Chapter Nineteen – Whispers of Winter

Snow fell as stars that had decided to leave the skies.

The Academy was surrounded by white and, with the arrival of the winter vacations, it was generally welcomed. Some of the Gods, unused to having bodies so sensible to climate chances, complained a little about the dropping temperature, yet this was short lived, suffocated by the promise of days without classes and the beauty around. Even those who had a dislike for cold rarely found in themselves to complain about it.

Arisu picked up a branch, the bark almost black, and placed on the side of the snowman as her sister used small pieces of coal to make the eyes.

"Then, next thing I know, explosion. Again!" Arisu continued, telling of the last prank by Loki. It was just, officially, the first day of their break and if yesterday they had been all cheerful by the time Thoth's last class was over, Loki today seemed to be even more energetic than usual. "But I must admit, I couldn't stop laughing…"

"I wish I had seen this!" The other replied with a chuckle as she stepped back to admire their work. Despite their age, making snowmen still had some lingering pleasure from childhood and there was also a touch of tradition to it, anyway "Do you think this looks okay?"

Arisu, who had by now fixed the other arm, took a look and nodded.

"It's great. Here" She gave her sister a small, cheap red scarf that Isuzu at once placed around the sculpture's neck. "Remember when we used dad's glasses?"

Isuzu had to hold back a laughter. This had been years ago, when both were very small and had had the idea of making snowmen in the likeness of their parents. Said likeness had been achieved (well, attempted to) by using accessories found around the house, their father's sunglasses, hat, and tie and their mother's necklace and scarf and they had even tried to hang her purse in one of the arms.

Only they had used their father's favorite tie and the best purse their mother owned.

"It was our luck they found it too funny to be mad at us"

"Hey, we were like, six or seven, right?" The other replied with pretended innocence that wouldn't fool anyone. "We didn't even know the necklace was expensive..."

And those details had been the only give-away that they had tried to make the snowmen after their parents. Needless to say, their snow-sculpting abilities had been more than lacking back then.

Arisu rubbed her hands, part of her mind still caught up in the past. Snow fell from the red gloves.

"Hey there" Someone called from the distance. It wasn't hard to spot Takeru in his usual running as he approached, running in the same spot. "Swimming later, Rat?"

"Are you crazy?" Arisu asked between giggles, though she couldn't tell if he was just messing with her or not. "It's cold"

Her response only made Takeru shrug with a cocky smile.

"The pool is not. But if you're too scared..."

"Scared of what? Of you drowning me?"

"As tempting as it sounds…" Takeru muttered after pretending to give the idea some consideration. "It would mean I would have to revive you, otherwise Zeus would bite my head off. And then I would have to deal with you nagging about."

"You would have to deal with a lot more than that" Arisu growled, but in good nature as Takeru left her, saying that if she changed her mind, he would be at the pool at the same hour as always before going back to his running, casting her a last smile as Arisu shook her head. She understood him, of course, but the idea of swimming in this weather, even if the pool was warmer, still wasn't quite inviting… Yet, maybe…

"I thought we didn't have to go to clubs during vacation." A voice said behind them at the same time she felt a weight on her back.

Isuzu shrugged, as she doubted the answer would matter to Loki since he insisted he was in a "going-home" club and even if this wasn't the case, there was little doubt he would just do whatever he felt like. At his side, Balder greeted her and her sister with a smile, then examining the snowman they had built.

"It's two weeks of freedom, after all." The redheaded continued slightly frowning as still leaned on Arisu as a lazy cat, his silver eyes going from figure of a running Takeru to the girl, who got away from him. For a moment, he wondered if she would take up to it and meet Takeru later. Arisu, however, was about to say something about him leaning on her, but the surprise to see he didn't wear more than usual swept the words away.

"Aren't you cold?" At her tone, the frown in Loki's face vanished and he smiled with the undeniable pride of a large cat, even lifting his head.

"Ohh, worried about me?" His hand was placed over his chest "I'm not sure my heart can take it!" The girl just ignored the playful display, waiting for a response. Twirling a strand of hair between his fingers as it was his habit, Loki continued. "I have fire-powers, remember? This doesn't affect me"

At least not this temperature. Loki wouldn't admit it to her, but he hadn't been so sure if the shackle would affect this particular ability of his... On a side, it was as a natural as Balder's Light Deity aura, per say, on another there was how his body was reduced to a human-like state. It was hard to just tell the limits of those shackles, in all honesty.

Another thing he wouldn't mention was also how there was his parentage to consider.

"And our home has mountains that are colder than this" Balder reminded them. Isuzu nodded to show she did remember when he had talked to her about it, describing the forests and even a little about the construction of Valhalla, telling some of his adventures and how he would climb those mountains with Loki and Thor. Such stories were told with a shine that made his eyes crystal-like.

"Some are completely frozen, eternal giants of white. The air is like glass dust against the skin, teasing. Their lakes lay hidden among them, mirrors of ice." Loki whispered almost to himself, his eyes clouded with memories of his home. "The crystals you can find are teeth of monsters. Sometimes when touched by the light, you can see colors forming among them..."

"Wow…" It was all Arisu could say, unable to ignore the image Loki's words invoked in her mind. She knew it could get even colder than now but hoped Zeus wouldn't get the idea of dropping the temperature to the Alaska-like levels that accompanied the Nordics description… Even if it sounded so beautiful.

"But just because it doesn't affect us so much, it doesn't mean we don't enjoy things like hot cocoa" Balder smiled to Isuzu who, like her sister, could only image how their realm looked like. It gave birth in her to feelings of awe and fright, as if their realms were embodied with a sort of power of their own.

