duke.

     “I’m not a farmer either.” Hana had simply thrown herself into planting vegetables and fruits in her backyard, and then she got the chickens. Her brows arched slightly at the question, and she shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe. They are for me.”

He apologizes, he straightens up, and it doesn’t make her feel any less uneasy and Medusa finds herself braced against the counter. It’s after hours, her gloves are off, she likes to sit at the pottery wheel herself, she doesn’t need to conceal her power for such a thing. All it would take would be a touch and he’d be a statue right there in the middle of the studio. The train of thought is derailed at the sound of his name, at the sound of Poseidon’s and her eyes widen.

She knew it’d happened, that she’d died and there’d been that damn horse. As far as god’s went, it was a fair way to claim children and yet the mere idea that Poseidon had anything to do with it….

“That’s not possible.” Her voice is quiet, as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. Mother. The word feels like she’s being stabbed. She moves from the counter to move past him, not even sparring him a glance as she stands by the door. “Go. Whatever trick you’re playing, take it and go.” 

Krys always imagined that meeting Medusa would be wonderful. That she would cry tears of joy when first meeting him, that she’ll welcome in with hugs and unconditional love. He wanted that motherly love that he saw other mortals experience. Of a mother who held onto him, who told their children fantastical stories, who kissed their foreheads, and even those who scolded them. He wanted that, he wanted his mother to be exactly like that. But better, for her to be the perfect mother. However, his rose colored lenses were shattered by her words and actions. 

She didn’t even look at him. She breezed right past him as if he was invisible. And he wasn’t invisible this time. 

Don’t ask how or why he ended up at the university, just know that he was curious. Curious of the mortals who all filed in and out of this building-- what was so special about it? Always the one who had to know and see everything, he wondered inside, invisible of course. No one could see him, allowing him to walk around without being questioned. Not like anyone would’ve questioned him if they saw him, they were all so focused on the little rectangular things-- what in the world were those? He had seen everyone with one, even the vampire who took in Eloise had the rectangle. I must learn how to acquire one of those, Krys thought to himself, maneuvering through the rush of students who were leaving from a room. At first, he was going to continue walking without batting an eye but there was someone inside who’s magic caught his attention. It was powerful, old, like his own. Following the pull like a mouse to cheese, Krys wandered inside without a single mortal seeing him. Just like old times, he was able to slip through crowds and no one would take notice of him. Once inside of the room, he saw her, the woman who was like him. She was talking to others, all asking her various questions about something, he didn’t know nor did he care. All he did was inch closer and closer until he stood just some feet from the woman and the student. He could hear their conversation but he didn’t really understand what they were talking about, it all went over his head. Or better yet, it went through one ear and out the other, never sinking into his brain. Though it was interesting, to listen in on the two, he took notice of how excited the woman was, the love for her occupation could be heard in her voice. Good for her, Krys thought to himself, rocking gently on the balls of his feet. More people should love what they do for a living!

He’s like Penelope, he knows who she is. And yet unlike her, he seems more nervous than excited and that’s somehow a little pleasing, the idea that he could be afraid of her. He should be, and yet his words suggest maybe it’s not fear driving him, but awe. That’s acceptable, she’ll take it. “Who are you?” Medusa gets right to it, stands there before him with her arms over her chest, hip cocked against the register counter. He isn’t someone she recognizes but he is someone like her, one of the rifts. With the emergence of Penelope, she had figured there must be more of them around that she had yet to encounter. “I’m not too fond of people just dropping in.” 

Narcissus had wondered when he’d find another similar to himself. Well, magic wise, at least. This guy was clearly missing from some far, far end of the Greek afterlife. They were just letting anyone out these days, apparently. “I mean – I was hoping I was wrong, but that was wishful thinking. You’re…like me, but not on the same level. That goes without saying. Anyway, the lizard looks like dreadful conversation. Maybe you and I can chat instead. I think that’s a better idea, actually. Come on now. Let the gecko be and stop pressing your face against the glass. There are germs everywhere.”

     “Because… this store is all about animals?” Hana frowned a little, wondering what was so wrong about thinking she could get what she needed here. While she hadn’t lived in Corinth for a few years, things couldn’t be so different. “Do you have a better suggestion as to where I could get food for them?”

@corinthbaystarters

Bolts of agonizing pain wrack through Kit’s body sending him stumbling over, grasping onto whatever surface he could keep himself up. The full moon was still a few nights away and he could already start to feel the mystifying pull. The beasts will only grew stronger as the current waxing moon rose higher into the rapidly darkening sky. “Shit,” his voice was shaky, but thankfully still human. He still had time to get the hell out of there, he’d been working with the animals, about to head back inside to grab some dinner and go to sleep. The last thing he needed was to shift in the barn and take out the homesteads animals. Pushing open the doors to the stable and closing them quickly behind him, he took off into the country side, trying to get as far as he could from the farm before it took over. 

Grabbing at his pants, he pulled them off as if they were burning him, standing naked in the night air Kit gasped. He fell to his knees and then forward on his hands, trying to master his torment; but it’s no use. A crack, a branch snapping, leaves rustling. No. Someone was there, someone was coming, eyes already a starling yellow, claws replaced fingers and a wolf snout started protruding where his face should be, skin ripping, bones breaking. Painful cries turned into snarls. An inhuman voice growled from the back of his throat before the transformation was complete. “Get out of here!” but before long, the young man had disappeared in a mess of skin and blood, a beast stood instead, lapping blood off its chops. 

