#For the Immortal Flowers in my bones; for the Ice in my Heart ━ ( Persephone V. )

[ccaptain]

New verse:

for the immortal flowers in my bones; for the ice in my heart v. aka what are you doing with your life if you don't have a greek gods verse for your muse?

   vines adorned with colorful flowers often hide the truth. the thorny strap his parents keep around his neck is tight and unpleasant.

   the more he grew, the more he understood that it was about control- not the love and concern that the demeter entities have cooed to him about. that he was being seen as nothing more than an obedient, forever child for them- his only duty to regulate the harvests and stabilize seasons.

   it didn't mattered that the centuries had turned his body into the one of an adult, doe-eyed gaze admiring his features under a loose chiton. it did not mattered that he had grown muscles, that he could outrun even the fastest of animals if he so desired, that he wanted to explore, to live- he was still being seen as a child, and as a child he was to be controlled, least he harmed himself.

   being one of the gods of agricolture and harvests served him very little. 

   ( the handmade obsidian dagger with a splintered wooden handle speaks about he's not a pretty, naive thing. )

   despite the demeters being not much liked by the other gods, the young man cannot form a plan to escape- for the olympus was vast, and his means to hide from the omniscient gaze of his parents few and unreachable.

   his only way out seems to be a loveless marriage with someone who will whisk him away- he'd tolerate... no, he'd take it. it'd still be much more freedom than he has now.

   and then...

   the occasion comes, unplanned and surprising. at a banquet like any other, two chips of ice stare at him across the room, hungry and undeterred by his parent's wrathful looks and angry whispers to come closer to them for protection. and at that gaze-

  -he meets the eyes of the god of death. it's hades that has taken an interest on him- the cagey god of the underworld. 

   and it's then that his insides move with something as warm as the aromatic wine in his cup- pale stars refuse to lower, glow alight with interest, curiosity and something far from innocent, creating a connection between them that shifts the energy of the room even without them speaking a single word to one another.

   if it can't be nothing else, it's an occasion. the encounter leaves him stirred, no longer able to sleep at night as easily as he did until now.

   an occasion to act on his escape plan presents itself two days later: protected by an hooded cloak, kaeya descends into the underworld of his own volition- knowing that every step taken makes him more free by the minute.

   he offers himself to the lord of the underworld in soul and body, without the slightest hesitation. he knows that the god won't reject him, even if fueled by the lust that characterizes every god of the pantheon. he'd take anything, if it meant freedom.

   ( to me, his eyes seemed to say that day. come to me. )

   whatever the consequences are, he deems himself ready. he pours his trust in the figure towering over him, for he feels no threat coming from it. he decides to trust wriothesley━

   ━and finds himself loved beyond means.

   the union between their souls is as much carnal as it's a pact to seal the deal- the sensations repressed by a long period of innocency imposed on him, and he dips into the newlyfound sensations eagerly. he consumes his new spouse mutually, makes himself at home in the terrifying, cold world that is now half his, and discovers that he was born into his new role finely- and the ravenous hunger of mind and body.

   kaeya finds in wriothesley a most passionate, devoted lover that looks at him like he's the sun and stars both. wriothesley gives him a new name- persephone, now forever his partner in ruling the underworld, their twined hands bound by velvety, soft ivy sprouting from the cracks in their thrones.

   and when the day comes that zeus has no choice but to call kaeya back to his parents, he looks at his husband in the eyes as he consumes pomegranade seeds off his hand, licks blood-like juice off his fingers to savor the taste of their bond before he departs.

   persephone emerges to the surface clad in dark, fumous robes, from the newly-created meadow of pale flowers at the entrance of the underworld, crystals of ice forevermore embedded in his hair and a crown of black, frozen thorns over his brow.

   he has never felt more free, even among his parents wailing that he has been defiled. what he ate bounds him to the underworld, he knows, hiding a smile behind his hand.

   defiled? is he a tomb, an object? why does his innocence matter, when to keep it he had to endure so many privations? now he can no longer submit to demeter's wishes- when he has known the longing, the warmth of another body next to his, the depths of a multifaceted, deep intimacy with the one he willingly offered himself to.

   nothing as trivial as his celibacy matters, when the tangy taste of the seeds connecting him to the deity of death- to his husband, lingers on his tongue. the taste of freedom has by long exploded in his mouth;

   his to savor.

tag: For the Immortal Flowers in my bones; for the Ice in my Heart ━ ( Persephone V. )

This verse is singleship with @daybreakrising's Wriothesley.

