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โThank you so much for coming in! I donโt know what we would have done without you, Jorunn. Iโm really sorry we had to bother you on your requested day off.โ, her coworker stated, relieved but also with a hint of guilt that the situation couldnโt be handled without assistance.
โDonโt worry about it, these things happen. Itโs not like Iโm being asked to stay, so cheer up. Oh, and good luck on the rest of your shift!โ, the world snake chuckled, giving a shoulder pat before waving her coworker goodbye and making her way through the exhibits. Jorm didnโt feel in a rush to leave, not much to do now that she had been called away from her brother and with the chaos of the festival, it was best to just avoid the immortals for a while which meant JJ was out. She silently drifted by various tanks, pausing now and then to admire the peaceful view but also not lingering too long or unpleasant memories would boil up. The days where they had been angry, bitter, lonely, and resigned to fate laid out before them. The only thing that kept them going back then was a voice, one that understood their pain and sufferingโฆnot a physical one but an emotional one.
At that time, they had believed their mind was finally lost and that they had created the voice as a coping mechanism. How was another god, supposedly not from their pantheon able to reach them and speak in their tongue? It didnโt seem possible, no matter how they wished it was so. It has been the start to a beautiful friendship either way, one that they had cherished above all else and one that she still missed today. The fall made the possibility of a Greek god so very real, changing her thoughts that perhaps it wasnโt as much of an illusion of the mind as she had led herself to believe and yet she hadnโt found him. The few times she went to the festival, there had been no Poseidon and no one she had asked had spoken of him. It was why she stopped going, resigned that she must have imagined it or perhaps something else had occurred. Jorm paused, coming up to their newest limited time exhibit, the whole reason she was here today in the first place as one of the snakes had made their escape.
The aquarium had wanted to show off various sea snakes and thus a large snake exhibit was placed alongside the aquatic and semi-aquatic reptiles. Jorm would be lying if she said she hadn't been a key factor in getting her brethren here and being the main show instead of going with another limited time exhibit, which is why she couldnโt just turn away when the call had come in. She stepped through the archway, making her way up to one of the larger tanks when she paused, watching a man admire the swimming creatures of the deep and the slithering serpents gliding effortlessly through the waters depths. Normally, she would have let the man be and left him to his own devices but something pulled at her. Jorm cautiously stepped up next to him, standing silently by his side as she watched for a minute or so. Her eyes were still on the glass when she gently spoke aloud and gave him a chance to respond or just let the comment settle around them. โBeautiful, isnโt it?โ
Poseidon was lost in a moment of peace, glancing at the collection of sea snakes inside the take, swimming around. The odds of their voice leading him here, of all places, where there was a snake exhibit. He would chalk it off to divine intervention but who would have done it? To his knowledge, there wasnโt exactly a divine being to intervene in anything - not anymore, anyway. But perhaps it wasnโt that and it was just a coincidence. Truth be told, the god of the sea had come to this specific aquarium a few times. When he wasnโt out on his boat or sulking at the beach (not that it happened often), he liked to come here and decompress. It made days when he missed his friend - like today - more tolerable. And maybe that was a hidden meaning as to why he was here.
And because of that, Poseidon didnโt hear anyone approach him until he heard the voice of a woman speak up next to him. He noted her beauty and the auburn locks. A feeling of ease and warmth passed through him that Poseidon couldnโt quite explain to himself. Maybe it was the aquatic life around him that reminded him of his time as ruler of Atlantis. That must be it.
โBreathtaking!They seem quite content with the amount of space given in the tanks.โ Poseidonโs eyes went back to the sea snakes. An understanding of aquatic creatures had still lingered and though direct communication was out of his reach, he still could feel what they felt. Whatever they were doing at this aquarium, Poseidon was getting the sense those who worked here treated them the right way and that made him smile.
โI should hope so. A lot of love and care went into this exhibit and I do try to keep them all very happy.โ, Jorm smiled brightly, her eyes drifting away from the dazzling creatures before them to really look at the man beside her. He was handsome, dark eyes and hair, some age though it didnโt pull away from the rugged appeal and charm of his features which were wrapped in a sophisticated attire. There was something about him, looks aside that made her feel content to just be at his side and want to converse with him for as long as she could. โIs this your first time here? The snake exhibit I mean. I would have asked, do you come here often but that sounds more like a cheesy pickup line than the start of a legitimate conversation.โ, she stated before nervously running her fingers through her hair and chuckling a bit at the ridiculousness since she had dived off cliffs and done much more dangerous adventures than talking to a stranger. โSorry, Iโm not the best at meeting new people.โ
Poseidon let out a genuine laugh that came from the gut. Thatโs the kind of line heโd expect from his brother. Or that fool Hercules. It was strange, though. There was something abstractly familiar about what he was feeling but the god of the sea couldnโt quite put his finger on it. โDonโt worry about it. Had I been someone else, that may have worked on me,โ Poseidon admitted, laughing again that his moronic brother would have ate that comment up and then some. โBut I wouldnโt say itโs my first time here. I have come to this aquarium a few times. After a lecture, I like to come here to decompress -- at least, when itโs not pouring out there.โ Living in Seattle for as long as he has, Poseidon has come to appreciate the rain cycles. โI canโt say Iโve been here when the sea snakes were being shown off.โ By this point, Poseidon was looking at the woman standing next to him.. She was a bit on the younger side, but that didnโt take away from this strange feeling about the presence she gave off..A feeling he couldnโt quite shake for some reason.
