A G A B

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listening carefully, he gave the other a soft smile as he moved in closer. “come on - i’ll help you then.” looking around in place for a moment, he chuckled to himself as he then turned towards the other. “– mood right? let’s see if we can ask someone to point us to the right section and we’ll get started there, i’m actually now curious what they might have on moods… but, i hope that friend of yours is okay… and i hope this might help.” nodding, marcos turned as to make it over to where he might be helped - being told where to look he began to make his way over, arms crossed as he looked at some of the books before him. “alright. i guess let’s get to work then yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Hudson nods, amused by Marco’s instinct to ask for help in a magical library. “But, you don’t have to ask anyone. I mean,” he pauses, tucking the book under his arm. “You could, but you don’t have to.” A vague gesture towards his head, “you just have to concentrate on what ya want. Think about it and eventually, you’ll get this like... hunch on where it’s at.”

“i – i don’t know … sorry, i didn’t mean to assume.” cringing to himself as he stepped back he shook his head. taking a long swig of his flask he took this moment to just mentally reset. hearing the rest of it he started to take it in and he couldn’t help but laugh to himself. “so we’re both on the same boat then, yeah? — and here i was wanting to see you use lightning bolt.” marcos moved over towards the books and began to look around more. “then – what were you trying to find here then?” 

“Been looking for books on mood,” Hudson seems to deflate as he admits that. “Not for myself, but a friend. Something really awful happened to him and he’s been down. But, I’ve got attention problems...” he gestures towards his head. “So, every time a random thought pops into my head, I end up with books on it. Like with lobsters, I suddenly started to wonder if there was such thing as sea spiders and scorpions, and---” he knocks a wooden shelf beside him. “Next thing I know, the library’s lured me to the books about lobsters and crabs.”

beau stands up, flattening the front of his shirt as he looks at hudson and shakes his head. he closes his eyes and counts to three before he opens them again and settles them on hudson. “i’m not even your friend.” he laughs a bit, the smile on his face forced. “it’s funny. i was always one of the few people who stood in your corner and helped you out, but you can’t do one thing i ask which is simple enough: don’t do something that will endanger the others.” he turns and begins to walk away, tossing a look over his shoulder. “good luck without me watching out for your hudson. we’ll see how long you actually last.” and with that, beauregard leaves mageia and leaves hudson behind. 

“I can tell,” Hudson turns his focus to the instructions, reading the same line over and over again as Beau goes about his mind games. He keeps quiet through it all, waiting until the demigod leaves before turning to Mara, pitching his voice as high as he possibly could. “Don’t go on quests. Don’t do anything on quests, when you do. Don’t do things first. Don’t touch Amadeo---in fact, don’t acknowledge he even exists!“ Mara quirks her head, Hudson’s voice dropping as he frowns and hunches over the book. “He might as well ask me not to exist anymore.”

Hudson told his story and Blake listened intently, making sure to take in every detail that was presented to him. When the other finally finished his explanation of the trails, Blake couldn’t help but let out a nervous chuckle, waiting for the others face to crack too. “You’re kidding right?” A pause. It lasted longer than he wanted it to. “Surely you’re kidding?” Locked in the dark for days on end, tormented by clowns and surgeons and demons. It sounded horrific, the kind of thing that could change someone, scar them for life…but maybe that was the point? “W-why…why would he do that to you? Put you…us, through that? I know it’s relevant to him being Deimos and all…but that’s…not the kind of shit you put your kid and his friends through.” There was a sudden chill down Blake’s spine, mouth going dry at the thought of what everyone might have to endure in the upcoming trial, what other gods would put them through, especially if it was dependant on their powers. Shit…how long would they be held underwater when trialling for Poseidon? Would they have to actually die to trial against Hades? “I um…I’m sorry you had to go through all that. Fingers crossed the next one’s less…” he couldn’t find the right words so he let it trail off.

