Let's Talk, Hmm? (Gabe)

[Deleted]

All in all this was a very difficult situation. Her husband’s daughter (not by her) was dead, her remains scattered gorily in a field in southern Germany. Foolish girl had thought to escape the pressure and shadowtravel just for a day, but the presence of a Big Three child and a developing Big Three legacy? Not good. Felicity had attracted attention within 30 minutes of her arrival. And, well, the jump had drained her, so Proserpina guessed. So fighting and jumping again were out of the realm of possibility. So she ran. Confused the heck out of some sheep, but other than that went unseen by all except the monsters. Foolish girl. Proserpina rushed there when she’d heard her husband had gone there, but seeing him like that even from a distance, she knew he needed a minute. Alone. So she decided to do the next best thing: visit the girl’s brother.

Both children Proserpina had visited in their nurseries when they were still too young to remember. It was something she took very seriously. She might not have liked that they existed, but they were family either way. So she left a gift at each one’s home. Something inconspicuous. Felicity’s… a patch of bright, cheery dandelions that no amount of weed killer could destroy, right outside her nursery window. And she knew from observation that infant Felicity had liked them because, boy, once that little girl learned to move of her own accord, the dandelion patch was a hotspot. So she stopped by Felicity’s grave and planted a little dandelion.

As for the other child, the boy named Gabriel, she’d visited him too. Given him something a little more masculine. There had been a window garden on the ledge of his nursery’s window. While her persuasion with older animals did not work so well, one that was currently prepping for younger ones was a bit better. So she encouraged two robins, mother and father, to build their nest in that little window garden. That Spring they had three chirpy little babies and Gabriel’s mother hadn’t had the heart to remove the nest once the eggs were there. So Gabriel got a whole season filled with the song of young birds.

And it just so happened that Gabriel was her intended target today. She shed her goddessly glow and pulled her hair into a braid and donned a skirt and blouse because even in disguise, she liked to look presentable. Then she fixed herself at one of the gates in the Legion, keeping her senses aware for the spot of familiarity known as Gabriel Caulder. She could tell he was near. Perhaps nearer than I thought, she realized as she saw him walking up the via her way. He looked exhausted. Poor young man. Just lost his sister. She sidled up next to him as he walked. “You’re Gabriel, right? I’ve heard a lot about you. I must say, the descriptions don’t do you justice.”

TAG: @gabriel
WORDS: 495
NOTES: I’m rather fond of this post

[Deleted]

Gabriel had refused to go out there. He knew Remus would be out there and while he wanted to extend the proverbial olive branch to his brother, yes the whole in-law thing didn't matter to Gabriel. The Praetor was family. That was it. There was no inlaw, step or half, Family was family. But while he was more worried about Remus and even that little forge rat that used to hang out with Felicity, Gabriel himself wasn't exactly sure how to handle this little thing. Okay it wasn't little. He and Felicity were as different as night and day, they fought, hated each other and hardly got along, but in the end, she was his sister. She knew what it was like to be ostracized because of your father. He would kill for her even if there were times he wanted to kill her himself for doing so many ridiculous and stupid things. He didn't even know the first step to take to console Remus. He was going to be a father and now that child would never breathe it's first breath. Gabriel half wanted to take it out on his father but it wasn't their father's fault. No. That wasn't fair to his father.

So he walked, he trained. Gabriel trained and trained till he could barely stagger to his bed and then the next morning he would rise before Apollo could start to draw his chariot across the sky and do the same thing over and over again. It was his own way of coping with a problem. Why could you be so stupid, he had thought savagely as he shoved his hands into his trunk to pull out his boots. She had done so many stupid things and the gods only knew what he had to put up when her stupid decisions got worse, but this was the dumbest thing he thought she had ever done. He was angry at her, furious even. He hadn't even really accepted the fact that she was dead, gone. Gabriel half expected her to show up after a month going 'hey just kidding I'm back this time'. There wouldn't be that. Deep down in the pit of his stomach he knew. IT was like staring at a candle and watching it slowly go out. The warmth had receded and now when he thought of his sister, there was only the cool blackness.

