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[ooc] history
Jul. 8th, 2037 11:02 pmPlease note that anything marked with a ** is headcanon. I will use this sparingly and only when canon lacks details. Weaknesses are combined with Abilities for those looking to get a leg up. Also note that there isn't a lot of information about his backstory so I'll be drawing from the real mythos to fill in some blanks.
World: A notable difference from our world is that the number of ancient gods seems to be much smaller. The first generation is Zeus, king of gods and ruler of the skies. Poseidon is the middle god, ruler of the sea. Hades is the oldest and rules the underworld. Artemis and Apollo seem to be children of Zeus.
The following will also have mentions of self-harm.
Ganymede was born the youngest prince of Troy and was known far and wide for his beauty. Troy was a city thought to be loved by Apollo, god of the sun, and blessed by Zeus, king of the gods. Ganymede felt loved and blessed as well and enjoyed spending his days herding the sheep when he could. It was on the day his coming-of-age ceremony was being held that things changed. We see his mother helping him with the formal attire before Assaracus comes to get him and delivers news that their oldest brother would soon be getting married. He then gave Ganymede a dagger that had been gifted to him by their father for his achievements in combat, but he felt like Ganymede should have it instead. His beauty had been getting a lot of attention from the neighboring countries, and he claimed it's to help him fight off Zeus in case he catches the gods' attention, too. Based on the mythology in which others tried to kidnap Ganymede before Zeus, it's likely this was their way to prepare him should an enemy nation try to take him while still trying to protect his more innocent nature. Neither king nor prince would really think a simple dagger could protect against a god. However, Assaracus was more right than he knew as Apollo's voice breaks up their conversation. As he descended, Ganymede's brother attempted to save him but was killed instead. Unable to move, the young prince was carried into the heavens as Apollo told him to burn the memory into his mind since scorn can last for eternity.
It wasn't an obviously dark and evil fate that awaited him. Ganymede awoke not to the stereotypical bars, but to the sight of beautiful flowers. This was to be his prison, surrounded by beautiful things forever, himself yet another decoration, never to age, not to grow old or wrinkle. Apollo claims to have surrounded him with nothing but the most beautiful things, including pure-white flowers and twinkling stars that never go away, casting an endless night. His new home would be the Parthenon, Athena's old temple that's now housed inside of the garden. However, it's obviously seen better days.
Ganymede didn't originally believe this man to be Apollo for the people of his land thought highly of the god, and there's little reason to trust a man that killed your brother. When he argues that Apollo doesn't fit the right image at all, Apollo mocks him and even materializes a bow to taunt a common assumption: that he'd be a hunting god. Apollo even stabs him, which does indeed hurt, to show him he won't die. Later, he continued to fight him, both verbally and physically, something Apollo seemed to find charming. Ganymede tried many things to attack Apollo, including throwing his dagger and trying to roll large ruins closer together to reach him. However, there was little a human could do to a god, no matter how hard Ganymede tried. We see Ganymede trying to run from the Parthenon, only to end up right back at the building even if it seemed like he'd been surrounded by nothing but flowers only moments before. Eventually, he gets so bored and numb that he begins to intentionally hurt himself since pain is the one thing that does change, even if it fades.
And so, his life had changed forever. Days turned into years, which became decades, centuries, and finally, thousands of years had passed.
Eventually, Apollo answers a human's prayer; Heinz seems to have chosen the right words as he agrees to do something in return for having his wish granted. All he must do is take Ganymede to the cliffs at the end of the garden, and they can both go home. Sadly, the prince already knows that this is a ploy, another way for Apollo to pass the time. This causes quite the clash of personalities as Ganymede is annoyed at Heinz both for relying on Apollo and being used in his game. He's initially very rude and refuses to budge. Heinz, desperate and assuming that Ganymede is a pretty boy who can get anything he wants, is also annoyed but says he'll go to the end of the world and bring back proof. Without realizing Ganymede's situation, Heinz accuses him of being blessed with everything and claim he's not willing to do anything but look down at people, not realizing that Ganymede's tried for a very long time to find a way out.
Heinz's is determined. He walks away, promising to come back with proof. To fuel the illusion, Apollo allows Heinz to find a cliff and bring back dirt to prove a point to Ganymede. Knowing Apollo's tricks, he doesn't believe it, but Heinz is insistent and moves to drag Ganymede to the cliff. Still refusing to play his game, Ganymede cuts off his arm, which erupts into an explosion of flowers before growing back. Though this understandably shocks Heinz, he doesn't give up and eventually gets Ganymede to agree to come with him.
In truth, it was Apollo's greatest trick of all.