"Everyone does" Isuzu replied, as they had talked of it when the first signals of winter had started to show. She remembered that Tsukito had asked if this could be considered a "cultural tradition" of humans.

Arisu, on her turn, had the sensation this had been a sort of invitation that her sister either hadn't caught on or had decided to ignore... And wasn't sure of what she felt regarding it. Balder's following words proved her partially right as he had the idea to taste chocolate with marshmallows. Isuzu turned to Loki and her sister, but mostly towards Arisu.

"What do you guys..."

"C'mon!" Balder interrupted her before she could ask what they thought of the idea, taking a hold of her hand. Loki stepped forwards with a smile that, to Arisu, seemed somewhat stiff… Both twins sought each other's eyes, unsure of what this could mean.

"Oh, Balder..." Loki started in a cheerful tone, but Balder had already turned around and just cast his friend a glance over his shoulder with a smile of his own. Isuzu was about to say it would be nice if Loki and Arisu joined them, but that stopped her.

Later, she would think that this particular smile didn't quite fit Balder's expression. A smile that belonged to someone else and that had been forced upon the Nordic...

"See you later, Loki!"

"But..."

He was already gone, taking a confused Isuzu along. Arisu frowned and was about to follow them, but hesitated for a moment, turning to Loki, who had become quiet. His eyes stared at Balder and Isuzu. Though his expression didn't fully betray his inner thoughts, it was clear he didn't like this at all.

Arisu herself felt a strong discomfort spreading from her heart to the rest of her body as a strange plant taking hold of her organs, forcing them to stop functioning, yet for what she knew to be different reasons (whatever Loki's reasons were). She turned to the red-haired god.

"C'mon…" She muttered, doing a better job to hide her emotions than he. Loki glanced at her before following the same direction Isuzu and Balder had gone.

"I thought you would be grumpy today..." Arisu commented, as she tried to calm herself. It wasn't as if there was anything wrong anyway, right? No reason for her to even feel anything about it. It wasn't even the first time Balder invited Isuzu over to do something. She was just being… Well, silly. "I mean, you don't like rain and it's snowing..."

"I don't like rain, but I don't mind snow." Loki said, waving his hand in a dismissive way as he did sometimes, adding then with a sort of hiss. "It's just how am I".

"I was just saying it, I never said it was weird or anything, okay?" She kept her voice calm, past questioning the god's reactions. "I think it's neat you can keep yourself warm like this, I didn't know you could do that... Even if I don't fully understand" Despite the months of living together, Arisu still wondered at times how such abilities worked.

Loki took a deep breath slowly, so the girl wouldn't (and didn't) realize it. She had nothing to do with his growing worries... If this was before, he wouldn't have cared at all, but now he reigned his nervousness and turned to her…

"Here, let me show you..." On an impulse that he didn't bother to examine, he caught Arisu's hand before she could say anything, slowly taking off her glove. Her skin shivered in contact with the cold air around before Loki hid it between his own hands with a gentleness she wouldn't have associated with him otherwise.

He was indeed very warm.

Yet, there was something about it… It wasn't like touching a body that was naturally warm, it felt more like touching the soft air near a fireplace. It crossed the skin to touch the flesh and his fingers started to rub it gently and even if it was a light touch, it felt as massage given by flames without the danger of burning.

"It's nice..." She muttered, feeling the warmth spread to the rest of her body and up her face. Loki's gaze went from their hands to her face, not even blinking. She couldn't quite decipher his expression, but there was some seriousness to it that made his eyes silver lava.

He kept staring at her, not releasing his hold.

She was about to call him on it… Though her vocal chords moved, her voice was gone.

Her hand shivered in his grasp when she tried to move it and that was what had the effect. For some reason or another, at least he seemed calmer and his hands separated from hers.

"So... About the hot drink?" He commented as she put her glove back. Even he wasn't sure of what had made him take his time, only that when he had held her hand, something had made him react in this way, dragging his fingers along her skin as if in exploring it.

Although he didn't usually question himself, this was not one of those occasions.

"Hey, sure..." Arisu's voice came too low for her liking as she tried to not think about the lingering warmth in her flesh.

XxX

She watched the sleeping world in front of her, her arms crossed over the stone rail, the long coat a barrier between her flesh and the cold of the snow around. Even for a long waited first day of break, there was a certain serenity in the air, which she appreciated, one of the reasons why she was here near the stone stairs that led to the garden.

Hades, who had been walking nearby, was now at her side, his red eye also lost in the fields covered in snow as they talked, as if drinking the sight. There was no need to ask if he didn't see snow often... And Ren would be the first to admit, the Academy looked beautiful. Almost as something one would expect see inside a carefully-build snowglobe made of dreams and mist.

The comparison was strangely fitting for more than one reason.

They had been talking for a while and, giving in to her request, he had just finished telling her of the winter solstice of ages long past and the celebrations that used to happen in late December. Back then the month around such time (though the calendars varied from city to city) used to be named after his brother Poseidon and there were celebrations in his honor.

Of course, there were others, such as the Attic festival of Haloa, which honored not only his brother, but Dionysus and Demeter as well (honestly, many of Dionysus' festivals happened during winter).

"Everyone attended?"

"Men tended to be excluded" He explained, as even he had watched those festivals from his realm, back in the days he still cared about what happened out of his kingdom. "It was more a women's festival... Dionysus sometimes watched from afar, other times he liked to take part of it, disguising himself as a priest." Ren had already noticed by what she had been told of such festivities that this happened often. Once, when talking about it with her, Yui and Misaki, Dionysus had even told how he had been present at the first presentation of "Oedipus, the King". It had been impossible to not be taken by his description and Yui had been utterly enchanted by how he quoted some lines.

