My Big Fat Greek Dinner

[divasmio]

Who: The Greek Mythology-adjacent characters!
When: Before the AU event, and then perhaps after as well if we want to reuse this log for the following dinner.
Where: Apollo's Horizon
What: Apollo is hosting a feast for the family that just found each other :)
Warnings: Familial affection? Family drama? Volleyball?

---

Weekly Family Dinner

Apollo is determined to make this "healthy and functional family" thing work, and Julia's family dinner idea seemed to be the perfect place to start. Once every week or so, Apollo plans to have the family over for a feast, and perhaps some games and other activities as well!

Apollo is hosting the feast in his Horizon, in a garden within the Sanctuary of Apollo overlooking the Sacred Lake.

A mouthwatering feast is spread across an ornate wooden table. Cuisine from every corner of the world is represented here, all of it hot and fresh.

One dish of note is a platter full of Sally Jackson's Blue Chocolate Chip Cookies, as well as her delicious seven-layer dip. Apollo remembers the flavor quite vividly and was able to replicate it.

There is a volleyball net set up near the lakeshore, as well as some other sports equipment piled up near the stone lions. You know, in case anyone needed ideas for after-dinner activities.

Comments

Apollo | OTA | threadjacking OK

[divasmio]

A. Setting up

Apollo stares at the table full of food, looking distressed. "Do you think it's going to be enough?"

--

B. White Person Taco Night

"It's called a taco," Apollo explains, showing them how to fill it and fold it over before taking a bite. After a quick chew and swallow, he adds, "The flavors are like nothing you've ever tasted in Greece. I recommend you use only a small amount of spice at first to make sure you can handle it."

--

C. Airsoft Artillery

"Oh, and I also have these!" With delight, Apollo reaches into the pile of sports equipment and pulls out a nerf gun, firing a foam dart at a tree. It bounces off the bark harmlessly. "I've never had an excuse to play with one of these before. Artemis thinks they're 'immature,' which is objectively incorrect."

--

D. Wildcard

[ guys come on it's a family dinner you know what goes on here. hmu or just surprise me. ]

B

[inthenameofhades]

"Well I haven't actually tasted anything in Greece either," Zagreus says, with a wry smile as he is offered the 'taco'. The entrance to the Underworld might be in Greece, but he's never been able to travel far enough from it to purchase a local meal.

"But - why the need to be so careful about the spice? Is it dangerous?"

[divasmio]

Apollo briefly wonders if maybe he should start Zagreus on something a little milder, like buttered pasta. How's he gonna handle spice if he's never even tasted Greek food?

"It's not dangerous," he assures, still smiling. "But it can be a little painful if you eat more than you can handle. But if you get just enough, it tastes amazing."

wildcard

[heelies]

The son of Peleus, Achilles, comes at the command of Phoebus Apollo, whose every move, whose very presence in this land, sets him ill at ease. He does not know what to expect when he arrives, but true to the word of Zagreus, who had delivered the far-seer's message, a feast is underway. Some of the food Achilles recognizes, but much he does not. He helps himself to the fine cuts of meat and bread and fruits, but not before he has poured out libations, in honor of Apollo who summoned him here and the gods of Solvunn whose names are yet new on his tongue.

When he sees his chance, swift-footed Achilles approaches the feast's patron.

"Apollo, lord of the silver bow, what do you intend by such crossed messages? First, you command that I keep my distance, then you command that I join your feast. What would you have me do, shining Apollo?" he asks.

1/2

[divasmio]

[ internal screaming ]

2/2

[divasmio]

"Welcome to my home, Lion-hearted Achilles, son of Peleus." Apollo offers a diplomatic smile, finding it surprisingly easy to slip back into a more formal, archaic way of speaking. "Allow me to apologize for such contradictory messages. I had forgotten that the written word was not so common among kings and heroes during the war, and my message was not being understood."

