Location: Midgard, United States of America, New York, New York, Cemetery Ridge, #1 Cemetery Lane;
Date: Thursday, July 29th, 2004
Time: 1:15 am
POV: Narrator
Hadrian silently strolls through the shadows of the Addams estate careful not to become too lost in thought least he mistakenly walks into another country. Unlike his last life, he's actually found himself enjoying his time growing up with his mother's family. The Norns know he'd never have such a thought with his Aunt Petunia even if she was under potions and compulsion charms. He still has trouble accepting that such was likely the case. He's found that, aside from his Aunt Petunia's family, the Addams family and clan are a very accepting and welcoming bunch.
The genuine love, acceptance, and care they've continuously shown him caused him to finally caved and breakdown in tears on his fifth birthday. After explaining that he was basically reliving his life, his mother's family simply smiled and explained that they suspected as much. Despite their suspicions being proven true, they haven't pressured him into explaining himself or his actions. What they did was find a mind healer who specializes in time travel and people whose reincarnation went wrong. Despite the stereotypes around mind-healers in the muggle and magical worlds, he's found himself pleased with the arrangement.
Like him, his mind-healer is a magical demigod. Unlike him, Irene Gore only has one Godly parent, Apolo. Their talks cover everything from his past life, his current life, and even his dreams and ambitions. The Addamses don't know the full extent of his life with the Dursleys. They have however picked up on enough from his behavior and the little he's told them to actively if slyly, keep him away from his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Veron when they do visit. Hadrian is trying to slowly get to know this version of the Durselys but it is harder than he initially thought. Thankfully the Durselys rarely visit. Choosing to remain distant with the exceptions of birthdays and the occasional holiday.
His seventh birthday is a mere two days away. Much like the numbers three and nine, seven is a particularly magical number. However, demigods and magical children get more than a mere power boost at age seven. At age seven magical and demigod children can get a minimum of three to a maximum of seven wishes granted. His Aunts Morticia and Rosemary and Uncle Gomez have given him the week off school and lessons to think over his wishes and their number carefully. The thing is he's not quite sure what he wants. Since being reborn he's practically wanted for nothing. It's such a stark difference from his last life he's found himself at a complete loss.
Location: Midgard, United States of America, New York, New York, Cemetery Ridge, #1 Cemetery Lane;
Date: Friday, July 30th, 2004
Time: 5:00 am
POV: Narrator
Hadrian sits alone in his bedroom in the New York Addams family mansion. He's surrounded by ritual books from the Addams, Peverell, and Black family libraries. Each ancient tomb covers the theory and practice of requesting gifts from Mother Magic. He absentmindedly makes notes with a quill on a spare piece of parchment while he reads. According to his research, his best option will be to ask for three things.
He's decided to kill two birds with one stone and wish for more information on his parent's worlds, to be able to contact Nico, and for a weapon to begin training with. Hopefully, his wishes will be granted. If not he knows he'll get the next best thing. Of course, that's only provided he does the ritual correctly.
Location: Midgard, United States of America, New York, New York, Cemetery Ridge, #1 Cemetery Lane;
Date: Thursday, July 31th, 2004
Time: 12:05 am
POV: Narrator
Hadrian carefully looks over his offerings with a frown before re-adjusting the bowl of his blood and the red, white, and yellow crystals Uncle Gomez gifted him to match the pictures perfectly. As with most rituals should anything be in the wrong place at the wrong time everything that can go wrong likely will. The last thing he wants is to die. He doesn't want to leave his soulmate alone in the world. He'd be pissed if his Nico did that to him. Especially after all they risked to come back and fix things. He thoroughly washes himself off in the rainwater he collected in Aunt Morticia's garden and the sea salt Grandmama gifted him while standing in the bucket placed in the ritual room for that purpose.
Once he's finished cleansing himself with the salt and water he uses the remaining untouched salt and water in the ritual. He breathes a sigh of relief as the two parallel windows flood the ritual chamber with moonlight. That was the part of the ritual he had the least control over. While he could have done the ritual at midday, his magic and powers are always stronger at night and in the dark. Therefore the ritual needed to be done by the light of the moon at precisely midnight on a full moon.
Hadrian smiles delighted as his magic hums under his skin. His magic and demigod abilities have slowly been rising in strength since night fell. Now his gifts practically sing and vibrate under his skin. His powers over magic, death, darkness, and fire beg him to put them to use. Eyes lit up and smiling he begins to chant his three birthday wishes.
Once he finishes he notices the air is saturated with magic, decay, and the scent of flowers on one side of the room. On the other, the smell of musky ozone and burning embers fills the room. Between them both, the scent of death, lighting, and petrichor fills the air. The three separate entities hum and caress his skin alive and pleased before wrapping around him like warm hugs. The thought draws unbidden tears from his eyes. He nearly jumps out of his skin when something lands in his lap. Picking it up carefully, he inspects it with his magic and fingers. A large feather-light square box...wrapped like a birthday present?
