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Simon will just LIVE in this booth forever. (magienoir) wrote in yegods,
@ 2012-05-13 10:48:00

Entry tags:

!log, aristotle patrowski, simon renaud

Mercury, the Winged Messenger.
WHO Aristotle "Ari" Patrowski & Simon Renaud
WHERE Apt. SS
WHEN May 13th, 2012, Afternoon
RATING PG
SUMMARY There is much to discuss between co-conspirators.
STATUS Complete

Honestly? Today is a beautiful day. It's sunny. Its warm. There are birds chirping outside windows all across the city. In all honesty, there's very little the matter with Simon's life... he has a kitten; a boyfriend who wants to take him on a luxurious holiday; his classes are nearly finished for the year; even though he is playing sadly, he's not playing badly; and in general, there's summer to look forward to, even if he won't be able to spend any of it in Paris thanks to the Olympics shooting up European airfare to ridiculous prices. He is healthy, housed, and mentally stable. However, he is also very hungry, because he has found it hard to suffer food that tastes like gruel no matter what he puts on it, and besides which, it chafes him that the music he has spent so much time working on can't be played in his final solo. He only had two, after all.

He wanted them both to be special - he wanted to debut his work - and they are special, but now the damn thing is going to end up an angstfest. At least, he hopes, with the change in selections, he can at least inspire his audience to tears, because the music is beautifully sad. There's something to that, too, but Simon doesn't want to be sad. He wants to be glad, because he is young, it is late spring, and he is madly in love.

Instead, he is angry.

And this is why he's invited Ari over today. He knows Sunny will have a conniption. If there's one person she wants in their home less than Jack or Gus, it's Ari. However, Simon's room is perhaps the only safe place in New York for them to discuss what they mean to talk about today. Admittedly, whilst being hungry and disappointed are not things Simon can stomach particularly well, there's also a thrill of curiosity about what his mother and her cohorts have arranged this time. A monster from the void that can destroy gods. If they could somehow harness that power...

He sits on the steps of the apartment. This way, he can make sure to get Ari into his room as quickly and smoothly as possible. Sunny's bizarre terror of the man probably would keep her from saying anything on seeing him, but just in case she's in one of her louder moods - like she was with Jack - he's going to play it safe. It feels a little too warm to smoke somehow, so instead, he just watches people walking their dogs (ew dogs) and the light shifting between the leaves of the trees on the sidewalk. He doesn't look up until he feels the buzz of magic nearing. Then, he gets to his feet, smiling in an admittedly world-weary fashion.

"Bonjour."

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too_easy
2012-05-13 09:13 pm UTC (link)

It's been yet another couple weeks of strange occurrences. Ari supposes he has the outcast gods to thank for that; after all, it's their work that seems to really be fueling the upheaval in the demigod community these past months. He's been doing a little digging in his spare time, trying to get a feel for the sorts of deities that might be running this little underground group. Hecate is a known agent, and there a few others that seem reasonable to add to the list, such as Amatsu-Mikaboshi. Really, any god who has been spurned by their pantheon is a likelihood, and there's quite a mix.

Lately, however, he has been sidetracked with bringing himself up to date with the Celtic pantheon. It worries Ari that Brady was so quick to throw himself into the mess. He knows his best friend means well, but it does not bode well for the crossroads they will soon come to. Beyond that his research really wasn't all that fruitful. Dagda is in mourning. His methods of expressing this are frustrating, but probably not ill-intended. It wouldn't be the first time a deity punished Earth in their blind sorrow. Furthermore, someone has a treasure that should be returned to him. Ari is sure that there is already a demigod who is being prodded along to this conclusion, so it is not this that concerns him. There is so much more to be considered.

He walks up to the building indicated by the address Simon sent him earlier, and sure enough, the Frenchman is waiting for him. He nods a return greeting. "Alright, mate?" he calls, taking the steps to meet Simon at the door.

