eachdraidh | [Video; Open] 03 Shadows [Dated August 2nd]

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[Video; Open] 03 Shadows [Dated August 2nd]

[Nico opens up a video on the Locket for the first time since the memory-sharing incident. He still looks like he’s going to be sick, and is still tired from his summoning the dead stint during the battle a few days ago. At least he’s more alert and not fighting to keep his lunch down today.]

I wanted to share at least one story from my world, gods know there are plenty to tell, and I had some…encouragement.

[He looks off to the side to give an annoyed look at a certain someone who happens to be in the room with him. That someone happens to be Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and moral support extraordinaire.]

Also...when I’m done, I suppose I’ll answer any questions people have regarding my powers. I don’t know if I’ll be able to answer all of them, but I can try.

[Within reason. He’s not about to give away his weaknesses to potential enemies.]

First, I should probably say something about the gods in our world. There are twelve “major” gods, though technically it’s fourteen, but only twelve reside on Mount Olympus, the home of the gods. It’s where their seats of power are. The other “minor” gods go wherever they please, though not a lot of them live in Olympus.

There are two cultures in our world who have the same gods, but with different names and personalities. Mine is Greek, and the other is Roman. Jason and I can hash out the differences between them if you want to know more.

[Jason is their only Roman demigod, at the moment, so...yeah. And Nico is a mythology nerd, so he’s got the rest definitely covered.]

Anyway, this story is a kind of popular one at home. Well, one version of it is, at least.

[Nico looks vaguely annoyed.]

Mostly, it’s mistranslating and a bit of another religion getting in the way of the actual story. Plus, the story is told more in sympathy with one goddess than the other, so the view is a little skewed because of it.

[He shakes his head. He knows he’s stalling. Nico sits back and gets comfortable.]

There was a goddess named Persephone, goddess of flowers and fertile vegetation. She was the daughter of Demeter, goddess of agriculture and a very over-protective mom to boot, and Zeus, Lord of the Sky, King of the Gods...who was, and still is, married to Hera, goddess of marriage and Queen of the Heavens. Yes, Zeus does this a lot.

[It’s really ironic and hilarious that Zeus has two kids who are either very faithful to their lover or have sworn off of love and lust altogether, one of whom lets out a groan at that whole description.]

Don’t remind me.

[Nico rolls his eyes.]

It’s your daily reminder that your dad is…[A man-slut? Player? Stereotypical hotshot jock from high school with absolutely no control over his raging hormones?] ...like he is.

[That’s polite enough. Right?]

Anyway. So. A couple of other gods try to get with Persephone, like Hermes, god of travelers, thieves, roads, other things, and Apollo, god of the sun, prophecy, medicine, music, and poetry. Well, Demeter wants absolutely none of this, and she fights off all of Persephone’s suitors tooth-and-nail because she doesn’t want her to be with anyone Demeter feels isn’t good enough.

One day, Hades, god of the Underworld, Lord of the Dead, chanced upon her and fell in love with her. He met with her in the guise of a mortal shepherd ‘cause...well. He’s the Lord of the Dead. He’s very recognizable and he doesn’t want trouble with Demeter, who will without a doubt stomp her foot down and say no to him courting her daughter.

[And probably because daddy-dearest was shy around a pretty lady. It apparently runs in the family. (minus the “lady” part) (shut up Jason nobody likes a smartass)

Nico is also starting to animate as he tells the story at this point. Talking about mythology does that to him. Normally, his gestures are close to his body when he talks, but as he starts to get into telling the story, his gestures become bigger to show off that excitement. He likes telling Greek mythology to people who’ll listen, and this is honestly a really good outlet for him.]

Soooo...he gets the super amazing idea to ask Zeus for advice. He responds in very typical Zeus fashion, and that’s to say he suggests kidnapping her to the Underworld. [Another quiet groan from Jason and he flops back on the bed, covering his face. Somehow, godly parents manage to be a thousand times more embarrassing than mortal ones. Nico seems amused by Jason’s antics.] Annnnd Hades goes with that because it’s the best he’s got. He rips open the earth, kidnaps Persephone on his black chariot, and they go down to his palace in the Underworld.

