𝓫 𝓮 𝓪 𝓬 𝓱 𝓼 𝓲 𝓭 𝓮 𝓽 𝓱 𝓮 𝓻 𝓪 𝓹 𝔂
𝓫 𝓮 𝓪 𝓬 𝓱 𝓼 𝓲 𝓭 𝓮 𝓽 𝓱 𝓮 𝓻 𝓪 𝓹 𝔂
𝓫 𝓮 𝓪 𝓬 𝓱 𝓼 𝓲 𝓭 𝓮 𝓽 𝓱 𝓮 𝓻 𝓪 𝓹 𝔂
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Compared to the morning and afternoon that the God of the Sea had, the rest of the day proved to be an unfortunate series of events. It was after he returned home from spending a few hours with his old friend, Jormaangandr did Poseidon return home. It was then he received a personal visit from his niece, Athena. Not an unusual visit. Even in the days pre-fall, Poseidon never did have anything against his niece nor she against him. At most, they were at a neutral position and at least, mutual respect was between them. It was through that mutual respect when she told him.
His brothers children, Zagreus and Macaria, were dead. Slain by a weapon. She didn’t elaborate and Poseidon did not inquire further. He was not part of the team on the case, so it was not his place to ask for further details. Regardless, it was the fact that his brother had lost two children. His brother and his wife, Persephone, whom Poseidon felt pain for when Hades took her as his wife. Not pain for her but pain for her mother. This all grew more and more complicated for the God of the Sea because he had not been on the best of terms with Hades in a very long time. Long before Olympus. They both seemed to be screwed out of what was rightfully theirs: the head of the table, as it were. To be King of Atlantis.
But that was a long time ago. Poseidon, near the end of what he didn’t know was their last days of divinity, Poseidon grew weary of Olympus. Those last “days” were more like decades and decades spent in the ocean.
Much like it was now. Poseidon was back at the beach near his house. It was night, so completely opposite of what his day started out, yet as he gazed upon the moonlit sky that reflected off of the water, he had to wonder: should he reach out to Hades? In all of the time that passed between them, Poseidon regretted never reaching out sooner.
As he pulled out his phone, oddly he had his brother’s number. He kept his thoughtful gaze on the contact info. Just as he was about to hit the green phone, Poseidon heard a sound. A man grunting and falling forward about five paces to his right. The smell of expensive alcohol filled his senses and a shaggy mess of dark locks that Poseidon could see thanks to the glorious light of the moon. “Hey, are you okay--” As Poseidon approached, thinking the man was a stranger, he wanted to help, but realizing who it was stopped him in his tracks momentarily.
“Phobos? Is that you?” In that moment, Poseidon still did what he originally planned on but with the knowledge that it was his great-nephew, he handled it with care. He didn’t touch the son of war, but he’d still kneel next to him. As the God of the Sea was on one knee, he simply asked, “Is everything okay? How can I help?”
Phobos looked up at the sound of a soft voice, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to figure out if there were really two of the well-dressed man. He came to the conclusion that there probably was not. "You're not grandfather." He let out a low humorless laugh before stumbling to his feet, intent on continuing his slow progress towards the gently lapping waves. Even through the haze of intoxication, which was impressive as it took gods large quantities of alcohol to get more than a little tipsy, he could feel the uncontrolled fear radiating away from him. It had been for this reason that he was on the beach alone, any mortal who had even come close struck by a deep seated feeling of uncertainty and panic. No, humans did not sit well with fear, they never had.
"Grandfather…" He slurred as he continued walking, talking seemingly to no-one at all. "I have some bad news. Your grandson Eros is an asshole." He shook his head, curls falling in his face though he did not seem to notice. "Though who are we kidding…I'm an asshole too." Phobos smirked at this admission. "Maybe Deimos had the right idea all along. We should never have left the battlefield, that's where we belonged and taking us away, well…" The god paused, perhaps lost in thought or perhaps he had lost his thought.
The God of the Sea could only look on as Phobos rambled on. Did he even know that it was Poseidon here? It didn’t seem like it, but Poseidon didn’t want to startle him. Whether it was Zeus he saw or Poseidon, what the sea God would do is just be there for his grandnephew in whatever way he could. “I’m sure that’s not true. You are not an asshole, Phobos.” Poseidon frowned, feeling as helpless as he’s been for most of his existence. Right now he could help Phobos, but he didn’t know how to. Yet. “Why don’t you walk me through what happened? What did Eros do?” He asked of the son of war. He hadn’t touched his grandnephew in any form of support. That might spook him.
