Post by Nerissa Bywater on Feb 21, 2010 21:11:42 GMT -5
Hayley tried to avoid returning to the Underworld as often as she could. It was a place she didn't particularly enjoy visiting. It reminded her of what she was, which she also didn't like.
However, Hayley couldn't ignore Libitina's summons.
She sighed. She'd been spending the day in the Hermes cabin, reading, when the necklace she liked to wear grew warm. The necklace let her known whenever Libitina wanted to see her. It also allowed her to easily get past Charon when she went to the Underworld. When Hayley used her lamp, she would have to pass him.
Sitting up, Hayley reached into her dress and pulled the obsidian stone out, swinging on its black silk cord. It was smoky in color, rapidly darkening to black. Frowning, Hayley muttered, "Okay, whatever." Wrapping her hand around it, she closed her eyes and felt the familiar tug forward.
Landing on her feet, Hayley opened her eyes and was greeted with...nobody. She stood in a rocky cave with a low domed ceiling. There was a door at one end. Something shiny and gold lay all over the ground.
Bending over, Hayley picked up one of the gold things. It was a tarnished coin. She could just barely make out a worn-down image of a person's head. On the other side of the coin was a lamp. It was an irregular circular shape.
Dropping it, Hayley turned around and picked up another coin. It was similar to the first, although the designs were different.
Running her finger over it thoughtfully, Hayley didn't even realize that the door had opened, admitting Libitina into the room, until the goddess reached from behind her and took Hayley's hand, pressing the coin into the girl's palm, and her other hand on Hayley's shoulder.
"Curious, I suppose?" she breathed. Hayley was already startled enough by Libitina's sudden appearance, and so she just nodded.
"Well," Libitina, turning Hayley's hand over and opening her fingers so that the coin lay flat, "it used to be that when people died, their ancestors would come to my temple and give me a payment, as an offering. They called it a libitii." The word rolled off her tongue.
Then, she smirked. "Of course, they don't do that anymore. No one remembers me," she bit off hatefully, turned hayley's hand back over. The coin dropped to the floor.
Hayley turned to face Libitina. "What did you want me to come for?" she asked.
Libitina raised a hand. "Why, just to see how my darling daughter is doing, of course. You haven't come here in ages. We miss you."
Hayley knew better than to believe what Libitina said. She regarded the goddess with suspicion. "Anything else?"
There were a few moments of silence. Libitina walked along the edge of the room, flexing her wings. Hayley shuddered. She hated those wings and knew that Libitina could make them disappear, but she also knew that Lbitina would keep them to intimidate her.
"Have you ever...wanted to fight off convention?" Libitina asked Hayley, examing her long fingers.
"No."
Libitina sighed. "What a shame. I was thinking you, my lovely girl, could help me." She stalked towards Hayley, predator to prey, and slinked her hands over her shoulders, tracing her fingers up and down. Hayley shuddered again, feeling as if insects were skittering up her back. Libitina leaned in close to her face. Then, she sighed, shook her head, and backed away. "What a shame. But it's a trivial matter, really, just something I was thinking could really help Hades."
She backed away from Hayley. "That's all I wanted. You can go now. But do come again." She smiled, wide and wicked.
Hayley didn't bother to respond, because all the alarms were ringing in her head. She grabbed the stone and thought of camp, being tugged forward once more.
She was deposited on her hands and knees in the grass outside the Hermes cabin. She sat up, shuddering.
Libitina hadn't said it outright, but Hayley knew that she was plotting something. And Hayley would have to stop her.
Standing up, she looked around her. She had no idea where to start. Hello my fake mother is trying to do really weird things can you help me?
"Hello?" she called, tentatively.
However, Hayley couldn't ignore Libitina's summons.
She sighed. She'd been spending the day in the Hermes cabin, reading, when the necklace she liked to wear grew warm. The necklace let her known whenever Libitina wanted to see her. It also allowed her to easily get past Charon when she went to the Underworld. When Hayley used her lamp, she would have to pass him.
Sitting up, Hayley reached into her dress and pulled the obsidian stone out, swinging on its black silk cord. It was smoky in color, rapidly darkening to black. Frowning, Hayley muttered, "Okay, whatever." Wrapping her hand around it, she closed her eyes and felt the familiar tug forward.
Landing on her feet, Hayley opened her eyes and was greeted with...nobody. She stood in a rocky cave with a low domed ceiling. There was a door at one end. Something shiny and gold lay all over the ground.
Bending over, Hayley picked up one of the gold things. It was a tarnished coin. She could just barely make out a worn-down image of a person's head. On the other side of the coin was a lamp. It was an irregular circular shape.
Dropping it, Hayley turned around and picked up another coin. It was similar to the first, although the designs were different.
Running her finger over it thoughtfully, Hayley didn't even realize that the door had opened, admitting Libitina into the room, until the goddess reached from behind her and took Hayley's hand, pressing the coin into the girl's palm, and her other hand on Hayley's shoulder.
"Curious, I suppose?" she breathed. Hayley was already startled enough by Libitina's sudden appearance, and so she just nodded.
"Well," Libitina, turning Hayley's hand over and opening her fingers so that the coin lay flat, "it used to be that when people died, their ancestors would come to my temple and give me a payment, as an offering. They called it a libitii." The word rolled off her tongue.
Then, she smirked. "Of course, they don't do that anymore. No one remembers me," she bit off hatefully, turned hayley's hand back over. The coin dropped to the floor.
Hayley turned to face Libitina. "What did you want me to come for?" she asked.
Libitina raised a hand. "Why, just to see how my darling daughter is doing, of course. You haven't come here in ages. We miss you."
Hayley knew better than to believe what Libitina said. She regarded the goddess with suspicion. "Anything else?"
There were a few moments of silence. Libitina walked along the edge of the room, flexing her wings. Hayley shuddered. She hated those wings and knew that Libitina could make them disappear, but she also knew that Lbitina would keep them to intimidate her.
"Have you ever...wanted to fight off convention?" Libitina asked Hayley, examing her long fingers.
"No."
Libitina sighed. "What a shame. I was thinking you, my lovely girl, could help me." She stalked towards Hayley, predator to prey, and slinked her hands over her shoulders, tracing her fingers up and down. Hayley shuddered again, feeling as if insects were skittering up her back. Libitina leaned in close to her face. Then, she sighed, shook her head, and backed away. "What a shame. But it's a trivial matter, really, just something I was thinking could really help Hades."
She backed away from Hayley. "That's all I wanted. You can go now. But do come again." She smiled, wide and wicked.
Hayley didn't bother to respond, because all the alarms were ringing in her head. She grabbed the stone and thought of camp, being tugged forward once more.
She was deposited on her hands and knees in the grass outside the Hermes cabin. She sat up, shuddering.
Libitina hadn't said it outright, but Hayley knew that she was plotting something. And Hayley would have to stop her.
Standing up, she looked around her. She had no idea where to start. Hello my fake mother is trying to do really weird things can you help me?
"Hello?" she called, tentatively.