Chapter Fifteen – Marks of the Past
The spirits walked alone or in small groups, rarely above four, a cloud of mutters surrounding them as buzzes while they walked through the hallways, stopping for a little when they entered the classroom to look around.
Even if she wanted to make the event as it should be, Yui knew there was no reason to start lecturing the spirits about the Arts Club, let alone about art itself, so she limited herself to welcome those who entered the room and let them observe the Greek vases and the poetries hanging on the walls beside other objects they had chosen for exposition. All it all, it was going better than she had imagined, the girl admitted while observing an old Japanese painting. Before, in the first days of the Academy, when she had decided to read a little about those gods in order to try to understand a way of dealing with them, she had recalled of paintings and statues people had made of them in the days of old.
The memory made her smile. In the end, they were different from such portrayals.
"And what's to say of how they appeared to said humans?" It was common in myths that their abilities also including changing their shapes and she did remember reading at somewhere how Zeus had impregnated a woman by becoming a rain or something… Regarding this, Yui had decided she didn't want to think much about it. Not because of the implications alone, but also because she still didn't want to confront them about such things and she knew herself enough to know it was where her thoughts would lead her if they followed this path.
For now, things were going fine and she wanted to keep them like this. Those doubts and thoughts could come back later.
At her side, Tsukito was seeing some of the poems, his expression as unreadable as always. Thor seemed to prefer watching the event as well, without getting more involved than the necessary and both made Yui worry if they were bored or really still just didn't care at all... She hoped it wasn't the case. As for Hades, he had decided to keep some distance after a replica of a vase had almost fallen over a spirit-girl when he was just standing nearby. Yui tried to consider a victory already to have convinced him to stay in the classroom and tried to smile at him.
A muscle seemed to pulsate in the face of the god of the dead, who stayed still for a second… And then nodded at her in reply.
"It is at least something. It has to be" She thought, remembering how he used to ignore people during the first days of school and stay as far as possible. "Things are going rather smoothly, so that's fine…" The mantra repeated in her mind as there was a natural search for the positive signs in order to solidify the thought: They had managed to talk a little and they had even showed some interest.
Despite her thoughts, she couldn't deny she was still bothered by something.
"I… I think it is interesting" She commented, attempting to start a conversation. The Nordic standing at her side in the small part of the room they had selected for poetry was leaning his back on the wall and merely gazed at her for a moment. Tsukito showed no reaction whatsoever.
Thor's comments of how humans had destroyed paintings and things belonging to other cultures (in an essence, destroying the culture in itself) came back to Yui's mind.
"I mean, how the notion of art changes with time" Not that she had ever gave it much thought, it was just that this became too obvious to be ignored when examples of different styles stood next to each other such as now.
Thor's gaze went from her to the sheets at the wall and then back at her, no change in his expression that the girl could notice. Yui tried to think about something else to say, something that would provoke an answer, but nothing came to her…
"What leads something to be considered "good art" for humans?" Tsukito muttered, more to himself than anyone else and in such tone that he could be asking about some mathematical fact. Therefore, Yui wasn't sure if he was truly interested in the subject or merely wondering without a real care for the answer (thought this wasn't somewhat unlikely considering his personality).
"But whatever it is, probably I'll never be sure, not when it comes to him…" Some uncertainties such as this one could be applied to other gods just as well.
Yui already knew Tsukito enough to know the question (whatever motivation it had) wasn't as simple as it sounded. Something in her felt a little better to see the Moon deity questioning something (again, no matter if in a frivolous way) and also that Thor, at least, wasn't merely looking at the room anymore (and it had been impossible to tell if he was watching the spirits, paying attention or just lost in thought).
This would have been so much easier if there was someone in her group that was a little more talkative besides Yui… Not that she had any dislike for any of those gods, far from it, but they weren't the easiest to deal with. And it was practically the first time she had any interaction with Thor without Loki nearby.
"It isn't truly about norms. I mean… Well, time periods usually have a prominent style, but in the end, art is truly about emotion" The explanation didn't sound very good even for her, but what could she do? It wasn't as if she was an expert on art, how could she explain those things? "At least it is how I see things…"
Tsukito comprehended the historical and cultural value, as well as the use of art to express one's feelings, but his slight frown indicated his understanding remained in the logical level and it stopped there. Thor remained with arms crossed and back leaning on the wall.
Yui took a deep breath in a way they wouldn't notice it (or at least she hoped).
"Maybe some students of art would explain better and I don't know much about it anyway…" The girl muttered. "But in the end, it all comes down to emotion and your own way of feeling. Why some paintings make you feel something and the others don't? It is just… That people feel different, that's all."
"Art based merely on technique alone is not true art" Perhaps some artists would disagree or even be mad at her, but Yui was merely saying her opinion and she wondered if the gods felt like humans. Oh, they had feelings, of course, but at which point they felt them the same was anyone's guess.
"Animals have feelings as well, but they are… More mixed with instinct." Yui thought to herself. And perhaps that means their emotions were never diluted or affected by things like the human's were, therefore, in a way, the feeling was purer. Was it like this with the gods? Maybe the complications their emotions could be affected by were different from humans' ones, since their problems were probably different too?
Once more, Yui tried to stop her own chain of thoughts. Questions such as this could easily develop into a headache…
Unsure if she was truly reaching the gods, Yui decided to be quiet for now. Thor still gazed at her, the natural intensity of his golden eyes feeling as lava accumulating and its weight was slowly creating an uncomfortable feeling in a way she couldn't explain or understand even if she tried.
"And yet, how much have humans destroyed over the years" It wasn't a true question, more like a statement disguised as such and while he spoke in a uncaring way, her interactions with Tsukito had helped her to learn a little about noticing subtle signs at times. And now, whatever there was under the tone of calmness acted as a cold arrow to Yui, spreading to the rest of her body.
She looked at him in the eyes for a moment.
"Well… Yes… I know…" Her voice fought to not shiver in the cold and her honeyed eyes averted from his, unable to sustain the heated gold as one would be to look at the sun for too long, as if Yui could have a glimpse of the thunder hiding behind his eyes.
There was no hint, no deeper indication of what he might be thinking or feeling. It occurred to her how similar and different his eyes were from Tsukito's at the same time. The Moon deity's eyes were distant and suave, as the moonlight of winter whereas Thor's had a natural heat of the lightening, while still being distant too.
"Well… Yes… I know…" Why the sudden feel of shame? Why the flesh under her skin was crawling as if her body wanted to make itself smaller? "But a lot of people do try to recover it…" It was true, people made researches, excavations and tried to recuperate things once lost the best they could! "And many feel bad about how destructive the invasions were too, and not just because of the art…" But also because of the brutality, there was no need to add.
Thor still stared at her and Yui stayed in silence while Tsukito still read the poems or perhaps merely looked at them.
"Things lost can't ever truly come back or be recovered"
The thought occurred to her without control and there was nothing to do but to remain in the same silence as the other gods. Maybe this was somewhat alike what she had tried to tell Tsukito during the Moon event…
Unaware that the said Moon deity was thinking the same, Yui smiled (she hoped it wasn't a weak smile, no matter how tired her muscles felt) and merely excused herself to go try talking to Hades, trying to convince him to come closer to the group again.