"Eros?” The epitome of fear frowned, momentarily having forgotten he'd even been talking of the god of love. "Oh, him." A muscle in his jaw tensed at the returned thought of his brother. It was lucky for them both that he had taken himself away from Acropolis, yet the thought was sobering. Not sobering enough but still. Turning, he clamped his hands tightly atop Poseidon's shoulders, barely aware of how firm his grip was. "Tell me fine sir…" He paused for a moment, trying and failing to ease off on the fear. "What would you do if your brother was an interfering, pompous, egomaniacal excuse for a god?"
For a brief moment, the old Poseidon surfaced as he chuckled. It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to think of his brother Zeus as such. As much as he was certain Zeus may have possibly changed, a leopard cannot change its spots. A snake can shed its skin but it still slithers. And Zeus may profess to the heavens he used to command that he was different and better, but he would still be the self-righteous clown that threw fits and stuck his…lightning bolt into anything that moved.
“I know the type all too well.” Poseidon spoke with a corrected, level headedness as he suddenly felt his stomach toss and turn, like he had suddenly come under an unexplainable uneasiness. He looked at Phobos, trying to understand what was happening. His Grandnephew was the embodiment of fear. So this was his doing. But why? What was eating away at him so much?
Wincing but powering through it, Poseidon kept his gaze on Phobos. “I admit, I am not my old self. I have not been that person in so long, so I can’t tell you what he would have done. But, if such a person makes you feel so…agitated, distance yourself from that person. You may become labeled a coward, but to be near such a person would only further your ire, Phobos.” As he spoke, he could feel the uneasiness starting to quell, so that allowed him to think clearer and he couldn’t help but think about Zeus more. It wasn’t in a negative light per se. Poseidon could see Zeus wasn’t a total jackass. He was just… “My own brother is a plague on our kind, but I do love him despite all of his many…many faults. It’s hard to deal with someone like that when you are currently under the negative effects of their doing. Putting space between you and him is the best thing to allow a clear head to prevail.” Poseidon was drawing from his own experiences and how he handled Zeus. It was the best way he knew how to deal with the Almighty Asshole of Olympus, so perhaps Phobos could take it to heart.
Phobos listened to the advice, eyes glassy and unseeing, before offering a nonchalant shrug. "You're so silly. I'm not concerned about myself." He slung an arm around Poseidon's shoulders, drawing him closer as if he were about to impart some great and valuable secret. As if they had shared such back and forths many times before. They had not. "I'm worried about Mel..." He muttered softly, looking around for a moment, seemingly satisfied that the goddess was not going to just rise unbidden out of the sea. "She's moved into Acropolis y'know." A smirk crossed his face though he did not really find the situation funny and he stumbled for a moment, his purchase on Poseidon the only thing stopping him from falling.
Poseidon sat firm, being the pillar of support that Phobos so desperately needed right now. He must admit, though, hearing that Melinoe moved into Acropolis, the hilariously named party pad for Apollo and Hercules-led mansion, was partly amusing, given Melinoe was a child of Hades. A few times, Poseidon had attended his nephew’s party just to check it out. Poseidon himself often felt like he was still youthful at spirit. He could easily find his calling with those rambunctious younger Gods, but the fact was he preferred the tranquility of his waterfront home and the SS Atlantis. “Are you worried she won’t be well looked after by them?” The God of the Sea asked his grandnephew. “I know those at Acropolis are…of a different breed - at least, by my more relaxed measurements. But Hercules is not his father…for the most part. He is a good person with an even more admirable heart.” Poseidon spoke with confidence that Melinoe should be safe with the Acropolis residents. Apollo was at least more level-headed than Hercules sometimes, so perhaps he could ring in Hercules should he get too wild.
Phobos grunted in reply, having been momentarily distracted by searching through his coat pockets. Finally, he pulled out a small flask. "She doesn't need anyone to look after her…" He muttered sullenly, he could feel the edge of the alcohol wearing off and he didn't like it. "I…" He paused before taking a long swig, seemingly content in the knowledge that he was not going to imminently sober up. A couple had been wandering towards the beach from the road hand in hand, but as soon as they set foot on the sand a look of panic flashed across their faces and they quickly turned around. Phobos saw enough to glare after them before turning back to his companion. "I don't know." He finally admitted, unwilling or unable to admit how he really felt. "Whiskey?" The god added as an afterthought, holding the flask out towards Poseidon.