"I imagined he had fun with it…"

Hades nodded in confirmation. He stayed in silence for a moment, before turning to her.

"Did you and Dionysus manage to get a greenhouse?" The dark god asked, recalling how his nephew had commented on this idea some days past, as he had wanted to preserve some of the plants he and Ren had managed to grow… There had been a time when Dionysus himself had confessed he hadn't thought that he would actually befriend those humans, but to his surprise, he had grown attached to Ren as well as the others in the end…

Despite his resolution to stay away, it was a feeling Hades could relate to. It had been ages since such a thing had happened. More than that, as he never had had much contact with mortals anyway.

"Yes." The girl replied simply. "He talked to Zeus and the next day, it was there" There was almost a child-like acceptance to the sentence, as if it was natural that such a construction would appear out of the nowhere on the request of a friend (sure it helped that Dionysus was Zeus' son).

Hades imagined if by now, she and the other humans felt that few things would be able to instigate surprise. The idea bought a smile to his face, that of an adult whose child thinks that has saw the whole world after a single trip to a nearby city. For a moment, he wondered how Ren would react if she was to ever saw the Mount Olympus.

"And the plants?" It was a general rule that the gods rarely interfered with the natural course of such things except in some cases, but in this academy cut off from reality, perhaps it wasn't unexpected that his nephew had not only wanted to keep some of those plants untouched by winter but succeeded.

"We moved them ourselves. Couldn't do anything for those in the garden, but we had many still in vases. Those were easier to keep alive according to Dionysus... Though he said it would have been easier for Demeter"

Hades wondered if his nephew had explained the more physic aspects of how such things worked to her but had his doubts. As he watched the dark-haired girl, he couldn't help but to remember how the mortals they crossed paths with always thought them to be supreme, with no limitations whatsoever to their powers.

Then again, though said limitations did exist, they might as well mean nothing to humans. It wasn't for nothing that they had been classified as gods and considered the ones who had brought the world into existence…

"Do you want to see it?" The girl turned to him suddenly, the invitation being made as soon as the idea crossed her mind. After giving consideration to it for a brief second, the Underworld Ruler nodded in agreement. It wasn't just because he was curious or because he wanted to see what they had done, but though there were some who wouldn't believe it, Hades had an appreciation for things like those.

Ren went to the stone stairs, followed by him.

In the middle of it, the snow under her foot slithered. Caught by surprise, her hand moved by instinct, catching the handrail, her body turning midway and hitting the stone. A shot of white pain burned her leg. Strong hands came at the same time, taking a hold of her before she rolled down.

Her breath was quickened by the surprise and pain.

"I'm sorry..." Hades muttered, well aware of what was behind this fall. As she tried to stand up, he noticed that her leg was shivering and for a moment, her face was even more drained of color than usual.

"I-It was my fault" She hadn't been holding the handrail. And this was part of the small details one had to watch for when in his company. They never talked about it, but even Hades pointed out small precautions they had to take. "I'm fine"

She managed to find her ground again, the leg she had almost fallen on sending a wave of complain that she decided to ignore. She lifted her face to Hades, who was still holding her as he helped her.

"Thanks..."

His hands slowly broke the contact.

"I'm sorry" He repeated in a low tone, both for causing this and for how he had suddenly held on her, as he was one to always respect personal space. Ren tilted her head to the side and gave him a soft smile that was like the wave of a mist.

"Don't worry, it was just an accident"

Hades didn't bother to say how falling on those stairs could have resulted in a broken ankle, he already knew she would just dismiss it, just like Yui and the others did when his curse caused misfortune... In his veins, he felt a bitter pulsation of it at work, poison carrying thorns.

Without giving the subject more attention, Ren turned around and resumed her walk, although a little slower. And once they were on the small path towards the greenhouse, walking at her side, Hades couldn't help but to look at her leg, knowing it was the one with flesh missing. Being able to pick up details humans could not, he noticed there was an almost imperceptible limping at small intervals…

"Do they hurt?" His low tone made his voice sound like the whisper of a tiger. "Your scars?"

A minute of silence. The girl's face held no emotion, save for a distant serenity that might make one think she hadn't even heard the question or wasn't even fully there. The god thought perhaps he had pushed it, and there wouldn't be a reply…

"No... Just at times..." She added, deciding then to be completely honest. "My shoulder and my leg can bother me during the cold, but it's more of a pricking" She had limped for a long time during recover and the pain of her broken body had never been forgotten. At that time, some doctor had expressed belief that she would limp forever, but over the years, it had reduced enough... As for the pain, it indeed came back sometimes to the affected muscles…

Before Hades could think of something to say, they spotted the greenhouse a few steps away. It stood there, a huge cage of glass with dark green bones giving shape to it. The snow fell gently on the roof in a fluffy-like sheet and around it. From beyond the glass, the colors mixed in a blur.

It definitely helped that Dionysus was Zeus' son. Despite his brother not showing it often, he was actually caring when it came down to his children and there was no sense in denying that this was in part due to how Kronos had been to them… Despite time having the ability to bury memories, Hades could never forget his own father. And Zeus (as well as his other siblings) had actually feared that someday they might become like that to their own children.

He held a sigh as his eyes went from the greenhouse to the tower of the Academy where he knew was the "principal's office". His relationship with his youngest brother wasn't how it had been back in those first years of their ruling, but he reflected that, in the end… Zeus would always be his little brother.

He did remember a time when he had been bitter towards him and the others, but time had won against this as well… But it hadn't won against the hurt.

"Hades?" Ren's voice pulled him back to the present, away from the memories that were thorns in his mind. He turned to her silently, finding her looking at him with worry. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" It wasn't a complete truth, but nor was it complete lie. Ren still studied him for a second, as if unsure to whether believe him or not, but probably decided to respect his wish and muttered an acceptance while opening the door. Despite everything, Hades wasn't sure he wanted to talk about such things with her… Or anyone in this Academy, anyway.

