Since that the Shuumatsu no Valkyrie anime is coming out this year I’m gonna guess the voice actors just to see how close or far my guesses are lol (I’d probably update it when I can think of voices for the other characters)
Guys, I am honestly pretty speechless right now. The infamously stoic Poseidon…
…was actually not very stoic after all.
Like, this warrants a completely new view of his character. I never ever thought we’d see him this expressive. Or giving this much of a damn about something or someone. I don’t really know how to feel. It’s like he’s a brand-new character. Guess I need a moment to recalibrate.
As a naïve ten-year-old deity, there’s a lot young Aethusa doesn’t understand. She doesn’t understand why her father, the mighty Poseidon, never seems to have time for her (or even like her). She doesn’t understand why the innate powers she should have inherited haven’t surfaced yet. She doesn’t understand why her classmate, Eumulus, is such a pain in the ass. And she doesn’t understand why she’s not allowed to spear the palace koi.
But she’s determined to find the answers to at least three of these questions, even if it kills her.
—
Mom always told me that the day I was born, all the blue ocean was sparkling with joyful waves, and that the sea life, from the tiniest plankton to the largest whale, danced in jolly ribbons and schools to celebrate my arrival. They were all happy because my father, the great sea god, was happy. He was so happy that I was born.
I don’t see how that could be the case, though, because he doesn’t even talk to me.
I try not to think about it too much, because it usually makes me sad, but it’s hard not to. Everyone expects me to be like him, and my whole life revolves around the fact that I’m his daughter. But he doesn’t even act like he’s my dad. Not the kind of dad my friends seem to have, anyway. They live with their dads, spar with their dads, and hug their dads. But me and Mom live on Valhalla, and Father hardly ever visits.
“I don’t want to go to school,” I complained. Mom was pulling my hair too hard as she struggled to brush the knots out. “I want to practice with my spear alone some more!”
“I told you before that you may do as you wish after your school day is finished.” Mom poured a little oil onto my waves to ease the knots out. “Now sit still. The more you pull, the more painful this will be.”
“It’s painful because you pull too hard!”
“You’re supposed to brush your hair every night before bed so it doesn’t tangle like this in your sleep. Will you remember to do it now?”
“Yes,” I grumbled. I kicked my legs impatiently. “So I can play the rest of the day after my lessons?”
“Yes.” Mom began to carefully pull the brush once more. The oil had succeeded in detangling my hair. “But be mindful that your father will be visiting this afternoon.”
I stopped kicking my legs. “He will?” Dad only visits once a month. Me and Mom live on a palace on Mount Olympus, one that Dad technically owns, but he spends most of his time on Midgard. Mom says he always has a lot of work to do, repairing the damage humans have done to the oceans.
“Yes. So don’t cause too much trouble, all right?” She set down the brush and squished my cheeks affectionately.
I stared hard at my reflection in the mirror as I thought about Father. “Mom, why don’t I look like Father?”
“What do you mean?” She laughed as she corked the oil bottle and put it away. “You have his grumpy face when you’re mad. And your eyes are ocean-blue, just like his.”
“But I have freckles. And my hair isn’t golden.” I made a grumpy face at the glass, wondering if she was telling the truth. I’ve never seen him really grumpy, just annoyed. That’s just fine, though, because I’ve heard my father’s anger is terrifying.
“Why do you ask this so suddenly?” Mom put a hand on my shoulder. “You’re more like him than you realize, I promise. I’m sorry that my genes edged his out as far as your looks, though. I hope you can forgive me.” She nudged me to my feet. “Now go get your scrolls.”
If I’m so much like him, then why doesn’t he ever pay attention to me? I pouted, but I turned my head before Mom could see. I didn’t want her to worry. But before I could leave my bedroom, one of the maids stopped in the doorway. “Pardon me, my lady. Lord Poseidon has arrived earlier than expected.”
Father is already here?! I felt myself lighten up, even though I knew he wasn’t really here to see me. He usually comes to talk to Mom about boring adult things. If he does talk to me, it’s to ask me about how I was doing with my schooling. But I’ve been practicing a lot with my spear lately, and I wanted to tell him how much better I’d gotten. “Father’s here?!” I grabbed my spear from its rack and bolted out of the room, down the marble halls, towards the courtyard. “Don’t run so fast, Aethusa!” Mom called, but I ignored her warning. Even if he didn’t really want to talk to me, I was still really excited to show off what I’d learned.
My sandals slapped loudly against the sun-warmed marble, and I skidded to a breathless halt at the palace entrance.
Father was walking at a calm pace through the gates. The guards were bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, their eyes only daring to follow him once he’d walked past. Somehow, he looked even taller than I remembered, but everything else about him was the same. Like every other deity, Father didn’t change. The passing of time didn’t affect him at all. He seemed to glow under the bright sunlight. My eyes squinted as they adjusted to the brightness.
