Work Text
Name Meanings:
Miguel: Who is Like GodGwen: HolyWhen Gwen comes home to see her father, she brings the colors back into her world.And when she leaves her world to return to her husband, the colors go with her.Her world becomes a black and white state until she comes back to bring summer and spring.Her father and husband were dissatisfied with the arrangement. They both wanted to keep her for themselves, but they had no other choice but to tolerate the compromise. Gwen was needed by both worlds. She was the sunlight to hers while in her husband's, she was his partner. Her husband was the ruler of the dead. She and her husband help guide lost souls from every world to cross over.It was time for Gwen to visit her father.She could sense her husband sulking from the distance as she packed her belongings.Gwen will be gone for six months as tradition for the past three years and counting. Lyla flies towards her and rests on top of Gwen's clothes. Gwen shakes her head in endearment at her husband's owl who was trying to prevent her from leaving. "Oh Lyla," Gwen sighs as she pets her husband's loyal companion. Gwen looks up then at her husband. "Emotional manipulation isn't going to do anything, Miguel."There was nothing her husband could do for Gwen's world needed her as well.Miguel sighs as he holds his arm out for his owl.Lyla goes back to Miguel and remains perched on his shoulder."Do you have to go this year?" her husband counters with a solemn frown."Miguel," she laughs.Her husband tilts her chin up and gives her a lopsided smile. "Let your world be set in monochromes," he chuckles. "What harm will that do?"Gwen swats her husband's hand from her. He knows perfectly well what will happen. "You know my father's emotions," she raised her voice slightly to waver her husband's persistence. "They're strong," she reminds him. "He'll cause another endless winter on to the world. He'll bring everlasting dread and despair to others."Miguel leans down to kiss her forehead in acceptance of their reality. "If only your father wasn't such an inconvenience to everyone.""What would you do if he wasn't?" she smirked at him."I would keep you with me by my side always," the older man says with awe.Her heart flutters in response. She goes on her tiptoes to kiss his jawbone. Her husband was much taller than him. She was unable to reach his mouth. "I admit that sounds wonderful but -"On no, my love. Don't break my fantasy. Let me continue to live in my delusion. It keeps me sane while you're away."Gwen clutches on to his hand. "You cannot own me," she mouths with a smile."I know," he exhales as he strokes her cheek in sadness. "I just hate when we have to be apart from one another."It was Gwen's turn to frown. "Me too but I'll back. I always come back."With the woven bracelet given by her husband, Gwen was able to travel to other worlds like him.She was able to be in any world without withering away.Gwen had to keep her bracelet on always for she was no longer a part of her watercolor world. She hadn't been ever since she ran away with the man that would become her husband. She belonged to his world. His world went by many names - world of the future, world of preservation, world of knowledge, and so on. But it was predominately known as the world of the dead since the people were interested in recording the past.The people in her husband's world were historians, archivists, librarians, and researchers. They preserved the history of every world that exists and that ever existed. With bracelets, they were able to delve into their studies.Her husband never wanted to be the ruler of his world but it was forced upon him by his father.Before his father transformed him into a powerful being, her husband was once a simple recordkeeper for scientific theories.Miguel now keeps track of every life from every world and keeps records so no one will ever be forgotten. He has a system in order to memorize every single person. Miguel cared about everyone he learns about. He categorizes people by their names and that was how he learned about her. 'Gwen Stacy' was not exactly a rare name. It was a common name but there was something about her in particular that interested in her husband.So much so that her husband decided to visit her world and meet her.When Gwen returns home; she brings the colors, the warmth, the spring, and the harvest.Her world holds a celebration in her honor.There is a grand festival where everyone paints their eyes in brilliant colors to reflect their watercolor world. The people dress up in beautiful, intricate clothing and adorn their hair with flowers. The people in her world love masquerades and having an occasion to wear clothing from the past. Even though Gwen was no longer part of her world, she still loves the same things as them.She loves having the opportunity to wear long dresses with elaborate bodices and lacing and paneled sleeves. She loves painting her eyes in dreamy gradients of cerulean blue, phthalo greens, and magentas. She loves dancing and being with her loved ones but once that was all done, she's left spending the six months missing her husband.Gwen pushes aside those thoughts and tries to enjoy the celebration.But ever so often, she finds herself trying to look into mirrors and reflections in hopes in seeing her husband.Her husband was not allowed to be here for her father doesn't permit it.The men in her life were not exactly on good terms with one another.Gwen wasn't exactly either with father. She would have severed ties with him if his misery didn't put others at his expense. She hates being his hostage for the sake of protecting others but there was nothing else she could do.During the car drive back to her childhood home, Gwen tries to anchor her emotions from turning her surroundings to shades of blue.The people haven't seen color in such a long time. They deserve to have a variety of palettes.It takes her a while to adjust back being here once the thrill expires.When she's back home, she has to indulge in this charade to keep her father calm. Gwen has to pretend she's a teenager again and that she's happy to be around him and that her husband doesn't exist. The last part was