abraxaslogs | open | excuse my ego, can't go incognito

[ News of what Annabeth really is should probably be met with more confusion. Thankfully having already lived a life as gods, the news doesn't have quite as much of an effect. That doesn't stop several questions springing to mind however.

Before he can ask them though she's already moved on like he won't have questions. The somewhat miffed feeling he has is quickly quashed by her telling him that there are others she knows from home that are here. He doesn't know why his first reaction is to feel relieved, but it shines through clear as day.

His gaze follows where she gestures off to the other buildings he had walked by earlier. ]

And they're other demi-gods like you? Does that mean all of you have gods as parents?

[ it still feels so odd to be as upfront about this. she's too used to having to keep it quiet outside of camp, but the cat's out of the bag with clarisse's loud announcement, and in combination with the singularity making them all gods it feels less like a big deal. ]

[ annabeth is finding she still knows cassian in a lot of ways, because she can tell from his face that he wants to ask after her admission. it's almost like they shouldn't really have surprises to share with one another, but this proves they do. the worst part is she wants to know more about him in turn. the real him. ]

Yeah, there's a few of us here and even more back home, but only Percy's with me in Thorne. We all have one god parent and one mortal parent. The Camp is a safe place for us. [ she pauses. ] You can... ask questions, I guess. It's supposed to be more of a secret where we're from, but there doesn't seem a point to that in this world. Especially after - you know. [ the god stuff. ] And now the Camp's apparently open for Horizon business to anybody.

[ It'll probably occur to him later that the loud girl over the network knows Annabeth and Percy. He had pointedly ignored it when it very quickly spiraled out of control. Even at home he'd tapped into some ridiculous comms before but that had been more chaotic than entertaining for his tastes.

For some reason (again), hearing that she's presumably still got her parents in her life - even if one is a god. That being said, he has nothing to reference what that could possibly look like. The only god parents who he'd had any reference to during that time had been Jill, Clive and the young woman standing before him.

He can only hope that Annabeth and Percy's parents are half the parents they had been to their children.

He's got questions, but the sass can't help but emerge despite her probably knowing what he's about to say. ]

You know, you could just close it off to visitors if you wanted.

[ He's got a some Corellian Hounds in his domain after all. Domain security isn't really the topic at hand though. ]

Was your...god parent someone you were close to growing up?

[ she can handle sass. honestly, it's a little welcomed. ]

I've heard that's not really the point of being here, or I might have set up a guarding Hellhound. [ huh. maybe they can make mrs. o'leary here, but she should probably leave that to percy. ]

[ tension slips into her shoulders, and she wishes it didn't; if it were anyone else, she thinks it would even be missed - but cassian's eye is too keen, especially in combination with how well he can read her now. she will, however, pretend it's not there on her own end. ]

The gods take a more hands off approach to parenting. Most of the time, we don't even find out what we are until we're about twelve or so.

It's not too late.

[ Although that does lead him to wonder what kind of creature a hellhound is exactly. Probably not a pleasant one if it's meant to guard. But as he takes another look out across Annabeth's domain put together with a meticulous eye and caring hand, he can't see a guard anything fitting in.

His gaze moves back towards her just in time to see the way her shoulders tense. Should he ignore it? Strangers might. But they aren't really strangers, are they? But if she's going to continue on acting like it isn't there then maybe that was a kindness he could give her. ]

I imagine that must have been a shock. But why didn't your human parent tell you?

I'm definitely taking it under consideration. [ if not a hellhound, there are definitely plenty of other creatures she could create as a ward here. or even... just a visitor. she's been so focused on the structural design of her domain, she forgot living creatures are possible too. ]

[ annabeth spares a moment to be grateful he doesn't draw attention to it, trying very hard to let her posture chill out, but talking about her parents still sets her a little on edge. as it stands, she knows she's speaking of it a little detached - both in her tone and the careful way she chooses her words. ]

[ she shakes her head. ]

No, my dad told me pretty early on. I don't really remember when. But sometimes mortal parents don't realize their partner was a god and can't tell their kids. [ she pauses. ] Honestly, the longer it takes for us to find out what we are, the better. It's not really a safe life.

[ she is aware saying so has implications for her knowing so young that cassian will probably pick up on, but it's a simple fact of demigod life. ]

That's why we have Camp. When we get there, it helps us learn how to navigate... everything.

[ That earns her a wry smile. ]

We can compare notes.