“Father,” I stammered as he came closer. “Um, welcome.” I was technically supposed to curtsy, even though he was my father, but I never did. None of my friends curtsied for their parents, so it always seemed weird for me to do it. Plus, I wasn’t wearing a dress. But Father never said anything, so he didn’t seem to care.
“Aethusa.” He stopped before me. I tilted my head back so I could see his face. I was always in awe of how tall and strong he looked, especially up close. Would I ever grow up to be like that? “Where is your mother?”
“She’s coming.” I fidgeted with my spear awkwardly. Now that he was in front of me, it felt like all of my courage and excitement had gone away. Father was too intimidating. His own trident was so much larger and sharper than my own weapon. My recent victories with my spear seemed so small in comparison to his legendary feats. The idea of bragging about catching a few fish became embarrassing. “Hey, um, I’ve…” I held up my spear a little bit. “I’ve been practicing a lot lately.”
He stared down at me with no expression. “Have you?”
“Yeah!” Just hearing his simple question encouraged me to go on. “I can’t catch a lot of fish, yet, but I can catch a few! I even caught a squid! I’m going to keep practicing so I can get better!”
His eyes flickered to the side for a moment before returning to me. “…I hear you’ve been ‘practicing’ with the koi in the palace ponds.”
I froze up immediately. How did he know that? It was true that I sometimes tried to spear the koi when I didn’t feel like going all the way to the beach, but they always got away. I’d never actually hurt them. It was harmless, wasn’t it? “Um… yeah, I have. But how did you find out?” My curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn’t resist asking.
“The koi told me when I passed by.” His gaze narrowed, and I frowned, staring down at my toes. “Don’t do it again.”
“Yes, Father,” I mumbled. My shoulders drooped. I hadn’t even thought about how the koi felt about being used as targets. I can’t talk to fish yet, so sometimes I forget that they’re just as smart as us.
Then I felt Father’s large hand gently rest atop my head, and my eyes grew wide. When I looked up again, he didn’t look angry. “The palace koi aren’t our enemies. Practice on something else.”
“Um, okay.” He pulled his hand away and continued to walk down the path towards the palace, where Mom was waiting for him. I reached up and touched my hair where he’d patted it down. It was warm from his touch.
“Aethusa, come now. You’re going to be late,” Mom called out with a warning in her voice. I sighed and dashed after Father.
—
My lessons on special things like etiquette are taught at home, but I also go to school with other kids a few days a week. Father wanted me to be taught by a tutor at home, but Mom said it was better if I went to school with the other children. She said it was important for me to learn to get along with people and make friends, especially since I would grow up to be an important deity. The school I attend is underwater on Midgard, in Atlantis. Every morning that I have to go to school, I get my things and teleport to Midgard using one of the special rune gates that the adults in the palace use to go back and forth as they want. Right now, I can only use it when I’m going to and from school.
I have friends at school, and the teacher, Triton, is really smart. He treats me like every other kid, and he’s really excited when he talks about history. I always pay attention and try to get the best grades in the class, because I want to make Father proud, but sometimes I fail. Triton understands, though, and he cheers me up. He tells me it’s alright to fail sometimes, as long as I always give it my best.
Not everyone else in the class is so understanding.
“It’s not fair when you bring your spear from home to practice!” My least favorite classmate was starting to complain about my spear again. I’m pretty sure Eumulus would’ve stomped his foot if he had one, but like the other merpeople he only has a tail, so he just makes an angry face instead. “I bet you bring it just to show off. But no one cares about your stupid silver spear!”
“Shut up, Eumulus!” I wrapped my hands tight around the spear, even though I knew no one was going to take it away. “Triton says it’s alright for me to use it for spearing practice, so it’s none of your business! It doesn’t do anything special, it just looks different!” My spear is really important to me. I got it on my eighth birthday from Uncle Hades, but he told me in secret that my Father had helped design it too. It looks a lot like his trident, so whenever I use it, I think about him.
“You’re lying! It’s a weapon made by the gods, so it has to be special! Why can’t you just use one of the spears the school has?!” Eumulus could tell that he was making me mad, and he smirked.
Eumulus is the son of King Elasippus, the ruler of Atlantis, so I guess that makes him a prince, but all he acts like is a jerk. Sometimes I’d like to call him something even worse, but I got in trouble the last time when Triton overheard me.
“That’s enough, Eumulus,” Triton warned him. “We’ve talked about this before. All students are allowed to use a spear from home, and Aethusa’s is a normal weapon. Now take your seat and be quiet. I’m going to go over the rules.”
We sat down and made faces at each other once Triton had turned around. Eumulus is probably just mad that his dad won’t let him bring a fancy spear from home, even though they’re royalty.
Triton explained to us that today’s practice would be spear-throwing, and he demonstrated the best way to aim for the targets. After that, we split into groups to take turns at the targets. Eumulus wasn’t in my group, thankfully, but he was in the group next to us, which was almost as bad.
