February Open Prompts/Catch-all

[pummelgranite]

WHO: Persephone vs everyone
WHERE: various cities
WHEN: through February
WHAT: A few prompts, please poke me if you want something else
WARNINGS: discussion of violence/depression/disordered eating likely as always

A. Nona- A Strange Performance in a Tiny Jazz Club

[ It's not her typical venue, not by a long shot. It's a small space, with a simple stage. She even lets them use their own lights instead of miracling up herself something more impressive. There's no dance floor, and they hardly advertised for her at all. It's more a jazz club than anything else, too small for her sound, really. But that's alright. She's not here to perform her normal mass.

She isn't in high heels, or armor, or war paint. Rather, she comes out in a simple black dress and veil, ornamented with white flowers. What she sings is no persistent climax. The rage and defiance and violence usually typical of her songs is missing as well. Instead, it's something bittersweet and heart-wrenching. It's like an intimate aria sung in that same untranslatable language, but the message is clear: winter will always fade, spring will always come, but there are still so many things lost that can never return. Just because spring is coming, does not mean you will live to see it.

The piano and cello duet that follow her aren't bad either. After her performance, it might seem like anyone else would pale in comparison, but if anything the opposite is true- they, too, sound breathtakingly beautiful in the space that she's blessed. The goddess herself makes her way to the bar. Her normal companions seem absent, and most of the patrons don't dare to make eye contact, let alone approach. Do you? ]


B. The Hotel Castille lounge/lobby, evening

[ Persephone WAS at the bar. But now she's in the beautiful, glittering lobby. She is sprawled in a chair that looks like it cost several normal human's paychecks, in a way quite disrespectful to the quality of the upholstery. Her feet dangle over the back, and her head hangs towards the floor. There's a soft cloud of colorful hair beneath her. In her hands is a notebook, and in her mouth is a pen. Every once in a while she takes the pen out of her mouth to jot something into the notebook, but mostly she's just chewing on the pen.


C. Maurtia Falls Art Museum, reasonable business hours

[ If one were to happen into the museum that day, it would be hard not to miss her. She parks herself on a bench in front of a particular piece of art, and doesn't move for over an hour.

The art in question is probably no surprise- it's a Renaissance work by a not-so-terribly-famous artist, depicting Orpheus playing for Hades and his queen. There are headphones in her ears, and the only sign she gives that she's not a statue herself is pulling out her phone every so often to change her music. ]


D. South Maurtia Historic Cemetery - literally any time you'd like, day or night

[ What the fuck is she doing now? Is she sleeping on a grave? It's a single grave in a family plot, but the headstones are all so old that the names have long since faded. So... yeah. Sleeping on someone's grave. Cool, cool, cool, cool, normal. ]

Comments

[pummelgranite]

[ She worries at her lip a moment, then looks back up at him. ]

You really want to know? It's kind of a long story.

[the_caped_crusader]

[His brow is set low, a serious expression.]

Whatever you want to tell me.

[pummelgranite]

[ She looks back behind her, into the darkness of the cave. It's impossible to say, exactly, what she's looking for. But after a long moment she nods. She did come here to talk, didn't she? And as much as she loathes relating the story, there's no denying that it's easier to interact with people, when they can understand where she'd come from. ]


I told you before about the Recurrence, right? Once a century, twelve gods, two years. All that?

[ When he doesn't stop her, she continues. ]

There's another god. One that doesn't perform, isn't worshiped. Doesn't die between recurrences- gave up her divinity to keep her immortality. She's supposed to- . . . she's supposed to guide the Pantheon. Help them understand the power and the mission, make the most of the time they get.

She was supposed to take care of them. [ There's a beat of silence. ] Well, that's what Ananke told us.

[the_caped_crusader]

I see... [He pauses again.] Is she the one who took your friends from you?

[pummelgranite]

She didn't take them. She murdered them. Luci, Inanna, Tara, Mini's family, my parents, my little sister, our home. Everything.

[ Her voice goes a bit distant when she talks about it. A far, far cry from her usual sound and fury. ]

[the_caped_crusader]

I'm sorry...

[His voice is soft, or as soft as it can be from him, approaching something like that little boy she spoke to in the underground.]

Why do you think any of that is your fault?

[pummelgranite]

[ She makes a small neutral noise, and chews on her answer a long time. When she speaks, she's picking each word carefully. ]

I know. I know it's her fault. Of course it's her fucking fault. It was her choice, no matter what bullshit about necessity she had to say. But I'm not- . . . like the other gods. My power's different. More dangerous. You've seen it.

