Shiri Eneas (pensivxpression) wrote in olympian_rewind, @ 2010-04-04 16:14:00 |
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Entry tags: | cato jube, polyhymnia, shiri eneas |
Who: Shiri & Cato (The Child of Zeus that just busted out of Zeus' head.)
What: Why, hello there.
Where: University of Miami
When: Friday, April 2, 2010
Warnings: There's a footnote. Yeah, you read that right. Deal with it. It's in the comments and marked in the text with a (1)
Buses. He had discovered buses.
Okay, not exactly discovered. He knew what they were and what they were for. But he'd never gotten to really ride in one. Sitting in the far back, he could watch the entire town go by for a measly few dollars. It was amazing! The glass was smudged from his hands as he pressed them and his face up against it. It was nice to get away from the house, away from all the stares and looks and sighs. Even with his half-sister, he felt like there were eyes upon him, calculating, considering. He just wanted to be left alone, for now.
"University of Miami, stopping now!" called the driver. Huh? The university... A fact popped into the young god's head: he had a son and daughter there. Er, brother. And sister. He hadn't met them yet! Curious now, he headed out of the vehicle. Wait, what did they look like again? He couldn't remember...
A smile tugged at his lips. All the more reason to explore then, he reasoned, and headed out towards the grounds.
It was Good Friday. It was Passover Week. It was the day Muslims went to mosque and yet her heathen college made her take a midterm exam. Made her take it. Shiri bristled and was angry like many in her class, but such was the plight of students in a philosophy course. Her annoyance did little to stop the voices, murmurs and images from clouding her mind... Too many people were praying. Too many people were lifting their thoughts on high.
But she wasn't surprised. If she had spent the whole Christmas season hearing hymns, she would definitely hear things now and likewise, would not ask why. Instead, she merely wished she could distract herself from them. They were not happy thoughts for the most part.
With another sigh, Shiri grabbed her viola she had brought with her and fixed the long draping veil she had decided to wear today back over her hair as she stormed out of the exam room. Her exam was over. Now to remember where she had parked.
A white form appeared out of the god's eye. Oh, it was a person! He froze, watching her with shock. All that paleness... She was so pretty. It made him think of a cloud caught on a breeze, pushed away into foreign lands. But then he saw something fall out of her belongings; the little... what was it. Gods, he knew the name! The noise maker with music in it! Quickly, he trotted over and bent over to grab it, shouting to catch her attention. "[Hello!] Er, hello! You-you lost something!"
Shiri froze. Ancient Greek. Ancient Greek attached to a voice she didn't know. Slowly, she turned to him, eying him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion with those pink eyes of her. “I did?” And then she saw it – her MP3 player. She needed that! Her motorcycle didn't have a radio. “Thank you,” she then said as she reached out for it.
The blond gave her a big, wide smile. "No problem... Er, can you tell me where I may find a... Adam? And a..." He paused, seeming to struggle through his memories. Or, rather, someone else's. "Poly. No, that's not-not right..."
The pale muse bristled at the shortening of her name, but now she was almost completely sure that this one was a god. A god that had spoken to someone in her family about her and her own, “Why do you seek them? And do not call her that. She would not like it.”
"Oh. They're my--" He caught himself before he said children. Words were so much harder when you actually had to speak them. "Family."
Shiri was never one to respect or even believe in personal space and so she had no problem simply moving closer to the stranger. She had no fear of him, they were in a public space and in broad daylight. At the same time, she was a touch concerned. Even though she didn't like Hades, she respected his judgment and understood agents could be anywhere to snatch them up and kill them still. With a sly smile, she draped her arms around the stranger's shoulders, letting her viola case rest along the back of his shoulders. She had been threatened by shadowy agents before, it was almost quaint. Now to deal with this person. She brought her lips right to his lips and whispered, “[And who may you be?]” Hopefully not some form of Erote. They would probably take her gesture wrong.
He blinked, but mostly because the sun was in his eyes. The social connotation of being draped on by a strange woman was lost on someone who's entire world had consisted of the inside of his father's skull up until a month ago. "I am..." ... Good question. "I am me?"