Both gods of the Moon and the Thunder watched her for a moment, both having long ago noticed that Kusanagi Yui wasn't one to allow that others felt left aside. And back when they had been choosing about art pieces and how to organize them in the classroom, she had done the same: Tried to establish a conversation for the mere sake of it.
Just as some of the times he watched the behavior of the humans with whom they were being forced to live with, Thor had to admit there were moments he couldn't fully comprehend their motivations, as they went against what he had observed as being general and most common among humans over the decades. Of course, the dependency of the graduation to return home was a major element for those girls, however there were occasions in which he was sure it wasn't the only thing behind their actions and even so, there were times he wasn't sure which the others were.
Tsukito, in his turn, went to observe a painting, leaning his head to the side. For the first time, he actually ignored how he could analyze the lines of the paint, the shades used and the perspective, his thoughts holding on Yui's words and trying to actually find something else.
It wasn't easy for him, not after so many ages using of only logical approach and cold reasoning in his observations.
And it wasn't the first time she had said something like this either.
Like Thor, he had to admit, there were times those human girls defied the stone-like concepts they had.
XxX
"I'm screwed. I don't want to go in there…"
"Hey, you made a mess, now bear with the consequences."
"That doesn't make this shit better!"
"Huh, excuse me, but it isn't like he will hit you. Or call Aunt Wakana, so…"
Misaki took a deep breath. Well, that part was true. Thoth would punish her, no sense trying to sugarcoat it, but it wasn't like he could call her aunt or give Misaki a written warning to give her to sign. So, yes, it would be bad, but not like it could be in a true school…
"Good, so just go in there, listen to his lecture and nod, then say "Yes, sir, I'm sorry" like you're never going to do it again and then you're done!"
And yes, it made perfect sense, but the thought didn't reach the legs that remained heavy or gave birth to any wish to move. Nor did it help her nervousness as she faced the library's doors. Even if all this reasoning was true and, in the end, there was nothing to really fear, the idea of facing Thoth on the account of her yelling was far from pleasant.
"Sweetheart, calm down. Things will work out… Just take a deep breath and be yourself…"
The echo of the words in her mind made her blink. Aunt Wakana had said it back when… Yes, she remembered it with the lively of the memories that leave deep scars in the brain. Her aunt holding her close and caressing her hair soothingly... It had worked, even if it was so hard. Oh sure, for some people it sounded as the easiest thing, but for her…
"No, you're making things worse now. Just do as aunt always said. Breath in, now out. Get in there, listen to his blabbering and then leave"
And avoiding it wouldn't help things at all. The more she delayed, the more he would have to say. So, the blonde pushed the doors slightly, peeked inside with a low "excuse me" and entered, going over to his table.
At first, Thoth ignored her, merely checking the paper sheets the gods and humans had turned over with the organization of groups and how they had prepared their own activities. There wasn't even a raise from his eyes until Misaki was in the front of his table, where she stood and waited for the bomb, actually now hoping he would start soon than to leave her standing there in apprehension.
For some seconds, he still read the past sheet.
"Aihara" He said, still holding the paper and not looking at her. Though his tone was low and could pass by as calm, Misaki felt the iron underneath. It did nothing to make her feel better.
Thoth put the paper aside with the others and then stared at her. It was enough to make the girl feel unable to move.
"I believe you are aware of why I called you?"
The question was purely rhetoric, but Misaki grabbed the opportunity.
"I'm sorry for my behavior the other day, sir" She said, turning her eyes to her feet. It would be easier if she acted regretful and ashamed, no matter if she didn't feel at all like this… And in a way or another, looking at the floor did feel better than to look at him.
Thoth scoffed.
"Stop the act, it is most unlike you"
"Oh, great" Misaki growled to herself, looking back at him and doing her best to keep her face calm, unsure if she wanted to run away, stay and shut up or carry on with the apology. Why he had to be so good at observing people? Not for the first time, in the back of her mind untouchable by her surroundings, there was the small, humorless thought it wasn't for nothing he had always been described as having an Ibis head. The girl didn't know how to act or what to do and from the depths of her being, like a noise so distant one can't be sure if it exists or is in his mind, words she had tried to bury came back. Not strong enough for Misaki to make out, but with enough presence to make her flesh feel as if being ripped apart under her.
Thoth watched her with his iron-blue eyes.
"Regardless of what you may think of the situation, the fact remains that I am here in the role of your teacher, not as a fellow classmate." There was a glint in his eyes that was too predatory-like for Misaki and her senses became spikes in her insides against her will. "And even if this was to be ignored, which isn't the case, I am a god."
Misaki nodded again, trying to ignore the spikes in her. They were made of bone and dry blood, piercing her organs from all angles.
She had never had problems with figures of authority… While not a blind sheep that never questioned anything that was done or said by anyone who could be qualified as a superior, it wasn't in her to defy everything around and examine every detail in search of some flaw or counterargument.
"I understand that…" She muttered quietly. Thoth kept his back straight and arms crossed, never once freeing her from his stare.
"Were you in another situation or time, can you conceive the possible consequences for your act?" There was no reason for explanation, it was clear he meant what yelling at a god would cause in the old days or if they weren't in a teacher/student scenario, no matter if this was considered a "real" school or not, when it came down to their roles, things were as real as they could be.
Misaki nodded again. She could imagine, sure, but nothing would come closer of the real deal. And suddenly, she was cold with a primitive fear of this creature that could mutilate her body beyond what bones and nerves could bear and still keep her alive.
"And I do not believe humans schools take lightly such behavior from their students?" The mockery in his tone was almost a whisper between the words, but it was there all the same while the softness of his voice was enough to cut. Misaki had no words to form a reply and silence seemed prudent, but her lack of any answer could be taken as disrespect, so she shook her head.
Thoth's white eyebrows rose.
"Then, I must ask… What exactly was going through your mind?"
Misaki fought to keep looking at him. Thoth still stared at her as if decided to make a hole in her skin with sheer will and the girl knew he was very well capable of it. Misaki hadn't forgotten Zeus' demonstration of power and couldn't imagine what the limits of those deities were…
With all this, plus the thoughts that had been on her mind regarding the gods lately, Misaki had indeed asked herself what she had been thinking. But the point was, she hadn't. Her thoughts had retracted to the depths of the mind, leaving the instinct to command and her emotions then had been of a cornered animal.
"I… I lost my temper, I…"
"It is not what I asked." Thoth interrupted, his words shattering her voice.
Then… What was the meaning of the question? He had asked what…
Oh.
He meant what had caused her reaction. Misaki felt her mouth dry. It would be best if he had just… Just yelled at her and given her a punishment.
"Your… Your words bothered me. I'm sorry I reacted that way, I really am" It wasn't a lie, she did feel bad for it. And even if it wasn't the whole reason, his words had indeed been the ultimate provocation. "I should have controlled myself…"
"That you should" His nod at her was brief and his stare made it clear that her answer wasn't going to the point he had meant yet, making her confused.
Seeing it, Thoth held a sigh. What he had wondered was how his words had provoked such an unlikely reaction, for it far too clear that there had been more behind it than merely irritation or misunderstanding, so it followed that the cause hadn't been his words alone. And being the god of knowledge, he couldn't stand when there was something he didn't understand…
Well… And as a teacher, he supposed he had some responsibility regarding his students. Or at least the humans representatives.