It was somewhat warmer inside, which he knew wasn't caused by any human technology. The plants were well organized and as lively as though they had entered a glass room that contained a piece of spring itself.

"It is quite beautiful..." He whispered, receiving a thank-you in response. He had seen the work his nephew and Amaya had made in the gardens and the flowers they had cultivated along the months, but it was different to see them reunited like this. The god approached a long vase with some white chrysanthemums and, for a brief second, felt the life shivering at him as much as he felt the trail of Dionysus' power keeping it safe from the natural changes.

Walking through the green hallway made by the tables and shelves covered with plants, Ren came at the end of the greenhouse, stopping in front of some hydrangeas. She had been pleased when Dionysus had told her his idea, it also worked as a way to keep their club activities. Despite never having done anything like this before coming to the Academy, Dionysus had taught her to enjoy gardening and they invariably had fun together.

She turned for a moment, looking back at Hades. Among all the green speckled with colors, he stood out as a being of a nightmare. Pale and tall, even the white uniform seemed to lose brightness when wore by him. The red eye, no matter how calm, still had all likeness of a snake's... At times, she (along with the others) had to admit Hades could come across as rather fearsome, even when he clearly didn't mean to...

She looked back to the flowers... Ren knew it wasn't his fault. She had already noticed such to be just part of him as much as the warm aura that was part of Apollon or how the spirits and animals reacted to Balder... Yet, such body reactions could often get out of control.

"You two worked hard" He commented slowly, approaching her while inspecting the result of the months of work, leaning close to the girl to see the hydrangeas. Perhaps it was the closed space filled with life, but Ren's flesh shivered with what meant the end when the dark god turned his attention to her. It wasn't the first time that gaze gave her the sensation of being able to feel her cells dying, as if her body was slowly rotting in life and her soul, her thoughts and sins, were exposed to be dissected by uncaring hands.

Hades noticed this and stepped back, half expecting the girl to take the chance to move away, but she did nothing of the sort. It was this sort of behavior that had puzzled him at first, especially when facing Kusanagi's insistence to spend time with him even after she had almost died… Yet, as grateful as he was, there were still things that the girl was unable to comprehend.

All the others were, in the end, beings who belonged to life and light. Perhaps this was the main difference in his case, not even that they were deities and humans.

Even so… He thought about how the others acted. How his nephews used to sneak into the Underworld. How some of the others here approached him despite of their natures being so opposite and those humans, those curious humans who had insisted in getting closer to him even when their basic instincts would be to fear him…

He thought about how they would insist on accompanying him to star-gazing whenever they could…

He thought about Amaya's scars…

"Which one is your favorite?" He asked softly.

"Lilies" She replied in the same tone. It occurred to Hades that it was somehow rather fitting. Ren turned to him, her hands resting in the shelves, half hidden by leaves "And yours?"

He took a moment before replying.

"Snowdrops"

Ren remembered those, she had read about them in a book back when she had first joined the gardening club and felt a twinge of disappointment that they hadn't cultivate those.

"Hope" She whispered, recalling one of their most prominent meanings. The Lord of the Underworld nodded.

"There is a German legend" He found himself telling her while, unbeknownst to him, the cold that had been born on her nerves was soothed by his voice. "That when the Creator made the snow, He send it to Earth to collect the color of flowers. They all refused, except for the snowdrop. Touched by its kindness, the snow promised that it would be the first flower to bloom after winter was over…"

Ren barely noticed the small strangeness of hearing, even in the shape of a legend, a Greek deity mentioning God, but pushed it aside easily. She hadn't ever heard this tale before but found it rather beautiful.

"It's poetic..." She said slowly. "Do you..."

A burning pain devoured her hand.

The girl cried out. Tears came to her eyes, blinded by a moment. Her skin was aflame and the nerves knew nothing more.

"Ren!" Hades held her, not knowing what was wrong until he looked at the leaves.

Then he saw a hairy-looking caterpillar.

"How it..." Ren could barely mutter, pressing her stung hand against her body. It hurt, oh, God, it hurt.

Hades knew how. And he could almost see Ren's flesh growing red.

"Go the infirmary..." He told her firmly.

"But..."

"Just go!" His voice came harsher than he had intended.

She couldn't take it anymore. Ren ran off, still holding her hurt hand against her body as if protecting it could be of any help.

Left alone among the flowers, Hades looked at the creature before using a leaf to push it to the floor.

He crushed it before the thing had a chance to move. The flowers around shivered at his aura.

Hades knew there weren't caterpillars like this in the gardens, at least not of this sort, let alone in the greenhouse. No, this incident had had nothing to do with natural occurrences…

It was his curse.

He lifted his gaze in time to catch Ren, still running, disappearing upon turning to the stairs, her hair a wave of darkness behind her.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered.

XxX

Association is something deeply carved in human mind and Yui had already had the chance to experience and prove it a long time before she ever came to the god's Academy.

As such, it was hard for one to be in December, seeing snow and not think about Christmas. She had already talked about this with the other girls, but though they had briefly discussed decorations and celebrations, they were somewhat unsure... Christmas nowadays might not be an exclusive religious celebration, but at the same time, they couldn't be sure of how the gods could react to it...

There was the wish to do something, as they couldn't imagine just ignoring such a date, but they had procrastinated bringing the subject up and until now, the most they had talked about had been among themselves and limited to perhaps buying some foods and that was it. Such had left a taste of disappointment in the air, especially since for all of them, it would be the first holiday they would spend away from their families… Although Yui hadn't said anything, thinking about it made her so homesick that it hurt… And she was quite sure she had seen the same in the others' eyes.

