εφήμερος

“Excuse me? What?” It takes Thanatos a second to realize he’s fallen back into mortal speech–into the speech he uses with Zagreus–and he silently curses himself for these uncontrollable emotions. He makes a concerted effort not to simply vanish, in the face of those probing eyes. […I don’t know what you’re talking about.] There. Back to the composed, impassive Death he ought to be.

[…in what way did he speak of me, exactly?]

Dammit.

     Aether should feel bad. He’s clearly uncomfortable, uncertain of how to process such emotions and truly, they can’t blame him. They aren’t certain how they feel yet about all this familial business, but if they also had to manage such a bond as the one he shares with the prince...

     When they smile, it’s Nyx’s smile, a subtle and pleased little quirk of the lips. [ Fondly, if I had to say. He called you ‘Than’, to start with. I imagine that there aren’t many who could call Death by such a name and live to do so a second time. ] The animals, slowly, begin to return to Aether, wary as they are of Thanatos’ presence. [ We’ve met, a few times. Nearly every time, now, he ends up speaking of you before he passes. I can recall once when he admitted that dying here did not seem so bad, with you to shepherd him safely back to the House of Hades. ]

Thanatos takes a second or two to adjust–not to understanding the primordial tongue, but to hearing it at all, after so long. [Different? Maybe. Less…chaotic, at least. I wasn’t certain you would be here, either. ‘Unpredictable’ is definitely one word for Zagreus’ impulsiveness.] Despite his dry words, there’s some hint of fondness in it.

Since Aether seems to be taking their time with their staring, Death decides he might as well take a closer look, too. Yes, it isn’t hard to see the similarities. They’ve even kept the long hair Thanatos himself once had. He imagines Hypnos would be overjoyed to meet them–for the five minutes he stayed awake for it, anyway. [You remember me? I can’t say the same of you. Though I knew, of course, that Mother has many more children than just me and my twin.]

If Aether is cautious, Thanatos is downright withdrawn. He doesn’t descend to his feet in the snow the way Aether has, keeping above it. [Coerce…? No.] How to explain… [When Zagreus was born, Mother Nyx wished for him to have… companions. Thus, Hypnos and I were…reborn, I suppose, as children. To grow up with him.] Even that, he reflects, was so long ago. Although he imagines his perception of the passage of time has changed since then, too, along with his form.

     At the mention of Nyx, the air around them stills, briefly. [ I see. ] Aether appears to contemplate it for some time, though they seem to have had their fill of looking at him. In a moment, a mere blink, they stand not in front of him but– further in front of him, away, closer again to the tree. [ By the time you came to exist, I had been here for some time. Still, I am not surprised. You and most of our siblings possessed physical embodiment even before there were so many mortals for reaping, and for watching over. My form was the absence. ] After so long, it’s difficult to remember, but they have no real way of knowing how they appeared back then, regardless. Lord Zeus hadn’t yet developed a taste for the surface’s natural landscapes, just yet; there was no water upon Olympus for Aether to gaze into, and see themself.

     They do remember when they first found a body. Lady Hera looked pleased to smite them, likely thinking they were another of Lord Zeus’ unanticipated children. 

The snow was idyllic today           gentle wind and the flakes fell so slowly that it created a more picturesque winter day. The goddess deemed it a pleasant opportunity for a stroll to clear her thoughts and provide relaxation from being in the same space as Zeus. 

A rare sight beyond the distance           a being often so secluded from the others that she wondered if at times they were merely a figment of imagination. Alas, she knew better from her experiences, Hestia herself rarely made appearances to the point where her existence would have faded from common memory         but Demeter knew her presence was all around the surface. This one however          had responsibilities bound to Olympus as the heavenly atmosphere she breathes. 

A bow to her ( an acknowledgement to her seniority ) and in return Demeter bows her head to them, ( their role was sacred after all ). She returns to that regal posture, “ Master Aether. “

“ It’s rather foreign to see you in person         let alone on the surface. “ with her frost-covered hand she gathers snowflakes, “ Pray tell, what brings you down here on such a fine day. “

     Gods don’t quite like being told what to do, Aether thinks. Their smile is a subtle one, but soft, sweet. “Lord Zeus never allows winter anywhere near Olympus’ threshold. Spring is lovely, though, constant spring...” The snow stirs by their foot, and the primordial glances down, just barely distinguishes the little white hare from the snow around it. “Olympus’ beauty is merely different than that of the surface. It intrigues me.”

     That, and... well. Aether isn’t certain how many of the gods are yet privy to this afternoon’s events, but if they don’t know now of Aether’s spat with Lord Zeus regarding their absences, they imagine it won’t be long. Zeus hadn’t once raised his voice at them before today, and even after everything, Aether holds him with too much respect to have lied to his face, or worse, sworn off leaving Mount Olympus knowing they could never do such a thing–

Normally, when Thanatos can take a brief reprieve from work for himself, he spends it either at the House or helping Zagreus clear out some Underworld chamber. Today, though, Zagreus made a request of him: will you go and meet your long-lost sibling? he said. Why? Thanatos asked. It would mean a lot to them, said Zagreus, and who knows? You might find you have a lot in common.