He nodded at his grandnephew, taking the flask in silent acceptance. While he was never a fan of whiskey because it was too harsh for his tastes. He much preferred the sweeter sensation of a spiced rum, but when in Seattle, you take what you can get. As he took a deep swig of it, he murmured as he swallowed. Surprised and pleasantly so, it was not so harsh. His nephew was certainly worse for wear, but his choice of whiskey was a good one. It went down smooth. Of course, there was still that aftertaste that burned worse than Hephaestus’ forge - but he did not mind it.
Actually, Poseidon took another, smaller swig of it before he handed it back to Fear. “You have a superb taste in whiskey, Phobos.” Poseidon felt the need to acknowledge that particular elephant in the room before he went for the slightly larger one. His eyes fell on the sea, feeling something stirring in it though without direct contact, he could not tell for certain. And it was clear Phobos’ effect on him remained. “I wish I could ease your pain. The most I can do is assure you that Melinoe, for everything I feel she might need at this time, perhaps you are right and she does not need someone to look after her, but having someone there for you even if you don’t think you need them is a comforting thought.” He turned to face Fear, placing a comforting hand on the nearest shoulder. “Hercules, Apollo, and all of those who live in Acropolis interchangeably will do for Melinoe what I promise to do for you. Phobos, my door is always open.” The God of the Sea spoke with as much sincerity in his voice as he could muster. “I am not Anubis, so I may not be able to help you in ways he can, but no matter what, my doors will always be open. All you need to do is follow the waves.” His gaze on his nephew was stern as he did not want Fear to assume it was for naught.
There it was again - a sense of something stirring in the sea, but Poseidon could not understand why it was calling to him now, of all times.
Poseidon's words were not familiar ones to the god. His own father had been intense and brutal on the battlefield, and this had not stopped after the fall. He expected more than Phobos was willing or Deimos was able to give. And in that moment, the earth-shaker showed him such kindness that Ares never had. His eyebrows furrowed, wanting to throw the words back at him but finally admitting defeat, let out a small sigh. "Thank you though I--" Phobos paused mid-thought, his gaze traveling to where the waves lapped against the sand. Rolling torrents of water flowed unceaselessly forward, nothing unusual...but something felt off.
His blue eyes narrowed, adrenaline coursing through his body and pulling his attention to the now. He would have moved forward to investigate if a sudden form had not begun to rise from the water. Tall and slight, but with well worked muscles, it came stepping onto the beach, a head of curly dark brown hair shaking back and forth akin to a dog after an unwelcome bath. Water droplets sprayed everywhere and it let out a loud laugh.
"Dude, that wave carried me so far out! Though I lost another board...Brad?" Triton paused to look around the empty beach, it slowly dawning on him that the beach was empty and Brad was nowhere to be seen. The former merman pouted, "Oh man, it happened again..." Had he really ended up swimming for so long? It had been so fun though. What a bummer.
His brothers children, Zagreus and Macaria, were dead. Slain by a weapon. She didn’t elaborate and Poseidon did not inquire further. He was not part of the team on the case, so it was not his place to ask for further details. Regardless, it was the fact that his brother had lost two children. His brother and his wife, Persephone, whom Poseidon felt pain for when Hades took her as his wife. Not pain for her but pain for her mother. This all grew more and more complicated for the God of the Sea because he had not been on the best of terms with Hades in a very long time. Long before Olympus. They both seemed to be screwed out of what was rightfully theirs: the head of the table, as it were. To be King of Atlantis.
But that was a long time ago. Poseidon, near the end of what he didn’t know was their last days of divinity, Poseidon grew weary of Olympus. Those last “days” were more like decades and decades spent in the ocean.
Much like it was now. Poseidon was back at the beach near his house. It was night, so completely opposite of what his day started out, yet as he gazed upon the moonlit sky that reflected off of the water, he had to wonder: should he reach out to Hades? In all of the time that passed between them, Poseidon regretted never reaching out sooner.
As he pulled out his phone, oddly he had his brother’s number. He kept his thoughtful gaze on the contact info. Just as he was about to hit the green phone, Poseidon heard a sound. A man grunting and falling forward about five paces to his right. The smell of expensive alcohol filled his senses and a shaggy mess of dark locks that Poseidon could see thanks to the glorious light of the moon. “Hey, are you okay--” As Poseidon approached, thinking the man was a stranger, he wanted to help, but realizing who it was stopped him in his tracks momentarily.
“Phobos? Is that you?” In that moment, Poseidon still did what he originally planned on but with the knowledge that it was his great-nephew, he handled it with care. He didn’t touch the son of war, but he’d still kneel next to him. As the God of the Sea was on one knee, he simply asked, “Is everything okay? How can I help?”
