神々の悪戯
Zeus' study is truly a room fit only for a god. She mentions as much to him as he seats her on a couch, before pulling out a jug of wine and two chalices.
"Thank you." She takes a sip. Ooh, very nice. She must make some sort of happy noise, because-
"From my son's vineyard some years ago." He takes a sip himself. "Never a bad drink does that boy make."
"You sound extremely proud of him." She cocks her head at him, before she places the chalice on a nearby side-table. It tastes amazing, but it is rather potent. Were the myths all wrong? Or was her brain just making things up as it went along?
"I'm proud of all my children." He takes a deep gulp. "I just don't always show it, my dear." Another gulp. "Now then", he looks her straight in the eyes, "you wanted to speak with me?"
"Ah, yes." Wow, that was a rather forceful gaze. "To start, I'm going to say that at the moment, I can't believe this is reality." He puts his chalice down, but doesn't say a thing, letting her continue. "It could be a dream, or I could be in a coma, or any number of things. Nothing that happens here could lead me to conclude that this is reality, because it could just be my brain trying to make me think this is all real. So…" She reaches out for her own chalice, taking a few sips to steady herself. "I'm going to let this play out as if it was all real, but you need to understand that, if I do things weirdly, it's probably because in the back of my head, I've got that thought running through my head."
"Very well." He refills his chalice, and tops her own up at the same time before she can stop him. "I will ask though, that as you continue to act as though this is reality, you consider the ramifications as though it is reality." Wait, is this the 'or all humanity will die' speech, or the protective daddy act? "He is my son, after all."
Another gulp down the hatch. Is it just her, or is her tongue getting a bit numb? She looks at the chalice a bit more closely; there were some rather pretty pictures and words carved into it.
"'En oinōi alētheia', hey?" She may be starting to slur her words a bit, even as her stomach grumbles.
"Indeed, little one." The room faintly flashes an orangey/gold colour as food suddenly appears on the also suddenly appeared table. "Come, eat with me. Ask your questions, of which I'm sure you have plenty."
She fills a plate with cold meats and cheeses, and only begins to speak again once she's put at least the bare minimum inside her to stop the grumbling.
"Greek, Norse, Japanese. Three different pantheons. I can understand how your own pantheon can be here, but you've essentially kidnapped the Norse and Japanese contingents. How did you get Odin and…..whoever's in charge of the Japanese gods (so sue her, she only knows a few of the Japanese ones when they came up in comparison to the ones she was actually studying) agree to let them come here?"
She eats more, as Zeus watches her with an inquisitive eye, before replying.
"Nearly ten mortal years ago, it was noticed how soon the end may be coming." (As in the end of everything? As in, everything?) "A council was arranged between the leaders of many of the different pantheons from across a multitude of realms, not just the three present here today. After some…considerable debating, it was decided that the Greek, Japanese and Norse pantheons would be represented, since they are the ones who have had the greatest impact across the mortal realm, where their influence is still present in the lives of countless beings across many continents. And, whilst the Greek, and to some extent the Norse, are no longer worshipped in temples or at alters, they are constantly kept in mortal memory due to entertainment." (Hadn't she herself only been thinking something similar to that earlier?)
"So you created this 'garden' in an attempt to….regrow a dying bond between humans and the divine?" He nods his head.
"Whilst the fascination that humans have held with 'mythology' has kept the bond present, the lack of belief and faith, especially on behalf of the gods, has weakened the bond to such an extent that it may snap at any time now."
"And with the snapping of that bond….?" If this is really coming from her own mind, she is one seriously depressed person.
"It may result in nothing except that we may never be capable of going to the mortal realm ever again. Or, it may result in Nothing." She must look at him somewhat confusedly, because he clarifies. "Nothing, as in complete annihilation of all the realms, as in the entire mortal universe and any godly realm associated with it."
The room is filled with silence. She reaches out for the jug with slightly unsteady hands, refills the gods chalice and then her own, successfully not dropping any.
"Right then." She lifts up her chalice, and waits for Zeus to do the same. "Here's to becoming superheroes and saving all of existence then. No worries."
神々の悪戯
The Japanese pair of gods have long since wandered off by the time a golden flash occurs three feet away from Dionysus. The Greek gods had stayed near the bottom of the staircase, seating themselves (although Hades had made sure he was at a bare minimum five feet away from his nephews), and the Norse trio had seated themselves all the way at the top. The various miscellaneous extra students had also all gone away, to parts unknown.
"Hey." She lifts up a hand to wave at everyone, but is knocked over onto the red carpet by an enthusiastic Dionysus, who runs his hands over her body…..no, not in that way.
"You're alright, you're alive…"
"Yeah no duh." Dionysus pauses as he brings his head closer to hers, and sniffs deeply.
"Is…is that-"
"Yup, you got it Icy. Let me tell you, you make one hell of a brew." The looks shared between the Greeks are broken, when she hiccups, blinks, and then groans as she lets her head fall back on the carpet.
"I assume you had questions for my brother, Lady Darcy?" Hades hasn't moved an inch from where he's seated at the end of one of the bannisters, even if he looks rather interested in the goings on.
"Ain't no ladies here, Lord Hades. Just one, drunk…..woah, I really am drunk….." She exclaims as she tries to get up, only for her hand to slip out from under her.
"Come on Darce, let's get you to bed." Dionysus leans down, and picks her up, one arm at her back, the other at her knees.