Misaki remained quiet, not fully sure she knew where he was going with this and Thoth sighed. Although Misaki had tried to remain with a calm façade, he had sensed the fear in her and now tried to sound at least a little less intimidating.
"It was not only that, was it?"
There was no time to see the realization in her expression, as it was too soon filled by a calculative mask that didn't fully reach her eyes as several thorns attacked Misaki from inside out, each one an emotion battling to be the dominant one and causing a storm.
Yet, god and human merely gazed at each other until Misaki merely said in an undecipherable tone.
"No… It wasn't"
Thoth stared at her.
Misaki, this time, stared back and there was no hesitation. The communication between them that followed was one of those that dismiss the need of words.
He wanted to know.
She didn't want to talk about it.
Thoth didn't look away or blinked, but his back leaned in the chair.
"You seem aware of your actions, but I can assure you have no idea of what punishments your yelling and lack of respect would warrant were things any different." He carried on as if the last words had never been spoken. A brief silence told Misaki that death would have been merciful from some more stern gods that had no tolerance for any sort of disrespect in the ages past, not when those humans here were aware of who and what they truly were. "And despite your feelings regarding the situation, being sorry alone doesn't fix anything. You are to clean the class for a month for this. By yourself."
Misaki wouldn't complain.
"Yes, sir" She agreed, not having to force her voice into a respectful tone, though it had more to do with how tired she suddenly felt. For a moment, she was almost a child again and wanted to see aunt Wakana, wanted the woman to comfort her as she had done before...
Now, Misaki felt lonely.
Thoth evaluated her as if he had more to say and was examining the pros and cons of carrying on. In the end, he merely said.
"And be warned, Aihara… This is last time I allow a behavior such as this."
This could sound as a threat, but it was said in such a "teacher-like" way that it was indeed more of a warning. Misaki waited to be dismissed, but Thoth wasn't completely done and raised his head a little as he took a long breath, before saying slowly as if measuring each word.
"I do, however, realize that my words bothered you at the time more than I thought they would, so I do… Regret… That they were misunderstood in their meaning. Perhaps if I had been clearer, you would not have reacted in such way"
Misaki frowned, unsure if surprised that he was saying he regretted something or even if this was a sort of apology, only then realizing it wasn't. His regret was to how she had interpreted him and his lack of clarity, not the words in itself or the meaning behind them, whatever it was.
Oh, well, it didn't matter. And Misaki didn't have to accept anything, as it was a mere statement. She did regret her behavior and the disrespect, but it was only at a "student-teacher" level and not from person to person (truth to be told, she knew nothing of Thoth to have a definite opinion of him that went beyond that of a strict teacher), so it was sort of fitting.
Seeing no answer from her, Thoth merely nodded and allowed her to leave.
Once left alone, Thoth's thoughts went back to how his responsibilities as teacher involved more than explaining about humanity. Slowly, he rested his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes, allowing his thoughts to run free again.
The gods were one thing, but those humans were young. Even at their own society, they weren't adults yet, but one could forget or eventually ignore some details when focusing in others.
He would say they should all be used to the situation by now (studying with gods, of course, not the threat that they lived with each day), only for Aihara's reaction to show that it wasn't so. Her face flashed on his mind when she had admitted there had been more to her reaction than what he had said and then the strong fear he had sensed coming from her, as reasonable as it had been…
"Humans…" Thoth thought to himself as he picked a book, blocking any thought that had to do with her.
XxX
Misaki almost ran to the gardens, actually using the exercise to try burning the feeling in her flesh and occupy herself with the Apollon and Balder, thus stopping any other thought from formation.
And once she reached the others, they were already with some spirits around. Misaki thought things would go quite well.
After a couple of minutes, the whole thing was being a perfect disaster.
For it didn't matter how much they tried, it seemed there was no way to contain the spirits when it came down to whatever it was that made them attracted to Balder and excited in his presence.
The idea at first had sounded interested and, in the first minutes, it had even worked while they had just a few spirits around, Apollon and Balder would help them to understand some sports in turns… And it had been organization too, with the spirits getting in lines as they were told: Apollon would let each of them try to shoot an arrow, Balder would separate them in groups of two so they tried to make soccer goals one against the other and so on. On her first try, while she wasn't good at it, Misaki had tried volley.
However, soon there were more spirits and while it wasn't a problem in itself, their excitement also grew with the number and, before any of them realized it, Balder was soon surrounded by them, from girls giggling and complimenting him to guys addressing him as "sempai" and asking for advice in how to play.
It could be funny. It had everything to be funny.
It was disturbing.
"They seem like robots with a short-circuit…" Misaki grumbled when two spirits passed by her hitting her shoulder to join the group cooing around the Nordic god. The girl rubbed her shoulder, skin shivering as if standing from the muscles due to the contact with those things. She never cared much for them, but during the first days she had soon learned that she would much rather avoid contact.
Even if Zeus just meant to make those as "classmates" and all, Misaki would much rather that they didn't exist. The falseness of their behavior, the lack of individuality, it all made them a travesty of life in her eyes.
"C'mon, please, please just make a line…" Apollon tried to call attention without any success and sighed with some annoyance. Even Balder was unable to impose order, even if he was trying. "Oi! Make a LINE"
"Listen to Apollon, otherwise we will be unable to carry on" Balder still tried, pushing the spirits gently, but firmly, to make passage among them only to meet resistance. They all spoke at the same time, but he could make out some of the words in those voices with lifeless cheer and admiration.
"Time of the rescue" Misaki muttered to Apollon in a dramatic way, not waiting for his reaction before she forced herself among those spirits, not caring at all to be gentle. "HEY! Shoo! Go away! Knock it OFF!"
The spirits ignored her. The girl didn't mind, forcing her elbows against the sea of flesh as Apollon tried to help by pushing them so Balder could pass. Most of them just keep trying to get closer to Balder, only a few actually showing reactions to the two of them.
"Run to the light, Balder!" Misaki cried out jokingly as the god managed to get out of the circle. While she tried to do the same with the spirits trying to follow Balder, a leg hit her ankle. The girl tried to recover the balance, but with the spirits moving around, there was a wave of sudden pain when she hit the ground.
"Saki-Saki!" Apollon called out, seeing what had happened. Some spirits now were confused, stepping around and walking as confused sheep. Misaki leaned on her hands, pulling her body away of the circle of legs, standing in the moment she managed to.
"Go, go!" Not paying attention to the gods, she hurried up to leave the courtyard, heading for the sports court where the gods and Isuzu practiced, relieved when she turned the wall and realized the spirits weren't following.
"No one deserves this. What did Zeus put in those things' heads?" She leaned her back on the wall, recovering her breath and sighed.
"Okay… At least they didn't…"
"Saki-Saki, your arm!" Hands held her arm and lifted it. When falling, she had skinned herself against the harsh floor and an extent area of her flesh now pulsated with a light burning.
Instinct froze her nerves and for a moment, Misaki almost struggled free from Apollon's hands before her mind intervened. It was Apollon. And Balder. Why would she react like this? They were… Well, she still wasn't sure that she could call them friends, but she would like to think so. In a way or another, as far as she knew, they wouldn't hurt her.