Heinz, it seems, is looking to excavate ruins, though the people of his world believe it's a silly dream. As they run toward the 'end', Ganymede's hopes finally revived, Heinz begins to describe the city he was excavating. It's between two rivers, one which flows cold from the mountains and the other is warm as it flows from the ocean. The sun rises from the mountain called Mount Ida at the place where the two rivers join. It was that ocean that the enemy used to cross and launch a coastal attack, killing the entire royal family.
He describes Troy.
The entire time, Ganymede has had hope that his home still stood. It was such a large, prosperous city that he had no doubt of its fate. While acknowledging that it might go under a different name, he'd been sure it was still around. To hear, so casually, about the fate of its people right when he started to have hope again enrages Ganymede and he sends Heinz away. Just as Apollo knew all along, there was no real way to get Ganymede out, even if he'd found the cliff. Heinz's dream was crushed.
Ganymede is left behind, now aware that his city fell to the enemies long ago.
This continues with Ganymede growing increasingly drained. Apollo visits to taunt and tease, but his purpose has yet to become clear. Finally, long after Troy falls, Zeus descends to the garden. His presence is so mighty that Ganymede's body shakes and consciousness begins to leave him before Apollo urges Zeus away. He does visit many times after, and Ganymede's body slowly starts to adjust. We learn that the classical story is involved within the manga. People tell stories on Earth, stories that are identical to those in our world: Zeus took Ganymede for his lover, and it happened when he was just a child. Ganymede finds the stories ridiculous, especially when he learns the rumors had him as a baby. A baby of unsurpassed beauty.
After many visits, as a reward for serving his purpose, he allows Ganymede to meet Hades. To him, Hades looks like a normal woman but the god looks different to everyone. It's Hades who reveals that Ganymede was actually a lure to have Zeus come to the garden. Their hope was that by luring Zeus to the garden by Ganymede's presence, they can make the uncaring god care. This in turn upsets the perfect balance needed to maintain the world, and the world could possibly end. They're bored enough to find this interesting. Ganymede is sane enough to that this idea.
The god also reveals that Ganymede can be freed of his cursed life by going mad and separating himself from his mind, essentially going insane. Telling him to step off the cliff when he's ready, the god disappears. However, he finds himself unable to do it. In the end, he decides to stay with Apollo and we see that eventually, Ganymede can even talk to Zeus. Ganymede's the first to see Zeus smile. His relationship with Apollo seems to be a bit more positive, too.
World: A notable difference from our world is that the number of ancient gods seems to be much smaller. The first generation is Zeus, king of gods and ruler of the skies. Poseidon is the middle god, ruler of the sea. Hades is the oldest and rules the underworld. Artemis and Apollo seem to be children of Zeus.
The following will also have mentions of self-harm.
Ganymede was born the youngest prince of Troy and was known far and wide for his beauty. Troy was a city thought to be loved by Apollo, god of the sun, and blessed by Zeus, king of the gods. Ganymede felt loved and blessed as well and enjoyed spending his days herding the sheep when he could. It was on the day his coming-of-age ceremony was being held that things changed. We see his mother helping him with the formal attire before Assaracus comes to get him and delivers news that their oldest brother would soon be getting married. He then gave Ganymede a dagger that had been gifted to him by their father for his achievements in combat, but he felt like Ganymede should have it instead. His beauty had been getting a lot of attention from the neighboring countries, and he claimed it's to help him fight off Zeus in case he catches the gods' attention, too. Based on the mythology in which others tried to kidnap Ganymede before Zeus, it's likely this was their way to prepare him should an enemy nation try to take him while still trying to protect his more innocent nature. Neither king nor prince would really think a simple dagger could protect against a god. However, Assaracus was more right than he knew as Apollo's voice breaks up their conversation. As he descended, Ganymede's brother attempted to save him but was killed instead. Unable to move, the young prince was carried into the heavens as Apollo told him to burn the memory into his mind since scorn can last for eternity.
It wasn't an obviously dark and evil fate that awaited him. Ganymede awoke not to the stereotypical bars, but to the sight of beautiful flowers. This was to be his prison, surrounded by beautiful things forever, himself yet another decoration, never to age, not to grow old or wrinkle. Apollo claims to have surrounded him with nothing but the most beautiful things, including pure-white flowers and twinkling stars that never go away, casting an endless night. His new home would be the Parthenon, Athena's old temple that's now housed inside of the garden. However, it's obviously seen better days.