"'Bed'? How forward of you!" She leans forward as she throws one arm around the back of his neck, and even as he blushes, whispers into his ear, "I'm not exactly against the idea."
The golden glow that surrounds all of them, including the Norse gods, who jump up at the sudden light, forestalls any reply he could give.
神々の悪戯
The Greek contingent appear in the middle of their new room, Dionysus a second behind or two behind to take care of the fact he was carrying Darcy. Their eyes widen as they take in the surroundings.
Given that they were gods, they were used to opulence and ostentatiousness. Considering that Zeus had near enough reduced them to mortals, they were expecting to have to be living in quarters more suited to those reduced in status, what with the small cramped rooms and minimal furniture.
But these rooms were larger than any of them were expecting; plenty of room to have their own areas, but close enough that they didn't have to shout to be heard from one side of the room to the other.
A bit of security in a foreign land.
Dionysus heads upstairs to the second level to check out the bedrooms, his uncle following him at a ten-foot distance, but Apollo heads straight for the frosted glass doors he can see opposite the bottom of the staircase. Open the doors, his eyes open wide, and-
"Dee-Dee, you have to come see this!" By the time he hears boots clomping on the staircase, he's already shucked off his jacket, shirt and tie, tossing them over the arm of the nearby couch, and is working on his boots.
"What is it broth-" He sees exactly what Apollo has seen, and the pair share a smile, even as Dionysus pulls the jacket from around his waist, tossing it on top of his brothers clothes, and then pulling off his shirt in one, smooth manoeuvre.
Like children, laughing gently, they nearly run over the dark orange tiles to the hot spring, completely naked, and enter with not even a second thought. Within a second, they both nearly jump out, as the heat affects these newly mortalised bodies, but something of their old selves must remain because they quickly adjust.
Relaxing, they both take in the sight, although Apollo closes his eyes much sooner than Dionysus, who understands why perfectly. The surroundings of the spring feel like home, the ivy spiralling around the pillars, the bushes and trees growing wildly from the beds along the edges. The glowing orbs along the split wall lend the area a pleasant aura, but would probably be even more effective if the main lights from inside were dampened.
Before Hades returns from his own exploration of the upstairs area, both of his nephews have seated themselves in the hot spring, reclining and letting the stress of the whole occasion seep away. It doesn't escape his attention, when he comes back downstairs, to find that they've both forgotten towels, so he pulls two from a bundle on a shelf to the side of the exit, and circles around the bath so he can put them on one of the dark shelves encircling the spring. He then heads back to the doorway, leaning against the frame, and watches his nephews enjoy this faint pleasure after the pressures of the day.
In the five minutes it takes for one of them to begin speaking, Hades thinks about this whole affair; why them, why these pantheons? Obviously there is more going on here than Zeus deems them worthy of knowing. His brother had mentioned needing to know and understand the human heart, but why?
He himself knows more of the human heart than perhaps any of them here; their hate and anger has etched their way onto his skin, into his very being, cursing him and anyone near him with misfortune. His thoughts are distracted by his now talking blond nephew.
"This dorm even has a hot spring. It's amazing." Dionysus pulls himself out, sitting on the marble wall that encompasses the bath, draping a freshly retrieved towel over his groin.
"Apollo," he begins, even as his thoughts begin trailing off in another direction, "are you going to attend the academy?"
"Regardless of his methods, don't you think studying as humans sounds interesting?" His brother would think that.
"Sounds like too much work to me…Don't you agree, Uncle?"
"Yes." Not really one to say more than required, Hades likes to speak as briefly as he can.
"I can think of one human Dee-Dee would definitely like to study." His eyes fly open to glare at the nearly identical pair, a set that now seem to be secretly smirking at him. Their uncle scoffs.
"I think that's beyond obvious to everyone here."
"Before our powers were….bound," unconsciously, his hand goes up to tug on his new earring, "I could feel parts of her, parts that resonated with parts of myself." Hades and Apollo look at him more carefully now, most forms of levity departing the air.
"You are thinking of soulmates?" Hades asks, leaning towards them slightly, although he makes certain not to take a step. Dionysus shakes his head negatively, before stopping and nodding, only to stop again and shrug his shoulders.
"I don't really know. All I know is that she, well, she feels….right." Hades remembers thinking that of his sweet, sweet Persephone; Apollo remembers thinking it of his near countless loves.
Apollo opens his mouth as though to say something, but shuts it upon seeing the way his brother has closed up, now thinking to himself instead of aloud to his family. Sighing, the red-head swivels around and climbs fully out of the hot water, tying the towel about his waist as he stands and heads inside, water dripping down his legs. His uncle moves further into the garden so as to keep his distance and not affect him with his misfortune.
The pair remain quiet. Eventually, Hades drifts away, aiming for the bedroom that is clearly his. Thoughts drift in and out of Apollo's head, barely noticing his uncles departure, as he thinks about those he'd thought had felt 'right' to him, and the ramifications of his past actions.
Soon though, it feels too wrong for him to still be awake, sun god that he is, albeit mostly powerless at the moment, and he climbs his way out of the heated water, the tiles cold beneath his warm feet as he heads inside, gently closing the door behind him. Outside, the lights dim and the water cools itself.
神々の悪戯
Author's Note: Happy New Year! A present for you all; the latest chapter way ahead of schedule, just for you guys. (Seriously, I have a schedule on my wall I'm at least trying to follow.) I hope you like!
As always, ConCrit and Flames please, I don't mind either so long as they say what's right or wrong!