Phobos looked up at the sound of a soft voice, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to figure out if there were really two of the well-dressed man. He came to the conclusion that there probably was not. "You're not grandfather." He let out a low humorless laugh before stumbling to his feet, intent on continuing his slow progress towards the gently lapping waves. Even through the haze of intoxication, which was impressive as it took gods large quantities of alcohol to get more than a little tipsy, he could feel the uncontrolled fear radiating away from him. It had been for this reason that he was on the beach alone, any mortal who had even come close struck by a deep seated feeling of uncertainty and panic. No, humans did not sit well with fear, they never had.
"Grandfather…" He slurred as he continued walking, talking seemingly to no-one at all. "I have some bad news. Your grandson Eros is an asshole." He shook his head, curls falling in his face though he did not seem to notice. "Though who are we kidding…I'm an asshole too." Phobos smirked at this admission. "Maybe Deimos had the right idea all along. We should never have left the battlefield, that's where we belonged and taking us away, well…" The god paused, perhaps lost in thought or perhaps he had lost his thought.
The God of the Sea could only look on as Phobos rambled on. Did he even know that it was Poseidon here? It didn’t seem like it, but Poseidon didn’t want to startle him. Whether it was Zeus he saw or Poseidon, what the sea God would do is just be there for his grandnephew in whatever way he could. “I’m sure that’s not true. You are not an asshole, Phobos.” Poseidon frowned, feeling as helpless as he’s been for most of his existence. Right now he could help Phobos, but he didn’t know how to. Yet. “Why don’t you walk me through what happened? What did Eros do?” He asked of the son of war. He hadn’t touched his grandnephew in any form of support. That might spook him.
"Eros?” The epitome of fear frowned, momentarily having forgotten he'd even been talking of the god of love. "Oh, him." A muscle in his jaw tensed at the returned thought of his brother. It was lucky for them both that he had taken himself away from Acropolis, yet the thought was sobering. Not sobering enough but still. Turning, he clamped his hands tightly atop Poseidon's shoulders, barely aware of how firm his grip was. "Tell me fine sir…" He paused for a moment, trying and failing to ease off on the fear. "What would you do if your brother was an interfering, pompous, egomaniacal excuse for a god?"
For a brief moment, the old Poseidon surfaced as he chuckled. It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to think of his brother Zeus as such. As much as he was certain Zeus may have possibly changed, a leopard cannot change its spots. A snake can shed its skin but it still slithers. And Zeus may profess to the heavens he used to command that he was different and better, but he would still be the self-righteous clown that threw fits and stuck his…lightning bolt into anything that moved.
“I know the type all too well.” Poseidon spoke with a corrected, level headedness as he suddenly felt his stomach toss and turn, like he had suddenly come under an unexplainable uneasiness. He looked at Phobos, trying to understand what was happening. His Grandnephew was the embodiment of fear. So this was his doing. But why? What was eating away at him so much?
Wincing but powering through it, Poseidon kept his gaze on Phobos. “I admit, I am not my old self. I have not been that person in so long, so I can’t tell you what he would have done. But, if such a person makes you feel so…agitated, distance yourself from that person. You may become labeled a coward, but to be near such a person would only further your ire, Phobos.” As he spoke, he could feel the uneasiness starting to quell, so that allowed him to think clearer and he couldn’t help but think about Zeus more. It wasn’t in a negative light per se. Poseidon could see Zeus wasn’t a total jackass. He was just… “My own brother is a plague on our kind, but I do love him despite all of his many…many faults. It’s hard to deal with someone like that when you are currently under the negative effects of their doing. Putting space between you and him is the best thing to allow a clear head to prevail.” Poseidon was drawing from his own experiences and how he handled Zeus. It was the best way he knew how to deal with the Almighty Asshole of Olympus, so perhaps Phobos could take it to heart.
Phobos listened to the advice, eyes glassy and unseeing, before offering a nonchalant shrug. "You're so silly. I'm not concerned about myself." He slung an arm around Poseidon's shoulders, drawing him closer as if he were about to impart some great and valuable secret. As if they had shared such back and forths many times before. They had not. "I'm worried about Mel..." He muttered softly, looking around for a moment, seemingly satisfied that the goddess was not going to just rise unbidden out of the sea. "She's moved into Acropolis y'know." A smirk crossed his face though he did not really find the situation funny and he stumbled for a moment, his purchase on Poseidon the only thing stopping him from falling.