He brought his eyes back to the tank. โI donโt get to see sea snakes as often as Iโd like, so I was happy that there was an exhibit when I decided to come today.โ Poseidon admitted, somewhat mournfully. Part of him longed for divinity, but not to be on Olympus but rather in Atlantis. He wonderedโฆdid it still stand as it was? Or did it wither away? As he thought about it, Poseidon went silent as he became deep in his own mind.
If she believed him to be handsome before, nothing compared to when he was laughing. It was full of genuine mirth and a sound she hoped he would make again before departing. It left her almost breathless while her heart began to race and butterflies sprung into her stomach as something, almost like a distant memory, told her not to brush off the feeling. What was this? When had she ever felt this? She quickly tried to gather herself, not wanting to appear flustered though that seemed next to impossible when it started all over again as soon as he looked at her even for a moment. โI can understand coming here to decompress, rain or not. It is a peaceful place and a little safer than swimming in the ocean, not that that stops me but itโs just different here.โ, Jorm replied, proud that her voice was steady.
Why did she feel so content just to stand at this manโs side? Why did his laugh make her giddy and wish to do anything to hear it again? Usually, she wouldnโt have walked over to the blue collared sophisticated type because they bored her but this was different. He was different but she couldnโt put a finger on why. He was simply captivating though maybe it was just something about his voice, a familiar feeling but unsure where she had heard it before. She found herself nodding as he spoke once more, partially listening but also lost in her own deduction on where they could have met before. It did not surprise her that he hadnโt been here when the snakes were on display since they were just released for public viewing not that long ago. The tone shifted suddenly with his next words, nothing wrong with the words he had said but the change felt as clear as day. She felt it strong enough to place aside her thoughts so she could focus once more.
She let the silence sit between them, feeling that similar mournful ache as she stared into the tank. If anything could be expressed from the one next to her, it seemed like he too was longing for something or falling deep into thoughts and memories just as she did. Jorm was used to distracting herself during those moments, leaving to do something crazy and wild to push back on any ill memory or stopping herself mourning over a dream but she found herself unready to leave even as she let herself drift to those thoughts so she decided to try something else for both of them. โDid you know that there are over sixty species of sea snakes? There are so many and yet, they are a rare sight to see in the water. Not many people realize how peaceful and non-aggressive a creature they are even though they carry the most potent venom out of all snakes.โ, she commented with straight facts, hoping to get his mind off of whatever was going through his head.
โYou said you donโt get to see them as often as you like. The truth is, they choose who to let close, even in this crafted environment. Which is why it makes it all the more special when someone is chosen to view them even if it might only be once. The fact they are out now means they are just as happy that you visited them today as you are at visiting.โ, she added before taking a deep breath and turned slightly in his direction so she was facing him and tucking her hands behind her back, knowing that this was probably going to be a really moronic and random question but when had she ever backed down from something that was nagging at her. โDo you know me? Iโm sorry but you seem familiar to me somehow and I canโt place where or even why.โ
As Poseidon drew his eyes away from the tank, though he had been looking aimlessly at it since going deep into his lamenting state of mind, he found himself looking at the woman next to him. The way she stood, the way she asked that question: did she know him? He thought about it - really thought about it. At face value, the answer was no. In his mind, he couldnโt recall ever meeting this auburn-haired woman before. Perhaps he had seen her around the aquarium a few times in passing, but as far as actually meeting her, the god of the sea couldnโt recall.
But then there were some other circumstances that he hadnโt factored in. He was brought here because he sensed the presence of Jormungandr. He was brought here because, in the moment he physically touched the water, somewhere nearby, he felt the tug of a string pull him in a direction that led him in front of the entrance of the aquarium. Before he entered, he thought heโd find his old friend here, but then when the sea snakes exhibit came to his attention, thatโs when he figured thatโs what it mustโve been.
As much as the God of the Sea hoped it wasnโt the case, maybe he was longing for his friend so much that even the faintest presence of the World Snake -- or any snake, for that matter -- would give him that hope.