“For the daughter of Poseidon, you sure are a bad aim,” he taunted me as I tried to focus. “Last time you didn’t even hit half the targets.”
“Knock it off, Eumulus,” my friend Clymene snapped at him. “She’s trying to concentrate!”
“It won’t make a difference,” Eumulus laughed. His insults were making my blood boil again, and I missed the target in my anger. “See?”
I’d had enough. I retrieved my spear and got up close to his face. “I’ll spear you up close, and then my throwing aim won’t matter!”
“You won’t spear me! You’re a coward.” Eumulus looked scared at my threat, but his words were still nasty. “You’re so weak for the kid of an Olympian. Your aim sucks, and you can’t even control water or talk to fish. You don’t even look like you’re Poseidon’s daughter. Your mother’s probably a whor-”
I leapt at him, tearing at his hair. “Shut up! Shut up!” My angry tears bubbled around my eyes in the water. “Poseidon is my dad! You’re just jealous that your dad is a lame mortal king!” Eumulus cried out and tried to shove me off as I yanked on his hair. But I was stronger than him, and I was able to get a few scratches on his face before Triton darted over and pulled me away.
“That’s enough!” Triton scolded. He brushed both of us off and made sure we weren’t seriously hurt. “There will be absolutely no fighting in this class! Eumulus, go sit down at your desk. That was very cruel of you to say.” Once Eumulus had sulked away, he looked down at me. “Aethusa, what he said was unkind. I understand you’re upset. However, you can’t strike people for things they say, even when they upset you. I’ll have to speak to your parents, and Eumulus’, about what happened.” He sounded disappointed.
I rubbed my eyes, wanting my tears to stop. It was embarrassing to cry like that in front of the class, and now my parents were going to be told I’d attacked someone in class. What would they think? “I know. I’m sorry, Master Triton,” I mumbled. I blinked hard to clear my vision.
“Now, take a deep breath. Pick up your spear, and try again.” He gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
I sniffled and tried to calm myself down as I rejoined my group at the target. But despite the reassurances of Triton and my friends, I couldn’t forget Eumulus’ stinging words. He’d landed a blow on my deepest fear. Maybe the reason why I didn’t look like Father or have his powers was because… I wasn’t really his daughter after all.
—
My shoulders were slumped as I walked down the palace halls after school towards my room. Mom wouldn’t keep that a secret from me, though, would she? She’d never lie about Father being my father! And wouldn’t Father himself know, either way? Maybe I’m actually an orphan they took in, and that’s why Father never has time for me. He doesn’t want to take care of a kid that isn’t his. As much as I wanted to believe that Mom would never keep the truth from me, I also knew there were secrets that adults kept from kids. Just like every other child, I’d been told plenty of times that there were certain things I wasn’t ready to know about until I was older. Maybe this was one of those things.
I stood in the doorway of my bedroom, hugging my spear. Maybe something’s wrong with me. Maybe I am Father’s daughter, but there’s something keeping me from having the same abilities. As a nymph, Mom has a lot of the same powers as Father, just on a smaller scale. Just like him, she can talk to fish and move the water. All of her family members - my grandparents, aunts, and uncle - can too. Perhaps I was just born weak, doomed to never have the same cool powers as other water deities.
I stared down at my reflection on the spearhead’s smooth surface. Seeing my own sad face just made me feel worse, but then I had an idea. Maybe I just haven’t proved that I’m worthy yet. I probably haven’t been practicing as hard as I should be. Trying to spear fish in a pond was pretty pathetic. If I gave myself a good push, would that awaken my powers? But where could I find such an opportunity?
I could still feel the faint hum of power that came from the rune gate. I stepped back from the doorway and stared down the hall, mulling over my idea. I could still go through the gate to Midgard right now. I had a window of time every day that I was able to use the gate, ideally for school. I could go to the ocean outside of Atlantis and really put my skills to the test. Then I would know for sure if Poseidon was really my father, and if I was truly born a weakling or just unpracticed.
I ran back into my room and grabbed my satchel from its shelf. I scooped a few items that might prove useful inside and slipped it across my body before bolting back out towards the gate. If I hurried, no one would see me. Sure enough, the hallway was empty of any servants, and my quick escape to the gate went unnoticed.
I’ll prove myself, and then Eumulus will have no choice but to shut up once and for all. I gritted my teeth as I stepped onto the rune gate’s platform. The tingling purple energy the rune emitted felt even stronger than usual against my frazzled senses. “Midgard,” I commanded, in the same voice I heard my parents use.
And with that, I felt myself being swept back to the oceans of the mortal plane.
—
Author’s notes: Woohoo, Poseidon has a daughter! Or a maybe daughter? Naw, she is his kid. She’s just a silly ten year old who doesn’t know any better. lol
Her parents probably haven’t given her The Talk yet, so she doesn’t know how they could be sooo sure Poseidon is her dad. If she was older, he’d probably just tell her with a straight face, “I know because I was there when you were conceived.”