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magienoir
2012-05-14 12:11 am UTC (link)

This New Zealand greeting is lost on Simon, who assumes that Ari just wants to know why he's waiting outside. He isn't sure how to explain the fact that Sunny is actually very afraid of the man. It'd be insulting to her - and she's already angry at him - and besides, he and Ari aren't really bffs. "Everything's peachy," he replies with a shrug. "Just thought I'd get a little air. You're looking well." It's been about a month since they crossed paths. Of course, Ari always looks well. Ridiculously hot, really. Maybe not as lovely to him as his precious Daisuke, but still. He's allowed to look, isn't he? Looking isn't feeling or doing. It's just appreciating. However, feeling unsure about what the rules really are for this, he decides that perhaps it's best to turn away. He heads up the steps, unlocking the door, and holds it open for Ari. "My roommate is probably asleep, so we'll have to be quiet." She probably isn't. She's probably sulking. But for her own sake - because while he doesn't have anything to do with what happened to Gus - it'll be better if she just keeps her head down. Knowing her, the temptation to be Jaesun just to ruin this meeting is probably through the roof. No doubt, Auguste has described Jaesun to his friends, and Ari is too clever to gamble on.

So he leads the way by very quietly going up the stairs to the second floor and opening the unlocked apartment door. "Be careful not to touch the doorways," he murmurs before stepping inside. It doesn't look like Sunny is out. The door to her room is closed. He closes his eye, choking back a sigh of relief, and turns to smile and wave Ari inside. The apartment is fairly unadorned even still. There's a healthy collection of wine and liquor sitting on top of the refrigerator. There are also a few prints here and there in the public spaces - mainly abstract pieces, but also a few photographs of Paris and New York. He passes through those areas to the hallway where his room resides, opening that door and carefully stepping through to avoid the casing into his room, which is fairly subdued as well. As one might expect with Simon, it's very, very clean. There's a rug on the floor that has a sort of artsy look to it. Besides that, there's the bed with its teal and brown linens (and a few fluffy ornamental pillows), dark blue curtains that have been pulled shut for now - blocking out the light enough that it is rather dim in the room. To the right of the bed (standing parallel) is a desk with his closed MacBook on it, as well as the violin case. There's also a few photos in frames of Daisuke and Mandarine and Simon (newer additions to the room). There's an UCLA sweatshirt draped over the back of the office chair before it. On the other side of the bed is a dark lacquered nightstand with a half-finished glass of water and a bonsai tree, which looks peaky and yellow presently.

The art on the walls here, however, is by far racier: F. Holland Day's "St. Sebastian," a few of Gralls' "Male Cycle" pieces, Mapplethorpe's "Peter Berlin," as well as the perhaps not-so-shocking Cadmus and Hockney. The Leyendecker work is probably the least uncomfortable. The air smells like Simon's cologne: leather and sandalwood and a little citrus. But it also smells a bit like fresh laundry and just a hint of old smoke (and maybe Old Spice). He turns, looking a little scrutinizing (perhaps wondering what Ari's reaction to coming into his personal space might be). "You can shut the door, if you would. Just be careful of this frame, too." He will wait for Ari to do that before explaining. "My friend - the demon - put a spell on my room. It basically creates both visual and audio interference for any gods trying to spy on me. My mother is a bit of a problem. She doesn't like me meddling with the Nameless, though she's apparently been too busy to do anything but frown about it... He preemptively decided to make it harder for her to know when he was about. After all, they are a bit more like us than gods... Well, sort of. They're more powerful than we are, but more frail than the gods are. Make yourself at home. I want to hear your thoughts. Would you like a drink?"