Hadrian looks around suspiciously before looking critically back at the black gift-wrapped box. There's even a card attached. Deciding to put caution to the wind having come this far he picks up the birthday card first and frowns. It must be written in Latin or Greek because he doesn't need to put his glasses back on to read it. And it's clearly a birthday card... with his name in the first line. Shrugging his shoulders he continues to read the card.
*^*^*^*^*Reading Material**^*^*^*^*
Happy Birthday, Hadrian!
We want you to know that we love you and we will always be here for you. However, there are certain rules and laws that we must follow. If we don't follow these laws we will be killed. We have been keeping watch over you since your birth. We have provided for you and kept you alive to the best of my current ability. Sadly that ability is severely limited most of the time. Even though it is not enough we have been doing our best by you.
We are extremely proud of your magical and scholarly progress. You're a magical and linguistic prodigy! We want you to know we never wanted you to end up with the Dursleys. Thankfully your Aunt Petunia understood she wasn't meant to raise you and you have been adopted by my brother and his wife. We are happy to see you getting along with your cousins and trying to know your rather large family. It will be good practice for when you eventually meet your fellow demi-gods.'
As for your three wishes. I'm afraid you can't meet your soulmate just yet. Aphrodite and the Fates would have our heads and King Zeus would keep us from ever seeing or contacting you again. The meeting of soulmates is something that's planned out by the Fates and Aphrodite from birth. We may not know who yours is, however, your mother (Lady Hecate/Trivia) has included a special necklace that will, hopefully, bring you two closer. At the very least we hope you learn more about the world and make friends.
The present's in the box are those that we have been collecting since your birth. If you choose to use the necklace it will take you to a place where you will be safe and can learn to train your special abilities. Your Mother (Lady Hecate/Trivia), your Uncle Hades and Aunt Persohpne as well as your Uncle Thor and I, (Prince Loki) have made certain that the powers of the necklace will work anywhere. Make sure to take your special trunk with you. Don't worry about anyone else seeing the trunk or necklace, they are visible only to those you can trust explicitly. I'm afraid this is all we can write for now. Know that we love you dearly. Hopefully, you like your birthday presents, there will be more in the future we promise.
Love, your parents,
Lady Hekate Trivia
Prince Loki Odinson/Laufeyson
Ps. The activation words are 'Addams Residence', 'Camp Halfblood', and 'Camp Jupiter'. The amulet must be touching your skin for the activation phrases to work. You may take up to six additional beings with you however they must be touching you, not necessarily skin on skin." The activation phrase 'Addams Residence' will take you to the apparition point of whatever current Addams family residence is in use. Using the same concept the activation phrases 'Camp Halfblood', and 'Camp Jupiter' will take you directly outside the entrances to either camp. From now on you'll get new places and activation words at least twice a year, on your birthday and on Yule.
*^*^*^*^*Reading Material**^*^*^*^*
Hadrian gently sits the tear-stained crumbled card down before wiping his tears away. He doesn't understand why his parents can't come to him if they're able to send him birthday presents. Still, he's glad they're able to make the little contact they have. He carefully unwraps the first present he can ever remember his parents gifted him. After setting aside the lovely black wrapping paper he reaches into the box and pulling out a stack of books. On top of the books are packages of playing cards and three action figures that seem to go with the game. The card-game is apparently called 'Mythomagic'.
He carefully picks up the action figures studying them. The first is a triple goddess with long flowing multicolored hair adorned with three crowns. Each embodiment of her is wearing Greek togas and Roman armor. She is wielding three torches, a sword, and a snake. The second is a man with a horned helmet, pitch-black hair dressed in green and gold leather with fur lining on his coat. He is wielding a scepter and two daggers and has a serpent wrapped around his ankles. The last is a faceless cloak with large angelic black wings. The entity is wielding a scepter. He smiles recognizing his mother, Hecate, his father Loki, and his loyal servant Lady Death.
He picks the trading cards up only to put them back down finding them difficult to read without his glasses. Instead, Hadrian picks up the books. The first book is on Greek Gods. It must be written in Latin or Greek because once again he doesn't need to put his glasses back on to read it. Wrapped around the book is a charm necklace of some sort. Physically it's a gold chain with a silver amulet. He's spent enough time polishing silver and gold to know the real thing when he sees it. Still, he's confused. How will any of this help him find Nico or help him make friends?
Emotionally exhausted but mentally determined he continues opening his birthday present. Hadrian smiles finding a black leather box with his very own wand with a wand holster and wand care kit included. Below that box is yet another box wrapped in black wrapping paper with a gold ribbon. He gently lifts it out and opens it. Inside is seven sets of day clothes, each with a pair of boots and ... matching armor. In the last box, gold with a ruby red ribbon, he finds sleepwear. He's never seen clothing of such quality and he doesn't recognize the material either. On top of the clothing is a note that simply says; 'From your father Prince Loki, charmed by your mother Lady Hecate to be indestructible and grow with you."