He walked along the road, his hands in his pockets as he tugged at the hem of his shirt. He stared at the lines on his arm before he pulled a stray thread from his own purple shirt. Gabriel let out a sigh as he gently coiled the drachma into his palm before letting it clink in his pocket. He had resigned himself to getting his sister a wreath for her memorial. HE'd go out there and then he'd go see Remus. Offer him a spar, maybe a drink, or both. Actually both sounded really good right about now. He noticed the girl slide along beside him and she spoke up. She asked him if he was Gabriel, which to be honest it made him blink as if someone had thrown cold water on him first thing in the morning. The question had blindsided him but not in a horrible or bad manner. It just surprised him. Normally anything that anyone had heard about the child of Pluto was bad, but whatever this girl had heard was obviously good. "Oh hi. Yes, I'm Gabriel. What can I do for you?" He asked. His eyes were weary, tired, but he had to help others. His mother always said that helping others would generally help you in the long run. Plus it wasn't as if he needed another excuse to stall.

Tag: Proserpina
Words: 633
Notes: I loved your post, don't mind Gabe's ranting.

[Deleted]

He looked so haggard. So worn out. Like he was playing Monopoly and had landed in jail for the fifth time in a row, except real life. He’d just lost his sister. Though that wasn’t all that was on his mind, was it? He was bothered by much more. She wished she knew. She wanted to reach out to him, to hold him as she had held him in his quaint nursery all those years back. He was obviously too much for that, but hand-holding or shoulder-wrapping were good too, right? She didn’t know what a mother (step, whatever) did. She hadn’t been a mother in a very long time. She was always the step-mother. Even here, she was that, but she didn’t want to be in this moment. She hadn’t followed up on her husband’s mistresses, so she had no idea where Gabriel’s mortal mother was, what she did, what she was like, or if she was even still alive. She remembered when Evelyn’s grandfather, the last mortal she had ever produced a child with, had died and come before the judgement in the Underworld, Pluto had demanded to have final say. Proserpina was bound to his side, late October as it was, and felt horrible the entire time, casting side looking at her husband. Yet he handled it beautifully. He gave the mortal man a good afterlife. Not for the demigod daughter he had raised, but for the actual quality of his life. Proserpina admired him for that all the more. Unfortunately, when one regularly grew up with glares from Juno and stifling attention from Ceres, it was hard to think straight. She avoided the women he chose, but watched over the children that shared his line. Gabriel, she was proud of. Felicity, bless her heart, had no brain. Emphasis on past tense.

She came up beside him and spoke only loud enough for him to hear. She smiled when he acknowledged her, confirming that he was a good young man like his father who would help a stranger. That did not stop the fact that she was not sure how to respond. But she knew one thing. He deserved to know. “Thank you for the cranberries last Wednesday. I’ve always liked fruit, of course, but cranberries are a fruit of celebration and I believe we all should find reasons to celebrate more often, don’t you?” She was referring, of course, to the fresh cranberries he had left on her altar there in the temple of the minor gods. He came often enough to keep her attention for sure, and always seemed to know just what she would like. Last Wednesday it was cranberries. She savored the small balls of wonderful taste, using her power over youth to keep them as fresh as she could, but even attempting to save them, they were gone in a few hours. “But back to your question. What can you do for me? Honestly, just be here with me, if that is okay, and allow me to be here for you. Is that okay, Gabriel?”

TAG: @gabe
WORDS: 513
NOTES:

[Deleted]

Gabriel had ran a hand through his dark hair, and maybe he should decide if he was going to be clean shaven or if he was going to grow himself a beard. He had thought about it once or twice but right now, he looked slightly like a hobo. Gabriel felt grimy and grungy and like he should probably drown himself in the shower, or even a good stint in the sauna would be really nice. But it was his own ball of fears and phobias that had been come to a sudden realization, he was very mortal. His sister was very mortal and now that mortality was coming to light, and fatal. It was fatal by being a big three child. They were the biggest targets on the field of battle, they were massive targets while walking around in non safe areas. Out there in the real world, they were the strongest but at the same time they were the most vulnerable. Some of them had the most crippling fatal flaws.