“I mean, to him and our parents, all of that was probably tame? And it coulda been worse!” Hudson quirks his head, a hand reaching up to rub his neck anxiously. “And besides, the mom was a vampire and her daughter begged us to us to stop her. Look,” Hudson sighs, letting his hands drop to his sides. “I dunno what the others learned from it, but the lesson I picked up was---that I can’t go around taking people’s fears or turning their fear into hope---” There had been a lot of lessons packed into such a small amount of time. “People aren’t want they appear. Yeah, she was a grieving mom, but she was also a vampire and she wanted her resurrect her daughter and turn her into one. And the kid...” The demigod frowns as his gaze falls to the floor. “Her worst fear was being turned into a monster. If I give the wrong person hope, all I do is I hurt the innocent souls who actually deserve and need it.” It didn’t make watching the poor woman die in such a violent and horribly way any easier, but at least he knew to be more careful with his power and identity. “I’m glad we went through it. I’m glad I went through it.”

sometimes he wonders if hudson ever actually aged up or if it was just his body. beau stares at him with a bored expression on his face and leans back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he waits for the man to finish his tantrum. “are you done?” beau questions, voice short and brimmed with a temper. “i meant raising the dead through a quija board or some strange ritual. use your powers, use the shades.” he waves a hand dismissively. “but don’t resurrect them just because you think you can.” he stands up, already done with the conversation. “and grow up, hudson. act your age, not your shoe size.”

“sure i can. i have ways of stopping men from being themselves all the time.” he grins, tilting his head to the side and flashing one of his brilliant smiles in hudson’s direction. it’s all for show, all a plow he’s used countless times to get what he wants. “keep the dead, dead. no bringing back stalin or anyone else for that matter.” he closes the book that hudson opens with a little bit of force. “i do not want to have to help save you all from something that one of us created. got it?”

the elbow swings back and beau dodges it easily, a simple side step that keeps his face perfectly safe. he tsks, shaking his head as he moves around the table that hudson is at and sits across from him. “i’ve always been good at sneaking around, hudson.” beau sounds bored and his gaze moves to his hand as he looks at his nails for a moment. “well,” beau starts, leaning across the table. “if it puts any of them in danger, you know what i’ll do to protect them.” he reaches forward and bops hudson on the nose. “and that includes if you become a danger to yourself.”

after convincing someone to let him into mageia, beau’s search for hudson begins. he’s pointed toward the library and he’s quiet with his movements. he doesn’t want the other spooked and running when he comes in. he sees him through some of the stacks, a mountain of books and pages upon pages scattered around him. cerulean eyes flash rose for a moment as beau marks him. slowly, like a feline predator, beau stalks closer. his footsteps are light, barely making a sound against the floorboard. he slinks up behind him, peering over his shoulder as he gets right next to hudson’s ear. 

“don’t even fucking think about it.”

“traumitized more than we already are - sure, love that for us.” he laughed awkwardly as he thought about the trial and he wondered so much about if, even if he was ready for anything. listening to the small fact the other began to tell him, marcos couldn’t help but cock his head and try to not burst out laughing. “not what i expected when  – when you said if i wanted to learn something new.. i thought you were about to show me how to get better at all this and – i guess lobster facts could work.” marcos took the postive side of this and laughed. “it was cute – but no, really – show me the good stuff.. there has to be something cool in this books right?” taking the flask from his side pocket, he flipped it opened and took a quick swig of the wine that coated his lips. “care for a drink?” 

‎

He shakes his head at the offer, his brows rising up to his hairline at the other man’s assumptions of him. “Do I look like a wizard?” Hudson asks. “I mean, I did just switch, but I ain’t no wizard or witch.” He wasn’t quite sure what the difference was between the two---if there even was one---but he felt it was probably best to mention them as well. Couldn’t have the new guy thinking that was the only thing Mageia produced. “I used to be in Aspida before this, so I’m kind of new to all of this wizarding magic stuff, too. The only magic I’ve learned is how to make myself a real Pikachu.” He wrinkles his nose, playing with the edge of his book. “Haven’t tried it yet---super expensive getting all the materials.”

Blake couldn’t help laugh a little at the nickname, one he surprisingly hadn’t been called yet. “Yeah I heard about that,” he slowed himself so the other could keep up with his walking pace. “I was gonna say ain’t that the one that’s specific to each demi? How-” a pause, wondering if he was allowed to ask so many questions, “-how do those things work? Like I assume it ain’t like a normal quest like we’ve been on?”