Onlookers who had previously seen Apollo's welcoming warmth might be surprised at how closed-off his body language has become. He's standing up straight, shoulders squared, with a polite smile, his speech distant and formal.

"I wished only to make it known that the war you left back home does not exist here. As far as I'm concerned, there is no conflict between us. When you didn't seem to understand that, I thought perhaps it would be better to tell you to stay away for a while. Now that you're here, I'm glad to have an opportunity to clarify."

Apollo had been hoping that time would never come, but he supposed this was inevitable.

"As for what I'd have you do," he motions toward the feast, "indulge yourself in the feast I'm offering to celebrate a shared culture."

Culture, not identity or heritage. As much as Apollo is trying to bring together a family here, there is still some lingering distaste toward Achilles, enough to subtly shut him out from the concept of this being a family dinner.

A

[sonofacesius]

Will stared up at his dad, non blinking for a moment before replying absolutely deadpan. "No, not at all. I think you need another island just to hold the amount of food you'll need. We could get a truck to help." Their father and son journey had taken another step forward. The tradition of back talk. In case Apollo hadn't gotten enough of it from Meg during his time with her.

His son smiled, wearing a chiton as Apollo had asked oh so nicely. It was.....a little weird? But his dad had asked, so, Will didn't want to disappoint him. "So this is what they wore back in the day huh?" The sandals were fine. He preferred his flip flops. Which he wasn't quite ready to admit was what had made him trip and almost kill himself in Tartarus.

[divasmio]

Back talk was wonderful. It reminded Apollo of how no one had taken Lester Papadopoulos seriously, how everyone had been so comfortable around him. That Will, anxious little bundle of nerves that he is, feels comfortable enough to be so casual means the world to Apollo. He laughed warmly in response.

He looked over to Will as he questioned the chiton. "It is. I always found it comfortable, especially in the summer."

diana prince | dceu | ota

[monomachy]

Of all the messages she could have received from Apollo, an invitation to a "family dinner" is very low on the list. Not because she doesn't want to go--Diana is ecstatic at the revelation that there are so many demi-gods in another world, meaning that the rest of her family is alive and well somewhere. No, it's because she expected any message to come from an Olympian to be about something more... grand. But she's slowly getting over her instinctual awe of him, remembering that they are both gods, which puts them on more or less equal footing (not that she feels like it, but that's a separate issue).

And a break from the relentless sand storm in Cadens is welcome, so Diana makes sure there are others available to patrol the streets before retiring to her private residence to connect with the Horizon.

Finding Apollo's Domain is not difficult; it reminds her much of her own, and homesickness strikes right at her heart. But she pushes the feeling down, focusing instead on her joy and curiosity at meeting these demi-gods. She knows their names, thanks to the message that had gone out over the mental network, but has yet to see their faces. She is both excited and nervous, the latter of which is not an entirely familiar feeling. But she's choosing to focus on the former as she enters Apollo's domain, dressed in sandals and a short red chiton, the symbol of The Empress embroidered in gold thread above her heart. Despite her simple form of dress, there is something of an aura about her that marks her as more than a mortal woman, even here in the Horizon.

Though there is an impressive spread of food set out, Diana spends her first few minutes in Apollo's domain admiring the architecture and gardens, reminded so strongly of Themyscira that it's difficult to place her attention elsewhere. But eventually she makes her way towards where others are congregating, and takes her time looking at their faces, her heart filled by their mere existence. She isn't trying to be weird, she's just never met any divine beings that didn't immediately try to kill her. This is a nice change. If she receives any questioning looks, she'll gently touch her hand to her chest and dip her head, offering: "My name is Diana."

The cookies and seven-layer dip do catch her attention in particular, those offerings being very unlike anything she's ever eaten. She leans over the table, studying them, both enthralled and a little repulsed by them. But this is a woman who gave thanks to the gods once she tasted ice cream, strange as it looked, so she isn't about to back down in the face of unfamiliar food now. She reaches for a cookie, asking aloud: "What are these called?"

