maskormenacelogs | ( closed ) still mortal, thanks for asking

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( closed ) still mortal, thanks for asking

WHO: Apollo and Yato
WHERE: A cafe in De Chima
WHEN: backdated to earlier in the month, after this conversation.
WHAT: Apollo thinks it's about time he tells Yato how he lost his godhood, and well - he might as well treat the guy to some coffee while he's at it.
WARNINGS: None at the moment.

Now that he thinks about it, keeping the truth of his godhood a secret from another god has to be one of the stupidest things Apollo's ever done. In his experience, gods from other pantheons typically don't pry too deep into others' affairs - and they're too far removed to get into conflict here.

(Yet some small part of him had guarded that truth anyway. Just in case someone from their world was still pissed at him, and not in the way that the demigods were rightfully pissed at him for.)

His regret sure can't change the past. He knows that, deep down, and so Apollo finds himself walking faster to meet Yato at that cafe on Front Street. He's never been, but truthfully, he's not interested in coffee so much as a quiet place to sit and talk.

"Hey," he calls when he enters the cafe and approaches Yato. He figures he's late - even if he ran, he would be late by a minute or two, but he tried. This time, he really, really tried. "Thanks for meeting me on such short notice."

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To say that this knowledge had caught Yato by surprise was an understatement, but he's never known Lester - Apollo - to be anything less than friendly toward him and so he's taking this revelation as in-stride as he can. There must have been a decent reason to keep it from him, beyond the fact that it was technically none of Yato's business anyway. Time, and this conversation, would hopefully tell.

The cafe is indeed quiet, with only a few scattered patrons with plenty of spaces between, so they shouldn't be overheard.

"It's no problem," Yato says, rising in greeting. He's only been here a few moments himself, and arrived first simply by nature of teleporting to rather than walking. "You want anything?"

"Yeah, but I'll get it." Apollo grins, though it's fainter than usual, "Consider it part of your payment for looking after Will."

It isn't, and it won't be. Apollo just doesn't feel right letting Yato pay, especially since he had asked Yato to meet him all the way out here. So he glances towards the counter, motioning towards the menu.

"What do you usually grab here?"

"You already paid me for that, but I'll take a matcha latte," Yato laughs, because it's such a good drink and because Lester - Apollo, damn that was going to be hard to rewrite in his memory - would probably get a chuckle out of it.

Apollo fights back a laugh as he goes ahead and grabs their orders - a matcha latte for Yato, and one cappuccino for himself. Once they've obtained their coffees, Apollo scopes out a corner booth, tucked away from the rest of the cafe, and gestures towards it.

"That seem okay?"

"Works for me," Yato nods, that seems perfect for a location for him where they can have some privacy and not worry about being overheard. He cradles the latte -- it's a super tacky drink especially for someone who's used to real matcha, and he loves it anyway -- and slides into one side of the corner booth.

"Look, just before we start... you don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable sharing. You don't have to tell me anything at all, you know that right? I'm not going to treat you any differently."

It would be a bit of a mental hurdle maybe, knowing now even the small bit he did, but Yato would do everything he could to keep things as they were.

As much as Apollo appreciates the sentiment, he knows that things aren't going to be the same. So he shakes his head as he slides into the other side, setting his drink on the table.

"I know, but again, I want to. The truth has a way of setting itself free even when people try their best to hide it."

Given that truth, along with its related concepts of knowledge and reason, are just a few of his domains, Apollo hasn't been much for lying, outside of lies of omission. This has been the first time in a couple of centuries where he's been omitting invaluable truths on a regular basis, and those have been out of necessity.

"So um... I guess we should start with how long I've been mortal. Not counting this world, it's been a couple of months. Though it feels a lot longer, since... well, I've been here almost a year now, and also mortals spend a lot of time waiting for things to happen." He pauses, for a little longer, "Can you split your essence? Like, be in multiple places at once? 'Cause I miss that more than I ever thought I would."

