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[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

Characters: Athena and Gaia
Date/Time: Afternoon of Wednesday, June 20th
Location: Bookstore in Poughkeepsie
Rating: TBD, depends on how it goes.
Warnings: Language, maybe.
Summary: A chance encounter for Athena

Taking on the guise of a young employee, Gaia wandered through the shelves of the bookstore, waiting for Athena. When she spotted the girl, she walked up and said brightly, "Hi there! Can I help you find anything?"

Comments

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"Oh, it's just been ages, that's all. This isn't that big of a town, though. Still, it's nice to get to meet new people, make new friends... don't you think?" The young woman smiled... but there was something decidedly not young in her eyes.

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

"Sure, I guess." This was decidedly weird, and was getting weirder by the second. "Look, I'm sorry but don't recognize you. I think you might have me confused for someone else." It was possible after all. It wasn't as if there weren't a bunch of eighteen year olds in the town.

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"Not at all, Pete. You've probably just forgotten is all," the woman chirped.

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

Alarm bells were go. She took a cautious step backward. "I don't forget things."

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"Then you should remember me!" she said, laughing.

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

Final straw. She's out of there.

"You know what, I think I'm good on books for now." She turned away from the sales girl, making a beeline for the door. She didn't run per se, but she wasn't going slow about it either.

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"You cannot keep running, Athena." The words were spoken very softly, but they would ring in the girl's ears nonetheless. "You must face the truth. And you must connect with the others."

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

Scared? Oh you freaking bet she was. She never should have spoken on that stupid website. Never should have even registered. Crazy psycho-stalker hackers and they'd found her!

She never stopped her stride. No instead, she picked up the pace. She shook her head and gritted her teeth. No way was that voice in her ear. No way, not possible. It was just her nerves. "I am not Athena. Leave me alone!" She ground it out under her breath, careful not to say it too loud and look like a lunatic.

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

Oh, Athena. Don't you know you can't run away from Mother Earth? In a moment, both of Athena's feet were stuck, unable to move.

"Calm yourself, child," came a voice like the wind in the trees, "Face your fears. Breathe. Think. Remember." There would be a faint tickling in the far depths of the girl's mind, trying to nudge away a few of those long-dormant memories.

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

And she was suddenly not moving. Oh shit! Had she been tazed or something?! Just because the voice was calm, didn't make her calm.

She repressed the urge to put her hands over her ears. That would just make people stare, if they weren't already. She shut her eyes tightly for a moment, trying to push back that strange feeling in her mind."Just go away! I do not want this craziness in my life!" she whispered harshly.

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

Gaia approached quietly.
"Your talents would be better served fighting a different battle," she remarked. "Now. You know who I am. You know I cannot just 'go away,' like it or not. The time has come. There is no avoiding it."

The tickling became more insistent, trying to jar loose millenia of old memories.

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

She was refusing to believe this was happening, despite all the evidence to the contrary. She must be losing her mind. That was the only thing that made sense in this senseless circumstance.

She hooked her hands behind her neck, her only physical concession to the fact that her freaking mind was being invaded and she wanted to physically dig out that horrible presence. She gave Gaia pleading eyes. She could feel the truth that she was about to lose. One more push and she was going to lose her hold. And god what would happen to her then? "Please, stop. Don't do this. I don't want this."

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"I'm sorry, child. But you can remain ignorant no longer. Enemies are rising and you are needed for the battles ahead," Gaia said, and gave one more nudge to try and get her to remember at least part of the truth.

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

It was like feeling something tear from your fingers, even as you dig in, shredding the veil as it's pulled away. The crashing of one life into another in such an abrupt way is almost traumatic. But it had its advantages. Athena didn't cripple under it. No she stood tall and strong. Only a single tear fell from her eye as the innocence of her mortal life was torn asunder.

When she focused again on Gaia, there was an older look to her eyes, even as her body was utterly unchanged; that of an eighteen year old girl. "Was that really so necessary?" Her voice is soft, sad, but resigned.

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"It was. There is no longer time for you to learn slowly. Things are changing, and quickly. Your fellows need you. And, while I'm sure your brethren will be happy to teach you in the meantime, you must also reach out beyond your own kind," Gaia explained.

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

"I suppose you didn't give me much choice on that. I can't go around with broken pieces in my head." She could feel the threads of memory, frayed and ragged in her mind. They begged to be pulled properly so they could unravel as they should. She remember enough to believe, but not so much that she felt whole.

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

The woman looked at her impassively.
"Do you wish for them all to be revealed at once? You know enough to do the work required of you, but I can make you remember it all, if that is your choice."

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

"No thank you. I'd rather not end up with the headache that's bound to give me." And the identity crisis. It wasn't exactly easy to just suddenly accept things you never would normally accept. It was likely the only reason she wasn't breaking down was because her true persona was the Goddess of Wisdom. It helped.

"Exactly what work are you wanting me to do?"

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"You and the others must come together. On your own. Some will need more convincing than others, I'm sure, and that's where you come in. Develop a plan to not only become a united front, but present yourselves as one."

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

"I can't possibly have been your first choice for this." Even half-Athena is pretty perceptive. "Even with some memories back, I'm not exactly going to inspire cooperation. I think I'm the youngest one in all the groups, with less self-knowledge. That's going to be an uphill battle. But again, I think you have already accounted for that, haven't you?"

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"There are others waiting and willing to help you. You just need to reach out to them," Gaia said calmly. "Some you already know. And don't be too harsh on the sea prince. He means well. Especially toward you."

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

"Yeah, well maybe you think that, but he seems less than enthusiastic about me as a person. I think his interests lie more towards wielding me as a weapon. And if my memory of the classics serves," Which it does. "He's actually more inclined to hate me than anything else."

"But," she continued before Gaia could correct her. "I will do what I can. I'll discuss our situation and see if there's anything I can do."

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"I do not think he has forgotten that you were as a daughter to him once," Gaia said. "Your dynamic has changed, I'm sure, but I doubt he would deny you guidance. And there are other, gentler souls that would be happy to work with you. Your sisters, perhaps."

[tritonia.insanejournal.com]

She shrugged. It was still strange to think of having any other family than he human dad. But she would have to get used to it now. "I'll talk to them."

[metemmods.insanejournal.com]

"There's a good girl. I also think a certain sunshiny brother of yours would be delighted to hear of your progress. But do not forget that there are others who can match your cleverness in the other pantheons as well. Perhaps the Celtic strongman would be a fine mentor outside of the Greeks," Gaia suggested. "It is all up to you, but the rewards of teamwork will be... incalculable, compared to the alternative."