Here’s where things start getting...weird, depending on the version you hear. There’s a hymn that details Demeter’s reaction to this whole thing. Her despair at losing her daughter makes the earth wither. Crops are failing, famine is spreading all across Greece, and the people have never had this happen to them before. All of a sudden, the people were experiencing winter when all they’d ever known was summer. Helios, the former sun god, took pity on her and told her that Hades, with permission from Zeus, had taken Persephone away to the Underworld to be his wife. Demeter storms up to Olympus and demands that Zeus get her daughter back. He tells her he can’t, so she leaves Greece in response.

[Not that anybody can blame her, to be honest, but at the same time...lots of mortals dying….]

Meanwhile, in the Underworld, and this is the part of the story not many people know about, Persephone is angry and Hades is just kinda. Showering her with gifts because he really is sincere about it all, even if the whole kidnapping thing is pretty much the worst way to make a first impression. She’s very unimpressed at first, but his sincerity and sorta awkward flattery makes her fond of him.

[Nico shrugs at this point. Gods in love, man. Makes a better soap opera than most mortals can create.]

Eventually, after the mortals plead for Zeus to help them, he actually decides to answer them and begs Demeter to try and come back. She refuses, of course, so he goes to Hades and demands that he release Persephone. Pretty much all like, “Look, little brother, I know I promised you could totally have Persephone as your wife, but we need her back, now, before Demeter starves us all, okay?”

[...okay, yes, there’s a touch of sass in there. At least Zeus isn’t here to rumble thunder in his general direction. Just a son of Jupiter. Who, to his credit, isn’t gonna argue with that sass at all. Dad’s kind of a dick.]

Hades agrees to let Persephone go, but the two then decide to pull one over on the other two gods because who says deities can’t be spiteful? He tells her that eating food from the Underworld means you can’t ever leave, so Persephone grows a pomegranate tree somewhere in there and eats some of the seeds. Hermes takes her back to the realm of the living, and Demeter’s happy which causes the plants and everything to grow again. Winter breaks and now comes spring and summer again. However, she’s quick to realize that Persephone has eaten food from the Underworld, and tells her daughter that they can only meet for half a year because of it. The other half will have to be spent in the Underworld with her husband. And that’s the story of how there are seasons. When Persephone is visiting her mother, the world will come alive again with spring and summer, but when she’s down in the Underworld with Hades, the earth will wither for autumn and winter.

[Nico sits back, kind of taking a short break from all that talking. Long story, and there are some that are even longer, like Odysseus’ tale. Anyway, who even knew that the Lord of the Dead is actually a cutie?]

So...yeah. That’s one story from Greek culture. [He glances over at Jason.] Maybe you can convince this guy to tell you some Roman stories. If he’s done being totally mortified by his dad’s antics and general jerkiness.

[His voice still muffled beneath the hands covering his face, Jason still seems fairly mortified.]

Dude, shut up.

[There’s wicked amusement in Nico’s eyes. Ask the demigods questions and they will see about answering them!]

{OOC: Blue is Jason, black is Nico! You'll be getting both 'cause Jason will pipe in whenever he pleases, haha. Also, for those newly accepted, please feel free to tag into this if you want!}

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So then, in your world, Homer's tales recount true events.

[ Which is sorta slightly almost the same except not entirely. ]

Then you would also know the history of Atlantis. [ Which, tbh, history like that would be, uh, kinda cool. Just to see where it differs and stuff. ]

[Color Nico intrigued. He sits up a touch straighter, a flicker of curiosity in his dark brown eyes.]

A little more eloquently than any demigod can tell you, but yeah, for the most part. Poseidon's Palace is the closest I've heard of an Atlantis in our modern day, but don't quote me on that.

They are not, perhaps, untrue in my world, but little more than that I am not sure I would claim.

[ Glad that he's got something interesting for you. ]

Then in your world, the city did not adapt?

It has been a very long time indeed since Atlantis sunk, in my world, but Atlanteans such as myself do take some part in the events upon the surface world.

Understandable.

[Yep, his interest has been fully captured. Good job, Kaldur!]

If it did, then Poseidon or Neptune claimed it for his own after it sunk. Percy Jackson is a son of Poseidon, so he might know more about it.

[Heck yeah he'll put Percy on the spot!]

How did your Atlantis adapt?

Well, we live underwater, naturally. The extent to which an Atlantean mantains a human appearance varies from city to city, much less as a whole.

Some look just like humans, others have more subtle modifications [ like himself ], and some retain almost no human traits whatsoever.

