A/N- to any greek mythology buffs/enthusiasts, i had to tweak elements within the original story and the backgrounds of some deities to make it work for my story. i hope that doesnt make the fic unenjoyable, but i totally understand if u do not want to read it! i had to put this lil warning here bc i know some take these sorts of things seriously :>

there are notes at the end of the chap that will hopefully answer any questions :3

last but not least, the chapter title was inspired by some lyrics in Natalie Merchant’s “My Skin” (just like the title lol)

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“this is the only way, you know? we need someone in charge of each realm to keep this new balance in place.”

“brother, i understand that, but i do not see why we cannot simply rotate duties between us—"

“and create dissonance between each ruler’s reign? that’s irresponsible.”

“‘r-ruler’s’? i thought we were changing from the ways of our father? kronos held control for so long it drove him mad! he almost murdered us all because of his conflated ego!”

“i am not kronos! i am zeus! and i will be greater than he had ever hoped to be!”

“b-brother, please—”

“and you dear sister,” zeus sneers down at his youngest sibling, lips pulled back, teeth bared and gleaming. “are just frail, sickly seulgi. a weakling who was spared our father’s wrath only because of mother. you did nothing in this war against the titans but bumble around and make her fret.”

seulgi hiccups, a sob clawing its way up , and shyly steps back, curling in on herself while zeus glares at her from atop his golden throne. she knows in her heart of hearts that he is not wrong, that as the youngest sibling she is the weakest with no powers to distinguish herself from her brothers. but a small spark of courage ignites itself within her being when she reminds herself that she alone aided their mother in tricking kronos to eat giant boulders instead of his defiers, allowing zeus to strike the slumbering titan into submission. not to mention she protected the lesser deities from the titans following her father.

she’s not given the chance to defend herself before her older brother sighs and runs a hand down his face. “you are pitiful and will be safest in the dark depths below the world. this way, we will not have to worry over you or coddle you.” he pauses, frown relaxing into a thin line of nonchalance. “this is in your best interest as much as it is in ours.”

seulgi bites her bottom lip and looks to their silent brother for help, but poseidon only offers a distant gaze in return.

her shoulders sag, black tinted lips quivering as she bows her head obediently. “very well, i accept my new mantle with no further questions.”

“good,” zeus hums, flicking his wrist to signal the end of their conversation. “you may leave.”

seulgi turns around, head down and tears of red burning at the corner of her eyes. she hears poseidon’s deep voice echo in the marble chamber as she quietly slinks away, once again pushed to the side by her older brothers.

“remember sister,” zeus’s call stops her. “you oversee all within the underworld. it is your responsibility to maintain order, so you must stay to keep balance. do i make myself clear?”

seulgi nods without turning back, frightened to show her siblings the tears running down her cheeks. “of course, brother.”

______

“this is not what i asked for! this is not what i decreed! is your brother already drunk off the power that drove your father insane?!” boa’s voice booms out through her sanctuary, hands clenched tightly at her sides.

seulgi flinches away from her mother, cowering on her hands and knees as boa towers over her. “i-i’m sorry,” she sniffles, voice raw and small.

boa softens immediately, the fire inside dying down over how small her youngest looks shaking on the ground before her. “oh, sweet child, no, no. there is nothing you need to apologize for,” she murmurs, crouching down to gather her daughter into her arms. “this is not your fault seulgi, i will talk with your brother and—”

“n-no! mother please don’t,” seulgi jerks in her mother’s embrace, furiously rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, the sticky red substance of her sorrow smearing across her skin. “zeus already looks down at me, if you try to talk to him, he will lose what little respect he has for me!” her voice breaks, already imagining the exasperated voice of her elder brother berating her for bringing boa into their affairs.

boa pulls seulgi closer, resting her chin atop soft, dark hair. “hush darling, you have nothing to prove to him or poseidon. you are and will always be enough for them. for me.”

seulgi buries her face into boa’s silk robes with a small whimper, careful not to stain the delicate fibers with her drying tears. “that doesn’t mean they respect or even like me…i’m sure they hate me…” she mumbles under her breath, clinging to her mother’s clothes like the child her brothers think she is.

(she may as well embrace it at this point, neither zeus nor poseidon treat her like an equal).

boa sighs, hand rubbing down the expanse of seulgi’s back once then gently scooting back so that she may properly look her daughter in the face. “i can’t speak on their behalf, but i can say that they do not hate you.”

seulgi snorts, staring at the ground to avoid her mother’s warm stare. “what makes you say that?”

“because,” boa smiles, gently cupping her child’s face and her thumbs wiping the remnants of crimson streaks beneath white eyes. “they’re so preoccupied with where they’ll stick their next that they don’t have the time or the capacity to hate anyone.”

“mother!” seulgi chokes, heat filling her cheeks with a furious blush. why would she say that to her?!

“what? you know it’s true,” boa chuckles, pinching her daughter’s chubby, red cheeks. “what is it that your grandmother says? like father like son? the apple doesn’t fall far from tree?”

seulgi groans deeply, pushing her mother’s hands away from her face. “i’d rather not think about any of the men in our family having . i fear what hera must face in the future with a spouse like zeus. and,” her voice goes quiet as she shyly tugs at one of her mother’s long sleeves, nibbling at her bottom lip (truly a bad habit boa has spent years attempting to break her from). “i know what you’re trying to do,” she says softly.

boa frowns, pushing stray strands of black hair behind seulgi’s ear. “love, what are you on about?”

“you…you’re trying to make me forget about what i have to do a-and you’re trying to get my mind off this whole situation.” how pathetic is she? needing her mother to baby her through this ordeal. she should have never come to her mother’s sanctuary after seeing her brothers; boa’s warm embrace makes her feel smaller than zeus’s disdain ever could. not that seulgi could ever fault her mother’s fierce care and protectiveness over her, it’s just boa’s tenderness has gently molded her from a small, soft spoken child into an unimpressively lanky and docile adult. something her older siblings and even the other deities remind her of as much as possible, to her humiliation.

“well, is it working?”

seulgi looks away, hoping her hair will cover up her forlorn expression. “no, i’m sorry mother.”

“seulgi, don’t be. what kind of mother am i if i cannot chase away my own child’s fears and anxieties?” seulgi frowns, an argument on her tongue before a gentle wind picks up around them and tickling the ends of her hair. seulgi turns and watches boa’s eyes close as it swirls and tugs at their clothes, feeling like finger tips gliding over her and pressing into her body, almost as if it’s trying to hug her.

a familiar touch.

the wind rustles down with a soft ‘whoosh’ before the air around the duo goes completely silent. as soon as she opens her eyes, boa is beaming at seulgi, eyes shining in the sunlight. “your grandmother says hello, though i’m sure you heard her just now.”

seulgi runs her fingers over the earth she sits on, feeling a pulse beneath her palm as she does so. the dirt is warm and pliant, like the flesh of her hand, and welcomes her touch as any friend would with a handshake. she finally allows herself to smile, though it is small and barely turns the corners of , it’s one boa beams over (not that seulgi notices with her attention focused on the beating earth beneath her hand).

“yes,” the youngest of b