Shiri laughed, her annoyance temporarily appeased by his answer. Why was it that no one ever answered her questions when she asked for names? She rested her head against his shoulder, “No, silly. What is your name?”
"I don't have one," he answered honestly.
She frowned, “Everyone has a name. At least in this society and especially in this family.”
He laughed a little, embarrassed. "It's... a very complicated story. I never needed one until a little while ago."
Oh. Oh! She stepped away from him to give him a good look-over. Shiri understood who this was now. That message had mentioned a new brother. This must be him. Which would explain the lack of name but the Ancient Greek. “I know who you are now. Who sent you over to me?” She then leaned in again to whisper, “[Polyhymnia], by the way, but you can call me 'Shiri'.”
Now it was his turn for a revelation! Without replying, he returned the embrace and hugged her close. "Shiri!"
She was rarely one to turn down a hug and so hugged him back in reply, “Do you have something you go by at least? You really need to think of one. People are all about names nowadays.” And documents. She knew both of those the hard way.
"I haven't thought of one..." he admitted. "I just don't know what to go by. I am Bob, son of Zeus! Not quite the same flair, I guess."
“Try a foreign language. They have more flair.” Shir advised, knowing that for a fact. Her current name was both foreign in American and in Afghanistan. “You also need a family name. They are even bigger about those.”
"I've heard Uncle call me [Young One] but I don't think he means it as a name," mused the nameless one. "Aunt Hestia called me Sweetie... But that doesn't feel right either." After another moment of thought, he smiled at her. It was like the smile of a child; no other thoughts behind it, just temporary but pure happiness at seeing the other person in front of them. "I like talking to you. You were always very nice."
Shiri blinked at his use of words. She was ever a muse and words always caught her ears, “Were?”
He nodded. "Yes. Even when he found out who you were with, you were always one of Father's favorites."
There was suddenly an urge to step back and away from him, but she stood firm. Maybe it was him praising her, maybe it was him telling her something she wanted to hear but now she stared at him, “How do you know that?” Gods, what did this boy know? Did he know her shame, too?
Huh? He stared at her blankly. "Father," he said plainly, feeling that should explain it.
Father? “Impossible.” Shiri was adamant about that. “I was told he died at your birth.”
Again, he shook his head at her. "It's so... it's hard to explain," he sighed, grasping at the air with his hands. "I was part of him. Your thoughts, they are... part of you, yes? That was how it was. Everything he saw, I saw, in a way. But not the same. I... I think I do not have words for this. My memories of his memories are my own. But they are also his." The more he spoke, the more frustration came into his tone; if Shiri was confused, he was even more so.
Her voice hushed. She was confused about what she was hearing about now concern over-whelmed her confusion, “So you know everything he knew?”
"Yes. No. I'm not him." After a moment, he sighed, almost whimpered, and sat down hard in the grass. "My head is... what you call it. Hurting."
Shiri continued to frown but sat down beside him, putting her arm around him at the sound of his whimper. She wouldn't blame him for her father's death, at least not yet. Besides, she knew it behooved her not to mistreat him if he did know her secret. Her little brother needed comforting, “If it helps. I am glad you are not him and you are you. If you said you were him but you only looked different I would have been forced to say I do not believe in transaccidentation (1).”
Elder brother, in a way. Or younger, too. The confusion only continued. But her words brightened him up a bit. "You... you don't blame me?" he asked.
“Did you ask to be born?” Shiri shrugged, “When a parent dies in childbirth, it is not the child's fault. There is usually other factors.” Like the parent being kidnapped by a para-terrorist group, tortured and experimented on. Or faulty medical care. Now they were both reasons she had heard of for death from childbirth.
"His wife is very angry with me," he murmured. There was even some fear in his voice; he had been 'present' for nearly every single one of Hera's explosions in history, both recent and past.