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too_easy
2012-05-14 12:56 pm UTC (link)

Ari is slightly amused at the very detailed answer he receives to his greeting. He forgets sometimes that his phrasing can be confusing, especially to someone for whom English is a second language. It must be hard enough figuring out how Americans speak without adding the quirks of the other native English-speaking lands. He simply nods when told the roommate is sleeping, although Simon is fooling nobody. Ari pays enough attention to the GN to know exactly who Simon's roommate is. He hasn't seen Sunny in quite a while, and he has no intention of furthering hostilities at this point. After all, he is here to speak with Simon. Still, despite tensions seeming to have settled between the Korean girl and his flatmates, something still bothers Ari. The fact that Sunny's name came up when Gus was describing his attacker, even in a 'maybe reminded me a little of' reference, struck a chord with him. Heaven help that girl if Ari ever finds out that she is even remotely involved with this Jay character.

He follows Simon into the apartment, taking heed of the warnings and making sure his broad shoulders do not brush the frame. The apartment is much more put together than his own, generally tidier and more open. Carefully avoiding the second door frame, he looks around Simon's room with a raised eyebrow. The art is a bit much for Ari's taste, but then the Frenchman has never made a secret of his overt sexuality. More interesting to him are the photos. He closes the door at Simon's word and crosses to lean against the desk.

The explanation of why they are meeting in such a personal space draws Ari's hand to his jawline. "That's pretty handy," he replies in an even voice. "And what exactly does that cost on your side of the equation?" There's no way Simon is getting magical protection like this for free, and it would be nice to know just where is co-conspirator has his debts. He smiles at the drink offer. "Actually, yeah, a drink would be nice, aye. Just whatever you have. Water's fine, even. Cheers." As Simon handles that, Ari's eyes stray to one of the pictures of Daisuke. He wonders just how much the stalwart FBI agent knows of his lover's plans, and what he would think of them. Moreover, what effect would Daisuke's knowledge have on Simon?

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magienoir
2012-05-14 02:25 pm UTC (link)

Simon considers Ari's question, which is reasonable. He is dealing in demons. It's only to be expected there are hefty charges for favors done. "Well, you may think it a bit odd, but Jack happens to be... well, I'd say we're friends." He doesn't think that's entirely untrue. They have interesting conversations, Jack plays pranks on him, and he has come to truly enjoy their meeting each week - to look forward to it, even. He licks his lip, taking a seat on his bed. "But he's also a demon, so he can be very contrary. We have a curious relationship... That is, I have his true name, so technically, if I wanted to force him to do something - anything - I could. I think that knowing that on his side, as well as knowing that a deceived demon is very dangerous on my side helps to keep us both in check." His mouth quirks a little unevenly. "A system of checks and balances, you might say. I had to give him my native language for a week." Which one might not think sounds so bad, but it's actually exhausting to not be able to think in the language easiest to one's self. By the time the week was up, thinking at all felt like an exhausting exercise. "It's for his benefit as well. My mother is more powerful - and dangerous - than he is," Simon adds with a shrug.

However, Ari asks for a drink, so Simon gets up from his seat. "I'll just be right back," he says, slipping from the room. He's not too worried about people poking around. Given that he's living with Sunny, he obviously has made certain that the most important and dangerous things he owns are actually locked up in his desk (his potions ingredients, the list of angels' and demon's names, some of the books he stole from Nico's mansion, and his personal records. The closet is shut. There's nothing exciting in there anyway, though, unless Ari is secretly a fashionista with a love of other men's cologne, shoes, and effects. In fact, he has enough clothing, that not all of it fits in the closet, so there's a standing clothes rack near to it, behind a standing mirror (he requires looking at himself often, and since he doesn't have his own bath here...). The books out on his desk are things he doesn't really care if Sunny (or Ari presently) poke around in - some French, some English, some musical theory, some magical theory, some just plain old regular fiction... He doubts Ari is going to be as unscrupulous as Sunny (or Luz) about going through his room, though, even if he does immediately assume that the request for water is a request to poke around (paranoid - and vain - creature that he is).

He returns after a few moments with a couple of glasses of ice water. He holds one out to Ari, putting the other on the desk beside the computer, taking his seat from before on the edge of his bed. There really are only two options in this room - the desk chair, or the bed. "There is something else I'd like to ask you about, but first... The monster from the void. Interesting, isn't it? Something that could destroy a god, but which isn't as dangerous as Chaos. It sounds like someone accidentally released it - like with Malsumis. But I wonder... What if there's some way to control the creature? If nothing else, having that could give us some leverage..."