Most of us can live as well on land as at sea, but the ocean is always more comfortable.

[This is fascinating. Like, no sarcasm at all, Nico is legitimately fascinated by this.]

That's handy. Certainly a lot better than when a demigod tries to live with mortals. I suppose it makes sense you'd like the ocean more, too. Whether it was intended or not, your soul essentially belongs to the sea, right?

[ That is something to ponder. Kaldur hasn't really thought about where his soul belongs since... never, pretty much. It's worth considering. ]

Some of that, perhaps, yes. [ It is said almost thoughtfully, while the rest is more plain old scientific. ]

Also, biologically we do need to keep well hydrated. The absence of water or the presence of extreme heat both tend to be detrimental.

[Nico looks amused.]

You sound like an Athena kid.

[High praise, to be fair. Philosophical scientists, the lot of them.

He shifts, suddenly looking awkward.]

Um...I'm not going to be offended or anything if you don't want to answer but...what actually happened to Atlantis? Plato said that the gods punished the city for its hubris...but I don't know if that's the truth or not.

I am humbled you think me alike to those related [ literally, apparently? ] to the Goddess of Wisdom.

[ Better than being asked if he's related to this mysterious Percy guy, again. ]

There are several tales, truth to be told. Some say it was deliberate, a method of protection. Others claim it the result of a meteor, and the resultant seismic activity caused the city to sink. There are some who even claim it was the work of an enemy, using a great weapon of the Atlanteans' own devising. Though, I believe the prevalently accepted theory is the first.

If King Orin were here, he could tell you better of its history, for it is tied close with that of the royal family.

[Good thing Nico doesn't think to ask that, even in jest!]

I'll keep him in mind if he ever comes here. I'd be interested to learn more about Atlantean history. What do you think happened, though?

I couldn't say.

[ A pause. ]

Or, rather, I believe all of them occurred, but which one occurred to the Atlantis I call home, I could not be certain.

[ So, how do you explain having multiple versions of your own universe. ]

That sounds...complicated.

[Not that Nico looks bored. If anything, he's interested to learn something complicated.]

Would "timeline shenanigans" sound accurate?

[ Kaldur doesn't get all of it himself, but he is willing to attempt. ]

That is possible. An option I had not considered, to be truthful.

Though I believe a more accurate description would be 'Alternate Universes'. [ Thats what happens when you have a million different versions of earth, from Earth-6 to Earth-616. ]

I have met, here in the Drabwurld, people that I knew back home. Except they were different. Some were from different times, but others had not known of me at all, yet came from a date before mine, and our age-relation was inaccurate. Others were similar, and would not have encountered me yet within their timeline, but the foes and events of their world are far different.

[ Nightwing/Batman and Arthur Curry. Where are you to explain this, man. ]

[Nico actually nods thoughtfully.]

Something similar has happened to the people I know from my world, too, but strictly on one 'universe.' Clarisse is from a point in time earlier than I am, as an example, but nothing significant has changed from what I remember. Whether it'll change or not when we return home, with all the experiences we've had here...I don't know. It's hard to say.

[In another castle. Er, I mean....]

What's Atlantis like? I get that it's an underwater city, but, like, what's living there like?

I have reason to believe it does not, but I could not know, for certain.

[ All his same-universe different-time people seem to not have known of this before it happened to them, even when "others" would have been back.

Naw, he can deal with the another castle problem. (also, wow, so many toads) It's theNOPE BACK HOME (but lbr they all want to) problem he can't help. ]

Atlantis is not a city, Nico. It is a nation.

[ He's excited to share this with you. ]

The capital is the city of Poseidonis, which has both the Palace and the Royal Conservatory of Sorcery, where I studied.

[Nico sits forward. He'd thought it was a city, or at least Plato had thought so, but to be told it's a nation.... He's also amused that their capital appears to be named after the sea god.

Perhaps for the first time, Kaldur and Jason are seeing the person Nico used to be. The side of him that he'd been afraid Tartarus had murdered brutally. It brings peace to him, knowing that Tartarus hadn't touched it, but that it had only been buried under layers of pain and bitterness and fear. There's a spark in his eyes that's been absent for far too long, the spark that he'd inherited from his father. A spark that means he's either mad or a genius.]

What kind of culture do you have? You seem familiar with our gods, so do you know the Greek language?