His words made her crack a smile a little bit. “She is angry at someone? It must be Friday.” But then she gave her newest brother a light squeeze, unsure if he would either get or appreciate her joke. After all, there had been a hint of fear in him and she couldn't blame him for that. Hera was frightening when she was gunning for you. But, then again, she couldn't blame Hera either. Every loss of a love she had ever experienced had been to an organization or something greater than herself she couldn't fight against. If she could have assigned blame to a person – one person – even if it had been a person not actually, truly responsible, she probably would have gunned for said person, too. Just to help cope. “She lost her husband,....” Ugh. She needed a name. Mostly because calling him '[Brother]' in public was not going to work, nor would just 'Brother' in English.
She closed her eyes in deep thought for a moment, raising her hand to let him know she wasn't done speaking, just thinking. He was born as Athena was born. He had all these memories from being inside their father so he was likely conceived along with Athena. Athena meant wisdom in Greek... Her eyes snapped open again as her hand fell. “She lost her husband, Cato. That is what I will call you until you tell me a name you choose.” 'Cato', from the Latin, for Wise One. Twin names always match in some way, or so the muse believed, at least in modern times. “Can you blame her for wanting to be angry at you?”
“No," he replied. And he didn't even have to think about that one. "I... I know she has the right to. I feel sad for her... Father did love her, very much." But when she called him Cato, all the sadness washed away. "Cato? Cato. Caaaaaaah-toh. Or Cay-toh? It's still weird to really hear words."
“It can be. I did not speak for a very long time before I said my own first word, so I can almost understand.” Shiri let go over her embrace of him. Mostly so she could put her MP3 player properly away so it wouldn't fall again when she wanted to go. She wanted to be home by three. She was certain if the praying she could hear was loud and depressing now, it would be even worse then. But for now, “Though I did not speak by my own decision so it is a little different.”
"Really? I love talking! People can hear me now! Real people!" He grinned from ear to ear; the simple fact that he was able to tell her about telling her was amazing. "And they talk back! To me! Everyone else always seems so bored, so dull with everything. It's... it's shocking."
“I had nothing to say for a long time is all. I love talking. Silence is nice but it has to be a particular kind of silence.” Namely, holy, deliberate silence. She looked around to direct his attention to the greater world, “The novelty of a lot things wears off, it seems, for many. They cannot enjoy simply things. Keep your joy of them. I have learned simple joys are the surest way to inner peace.”
Simple? The god -- Cato? He liked the sound of it -- was confused. How could any of this be simple? It was all so complex to him... But he didn't want to argue with this older/younger sister of his. She was far too nice. "Where is Adam? I would really like to see him."
“He is at home. He graduated so he does not have to take annoying midterms like I do.” Shiri still couldn't believe her professor made them take a midterm today. They fact that she needed this class for her theology minor made all the more ironic. “Why do you want to meet him?”
"Oh, I thought he was still here for some reason... my memories are all jumbled." Cato tilted his head at her question. "Why wouldn't I? He's my brother, isn't he?"
Shiri nodded, “It might even say so on his birth certificate. That I do not know though. I have only ever seen his passport and driver's license.” And they do not routinely list parents' names, at least American ones don't.
Huh? His expression showed she had lost him once more. "Without those, I'm not his brother?"
And she giggled at his confusion. Oh poor boy. This world was going to be a confusing place for him. And she thought she had had culture shock when the modern western world was dropped on her. “No, you are his brother, but you cannot prove it in a court.” Shiri paused to think about all of this for a moment, “Actually, legally, you may not exist at all.”
"Legally... Oh, right. I remember that. Father was obsessed with that word," the younger god recalled, scratching at his head. "It's the truth, but it can also not be the truth. His headaches gave me headaches. Does this mean I'm not real, then?" He felt real.
“No, no. You are real. You are just undocumented and there are plenty of those people in this country.” She nodded and then giggled again. The image in her mind was hilarious and she had to share, even though she doubted it would be as funny to him, “You just have to do jobs no one likes like dish washing or lawn maintenance or delivery boy. Stuff like that.”
Cato's eyes went wide. "Those sound fun. Father found them boring, I remember that. But, then, he was the one actually doing them. Just watching isn't very good either."
“Well, without documents, you will have to do them so it is good you find them fun.” Shiri continued to giggle, “They part is, you cannot be deported. Where would they deport you to?”