Thanatos doubts that, because even his own twin has barely anything in common with him, let alone a sibling he’s never met nor heard of–in this ‘lifetime,’ at least. Still, turning down Zagreus gets more difficult by the day, and he supposes Mother, at least, might want to hear about this wayward child of hers.

So it is that, after Aether waits for a little while, an ominous bell tolls. Its sound rings out across the silent snow as Death Incarnate arrives in a flash of eerie green light. He hovers in the air, bothered not in the least by the cold nor the wind, scythe at his back.

He almost expects no one to be here–after all, it isn’t as though Zagreus has any way to contact them–but there is someone. Thanatos looks them over. “I suppose you must be Aether. I am Thanatos. I believe Zagreus has mentioned me, yes?”

     Aether looks to Death with eyes slightly wide, and moves slowly to their feet. The few animals lurking nearby scatter in the psychopomp’s presence. 

     “Thanatos,” they echo, and then their tone shifts, morphing to form around a language far more ancient, alien to the ears. [ Yes, Zagreus has spoken of you. ] For the first time that they can remember, Aether is briefly without words. [ I was not certain you would come. The prince speaks of his family, and yet... I know that family for those like us is certainly a very different thing. ] Seeing the similarities between them in appearance alone, their molten eyes and shimmering silver hair, though– Thanatos wears his shorter, and briefly Aether wonders how their other siblings have distinguished themselves from this template they share, and the thought makes them smile.

❛ Threats, promises and good intentions don’t amount to action. ❜  @wargodling​ | Alice: Madness Returns

     “I imagine you’ve either been speaking to mortals lately, or one of your family members has seen fit to scold you for something.” Olympus’ gardens are ever pristine, despite Demeter’s eternal winter far below; in this one, Apollo’s quails rest around the primordial, and a few even upon their knee. Aether sighs, and leans against a column of the propylaeum. 

     “But you are right. Whether you speak of humans or of gods, i would think... nearly any child would wisen eventually to the empty words of their parents, yes? Now I can only wonder if you speak of yourself or of the humans.” They think back to a time before the Olympians, and a deep chuckle rings out from their throat. “Though perhaps it isn’t wise to liken the gods to rebellious children. I don’t know if you were seeking advice or merely airing your thoughts, godling, but if it happens to he the former, might I suggest... there are consequences of inaction for everyone. There are some that could use a reminder of that, I believe.”

@corncpia​ | SC

     Where they once might have gone days, or weeks, in the past without showing their face before the gods, it is inevitable, Aether thinks, that their peaceful lonesomeness comes to an end. They aren’t often long in the presence of the Olympians, and still, there are those they can only claim to have met before their body, ages prior when their presence was little more than the wind itself. All the same, it would figure, then, that one of the few they haven’t yet crossed paths with would be Lady Demeter—the Olympians may be younger, but there are some akin to her that command deference by demeanor alone. Aether freezes amidst the snow, hand outstretched toward some curious fawn that startles in nearly the same manner as them–

@gentledeath​ | SC

     Ever since Aether last spoke to the Prince of the Underworld, their thoughts have not quieted.

     It must be perfectly normal to feel apprehension, they tell themselves, but there is more than that—a worry, a fear. Their kind are not often wont to feel, and if familial ties can mean little to the Olympians at times, then for primordial deities such as them, why, Aether fears that it may not matter at all. They’ve had no time to speak with the prince since then, and have been left largely alone to think themself to death over the prospect of a meeting with their mother, or one of their siblings. In their mind it is apparent that their family would not want to meet them, because truly, if they did, would they not have met before? Surely it would be so, especially if some of them truly are capable of traveling wheresoever they should please, the boundaries of the younger gods be damned...

     Their hopes of meeting with Zagreus once more have been all but dashed, after so many trips to the surface without even a glimpse of the prince, and yet even today, they decide to descend. The world is even quieter than usual, few animals stirring in this snow-dense forest; Aether finds their meeting spot, that rotting tree, and sighs.

The look Zagreus gives them is sympathetic–empathetic, even, at their flash of anger before it dissipates on the wind. “I understand. Believe me, I spent longer than I care to admit trying desperately to spend even five minutes with my mother.” But an idea occurs to him, then. “But there is one member of your family who can come to meet us here, if he knows where to look. Thanatos can go anywhere he likes.”

He squints up at the sky. “I think you and I have a lot in common, Master Aether. I know why I keep coming here, despite it always ending the same way. Why do you?”

     Though they know he likely sees nothing much in the air, Aether follows his gaze. “Even if it isn’t seeing my family, it’s still a choice I can make. Better to choose for myself to commit to a fruitless endeavor, I think, than to settle for what someone else would dictate I do. I have a great deal to offer Olympus, but it has nothing to offer me. Nothing that I’m interested in, anyway. Perhaps the luxuries and the perfectionism of the gods is something for mortals to aspire to, but I don’t think it wrong to want for something... simpler.”