Yet, their nervousness apparently had no reason to exist because to Yui's surprise, a couple of hours ago, Apollon had just come to her asking if she thought there would be anything Christmas-related on the school, to which Yui replied how she had no idea. Of course, they had just a couple of days left, so even if they were to do something, it would have to be a little fast... The sun deity hadn't been at all discouraged by this, just clapping and saying that he would come up with some ideas until the end of the day.

It was quite amazing how, even with the snow falling outside, Apollon could emit a sort of warmth of his own.

"Perhaps we should have talked to them earlier" She thought to herself, unable to feel at the same time, curious to what her friend would come up with and also a bit regretful that they hadn't mentioned anything before, as they would have had more time in their hands.

"Well, knowing Apollon, he will definitely have a list of ideas soon"

"Kusanagi" A voice called her from the room that had been reserved for the Student Council. Tsukito was almost the only one who used that room as she, Misaki and Apollon often convinced him that their studies room was just as good… As well as more comfortable with the couches.

"Would you please explain to me why, when Apollon Agana Belea passed by me a couple of minutes ago" Tsukito asked in his usual tone, so much that he might be speaking about any unimportant event. "He assured me that he was already working on a list of ideas?"

She was about to ask if he hadn't told Tsukito but restrained herself as the reply was quite obvious. Entering the room, she noticed a couple of thick books at the side of his large table and, in front of him, there were scribbled papers. Yui could only imagine what he had been doing…

"Well, you know how Christmas is near. We didn't talk about doing anything, but we were just now and Apollon decided we could try doing something" She couldn't help but to smile a little. "I think it might be fun. He said he would think about it and make a list of ideas for us to discuss..."

"I see" His attention was back to his paper as if considering the conversation's purpose reached and over. Yui was about to leave when decided against it.

"What were you reading about?" She turned to the books, tilting her head a little to read the title in the spines. Without looking at her, Tsukito said.

"You told me about the human concept of "good art" and how it can vary from time to time..."

"Yes. And it also depends of the personal taste..." She couldn't help but to be surprised he remembered it. Well, no, not that he remembered, but that he cared about it enough to even get books on the subject. She picked one up and took a look at the painters it was about... Some names she recognized easily... Picasso... Esher... Bosch. This one she wasn't much interested in. He might have been a great artist and all, but just thinking about his painting of Hell made her shiver.

"I have done some research on the subject."

"Oh, nice. And? Found anything you liked?" There was a nice feeling growing on her at this. Tsukito's golden gazed turned to her for a moment.

"If I am to be quite honest, I would say that I indeed came across some paintings that I appreciated..." It had taken him time to observe them not focusing on the technique used or the perspective, but rather as to whether the image invoked an emotional response and of what sort. He hadn't quite expected that human art, or any art for that matter, would ever move him again... He had almost forgotten how to see such things as pure art.

"I admit I hadn't..." There was hesitation as he picked the best words to describe it. "Quite considered some of the ways humans use it to express themselves. Though I still find puzzling how one artist can be reject during his life and then admired years later." He added as an afterthought and Yui nodded in understanding, thinking about it.

"Well, that's what I told you about... How things can change with time" She wasn't an expert in art by any means, so she wouldn't be able to explain it. Not that she thought anyone could, not really… It was just the matter of tastes and periods. Tsukito's golden eyes touched her for a moment before going back to whatever he was writing about.

"Some do, some don't"

"What do you mean?"

He left his pen resting when he lifted his face to look at her.

"Picasso's Guernica is acclaimed as a great anti-war work, is it not?"

Yui nodded, unsure of where the Moon deity was conducting the conversation to. Her art teacher had told the class about that painting when he had been giving examples of the different styles, even telling how allegedly, an German officer had asked Picasso if he had made the painting, to which Picasso had replied "No, you did".

"Why even though so many humans protest against war through so many ways, it is still so common?" It was a rhetorical question, as he doubted whatever answer a human might offer wouldn't be lacking in reason. From his perspective and what he had observed before deciding he was done with humans, in this regard, they were a fundamentally insane species.

Yui would be lying if she ever said that his words didn't feel like a needle. His ability to say things in such a raw way always seemed to have a way to get to her. And the impact, no matter how brief, made whatever answer her brain could come up with sound completely meaningless. It wasn't the first time she felt that her existence was just a small dot that held no importance.

"I... I don't know"

Tsukito still stared at her, and despite his unmoving expression, it was still clear he hadn't expected anything more substantial in any way.

"But no one enjoys war." She added quickly, aware this argument didn't quite help matters. "People don't like to hurt others..."

"Untrue" He disagreed, almost frowning and not because of confusion. "Your history is full of people who killed others without a second thought and many did so in quite gruesome ways." And this was merely an extreme example, one didn't have to look far to find malice in human's daily behavior. "There are several other examples, such as abuse at home or by peers, the latter being common in schools and often leading to suicide or life-long depression."

"But it's not all the human race, right? Like you said, people do protest against violence" The question had no defiance or offended undertone, it was just a question. He conceded that he wouldn't be able to say with an absolute sureness, since for such he would have to know every human. But he admitted that there had been also figures in the history of humanity who had fought against violence and prejudice.

"We're not a perfect race... But many people try to do better. At times, even just a small gesture can help someone"

Tsukito really had no idea if she truly believed in this, had to or was just deceiving herself.

"Do you actually believe in this?" In that smile of hers, he found the answer before she said it out loud. It was just for a second, but he felt something stirring in him... In that moment, she reminded him of decades long ago when Takeru would still look at humans with hope for them, even if things were already going bad.