#from another realm ━ (ooc) #if i end up launching this trend of greek myths verses on everyone elses blogs: GOOD. GO FOR IT AND BE FREE AND ENJOY URSELF #me and lauri have been brainstormed over this so much ngl im a bit obsessed #me: and in this essay i will describe all of kaeya and persephones parallels- #suggestive ;; #(tag just in case tho i've been as vague as possible) #For the Immortal Flowers in my bones; for the Ice in my Heart ━ ( Persephone V. ) #you saw that the ichor that resides in me demanded its own throne. ━ (Hades&Persephone AU; daybreakrising)

[falling-pages]

Over and Over, Again and Again: KyoHaru (commission)

The absolutely lovely @ouranbound commissioned me for her birthday. This was so much fun and I just melt every time I read it 🥺 thank you so much sweetheart, I hope your day is magical!!

Info on commissions here (updated!)

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Despite the heat, despite the outdoors, Kyoya considered it a lovely afternoon, if only for two reasons: he had a book in his hands and Haruhi’s head in his lap.

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Kyoya Ootori x Haruhi Fujioka

Genre: Fluff

Contains: first I Love Yous, established relationship

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, but no drinking

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Kyoya did not like being outside. It was often hot and sticky, the sun too bright and burning his skin, or too cold and blustery, the wind too harsh for his delicate constitution. Even refraining from walking to work, using his own driver to commute the blocks. It was silly, yes, and quite wasteful, but he had the money, and all that money allowed him to demand comfort. He never could understand why the others seemed to strain at their leashes to go outdoors--Mori and Hikaru organizing hikes and fishing trips, Tamaki and Kaoru scampering after them. He couldn’t find pleasure in swatting at the sweat running down his back, or cleaning his glasses every few minutes. The outdoors were quite insufferable.

But Haruhi liked the outdoors, and he liked Haruhi.

He supposed it was because of their different upbringings. While he had all the luxury of indoor pools and air conditioning, she didn’t. The outdoors were free; a simple space where commoners could exist without the expectation of spending money. Unlike any mall or restaurant, beneath the sun, the air cost nothing.

So he put up with it whenever she requested it. Her cool touch was more enticing than air conditioning, anyways.

He began to regret it, though, when their wine was no longer chilled. They had arranged a lovely picnic, lounging in a field his father owned. There were plans to develop it, one day, but for now it remained wild. A place where lovers could stow away amid the tall grass waving in the wind.

They sat in the shade of a lemon tree. Remains of rei-shabu and morokyu were stowed away in their picnic satchel, next to the ice pack. Their glasses were still filled with strawberry wine, though their minds and stomachs were too content to have more.

Despite the heat, despite the outdoors, Kyoya considered it a lovely afternoon, if only for two reasons: he had a book in his hands and Haruhi’s head in his lap.

It would have been lovelier in late May or early June, but he had been so busy with the end of the fiscal year. He was afraid of Haruhi’s impending disillusionment, with their relationship still so new, but if she was ever discontent, he knew she would tell him. Dating him had not turned her into a placated doll, as he had feared. He still took care of her, showering her in wealth whenever she asked, but it was rare; mostly, she just wanted to spend time with him, and he just wanted to take care of her, making sure her stomach was full and loans paid.

Not to say he didn’t spoil her, though. He had bought the very dress she was wearing, a strappy yellow thing with magenta stitching. And the gold earrings, shaped like roses on dangling stems, which laid so artfully on the backdrop of her velvet brown hair splayed against his thigh. Her hair was long enough to begin curling slightly at the ends, whenever it wasn’t done up in her tight law school bun.

It was rare he saw her like this, heart unbound and carefree. Her skin was soft beneath his fingertips as he ran them against her cheek, half dreaming, half admiring. She slept in his lap, tuckered out from their afternoon. Lips red from wine pulled back slightly, a whimper on the tip of her tongue. For a moment, he feared had awoken her, hand frozen on her jaw, but she turned her neck back into his leg and resumed her breathing.

He sighed in relief. He had already ruined much in his life. The peaceful portrait beneath him was too pure to interrupt.

Once she was back asleep, he gave one last glance to her blushed cheeks and held up his book. It was old, a brown cover etched with gold, antique and clearly made for a bygone era, tattered pages though born on a press just a few years ago. Kyoya felt like that sometimes. An anachronism of his own kind. Set in one spot and lost to the pages of history.

But not here. A butterfly landed on Haruhi’s nose. Instead of swatting it, he watched, breathed in the life bellowing into his bones. In the world, at work, with his family, his soul felt ancient; his shoulders shook with the weight of an old-world empire. But with her, he was fresh, bathing in the fountain of youth. He was no longer an Atlas, cursed with the weight of the world; he was Dionysus with Ariadne--his shining jewel in the sky.