So I just really want you guys to appreciate the obvious art evolution with our sexy Aquaman here. Seriously. Look at how much more beautiful he’s become.
Like he was obviously handsome before, but now he is a certifiedheartbreaker and I’m weeping that the world has lost such a hot man. I can’t wait for the chapter to be translated!!
GUYS I JUST CAN’T MORE POSEIDON HE SMILES.! HE’S SO MUCH MORE GENTLE LIKE WTF WE WERE SO WRONG HE’S SOOOOO YOU KNOW MY BRAIN IS MELTING POSEIDON BABY I LOVE YOUUUU
“Oh, Um…” You choke out, startled out how you were caught staring, “It’s…
…nothing.”
.
..
…
It is silent for a moment as the boy gives you a strange look, seeming not to believe what you were saying, before eventually giving up and shaking his head. His messy long white hair bobbing back and forth as he does so.
“Alrighty then.” Is all he says to you before turning his attention back to the vendor. “Now back to what I was saying, I’ll take this spear for about… 150 Jewels give or take.”
“150 Jewels?! Are you crazy boy—“
You wince slightly at the vendor’s loud voice. The boy, looking about 15 in human age, sure had guts negotiating with a short tempered vendor like that. It honestly could get ugly pretty quickly. You should probably refrain from getting mixed up in the mess that was about to concur.
Yet, even though you think that, you can’t help but continue to spare small glances at the boy. You weren’t sure what it was but… you just couldn’t take your eyes off him. Especially those icy blue eyes of his…
Eyes that held quite unordinary vertical-like irises. An iris that reminded you of that of a cat or a snake.
…Something was strange about this boy… you can’t help but wonder why.
“300 Jewels and that’s final! If you don’t like it, then get out!” The vendor shouts one last time at the boy, his face beat red from anger.
“Tch. Geez, fine then.” The boy says with a sigh as he pulls back up his hood. The dark black fabric shielding his face from view, “You leave me no choice.”
What—
You watched in startled surprise as the boy suddenly grabbed your hand.
“I sure hope you can run fast.” He whispers out teasingly, his blue eyes shimmering lightly in mischief underneath the shade of the hood, before stealing the spear from the vendor, tugging you along as he runs, “See Ya, Ya Geezer!”
“Hey! Oi! Get back here! Guards!”
“Wait! Wha—“ You can hardly function what is going on as this boy, this stranger, tugs you along the streets and into back alleyways. Around people, carts and sea animals; Some you almost or do bump into. It is only as he finally stops at an abandoned hidden plaza that everything comes crashing down on you.
The boy lets out a small chuckle as he lets go of your hand, “Damn. That was close. Thank goo—“
“Ahhh!”
The teenage boy falls to the ground in a heap as you sucker punch him in the gut. “H-Hey! Lady! What the hell?!”
“Don’t ‘what the hell me’?! What were you thinking?!” You screeched at the boy, taking a step forward as he stood up. Poking at the young boy’s chest as you continued to chase him, “You don’t know me. I don’t know you. Why did you drag me along and get me into trouble?!”
“There…wasn’t really a reason, I—- Hey. Hey! Let me finish!” The boy fearfully shouts out as you lift your fist up once more. Quivering like a leaf in front of you as he hesitantly backs away.
“Ok.Finishthen.”
“It’s like— I don’t know how to explain it— It’s— you—“ The boy stutters out, trying to figure out his own thoughts, “Shit. I don’t know. Something was just interesting about you.”
You raise an eyebrow at the boy’s explanation, “Interesting?”
“Not like that. You look way too old for me anyways…” The boy says, looking you up and down. Thanks, you can’t help but sarcastically think. It’s not like you are only a college student and this boy is likely hundreds of years older than you.
“You are…just…strange.” The boy meekly let’s out, rubbing the back of his neck.
You can’t help but scoff lightly, “I’m actually pretty normal from where I come from.”
“And where is that?”
You pause for a moment. Thinking.
“…Why do you want to know?” You let out, your words no longer harsh or accusatory towards the boy. Almost airy and sheepish in a way as you realize you shouldn’t judge either. You also thought he was strange as well when you first saw him.
“Just…do?” He whispers out. “Is there really a reason? You’re strange…. I’m definitely strange.”
The boy chuckles out the last part. As if there was some inside joke or hidden secret behind him that you didn’t quite understand.
“…And if being strange is normal from where you are. I wanna know.”
You gaze down at the boy in front of you. That’s right, a boy. Not the soon to be adult teenager that you know all too well from the human world. No. Just a boy. A lost boy at that.
He wasn’t trying to swindle you or drag you into trouble. He was just seeking out an adult. An adult that seemed like him. One that could possibly give him advice.
“You’re…You’re oddly open to a person you just met.”