"Yes." A thought passed her mind and she asked in a soft tone "Would you say that I, or any of the others for that matter, enjoy hurting others?"

"No" The answer came almost in as a mathematical response, but this was more because Tsukito didn't need to think about it rather than any other reason as he had already decided that those human girls could defy those norms. He still thought about whether this could be either a rarity (which could be one factor that had made them be chosen for such task) or some genetic anomaly he was unaware of...

At first, he had considered it the usual mask that humans used to fit in society and avoid rejection and stains in reputation, yes, but such hypothesis was quickly ruined by simple observation. It was impossible, even now, to look at those human girls and believe any of them to be able to take pleasure in causing harm to others, in whatever shape it was.

His thoughtful silence earned a smile from Yui. Not one of happiness or victory, but rather of sweet hope. Not for him or herself, the Moon deity knew, but rather for the coming of better days... Or just that she could do something good with the time she had on Earth.

"See? It's the same... We're not perfect, not by any means, but we try to at least be good. And..." She hesitated and her hands started to play with each other. "To be fair, it's a bit like that with you"

"I do not follow"

"Well... Oh, Tsukito, you know." Yui was careful, as the last thing she wanted was to offend him in anyway, but there were little options of how to say what she meant. "Some of the myths... Some versions... Don't exactly show some gods as being nice"

He noticed the care she had with her words, but saw no need for it. It was true, after all. Though some myths were quite inaccurate, he understood what she meant and nodded in agreement. It was a valid point, in some way... Of course, those girls had just read about them while the gods had seen the evolution and crimes of humanity, heard the sound of babies being killed by the hands of their own parents, heard hateful words that led others to suicide, seen the scars of destruction they left and that lasted even years after their deaths...

Tsukito, somehow, didn't want to continue with the subject anymore or bring up such points. It wasn't a change in his thoughts and he rarely gave up a certain conversation without reason. Why he was doing this now, he didn't quite know (though he assumed there was something with the arguments the girl had presented) and didn't have time to dedicate to the question as Yui, realizing it seemed he would offer no response, asked.

"What are you doing locked in here anyway?"

"Studying"

Yui couldn't believe it.

Even with Tsukito, this was far too much.

"Say what?"

"I must keep up with my studies" His reply was as if he believed this to be obvious. It was a mere matter of logic, the more he studied about human behavior, the closer he would be to fully understand it, therefore, making his chance at graduation more certain. Despite the day with the "love rings" incident, he hadn't forgotten that he might be lacking something to graduate and the sooner he solved it, the better. The girl in front of him, however, didn't seem to share the belief considering her expression of shock and incredulity.

"Tsukito... We are on a winter break. No classes. No new subjects..."

"I am quite aware, however I take into consideration..."

"No. No, this is just wrong!" She leaned to him suddenly, her hand resting near his in a way to call his attention back to her "C'mon, no one studies all the time like that! You should be enjoying the free weeks!"

The concept of "break" was very clear to him, yet he couldn't say there was any activity that awakened his interest, as his focus remained on the best way to just be free of that human existence. He decided against telling her so, though, as it occurred him how it could sound offensive... He might not understand her or those others in general, but the basic courtesy wasn't lost on him.

"Doing what, exactly?" His emotionless tone, for someone who wasn't used to him, would sound close to being cold. Yui hesitated... How was she supposed to know what he would enjoy doing? She had never forgotten the Moon Event and the things he had said. Honestly, when she thought about it, it sometimes saddened her for reasons she couldn't force into words.

"I don't know. Whatever you feel like. Not as a duty" She was quick to add before he said anything of this sort. "But just to have fun... Have you even seen the grounds outside? They look very nice!"

"They are just covered in snow, nothing more"

"Yes, but it can be quite beautiful." Now Tsukito saw there was a sort of determination in her manners. What was so important about convincing him, the Moon deity wasn't quite certain, yet like her, he hadn't forgotten her words during the Moon Event. It was almost as a deja vu now. "Look, we take a walk outside, if you decide you're not liking it, we come back. Please?"

At that moment, Yui decided she would help him to find a way to enjoy himself just for the sake of it even if it killed her.

"Why do you concern yourself with what I do with my time?" Any other person saying this, Yui would have interpreted almost as defensive words, despite the lack of intonation. With Tsukito, she knew better.

"Because I think it can be good for you to actually try to experience new things." And had an idea of an argument that might help him understand, following his way to see things through facts and numbers. "You just said you found some paintings you appreciated more than others, right? Same principle. There are things that are better understood through experience rather than theory, right?"

The Japanese god gave it some thought. It was a valid point and he also remembered how there was a matter of mental health that was apparently connected to using activities one enjoyed in order to rest the mind. Perhaps she was right and some different stimuli could have good effects.

The points made in favor of giving this idea of hers a try sounded good enough. He stood up in acceptation. For some reason, Yui Kusanagi seemed radiant... All of this had the potential to be aggravating in his nerves, yet it wasn't so. She had a way to do and say things that didn't feel overbearing to him.

This made him think about something else.

"Will this count as a date?"

"Well, I... WAIT, what?" Yui felt her breathing stop as she tried to understand where this question had come from. Nothing in their conversation had indicated that there was some "dating" involved. A wave of fire went up her face with the idea... Tsukito, on the other hand, blinked as if puzzled by such a reaction.

"Will this count as a date?"

Yui wished the gods didn't have such piercing eyes. At times, just looking at them was enough to make one's nerves understand in a primal way that they were a complete different species. And in others, such as now, it was enough to make her voice forget how to work.