[ Here, Nico, have a surprise, as Kaldur shifts the language of conversation. ]

Ατλαντεαν ισ α λανγθαγε αλλ ιτσ οων, τηοθγη σιμιλαρ το Γρεεκ ιν μανυ ωαυσ. Ι βελιεvε ιτ το βε μορε cλοσελυ ρελατεδ το Αττιc Γρεεκ τηαν Μοδερν, ασ ιτ σηαρεσ τηε σαμε ροοτσ ιν Μυcεναεαν Γρεεκ. ωε στιλλ τησε τηε Γρεεκ αλπηαβετ συστεμ ιν οθρ σcριπτ ωριτινγ.

Ι μυσελφ cαν σπεακ σομε Αττιc Γρεεκ ανδ Μοδερν Γρεεκ, βθτ Ι αμ νοτ φθλλυ φλθεντ ιν ειτηερ, ανδ Ι cονφεσσ μυσελφ φαρ βεττερ ατ ρεαδινγ ανδ ωριτινγ Γρεεκ τηαν σπεακινγ ιτ.

Στιλλ, μθcη οφ τηε cθλτθρε ισ τηε σαμε, τηοθγη ωε δο νοτ ηολδ τηε Γρεεκ Γοδσ ιν τηε σαμε λεvελ οφ ρεvερενcε, τηοθγη τηε παντηεον, ινδεεδ, βοτη τηε Γρεεκ ανδ Ρομαν παντηεον, αρε οφ σομε προμινενcε ιν τηοσε ωηο δο ηολδ σθcη ρελιγιοθσ vαλθεσ.

Βοτη σετσ οφ ναμεσ αρε οφτεν θσεδ ιντερcηανγεαβλυ, ανδ "Νεπτθνε'σ Βεαρδ" ισ α cομμον ιντερjεcτιον. [ Oh, La'gaan. ]

Ωε τακε γρεατ πριδε ιν οθρ αccομπλισημεντσ ασ α πεοπλε, ανδ ωε αρε ονε οφ τηε φεω νατιονσ ον Εαρτη το ηαvε α τρθε Μοναρcηυ, εvεν τηοθγη τηερε ισ α cοθνcιλ τηατ οθρ Κινγ ανδ Qθεεν οφτεν cονσθλτ.

Κινγ Οριν ισ παρτ ηθμαν ηιμσελφ, ανδ ισ αλσο α σθπερηερο οφ Εαρτη. [ And also Kaldur's mentor but yeah ] Qθεεν Μερα ισ αν αccομπλισηεδ Σορcερεσσ ανδ σηε τεαcηεσ ατ τηε Cονcερvατορυ οφ Σορcερυ, ωηιcη αδμιτσ αλλ ωηο δισπλαυ μαγιcαλ ταλεντ, ρεγαρδλεσσ οφ cλασσ ορ στατιον. [ That's how he got pulled out of the military, after all. ]

Transliteration:
Atlantean is a language all its own, though similar to Greek in many ways. I believe it to be more closely related to Attic Greek than Modern, as it shares the same roots in Mycenaean Greek. We still use the Greek alphabet system in our script writing.

I myself can speak some Attic Greek and Modern Greek, but I am not fully fluent in either, and I confess myself far better at reading and writing Greek than speaking it.

Still, much of the culture is the same, though we do not hold the Greek Gods in the same level of reverence, though the pantheon, indeed, both the Greek and Roman pantheon, are of some prominence in those who do hold such religious values.

Both sets of names are often used interchangeably, and "Neptune's Beard" is a common interjection.

We take great pride in our accomplishments as a people, and we are one of the few nations on Earth to have a true Monarchy, even though there is a council that our King and Queen often consult.

King Orin is part human himself, and is also a superhero of Earth. Queen Mera is an accomplished Sorceress and she teaches at the Concervatory of Sorcery, which admits all who display magical talent, regardless of class or station.

[Yeah. Nico is hooked and Kaldur is his new best friend. Bye, Jason. ~~NO DON'T LEAVE JASON~~ He responds to the language shift by speaking in Ancient Greek.]

I think I might be able to puzzle my way through Modern Greek, but demigods on the Greek side have their brains hard-wired for the ancient version. We're typically dyslexic with the English language because of this. Most of us are born with ADHD as well because they're our combat reflexes. Frank is one of the very few demigods I know of who isn't ADHD or dyslexic. Still, the Roman demigods are mostly in the same boat, but with Latin rather than Greek.