impossible for her to do. Gwen always brings up her husband. It wasn't like it was intentional either. She tries not to in order to please her father but her husband always come up in conversation.It was unavoidable.Her husband was an important part of her life, the cause of all of this.In her childhood home, Gwen has to act like she's still eighteen years old. She has to style her long hair in a faux short style, put on makeup the way she used to, and wear T-shirts and jeans.She was twenty-one now and even though she doesn't look different three years later, she was still aging.Gwen wonders how long her father will make her put up with this.She breaks the scene as she comes down the stairs and she sees her father's bittersweet expression. "Dad," she pursed her lips. "There's going to be a day where Miguel and I want to have a baby."Her father's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Aren't you dead though?"Gwen shakes her head as she sits next to him on the couch. "No, Dad," she says, remaining patient with him. They've had this discussion before but he still doesn't fully comprehend. "I'm not dead. I just belong to Miguel's world now.""Is there a way you can reverse that?" he frowns."No, Dad," she chuckles. "If I do, then I'll actually be dead. I was supposed to die on my nineteenth birthday but Miguel prevented that." Gwen holds out her hand to show her dad her wedding ring.Her father scowls at the symbol that was simultaneously keeping her alive and keeping her away from him. "Isn't he the god of death or something? Couldn't he just stop your assigned death?""No, Dad. Miguel's not the god of death. He's the ruler of the dead. There's a difference," she corrected her father. "He doesn't determine who dies. He maintains the order. He keeps records of every person and helps guide souls to cross over."Her father mutters. "I still don't like how he stole you away.""Dad," Gwen laughs. "He didn't steal me away," she reminded him. "I went with him willingly.""You were just a child, Gwen. He's a grown man. There was an abuse of authority on his end.""I was eighteen, Dad. I met him when I was eighteen and I left with him before I turned nineteen."Her husband had a complicated relationship with his role.For one thing, it was forced upon him. It wasn't his choice.He hated being burdened from knowledge.Her husband knows everyone's fate.He knows when and how people are going to die.Her husband doesn't decide people's death. He only maintains the order, destinies. He makes sure everything and everyone was in its place.All except for one.Gwen was nine years old when she found out when and how she was going to die.She and her best friend Peter were at their city's annual carnival where they came across a fortuneteller.At the time, they didn't think much of it. They thought it was in good fun.Gwen remembers it like the back of her hand, watching the fortuneteller take out a spool of golden thread. The old woman unraveled the thread and measured out their lives on the table. Both of their threads were alarmingly short, but the children assumed the old woman was only trying to frighten them.What Gwen didn't expect were the predictions coming true.Her Peter died at the age of fourteen from poison.Gwen was supposed to die on her nineteenth birthday. She was supposed to die a brutal death but Miguel took her away the night before that happened.Miguel wasn't allowed to interfere with deaths but he loved so much that he went against the rules. He wrapped her golden thread of life around his ring finger several times and tied it to himself, so her life would never end. Her husband wears her thread of life to this day and for eternity.Once in a while, her father tries to be supportive with her life choices.He asks about her life and the worlds she's been to."You wouldn't believe it, Dad," she smiles softly at her father. "There are worlds were there are no watercolors to reflect the emotions of the people."Her father blinks at her in bewilderment. "You're right. I wouldn't believe it."Gwen laughs. "But there are," she says with a gleam in her eyes. "And there's worlds where people are made out of ink and paper and speak in Shakespearean. And there's worlds where people are made of markers and collage cut-outs."He tilts his head at her. "It sounds like you're having a lot of fun exploring, kid."She nods and gives him a hug.Gwen would never forget how she met her husband.He was so enamored with her that he wanted to meet her.So he did.It wasn't unusual for the people of his world to temporarily inhabit other worlds. The people of his world were scholars. They were dedicated to learning everything about their chosen subject matter, so much so that they live amongst their studies.Gwen was a college freshman when she met the man that would be her husband. She enrolled herself into a history class to learn more about other countries. The United States education system was heavily Eurocentric and so she wanted to expand her knowledge. She wanted to learn more than just the surface level.Miguel was her history professor.Gwen remembers it, being so drawn to him and how intelligent he was. He taught several history courses about different countries and time periods. The course Gwen was enrolled to was 'Aztec Art & Culture'. Gwen plans to enroll to more of his classes after this. She liked his teaching style and the way he carries himself. Gwen liked his voice and how soft spoken he was and how he was able to manage a class of a hundred students. He was handsome too but what fascinated her the most were his mouth and his teeth.It looked like he had fangs.He had mouth meant for kissing, soft lips and all.Her friends always had to tap on her shoulder to make sure she was paying attention to the lesson and not just him and his kissable mouth.Professor O'Hara was always enthusiastic about teaching, but he seemed more passionate than usual. It was so hard to concentrate on the material when he was smiling like that. He was such a serious person. He only smiles when he's lecturing. Gwen admires that about him. Professor O'Hara loves his profession and was genuinely interested in what he taught. He has yet to be jaded by time.
