#underbloods

[bringthunder]

𝐙𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐒 ( @underbloods ) said, ”you never ask how i feel, you just assume.” so erm. abt what we talked abt earlier

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄  well  into  ASPHODEL now,   &&  verso  reckons  that  this  is  the  best  their  trek  has  gone.  he’s  accompanied  the  prince  of  the  underworld  dutifully,  minding  the  shades  &&  dismissing  them  with  bolts  of  his  father’s  lightning.  every  thunderclap  leaves  a  bitter  taste  in  the  back  of  his  mouth  but,  for  the  sake  of  getting  out  of  hades’  domain,  it  is  worth  it.  he  will  pull  on  zeus’  might  to  destroy  that  which  would  hinder  either  him  or  the  blood-stained  prince.   of  course,  the  fates  oft  have  other  ideas  for  traveling  pairs.  a  few  comments  have  slipped  out  by  now  in  regards  to  zagreus’  parentage;  verso  has  wondered  aloud  a  handful  of  times  if  hades  attention  is  that  bad  of  a  thing  to  have.  sure,  of  course,  the  god  of  the  dead  is  vengeful.  of  course  he  does  not  want  his  son  to  leave.  it  is  wrong,  but  it  shows  attentiveness.  these  comments  have  never  been  back-to-back,  nor  have  the  two  had  any  particularly  tense  conversation  regarding  them.   ( evidently,  that’s  changing.  ) the  peak  of  aphodel’s  fiery  domain  is  close.  beyond  it  sits  elysium  and,  beyond  that,  the  outside  world.  a  chance  to  bring  hell  to  his  father.  a  chance  to  remind  the  gods  of  why  their  children  ought  be  as  revered  as  they  themselves  -  as  feared.   zagreus  speaks,  &&  verso’s  steps  halt  a  ways  away  from  him.  the  great  magma-floating  platform  the  two  occupy  is  spacious  enough,  believes  the  son  of  zeus,  for  some  monster  or  other  to  emerge  onto  &&  start  causing  havoc.  he  waits  for  a  beat,  not  responding  to  the  prince  until  it  dawns  on  him  that  no  such  challenge  is  going  to  occur.  at  least,  not  here.   farther  ahead,  maybe?  verso  thinks,  maybe  it’s  the  bone-snake  he’s  mentioned… with  his  back  to  zagreus  &&  his  xiphos  drawn,  verso  speaks  plainly:    ❝  am  i  wrong  ??  ❞  he  drags  a  thin  line  into  the  stone  with  the  tip  of  his  right-handed  blade.    ❝  from  where  i’m  standing,  you’ve  got  a  pretty  sweet  deal.  your  father’s  a  right  asshole,  sure,  but…  ❞  his  voice  fades  for  a  beat,  he  rolls  the  words  ‘round  on  his  tongue.  he  glances  over  his  shoulder,  the  scorching  red  of  asphodel  painting  brown  eyes  a  quietly  raging  gold.      ❝  at  least  he’s  around.  ❞

instigating prompts ( accepting !! )

[warwaited]

@underbloods

Thank the gods (not him) that Zagreus shows up as she's just finishing up. There's a couple of Exalted left, but he's kind enough to take care of them for her - before noticing her on the other side of the room. She sees him, sees him see her, and there's a brief, absurd moment of mutual affront. What are you doing here? What are you doing here?

A moment only, though, because a scant second after their eyes lock she's hurdling a decorative hedge and steaming straight for the scenic overlook (and steep incline) near the edge of what the denizens of Elysium are using as a makeshift arena. Whatever it is he's up to, she can't imagine he'll be pleased to have a mortal scurrying around in the Land of the Dead.

[audaciiaearch]

@underbloods said: "stay with me tonight."

It is hard to deny Zagreus when he says it so sweetly, curled up atop Thanatos' chest and whispering it in his ear. Death waits for no one. Death pauses for nothing. Yet Death can't help but want to for Zagreus alone. He lets out a long breath and closes his eyes, arms sliding around Zagreus and holding him close. He is so pleasantly warm against the cold of his own skin, and really...is it a crime to want to stay here? Just for a little while?

"You don't have to convince me," is what he finally says after a few moments, fingers coming up to brush through dark locks. This is his one weakness, and what's a little break every now and then? He doesn't really take them often, if at all, and he'd be loathe to leave Zagreus now. "Besides, you make it awfully difficult to tell you no."