Ganymede didn't originally believe this man to be Apollo for the people of his land thought highly of the god, and there's little reason to trust a man that killed your brother. When he argues that Apollo doesn't fit the right image at all, Apollo mocks him and even materializes a bow to taunt a common assumption: that he'd be a hunting god. Apollo even stabs him, which does indeed hurt, to show him he won't die. Later, he continued to fight him, both verbally and physically, something Apollo seemed to find charming. Ganymede tried many things to attack Apollo, including throwing his dagger and trying to roll large ruins closer together to reach him. However, there was little a human could do to a god, no matter how hard Ganymede tried. We see Ganymede trying to run from the Parthenon, only to end up right back at the building even if it seemed like he'd been surrounded by nothing but flowers only moments before. Eventually, he gets so bored and numb that he begins to intentionally hurt himself since pain is the one thing that does change, even if it fades.
And so, his life had changed forever. Days turned into years, which became decades, centuries, and finally, thousands of years had passed.
Eventually, Apollo answers a human's prayer; Heinz seems to have chosen the right words as he agrees to do something in return for having his wish granted. All he must do is take Ganymede to the cliffs at the end of the garden, and they can both go home. Sadly, the prince already knows that this is a ploy, another way for Apollo to pass the time. This causes quite the clash of personalities as Ganymede is annoyed at Heinz both for relying on Apollo and being used in his game. He's initially very rude and refuses to budge. Heinz, desperate and assuming that Ganymede is a pretty boy who can get anything he wants, is also annoyed but says he'll go to the end of the world and bring back proof. Without realizing Ganymede's situation, Heinz accuses him of being blessed with everything and claim he's not willing to do anything but look down at people, not realizing that Ganymede's tried for a very long time to find a way out.
Heinz's is determined. He walks away, promising to come back with proof. To fuel the illusion, Apollo allows Heinz to find a cliff and bring back dirt to prove a point to Ganymede. Knowing Apollo's tricks, he doesn't believe it, but Heinz is insistent and moves to drag Ganymede to the cliff. Still refusing to play his game, Ganymede cuts off his arm, which erupts into an explosion of flowers before growing back. Though this understandably shocks Heinz, he doesn't give up and eventually gets Ganymede to agree to come with him.
In truth, it was Apollo's greatest trick of all.
Heinz, it seems, is looking to excavate ruins, though the people of his world believe it's a silly dream. As they run toward the 'end', Ganymede's hopes finally revived, Heinz begins to describe the city he was excavating. It's between two rivers, one which flows cold from the mountains and the other is warm as it flows from the ocean. The sun rises from the mountain called Mount Ida at the place where the two rivers join. It was that ocean that the enemy used to cross and launch a coastal attack, killing the entire royal family.
He describes Troy.
The entire time, Ganymede has had hope that his home still stood. It was such a large, prosperous city that he had no doubt of its fate. While acknowledging that it might go under a different name, he'd been sure it was still around. To hear, so casually, about the fate of its people right when he started to have hope again enrages Ganymede and he sends Heinz away. Just as Apollo knew all along, there was no real way to get Ganymede out, even if he'd found the cliff. Heinz's dream was crushed.
Ganymede is left behind, now aware that his city fell to the enemies long ago.
This continues with Ganymede growing increasingly drained. Apollo visits to taunt and tease, but his purpose has yet to become clear. Finally, long after Troy falls, Zeus descends to the garden. His presence is so mighty that Ganymede's body shakes and consciousness begins to leave him before Apollo urges Zeus away. He does visit many times after, and Ganymede's body slowly starts to adjust. We learn that the classical story is involved within the manga. People tell stories on Earth, stories that are identical to those in our world: Zeus took Ganymede for his lover, and it happened when he was just a child. Ganymede finds the stories ridiculous, especially when he learns the rumors had him as a baby. A baby of unsurpassed beauty.
After many visits, as a reward for serving his purpose, he allows Ganymede to meet Hades. To him, Hades looks like a normal woman but the god looks different to everyone. It's Hades who reveals that Ganymede was actually a lure to have Zeus come to the garden. Their hope was that by luring Zeus to the garden by Ganymede's presence, they can make the uncaring god care. This in turn upsets the perfect balance needed to maintain the world, and the world could possibly end. They're bored enough to find this interesting. Ganymede is sane enough to that this idea.
The god also reveals that Ganymede can be freed of his cursed life by going mad and separating himself from his mind, essentially going insane. Telling him to step off the cliff when he's ready, the god disappears. However, he finds himself unable to do it. In the end, he decides to stay with Apollo and we see that eventually, Ganymede can even talk to Zeus. Ganymede's the first to see Zeus smile. His relationship with Apollo seems to be a bit more positive, too.