Gabriel remembered what his mother had taught him well, raised him to be a good man. He hoped that he could be someone that his father and mother could be proud of. When he left the legion, if he made that decision to leave the legion, he'd go to college and find a respectable job here in New Rome. He didn't know what he would do or where he would go after that. He had been thinking about the future for a good long while, more so lately than usual. When Felicity had died, he thought about his own death. It wasn't something he had made a habit of, mostly because it was morbid and self-fulfilling in a way, what could happen was still something he wondered. No, that wasn't something to think about right now. He shook his head, feeling slightly punch drunk as he tried to clear his head. There were so many times that he thought about death but then his thoughts would change to his father. It was odd that the thoughts would so senselessly flow together. But he often thought about his father and often wondered if he was able to make him proud. He thought about his step-mother as well, though it was more like he did his best to keep his nose clean and tried to do what he could to not offend her. Though he had this feeling that his very presence was probably an offense to her, a reminder of her husband's wandering attentions. But he made his weekly offerings and kept his allergy medication handy. The last thing he needed was a trip to the infirmary to irritate Charlie or Chris because he couldn't stop sneezing like nineteen times in a row.

Wait. His brain screamed to a halt as she mentioned his offering of cranberry's on Wednesday. There wasn't anyone around, not that he had seen when he had left that offering. He never knew if the offerings actually gotten where they were supposed to, but they were always gone the next time he had visited. He would hazard that she heard the hamster wheel on his brain come to a screeching halt. "Cranberries?" He stated. "How did..." Then it was as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. Gabriel knelt down immediately as the puzzle pieces clicked into places where they were supposed to be. "Queen Proserpina, I'm honors." He stated as he averted his eyes, training them on the ground. HE knew that some gods were fairly finicky, they didn't know how gods would act when it came to mortals like him. Specifically one that was offensive, like children of Jupiter were to the Queen of the Gods. Juno was notoriously jealous and would easily get her spindly fingers into the lives of demi-gods. "That is fine, if you wish my company." His British accent was easily heard against the shouting in American English.

Tags: Proserpina
Words: 665 (whew)
Notes:

[Deleted]

Proserpina watched him out of the corner of her eye and his reaction was about as suspected. There was the initial what are you talking about followed by a sudden and dramatic realization. She felt a little bad that he averted his eyes. She reached up a hand and rested it on his shoulder. “Gabriel. Look at me, please? If I did not want your company, would I have sought it out today?” She did not say it meanly. Actually, her trademark soft smile was in place. Honestly, she wanted to just embrace him, but she had a feeling it was not proper at this moment. She didn’t want to make him feel awkward. “What I mean to say, dear, is… I would greatly enjoy to spend some quality time with you. You are family. And these are difficult times, so especially now I want to be here for you. I can even look into the fate of your sister for you, should you so desire. It is summer, so I was not present in the Underworld when she arrived, but I would be happy to inquire for you. I know that gives some people peace of mind.”

She reached up slightly and tucked his hair behind his ear, leaving a daisy in the wake of her fingers, then her hand fell back to her side. “So may I spend this time with you? I leave what to do up to you, and if it requires denarii, it is entirely on me.” She shifted her dress in the hopes of hiding the decent bump that most likely would cause awkwardness, for even though she could take another form, she could not hide the fact that she was expecting. Today was about Gabriel though. So she didn’t want to talk about her personal life when he himself was likely in unspeakable hardship with his loss. Yes, she was here for him today.

“And, just so you know, I’m not just here because of… that. Okay? If it is okay with you and today goes well for us both, I would greatly enjoy spending time with you on a regular basis. I know you already have a mother and have no need of another, but… if you want me, I am here.” She smiled slightly, but given the nerves in her stomach at putting herself out there like that, she wouldn’t be surprised if it showed on her features.