"That's okay" She managed to say, calming herself. "It's nothing" Gently, she pulled her arm back and tried to smile. "Well… It wasn't that much of a good idea"
"I'm sorry for this…" Balder's shoulders were down and discouragement marked the soft lines of his face. He had been truly interested by the whole thing and it end, it hadn't worked out because of his inherent power as god of the light.
"Don't be, Bal-Bal, it wasn't your fault"
"Yeah, it was nothing. We will think of something else…" The girl took a seat in the grass, leaning her arms on her knees, merely enjoying the sun. "They did seem more agitated today…" Maybe it was due to the event or an effect of long exposition to the god outside the classroom (during those times, they merely didn't react much to him and, except for it, neither of the gods or girls spent time near those spirits, that were also rarely found in such large groups).
"Who cares for the reason, after all. The thing is to think about other way."
She realized there was still something in Balder's expression. No, it wasn't quite this… She had already seen him with an expression other then this gently serenity, had seen tired or worried. That was… She wasn't sure of how to put it, but knew it wasn't quite a proper expression. More as if there was something intertwined in his skin and eyes as she saw him through a mist-like veil.
"C'mon, let it go." She insisted.
"But I really… I'm sorry."
"But you don't have to. It isn't your fault, we're not upset, so it's alright!" Apollon agreed with her, who tried to imagine how it would be with those spirits surrounding her. Even the animals used to enjoy being near Balder, but not at all in that obsessive way.
"They almost looked like a bunch of addicts who found the fountain of cocaine" Not that she would ever say this out loud, she didn't want to hurt Balder with a comparison of this nature.
"It must be tiring…" She carried on, to which the Nordic sighed and confirmed with a nod. The spirits didn't even have names, but he knew well that those reactions of now could easily be the reactions of other beings when free of the self control. It was when they became like this that the bitterness in him increased.
"They aren't even truly alive" He muttered almost with a groan. At first, he had thought that the shackle of Zeus would contain this natural attraction he caused to some beings due to his position. He had been wrong. "I think those shackles can't seal all of our powers…"
"Maybe it is just impossible" The Greek god commented, recalling that he had been able to use a bit of his prophetic gift when they had been in the beach.
"It is part of you. It isn't like being able to play or knowledge…" The girl muttered as she stood. "It is a part of you as much as blood or some organ…" Her eyes ran to them and before she could hold herself, the words slithered between her teeth. "In the end… It is different. We're different"
Her teeth held her tongue when she realized what she had just said. Not because it could be taken as offensive, it was just something she would rather have not said. She had had enough for today already and had lived long enough to be unable to see barriers with the need of pointing at them verbally.
The two gods studied her calmly. Then, to her surprise, their faces opened in smiles.
"Yes. We are. But this… It doesn't have to matter" Leaning to her, Apollon poked the tip of her nose briefly. "Not if we don't want it to"
Misaki looked from him to Balder, who offered his calming smile in agreement.
"But what if we're too different even to be friends?" The thought came to her without control. It wasn't a case of people from different countries or religious beliefs, it was something far wider and scarier.
She didn't want it to matter, she didn't want to care about what they were and just be their friend, but rats can't befriend snakes, fishes don't swim with sharks. A part of her wanted to press the subject, however her mind was weary and she wouldn't be able to have arguments or even force her thoughts into words, so she merely tried to smile.
"Maybe you're right…"
Apollon seemed satisfied enough and Misaki stood, looking from one to another.
"Hey, what can we do about the spirits, then?" She raised her hand as in class. "I suggest we chain them!"
"I think that would defeat the purpose of the sports" Balder chuckled to himself, to which she raised her shoulders as Apollon held his chin in thought, in a similar way as Yui did when lost in thought.
"Perhaps Apollon and I should just carry on with the demonstrations as you explain and we keep some distance, just enough for them to not be too affected…" He thought out loud and the three started to revise how they would make it work.
XxX
As much as she couldn't care less about the spirits or even events of this nature (more due to being in a divine Academy than the cultural events in themselves), Arisu had to admit that it wasn't that bad. Actually, she was even having some fun.
She, Takeru and Loki split among the small stands they had made, explaining the different games. Some spirits took part, some sitting down to give a try at chess, others daring to join some improvised game from Loki, one of them involving dares with different flavored cookies.
Arisu approached Takeru, who was watching two spirits trying a Nordic game the girl still hadn't fully understood.
"Things seem to be working out" The comment was accompanied by a smile despite her dislike for those creatures with programmed and basic reactions that only served to emphasize in her nerve endings how she and the others were the only humans here. The body reacted with coldness, organs making themselves smaller, so she would rather be near the gods.
Besides, since they had started to swim together, Takeru was less hostile.
"Or perhaps since Yui yelled at Zeus" The memory was still pleasant.
"Hm. Some of human's stuff can be somewhat interesting…" The other muttered with crossed arms at his chest, just observing the games. Some spirits laughed, or better, made sounds in the shape of laughter. Arisu ignored his comment, as she was used to this.
"Well, you have to admit this is better than stay in the classroom listening to Thoth talking and talking" She took a seat in the stand next to him, paying no attention to the hard look the god threw at her. It wasn't as if the wood would break under her weight anyway.
"One thing we can agree to." He nodded. "But I still would have liked better if we could have made something with martial arts!"
"Why am I not surpri…"
"Oi, oi" Loki interrupted as he came closer, taking a seat at the stand at Arisu's side and leaning his elbow on her shoulder. "Who would have thought? Everything worked out!"
"Apparently. I'm surprised that even your ideas were useful" Takeru said with no change in his tone. Arisu wondered if this wasn't the nicest thing he had ever said to Loki. The trickster god laughed and made a very human sign of "V".
"One thing to learn, Totsuka… My ideas, when regarding fun, are always a success!" And, eyes gleaming, he purred. "At least to me"
"The victims of your little pranks wouldn't always agree with them being fun" Arisu reflected, but decided to keep the thought to herself.
"At least it is fun. I've never cared much for those things before" She felt Loki pressing his shoulder more, making her lean to his direction with his weight and shook it to show her displeasure, turning her eyes to the spirits. "All in all, it is being sort of cool"
Loki snickered.
"If it we have to put up with this little, silly façade, then we can at least have some fun while at it."
"What do you mean by that?"
Noticing Arisu and Takeru's eyes, Loki smirked and he leaned to the girl.
"C'mon, you both know it as well as I do…" There was something in his eyes Arisu had never seen before and made her bones shiver. "All of this is, in the end, just a little play so we can graduate, but it has no real value. And the rest, actually, doesn't matter. After all, who would like to lose oneself by remaining here forever?"
While the first part of what he had said was close to Arisu's own thoughts, there was something more to it that she didn't like at all. Loki stretched his shoulders and back in that feline mannerism that was typical of him, eyes still with that expression that darker than what Arisu had seen until now, though she was sure there was something close to disdain in there.
"After all, if this ever happened, that is probably what would happen" His smile had no cheer, being just an exhibition of teeth.
"What are you…" The whisper came from her without control and Loki carried on as if he hadn't been interrupted.