Poseidon sat firm, being the pillar of support that Phobos so desperately needed right now. He must admit, though, hearing that Melinoe moved into Acropolis, the hilariously named party pad for Apollo and Hercules-led mansion, was partly amusing, given Melinoe was a child of Hades. A few times, Poseidon had attended his nephew’s party just to check it out. Poseidon himself often felt like he was still youthful at spirit. He could easily find his calling with those rambunctious younger Gods, but the fact was he preferred the tranquility of his waterfront home and the SS Atlantis. “Are you worried she won’t be well looked after by them?” The God of the Sea asked his grandnephew. “I know those at Acropolis are…of a different breed - at least, by my more relaxed measurements. But Hercules is not his father…for the most part. He is a good person with an even more admirable heart.” Poseidon spoke with confidence that Melinoe should be safe with the Acropolis residents. Apollo was at least more level-headed than Hercules sometimes, so perhaps he could ring in Hercules should he get too wild.
Phobos grunted in reply, having been momentarily distracted by searching through his coat pockets. Finally, he pulled out a small flask. "She doesn't need anyone to look after her…" He muttered sullenly, he could feel the edge of the alcohol wearing off and he didn't like it. "I…" He paused before taking a long swig, seemingly content in the knowledge that he was not going to imminently sober up. A couple had been wandering towards the beach from the road hand in hand, but as soon as they set foot on the sand a look of panic flashed across their faces and they quickly turned around. Phobos saw enough to glare after them before turning back to his companion. "I don't know." He finally admitted, unwilling or unable to admit how he really felt. "Whiskey?" The god added as an afterthought, holding the flask out towards Poseidon.
He nodded at his grandnephew, taking the flask in silent acceptance. While he was never a fan of whiskey because it was too harsh for his tastes. He much preferred the sweeter sensation of a spiced rum, but when in Seattle, you take what you can get. As he took a deep swig of it, he murmured as he swallowed. Surprised and pleasantly so, it was not so harsh. His nephew was certainly worse for wear, but his choice of whiskey was a good one. It went down smooth. Of course, there was still that aftertaste that burned worse than Hephaestus’ forge - but he did not mind it.
Actually, Poseidon took another, smaller swig of it before he handed it back to Fear. “You have a superb taste in whiskey, Phobos.” Poseidon felt the need to acknowledge that particular elephant in the room before he went for the slightly larger one. His eyes fell on the sea, feeling something stirring in it though without direct contact, he could not tell for certain. And it was clear Phobos’ effect on him remained. “I wish I could ease your pain. The most I can do is assure you that Melinoe, for everything I feel she might need at this time, perhaps you are right and she does not need someone to look after her, but having someone there for you even if you don’t think you need them is a comforting thought.” He turned to face Fear, placing a comforting hand on the nearest shoulder. “Hercules, Apollo, and all of those who live in Acropolis interchangeably will do for Melinoe what I promise to do for you. Phobos, my door is always open.” The God of the Sea spoke with as much sincerity in his voice as he could muster. “I am not Anubis, so I may not be able to help you in ways he can, but no matter what, my doors will always be open. All you need to do is follow the waves.” His gaze on his nephew was stern as he did not want Fear to assume it was for naught.
There it was again - a sense of something stirring in the sea, but Poseidon could not understand why it was calling to him now, of all times.
Poseidon's words were not familiar ones to the god. His own father had been intense and brutal on the battlefield, and this had not stopped after the fall. He expected more than Phobos was willing or Deimos was able to give. And in that moment, the earth-shaker showed him such kindness that Ares never had. His eyebrows furrowed, wanting to throw the words back at him but finally admitting defeat, let out a small sigh. "Thank you though I--" Phobos paused mid-thought, his gaze traveling to where the waves lapped against the sand. Rolling torrents of water flowed unceaselessly forward, nothing unusual...but something felt off.
His blue eyes narrowed, adrenaline coursing through his body and pulling his attention to the now. He would have moved forward to investigate if a sudden form had not begun to rise from the water. Tall and slight, but with well worked muscles, it came stepping onto the beach, a head of curly dark brown hair shaking back and forth akin to a dog after an unwelcome bath. Water droplets sprayed everywhere and it let out a loud laugh.
"Dude, that wave carried me so far out! Though I lost another board...Brad?" Triton paused to look around the empty beach, it slowly dawning on him that the beach was empty and Brad was nowhere to be seen. The former merman pouted, "Oh man, it happened again..." Had he really ended up swimming for so long? It had been so fun though. What a bummer.