"Greece?" he suggested, assuming she actually wanted an answer.
“INS has no proof you belong there and Greece would not take you because you have no proof you belong there. The world is crazy like that.” Shiri leaned back into the grass of the campus, taking a moment to relax. Her thoughts raced and her head ached like she had had her MP3 player on for too long, too loud, but she smiled to her new brother and motioned for him to lay back. “The grass is soft.”
He nodded in agreement and shifted down to lay on it. It was cold compared to the air and he shivered. Looking up at the sky, he considered it. "I remember flying, but have never actually done it. It's hard to remember what are my memories and what were Father's. Or even Mother's, though hers are quieter." Looking back to her, he asked, "Is it like that with everyone?"
Shiri wouldn't admit it but she almost understood how he felt. If she was at her own prayers, it would have been hard for her to sought out which thoughts were hers and which were simply flooding her mind. “No, you are a bit unique like that. Most of us only have our own memories.”
"Ohh..." He thought on that a moment, but nothing really came out of it. He was slowly accepting the facts of this new universe he found himself in, where the mind and body had limits both greater and lesser than the ones he'd known. "Is... is Athena still here?"
Shiri had to think about that. Was Athena in town? Part of her wanted to say yes while another part of her wanted to say no. She simply wasn't sure. “I have heard rumors of her but nothing definite. Sorry, Cato.”
He looked disappointed, and he was. "I'd hoped to talk to her. Maybe someone else will know..." Something occurred to him then, that he hadn't realized before. "You were leaving. Am I stopping you? I'm sorry."
“I was. My midterm was over so I was going home.” She turned to him completely with a warm smile, “I am glad you put me into a better mood.”
"Really? I'm glad!" He scootched over and gave her a hug to prove it. "Thank you very much. I'm going to go find Adam, then. I would really like to talk to him, too."
“I could drive you to the house if you promise to let me nap when I do.” Ah, napping. A perfect excuse for what she really wanted to do – lock herself into her bedroom/shrine alone until everyone shut up in her head. At least until the mediations about torture and death stopped. The Muslim prayers echoing in her mind would be a relief from that.
"... Oh, yes, that'd be better." Yes, he had just realized he didn't know the way. "I would like that."
She grinned a little, “Ever been on a motorcycle?”
"Motor-what?"
Shiri continued to grin as she eased back to her feet. “Oh, you will like it. It has two wheels and goes vroom vroom.”
Cato thought about it for a bit. "Oh. I think I remember now. Father did't call them motorcycles, he called them... 'death traps'." Fun! "Let's go!"
“Funny, that is what I call cars.” Shiri had never seen a motorcycle be rigged to explode for starters. Driving motorcycle wasn't be strapped into a metal coffin for second. She grabbed her viola and began to lead the way. “Just remember, you promised to let me nap.” She really hoped Adam would enjoy meeting his new brother. If not... well, she would cross that bridge if it came. Bringing him home would be good to distract Adam with. She really did want to spend most of the day alone, locked in her bedroom.
He followed after her with all the enthusiasm as a clumsy puppy. A tall, blond puppy who could fly and probably shoot lightning if he tried. "Thank you!" he said again.
“You are welcome. You are part of the first set of the children and we have to stick together.” It was weird, she decided as she reached her motorcycle and strapped her viola onto the very back with its straps and then handed him the extra helmet. Her new, younger brother was part of the children conceived before Hera. Weird, weird. Oh well. Weird wasn't always bad. “Come, come. Time to go 65 miles per hour with nothing but the wind against us.” She put her helmet on and brought the engine to life. Vroom vroom.
He put it on. And, after getting on, remembered to strap it up as well. Hugging his taller body close to hers, he laughed at the sound of the engine. "Thank you," he murmured again, relieved; his sister didn't hate him. He had been worried about it... but now he felt better. One down, many to go, though.
Summary: Shiri is a Greek muse who had midterms Friday. He is the newest addition to Greek-Miami. Together, they fight crime. Well, actually, they don't. They just kinda talk on campus and then Shiri brings him home after naming him.