"Simple. If we are kept caged in here, we may as well end up just like humans…"
Arisu was about to say something.
A loud thump broke the air when Takeru punched the wall.
"Hey…" The redheaded male muttered, caught by surprise by that reaction. Takeru didn't look at any of them, merely growling before walking out of the class, a sudden harshness taking control of his movements and making Arisu recall the first days at the Academy.
"What… What is with him?" Turning to Loki, she was unable to hide her surprise. It had been a long time since Takeru had given signs of that side of his. The Nordic God looked from the door at her and merely shrugged. Truth to be told, he had been surprised just as well, but was faster to recover.
And it wasn't as if he didn't understand it either. There had been no intention to provoke anyone when Loki had said that, it was merely one of the thoughts that plagued him the most and he had just expressed it.
"I would say that… He truly hates humans" Not like this was a feeling he didn't understand either and jumped out of the stand, going over one of the games as if nothing had happened, which didn't shock Arisu. She had noticed during the day how Loki could just walk away or stop paying attention if he decided things were getting bored.
Or maybe it was something else, she couldn't be sure now. His eyes had remained with that veil.
Arisu stayed there for a second, unsure of what to do. It wasn't as if she understood either of the gods, had just an idea that was vague and had not enough roots to become a certainty.
An impulse ran up her legs and she jumped of the board, going out of the class.
Turning at a hallway, she caught sight of blue hair. Takeru was near an open window, arms crossed on the windowsill and head leaning down. His muscles were stone under the skin.
"Hey, Porcupine…" She called out quietly, steps slowing down as she approached. The only reply the god gave her was an animalistic growl.
"It has nothing to do with you. Just leave"
In another occasion, Arisu would have respected this wish and maybe wouldn't have even cared much. It wasn't what happened. Somehow, she forced her body to ignore the shiver and stepped closer to Takeru, with the caution of someone going near some hurt animal that could bite.
The air around him was heavy with a hidden force, a poison that spread and invaded the system along with oxygen. Constant and unbreakable.
Arisu's nerves were tense. She ignored them.
"Takeru…"
He turned. Body filled with a force that electrified each nerve ending. Hand rose up.
A sound of shock.
For an instant, there was ice in his hand. The sensation ran through the rest of the body.
Arisu had been with her hand up, as if intending to touch his back and he had hit her.
He never hit girls. He… He used to get destructive during his more violent states, but those were trances out of control. Not that he tried to justify himself or shake off the responsibility, such would be a dishonorable thing to do... But he had never hit a girl otherwise…
Had Arisu been a step closer, he would have slapped her face.
The girl blinked to him.
Mind conjuring the face of the friend he had killed, Takeru for a moment couldn't find his voice.
"I… I'm sorry… I… I didn't mean to, I didn't…" He tensed up, seeing the blood coming back to her hand and coloring it of a strong red and he knew there would be a deep purple bruise soon. At that moment, he thanked for that shackle or he would have broken her hand, even if not meaning to.
"D-Don't worry, it was nothing…" She hesitated, hand throbbing with pain. The slap had been strong. She didn't think she had ever seen him like this. "Takeru… Are you alright?"
A muscle trembled in his face as he turned brusquely to observe the gardens from the window.
"Why don't you like humans?" The girl was aware it had to be more than the weakness that he had accused them of before and also remembered of when Takeru had called her hypocrite. Loki had said that what truly mattered was the graduation and although it still played such a strong role in their routine, it wasn't just that.
She hadn't even been thinking about it while making the stands and deciding the games with them, she had actually been enjoying it and a part of her was sure the others had too.
It wasn't the idea of graduation that made her approach the god again, daring to rest her hand on his shoulder and needing to stretch her arm a little to reach him. Under her fingers, Takeru seemed to tense up.
"I… I know you don't like humans" The whisper was low, words shivering with the uncertainty if her words would have any use at all. "I know the idea of… Of losing yourself is terrible…"
It was. Were they to remain here forever, would her mind, in an attempt to preserve itself and the sanity, dismiss her life as a dream? Cast the memories of her mother and father to an abyss, until her whole world was merely that golden cage of the academy?
Would the gods forget they were gods at all?
She took a deep breath. It wasn't Loki's fault, she knew he had had no intention to provoke or scare any of them. Perhaps Loki was afraid of this as well…
"It is alright…" Her fingers closed more in his shoulder, holding his flesh and she stood at his side, her eyes seeking his face. His golden eyes remained in some point outside, showing no emotion and Arisu's throat went dry. She would rather have the constant savagery than the emptiness of now.
"That will not happen… And I won't forget who you truly are, Susanoo"
His eyes slithered to her. It was perhaps the first time she ever called him by his true name.
"It is alright" She repeated, feeling useless. "You are you. Nothing can change this… And I don't care if you hate humans…"
Takeru merely observed her for a moment. His flesh trembled with old and new emotions, anger and repulse for everything agitating his nerves along with the natural fury the sea could have. For an instant, he almost formed the words necessary to explain to her the source, the reason for that despise he couldn't let go.
He sighed.
"Maybe…" He said quietly. "I'll be able to explain to you one day…"
But not today. Not now.
XxX
"It looks amazing, Isuzu!" Yui complimented her friend as she took a seat, looking around the small improvised café. The window time of the event was coming to an end and she had suggested to her group that, instead of going over the cafeteria, they would take a look at the Maid café Dionysus' group had sorted, since there would be no harm.
At the door, Isuzu had received them with a polite bow.
"Welcome" The girl tried to smile. But even after some hours, she had managed to more or less get into the "role", however the presence of her friends brought back some of the nervousness from before, even if the idea that they could come over had passed her mind while she had been setting things ready with Ren and Dionysus.
"Hi, guys" A voice coming from the hallway called the attention. Misaki was coming over with Balder and Apollon, the three of them looking tired and the gods still wearing the sporting clothes.
"Tired?" Yui guessed, seeing their expressions, in an amusing tone and imagining how things had been for them. The three seemed happy, so she hoped things had been fine.
"Hi there" She greeted them, with Thor and Tsukito nodding as Hades muttered a greeting. "I think we'll need a large table, Isuzu"
"Is that the uniform humans wear at cafes?" Apollon asked with interested, as he took in what Isuzu was wearing. Though there was nothing there besides normal curiosity, Isuzu couldn't help but to feel her face growing warmer.
"Well… In Maid cafes, yes… Sort of" The girl hoped she wasn't blushing under the gaze of the group. Misaki and Yui traded glances, the blonde hiding a smile with her hand seeing Isuzu was uncomfortable. Although she would be blushing seven shades of red and cursing her life if she were in Isuzu's shoes, Misaki couldn't help but to think it was sort of funny.
"Oh, Isuzu, you look so cute. I should take a photo" She teased in good fun. A light pink colored the other's face, but before she could respond, someone stepped closer.
"But you really look adorable like this!" Balder said and thought the praise could be sincere, Isuzu still gave a step back by instinct.
"Well… Thank you, Balder, but really…" Deciding it would be better to just lead them to a table before she blushed, Isuzu took a deep breath and recalled how she had been in the "role" during the day and made a polite gesture. "Right this way, please, masters"
The others followed her among the tables towards an empty one as they looked around, seeing some spirits here and there and also how they had organized the room. Apollon, however, frowned.