"Tsukito... Uh... You know we're not dating..." She muttered as her face felt as if on fire. This reminded her too much of his near attempt at kissing her thanks to those rings for her comfort. It wasn't that Tsukito wasn't attractive, but Yui was the sort of girl who wouldn't have felt good kissing someone she had no deep feelings for. And the whole situation had been… Well, too much, she supposed.

"Indeed, however it occurred to me that it might be helpful adding this point of view to my observations, and the human standards of what is typical/acceptable, in order to get a broader view and understanding of the behavior" This reasoning sounded almost too anthropologic for Yui, but following how Tsukito was, it sort of made sense. Relationships and the behavior of men and women in society were indeed among things that could differ radically between cultures and times, so... Yeah, it made sense, she thought. It was weird, but it wasn't as if he thought they were dating or was asking her to follow the pretended scenario.

So, it was okay, right? It meant nothing…

"It only means he thinks about the hypothesis of what a human would do or something, stop making a mountain of a molehill!" It worked to calm her heartbeat a little and she giggled in nervousness, hoping she wasn't flushed anymore.

"Huh..." She had no idea of what there was to say to something like that. "You know, Tsukito, you're really don't need to think too much about this…"

XxX

It was time to close the library for the day. Despite being winter break, the usual curfew was still active, as it happened in most boarding schools. Through the windows, there was only the night sky to be seen.

Placing the book on the table, Thoth stood up... He was about to lock the doors when he felt something. Just like a bird or some other animal that senses a strange presence on its territory, he could feel there was someone there and it wasn't Anubis. Then he remembered. With a groan, he started to walk around the shelves, recalling the earlier events of that day... There had been some talk about a Christmas celebration. Not that he had something against it, but for something to be prepared properly, it needed time and they had decided with just a few days of antecedence.

At times, the other gods didn't behave as maturely as one would expect. He wondered if this was an effect of them living the lives of students… Such situations could have influence over one's behavior no matter if they were deities or humans, after all.

Thoth hadn't expected anyone to come to the library today, being the first day of vacation yet, while he had been walking among the hallways of shelves earlier to get a particular ancient book (and vaguely planning on sending a letter back home to know things were and how Ra was doing), he had spotted two blonde heads whispering close to each other.

Apollon Agana Belea and Misaki Aihara were talking, the Greek sun god holding two books in his arm and picking a third one. He had said something to Misaki, who seemed confused before he handed her the books, so he could open the one he had just picked on some page, showing it to her. It should be something she knew about but was not familiar with, considering her expression becoming one of curiosity.

As long as they didn't cause trouble or bothered him, Thoth couldn't care less to the subject at hand, so this held no interest to him. Apollon had picked his books back, leaning towards the girl and whispering something that made her cover her mouth, body shaking with silent giggles. The god had smiled and said something more, making Misaki playful punch his arm as she smiled and gave a reply in a soft tone.

"May I inquire what do you think you're doing?" The sudden voice of the Egyptian had made both turn, clearly taking a fright, as the teacher approached them.

"Hi, Thoth-sensei" Apollon hadn't showed any signs to be at all bothered by the question. "I was..."

"My library is not a place for playing around, I trust you are aware of such?" His iron stare had gone from Apollon to Misaki, in annoyance. Apollon had just smiled in that way that made him seem someone who couldn't be upset by anything... Thoth didn't care about it, though at times he wondered how the Greek never tired of that mask of "always happy"... Yet, lately, the genuine smiles outnumbered the mechanical ones.

"Thoth-sensei, I was searching for ideas! Ideas!"

"Lower your tone." He warned the other, the annoyance still alive in him. "And whatever you're searching for, I don't see the need to fool around" At not in his library.

"We weren't, I was just helping him!" Misaki had contested and, taking the chance before Thoth could give them a lecture of sorts about proper behavior, Apollon explained.

"I was searching for some Christmas traditions! Or other family festivals, I mean, anything that give us ideas, right?" The question added hadn't been directed to Thoth, but rather Misaki. Even if they talked to his father about it, they would have to organize at least part of whatever they decided to do by themselves, so it had to be quick. Yet, Apollon was a firm believer that the more options they had, the better.

Thoth's frown had deepened a little.

"Saki-Saki, thanks a ton! I think those will be good!" The Greek leaned to her and for a second, it had seemed he would kiss her cheek... But he just held his books against his chest with a hand, caressing her hair with the other. "See you later!"

"What is this of ideas?" The Egyptian had asked the girl, not bothering to call Apollon's attention when he passed by him without saying anything more than a cheerful goodbye. Anyone by now was already used to the Greek Sun god's attitude.

"We decided we may do something for Christmas" And the girl had proceeded to summarize it. Thoth had just accepted it, despite muttering about this being a bit too much of a "last-minute" decision for his taste (to which Misaki had shrugged and told him to not worry, after all, they would deal with it), then asking.

"And what you are doing here?"

"Picking something to read?" Misaki had done her best to not appear sarcastic and rather as if she wasn't sure of what else he thought she might be doing, to which Thoth had rolled his eyes at it.

"It's winter break." He had pointed out. "You all were quite excited about it, as I recall, I would have expected you to be outside." Wasn't this how it went? He was sure Anubis had mentioned something about the Hironezumi twins making a snowman and he knew humans tended to have games to play in the snow.

"I know, but it's cold... I decided I wanted to read a little."

He wondered for a moment if it was indeed just this, but it wasn't of his business anyway, so he had just reminded her to be silent, then leaving her alone. But night had already fallen and he hadn't seen her leave. Truth, he had been concentrated in his own reading and hadn't noticed it until now, but one would expect...

He turned to a corner. There was she was.

Misaki Aihara was curled up in the floor near to a shelf, almost as some small animal that had been abandoned. Anubis was close to her and while Thoth observed, he poked her head cautiously, then turning to his friend when he came closer.