I think . . . she and I have been enemies for a really, really long time. She was trying to kill me, before I could realize what I am. Inanna saved me; their life for mine. Then my parents saw her getting rid of Inanna's corpse. I don't think she even knew Jenny was in the house. The explosion just made the frame-up easier. Ananke pulled the trigger, but I can't help thinking, if I just hadn't been born in this life . . .

[the_caped_crusader]

Then the Recurrence would have still happened, and somebody else would have suffered, would have been where you are, saying the same things.

Power itself isn't inherently dangerous, Persephone, it's the person wielding it who makes it dangerous. Your opportunity is in breaking the cycle of all of that.

[pummelgranite]

[ That first part seems to soak in well. There's a twist at her mouth as she does when she knows she doesn't have a good argument.

But as for the second part... ]

I have broken it. This was Ananke's last recurrence.

[the_caped_crusader]

I don't condone it, but...

[He lowers his head, doesn't look directly at her, as if he's putting himself in her position. He'd had that choice a million times, and he's always gone another way, but he understands how easy it would be to go down the other.]

I don't blame you for it. I understand why you did it. I've considered the same thing an hundred times before. I... hope that you can find something better moving forward.

[pummelgranite]

[ She looks at him a long moment. That's really not the answer she was expecting, but it's been one she's heard more and more here. Something in her posture finally does relax a little. She really hadn't realized how isolating it was to be around those who couldn't imagine it, until she was among those who didn't have to. ]

But you never have, huh?

[the_caped_crusader]

[He turns his head back up to her.]

I... no. [A pause.] Are you familiar with the Hippocratic Oath?

[pummelgranite]

Sure, for doctors. "First, do no harm."

[the_caped_crusader]

Well... [He tilts his head slightly.] That's actually a misquotation, but essentially, yes.

[A pause.]

I have to believe that the things my father tried to teach me before they die, the things he stood for, have meaning. That things like the law have meaning. If they don't, then we risk falling into the same category as the things that we're fighting against.

I've... lost people more than my parents since starting this fight. And I have the opportunity to get revenge, but it doesn't bring them back. It doesn't fix the problem. The only thing it does it tell everybody else that reacting to their impulses is okay.

[pummelgranite]

It makes sure she won't do it again.

[the_caped_crusader]

And what makes you their judge?

[pummelgranite]

Are you serious? [ More incredulous than mad, at least at first. ]


She did it herself! When she decided that she was the Pantheon's Judge, Jury, Jailer, Undertaker, Priest and especially Executioner! Or when she told everyone that I had to be put down. "Nip the evil flower in the bud." When she framed Baphomet for Inanna's death so no one would believe us about her. Ananke was the one who decided that it was her or me, before Laura Wilson was even born.

I was just happy to oblige her.

[ By the end, her voice is rough with bitterness and malice. Of course she wasn't happy. Ananke had wanted her a cornered animal: snapping and snarling until she could be put down as rabid. In darker moments, it's hard for Persephone to believe she failed at that. Surely the Destroyer must be terrible, to warrant so much bloodshed. ]

[the_caped_crusader]

She gave you power, you're the one who decided to use it. There is always a choice, and the distinction is important. [His tone is measured, but stern.]

She lied to you, coerced you all into a death sentence under the auspices of her mentoring. Did you do it because there wasn't another choice? Or did you do it because you wanted to?

[pummelgranite]

What, rip her to pieces? Of course I wanted to.

[the_caped_crusader]

I can only try to impress on you the fact that what you did was wrong. I can't make you understand it if your experiences cloud you from believing it.

[pummelgranite]

[ She snorts. ]


Objection noted. Curious about anything else?

[the_caped_crusader]

Not unless you have anything else to tell me. But you should know that as long as I'm here I won't let something like that happen again.

[It doesn't mean he isn't on her side, but it does mean he will fight her again if he has to.]

[pummelgranite]

[ A few replies come to mind. Arguing again, posturing some more, tell him he's welcome to try. But it just doesn't come out. Thinking about Ananke's death isn't summoning up the viscous satisfaction it usually does. ]


Uh huh.

[ Not sarcastic, more-or-less neutral. ]

[the_caped_crusader]

[He continues to stare at her quietly for a moment, as if to wonder what he's going to do with this girl without continually driving her away again.]

Let's start small. Have you thought about staying somewhere other than that graveyard of yours? [Yes, sorry, he does know about that.]

[pummelgranite]

[ HOW DID HE KNOW??? Did Nico tell him? She can't blame his gay little heart. Ugh. OK, well. Posture on through it. If the Morrigan is fine living in abandoned subway tunnels and being a thousand birds then she is obviously fine. ]

We set up in a mausoleum. It's cool.