โItโs funny, you know. I canโt recall ever meeting you, yet something about you feels familiar, too.โ As he smiled, in the back of his mind, he wanted to ask her but if he was wrong, then heโd expose his true existence. Or have a very awkwardness that might just ruin the nice time they were having. Still, now that he was thinking about it, Poseidon couldnโt help but wonder if it was even possible. โThe way you spoke about the snakes, your very presence, and how at ease I am - you remind me so much of an old friend of mine. Very much so that itโs actually pretty jarring.โ Speaking that out loud, Poseidonโs heart started to beat faster than it had previously and his stomach tied up in knots, like it was sinking into the depths of the atlantic. โI apologize. I know that must not make any sense, right? Itโs ludicrous, I know but thatโs how Iโve been feeling since we started talking.โ
She found herself unable to remove her gaze, afraid that if she did that he might disappear. It couldnโt be him, right? That had all been her imaginationโฆwasnโt it? How she desperately wanted to just straight out ask if it was so. She didnโt want to feel such hope but that is exactly what she felt in this moment. It felt like she had finally found a piece of herself that had been missing. She knew she couldnโt just let it go but how did she go about this in case she was wrong? โActually, it makes perfect sense to me. Iโฆ.are youโฆโ, Jรถrmungandr started, shaking slightly with nervous anticipation as she struggled to find the words. No one had made her this worried about any of her actions in a long time and she could only hope this didnโt go horribly wrong. โI really hope this isnโt a random question butโฆare you by any chance, Greek?โ
Or what if his silly thoughts weren't so silly? That question, the way she looked at him when she asked him, some of it was coming together. As he stood there, wanting to just come out and say what he was thinking, he observed the woman who visibly shook where she stood. He saw how much inner turmoil she might be going through. Internally, it was the same for him. Like a storm brewing but the small glint of clarity in the furthest part of the visible sky.
As he took her hand, not knowing what else to do, he wanted to offer some form of clarity not only for himself but for her as well. Deep in his heart, he probably knew but having that sense of clarity was something he felt they both could use right now. As he squeezed it, his heart tripled in its pacing and his stomach twirled and contorted. โYesโฆI am.โ He finally responded, looking into her familiar eyes. His lips folded up into a small smile. โAnd youโreโฆNorse, arenโt you?โ
It felt like time stopped, everything else around them drifting away as he smiled at her with his hand in her own, unknowingly keeping her anchored in this moment lest she drift away. He was real. He was here and he was real. She felt tears gathering in her eyes as a surge of happiness flooded her. Jorm didnโt answer with words, instead she released his hand so she could wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him in a full blown hug. She held him close, fighting back tears even with the dazzlingly bright smile that was painted on her lips. โWhat took you so long?โ, she teased weakly, pulling back only a bit so she could see his face and commit every detail to memory. This was what he looked like. This was what her most cherished friend in the world looked like and for once he was in arms reach, not that she had arms before but still. She just couldnโt believe he was here. Her hands reached up to cup his face, her thumbs playing along his jawline as she continued to stare in awe. โGosh, youโre really hereโฆ.I thought I had imagined you.โ, Jorm said more to herself than him, still trying to process that this was for real and not some kind of dream or hallucination. It seemed to kick start at least part of her brain, though she still didnโt find herself moving away as she spoke. โSorry, Iโm not really great at boundaries and I really like hugs. Is this okay?
Poseidonโs heart felt lighter. Like the anchor that had been weighing him down for so long had all but vanished whenโฆJormungandr hugged him. In those years when they were conversing over boundaries, Poseidon often wondered what they truly looked like but it never occurred to him that they would be soโฆpleasing to the eyes. He smiled as he returned the embrace, feeling overwhelmed by so many emotions, but also something that might resemble a renewal of purpose. Jormungandr had given him a purpose during those lonely days up top of Mount Olympus and here she was, giving him a renewed purpose all over again.
โItโs more than just okay.โ As he spoke in that low tone, inside he could feel it: the storm brewing wasnโt so cloudy anymore. Gentle seas, clear skies, and a wind that was so calming that he could taste the sea water again. โIโm sorry if I worried you,โ He closed his eyes, a small stream of tears pouring from his eyes.
โYouโre here now. Thatโs all that matters to me.โ, she answered, brushing off his apology just as easily as she brushed his tears away with her fingers, not because the words werenโt important but because he was more important than any feeling she had been made to deal with over the years. She would forgive him always because without him, she wasnโt sure she would have made it to where she was standing now. Jorm smiled softly, holding him once more but softer, letting herself rest into him. โItโs good to finally see you, Posie. I missed you.โ