TAG: @gabriel
WORDS: 407
NOTES: The theme I decided for this thread is “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack

[Deleted]

Gabriel had the utmost respect for his step-mother. After all, Gabriel and his mother had been intruders in her life. From the stories he had heard, her life with his father was happy, blissful. It was better than the stories that he had heard about his Uncles. At least Neptune was always trying to do right by people, as well as his father. Jupiter was always seeming mucking things up. Though it seemed like Juno wasn't much better. For that, Gabriel would always be grateful. She didn't have to let him live, she didn't have to put up with his presence nor did she have to grace him with her presence. There were many gods that didn't have much to do with their offspring, not to mention of the step-godly parents that were married. They cheated and the demi-gods were right there, a blaring mistake. It was probably a reason that their lives were hard, they had been hard since birth. So the fact that Gabriel was here in front of his step mother, the thought terrified him and excited him at the same time. She placed a gently hand on his shoulder to match the soft smile she held on her lips as he looked up at her. She mentioned that she could look into the fate of his sister. Which there was that predicament again. He wanted to know but at the same time he didn't want to know. "I appreciate you offering to look in on her fate but.... I feel that like the dead sometimes things are just better left where they are." It probably sounded super stupid the way he had said it, he had never really been one to have his words work like they were supposed to at the best of times.

He had noticed the bump, but he did his best to not mention it. It didn't bother him. Gabriel felt he had been such an intruder on a relationship. They were married after all. A child should be expected from such a relationship. He made a mental note to purchase a gift. He looked up at her again with a small smile on his face. "Time spent would be wonderful." Though to be honest he quite didn't have a clue as to what they would do. Or what she liked to do, but the only real thought that he had was that he could possibly take her to his favorite book store and coffee shop. That was someplace he frequented all the time, it wasn't special or anything like that. It didn't matter though. Even just a regular walk around town would be nice if it was alright with her. He still wanted to be considerate even if it made him feel awkward.

She had offered to spend more time with him, to which he mentally agreed. Though he should probably say something out loud to let her know. There were gods that were mind readers, though he wasn't sure if she was one of them. "I would appreciate the time, if it's not too much trouble. I don't want you to go out of your way for me." Gabriel really didn't feel as if he was something special. He wasn't special. He didn't deserve special treatment. "I want this to go well. To make amends." He said as he stood up.

Tags: Proserpina
Words: 564
Notes: sorry everything is so late

[Deleted]

Proserpina was slightly impressed he turned down her offer. Many in his position would like to know the fate of the recently departed. She smiled. “That speaks well of you. Wise words. Perhaps you should seek a Senate position, Gabriel. This place needs good thinkers like you.” She was being honest. The young man – unlike his now-gone sister – made her proud to share some relation. She wished the best for him. She knew he was fully capable of doing great things. She nodded and continued, “I would be happy to write a letter of recommendation if you so desire, under a pseudonym, of course. Or any way I may help at all.”

She was glad he seemed interested in spending time together. Her smile brightened. “Wonderful!” She was truly excited for this. It was high time she got to better know Gabriel. She’d watched from the distance plenty, sometimes jealous, but most of the time pleased. She felt bad for all he went through. Dealing with his sister. That hag dumping him. Yet he stayed strong.

His words as he stood warmed her, though the idea that she might have to go out of her way seemed silly. “My dear Gabriel, it is never too far to go to see you. I want to.” When he said he wanted it to go well, she couldn’t help it any longer, and she stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. “Me too.” She pulled away and smiled. “My, my, my, look at you, Gabriel. You know, I watch you from the distance all the time, but seeing you up close I can see just how much you’ve grown. And you quite take after your father. Strong features, intense eyes. That’s in a good way. So then. What shall we do? And, by the way, you may call me whatever you like. No need for formalities, okay?”