“Well, yeah, and it’s kind of complicated?” Hudson’s head bobs at the first question. “It’s gonna be his dad testing him and us a little bit, but mostly him.” He wasn’t sure if all the trials were going to go about a similar manner as his did. “and we gotta help him get through it.” The demigod toys with the chain of his father’s gift to him, adjusting the necklace around his neck. “Uh, for mine, we went to Dracula’s castle and wandered around for a few days in total darkness with the occasional jump scare and anxiety attack. Well, I did,” His nose wrinkles as he recalls the others having gone through far worse things. “Everybody else had to run away from killer clowns and plastic surgeons---some of us got possessed and tried to kill each other---and then we had to kill a grieving mom who was just trying to bring her daughter back from the dead.” He lets out a slow breath, eyes wide as he remembers the woman’s screams as Jordan torched her alive. “That part was rough.”

  arms crossed - he knew he was still new in their eyes, but he didn’t see it that way. “ – when am i going to not be called that anymore.” he rolled his eyes while he moved over to look at the books around them. “i’m always in the mood to learn - something - anything… so hit me with it.” marcos really felt ready to get out there and start to understand more what he might be capable of - which scared him but also made him excited to learn. 

“I think we’re all new compared to the ones who grew up here.” Hudson points out as he leans up against a bookshelf. “But, give it til the trial---once you’re as traumatized as the rest of us---nobody’ll call you newbie.” The demigod’s brows jump at the request. “Uh, Lobsters talk to each other by peeing in each other’s eyes?” He answers awkwardly, unsure if he really wanted Hudson to hit him or if he wanted a random bit of information. “They can also taste with their feet.”

“you like fucking me out in nature, don’t you?” beau asks him, chuckling. he wonders if hudson remembers before, out in the wildflowers, before he was reverted back to a child. he’d enjoyed that day, quite a lot actually. he takes hudson’s hand and stands up before he stretches his arms over his head. “to the mountains.” he says with a laugh and a roll of his eyes. “if you still have the same dick, there will most likely be sexy times io give the trees and rocks.”

“Yo, Speedy Gonzales.” Hudson greets the son of Hermes as he passes by him. “We got a trial comin’ up,” he states as he decides to follow behind him. Blake had been around for months now, so he technically wasn’t new, but he was part of the half of the demis that have never been on a trial before. “You excited ‘bout it? Ready to be nearly killed by our parents to help Viorel prove his worth to his dad?”

beau lets their fingers lace together but he doesn’t hold them. he sighs for a moment, thinking about what they could do. “well, there’s clubbing, shopping, actually doing something that’ll get us high.” he could think of plenty of places to get some drugs and it wouldn’t even cost them a dollar. he hums as he continues to think. “i know plenty of ways to get the blood pumping but most of that requires sex.” he leans back against the chair he’s in, eyebrow arching. “we could go explore some of the mountains around here. see if we find any mystical animals or something.”

“Ah,” was all he said and with that he finally had an answer to almost a decade long question of what his brother had been obsessed with. Why it had to do with this house was another thing that just raised more questions. Not that he was going to ask them. “Glad I am not the only one then.” He said with a small sound that almost resembled a chuckle. Izyk had spent too much time recently locked away from the world against his will that now he needed out to see and surround himself with it all once again. “Yes and I do.” Reaching behind him he grabbed his trident from where it had been strapped to his back. Gripping it with his right hand his brows furrowed some at the next mention of a giant bird. “Why has no one killed it yet?”

Rustic eyes settle on the trident---or as he liked to call it---the giant fork. “Cute!” Hudson chirps out, forcing a smile onto his face. The way he spoke of the others in House Aspida and now finding out his first instinct when it came to giant cattle eating birds was to kill it. “Uh, because it’s just living it’s life?” The demigod quirks his head at the question. “Where else is it going to go live that won’t end with humans trying to kill it other than here? Besides, we don’t want to piss off whoever made the thing.” Not yet, at least.