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too_easy
2012-05-15 12:50 pm UTC (link)

Ari doesn't move from his position when Simon leaves the room, nor does he touch anything. His gaze wanders over the books, but he doesn't expect to learn much more than he already knows. Simon is too smart to leave anything telling or important just lying around. He does linger on the photos. It's been obvious the effect Daisuke has had on Simon. It's all over the GN, and in person the changes are just as evident. The younger man seems to be softer around the edges, less aggressive. Of course, that all may change once they delve back into the meat of their little conspiracy. Still, Ari thinks that it is very good that Daisuke has become such a big part of Simon's life, at least from a selfish standpoint. It may bring Simon's opinions to a closer compromise with his own.

He mutters another "Cheers" when Simon returns, taking the glass and bringing it to his lips. The other man goes straight to the newest piece of information that has fallen in their laps. Simon is strangely idealistic, in a way. His mind has leapt directly to the most desirable conclusion: control of a creature that could smite the gods without unleashing Chaos. Yes, that would be ideal, but it sounds just too good to be true. He places the glass down on the desk, avoiding any papers, and crosses his arms.

"I reckon that'd solve a lot of problems," he says, although his face hardly screams 'This is it!' "But there's a lot to consider before we even think about whether we could control the creature. It's doubtful that this is just the cut-and-dry deal of monster eats god, god is gone for good, the end. Wasn't it your demon friend who said that there has to be balance? That something has to replace the power void left by the demise of a god? Well, then, what has replaced the Celtic Maiden? Was it the person who released the monster? Not to mention we have no idea how this creature operates. It might need to possess a human body, for example, or require some sort of sacrifice before it will attack." He reaches up again to rub his thumb along his jawline. "It could be that by its very nature, it cannot be controlled. It might just be an offshoot of Chaos."

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magienoir
2012-05-15 02:39 pm UTC (link)

Simon watches Ari, eager to see if he's as excited as Mickey and himself are about the potential of having some sort of attack dog that can actually take on a god. The words match the sentiment, but Ari's face looks too placid. Somehow, Simon thought he'd also be as giddy as they are about it. What he says next makes Simon's own eagerness fade. He blinks, considering this. Honestly, they don't really even know the nature of this monster. There's a lot they don't know, like who's taking on Brigid's powers. Another god? The monster itself? The human that released it? Jack said that the gods existed to control Chaos, but maybe no one has inherited Brigid's powers. Maybe it is a true agent of Chaos. Maybe each god it destroys brings the world closer to destruction.

"It's obvious that it was her and her companions who arranged its release - the latest Oracle posting practically said it outright." He presses his lips together. "But I don't think they want Chaos. They want power." Of course, it is his mother. In his opinion, she's crazier than Nico and Simon combined. No doubt, she and her comrades would, A) think that releasing something that could just as easily destroy them is a good idea as long as it destroys their enemies, too, and B) be arrogant enough to think that once they have enough power, they can easily put it back in the kennel. "So... what if no one inherited Brigid's powers? But there always has to be someone, or else there will be Chaos, and the world hasn't been destroyed yet... So someone must have. I can't claim to know what all of the outsiders want, but I have little doubt that Maman and her--" SHUDDER. "--lover want to be the king and queen of the gods - of the universe - which would be impossible, if everything dissolved into Chaos." But he doesn't know what the other outcasts are after... and maybe she doesn't either. There may be gods far more reckless and destructive than the Baron and Hecate involved in this.

He looks downright worried now as he considers another problem. "What if the person who released it was the one from that earlier prophecy? The one about 'those with the darkness' - remember? We could be looking at another enemy..." He pulls at his lower lip, brow knitted. "Though it might not be that. Someone must have inherited her responsibilities and powers. I feel like we ought to at least try to learn about what exactly this monster is. It could be a useful weapon, after all..." Or they might have to find some way to destroy that thing, too.