[ Not that he's an expert in what would make a better guard dog - although he does know how to keep unwanted visitors away. If anything the comment is meant to try and help diffuse the tension in the air. Even without the fake familiarity the measured way she speaks is so different from how she normally does that he knows that this isn't comfortable for her.

It doesn't matter that she had said that he could ask questions. Watching her try to work through something that clearly isn't a pleasant topic isn't worth satisfying his curiosity. ]

And that's where you met Percy? It makes sense now why you two are so close.

My notes are very detailed. [ just so he knows! but as much as she can recognize its cassian's attempt to inject levity into the situation, she offers it up as a means to suggest she... would like to maybe spend more time with him. they can compare guard dog notes, sure. why be direct when she can imply, and therefore, if he says no, it won't be as big a deal! ]

[ his pivot away from her parents feels too on purpose, but annabeth frankly doesn't care. something in her relaxes a little bit, because - well, percy is much easier to talk about. ]

Yeah. We met when we were twelve, and we've been on a lot of quests. Fight too many monsters together and apparently you become best friends. [ and you know, eventually more. ] We're not - we're not really like the people we were as gods. Especially him.

[ she just wants cassian to know that. ]

[ Her reassurance makes the corners of his lips tug up that much higher. A part of him wants to tell her that there's no need to impress him; he isn't anyone special though he's never taken much stock in titles to begin with.

And that aside, for all the parts of their collective dream that hadn't been real, what he knows to be true about her is that her intelligence, her care for those close to her, and essence of who she is, hadn't been a front.

He only has to look around her domain to see that.

A part of him is quietly relieved that she hasn't completely shut him out upon their return which is a strange feeling to hold in his chest. If she had, he would have understood. So maybe there's a part of him too that wouldn't mind spending more time to get to know her. ...Or tease her in this case.

He gives a quiet hum of thought, a teasing air making an appearance. ]

So are you saying you're more or less stubborn than you were as a god?

[ annabeth wants to impress everyone. perhaps that is something she might have had in common with her god self, though that drive has always been there. as a god, she just had more tools to act on it. ]

[ there were a lot of things she doesn't like about who she became, but she can recognize where all of the parts, good and bad, came from within her already. she's just grateful none of them were bad enough to scare him off. ]

[ at his comment, she reacts without thinking, which is a sign of a lot of things - perhaps including how comfortable she remains around him - by tucking her arm and elbowing cassian right in the gut. it's hard enough to show off her strength but not enough to be actually painful. ]

Don't be stupid.

[ Cassian had come to a similar conclusion, at least when it came to the ways in which he had acted as a god. No one had actually been hurt by him but the amount of hurt he had caused us vivid as if it were yesterday.

He suspects that none of the Summoned were innocent in their damage to humans but that doesn't comfort him. Sometimes he thinks he can taste the fear and despair on his tongue.

The flinch that follows her elbow to his gut is more out of surprise than hurt. ]

Ow – [ He grabs at his side, having the gall to look a little offended that he'd just been elbowed for calling her stubborn. ] I think the bruise I'll see tomorrow will answer my question.

Edited (DON'T LOOK AT MY HTML SHAME) 2024-06-16 04:27 (UTC)

[ it's reassuring to know no one had actually been hurt, but the idea that she was capable of it unnerves her. she knows her fatal flaw and has already seen it in action, and the notion that she can't escape it even after eight hundred years is jarring. of course she struggled with leaving, when so much of it seemed to cater right into her wants and desires. ]

[ other than the fact that she does not actually want godhood. ]

[ annabeth rolls her eyes at his reaction. ]

Give me a break, Cassian. [ the name slips out without even thinking. ] I wasn't even aiming to hurt you. You'd know if I was.

Are you sure? [ This time his wince is all dramatics. Future master spy, right here. ] Because I think you might have broken a rib.

[ As soon as Bee bumps, rather forcefully he might add, into the back of his knees he drops the act a moment later, shooting the droid a look. ]

It was a joke.

[ Don't upset her, Ca-Ca-Cassian. That earns a look from Cassian. ]

Whose droid are you? [ But if the twitch of his lips is any indication, he probably doesn't mind all that much. ] You mentioned other monsters - what kind of monsters?

If I wanted to break a rib, it'd be broken. [ she doesn't say it with confidence - more like it's simply a fact. ]

[ but she does crack a small smile at bee's reaction. she only met bee five seconds ago, but if anything happened to him she'd kill everyone in the room and herself. she leans over to pat the top of the droid's head reassuringly. ]

He likes me. [ she says, and it's meant to be preening, but she's also just genuinely please to be liked. ]

[ as for the monster question... ] I'm guessing you don't know anything about Greek mythology. There's a big variety, but they're all straight out of the stories from what's called Ancient Greece in our world. We'd probably be here for hours if I had to describe all of them.