Eventually, she'll find her way towards the lake shore and the volleyball net, picking up the ball with clear curiosity. She turns it over in her hands, quite enjoying the way it feels, and even gives it a few experimental tosses into the air before asking: "This is a game, yes?"

And as the night goes on, she will move a bit away from the crowd, needing a few moments to herself to process everything she's learned and everyone she's met. It's a lot for someone who believed all her gods were dead. She'll stand at the lake shore, hands clasped behind her back, looking out over the rippling water with a small smile on her face. And that same, gentle smile will be turned on anyone who chooses to join her.

admiring the architecture

[divasmio]

Apollo sees that nostalgic look on Diana's face as she takes in the architecture, and he smiles warmly. He feels much the same — he hasn't seen Delos like this in millennia. These days, the island is rocky wasteland. The beautiful architecture was nothing but the ruins of a foundation, the streets eroded away, even his sacred lake was drained to prevent mosquitoes.

But here in the Horizon, Delos is whole again, and it almost makes Apollo feel whole, too.

"It's been thousands of years since I've seen my home like this," Apollo says as he stands next to Diana.

[monomachy]

The familiar form of everything from the columns to the roads reminds her of Themyscira, and it's... nice to see it somewhere other than her own Domain. She is still getting used to Apollo being here at all, so she looks a bit surprised when he addresses her. But she recovers herself soon, and she offers him a smile, though it's tinted with sadness.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Have you not visited in a long while?" The ravages of time are still sort of a foreign concept to her.

Away from the crowd

[inthenameofhades]

During that quiet moment, late in the night when Diana is away from it all, Zagreus decides to follow.

"It's a lot, isn't it?" he says softly, coming to stand beside her as he too looks out at the lake, and watches the rippling water.

[monomachy]

She hears him coming towards her, and turns her head slightly as he approaches. Diana exhales slowly at his comment, but nods after a moment. "It is... more than I could have ever dreamed of." Going from only having her mother and sisters to having all of this--it's overwhelming, to say the least.

CLARISSE | OTA

[areou]

i. ( apollo had said something like dress code is greek chic! in his invitation, which is the only reason clarisse bothers to show up looking ... well, more presentable than she normally looks. gone are her usual camo pants and muscle tank; no snapback or combat boots. instead, she's dressed in a red and white chiton with her hair haphazardly done up and traditional greek sandals.

she'd worn something similar the last time she visited mount olympus on the winter solstice before everything had gone to shit; silena had insisted. (they hadn't even really been friends then, but as head of the aphrodite cabin, silena took it upon herself to make sure everyone looked their best for the gods.) she's never had much of a reason to dress up since then, which is probably why she feels a little ridiculous walking into the garden like this. )

Please tell me I look as ridiculous as I feel. ( she's looking for an out, but she can't stop anyone from giving her a real compliment. just be quick about it or she will be bolting for a place to horizon change. )


ii. ( clarisse has never met sally jackson, but of course she's heard stories and knows all about percy's obsession with blue food. so it is, in fact, pretty impossible to miss the platter of blue cookies, or not to immediately think of percy when she sees them. which is annoying and strangely comforting at the same time. she picks up a cookie but doesn't yet let it pass her lips. )

Wait, is this even legal? I mean, it almost seems wrong without Mrs. Jackson here. I'd better not turn into a fucking blueberry or something if I eat this without her blessing.


iii. ( despite being in apollo's own domain, she still feels a strange buzzing under her skin like she out to be making an offering. part of her wants to think that's all this is — a vanity project rather than a legitimate gesture of good faith — but she's seen him try. she's seen something has changed. she's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here. and yet — old habits die hard. but it's not to apollo or any of the other gods that she offers up a piece of her meal.

