UNDERTALE BELONGS TO TOBY FOX
THE HANDPLATES AU BELONGS TO ZARLA (zarla - s . tumblr . com)
OBMP (OFF BRAND MERCY PLATES) BELONGS TO EMMIBEE (emmibeestuff . carrd . co) (offbrandmercyplates . tumblr . com)
GREEK GODS! AU ALSO BELONGS TO EMMIBEE (SEE ABOVE)
REMOVE SPACES TO GET THE ADDRESSES
THANK YOU!
What's this? Another Greek Gods AU fic? Will I ever write a PTA fic ever again? Not with that attitude I won't. We'll just have to see.
Anyway, I won't keep you from the story. See you at the bottom of the page.
The Unseen One's Lesson on Loneliness
The Underworld, for the most part, was made up of stone tunnels and caverns that were bathed a deep blue by the numerous crystals on the walls and ceilings. The entrances to these tunnels and caverns often shifted around, by their own will or by the will of their king, which created an infinite combination of paths to wander and explore. Condensation would drip from stalactites into little puddles that never grew or shrank, and the drips and drops echoed throughout the Underworld in a way that soothed some and unnerved most. The goddess of spring was part of the former.
Kore was currently sitting in a cavern with a floor of damp, loamy soil. It had been the first gift given to her by the god of death in person, rather than secretly left for her to discover.
She enjoyed feeling the soil with her hands, watching it fall between her fingers and smooth over her palms. She was, admittedly, a bit indecisive, and had yet to choose what she would grow in this new garden first. Since food was ample in the Underworld, flowers seemed to be the best option, but which flowers should she grow first? Should she start small, with some bushes of roses? Something thematically appropriate to the setting, like some branches of belladonna? So many choices, but which would be just right?
Hence why she was simply enjoying the sensation of dirt on her skin; damp enough to form a shape when pressed, but dry enough not to stick.
A slight tickling sensation on her smallest finger, buried under the soil, made her lift her gaze to see a pale, wriggling string crawl its way across the dirt. A worm friend!
Kore flipped onto her stomach and gently patted the worm. Mm, yes. This was some good soil her husband got her if there were worm friends to find.
The little worm stilled at her touch. Its back end lifted and made what looked like a "come here" gesture before it disappeared under the dirt.
Curious, Kore carefully dug a hole around the worm until she found a small, dead plant. She cradled it in her hands. It was a limp, vine-like stem with wrinkly brown tubes clustered along it. There were no roots, suggesting it had been plucked before being buried there.
Kore smiled. Here was her answer.
She closed her eyes and felt energy, warmth, and light pulse into the plant, which she lowered to the ground so it could take root. She let it stand on its own once it had the strength, and she could hear the soft crinkle of petals regaining their vigor.
She opened her eyes and admired the clusters of red tube-shaped flowers on the bush. It wasn't very big at all, especially in this huge cavern, but the fiery red blossoms seemed to glow like a real fire in the cool darkness. "Erica flowers," she said. Then, calling over her shoulder: "In the language of flowers, they mean 'loneliness'. I don't suppose you knew that, did you?"
There was a clattering sound, like a rock balanced on a stalagmite had been knocked over suddenly. Then Hades was standing next to her. "How did you know I was here?"
"I always know when you're here," she replied, tapping the blooms and watching them bounce slightly at her touch.
"I was wearing my Helm of Darkness. Not even a god can sense me when I wear it."
"Good thing I'm a goddess, then, eh?"
"Kore…" he stopped himself, and she looked up to see him worrying at the handle of his golden staff.
"It's okay," she grinned up at him. "I like it when you call me by my name."
He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. She patted the ground beside her, and after a moment, he carefully lowered himself next to her. "The flowers of loneliness…" he hummed to himself.
"Why was it down here?" Kore asked.
"…I was out one day," he replied, "working on the surface, when I came across a bushel much like this one. My… knowledge of flowers is limited, so flowers shaped like these were strange. I felt a strong draw to them, so I took a branch-full, only to remember too late that I can't touch most living things. It died in my hand." He stared hard at the flowers. "The flowers of loneliness," he repeated. "I suppose it makes some sense."
"What does?"
"We are alone when we die. It was a fitting end for a flower meant to symbolize this truth."
Kore frowned. "Well…" she paused a moment. "I don't know about that. Look at how many of them there are." She took his boney hand and guided it to the cluster of red. "You can't really say they're alone when they're bunched together like this. And even when you touched them, they all went together." His fingertip brushed a blossom, and it didn't wither. "So they might feel lonely, but they're not actually as alone as they think they are." Her hand closed around his and she looked into his eye sockets. "They're not alone."
The thrumming echo of dripping water rang in the silence as they looked at each other. Eye sockets, one closed and one wide open, stared into a pair of eyes full of life. His jaw bone was slightly slack, and her smile was warm and gentle.
After a moment, her smile turned a little mischievous. "So… why were you wearing your Helm of Darkness?"
Hades' skull flushed. "I-it's not strange for me to have it!"
"In your own territory?"
"I—! Well—! It… may be a habit at this point… when I watch you… it's not creepy!"
"It isn't," Kore laughed. "It just means you're shy."
"The god of death is not shy!"
"The god of death is, however, someone who talks about himself in the third person."
"That means the god of death knows that he's important."
The goddess of spring leaned lightly against her husband. "That, he is."
"Strange woman." He took a stronger hold of her hand.
"Stubborn old man." She bumped his shoulder with her head.
Black Butler Musical 2 fans; where you at?! I wonder how many people immediately got that reference when I mentioned Erica flowers. Probably just me, wweh…
WORM FRIEND!
Ms. Emmibee mentioned that Kore and Hades would likely have had a private ceremony with just them and someone there to officiate it. This begs the question: what kind of ring would Hades give Kore? After some thinking, I believe Kore would appreciate something simple, so perhaps an amber with a tiny piece of a plant in it? Of course, a rose quartz is an appropriately named gem…
Hades: *chilling at the edge of the cavern with his helm on*
Kore: *senses his presence against all logic of magic*
Hades: *knocks over the rock on the stalagmite in a panic, trying to play it cool* 'Sup.
Go check out the links I put at the top! It'd be really nice of you! Anyway, I don't now when or what I'll be back with, but I'll be back eventually. Until then!