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too_easy
2012-05-17 03:08 am UTC (link)

Ari watches his words take root with a certain measure of relief. There had been the worry that Simon might brush them off, blinded by the potential of power. While the Frenchman is cunning and incredibly clever, prudence does not seem to be one of his merits. He nods a few times as Simon vocalizes thoughts he too has had concerning the creature that has been released and the assumptions of those who released it. "I've not spoken to your demon friend about this as you have, but it could be that, if Brigid's powers were not inherited by anyone, that there may be an imbalance in favor of the gods. It could even explain why so many of the outcast deities' plans have been successful. Nature, left to its own devices, craves balance, which means there's some favor for the underdog; in this case, Chaos and those who seek it. If the power of the gods outweighed that of Chaos, that could account for Brigid's complete annihilation without obvious detriment besides a mourning father. Her destruction wasn't enough to give Chaos an advantage, and as such did not need to be replaced.

"This is just a theory, aye," he adds, shrugging and dropping into the desk chair. "There's not anything solid to support it without finding out what exactly happened to Brigid's powers. I reckon the place to start would be the bloke who was tapped to end Dagda's reign of sorrow. Saleh, isn't it? He and Gus are mates; Gus accompanied him on the quest. It's possible the gods supplied him with more information about what happened than we have. They also could have simply threatened him, but it's still worth looking into." Ari reaches for his glass of water. He pauses just before bringing it to his lips, looking at Simon over the rim. "Has your mother contacted you at all since Halloween?" he asks. He chooses not to invoke Hecate's name; magical interference there may be, but there is no need to chance catching her attention.

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magienoir
2012-05-17 01:35 pm UTC (link)

"I've never met him," Simon replies with a shrug. "But perhaps you might be able to... use your connections to talk to him?" Ugh, Gus. Any friend of Gus's is... probably a stupid slut. Presently company probably excluded. He doesn't know about Ari's personal endeavors, after all. In any case, Saleh. There's a name attached to the journal entries now. Egyptian, if the handle has anything to do with it. "Be careful around him," he says after a moment. "He might be a child of the evil Egyptian sand god... And I hear that's a god one doesn't want to be careless around." He chews his lower lip. "The one son I do know of for certain... well, he seems more afraid fo his father than I am afraid of my mother..." Which is a nice little bridge to the next question. "Yes, I have. She didn't appear again until last month. She doesn't know about this, but she does know about Jack. That's why he put the spell on my room. She also..."

He pauses, studying Ari quietly for a long moment. "She doesn't like my dealings with the Nameless, but I believe at present she finds it to be a meaningless act of rebellion. She is a very arrogant creature. If she were not, well, perhaps things would be different." She might have apologized for letting him die painfully. She might have interceded with Nico at any point. She wouldn't have pitted him against Nico in the first place. Or she would have realized the devastation caused to their relationship by what happened then. But she did not. She assumes, as always, that she has planted the seeds of longing well enough that her children will do anything - anything - to please her.

"Did I already tell you? She... may have been involved with Canonici." He clears his throat, looking away at last. "She told me that the son of the pervert should be wary... I'm going to let you take a guess what god she meant. The only thing is, 'the son of the pervert,' as it were, has taken an interest in talking to me. In fact, he's asked to have coffee with me this Wednesday. He could be useful to us, depending on what he can do. The problem is... He may be a bit indiscreet and... mentally weak." He bites his lip. "I don't want to throw away any resource. You never know what could tip the scales. So if he could be a valuable asset to our... team, then I don't want to push him away exactly.

