was about, but then realized that she didn’t really care.
Martin lifted the top of the case and slid out the drawer, taking the necklace and placing it gently into Annabeth’s waiting hands.
With the old pearls in her hands, and the even older cameo, Annabeth felt once again like she was staring at the jawbone in that archaeology class: small and yet somehow infinite.
She studied it for a moment, eyes taking in the odd, filigree clasp and the gold setting of the cameo. The beautiful woman carved into it, who looked oddly familiar. She wondered if it had been modeled after one of the goddesses, since Percy had made it, or just a woman. Annabeth gently twisted open the pin and barrel clasp, and drew the necklace up to her neck, fingers twisting it back in deftly. She looked into the mirror Martin had pulled up from beneath the case, and felt some sort of peace when she saw the cameo against her throat. It was beautiful, and it was hers. Annabeth hadn’t been entirely certain before this point if she was going to actually buy the necklace, but wearing it, she knew she had to have it.
“I’ll take it. How much?” The blonde told Martin, a smile on her face as the man turned to get his card reader. She turned to Percy, a slim brow raised in triumph. “Told you I would get it.”
She thought that the god would have a stronger reaction to her taunting him with the item he’d been searching for, but he just stared at the necklace for a moment, a soft look on his face, before lifting his sea-green gaze to her gray.
“I’ve waited almost 200 years to get that necklace,” he said with a shrug. “It’ll end up back in one of these stores again. I can wait some more.” Percy had a strange, sad smile on his face, eyes focused on the necklace she was still wearing.
Martin spoke up. “Alright, miss, that’ll be one-hundred-and-twenty dollars. I take Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, but not Discover.”
Damn, expensive, she thought to herself. But she’d made a show of wanting it, and she wasn’t going to back down now. Annabeth quickly dug her credit card out of her wallet, handing it over to Martin as she untwisted the clasp.
“You know, Percy,” she began, turning to face the god, but he wasn’t where he had last been standing. She glanced around the shop, confused at his sudden disappearance. Annabeth hadn’t heard him leave, so she assumed that he did whatever gods do and teleported out of there or something. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Martin asked for the necklace, so he could wrap it up. She was loath to hand it over, but she did, satisfied once the package was back in her hand.
Annabeth shoved it into the inside pocket of her long brown coat for safekeeping, bid Martin a thanks and goodbye, and made her way out of the shop.
It had been a very...interesting evening. An encounter with a god of catastrophe and buying an old-ass necklace was not something she’d expected for that night and certainly not together. Annabeth had enough time to catch the next train, grab some takeout, and maybe take a relaxing bath before she had to get in bed, so at least it would be a normal end to a not-normal night.
When she finally arrived at her apartment, take out in hand, Annabeth set the necklace on her countertop, gazing at it as she ate. Part of her had a feeling the Fates were toying with her life threads again, and she couldn’t help but wonder what the necklace meant to Percy. He made it as though it was something very important to him, but really, what was a simple necklace to a god?
She pushed the thought aside and tucked the necklace back in its box, placing it on her dresser before she tucked herself into bed.
Her dreams were of pearls, sea green eyes, and the ground breaking apart at her feet.
--------------------------------
Blocks away in a dimly lit alley, a god tries to piece himself back together.
Percy felt as though a wound had ripped itself open in his chest, as though he were bleeding out on the dirty concrete. His face was crumpled up, tears drying on his cheeks.
He’d found her. He had gotten his wish. I deserve this , he thought bitterly. He hadn’t been able to make it very far from the antique shop before he collapsed, the pain of it all sending him to his knees.
That necklace. Those eyes. The ones that had followed--no, haunted him for over two thousand years. They were the same color, just like her first two lives. Storm clouds made hard as steel.
Percy wasn’t sure how much longer he could endure this. He wasn’t sure he could endure her saying no again.
He wanted to scream, he wanted to kill the Fates, he wanted to destroy something like he was meant to do. Percy just wanted the pain to end, to stop the suffering.The god wasn’t certain how long he’d been sitting in the alleyway. At some point, he nearly fell asleep. And then she showed up.
Not even opening his eyes, Percy just groaned and rested his forearms on his knees. “What do you want?” He spat out, venom in his voice.
The sound of heels clicked closer to him, and he opened one eye to stare up at her. She looked different from the last time he’d seen her--tonight, she had dark brown skin and long braids and was wearing a pantsuit, eyes ever-changing, beautiful as she always was.
“You have to stop torturing yourself like this, Perseus,” Aphrodite said softly, a small frown marring her features, expression concerned. Of course it was her who came. She always did, but he had never had the heart to tell her she just made it worse. She at least seemed to genuinely care.
His hands smoothed over his face. Percy didn't want to hear this. He wanted to be left alone. “Stop.”
“You are causing your own suffering. Let her go,” she insisted, voice gaining sternness.
Percy just laughed, the sound miserable. He felt like he was choking on it, the same way he'd choked when he saw Annabeth's eyes, felt that flash of recognition. Felt the thread connecting them. “You of all people know I can’t do that. You know why.”
Aphrodite’s face contorted with annoyance. “I tried my best to make sure your paths wouldn’t cross. I’m sure the Fates had their own plans, but I did everything you asked. And yet you still sought her out. Look at the state you’re in, Perseus. Look at what you’ve done to yourself!”
She probably had a point. He was sure he looked awful, but he doubted she was talking about his appearance. The Olympians were beginning to question his ability to perform, as Zeus had called it. The thought made him snicker.
The goddess continued on with her lecture. “We need you sane, Perseus, and frankly, I don’t know if you’re going to last to this one’s death. Quit punishing yourself.”
Percy looked up into Aphrodite’s changing eyes, face blank. “I deserve this.”
That seemed to set her off, and Aphrodite’s feature shifted to anger, eyes blazing with rage. “I have tried to help you as best as I could, Perseus. No more. If you want to believe you deserve to suffer for eternity, so be it. I won’t burden myself with trying to help someone who refuses aid at every turn.” She leaned down in front of him then, face close to his. “You’ll have to avoid her yourself from now on. Good luck,” Aphrodite said bitterly.
In a puff of smoke that smelled like roses, she was gone, and Percy rested his head against the brick once again, and drifted off to sleep.