The love he had for her transcended space and time, yet she was blissfully unaware.

Tamaki’s advice echoed in his ears. He had to tell her eventually, else he’d lose her. Trained in all things etiquette, he still stumbled over even the most human of phrases.

Kyoya shook his head. The day he listened to Tamaki’s advice would be the day he’d resign from the Ootori group. As he returned to his book, his focus shifted. Some old French thing on culture, it mocked his feelings with dry phrases and tiny text. Tamaki had taught him enough French to get by, but reading it was another matter. It was to better himself and improve his chances with foreign business relations, was what he told himself, at least.

Haruhi’s ease and fascination with the language certainly had nothing to do with it. Nor did the jealousy in his palms when he would watch the two he loved most converse and giggle without him.

Some time after he resumed scanning it, regretting how he left his translation dictionary at home, Haruhi awoke. Not with a sigh or startle, as he was accustomed, but silently, with a breath, as if he were the bridge in which she crossed from one world into the next.

She laid still and watched him read, brilliant mind sweeping over each and every word. From the angle of his head tilt, she could see his eyes behind his glasses, a sharp, rare, deep black. Nondescript, and beautiful, the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen--above Tamaki’s lavender, Mori’s silver, the twins’ bronze and amber. She loved them because within their deep pools of tar, she saw her future.

Haruhi didn’t know for how long she looked at him. She had just started to fall back asleep when he spoke.

“I can feel you staring at me,” he murmured, not even taking his sight from the page.

She stayed focused on the smooth, pale skin of his jaw. It clenched and unclenched periodically, whenever he came across a phrase or word he didn’t know. She could have offered her help, but his lap was just too comfortable.

“I like the view,” she shrugged.

When he set the book down, eyes widened, she already knew what he was about to say.

“Out of all the sights, of the trees, flowers, and fields surrounding us, you think me more admirable?”

She was the lawyer--she was the one used to provoking confessions from people--but his cunning as a businessman made the words drip from his lips like honey, accentuating even as he dipped his head down to hers. Haruhi scrambled to shift her weight to her arm, propping herself up to meet his lips. And yet he hovered, smirking as he watched her mouth chase his, quieting her displeased whines with a chuckle.

“What, no answer?”

He was the devil in disguise, with a voice so silver and smooth, and she knew it. But if he were the devil, she was his Persephone--his lips were her pomegranate, and she bit.

She mustered her frustration into finally catching him in a kiss, swatting at his chest when she tasted his beleaguered smirk.

“You know my answer,” she retorted. “I choose you every day, over and over again.”

“I know,” my darling.” He removed his glasses, the only barrier between them, and pressed his forehead to hers. “And for that, I love you.”

He said it. It wasn’t how he planned on saying it, but it was there, suspended in the air by wires thin as twine. Her hand stilled in his hair, but she didn’t remove it.

“That’s the first time you’ve said it,” she breathed, an elation and joy she didn’t know she missed bubbling in her chest.

Kyoya opened his eyes. They had clenched shut on instinct, as protection, so he wouldn’t have to see the way she rejected him. But her calm voice coaxed them back open, and they settled on her lazy smile.

“It is,” he affirmed. “I thought...I thought you knew. It’s been so long.”

They had been dating for three months, yet known each other for nine years, and Kyoya had loved her for most of that. She had loved him for only half that, that she knew, but their affection was ancient, the kind read about in archaic stone tablets. The kind that would wait forever and ever to be discovered again and again.

“I do,” she whispered. “I love you, too.”

And just when he thought his back would break from carrying the world, she kissed away his pain into an immortal love.

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#ouran high school host club #kyoharu #kyoya ootori x haruhi fujioka #kyoya ootori #haruhi fujioka #kyoya x haruhi #ohshc

[ccaptain]

On my mind today there's the cruel part of Persephone!Kaeya, and how it comes out ugly, immature, and with the intent to make sure that he's given respect- even if he has to obtain it through fear.

Mynthe is the most regular example of that: for a fleeting, infatuated glance at Hades, for perhaps a small fantasy that even she knew was unattainable- Kaeya has made her pay the cruelest price. It was not out of the insecurity that is jealousy, but out of sheer rage that a nymph would dare think of herself in Persephone's place. Yes, even for just a moment. It's a slight he cannot risk taking, least many more try to think themselves as wanting to be where he is, with who he is with- and he evens their illusions with the utmost, childish glee.

Mynthe was turned into the plant that takes after her name. And, worst of all, Kaeya takes care of her.