Yato's expression gets a little guarded at Apollo's remark about the truth freeing itself, because he's only told one person about his own past. But this isn't about him, and the expression clears after a few seconds.

"Split my... no, I definitely can't do anything like that," Yato shakes his head. "Well, when gods bestow a name on their Regalia, it uses a portion of our life-force. We bear their essence as our own, creating a link. But it doesn't do anything like letting us be in more than one place at a time."

That would be incredibly helpful for working multiple wish jobs, Yato thinks.

"Now that's depressing." Apollo sighs, though he's not sure if he's upset about the loss of such an ability or the knowledge that it was unique to his world. (Probably both.) "No offense. I'm sure your pantheon's powers were still immeasurable."

He holds onto his mug with both hands, taking a sip as he stalls to figure out the bare bones - what's most important, what's worth skipping, and frankly, what's relevant to this world.

"Anyway, there's not much of a story. Zeus - king of the gods and my dear ol' Dad - turned me into a mortal as punishment for predicting a war. So I crash-land in New York, with this hideous-looking body," he pauses, taking a moment to gesture to his face, "and until I finish my quest back home, I'm stuck like this."

"I don't know about immeasurable," Yato quips lightly, taking a sip of his latte.

"Wait," he says, raising a hand as if to actually 'hold up' physically. "Because you predicted a war? Not like... started one, or something? What's his problem?"

"Good question." Apollo finally takes a sip of his drink, using that time to gather his thoughts. How should he explain this...

"Every prophecy I make comes true," he finally settled on saying. "That's my best guess, anyway. I predicted that we would have a war with the giants, and well... if it weren't for our kids... well. We would've lost. Been defeated, lost our thrones, the whole nine yards. Zeus decided it was my fault, and therefore, this was my punishment."

That's... a lot to mentally unpack. Yato's not sure how to respond to that and the whole realm of prophecy isn't one he's got any experience with. But Yato does know a thing or two about being born into a power that wasn't asked for, and that often seems to bring more misfortune than anything.

"King of gods or not, your dad sounds like an ass," Yato said bluntly. "I'm assuming if you could control it, you would have. What quest were you given?"

Apollo can't help the laugh that escapes his lips, "That's putting it mildly. As for my quest... I've been asked to find the Oracles, the fortune-tellers who convey my prophecies, and restore them to their proper roles."

He pauses, knowing this is a lot, but also not wanting to assume that Yato's familiar with his pantheon (because that would be rude).

"I know I'm like, trying a lot at you, but that's the gist. Find the Oracles, become a god again."

Yato knows the mythology in broad strokes, and he knows what an oracle (lower case O) is, so it's not hard to follow, but he still appreciates the explanation.

"No, it's all right. I just had no idea, so I'm... sort of playing back all our conversations right now like I missed something really important," Yato laughed a little, though it seems a touch forced.

"Oh." Guilt washes across Apollo's face as he peers down at his mug. "I'm sorry. Really."

Apologies are hard for him, especially when it comes to his equals, but this felt right - and especially important.

"It's just..." He draws in a breath, wincing at himself for what he's about to say. "I know this Earth isn't the same, but back home, the other gods weren't allowed to talk to me. Or if they did, it was because they wanted to kill me and take over my domain. I figured, when I heard you were a god, it would be easier to pretend I had been mortal the entire time. It's not right, so..."

'So let me make it up to you,' he wants to say. In the end, he realizes it isn't his choice to make.

Making Apollo feel guilty had definitely not been Yato's intention, and his latte almost spills as he gestures frantically as if to say he was retracting what he said.

"I didn't mean it like that. Look, being afraid that another god was going to kill you is a really good reason for wanting to keep things a secret. I'm not mad, Les-- Apollo. Really I'm not. You did what you had to do and I'd be an ass if I held that against you."

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( closed ) still mortal, thanks for asking

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