Dionysus Seeking Friends/Lovers/Family
Princess Semele: Female FC preferred; any age is fine
- Dionysus’ mother was a Theban princess and a priestess of Zeus who slept with Zeus in his mortal form. Hera appeared to her as a crone and convinced her to make Zeus show her his true form; when he did, Semele died. Zeus took Dionysus from her womb, put him into his thigh, and birthed him in Boeotia. Years later, Semele was rescued from the underworld by Dionysus, along with his wife Ariadne. In modern times, Semele is enchanted by religion and love in its many forms. She might be a clergy member (minister/rabbi/Wiccan, what have you) or a marriage therapist. She certainly loves people, and sex, and being fully alive. But she and Dionysus didn’t get to know each other until later than life, and despite his best efforts, she’s still mortal. So while Dionysus is relearning the world and regaining power, she’ll likely be confused and frustrated by this new knowledge. I’d imagine that she and Dionysus are still very close, though.Â
Princess Ariadne: Any gender fine, but female FC preferred; 20s or 30s preferred
- From her origins as a princess to her ascent to Olympus, it’s clear that Ariadne has divine power. At first, she led Theseus through the labyrinth and past the minotaur. Dionysus fell in love with her at first sight, and though the mortal Theseus tried to steal her for his own, Dio and Ariadne were happy themselves. They had many children, but then, Ariadne was slain at Argos. Dionysus went to the underwold itself to get Ariadne and his mother, Semele, back, and afterwards, they went back to Olympus, where Ariadne was worshiped as a Cretan goddess and a goddess of snakes. Ariadne in this world might be torn between her ordinary life and the dreams and experiences she’s had as a goddess. Her love with Dionysus was passionate and long-term - he literally went to hell for her. But she’s got plenty of secrets of her own - whether there’s cheating in her past or she’s just sneaky, there’s something going on. I could see Ariadne as a zoologist or law enforcement (maybe a FBI agent).
Queen Ino/Leucothea: Female FC preferred
- In her mortal form, Ino was the Queen of Boeotia and the sister of Semele, making her Dionysus’ aunt. After Zeus gave birth to the young god, she and her husband raised him as their own, until Hera found out. She sent Ino’s husband, King Athamas, into a jealous rage; he killed his son Learchus, and he tried to kill Ino and her son Melicertes. To escape him, she dove into the sea, and Zeus, not wanting them to die, turned them into Leucothea, the “white goddess” of the sea and an oracle, and Palaemon, the patron of the Isthmian Games. As Leucothea, Ino guided Odysseus a time or two and even saved his life. Now, Ino has a vested interest in protecting Dionysus - she loves him more than anyone, other than her sisters and her son. She’s clearly self-sacrificial and wise, if not a little too eager to jump the gun when she makes decisions. Any age is fine; she’d probably make an excellent pilot, fisher, surfer or navywoman.Â
King Athamas: Male FC preferred
- King Athamas was Dionysus’ uncle by marriage, and along with Queen Ino, he took in Dionysus after the death of his mother and his birth by Zeus’ thigh. He’d never been a big fan of Ino, especially when she tried to send away his twins from a different mother, but they were a united front. But Hera’s plans sent him into a rage - he killed his son Learchus and tried to kill Melicertes, so Ino took matters into her own hands and left him. He felt incredibly guilty for what he did and fled into the wilderness, where he settled with a third wife. Athamas in this world is probably weighed down by guilt for murder, or else he’s dealing with some incredibly crippling mental illness (dissociative episodes or schizophrenia, for example). He loves Dionysus, sure, but he’s hated by his wife and Hera equally, and Dionysus has certainly heard the stories about him - any kind of family meeting will not be happy. Any age is fine; career-wise, he’d probably be happiest in law or politics, or else he’s too wealthy to need to work.
Other fun ones: King Midas, the man who asked Dionysus to make everything the mortal touched turn into gold; Prosymnus, a male mortal who guides Dionysus through the underworld and wants to be the god’s lover, but dies before he gets the chance and is honored with a phallic olive branch at his grave; and Chiron, a centaur who teaches Dionysus everything he knows about celebrating and dancing.
gracieabrams
blakekathryn