He snips off the withering leaves that she may get, and checks her meticulously every day. He checks her for parasites, for buds, for waste in the soil she's potted in. He changes her vase often, each time getting a prettier one. He hums pretty melodies while doting what seems to be his favorite plant- one that he loves so much that it was moved to the entrance of his and Hades's chambers, to admire the sight of their marital bed.

Every night, Mynthe is forced to watch the deity she allowed herself to fantasize about, for a brief moment, love on Persephone with all of himself. She's forced to listen to their pleasure, forced to watch them kiss, forced to see how sweet the cuddles are. Forced to see how strong their chemistry and camaraderie is, how Kaeya makes Wriothesley an happier person each day, each hour, each time he dips into his new realm or when he makes fruit sprout from the ceiling of the palace when he knows Wrio is neglecting himself. She's forced to watch how much they love and crave eachother, stuck as a mint plant, for eternity.

The cruel Persephone will never allow her to wither and die. Kaeya takes stellar care of her, and will do so forever.

Nobody will ever make justice for Mynthe, and Kaeya knows this.

#from another realm ━ (ooc) #read me like a book; will you? ━ (headcanons) #For the Immortal Flowers in my bones; for the Ice in my Heart ━ ( Persephone V. ) #i love this side of Persephone!Kaeya SO MUCH. god he's such a cruel person here #me when the greek mythology makes my brain go BRRBRBRBRBRBRBRRRBB #if i ever get a diluc for this verse as kaeyas brother i want him to tug kaeyas ear all the fucking way and just be like 'BEHAVE'

[ccaptain]

What most appeals to me about Persephone!Kaeya is the fact that, like every other Greek god, he's imperfect.

He can be kind and helpful and playful, and a second later he can grow vengeful, petty, irate. A slight that he perceives must be quickly amended to, or he won't hesitate to plunge whoever committed it in pollen-guided hallucinations until they go insane. He rarely cares if it's accidental or not- in this way, he's not only petty, but cruel.

From a deity, you'd expect pragmatism- in my portrayal, I underline how unjust, selfish and childish the deities can be, and how most mortals, and sometimes other gods, suffer at the expenses of their whims.

He cares very little of families- sometimes, if he's feeling remorseful or guilty, he will deliver an abundant harvest to the family of a mortal who made a simple mistake, and has been executed due to Kaeya wishing the forest to drive them insane. But after that, he considers the debt repaid, and the family could rot of starvation, and he wouldn't even bat a lash at it.

This is a version that takes one look at Minthe, and one of the paths I could take with this portrayal is to have Kaeya make her suffer an extremely cruel fate due to a perceived slight towards his union- he turns her into a sentient plant, barren of fruits, and settles her at the very entrance of the throne room where him and Hades sit, their hands twined, where they trade kisses and sneakily making love to eachother, muffling their moans and chuckles in eachother's skin. He nurtures her, waters her, and always does so with a smirk knowing that her only fault was to cast an infatuated glance on his husband. He gleefully traps her in a cycle where she will suffer, forever bound to watch the god she loved be happy with someone else, for the nerve of having looked at him.

This is a version of Persephone that approaches Ares with his pretty doe-eyed look, placing a concerned hand on his arm and feigning concern for his relationship with Aphrodite, and tips him off about the existence of Adonis- not out of jealousy, but because he knows Ares will lets his wits be devoured by jealousy and make a carnage of the young, pretty mortal that has troubled him, effectively getting rid of him without needing to get his hands dirty. 

Persephone!Kaeya is ruthless, in his own way. I love moving this side of him very much-

#For the Immortal Flowers in my bones; for the Ice in my Heart ━ ( Persephone V. ) #read me like a book; will you? ━ (headcanons) #from another realm ━ (ooc) #me: kaeya is healing in his main verse ♥ #me: makes him as fucking deranged as possible in this one as a treat

[ccaptain]

cryptic greek god Persephone!Kaeya be like:

Scarily accurate in identifying wild herbs

Knows how to hunt; scarily accurate with a bow

Will use everything belonging to the animal he hunted, even the bone marrow. Will grind the bones to make fertilizer after. Nothing will be wasted

Makes the best stews known to gods ( and mortals )

If a mortal ever wastes something of an animal literally NOTHING that they plant will grow for as long as the leftovers aren't returned to Earth. No mercy for the wasteful

To humble people that never waste anything and live meal to meal, he makes their soils fertile and their crops abundant. The families he likes may find gold nestled in the leaves of their cabbages

Likes to grow weird trees that curve downwards. Most of his napping spots can be identified by a circle of these trees and a flowerbed

Wielder of the first machete-like weapon, courtesy of Hephaestus

Running at full strenght allows him to reach the speed of a cheetah ( 70 mph )