TAG: @gabriel
WORDS: 315
NOTES: Sorry for the wait. Hope he’s okay with hugs

[Deleted]

She had suggested that maybe he should look into being apart of the senate. The thought had crossed his mind once or twice as he had been going through his options for the moment or two that he had considered leaving the legion. But he would stay in the legion till he felt as if he was no longer needed. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I feel the need to serve the legion is in the best interests of everyone at this time. Not many would look kindly on a child of Pluto as an advisor." It was the truth, he had fought against the prejudices for so long it had become simply a second nature to him. "It would be a nice idea to throw around." He said, cracking a small smile. He couldn't help but feel the warmth from his step-mother. Someone who he had always wanted to be on her good side. Someone he had even looked up to on more than one occasion, she was a wonderous woman who, unlike Juno, was more patient with his father's children.

The chance to hang out with his step mother was something that was a welcome, a nice break from the many training and the forced practice. He would work himself hard, though he would never admit, he was tired. He needed a change of pace. Gabriel was a bit surprised when she had hugged him, though he couldn't help but hug her as well, though not as tight. He didn't want to cause her any discomfort from the bump he had seen. Some women he had seen were a bit testy and picky at that. So he did as best as he could. He hoped that he could sneak away from training later on to pick up a gift for her. She said that he took after his father, in the best way. Which made it hard for Gabe to keep himself from busting out into a large grin. "Thank you my lady." He said. "what would be appropriate to call you?" He asked. Gabriel's first instinct was still to call her your highness, or your majesty, or even Lady Proserpina. But she nixed the formalities. "There is a wonderful little shop, it's a coffee shop and bakery, its quite wonderful." HE suggested.

Words: 386
Tags: Proserpina
Notes: sorry it took so long

[Deleted]

Proserpina smiled as he seemed to consider the idea of being a Senator. Then he spoke up of his reasoning not to and she nodded, silent a moment. “I trust your judgment. And I can understand your thoughts. Your sister kindly helped that poor reputation.” She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t speak ill of the departed. She just frustrated me so!” She rubbed her temple with her fingers and settled back into civility, smiling back at him. “Offer is always open.”

So many emotions were welling inside her. Everything was rather dramatic lately. So when she gave in and hugged him, well, it wasn’t out of the ordinary considering. She didn’t have it as bad as her mother, but she did have a good deal of mothering instinct, being the goddess of young life. Unfortunately, it was not something she could exercise much. She had one immortal daughter, Melinoe, who considered her to be not quite as bad as Pluto, but basically if you were at all on Pluto’s side, Melinoe wanted to skin you alive. She hadn’t had any mother-daughter bonding since the girl was a mere decade old. Which was roughly Cleopatra’s time. Sure, she had the grand total of 1 demigod child in the last century, but she was dead, and she grew up in the age of Jupiter’s no-interference rule. Then the grandchild was a horrid mess, twisted from a young age to use flowers – flowers! – to kill. The atrocity of such a thought! It was like a Melinoe repeat.

As she hugged Gabe, all this was rushing in and she had to take a deep, steadying breath to keep her composure. She really, really wanted this to go well. What she wouldn’t do to have Gabriel allow her into his life. He would, of course, become spoiled at her hand if he let her. It was all very exciting. Perhaps for Saturnalia, she would talk Pluto into inviting Gabriel to the underworld to celebrate the holiday as a family. They would have to bring in non-underworld food, of course, but it could work. Yes, she would propose that to her husband immediately.

Then, he actually brought up a surprisingly simple question to something she had said offhand. Yes, what would be appropriate? She was, honestly, completely not prepared for this question. “Whatever you feel I should be called, not as a goddess, but as your step-mother who just wants to hang out with you. We’re family. You could call me pomegranate-breath for all I care,” she attempted a joke, though she had no idea how he might take it, which in turn made her nervous again. At his suggestion, she smiled. “Coffee and baked goods! Count me in. Something sweet sounds grand!”

TAG: @gabriel
WORDS: 460
NOTES: Sorry for the wait! Might I just say I love these two?