He didn’t have a proper home, which he was alright with. The forest would act as his home for the time being, he felt comfortable there anyways. He made friends with all sorts of woodland creatures, finding their company much better than other beings. While only able to communicate with reptiles, it didn’t stop him from being friendly with others, using whatever reptile was around to act as his translator. Krys was like the real life version of a Disney princess, with animals that followed behind him or only having animals as his friends. The biggest difference was that he didn’t sing nor did he have a prince-- which he was entirely fine with.

He sat under a tree, smiling and talking with a Testudo graeca who spoke fondly of her family. A mother who loved her children oh so much, how lovely. His smile almost dropped throughout the conversation, memories of his own mother flooding his mind. It was a terrible first interaction and it might’ve been their last, well, that all depended on him of course. He could continue pushing or leave her alone. His thoughts were put to an end, Krys instantly feeling the presence of a werewolf nearby. “Excuse me,” he said, standing up to his feet. “I’ll have to cut our conversation for now. I have to take care of something. Please get home and tell your family that I said hello. I’ll try to visit one day.” A quick nod of the head and he was off.

          brow’s quirked,  but to his credit cassian turns towards the lizard with all the respect he can muster. “  my sincerest apologies, eloise. you’re looking very … scaly today.  “   features scrunch, turning his attention back to the other with a curve of his lips. there’s no way he can hide his amusement,  “  imagine this, but even bigger animals,  worse conditions   &   little human children screaming at the top of their lungs while throwing small popped corn kernels.  “

“A story I’ve heard one too many times, I think.” Ørjan said as the spirit thought of their own tale, they had been without their talisman for almost as long as they had been with it. The Asgardians, the Mokri, genasi, the list went on of people who’d taken him from his home. Ørjan studied Krys for a moment, the boy had always been completely charmless, fixed in a way in his own perception of the world. “And you, Krys?” Ørjan tested, “What has brought you here, your aunts?” 

      Having chickens was in no way comparable to having children, but it was nice to be busy, to have something to do when her mind started going in circles. Hana had decided to go to the pet store to pick up some necessities for the animals living in her backyard. Her feet carried her through the store, and she couldn’t help but notice the man who was seemingly talking to a lizard. Never a good sign. She had had enough patients over the years to realize as much, though she was not one to judge too quickly considering the supernatural world could also play a factor in such unusual behavior. “I’m sorry for interrupting,” she said politely, brushing her hair behind her ear. “I was just trying to find some chicken food. I suppose it’s not here, considering the lizard you’re talking to.”

        somehow he’d found himself in a pet store, it definitely wasn’t to get a bag of cat food for the stray cat that had somehow seemed to adopt him. or at least, that’s what he’d tell himself despite the bag of kitty chow tucked underneath his arm. “  right,  talking to the lizard.  trust me,  i heard you across the store.  “  it sounds humored at least,  head tilts,  eyeing aforementioned lizard with something like vague interest. there’s something off about the other if talking to a reptile is any indication,  a snort.   “  boy if you think this is bad are you going to be unhappy when you hear about zoos.  “

It was worth noting that there was magic in his blood, but he wasn’t a witch. Emma could tell that much, he was something she’d never encountered before. She watched as he continued his conversation with the lizard, solidifying a friendship that Emma had lightly joked about. Curiouser and curiouser though she couldn’t discount that the exchange was a true one, Emma had seen her share of parlour tricks over the years. A boy that could talk to lizards was hardly that unusual when compared to an immortal girl who needed a magic ring to walk in daylight and would otherwise live forever. “Charmed to meet you both.” Emma said simply, “Does Eloise want to get out of this place?” The vampire offered, she was looking for a pet after all and while lizards were more maintenance, Eloise had a certain charm about her. 

“Can I help you with something?” It’s late, she’s about to head from behind Keramos’s counter to switch the sign to closed when she pauses. Because the young man who’d come through the doorway, he feels different, she can sense it. Rifts, that’s what Anastasia Vidalis had called them to the citizens of the bay, those that were from beyond the veil, from Elysium, in her experience, the Underworld. Medusa does not recognize the man before her, but she does feel wary of anyone new. “I’m about to close up.” @chrysxor​

@chrysxor·

Like any spirit made of air and fire, Ørjan was temperamental. Scylla had made strides to curve the worst of the oneiroi’s morality but there was a time when they had been petty, vindictive, and had delighted in the mismatched pairing of mortals. He tore apart the couples he did not like, and pushed together those that he thought would work best together. It had been centuries since he’d had access to his power, and even longer since Ørjan had had the agency to use it of his own accord. Scylla, The Mokri, there was no shortage of people who seemed to think they knew how best to use Ørjan’s magic. The oneiroi was not a stranger to divinity, and despite being without his power he could feel something potent within the blue eyed boy who was whispering something to a tree frog. “That one looks far from home, don’t you think?” Ørjan commented simply, referring not only to the frog but to the strange boy who appeared to be in a deep conversation. The boy reminded the spirit of someone that he’d known long ago, another strange child who communicated best with either a golden sword or a forked tongue. “I wonder how it could have gotten all this way.”

Emma needed a companion, one that hopefully required minimal effort to take care of and would live for a long time. A tortoise maybe. Did they sell tortoises in the pet store? Maybe not, but they probably had turtles. Her home was quiet and she lived alone so there wasn’t much in the way of things that could disturb the creature, but still, Emma was at a bit of a loss until she happened upon a peculiar boy talking to a lizard. The vampire understood that talking to animals wasn’t altogether that strange, but an extended two-way conversation was a bit out of the ordinary. “Did you make a friend there?” Emma asked simply, brow quirked in the boy’s direction despite the fact that his gaze never truly left the lizard.