[bringthunder]

𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒   him   first.   it’s   not   gentle,   it’s   not   a   love-tap;   it’s   a   wall   of   infernal   smog   that   wraps   ‘round   his   head   like   a   goddamn   black   bag   for   a   moment.   verso   exhales   all   the   fresh   air   left   in   his   lungs,   blowing   the   smog   away   from   himself   with   ease…   the   first   time,   anyhow.   the   second   time,   it’s   admittedly   harder.   the   third   time,   verso’s   frustrations   get   the   better   of   him:   a   gust   springs   to   life   around   himself   &&   propels   him   away   from   the   platform   he’s   dared   to   stand   on,   &&   away   from   the   constant   spurts   of   smoke.    his   ears   twitch.   a   cackling   sounds   behind   him   and,   quick   as   a   bolt,   he’s   rushing   towards   it.   he   presses   his   right   palm   against   a   detached   skull   -   not   the   weirdest   thing   he’s   ever   seen,   but   definitely   not   from   the   battlefield   he   was   on   a   moment   ago   -   &&   funnels   enough   electricity   through   it   to   fry   a   rat.   when   that   doesn’t   do   it,   he   ups   the   amperage   to   enough   to   fry   two.   three.   five.    ˏˋ ⋆ BAM !! ⋆ˋ ˏ shards   of   bone   &&   strangely   scattered   gems   pierce   through   the   air   like   bullets.   it’s   then,   in   the   relative   clarity   of   the   moment,   that   he   has   a   second   to   gauge   his   bearings.   fire.   brimstone.   death   in   the   air.   he   brings   his   index   finger   to   his   mouth   &&   bites   down   until   he   bleeds.   good.   he   still   bleeds.    not   dead yet,   thinks   verso,   damn. there’s   another   cackling.   somewhere,   something   big   thuds   against   the   marbled   &&   fire-scorched   floor.   he   has   a   few   seconds   to   piece   together   that   either   a   door   somewhere   has   opened   or   the   world’s   heaviest   trunk   has   closed   before   another   cackle   sounds   out.   back   to   it. one   shattered   skull   gives   way   to   two   more.   those   two   give   way   to   one-eyed   goliaths,   dangerous   clubs,   narrowly-avoided   swings- he   sucks   in   a   breath,   pulls   his   hands   down   through   the   air,   &&   brings   his   father’s   wrath   down   on   the   room.   he   swears   the   rest   of   the   damned   place   must   tremble   for   a   second.   the   ashen   remains   of   the   monsters   gather   &&   clump   on   the   ground. verso   takes   another   breath.   he   leans   against   one   of   the   few   non-destroyed   pillars   in   the   room. ❝   already   hate   it   here,   ❞   mutters   the   demigod,   ❝   thanks,   dad.   ❞   

@underbloods // plotted starter

[stygicniron]

@underbloods || [ cont. ]

Nico's eye narrow a suspicious titch. Somehow learning that the Fates have ordained such a guide isn't very reassuring. From all his experience, it's best not to attract the attention of the Fates. The Fates mean that's you're going to have an interesting life, and Nico would rather his life be very boring. Not that he has much a choice in the matter.

Then again, it's not like this is Zagreus's fault, and so far, this has been a much more pleasant visit than he's expected from anyone he's met in the Underworld so far. Shoulders relaxing, he straightens as well, even if favors always come with a price. "What kind of favor?"

[shesnows]

❝ so you're—❞ aurelia pauses as she thinks back to the seemingly monotonous lessons at camp half-blood of who was who in the pantheon of olympians. maybe if she'd spent a little more time paying attention and a little less time silently sulking, she wouldn't be floundering right now. ❝ hades and persephone's kid?❞ she's not sure whether she actually learned that or if its just a desperate guess, but either way, it seems a safe bet to make.

❝ every time i think i've finally succeeded in mastering the olympian family tree, someone like you always wanders along and sends me back to square one. ❞ khione's daughter laments with a sigh that tilts her shoulders upwards.

why could the olympians not be satisfied with having a nuclear family of two or three kids? the world would be so much better if they could understand the meaning of 'settling down.'

@underbloods// starter call

[warwaited]

☀️!!

Every once in a while I'll start writing with someone new and I'll mention making up a starter for them or sending them an ask or replying to THEIR starter and they say something to me like "oh it's no rush! Take your time!"

And then I slap five paragraphs on their desk ten minutes later and they go "OH GOD WHAT THE FUCK".

That's pretty nice.

[stygicniron]

"i didn't realize it was you when i first saw you."

Meme Tag -- @underbloods

"I--oh," Nico said lamely, lips rolling together for a beat as he considered. It was a quiet moment with the pair of them seated just on the edge of the Styx were the waters lapped against the entry hall to the House of Hades.

A lot had happened since Nico first met Zagreus, including but not limited to facing the Titan Lord of Time, facing Gaea, and being captured in a jar after going to Tartarus all by himself. Nico didn't think he was the same person from when he first met Zagreus, and he hoped that was mostly a good thing. "Who did you think I was?"