it's silly, really, to watch a bar of chocolate melt in a nearby brazier, knowing that the message will never reach its intended recipient. elysium is far, far away from here. and even if it weren't, silena isn't a goddess. that's not how this works. but it's not about how it works. it's symbolic more than anything. it's saying i miss you, i'm sorry until one day maybe it hurts a little less.

there's no hiding behind ancient greek here, of course. so she speaks in french, a simple prayer to a fallen friend. )


iv. ( wildcard me! she'll be changing into a sports bra and red basketball shorts at some point, probably just for any games after dinner. maybe go for a swim? she loves horsing around, let's go. )

i

[divasmio]

[ Apollo turns to greet Clarisse and smiles warmly when he sees her. As uncomfortable as she seems to be, she clearly made some kind of effort, and he greatly appreciates it. ]

Sorry, Clarisse. I regret to inform you that you look great.

[ He looks thoughtful as he walks around her, inspecting the outfit from all sides. ]

If it makes you feel any better, I suppose your hair could use a little more work.

We have a little time before the other guests arrive. Would you like some help with it?

[areou]

( oh, gods. she already doesn't know how to take a compliment — but a compliment from apollo? kill her now before she dies of embarrassment or punches him in the nose. she feels like her face is on fire. or maybe that's just the effect apollo has on people, being the god of the fucking sun and everything.

this was a stupid idea. she should just — can she just will herself into something else? she hasn't spent enough time in the horizon yet to try, and the last thing she wants is to accidentally end up naked or worse.

but that thought doesn't go very far, derailed by the fact that apollo is fussing over her hair of all things. somehow the indignation makes her feel a little less like she's going to throw up. )

Seriously? You're worried about my hair?

i.

[inthenameofhades]

Zagreus is, perhaps, not the best person to ask this particular question to.

"I...don't see the issue? It looks like a perfectly lovely outfit to me." One that fits in with the black and red exomis Zagreus is wearing. Although there is perhaps one thing their attire doesn't have in common.

"But if you feel like you need something extra, you could always add some of the skulls of your defeated foes. That's always a nice touch!"

ok but the way i HOWLED with laughter ty

[areou]

Even without a proper introduction first, it isn't hard to decipher who she's talking to. Red and black with skulls? If that doesn't scream a son of Hades, she doesn't know what does. He and Nico will probably get on like a house on fire. Or ... a river on fire?

She lifts her brows, narrowing her eyes as if to say, Does it look like I'm into that goth shit? But what she says instead is: "Yeah, not exactly my style. This" — she tugs at the length of her chiton uncomfortably — "isn't usually my style, either, but Apollo insisted." No he didn't, not really, but Zagreus doesn't need to know that. She gestures between them, nodding at Zagreus' own attire. "Let me guess. Zagreus?"

Thank the gods they'd spoken on the network before all this, or she'd have absolutely no idea.

iii

[heelies]

[As when a cloud passes across the sun's countenance, throwing its shadow to darken hills and valleys, and one cannot help but lift his head for the change come over the land, so too does Clarisse's melancholy mood amid the festivities pull Achilles' attention. He finds himself in much the same mood when his strong arms are not busy with all the work he carries out in aid of the god-fearing Solvunnians — withdrawn from all that spins around him.

At first he does not understand why she melts the chocolate in the fire, and then it dawns on him — she is making an offering. While he does not know the words she speaks, they are solemn in shape. He holds his tongue until she is done.]

Fair stranger, to whom do you make such sorrowful supplications? Moreover, are you too a daughter of one of the deathless gods who reign from Mount Olympus?