Zagreus nods. “Many of the Titans are languishing in itty bitty pieces down in Tartarus, too. But I didn’t know what had happened to any of Nyx’s other children. Than and Hypnos never talk about any of you at all, although I’m sure it isn’t for lack of care. Everyone in the Underworld is constantly overworked and has been for eons.”

He nods again at their explanation of their divinity, more thoughtfully this time. “I understand. I think. It’s…the same way that Nyx is the mother figure who spends most of her time at my father’s house, but she’s also the night itself. Right? Sort of odd to think of Thanatos that way, though…”

“Hello, little birdie.” Zagreus holds out a careful finger on the hand Aether isn’t still holding, trying to coax the winged thing onto it. It steps from finger to finger, cautious, but only a few seconds after the prince lifts his hand with a broad smile, it flaps off. “Aw.”

And now he isn’t sure what to do with his free hand…he just rests it on his lap for now. “Would you be able to visit the Underworld yourself and see them all again?”

     There’s something to be envied, there, hearing Zagreus so casually mention these people that Aether has only seen in their dreams, when they do bother to sleep. He must know their faces, remember their voices—has no need to remember because he must see them, right? It’s suddenly harrowing to think that this stranger holds such knowledge of their family that they may never have, and... Aether would love to say that they don’t mind this. It certainly isn’t Zagreus’ fault, these circumstances, he hasn’t done anything, much less anything wrong. 

     Aether watches the birds fly off, and their lips press thin.

     “I can barely survive here. The mist of the Underworld would decimate me, without doubt.” They’re no longer scared by such thoughts, though now... Aether can’t help a tinge of anger to their words. Were it that it didn’t affect them so, that their bodies were not so... fragile– what would it take? Could the effort of descending into Hades be so much greater than they exert already just to descend, if they possessed a body that could withstand it? But there’s– they have no reason to be angry. Aether deflates and the anger vanishes instantly. They can’t tell if this tiredness is because of the air, or because of... everything else.

@wargodling | SC

     The excitement of reaching the surface always grows dull, the harder they must fight to make it there.

      Lord Zeus has long been aware of their antics and has just as long employed a wide array of deceptions and strategies to stop Aether from leaving Mount Olympus, and though not a single one has worked in his favor thus far, the primordial can't help their anxiousness, paranoia blooming with every cracking twig and shuffling leaf around them in anticipation of the next beast he sics upon them. Every forest here has ears and Aether would likely be ignorant to think none of them would aid the Lord of Olympus, if he so desired it; when the sound of footsteps reaches their ears, and the air shivers with the power of an Olympian... they would bolt, if not for the unfamiliar feeling. A god they don't recognize, somewhere in the trees.

“Oh good, you’re here! I came as fast as I could. I–oh.” Zagreus isn’t sure what to make of this…hand-holding thing they’re doing, though now that he’s slightly further from the brink of death, he recalls that they did this last time, too. Casual touching. Maybe it’s a surface thing, or an Olympus thing, or…just an Aether thing. Either way, it’s hard to reciprocate when you’ve got deadly claws for gloves, and he knows now from experience that Aether’s hands are soft and light and cool–rather pleasant, really. So after a moment, he lets the Fists fade into wherever they go when he’s not actively wielding them.

“Please, just Zagreus is fine. Sorry for the wait, getting up here is–well, it’s a bit of a hassle. Defeating shades and champions and Furies and my father, you know, the usual.” But enough about that– “Er, what were those things that flew away just now? They looked like overly large butterflies with a lot more meat on them.”

     “Hm? The birds, you mean? I suppose that’s one way to describe them, yes.” Aether leads Zagreus back to the tree then, content it seems to keep hold of the prince’s hands even once they coax him to sit. “But that certainly does sound like a great deal of effort? Why is it that you have so much difficulty coming here, then?” 

“Wait! Master Aether, wait–” But they’re gone, and Zagreus isn’t far behind, collapsing back against the tree as the bloody river rises through the snow to claim him. “How…am I supposed to…find you…”

Climbing out of the pool back at the House, he wastes no time in rounding the corner to look for Nyx, but she’s not there. “Damn,” he mutters. “Next time, then.” The halls are emptier than usual, in fact, and Zagreus doesn’t want to wait around for everyone to show up again–surely, Aether will come looking for him again, right? And he doubts they have to fight half their realm to get there, and he doesn’t want to keep them waiting…so he chooses to bring Malphon this time, pummeling shades to dust almost as quickly as they can manifest.

It’s a quick journey this time around, relatively speaking, but he trades a bit of caution for the speed. By the time he bests Hades again, he’s had to defy death twice and his muscles burn with fatigue, but he doesn’t let it slow him down. He sets out in the snow once more in the same direction as last time, hoping he didn’t take so long returning that the god of rarefied air gave up on him.

     This time, once the prince has wandered further from the Temple of Styx, the primordial deity certainly seems to be waiting for him. The fallen tree that had earlier become their seat has been cleared of snow, and the god perches atop– no, hovers over it, it would seem. Aether brightens to see the prince has returned, and when they jump to their feet, the creatures crowded around their feet, odd little... winged things, they startle and take flight.