"But you already see the issue, don't you? Maman is aware that I am being 'naughty' - she knows that this room is now guarded against her, and so we even have to be careful with how we use this - and he is most certainly on her radar. I can't really communicate with him without triggering suspicion, and she's much too clever not to start putting things together quickly once the trap's been sprung. I need you to suss him out... I trust that you will understand fully that this is a matter of life or eternities of suffering for us and possibly our loved ones, and that while we oughtn't be careless and overlook something or someone who could help us, we also can't take meaningless risks. We need to know that he is strong enough to shoulder the potentially bad consequences, devoted to the cause if not loyal to use, and able to practice far greater discretion than he's displayed presently.

"I need you to do this, because I trust your intellect and your logic to be able to cut through sentiment and see if this is too big of a risk or not. Mickey is too..." Soft at the core. Dedicated whole-heartedly, yes, and no doubt unwilling to do anything that might hurt him or Ari, but still too soft to not be taken in by a bleeding heart. "No, this is something I believe only you can do, or maybe, this is something I only trust you to be able to do."

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too_easy
2012-05-19 11:47 am UTC (link)

Ari listens quietly, his forearms resting on his knees. He hears the derisive pause as Simon speaks of his 'connections;' like Sunny, Gus is a polarizing figure between the two of them. Provided no harm is done to his flatmate by Simon's hands, however, a difference in opinion on the brash New Yorker isn't going to be an issue in Ari's eyes. He nods and murmurs, "I'll see what Gus can tell me about how the quest went."

So it seems Hecate is definitely staying on her toes. She's keeping an eye on Simon; even dropping him hints. It could be a tactic of intimidation, especially if she did have a hand in Milo Canonici's death; a warning that she can handle whoever is causing her annoyance. And those targets could move from strangers to acquaintances to their loved ones if they are not very careful about where they step.

His eyebrows raise slightly as Simon discusses the possible new recruit. The son of the pervert... Well, many, if not most, of the gods have some obvious perversions. Within their own pantheon, Zeus and Dionysus probably best qualify. That could mean the detective Rick Palmer. He had been investigating Canonici's murder; that could lead the right man to a lot of questions and certainly the notice of the perpetrator. This must be the potential ally. Ari leans back into the chair, taking a moment to consider.

"I reckon I can suss him out, aye," he replies. "I assume you've already nudged him that way?" He paused. "You seem pretty confident that I'm not on your mother's radar yet." He looks at Simon, the unasked question hanging in the air, Just how sure are you?

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magienoir
2012-05-19 04:34 pm UTC (link)

It's interesting to watch Ari as he thinks. Simon hasn't really put much thought to who his divine parent might be. In their previous meeting, there was no point in him trying to deny his parentage, and Mickey just didn't know (and he thinks she probably doesn't, because she strikes him as a terrible liar, and he didn't think she was lying, as he did with Hector), but Ari just didn't say. Given he's in with the Golden Boys, it's not a huge leap of logic to assume he probably has a supposedly "good' divine parent. Wisdom and strength. Could be a number of them: though Odin and Athena immediately jump to mind. Honestly, it might even have been Brigid, except that he thinks Ari would be a lot more upset about what's happened. Admittedly, if Hecate was killed - even if it was ironically by the very monster she probably helped arrange to free - he would be upset. It's not okay unless it's him. That's sort of how their family works, which is messed up, but he just doesn't think about it. Better to accept the weirdness as it is.

And speaking of which, he's not immediately certain that Ari is asking him a question. It isn't delivered as one. However, he's giving Simon a look, so he realizes that perhaps Ari means for him to expound on why it's safer for him to do this than Simon, and perhaps on why he shouldn't think he's being set up. Or at least, that's how Simon takes it. He clears his throat. "For the same reason that I don't believe she knows about..." He waves between the two of them, shrugging. "She is a very arrogant goddess. Despite being from the Titans, the pervert let her walk free. She's generally gone unmolested for centuries. Besides which, she is perhaps the only one of the pantheon left who is legitimately worshipped to this day. You can't really say that about many, can you? Just the Shinto pantheon, I'd wager. She may not have a great deal of followers, but she's had followers throughout the ages. I don't know what she was like at the time that they battled the Olympians. Perhaps she was very different from what she is now."