"Why is she talking like this?" Not that Isuzu was rude, but she had never treated them by such terms. Yui waved her hand in sign that he shouldn't mind it.
"It's part of the thing. It is how the employees act in Maid Cafes"
The Sun god tilted his head the side.
"You like to go to those cafes a lot, Fairy-chan?"
"Not really… I mean, they can be cute and all, but they're not exactly my type of place" Yui muttered as they took seats at a long table, actually made by some smaller ones that had been pushed together and covered by a white tablecloth. Just like in the other tables, there was a small bluish vase with flowers. The menus had been handwritten in small black notebooks.
"It all looks so different…" Hades muttered more to himself to the others, his red eye observing around, the white curtains at the windows and how the tables had been placed. One of the corners of the room had been separated by a long divider that he had once seen in the infirmary and the God of the Underworld guessed that was the part they had used as a sort of kitchen or whatever they could to organize the dishes.
It didn't look at all like a classroom and despite having seen very different places, most of the "human" ones had been seen in the memories of the souls he judged, so it was actually the first time he ever saw something like this in person.
"Dionysus helped. He and Ren were a saving grace with the food" The brown-haired girl indicated with the head to the god, who had just finished serving three spirits with something that seemed cake or pie. He greeted the group with a gesture of his head, still managing to look as elegant as the role of a butler demanded. The wine-red hair was in a low ponytail, some strands still falling free over his shoulders and making a contrast with the black suit he wore.
Misaki had to admit, he looked great.
Once done taking down their orders, Isuzu bowed once more and walked away.
"It seems that everything worked out today, then!" Yui exclaimed, seeing some of the spirits at the tables. "How it was with you guys?"
"It was… Agitated." Apollon exchanged glances with Misaki and Balder, a small smile playing in his lips as Misaki assumed an air of openly pretended innocence.
"Oh, some little complications, but nothing we couldn't overcome" Balder added with a solemn expression as Misaki held her giggles, making the others confused (even if Thor had a pretty good idea of what this was about).
It wasn't different of the times they ate together at the cafeteria, in the end. Apollon and Balder soon told how it had been with the spirits, soon laughing about the situation that seemed amusing now. Yui, in her turn, spoke of the art exhibition they had made, turning to Thor and the other gods, stimulating them to engage in the telling.
Meanwhile, Isuzu organized the orders in a small cart they had found in the infirmary along with the room divisor, covering it with a white cloth to try making it look more a restaurant cart. The tablecloths hadn't come from the store, but also "borrowed" from the cafeteria.
"Table three wants a strawberry cake" Dionysus commented to Isuzu as he checked the stock they had made. Some of it had been made by him and Ren and others had been taken from the cafeteria, as they wouldn't have how to keep preparing everything during the day (Isuzu had pointed out that, had Thoth or Zeus warned them before hand of everything, it would have been easier to make preparations including the food, to which Ren and Dionysus had agreed).
As Isuzu had mentioned to the others, the two of them had been a great help regarding the food. Although it would have been easier to just take everything from the kitchens, they probably should prepare at least some of the dishes themselves as part of the task and Isuzu had little to no experience when it came down to cooking.
Ren had promptly showed that she knew her way around a kitchen quite well.
The Greek god, however, had surprised both her and Ren by showing he actually had some knowledge regarding preparation of foods and even when he had given a try at dishes that he didn't know, they had tasted rather good.
It had been a shock for both girls. Despite being a god of wine, grapes and also related to fertility, none of them had ever imagined they would see him cooking. It wasn't as if he needed, right? The Greek gods only fed from nectar and ambrosia… Then Dionysus had merely explained that they could eat mortal foods without an issue. Since he often spent his time with mortal followers through the woods, he had had time to watch them making food and, later on, had learned a little about it as a sort of hobby.
Isuzu had caught herself thinking that, perhaps, it wasn't such a big surprise then. It wasn't as if those gods had ceased to be worshiped a couple of months ago, that left them with plenty of time… The girl had wondered how the fall of Greece and his cult had felt and those long years during which he had distanced himself from humanity…
And had merely commented that the small cake he had made for her and Ren to taste was just amazing.
His clothes were the standard of a butler, made of a white blouse, black blazer and a dark grey tie. At first, Dionysus had felt strange and clearly uncomfortable, as he wasn't used to tight clothes and even feeling restrained at first (which wasn't surprising, taking in his nature).
Neither Isuzu nor Ren could deny that he looked very good, even if it wasn't his style. There was something about the wildness in his eyes and hair (tied up or not) that added an interesting touch and the suit emphasized his large shoulders and the strong traits of his figure.
And the god had faced the whole thing as a sort of game, even using the most polite vocabulary. At a moment, Isuzu had heard him addressing a couple of female spirits as "princesses".
"If he keeps this up, Balder will have a serious competition" The girl thought smiling, trying to ignore the sensation that came with the memory of the blonde god talking to her a while ago. Yes, it had been because he had never seen anyone dressed like that and was always eager when it came down to new things, but even so…
"Do you mind… Serving the others then, Ren?" The girl asked the other, who was taking care of some of the cupcakes. Isuzu hoped to whatever greater God that existed that she wasn't sounding different than usual.
Ren gave no signs of noticing anything amiss in her tone, but Isuzu thought this didn't mean much regarding her. She remembered that Ren had given her the impression of being very controlled when they had first met.
"Not a problem" It was the reply as she checked the orders, comparing with what she had on a cart before pushing it, without needing to ask the table, once she had seen the group arriving.
Dionysus glanced at her with the corner of his eyes, not saying anything.
Ren hadn't acted differently at all during the day and he and Isuzu had done the same.
Not paying attention to anything around, the girl pushed the cart between the tables until the group. Misaki and Yui were chatting happily with the gods and even Tsukito commented something. Thor remained in silence, however she thought that the mere fact he had stayed and not wandered off was already something.
Ice was born from the depths of her nerves and ran through the connections, out of control and in a way that was almost mocking of her incapacity to control certain reactions of her own body.
Even so, she wanted to fight the shivers, the hands that played with her stomach, the claws digging her bones until the center. She had felt this before, many and many times and even if she kept her head frozen up… It was no use whatsoever. She knew better than to try and take refuge in lies and was unable to even try.
Once Ren had learned that her group had sorted "Maid Café" as their activity, she would have given everything to say "no". To be able to refuse to dress that stupid thing, but since there was only her, Isuzu and Dionysus, she hadn't be able to even ask…
As such, she had ignored the feeling of body closing in itself, trying to shrink under the skin and had carried on. Or tried to.
This didn't make her feel better at all. It was as if she was a child again, only her body had grown as if she was dressing the skin of an adult. Underneath, it was all the same, everything was still like that day…
Ren could only hope against hope that this damn day would end soon. Some idiot could say that with the passage of hours, she would get used and get over it. Yes, an idiot who would have no idea of what he was saying, trying to sound wise and caring… Even some of the spirits seemed to observe from afar (it could be her imagination, echoes of her past stretching to finally reach her here, but since they were programmed to have human reactions, it could be the other way too. In the end, it made no difference for the sensation was real).