“I know.” The boy counters back instantly.
It’s silent after that, the boy waiting patiently for your answer and you not ready to give it to him. It was hard to know who would break first but, of course, somehow you did. He reminded you of someone…
“I’m from the human… or, whatever you call it, realm” You explain with an anxiously laugh, leaning against the cold brick of the wall. Your eyes darting away from the boy to the many jellyfish that floated high above the city.
You expected the boy to laugh, to sneer, to anything in disgust that you expect from higher beings but it never comes. The boy with the unusual blue eyes does none of that. Only letting out a small, “I see…” as he joins you in looking at the jellyfish.
You think perhaps you should make another comment or ask a question of your own—Perhaps his name, what creature he was, or just more about him—but… you refrain. Knowing even if it did, it wouldn’t matter.
That lost boy next to you was….strange…
But…
….It oddly comforted you in a way.
Author Note: another chapter done! Hehe. I know this one is a little short and anti-climatic but I promise. It’s supposed to be like that. You’ll find out why in later chapters.
How odd. Unconsciously, you find your fingers ghosting themselves over your lips. As if you could feel the tingling feeling of Poseidon’s lips against yours right then.
Finally the voice breaks into your thoughts, making you come crashing down to reality. How silly. You weren’t with Poseidon, you were in a carriage. A carriage with Marine, Pierre and Triton on your way to the city portion of Atlantis.
“Sorry-y. W-what were you saying, Marine?”
Marine and Pierre look at each other, worried. As if locked in a silent conversation, they share a nod before turning their attention back to you.
“My Lady, are you sure you are alright to go out today?” Marine questions cautiously, “We could always go another day for dress shopping.”
“I’m fine. Please. Don’t worry. We need to get this over with—“
Pierre instantly cuts you off, “We have plenty of time before the Cychríepochí Festival, My Lady. If you wish to rest today, you always can.”
Right, The Cychríepochí Festival. The week-long festival that is hosted every year in Atlantis to mark the start of the cold season. It comes with all sorts of vendors and eccentric festivities, with the final day being specifically important as a Royal Ball is hosted for high Gods and Goddesses.
…It would also be the day you would be formally announced as the new queen of the ocean.
“I’m fine, don’t worry. Just… Nervous…” You tell Pierre. It wasn’t technically a lie, you were nervous just not about that. Instantly thoughts of Poseidon flash back into your mind. Stupid. Why are you thinking about this? It’s so stupid.
Poseidon’s words to you the other day have been playing in your mind like a broken record. You just couldn’t escape from it.
“Mine… Mine, (y/n)…”
What could he possibly mean by that…?
“Marine.” You suddenly speak up catching the fish’s attention. You needed to get Poseidon out of your head or you were going to go crazy. “If you don’t mind, could you tell me about the citizens of Atlantis?”
“Citizens?” Marine questions out, confused.
“Like….” How does one exactly put it into words? “…Who lives here? Like their species and what to expect?”
Thankfully this time Marine seems to understand as his eyes visibly light up, “Of course, My Lady! Sir Pierre could you make a diagram to help explain it to the Lady more clearly?”
“Certainly.”
Taking his hand out of his pocket, Pierre outstretches his arm and in a swirl of glowing water, a pyramid diagram appears.
“Ahem. So essentially in Atlantis we have a Hierarchy. At the very top is the “Royal Family”. This consists of only Lord Poseidon, Master Triton and now you, Lady (y/n). You are, by all means, the ruling body of all the water and sea based citizens. Lady Amphitrite, due to divorce, is not a part of this Royal Family any more and, Lord Zeus and Lord Hades, though Lord Poseidon’s brothers, are not counted either as they rule their realms respectively.” Marine explains before suddenly pointing at Triton, “However, this section of the hierarchy will change when Master Triton comes to age. Lord Poseidon is King of the seas but is only King of Atlantis per an agreement of the other gods.”
“An agreement?” You question out loud. This was much more complicated than what you first thought.
“Yes. Atlantis is a neutral ground city for all mythological gods, just like sections of Valhalla. The agreement puts Lord Poseidon in charge of Atlantis until his eldest heir is able to take over. That heir being Master Triton who will become King and God of Atlantis.”
Really? You glance over at Triton to see that the boy had a bashful look on his face. Seeming embarrassed by the attention suddenly being solely pointed on himself.
“Surprise?…” Triton mumbles anxiously under his breath before turning his gaze away from you. Cute.
Leaning down you place a light kiss on the young boy’s head. His blonde silky locks slightly tickle against your face as you do so.
“Amazing, Triton.” You quickly reassure the boy before turning your attention back to Marine.
“The rest should be similar from here. Next in the Hierarchy is Water Gods/Goddesses and after them is Water Demi-Gods/Goddesses. The reason it is specifically those of water is because all gods have ‘citizenship’ to one of generally three places: Valhalla, Helheim and Atlantis. This is because Gods who visit from other realms have to pay respect to all citizens who reside there, no matter their class, but that isn’t usually enforced.”