The Hellhound I mentioned before - that's one. They're usually only interested in eating us as demigods, but I do know one friendly one. They're like giant dogs with glowing red eyes, hailing from what's called the Underworld. [ pause. ] The afterlife, basically.

We probably have similar mythology from my galaxy.

[ Stories of long extinct creatures, rituals tied to spirits and nature that he could still recall from a childhood on Kenari. Whispered stories of an Order that no longer existed only ever told in the deepest, furthest corners of cantinas that even he dismissed sometimes as pure fantasy. The galaxy was vast and he’s under no illusion that he would ever be able to learn them in his lifetime, however long that may be. ]

Including ones about an afterlife. That depends on who you speak to though.

[ If his tone is any indication, he doesn’t believe in one. ]

We have plenty of creatures that sound just as dangerous. [ Suddenly his voice turns wry. ] But then we also have creatures like bantha.

I wouldn't be surprised. Sometimes there's a lot of similarities in various mythos, especially as people try to explain the world around them. But... ours aren't myths in the sense that they're fake stories, even if most mortals think they are.

[ she pauses, because she doesn't miss his tone, and she doesn't even blame him. ] Like, I've been to the Underworld. It's definitely real in my world.

[ even before tartarus - somehow her very first quest ended with her, percy, and grover at the throne of hades himself. ]

I remember. You wouldn't tell me what it was. [ not entirely true so much as he felt it difficult to describe. ] Are they friendly?

[ Being called a mortal is amusing in a way that he didn’t think it would be. He’s always known about his morality. Humans lives were so short lived in comparison to other species in the galaxy, but it was simply a fact of life for most. Some might have sought after a way to extend it, but Cassian had never been one of them. And after experiencing life as a god, well he was even more certain that he never wanted immortality.

He holds up his hands slightly in defence as if to silently say that he believes her. ]

Myths come from some form of truth — that’s how the saying goes, right?

[ Cassian couldn’t pinpoint a time where he’d stopped believing in fairytales. Maybe it’s when he began to see the harsh realities of the world that they lived in at a young age. When the balm of make believe could do nothing to shield him from tyranny and oppression.

It’s not something to dwell on now. Better to talk about — ]

They’re a pack animal so they’re docile for the most part. [ Bee beats him to it. Why don’t you show he-he-he-her, Cassian? Cassian’s lips curl despite himself, giving Bee a slight nudge. ] Pushy, aren’t you?

[ And then to Annabeth, ]

Do you want to see one?

[ she uses mortal loosely. there's no immortality waiting for her, and she doesn't want it anyway. honestly, annabeth is edging towards the older end of greek demigod. she made it to seventeen! eighteen will be even more of an accomplishment. ]

You're not wrong. They typically draw on the world around them. But it's like, most people back home think my mother is a myth, but that doesn't mean she's not real. I'm real. It's just all kind of hidden. And I know it's probably not the same in every world when it comes to the reality of mythos.

[ she loves this droid. he gets her. she shoots bee a small grin before nodding immediately at cassian's question. ]

Yes. You said you could show me. So show me.

[ There were some days that Cassian was surprised he’d made it as many solar years as he’d had. His recklessness in his youth had been the death of Maarva at times and a constant source of their bickering. Unfortunately age had done nothing to weasel that out of him.

Even without knowing the tragically short lifespan of demigods like Annabeth and Percy, he still hopes that they live long lives.

The mention of her mother again pricks at his curiosity, but he stands fast to his decision not to probe. It was better to stay on lighter topics. But that unfortunately meant that he had to deliver on creating a bantha in the horizon.

For fucks sake.

He rolls his eyes. ]

You’re pushy too. I see why you both get along.

[ ‘Both’ being Annabeth and Bee. Bee only whirs a little in protest but Cassian has already shut his eyes, drawing on the image of a bantha in his mind along with the very brief, impromptu lesson Wanda had given him. It’s not as easy as creating Bee had; he’d grown up alongside the droid whereas bantha’s didn’t exist on Ferrix. But after a moment he feels the threads of magic weave together and when he opens his eyes next, a large, wooly creature stands before them.

He can’t stop the hint of wonder in his voice from slipping out. ]

…That’s a bantha.