Though all of her most famous daughters are truly messed up in myth - a sea monster, a witch who turns men into pigs, a woman who murdered her children - so probably not.

"But I do know what she is now, and I know that with each one that she frees, her hubris grows. Not only that, but she's made... manipulating her children an art. Honestly, she could know. She could have figured it all out, but I think that if she did, she would have already sent my brother to dispatch me, because I think that I have amassed enough knowledge to be a legitimate threat to her." His eyes momentarily flick to his desk drawer with the list of names, many of which he's already put to memory. "She is proud and bored, but she is also smart and ambitious. She would most certainly have me killed, and she hasn't, has she? And so I firmly believe that she believes I am in the palm of her hand and would not do anything to trouble her..." Because like the rest, he'll be yearning so deeply for her affection - so constantly withheld, but so often hinted at - it would be impossible. "If she did know, she'd probably at least visit me again to tell me to stop associating with you. She wants to keep her game pieces if she can, even if she also is completely capable of sweeping them from the board.

"So that's why. Because I know her, and because she hasn't done those things I believe she would do... but I think it's best we end this conversation for now... She can't fully hear into this room, but she can get bits and pieces if she really tries... Even if she shouldn't be awake. If we talk about her too much, she could still stir. Perhaps this could be an unsatisfactory explanation to you. My only advice is to not say her name, and don't let him say it either. Don't talk about her outside of this room unless you keep it brief and never say her name. Same with the other outsiders."

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too_easy
2012-05-20 03:34 pm UTC (link)

As Simon speaks of Hecate, Ari listens carefully. It is just as important, perhaps even more so, to know how he thinks of his mother as what history might say about the goddess. Their relationship, as Simon describes it, is twisted and complicated and key to everything. In some places he can hear descriptions of Simon echoed in the characteristics of Hecate. Smart, ambitious, proud, bored... Manipulative. It would be foolish not to at least consider that the Frenchman is still playing for his mother, but that scenario seems unlikely. For one the traits the two share would naturally breed conflict between them; it would be difficult for one so clever and self-assured as Simon to submit to being a mere tool once it became clear that is all the purpose he is assigned. Also, if Simon were a double agent, Ari would not have been the person to whom he should have reached out. He is the first to admit that he is not an instigator. He would not have been the one choosing to kick the hives and start the fires. His involvement to this point has been coerced; had he been left to his own devices, it is unlikely that he'd be here with Simon now. There are other, much more inflammatory characters that could have given an agent of Hecate openings she needs to take down the other gods.

So Ari believes Simon when he says that Ari is, thus far, unnoticed by Hecate. He isn't sure how long that will last; after all, he can think of at least one outside god who has guessed at his darker potential. It is only a matter of time before that information is shared. And then if Athena ever catches wind... He will deal with that when it occurs. He pushes himself back to standing and drains the glass of water.

"Alright. I'll be on the lookout for the son and see what I can learn about the quest. Thanks for the drink." He hands the glass back to Simon. "What will you be doing in the meantime?"

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magienoir
2012-05-20 05:03 pm UTC (link)

"The usual: studying Jack's magic, researching chaos and stories of gods who have been destroyed or captured and legendary weapons, trying to find out more about the monster, trying to think of ways to prevent more of the ancestors from being released, keeping an ear to the ground..." He shrugs a little. "And going to a wedding with Luz, I suppose. I stay busy." He takes the glass, standing up. "I won't be around Memorial Weekend. I'll be at Martha's Vineyard with my boyfriend, so... Don't have any emergencies, or if you must..." He goes over to his desk, putting down the glass, and pulls out a little sheet of paper, writing down an address. He holds it out. "This is where Jack lives. Don't go there unless you absolutely have to. He isn't going to give you the same discounts he gives me, so if you have to ask him for help, it will cost you. But he is more powerful than we are on the scope of godly hierarchy, so he might be able to at least shelter you if you find yourself in a straight. Well, I'll walk you to the door. It was nice seeing you again, Ari."

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