Of course, it isn’t…, you think as you roll your eyes. If anything you learned while being human was that Gods and Goddesses were the most stuck up and prideful beings you have ever met. Even the nice ones. It was as if it was built into their nature.
“After that we have the Nymphs & Giants. This is generally self explanatory as Nymphs & Giants are powerful and strong compared to other beings that serve the gods but are still lesser beings than those they serve. Next, very simple, are sea creatures, they are the original beings of the sea and therefore counted as those who shall be respected. I count as those of the ‘sea creatures class’ being a Beta Fish myself and Sir Pierre is a Nymph and Demi-God Hybrid making him that of the ‘Nymph Class’.”
What? You looked confused at what Marine explains in the last part, “But,… Why would Sir Pierre be considered as part of the ‘Nymph class’ if he has the blood of a god flowing through him?”
Pierre takes the job of explaining it this time, “Beings who are of mixed blood or classes take on the lower class of the two parents, My Lady. There are no direct rules but that is just how it works. For example, if you and Lord Poseidon had a child. Even though said child is 3 quarters Full blood god, it would still be rounded down as a Demi-God.”
“Oh…” You mumble out under your breath. This Hierarchy thing seemed extremely serious and very… bashing towards others in many ways. Keeping those confined in their place from which they were born out of.
The feeling of Triton’s cold hand wrapping intertwined with yours breaks you from your thoughts. The young boy gives you a concerned look as he stares up at you. Triton… You give a small reassuring smile to your son before turning your attention back to Marine. How sad… No wonder you ran away from all this…
“Finally, the most populated and at the bottom of the Hierarchy is ‘Other Spirits & Mythological creatures’.” Marine states, seeming to finally put a close to his explanation. Though, you can’t help but wonder why he didn’t elaborate as much on the last section as he did with the others.
Triton, as if sensing your curiosity, leans over to sneakily whisper in your ear, “Like Sea monsters and Human Spirits mama.”
You open your mouth slightly in a silent ‘ohh’. So that’s why Marine didn’t want to elaborate. He likely was being cautious of mentioning that human’s, even though in spirit form, we’re at the bottom of the Hierarchy for your sake.
Though,… you can’t help but wonder what started this discriminatory and hatred towards humans in the first place.
It must go very far back. Perhaps even the gods forgot why they do it in the first place…
Letting out a small sigh, you shake your head before looking out the shell carriage window. Taking in the vast sea horizon around you, you attempt to lighten your mood knowing you had much time to go before you would finally arrive in…
…Atlantis.
—.—.—.—.—
Did the shade of blue really matter?
Of course it did. Well, at least to Pierre and Marine it did.
Pierre believed a Royal Blue would look elegant on you. It’s dark, royal, colors would make you look sophisticated, mature and all around stunning. The perfect color to make your appearance as the new queen.
However, Marine begged to differ. Marine believed periwinkle should be the color for you. The pastel blue, almost purple, color would bring out your soft and sweet personality. It would show the start of a era of a new queen as, apparently, Amphitrite wore dark colors so you should debut in something lighter.
It was… stressful to say the least. You had been trying on dresses for at least 4 hours now and still hadn’t moved on to accessories or jewelry yet. Plus, Triton still needed to shop for his formal outfit after you were done. Oh dear…
“That one is pretty as well, mom.” Triton comments as you walk out in yet another dress. The young boy didn’t seem to be paying attention to the chaos of Marine and Pierre’s argument around him, instead his eyes peeled to you or the magazine in his hands.
“Thank you, Triton…” You thank the boy graciously, trying not to show your utter exhaustion. You seriously needed a break…
Wait, a minute. A thought pops into your head. How did you not think of it before?
“Pierre, Marine. I’m going to go to the store down the road if that’s alright.”
At your sudden request, Marine and Pierre freeze up.
“My Lady you can’t just leave! We aren’t done yet!” Marine shouts out with a whine as he stops you in your tracks from escaping out the front door of the shop.
Pierre nods his head in agreement, “We still have to pick out the finest pearls for you.”
“Pearls? That’s too old fashioned. Moonstone is the new thing!”
As Marine and Pierre get into another argument, you shake your head. Oh boy, today is going to be a longday.
“Pierre, Marine.” You say in an authoritative tone, putting an end to the argument, “Remember I still have to buy the ‘gifts’for the festival, right? And if I wait until we are done dress shopping, all the other stores will be closed by then.”
“Oh, you mean those gifts for Lor—“ You cut Marine off with a shush as you point to Triton behind you. The young boy, too entertained by some of the soft fabrics one of the workers has brought over, to be even listening to your conversation.
“Have Triton try on his outfits while I’m out… And, yes, I’ll be fine going alone.” You tell the two in front of you, waiting until they affirm your decision before finally escaping from the store. Sweet god, you missed the fresh air— err, ocean water…? You were stuck in that place for too long.
