IC: EVENT

[bossman]

A TERRIBLE THING IS HAPPENING

reference books detailing myths and legends stolen from libraries...
wikipedia pages wiped clean from the face of the internet...
ancient stained glass windows smashed and destroyed...
historical research centers burnt to the ground...

Someone out there is trying very, very hard to erase all of the possible sources of power and belief of the ancient gods and goddesses. And it hurts. Whilst the powers of the minders are unharmed by the attacks, the gods and goddesses will be certainly feeling the toll: it's now painfully clear that even the simplest of miracles are now becoming almost impossible to perform.

deities, you had better have gifted your minders with some decent blessings! Because now you're going to rely on them more than ever. Someone is out to get you.

Comments

[miscreantics]

[Hermes had started in Israel. Being in Israel had been a bad idea to begin with, what with everything going on. His inability to run as quickly or for as long as he would like, his paranoia about not being in Rome, his concern about the rest of the Twelve. But Persephone was going to Israel, Persephone had asked, and what Persephone wants, she gets. Besides, it's not entirely against his purpose, going with the queen of the Underworld to shepherd the dead, not against his purpose at all.

But it was wrong. Being in Israel was wrong, and it made Hermes antsy. It was for that reason that, not too long after arriving, Hermes skedaddled. He left Persephone and Cam with the wheelchair that he most needs, zooming off to Rome.

First off, find Anansi. If no luck there, find Apollo and Artemis. Where do we start the search for Anansi? Not the forum, not Vatican City, that would be too obvious. This is Anansi, so he zooms through the various backstreets that he memorized centuries ago. Hermes isn't sure he'll find Anansi, but when he does all thoughts of aggression and threatening are gone. No, he could feel the pull of the dying and injured from blocks away, telling him to be the shepherd again. He stops in front of his friend, stumbling as he only would in such a weakened state and dropping down to his knees and shoving the scooter out of the way.]

You look like shit.

[colubri]

[Meanwhile, upon touching down in Rome, Astaroth had made his first order of business commanding all snakes and serpents and other reptiles of limbless nature within the city's vicinity to scatter and seek out anything worth noting. As it happened, a broken and bloodied spider was just the sort of thing worth immediate noting, and so he had just as immediately set off for the location with both of his minders in tow.

However, finding that Hermes had beaten them there was not something he had expected. It figures, though; of course a winged Greek would beat out even his most fleet-bellied of serpents. But now is not the time for pettiness, no matter how tempted he might be.

He strides towards the scene as though he owns it, focusing the whole of his attention on the two deities before him. Even in a state like this, he's not inclined to trust the trickster. He'll leave it to the minders to keep the area secure from any others.]

So. Which one of you is going to explain just what happened here?

[ecclesiastes]

I think it's pretty obvious what happened.

[ Daniel is, perhaps, not exactly one for self-preservation. The facts are simple, to him. Anansi got the crap beaten out of him, Hermes found him (didn't do it, there's no blood on his hands), and Astaroth is, as usual, being an ass about it. The snakes tell him that any remaining grigori are not interested in this little alley, but he beckons several of the larger, more venomous ones closer anyway. No one needs to wander across this scene.

If he's murmuring prayers under his breath to everyone he can think of (especially Uriel and the nearby crumpled spider, God forgive him), well, that's not really anyone else's business. Standing there talking about it isn't going to help anyone, but there's power in prayer. ]

[shams]

Tell me you look better after dancing with grigori, adamfo, and you may take that comment unanswered.

[Anansi wheezes and doesn't flinch as Hermes shoves the scooter aside. He'd been waiting for someone else, but he isn't disappointed to see the Greek deity instead. His teeth are stained red with the blood of his human form, the trail it winds down his chin unchecked even as it drops into the shallow well between his collarbones.

Astaroth and his minder are an afterthought as he nods to Hermes and comes to understand that he has other gods to answer to first. The eyes he spares for the demon and the mortal don't seem to offer up any opinion aside from half-acknowledging they're both there.

Explanations are stories, aren't they? One last story...

He turns his eyes back on Hermes.]

Let me tell you a story...