[areou]

( for a moment longer, she keeps her gaze fixed on the flame, despite the voice next to her. if she'd been paying closer attention, she might have thought his mannerisms sounded familiar, but her focus is almost entirely on the brazier. )

A friend, ( she admits, eventually, though the strained way in which she says it seems to indicate that friend doesn't quite encompass the entirety of their relationship. clarisse doesn't have a name for it, not really. they weren't together, but clarisse did love silena in a way she isn't sure she'll ever love anyone else. maybe, in another life, it could have been something more. maybe, if clarisse hadn't been a coward, she would have told silena before she died, poured out her soul on the dirty streets of manhattan for silena to carry with her into the underworld. but surely the daughter of aphrodite already knew. surely, as a last act of heroism, silena spared clarisse the humiliation. )

My father is Ar—

( she makes the mistake of looking up then, the god of war's name dying in her throat when she sees achilles' face. her heart seizes in her chest, her face suddenly broiling with shame, treacherous tears threatening to spill over. she takes a ragged breath, which almost sounds like a laugh, but it comes out as more of a broken sob. somewhere, the fates are probably laughing at her. it was only a matter of time before they came face-to-face and she had to look achilles in the eyes and see herself reflected back, a shadow of sorrow, a shade of despair. a tragedy etched in time, the mournful echo of a greater man who long came before her. )

Achilles? ( she says it like she hopes it isn't true, but of course it's him. who else would he be? there are only so many greeks in this fucking place — and only so many more she hasn't already met. it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. (she can't imagine why apollo would have invited him, though, considering, you know. the trojan war.)

without meaning to, she reaches for his arm to steady herself, a solid point of purchase keeping her rooted when it feels as if the whole world might spin out from under her. a breathless, nearly hysterical laugh pushes through her lungs, her eyes wild like she's receiving too much sensory input to process, the rapid drumbeat inside her chest sending up flares to her brain that she might be dying, actually. the fire from the brazier suddenly smells like poison and burning flesh. she can hear the sickening squelch of the drakon dying on the wind, can feel the manic buzz of her nerves under her skin. the grief in her chest swells like some horrible balloon until she thinks she might choke on it.

she'd buried it so neatly, she thought. she'd come to terms with it. but she never forgave herself, did she? she never really let it go. she wonders, did he ever let it go? )

Sorry, I have to — ( go, leave, never come back. she manages to peel herself away from achilles, clutching her chest as if she's afraid her heart might burst through her ribs, but only as far as a bench several feet away before she falls to her knees, burying her head beneath her arms, her forehead pressed to cool stone. she only means to breathe through it, beating the stone with her fist in frustration, desperation, trying to tell herself to get her shit together, this is nothing, you're fine — but her shoulders shake involuntarily, her breathing erratic as hot tears streak down her cheeks without her permission, her scream reverberating in the hall of her heart. )

i? iv? maybe cookies? wildcard? idk just vibes

[sophos]

[ annabeth saw the dress code request. annabeth thought about the dress code request. annabeth then showed up in her camp half blood t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and flip-flops, her hair in its standard ponytail mess, because she misses home and the ugly orange camp shirt, and even in a psychic plane of existence it feels much closer to home than any chiton right now. ]

[ she recognizes clarisse from behind despite the unusual attire and that recognition feels a little like home too. the daughter of ares is as much of a staple at camp as the daughter of athena, but neither of them are scrawny kids hitting each other with sticks anymore. she knew clarisse was here, along with the rest, but it's different seeing her, because annabeth misses the comforts and familiarity of the long island sound and the kind of stability that comes from aligning with clarisse there too. ]

[ fortunately for clarisse, anything even edging on sentimental that annabeth might have said is deleted from her brain when it catches up to her that clarisse followed the dress code. her nose scrunches up. ]

Did Apollo blackmail you?

[areou]

( whatever kind of heartfelt or otherwise emotional reunion clarisse thought might have happened upon seeing annabeth again — even if all of this feels more like a very lucid dream — it's immediately derailed by annabeth calling her out on her attire. her face goes hot and she glances down at her chiton self-consciously, like she's very seriously considering ripping the whole thing off. )

What? No. ( overly defensive, perhaps. don't give her that judgy look, wise girl. frankly, it would be less embarrassing if apollo had blackmailed her. but, conveniently, she does not mention the drakon-scale crown, or the fact that her hair is suspiciously neater than it would be if she had done it herself. ) I just — ( but the words escape her, because how can she say i wanted to or it makes me feel close to her? so, cleverly, she grumbles: )

Shut up. ( she gestures between them with more aggression than is strictly necessary. ) You look — ( normal, but that isn't a very good insult. she's still a little flustered, anyway, she can't be expected to be at the top of her bullying game right now. ) — fine, I guess. Very original.