What you told Marine and Pierre in order to escape wasn’t technically a lie. You learned on your way here that it was apparently a tradition for females to give males gifts on the first day of the Cychríepochí Festival and for males to give gifts to females on the last day. So, you at the very least planned to get a gift for Triton and… likely Poseidon as well.
It would probably look too weird to others if you don’t give Poseidon a gift on the first day. After all, you two were supposed to be playing the ‘Very-in-Love’ couple.
Then again…
You find your feet halting suddenly against the stone sidewalk. If it was all pretend then what is with all of ‘that’? The possessiveness…, the sexual parts…, the god damn teasing for crying out loud when you two were alone. No one is around so there’s no way it’s for show, so… what’s with that?
Could he actually… likeyou?
No, don’t look too much into it, you think to yourself before resuming your walk. There’s no way Poseidon likes you like that. And even if he did, it was at most sexual attraction.
Just let it go…
“Good day Madam.” The storekeeper’s voice rings out from behind the counter as you enter one of the stores. “May I help you today?”
“Ummm.” You look around the store for a second. It was a jewelry store, a prestigious one at that. “Do you have anything for men?”
“Of course, Madam. We have a vast selection.” The storekeeper tells you as he brings you to a glass casing on the other side of the store. “We have cuff links, pendants, crests. All of the sort. Does anything catch your eye?”
Hmm… You gaze down at the jewelry below. None of this looks like something Triton would wear. The pieces looked more appropriate for someone older, a businessman perhaps.
Poseidon perhaps?
You remember faintly the male god wearing a different, more business attire, suit when he had to meet another important god. He already had his usual choker wrapped around his neck so a pendant or crest would be out of the question. But…
…what about cufflinks?
“Could I see some of the cufflinks you have? Any of blue and gold would be perfect.”
“Of course, Madam.” Swiftly the shopkeep unlocks the case and delicately pulls out every blue and gold cufflink he had. All of them looked gorgeous, but you just didn’t know what to choose. You’ve never picked a special gift out for a male before, nevertheless one that is supposed to be your ‘husband’. “Pardon me, Madam but you seem to be struggling. Is it fine if I help a little?”
You visibly lighten up at the shopkeeper’s offer, that would be excellent, “Yes. That would be wonderful actually. I’m picking a gift out for my…soon to be husband.”
“I see, such a memorable gift.” The shopkeeper says with a chuckle as he ponders, “I take it that he likes gold and blue as well.”
“Yes.”
The shopkeeper rubs his mustache as he thinks, “If I may, could I ask what status he is? Or his family name”
Crap…You slowly start panicking. You haven’t made your debut as the new queen yet, could you even reveal yourself right now?
“I-Um.” Think fast (y/n), “M-My husband’s status is a god.”
“Oh really?” The shopkeeper says with wonder. It seemed that he bought it so you wouldn’t have to explain any further, “Well, thank goodness Gods frequently visit my shop. I know almost everyone’s preferences. Who is it that you are pertaining to?”
…or maybe not. Seems like you really couldn’t get out of this one.
“My Fiancé is-s…” You stutter out nervously. Take a deep breath (y/n). Remembering this is only a jewelry store. If one person just happens to find out who you are it’s not the end of the world, “…Lord Poseidon.”
.
..
…
“S-sir?” You choke out as you look at the shopkeeper’s frozen face. It seemed like all color had drained from him. Almost as if his soul had left his body.
“Sir?” You call out once more, this time breaking the shopkeeper from his comatose-like state.
“O-oh my. Please forgive me for my rudeness, Mada—My Lady. I was just caught off guard-d.” The shopkeeper stutters out, quite jittery and fearful now that he knows who you are, “I-I apologize. I haven’t had a visit from Lord Poseidon in quite a while. So I will have to think.”
“It is quite alright. I’m in no rush.” You say, trying to soothe the shopkeeper. Poor guy, having to deal with perfectionist Poseidon criticizing and ordering him around… you felt for the poor shopkeeper.
It was then as you shift your head off to the side that something catches your eye.
“Sir, are those for sale?” You ask, pointing to a singular separate case.
“Y-yes they are. It’s our only pair.” The shopkeeper explains as he moves over to grab them from the case, “These circular golden cufflinks were designed for simplicity. With its sleek design, it brings out the Royal blue, light blue and white evil eye that is in the center. It’s perfect for Greek clients and those who don’t like too much attention.”
Heh, it’s weirdly perfect for Poseidon. For a God that hardly bothers looking others in the eyes.
“I’ll take it.”
—.—.—.—.—
“Thank you for graciously shopping here, My Lady.” The shopkeeper shouts out as you leave, a small gift box wrapped extravagantly in your hands. You told the shopkeeper he didn’t have to wrap it so nicely and perfectly but he insisted.