[miscreantics]

[At this very moment, Hermes could not care less about Astaroth or his minders, or even the knowledge that Cam will follow, try to find him as he found Anansi. His attention doesn't falter from Anansi for a moment, even with the slither of snakes in human, serpentine and deity forms, coming ever closer to his prize--though it's not what he would call it, not by a longshot. At Anansi's words and wheezes Hermes smiles sympathetically, a small twitch of his lips and nods. His knees are shaking, he's dizzy and out of breathe, but he has, always will put what matters before his own well being. It's why he is one of the Twelve, after all, despite being the trickster and general wise-ass that he is. In the end, those he cares for matter more. His family and their well-being comes first, and he needs to get what Anansi knows.

Anansi counts too, has counted for a long time. Anansi like Coyote, like Loki, the ones who, despite being of different pantheons understood him, and he moves a shaking hand to wipe the blood from Anansi's chin. He needs to hear this story, but he also needs to not let Anansi die, not for good.]

Sure, why not, no one tells a story like you.

[colubri]

[Astaroth casts a glance back to his minders — a particularly pointed one at Daniel, thanks to his sass — and comes a bit closer, kneeling near the broken spider. He doesn't quite give a damn whether he lives or dies, but until he regains his dominion over the secrets of the world, he needs to know whatever last words he has to say.]

Let's hear it.

[whiting]

[The whole situation has been incredibly inconvenient, chaos and noise, but Guinevere has followed Astaroth quietly, as she has done since she was a child. But now they have finally reached their goal - a goal - and they wish to settle down for a story. Astaroth might hold dominion over secrets, but if Anansi took too long with his tale, there were things none of them would know.]

The spider is dying. Perhaps storytime could wait, until he isn't.

[ecclesiastes]

[ Serpents slither on the rocks, and Daniel looks again to Anansi. He won't do it without permission, but-- ]

They can wrap around your wounds, put pressure on them to keep most of the blood inside you instead of on the street.

[ As much as he loathes the demon he serves, Guinevere is a smart woman, and he agrees with her. ]

[shams]

[Laughter -broken but full and warm- slips from Anansi's lips, eyes turning away from Hermes again to take in the sight of the two mortals. Of course, these two are ever the wiser when it comes to affairs of mortality - it's their business to be. The three of them; Hermes, himself and Astaroth, are unused to being concerned with such things, and that amuses the spider. He looks as squarely as he can at Astaroth, breathing difficult especially around words.]

You have very wise minders, serpent sovereign. They know more about the matters of life and death that we give them credit for.

[miscreantics]

[Hermes can't speak for Astaroth, but he has a very particular relationship with death. Death isn't the end, death is only a minor inconvenience that might be the end if no one has the dedication to come and fetch you. Death isn't scary for him, not in the slightest. Pain, impotence, now that is terrifying, but death? Death is just unfortunate. He doesn't roll his eyes at the minders, even though part of him wants to, but he motions towards Anansi's injuries.]

If they can stop the bleeding then do it, that doesn't mean that he can't talk while it's happening.

[His attention goes back to Anansi then, his eyes softening once again.]

You were going to say?

[colubri]

[Yes, well. At any other time Astaroth might try to claim credit for their ingenuity, but as things are now, he only takes the time to spare another glance and a single command for his minders—]

Just do it, whatever it takes.

[—before refocusing his attention on Anansi. At this point they're only wasting time.]

[whiting]

[Guinevere gives a small nod towards Daniel, an indication that he should do as he said, before coming forward to kneel at Anansi's side, completely unmindful of Hermes. Neither the god nor the demon had taken the time to look him over for wounds, the extent of the damage done. Astaroth wouldn't truly care if the spider died, as long as he got his answers first, and Hermes was probably arrogant enough to think he could fetch Anansi back from his death. But they weren't all held to the same rules, and the underworld Anansi ended up in was unlikely to be the Grecian one. She checks over the trickster's human body, her long white hands moving much like spiders themselves.]

[ecclesiastes]

No one said he has to stop talking while it's done.

[ Daniel has yet to learn to hold his tongue, a quality that likely amuses Astaroth to no end sometimes when it's not directed toward him. He follows Guinevere to get a better look at Anansi's wounds, snakes following him. Then they're directed, wrapping here and there to keep pressure on his wounds, sometimes several snakes over one injury. There's a shift toward his master minder, and a murmur under his breath. ]

I can carry him, if we need to move.