[ she bites back a grin at being called pushy as well as the eye roll, if only because she knows it's not an insult, or meant to be rude. he's comparing her to bee, who he obviously as some kind of affection for. ]

Two against one. Maybe we just know what we're about. [ she leans over to pat the droid's head. ]

[ annabeth is curious as cassian gets to work, both in watching how he creates as well as whatever he ultimately brings to life. there's a lot she finds fascinating about the horizon - and she's a quick learner, if the massive size of her domain house has anything to show for it, but it doesn't mean she isn't interested in how other people work through it. ]

[ she barely notices cassian's own surprise at his success, because she's too busy gaping with delight as the bantha fully shapes before them. her face lights up as she studies it, feet moving to circle the creature. ]

It's got goatish horns, almost like a ram. [ she knows he probably doesn't have any idea what she's talking about when it comes to earth animals, but the rambling is largely born out of simple intellectual curiosity. it's not dissimilar to how she could be sometimes, as a god. ] And the fur is like a mammoth, but those are extinct. Rhino feet? Or an elephant... the elephant might make more sense, given the shaggy mammoth fur.

[ she finally looks back at him. ] Do you think I could touch it? You said they're docile, right?

Edited 2024-06-26 19:11 (UTC)

[ Apparently bickering is a form of affection in Cassian’s world. At least towards certain people which now apparently includes Annabeth. It’s shockingly easy to slip into old habits formed from fake memories, something that he thinks he should be more careful about.

But his dynamic with her is something he can ruminate over later because the alternative is missing out on the joy that is practically brimming from the demigod. It’s familiar. It warms his heart in a way that he wouldn’t admit aloud. Just because he doesn’t voice it however, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t show in the way his eyes glint and the corners of his lips twitch.

Her question is answered first by looking up towards the bantha with its kind eyes that he can sort of make out through the shaggy fur hanging low. ]

Go on. The ones I met enjoy being scratched just behind their horns.

[ annabeth loves a good bickering. and it's surprisingly easy to fall into the teasing banter with cassian that's so reminiscent of their time as sibling gods. he doesn't seem to mind it, so neither does she. it's easy to just let herself be herself with cassian, like she doesn't have to prove herself with him anymore. ]

[ when he tells her it's safe to touch it, annabeth doesn't hesitate. she sweeps in closer to the bantha and runs her hand along the fur. it's strange, knowing this is some weird psychic plane of existence and yet the physicality feels real. it's softer than she expected, though it's not like mammoths are still alive for her to compare. ]

[ after a few moments, she stretches up on her toes to do as suggested and scratch behind the horns. ]

Can I name it?

[ annabeth chase, daughter of a war goddess, survivor of tartarus, secret animal lover. she played fetched with cerberus! she loves this weird creature guy already. ]

[ If he were being honest, this bickering was something he hadn't really had with Kerri either. They had both been a little too young, a little too intent and focused on ensuring that they survived to have the luxury of bickering in a carefree way. It's nice - a thought that he doesn't quite allow to form fully either.

Just like how this is also objectively nice. Watching the joy that Annabeth exudes upon meeting the temporarily nameless bantha. When she asks he seems amusedly puzzled but he nods. ]

Why not?

[ Which he realizes means that the bantha was likely to stick around. ]

[ annabeth has had a strange variety of siblings - her mortal half brothers, her fellow children of athena, the broken rescue of thalia and luke - and the way she's interacted with all of them varies just as much as they do. the bickering is familiar with cassian in another different way. ]

[ her smile softens a little when he agrees, but then her expression becomes contemplative as she mulls over what to call such a creature. she's never had a pet, but part of her always wanted one, so she can't help but want to name this thing. she scritches behind its horn, then drops down to walk over and look at its face again. it only blinks in return. ]

Antoni. [ she nods at the bantha, as though it understands her and the name she's just given it. ]

[ The bantha - or Antoni rather - seems to regard the slight girl before giving her a gentle (for a bantha) head butt of affection. But that's not all. As soon as he's done with his nuzzling, Antoni sees fit to give Annabeth a big, wet, lick drawing a short, bark of a laugh from Cassian and a whirl of protest from Bee. ]

I think that means he likes it.

[ Cassian has never had a pet either. He had always been on the move, rarely staying in Ferrix for long stretches of time. A pet required attention and time that he simply felt he didn't have. And the last thing he wanted was to saddle Maarva with one as her health began to rapidly decline over the years. ]

Why Antoni?

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