Oh well, it’s not like you could do anything about it now.
“Swords! Spears! Any tool you could imagine!”
“Want a reading from the gods? Stop by at—“
“Pork Chops here! Fresh, cooked and juicy!”
As you walk down the street, closer to the outdoor vendors, you look around. This was harder than you thought, what would you get for Triton?
If it was up to you, you would likely get a new board game or fluffy stuffed animal for the boy, but… those are advanced human things. Those things aren’t sold here in Atlantis.
The only board games around were chess and shogi, and the closest things to stuffed animals were straw dolls or carved wooden animals. Nothing new or close to what you were looking for.
What would you do….
“Hey! Kid!” A loud male vendor shouts out suddenly, catching your attention. It was the vendor right next to yours, the weapon seller, and it seemed he was yelling at the customer in front of him. “I said it was for 300 Jewels and that’s final! I don’t do ‘bargaining!’”
“Oh, Come on, old geezer.” The boy says as he pulls down the hood of his cloak, shaking his head back and forth in disagreement as he does so. “That’s a little too pricey for my taste, just lower it down a bit.”
Woah…You can’t help but gasp as you finally get a glance at the teenage boy.
Blue…AnIcyblue.
“Hmm?” It seemed your gasp had gained the boy’s attention as he shifted his gaze to you. Those icy blue eyes of his scanning your form in confusion. “You okay there, Lady?”
“Oh, Um…” You choke out, startled out how you were caught staring, “It’s…
…nothing.”
Little did you know at the time, how important of a meeting it was.
Author note: Hey Guys! Sorry so many things fell through from my initial plans. Moving into my dorm room took a lot longer than usually and it was also my birthday yesterday so I got busy. I was so busy and didn’t want to rush so I just decided to move post today (Wednesday) and move the other one to Friday. Also sorry for not responding to the asks, asking about what was going on with this chapter. I was just so busy that I decided to ignore tumblr and try to finish the editing and writing.
Your touch was soft and he found himself leaning into it. The water felt warm against his back and your voice brought an unsought soothing to his core.
“This…” he cleared his throat, leaning his head further back into your touch “This is nice.”
You smiled but remained silent, continuing to massage the hair product on his scalp, feeling his body slowly lose tension the more you continued. He was a man of few words, who knew what he wanted and always got the latter.
But at times like these…he seemed to lose that and melt into someone fragile, someone who needed you to handle him with care. You wished this would last for longer but you knew better than to hold hope. So, you allowed him to rest in your presence, pouring the water ever so carefully on his hair, noting his eyes closed.
Your fingers moved against the skin of his cheek, lips moving to press against his forehead. His eyebrow creased ever so slightly but he remained silent, indulging for just a moment.
You look into them as he reaches his hand towards you, and his indifference stares right back. You lower them quickly, biting into your lip until the sting in your chest gets replaced with something more tangible.
His embrace was warm against your skin but left you feeling alone. Your hands tremble, slowly lifting to wrap around him, head burying in his chest trying so hard.
Trying so hard…to what….
Trying so hard to make him see you? To feel less alone?
What are you trying so hard to do?
Your eyes fill with tears.
Why are you crying? What were you expecting? What’s crying going to do?
That’s right, let him kiss you. Let his arms hold you close and pretend like there’s love surrounding the two of you. Hold his face between your hands and lean into him.
It’s not going to get any better than this. He may never truly see you, but you can pretend he does and he can pretend not to notice.
comfortable silence at the end of a long day, sitting in bed together both tending to different things. the bedside light flickering softly as he eases into a book, one hand placed softly on your hand, thumb running soft circles onto your skin while you were focused watching your favourite show. The air was warm and you felt at ease
the warmth of the shower water and his arms wrapped around you from behind as he rested his head in the crook of your neck. he’s bad at communicating when he’s having a tough time, but whenever things get too heavy he likes resting his head right there. you remain quiet, pressing your lips to the top of his head and allowing him to wash away the strains in your closeness
long car rides filled with out of tune singalongs, bright smiles and loving teases thrown backwards and forwards. the loudness slowly moving into comfortable silence, his hand moving to rest on top of your thigh and your head resting on his shoulder.
his fingers gently skimming across the skin of neck, moving your hair to the side with soft gestures before lifting the necklace you requested help with. smiling at the way your cheeks remained flush despite him doing this for so many years. slowly wrapping the jewellery around your neck, asking how high you wanted it and clasping it securely before silently admiring you in the mirror for a few seconds
![Thor - “Shuumatsu no Walküre”. [Graphinica - 2021].](https://64.media.tumblr.com/19311407d5fd1beaa56ccdff7aebe9b9/d91da9c5b9f745b4-9e/s1280x1920/8cbbee98472e7ef00712c4df081cf9fa8fcbd7ad.jpg "Thor - “Shuumatsu no Walküre”. [Graphinica - 2021].")