[shams]

[There's thanks coloring Anansi's eyes as the two mortals step closer. The snakes are unfortunate for the spider, though his dislike of them is less than his dislike of the idea that Death will finally catch up with him. Maybe this time the trickster has learnt a lesson or two about thinking other deities are incapable of tricking him.

He looks back to the two deities present and leaves the mortals to defend him from Death.]

There was once a spider who grew tired of his friends and foes alike becoming as apathetic as the many mortals who had started to ignore them. [Here he has to pause, not because of the pain but because there's real discomfort in having snakes wrapped around him. If he didn't know better, the spider would think they were trying to restrain him.]

He had temporarily put down wisdom and when he went to pick it up again found judgement instead. He didn't know his new friend couldn't be trusted to be motivated to the same conclusion. When the spider realized he tried to warn his friends and foes, tried to warn anyone who would listen. [Another pause, a shaky breath in and that same discomfort taking over again until he pushes it back down.] ...I don't know the end to this story, yet. Just that the spider one day hopes to find the wisdom he lost, again, one day.

[miscreantics]

[Hermes listens with sympathy, his eyes only darting to the snakes momentarily. It's not in his nature to trust a Judeo-Christian, even the house of Demons, even if he puts on a smile and treats them as he does everyone else most of the time. Burned once, after all. His eyes are back on Anansi in an instant though, hanging on every word.]

Well I know how it ends. The spider survives, learns from the mistake, doesn't something that stupid again and then goes into hiding for a while until it all blows over. Preferably someplace nice and sunny.

[He moves to get up, ready to carry Anansi on his back wherever they need to get, but he can't. He's beyond exhausted, used more energy than he should have, and he can't seem to get his legs to work properly.] Son of a bitch...

[colubri]

[Of course. Astaroth already knew better than to expect anything in plain terms as soon as the word story came up, so while he isn't pleased about it, he doesn't bother interrupting to ask for clarification. He only notes the information for later, in case anyone from the top decides to grill him after this.

Then the Greek makes an embarrassment of himself. He can't even resist the urge to roll his eyes.]

Honestly, if I'd known I'd have to cart not just one, but two gods out of here, I would've told the cab to stay put... Guinevere, Daniel. [Once again, he trusts they'll not only know what to do but actually do it. In the meantime, he's going to get back to his feet, get out his phone and summon them some mortal means of transport.]

[whiting]

[Anansi's tale isn't anything more than what she'd expected. No great secrets revealed, especially with his telling, but that was the way of this particular spider. She was not Astaroth, and if the demon won't press for more, then she will simply do what's asked of her. She checks the snakes are properly placed, then looks to Daniel.]

It appears we will need to move.

[He could carry Anansi as he'd suggested. She was to be little help in that regard. She had her own strength, but it was not in taking weight on her thin frame. Hermes was going to be the problem, then, though she imagines they could just leave him sitting in the street.]

Are you too fast for your minders to keep up with you?

[It seemed beyond foolish, to be in such a weakened state and leave any assistance they might offer in the dust.]

1/2

[ecclesiastes]

Got it.

[ He's strong, and the snakes won't bite him; he could instruct them not to bite Guinevere, of course, and they would listen, but he preferred to keep them close. It would look odd to whatever mortal driver Astaroth found, though, and he finds himself shrugging out of his coat and draping it over the storyteller before moving to pick him up. ]

If you'll excuse the closeness.

[ Probably better not to move him at all, really, but they didn't have much of a choice. ]

2/2

[ideas]

[ If it weren't for the fact that they were all possibly dying already, and were immortal when they weren't, Cam could about kill Hermes right now. She'd forwarded what the god had done to Renee, quickly apologized to Persephone (the other spirits there kind of freaked her out), and then hightailed it out of Jerusalem with a wheelchair that was sort of essential but was still slowing her down some.

Then there was the problem of finding Hermes. Luckily she's a smart girl; if there were something out in the open, there would be people talking about it, right? So she starts to look where people won't see, and that's how she finds the lot of them. The snakes get a bit of a look from her, but it's as fast as she is, and she's suddenly right behind Hermes, unfolding the wheelchair before moving to help him up. ]

Come on, boss. [ He's her priority over the others, whatever's going on there. ]