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[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Kxg6zCd.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/tjP5Z8H.gif[/img][/center]
[b][center][color=black]𝓵 𝓪 𝓶 𝓮 𝓷 𝓽  𝓸 𝓯  𝓽 𝓱 𝓮  𝓼 𝓸 𝓾 𝓵[/color]
[color=#84a5aa]𝓵 𝓪 𝓶 𝓮 𝓷 𝓽  𝓸 𝓯  𝓽 𝓱 𝓮  𝓼 𝓸 𝓾 𝓵[/color][/center][/b]
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[right][sup]𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Seattle U → Beach near his house
𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: [color=7845b8]Hera (via voicemail left) [@smarty0114][/color]
𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Odin  || Hera || Zeus || Hades || Jormangdr[/sup][/right][color=2E8B57][b]▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅[/b][/color][/center]


[indent][indent][color=2E8B57]“Is it really that late?”[/color]

[url=https://i.imgur.com/UP6UbC6.jpg]Poseidon[/url] glanced at his phone, noting the time. It was significantly later in the AM than he originally thought. He opted not to cancel his lecture, thinking it wouldn’t go over and he would be able to attend the luncheon as he originally intended. What he didn’t factor in was one of his students decided that she would be feeling argumentative with him. Which of course wasn’t a bad thing. Poseidon -- or rather Professor Leventis -- had always encouraged his students to challenge his thoughts. He wanted them to bring their thoughts into the forum of the class, express them freely, and above all else, formulate an approach that worked for them.

Free thinking was the name of the game. It didn’t matter if it was just Environmental Science. Occasionally, he threw in some classic greek philosophy. Poseidon couldn’t help it. No matter how many years that went on, not since his conversations with his dear friend, the Norse World Snake, he didn’t get the chance to engage in mental thought experiments.

But it was late. Later than expected, Poseidon was hurrying out of the lecture hall, making his way through the campus as swiftly as his legs allowed him. Getting to his car, a nice tesla at that, he didn’t leave his reserved parking space just yet. Instead, he went to give that Queen of the Olympians and organizer of the Luncheon a call. Dialing her number, it rang and rang until he got her voicemail.

Shrugging, Poseidon waited for the beep and left a message. [color=2E8B57]“It’s Atlas. I would have preferred to talk to you directly, but I suppose it couldn’t be helped, right? My lecture went over, so if i missed anything - and if it’s not too much of a hassle - just have the fruit sent to my house whenever at all possible. If I’m not there, have whoever is handing them out this year just text me.”[/color]

Satisfied (but not really), Poseidon didn’t account on this. He figured it was already too late and, honestly, as much as he wanted to attend late, facing an even more irate than usual Hera wasn’t something he was looking forward to. It didn’t matter whether or not he was trying to be a better God, a better man, and a better brother. If Zeus or Hades actually attended, that would have been a good opportunity to start rebuilding the bridges that were burned, soaked, sunken into the ocean, and completely left to wither away while the crashing waves of time prevented restoration.

But at the same time, there was a deep, impending dread building inside his stomach, rising like the tide and making him feel sick. It was a case of better said than done and Poseidon wasn’t quite sure he was ready for that particular task.

So he drove home. Or at least he was. He was on the highway, going as fast as he needed, that anxiety that he felt was still present. It was as prevalent as it has always been, so Poseidon took a detour. Not turning on Olympic View Drive like he would have to go home, but rather went straight for the ocean. He parked, walked on the sand, took off his shoes and socks. Poseidon sat as close as he could to the ocean without touching it. He just sat there, legs up, arms resting around his legs, and let the sound of the crashing waves fill up and relax him. 

The God of the Sea closed his eyes, matching his breathing with the waves. Deep, slow breaths. In and out. In and out. With every swoosh and crash, he could feel it working. With every second of the gentle waves coming after harder ones crashed deeper into the great pacific, Poseidon could feel that dread fading back into a subtle worry. That was a manageable pain compared to the crippling panic he knew was coming. And with that panic, came the familiar rage that he tried so long to keep buried down, to keep away from the surface. The Poseidon who caused tidal waves for fun wasn’t a pleasant God and Atlas Leventis was not that person anymore.

Or at least he tried not to be. With it being so long since Poseidon had felt an everlasting calm, not since the last time he spoke with Jormungandr. How he missed his friend, to hear their voice. They spoke a language that not many could understand -- not even their own kind, the Norse. But Poseidon, being universal at understanding aquatic life, could. Not even barriers of different pantheons could prevent him from knowing what the World Snake said and felt. They both were strangers to their own and felt a loneliness and a lack of longing that nobody but each other could provide for one another.

In a word, they were soul mates. Twin flames. 

But like without the moon, without that comfort, the tides within Poseidon threatened to consume everything that he held dear.

[color=2E8B57]“My friend, I wonder -- are you awake just like the rest of us? Or are you still caught in Cronus’ everlasting, infinite wheel of time?”[/color] Poseidon lamented as the water touched his foot. It was cool and almost rejuvenating. Paired with the subtle breeze, it almost took Poseidon’s mind off of his longing to hear the World Snake’s voice again.

And there it was. Faint but there. A presence that he immediately recognized. 

Eyes widened and Poseidon could feel it all around him. It was in the sea. In the heart of the sea. When the water touched him, he heard something. His friend’s voice…and it wasn’t far.

That was all that he needed. With that renewed vigor in his eyes, Poseidon rushed to his car and drove. He drove and let his heart guide him. It would show him the way.[/indent][/indent][/color]