"Forgive me for the waiting" The muscles of her face moved with the usual ability to shape a smile as she greeted them with a polite bow of head before serving the dishes.
Someone greeted her in response. It didn't even sound like a human language to Ren.
Yui turned to her with a smile that soon started to fade before she managed to force her face into a firm position. The shock held her vocal chords before she could make a sound…
It was a natural reaction, holding on to act as if there was nothing wrong. It wasn't far from instinct and the others tried to do the same…
The uniform was simple and nothing that would excite imagination. It was a mere black dress reaching the knees, adorned by a pure-white apron and doll-like shoes. Half of the back was exposed, as well as the shoulders.
The sleeves were at the junction of shoulders and arms, in a fluffy strap.
"Hey…" Ren whispered, suddenly as she placed a sandwich in front of Apollon, who was abnormally quiet as he tried to look away.
"We get along fine, don't we?"
The others realized that she hadn't asked if they were friends, merely if their relationship wasn't, at least, positive.
"Yes…" Someone managed to whisper.
"Of course…" Yui's muttering of agreement joined the other, both sounding so quietly as a secret devoured by silence. Ren had her face turned to the table, hair tied in a low ponytail due to being too long, some loose strands caressing her pale face.
The sound she emitted could be a muffled laugh or a sound of scorn, as if there was something in the back of her throat.
"So… Why don't you just cut the crap…" She stood after serving Tsukito, face lacking any expression. "And go on and ask?"
It occurred to Misaki that neither of them had ever seen her wearing anything but long sleeves and pants.
The eyes were attracted to it as it happens with a car accident or putrid wound, something too disgusting to look at, but that wields a cruel spell that makes one unable to look away. Maybe it wasn't different from knowing you shouldn't look at Medusa's face and yet, can't help but to do just that.
Ren's exposed flesh was a mass of scars.
A long scar cut her shoulder, hiding under the fabric in the direction of her chest, as if someone had hit her with an ax. Lines crossed and intercrossed, disputing space in her body and deforming whatever they touched, making an appearance that caused repulse on the nerves as much as a rotting corpse.
One of those things, on her arm, was tortuous as if hands had pulled and twisted it to see until where it would go and the scar had never nestled on the flesh like before. The wound had not closed, but spread somehow.
The opposite forearm, taking part of her shoulder, was a nest of wrinkled lines, skin too thin to barely cover the muscles underneath. For the first time, Misaki noticed there was a scar in the wrist that almost reached the thumb.
Ren stared at them for a brief moment before turning around and walking back to the kitchen-like area.
There were scars on her back too. Under the think sock, a part of her leg looked thinner than the other, as if the flesh had been chewed and bitten beyond tolerance.
Those were old cracks on the flesh, as marks of a badly sewed doll.
Ana: Sorry for the wait, but here it is! Well, what can I say? I had a lot of fund with this particular chapter… Originally, there would be no mention about Dionysus being able to cook, but to be fair, taking in all the ages spent with no need to care for prayers and followers, I imagine some of the gods would grow bored enough to engage in whatever hobby they could.
One of the many reasons I think eternal life just plain sucks, but this is getting off the point.
Ren: May I ask why you did this to me?
Ana: About what? The fact that you look like you were ran over with a lawnmower or showing the scars?
Arisu: You guys are seeing the love she has for her own characters, right?
Ren: Both.
Ana: Because.
Thoth: That is the best answer you can come up with?
Ana: Well, basically.
Thoth: You're hopeless.
Ana: Yes, I am.
lilly: Please, don't worry! I know how it feels and I liked your review! It means a lot to me that you enjoy my fic this much, believe me! Yeah, I really thought it would be boring if there was a "filler" chapter and although I was unsure about going with a Cultural event right after the Moon Gazing, I honestly thought "You know what? Fuck it, they are caged in this damn school, there is nothing much to do and the plot needs to get going!", so there.
Loki: At least we didn't have to deal with fillers.
Ana: I confess, the only thing I truly know about Cultural Festival, I've learned on animes. I did a little research, but more on the activities and stuff.
Arisu: I thought we would end up arguing, but no. We actually made it work, I didn't expect that.
Ana: I swear I didn't plan this. But as I wrote, it just flowed naturally. A surprise, since Loki and Takeru don't really get along and Loki can get on Ari's nerves. Who would have thought?
Takeru: Tsundere? I am not a tsundere!
Loki: Neither am I!
Ana: Yeah, right. You guys don't even know what that word means! While Arisu may get moments when she gets a little nervous about the gods, she tends to brush it off as she can. And the time she spent with Takeru on the swim club helped her to be a little more comfortable on his presence.
Arisu: And it isn't as if Loki acts all "godly", so…
Loki: Hey!
Arisu: You're always making pranks! You're more like the clown of the class, sorry but it is true!
Loki: Only trying to bring some fun in this boring place, darling.
Ana: … Meh, let them work that out. Misaki is certainly facing a bad time. Like I said before, none of those girls has a "pink" past and Misaki, at times, may overanalyze things. Keeping those thoughts to herself is not helping and with everything going on, no wonder she ended up yelling at Thoth.
Isuzu: He kinda of provoked her.
Ana: Without realizing, but yes. Unknowingly, he pushed her buttons and she wasn't in her best already, so… At least Apollon and Balder noticed it. They aren't dumb, they know how they may look to her and the others, but they aren't the type to push it.
Misaki: I am not proud of what I did. It wasn't the same situation as Yui's. But hey, cleaning the class is not that bad compared to what I had expected of Thoth…
Ana: THANK YOU SO MUCH! That is actually exactly what I was aiming for and this is the best thing you could have said it! I was really trying to get this feeling of danger from them! As for Yui… It was a little hard for me. Things actually go okay with her, despite being with the quietest gods of the group. But it was good to show a little more of Thor, we rarely see him without Loki (and he talks even less than Tsukito or Hades). Eventually, he will open up, but it will take a long time… And yes, the comment about the loss of art and culture did sting… We will soon see more of the reasons why they dislike humans and, well, spoiler.
Balder: We do have our reasons, but this doesn't mean we dislike Yui and the others.
Ana: Save it for the next chapters, Legolas.
Balder: Leg-what?
Ana: Forget it. Well, you see now why Ren was distressed. Of the girls, she is indeed the one with more self control. But when it comes down to her scars… There is that phrase, as authors it is our duty to create loveable, enticing characters and do horrible, evil things to them.
Yui: It… It doesn't look that bad.
Ana: Not to be a sadistic (oh, who am I kidding?), but yes. For me, if my readers are suffering, it means they care about the story and the characters, so it's the best thing that can happen!
Arisu: Translation, Ana is a sick individual.
Ana: I know how it is. There are several stories (be movies, animes or books) when I can't give a damn about the characters, I can't cry for them because I don't feel they are "real", so when I'm writing, I always try to make mine as "alive" as possible! I'm really happy you're so into the story and I hope the next chapters will be satisfying!
CameronEmma: No, I didn't, but I'm happy for it. If I can make someone's day just a little better, no matter how, then I consider it a good day already.
Misaki: Well, I wouldn't dissect them, but… Seriously, do they have organs? Do they need food? And why? They can't die, but they can feel hunger? I don't get this! Do they even have blood? I mean, some myths do mention they being hurt, so this means they can feel pain as well, but how can…
Ana: Uh… Misaki, you do sound like you want to cut them open.