#from another realm ━ (ooc) #For the Immortal Flowers in my bones; for the Ice in my Heart ━ ( Persephone V. ) #read me like a book; will you? ━ (headcanons) #persephone!kaeya is dendro bow. change my mind (it's not possible)

[ccaptain]

To the mortals who step into the surface of Persephone's domain, it's recommended that they do so prepared: that they bring, at the very least, some seeds in a little velvety purse to plant under a tree, should they accidentally offend the god, and that they always be mindful of how they move, and what they say. It's recommended to them that, were they to hunt out of hunger, the bones of the animal(s) they consume should be buried under the soot of the fire they used to keep warm. That they should never attempt to start a bonfire near any trees, and to thank each tree for the twigs and branches used to start any kind of fire.

Going into the forest with ill intentions is extremely discouraged.

Persephone!Kaeya has his ways to make anyone who steps into his forests have their just retribution, based on how they have behaved while traversing the forest.

To lost travelers, he offers the guidance of his vines to find a way out before sundown, or at sunrise. To the hungry ones, he even sends animals in their path, hoping that they know how to hunt- or sends them in a patch of vegetables or edible mushrooms to be cooked or roasted over a fire. Rest assured to the weary travelers, there'll always be a trail of flowers guiding them out of the forest, and a pair of glowing eyes watching over them curiously- making sure that no animals harm them as they rest their exhaustion away. Kaeya knows how to be kind to them, knows how scary it is to be lost, and helps them as best as he can.

But should these travelers harm the forest in any way, disrespect the animals by not burying their bones after they're done cooking and eating their prey, should they offend the greens in any way without a proper apology of offering seeds- he will be ruthless.

The forests, every tree, every flower, every single patch of grass responds to him and him only. To the evil travelers who find pleasure in disrespecting his person or any sort of fauna inhabiting it, retribution will be handed out.

Cold mist will seep in the spaces left by the tree, so cold that simply walking through it will shroud the poor soul in crystals of ice. It doesn't matter which way the traveler goes- every single tree bark, every single trunk, every single flower, mushroom, every leaf suddendly turning crimson like blood drippings will be indistinguishable  They won't be able to find any point of orientation, because at every step they'll find that everything is exactly the same. Trying to scratch at a tree bark to steer oneself provokes further wrath upon them, it is not recommended due to the futility of it.

Many travelers have gone insane over passing the same scenario over and over, having the suffocating feel of the trees slowly closing around them- and given up escaping out of exhaustion and hunger. These travelers become nutrients for the ground, Persephone letting them decompose hugged to a tree as if they were trying to comfort themselves one last time. Many of these trees have a suspiciously person-shaped patch of vines and flowers growing where the body had fallen.

To the travelers who look for an escape and have been respectful of the forest: should they see a stag with a blue-ish, glowing hue to it, his horns thin and elegant upon his head, following him will lead them out safely.

Many children who have been lost in the forest while playing have claimed that the stag allowed them to approach him, and even lowered his muzzle in their hands to let them pet him. Only the elder, who know the cult of Persephone, know that the children aren't lying when they tell these stories, and make an offering to thank the god of harvests for his kindness, for returning their children unharmed.

Trying to hunt, harm, or having ill intentions towards the stag has always, always resulted in the death of the fools who have attempted it.

The elders educate the young hunters each passing year about the blue stag that comes in help of the lost ones and as punishment for the boorish, prideful hunters trying to claim it as their prey.

#For the Immortal Flowers in my bones; for the Ice in my Heart ━ ( Persephone V. ) #read me like a book; will you? ━ (headcanons) #from another realm ━ (ooc) #me applying as many cryptid!persephone!kaeya headcanons on this as possible: YIPPI YAY YEY #brainrotting with lauri gives me SO much muse for persephone!kaeya it's fucking unreal. i want him to be a scary little cryptid

[ccaptain]

Persephone!Kaeya really be like:

Takes a Batman Gambit by offering himself to the hot god of the underworld that can't take his eyes off him, thinking this can't get worse than it is already and wooowwwww is it hot in here or is it just me-

Actually manages to snag Hades!Wrio for himself

Is invested with an authority that compliment his own for bringing plants and fields to life

Happy with his husband and spoiled beyond means

Out of the Demeters grasp for six months a year. Stonks in his opinion

Goodbye forced celibary and welcome that kinky side of him he never knew he had!

Happiest and healthiest relationship in the entire Olympus. Double stonks

#from another realm ━ (ooc) #For the Immortal Flowers in my bones; for the Ice in my Heart ━ ( Persephone V. ) #i am devastated by how much i love love LOVE this verse. consistently grabbing lauri to shout my ideas at him