( she is trying so hard not to roll her eyes and is also failing very hard. )

[inthenameofhades]

i - building relationships through gift giving mechanics
A good many of the attendees will never have met Zagreus before. But even so, it'll probably only take them about .5 seconds to work out who he is. He arrives looking as he usually does back home in the Underworld - black and red exomis, a wreath of fiery laurels about his head, and skulls decorating his belt, shoulder, and greaves. Not to mention the fact that one of his eyes is a hellish red, surrounded by black sclera. Oh, and his feet are burning-red hot, leaving flickers of embers behind wherever he steps.

So no, it's not hard to guess that this is the god born in the deepest depths of hell.

Of course, he doesn't arrive empty handed. Zagreus brings with him a collection of bottles of nectar. The others might not be used to nectar being in spherical bottles tipped with a nice little purple bow, but Zagreus is, so that's how they appear.

"I don't think it's quite the same as the ones from home, but...it's as close as I can make it," he says. "Hope you'll enjoy it, mate."

ii - greek god concludes that greek buildings are nice
At some point during the event, Zagreus can be found standing before the Sanctuary of Apollo, looking up at the monument of architecture. There is, of course, plenty of impressive architecture to be found in the Underworld. But it's architecture that exists underground, in deep caverns and without even the faintest light of the sun. By nature that creates very different designs.

"I thought I was becoming familiar with the Surface, but this...this isn't like anything I've seen in Solvunn," Zagreus says softly, as he looks up at the grand temple. "It's beautiful."

iii - button mash to dash
Someone has to explain just how 'volleyball' is meant to work, but once they do...well, Zagreus is certainly keen to give it a try. Although there's a unique challenge for anyone who ends up playing against him - because not only does Zagreus have the strength, speed, and agility of a god, he soon displays a rather distinctive ability.

Because frequently when he moves, he seems to shift through the space in a near instantaneous fashion, leaving streaks of red light behind him. It's almost like a very short-range teleport combined with phasing through space, because if there's something in-between Zagreus and his end point - the ball, the net, other people who are playing - he just moves through them.

"Hah! I got a point," Zagreus says, after dashing through the ball in order to better hit it across. He grins, pleased with his minor victory. But who's winning the match? Who knows, because Zagreus hasn't actually been keeping track. "You know, it's actually rather refreshing to have a challenge that doesn't involve excessive amounts of bloodshed. It's a nice change!"

iv - wildcard!
[Got another idea? Go for it! Feel free to toss any other prompts my way]

i

[sophos]

Annabeth did not dress up. She wasn't even sure she wanted to come, but putting herself into the comfort of a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and summer shorts made it a little easier.

She doesn't recognize the god - she can tell he is one, at least - but it doesn't stop her from momentarily freezing in her tracks. Everything about him screams Underworld, which isn't inherently bad, but the fire at his feet in combination with his entire vibe briefly transports her back to the Phlegethon and shoving her hands directly in it to drink it.

Grumpily, she shakes her head and decides to drink some water instead, but it isn't long before he ends up near her at the food too, offering out his bottled and bowed drink. Ignoring it, she lifts the water and chugs about half of it.

"We can't have nectar unless we're injured."

[inthenameofhades]

"You can't?" Zagreus says, blinking in befuddled surprise. He still holds out the bottle, as if he still can't quite get his head around the fact that she doesn't want it.

Usually everyone loves this stuff! Well, except for his Father, of course.

"Wait, why not?"