Misaki: No. I would ask them if I had the guts to do so.
Arisu: Ask Thoth, he is the teacher here.
Misaki: Yeah, right. After out little chat, not happening.
Thoth: Plus, such details are not why you are here and since it will not help you graduate, I don't see why I should waste my time.
Arisu: Thought you wouldn't pass the chance to be Mr. Know It All. Seriously, do you know how much of a pain you can be?
Ana: I actually would wonder about it a lot. If we analyze out of the story, we can get it, after all the myths do mention the gods eating and even sleeping (if they are immortal beings, what is point if they shouldn't need so?), but Plato did describe the gods as exacerbations of flaws and qualities of humans in his theology and several plays and myths are indeed about the gods behaving in a very humane way, so it isn't surprising to see those needs. The myth of Isis wandering the Earth with Horus (when in search of Osiris' body), if I'm not mistaken, there was a part when Horus was stung by a scorpion. Well, in the end, the view of the gods varies from culture to culture…
Arisu: The point of this whole yadda-yadda being?
Ana: That while we can understand those details while in a story, if I was to meet one of those gods, I would ask those things! Study about humans? I'm human already, teach me about you guys! Also, where is the afterlife in all this? Hades, Osiris, Heaven, Nirvana and I don't know what else, where do the souls actually go, does it depend on beliefs?
Yui: I thought you were Catholic?
Ana: I am, but I mean if I was to meet a mythological god. Oh, that is actually a good thing. You know, I really want to do this… But it will depend on a lot of factors, especially if I will have time and opportunity to mention different cultures in conversation (which I hope to!). I'll try to follow more of Japanese culture, but to be fair, my knowledge of it is quite limited. Although I didn't plan for any of the girls to be "mixed" beforehand, I imagine Misaki probably must be (due to her hair –ignoring how Yui happens to have purple hair). Racism is a point that will be made later on.
Takeru: They are… Not that bad, as I had thought.
Ana: That's the closest to "I like them" you can get?
Takeru: I just said I can tolerate them…
Balder: Totsuka, we must be honest with ourselves. Despite our previous opinions, we can't deny those girls often challenge the pre concepts we had. It is quite confusing at times… In the end, perhaps they confuse us as much as we confuse them.
Ana: Men are from Mars, women are from Venus and gods are… Heck, wherever the hell your realms are located on… For some, it is still taking time (as if they are merely amusing), others just see them as better than other humans and some are actually starting to think about them as friends.
Misaki: But for some we're still… Just mortals, right?
Ana: Give it time, you can't undo ages of distance and concepts in a couple of months. Some more romantic feelings are already developing, but it will take time for even them to realize this… Regarding polyamorous couples… That won't really happen. I'm not comfortable writing those and for this, I fear that if I were to try, they wouldn't sound very realistic in interactions and would ruin things.
Don't feel biased. To be honest, he grew on me and became one of my favorite gods. I hope you liked the image of him dressed as a butler here. A little fanservice, I admit! Oh, I'm studying Literature!
Hope the semester will be good, already a ton of things to study, but I have some cool classes! I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and I'll do my best to keep it going.
Jemstone6259: Glad that you liked it! I hoped this chapter was good too. Ohh, that is a nice question! Loki?
Loki: JEALOUS? Me? Haha! Oh, how would I ever be jealous of her?
Arisu: You did kinda of leaned on me a lot.
Loki: Your fault for being short, you're basically asking people to lean on you.
Arisu: How Thor and Balder manage to put up with you is beyond me.
Takeru: I agree with Rat, I'm still shocked you didn't piss me off enough to punch you today.
Loki: I was having fun enough already without riling you, that's all. But no, no jealousy here.
Ana: Well, guess we will have to wait to find out. But who knows, some of the gods are indeed starting to notice some more things, so… Hm, makes me wonder if anyone is thinking of any ships. Perhaps I'll ask next chapter, I would like to know.
Arisu: I know who is weirder, Loki or Ana.
Ana: Hey!
Loki: Hey!
anaisonfire: A lot scary, far more like a curse than a blessing to me. The eternity of the afterlife is one thing, it is natural, but eternal life while stuck here on Earth? No way! I really don't see why some people think it would be amazing, for me it sounds like the cruelest thing ever.
Misaki: Everything must end. It is scary, but it is how it is supposed to be. Plus, if you have eternal life on Earth, you wouldn't ever see your loved ones who have passed on. Then what?
Ana: This was actually a major point for me in the anime. I liked it, sure (wouldn't be writing this fic if I hadn't), but… C'mon, people. Here we have some of the most well-known gods of each mythology, beings who were worshiped, creatures that have powers our minds can't comprehend and who have lived for centuries… And some of them behave in such a way that was too "human-like". Okay, the myths actually gave them very human traits, be qualities or flaws, but what about the dignity? Not to mention the maturity of ages and ages? So, this is something I do try to put in this.
Arisu: Meaning, making some of them a huge pain?
Ana: In the myths, some of them could be quite arrogant, so I think they are being actually easy to deal with in comparison to the real deal. Let's be honest, we all know Zeus would have tried to get in those girls' pants or rape them by now if we were following the original material!
Zeus: Excuse me, but times change and…
Ana: Yeah, yeah, influence of the culture, reflection of their own beliefs and all that, I know. On the risk of upsetting anyone, this is why I couldn't fully enjoy the Percy Jackson books, though I tried. There were times the gods sounded more like a parody of what they were supposed to be (Dionysus, god of madness, the one who made women tear apart their king with his own mother cutting his head off with bare hands? Often seen as a dangerous god due to how he could make one lose himself, acting like a grumpy camp counselor? Yeaah… Not buying that).
I see your point and, like I said, I try to make the gods a little more "god-like", even if I can't completely re-do the original personalities of the characters. I'm happy that people seem to really like how I changed some minor things, then it means I'm doing it right!
Sailor Winx: We could go on about how the idea of "fun" changes from people to people, we all feel things differently, but… Loki's idea of fun would indeed be the kind to throw that Academy into complete chaos.
Loki: Would that be so bad?
Ana: Considering it would piss Zeus off and you're all in a pretty powerless position against him, I would say… Yes!
Isuzu: It wasn't that bad, but… As you can see, Ren didn't enjoy it. But it was nice when she and Dionysus were cooking! I didn't imagine they were good at it.
Dionysus: After ages, we often engage in different ways to distract ourselves. I had some issues with how to make some things work, but I'm a fast learner.
Ana: This actually means a lot to me. I study a lot of Greek myths in college, read several plays and works, often making analysis of the relation between those and the culture. I love myths and ancient cultures with all my heart, so when making this fic, I decided I wanted to do my best to improve the portrayal of the gods. It is hard to find good stories taking this as seriously as it should (as I said, gods, being who would be able to mutilate you with a thought, let's be realistic here when portraying them in stories, be fics, books, movies or whatever).
Thoth: Can't say if she had success, but I supposed we should give points for trying.
Arisu: Aren't you a ball of sunshine and support?
People, as always, thank you very much for the support! It means more than I can say and I truly hope you keep enjoying this story!