Glory nudges her to make sure Gwen was writing in her notebook and not just staring at him.
Today Professor O'Hara was continuing on from last week's lesson plans about Mictlantecuhtli - the god of the dead and ruler of Mictlán, the underworld. There were nine levels to Mictlán, which every dead person had to go through to reach to the lowest stage, to peace. It was only a four-year journey to eternal rest. The exceptions to the rule were the men who died in battle, women who died from childbirth, and the people who drowned or died due to the cause of water.Professor O'Hara goes over the slides again of the countless depictions and interpretations of Mictlantecuhtli.Mictlantecuhtli was often portrayed as a six-foot-tall skeleton with splatters of blood. In many interpretations, he wears a headdress made of owl feathers. Other interpretations he wears a necklace of human eyeballs and earspools made from human bones. And in very rare occurrences, he's depicted as a human figure with dark curly hair who wears a skeleton mask.
"Mictlantecuhtli is primarily associated with bats, spiders, and owls," Professor O'Hara stated as he flipped through his PowerPoint.
Gwen tries to not look up when she heard him say the word 'bat.' She couldn't help but to think about Professor O'Hara's vampire-like-teeth. She proceeds to keep her head down and take notes.
"Owls are significant to the Aztecs," her professor went on. "The animal symbolizes death and the lord of the dead himself. They are multiple meanings to every symbol. Owls are also associated with knowledge and wisdom. The Aztecs believed that owl was able to pass through worlds and was the messenger of Mictlantecuhtli ."
Gwen lifts her head up when she senses her professor change slides again. She becomes fixated on the image displayed before of female figure that was clearly a deity. The female figure had flayed skin and an opened skeletal mouth.
"Mictlantecuhtli rules Mictlán with his wife Mictecacihuatl. Her name translates to 'the lady of the dead'. Unlike her husband, she was born a human but died young from tragedy. She was sacrificed as in infant but grew up normally in Mictlán and once she was of age, she became a goddess and married Mictlantecuhtli. They rule Mictlán together as equals, guiding souls to rest." Professor O'Hara moved his laser pointer to the circles surrounding the lady of the dead. "Mictecacihuatl if often depicted in art with her mouth open to swallow the stars during the day. She is linked to both death and resurrection."
Gwen watched as Professor O'Hara went through slides, slowly transitioning from the past to the present.
"Mictecacihuatl was highly revered by the Aztecs, so much so that they held a month-long celebration in her honor every year. However due to colonization, the Aztec celebration transformed and became the holiday that we know today, Día de Los Muertos. I'll go into more details about Día de Los Muertos once we get to that section. Does anyone have any questions before I move on?"
His eyes shifted to her then.
Gwen immediately puts her head down and begins to scribble something in her notebook. Blood pumped to her cheeks. He looked her. Gwen swears he did. Professor O'Hara gave her direct eye contact. And he smirked at her. Gwen fiddles with her hair as she tries to distract herself from turning everything in the classroom to the color red. She hates it, how she was unable to contain herself around her teacher.
Her friends giggle at the sight of her struggling.
Gwen mutters in response. She wished she was able to control her emotions. She wished she could be indifferent and not-so-obvious about her crush towards her teacher.
Even though certain things in her relationship with her husband were manufactured, Gwen still loves him.Incidences where Gwen thought were just coincidences turned out to be a calculative ploy.Like the times she 'ran' into him at her favorite coffee shop and after her dance classes.Or how he knew specific things about her that she's never voiced to anyone before.Her husband knows everything about everyone. It was part of his role.Despite that, he was a very great boyfriend to her. He was older but he took very good care of her. He didn't mind whenever she asked to reschedule or cancel plans to spend time with her friends. He always surprised her with just-because-gifts and was there for all of her shows and recitals.Miguel wanted to give her a little bit of normalcy before her assigned death approached.Gwen was not dead, but she no longer belonged to her world. She was supposed to die but she didn't. Her husband wears her life around his finger to keep her alive. Gwen was now an anomaly. Her world hasn't been operating the same ever since her husband decided to go against the natural order. That was why she had to be here for half of the year, to fix the discrepancies caused by her husband.Her husband was not welcomed in her world for he was the reason why she was now tied to the seasons.Gwen leaps from her childhood bed when she hears a familiar sound.She runs to the window and sees Lyla.There was a letter in the owl's mouth.Gwen greets her husband's companion and takes the message.Lyla affectionately rubs her face against Gwen's neck before flying away.Gwen begins reading her husband's letter and smiles. Her colors became warm and bright like the sun. She couldn't wait for the six months to go by.