I wouldn't say we revere our gods, though. More like we know they exist, and we give them some deference. [Unless you're Percy "Seaweed Brain" Jackson.] But no sacrificing chickens or whatever. Even the Roman Augur just disembowels teddy bears and reads their cotton stuffing rather than an actual animal nowadays.

[Nico has a kind of scowl on his face on mentioning the Augur. Nobody likes Octavian. It's gone pretty soon, though.]

Is King Orin a demigod? How does your magic work? My sister, a daughter of Pluto, has magic similar to what the goddess Hecate uses, but she's not related to any child of the goddess'. I think she said it was passed on from her mom? Is your ability to do magic inherited or just something that comes up every now and then?

[He...stops after that question, looking embarrassed. Wow, he hasn't done this kind of bombardment of questions since he first met Percy....]

[ Kaldur is pleased that the Greek he favors is the same one favored by the demigods. Makes his life about ten times easier. He is happy to switch, good practice after all. ]

King Orin is not a demigod, but rather half-human and half-Atlantean. Truth be told, I am also only half Atlantean, though I favor my mother's Atlantean side more than my father's. [ Black Manta, not Cal Durham, and that is something he will be slowly trying to acclimate to. ]

Magic is something often very prevalent in Atlanteans as a species, though it occurs in some humans as well. I believe it does tend to follow in families, but it is more of a common specieal genetic trait than a familial one. Some families seem to have lines of sorcery, and others often do not have it very far. The original Atlanteans, on the surface, were all magically adept, which allowed them to adapt and change in response to the sinking of Atlantis, however it occurred.

Perhaps it can be explained as something that all Atlanteans have in a general sense, that allows them to survive. Whether or not there is excess to use beyond the generic benefits of our species is a different matter, and often the manner of manifestation of that magic depends on the user.

I for example, have a very natural adeptness with electricity, but that is not shared with all Altantean sorcerers, at least to the extent in which I have it. [ He doesn't need aid in channeling his electricity, after all. ] When I control water, for example, to direct it or shape it into needed tools, I use my waterbearers to assist in channeling, for they allow me a greater skill and precision. My friend, Garth, who had studied longer than I, do to other circumstances, does not need them, and his tattoos are not visible unless he is actively using his powers. [ Becoming a superhero on the surface world kind of precludes having to ditch sorcery school ] However, my control of my electricity is natural enough that I do not require the aid of my waterbearers to use it, though my tattoos will still light up and glow.

[Nico nods, following the information pretty well.]

Sounds like a combination of Zeus and Poseidon's blessings on their children. Jason's really good at using wind and electricity, but his sister, Thalia, prefers to use electricity. Percy can control water and I think storms, but on a smaller scale than what Poseidon can do.

Do the tattoos help you with channeling? Or are they just an indication that you use magic?

Then, demigods share particular aspects of their godly parent, instead of just a lesser form of the whole. It is a curious management. I would be interested in understanding the genetics behind such a thing.

[ Kaldur will mull on that later ]

The tattoos do assist in my channeling, though they serve somewhat as a statement as well. [ They are so familiar on his skin, he would be sad to see them go. ] But yes, every sorcerer has their own set of tattoos, though on some Altantean species they are less visible, especially those whose appearances trend less human.

Right. Percy can't cause earthquakes, for instance. ...Well, except if he and I get into an argument, I guess. Bad things tend to happen when children of the Big Three disagree strongly with each other.

[He nods. It makes sense.]

I have to admit, that's pretty amazing. Kind of wish I could visit.

Should the opportunity arise, Nico, know that you are always welcome to come with me to visit my home. I would be honored to show you Atlantis.

[ ~~I can show you the wooooooorld...~~ ]

Perhaps you might discover what truly happened. Perhaps fresh eyes are needed to solve that particular mystery.

[Congrats, Kaldur, you have succeeded in making Nico blush a little pink at that. He's not sure what to say, but he manages something, at least.]

I'd...be honored to accept that invitation. And that you're offering it to me.

[ Kaldur isn't going to call you out on that blush, though his face softens the slightest bit. ]

You have become a dear friend to me, Nico. I am honored to know you. I could do nothing less.

[Video; Open] 03 Shadows [Dated August 2nd]

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this is huge sorry

omg no I love it

/smoochies

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