"Bara"

Thoth approached them, observing the girl who was clearly asleep, her head resting on a book almost as if it was a pillow, her wild mane spread over the side of her face and the floor. There were some other books lying nearby as well.

"Great..." Thoth muttered at the sight, but yet made no movement to wake her. Anubis leaned closer, sniffing her hair a little and inspecting her, carefully taking some blonde strands off her face.

"Bara kabara... Kabara"

Thoth wasn't sure if he agreed that Misaki Aihara looked cute when asleep, but curled up like she was, she certainly made herself appear smaller. Anubis sniffed her hair again before smiling and walking away, as he knew Thoth would wake her and still didn't want direct contact with the others, be the gods or the humans.

Thoth still looked at her for a couple of seconds. He wondered if any of the books she had clearly picked up to read also had something to do with Christmas, as she had seemed interested in whatever Apollon had been talking to her about it…

"Wake up" The god of knowledge called out, without a response. Running his hand through his hair, he gave some consideration to shaking her with his foot, some irritation finding birth in him. He was here as a teacher, not as babysitter and that girl was way past the age of being carried to bed.

He didn't do it, though. It was demeaning to just shake her like that, so he crouched down. Her breathing was calm. Her eye twitched in a give-away that she was dreaming, making him wonder for how long she had been like that… Slowly, he held her shoulder and shook her until her green eyes opened, still heavy with sleep.

"Uh, what?" Her voice made it sound almost as foreign, long word and she sat up looking around suddenly, as if she had forgotten where she had fallen asleep. "What the..."

"Get going" He groaned, pointing behind him with his thumb. "This isn't a place for you to sleep"

Rubbing her eyes a little, Misaki tried to not feel embarrassed as she realized what had happened. She didn't even understand how she could have slept like that when she hadn't been tired at all... Oh, had the others already discussed Apollon's ideas? She hoped not...

"Are you awake or not?" Thoth insisted with a tone that she could only interpret as one of annoyance and she sighed at it. It wasn't as if she had done something wrong, after all.

"Yes, yes, sorry." She turned to him, the last remains of sleep gone from her eyes. "I... I just fell asleep... No need to be angry"

"I'm not angry" His response was still in that severe tone they were all used as he ran his hand over his hair, the white strands contrasting with his light brown skin, before he leaned towards her. Perhaps it was because she was kneeling or because he had a way to crouch down that didn't diminish his composure, but even like this, Misaki felt shorter. "However, you're here past school hours, after which, this place is off limits"

Off limits? That was new to her... Was it because of the students' curfew or something? She stood up as Thoth did the same, with a single movement that didn't surprise her.

"Okay, I'm sorry" She muttered, unable to ignore her curiosity "But why?"

Thoth stared at her. Was it… Was it some sort of amusement in eyes, or was she mistaken?

"Because after such hours, the library is my room" There was no time for her to process this information, as the white-haired god smiled in a rather predatory way. "Certainly, your parents advised you of what some may say of a woman who stays alone with a man in his room?"

"Hey, I was not... I didn't even know..." It didn't matter that he was just mocking her, the girl couldn't help but to feel her face becoming bright red as embarrassment took over. "And please, views change, my... My aunt would have warned me of such things if we were living in last decade or something... It's…"

She took a deep breath to stop her rambling. Thoth had a small smile, as if her reaction was being quite entertaining, which did nothing for her current state.

"Well, my apologies, I'm off now, good night!" She took off, cursing him in her mind. It was no secret that the Egyptian could be a jerk, but this? If he thought it was a joke, it was not funny! Really, she should have took the books to the dorm!

Thoth, in his turn, just watched as she disappeared, picking up the soft sound of her opening the door with care to not make a noise and then closing it just as carefully. Honestly, that girl at times... Though he hadn't expected her to get that flustered. He looked back to the floor.

Wanting to just send her out, he hadn't even lectured her about sleeping on one of the books or even leaving those others there without putting them back in the shelf.

With a sigh, he picked up the one she had been using as a pillow...

It still held her scent.

Ana: Oh, man, it has been really months since my last update? Guys, I'm so sorry, I had planned to update at least once a week, but… My life has a way of each time I plan something, it turns to me and says… "No". Sorry about this.

Loki: You should just be like me. Never plan for anything! Why should you worry, anyway?

Ana: … You know, mortals have problems in their lives, dear.

Loki: I know, I just don't care about it.

Arisu: I know we have been sort of getting along better lately, but in moments like this still make me want to punch him.

Ren: I would if my hand didn't hurt like a bitch…

Ana: On a note about this. My mother once burned her hand when she was a child because of a caterpillar. According to her, it is indeed like a burn and it hurts a lot.

Ren: No kidding… Ugh…

Hades: I'm sorry about this…

Ren: It wasn't your fault, okay?

Ana: People, I have made a ko-fi account and also a redbubble one (gonna update some new stuff there soon). So, if you enjoy my stuff, please considering supporting me there, as it would be A LOT helpful in times like this. I also have a tumblr now, ravens-and-ink, so feel free to check it out!

Jemstone6259: Thanks, this is one of the things I was aiming for. I wanted to add some depth and reflect about certain themes with it. And yes! Thor is one of the gods that had least focus in the anime and I wanted to balance things out.

Misaki: I kinda felt a little cornered. His reaction surprised me…

Ana: People, well, deities, can react like in an unusual way when provoked in some ways, so this is what happened. As for the ending… Questions regarding past events will soon be explained. I just like to tease people, I confess.

DeathGoddesses: Well, who knows, right? It may be just friendship, it may be something more…

Fangirl282: Thanks a lot!