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[waveranging.insanejournal.com]

WHO: Kymopoleia & Triton
WHEN: Monday night
WHERE: Triton's place
WHAT: Hi, I've come to crash on your couch.

Kymopoleia was focused on keeping her head down. As yet she hadn't heard a word from Poseidon but she felt like he was constantly over her shoulder, ready to wrap his fingers around her throat. She'd barely seen anyone she knew since she'd tried to kill her father, figuring it was safer to just keep away from the whole pantheon.

A few times she'd run into Briareos in a bar somewhere and the two kept their distance from each other, a mutual understanding of some sort seeming to have happened along the way. She hadn't shot him that night and he hadn't attacked her since. Ky didn't know what to make of it. She knew that although seeing him sitting at the other end of a bar terrified her, it also provided some version of safety: if Poseidon turned up it would be two of them against him. (Not that it would do any good. What were either of them but powerless relics?)

Tonight, though, she was making her way to the only other person in the world who might make her feel somewhat protected from their father. Triton was much stronger than her. Maybe he even almost matched their father, but Ky didn't know. She knew that he was the only one of the siblings that was really remembered though.

The night before someone had broken down her door. It had turned out to be a drunken neighbour but it had terrified Kymopoleia and left her shaking in the corner of her bathroom, head buried in her hands. She'd thought it was Poseidon coming for her. Or Briareos.

So now she showed up at Triton's doorstep and knocked, red hair not quite so vibrant after so many washings and her clothes far more casual and unrevealing than she used to go for.

Comments

[waveranging.insanejournal.com]

Ky couldn't help but smile when he did, thinking about her father's pained expression as he'd gone down. "Too bad I couldn't finish the job. He's like a shark sometimes. Wounded just makes me angrier." She had picked up the fork as she spoke and now poked at things on her plate, thinking more about Poseidon than the food.

[wreathed-horn.insanejournal.com]

He shrugged and set his hand over hers. "you can stay here for a bit if you like. Just, be nice to Mel." As long as his sister was decent to Mel, he didn't really have an issue with her staying here.

[waveranging.insanejournal.com]

Just months ago Ky would have scoffed at the offer of staying with Triton, and laughed at the idea of doing anything nice towards Mel.

But now, sitting here tonight, Ky just nodded and said, "okay." She leaned over the table a little more and ate, feeling the knot of anxiety in her stomach.

[wreathed-horn.insanejournal.com]

He was worried for his sister, but she'd never taken to being consoled very well. So he just sat in front of her wishing he had enough words to make her feel better. He didn't like seeing her so quiet.

[waveranging.insanejournal.com]

The silence stretched and then Kymopoleia's lips turned up into at tiny reminiscing smile. "Do you remember when we were little?" she asked him. It was the first time she'd ever said anything like that to any of her siblings.

For Kymopoleia life consisted of two separate existences: Before Briareos and after Briareos. On one side had been childhood, an innocent nymph who was transparently desperate for the affections of her father, adoring of her mother, and always chasing after her siblings happily.

And then had come Briareos and the next time she saw any of her family, years later, she wasn't the same girl. She was a harder thing, a creature that had grown hard skin, sharp edges, and a vicious tongue.

"I used to follow you around everywhere," she went on. "I must have driven you crazy, but you were my cool big brother who knew everything."

[wreathed-horn.insanejournal.com]

He didn't much mind the silence, he only wished he could help his sister. He never knew how to reach out all the time. He was more connected, but some emotions still flew right over him.

His father's influence, if nothing else.

When his sister spoke he looked at her and smiled to the memory. "Hard to forget. And I never minded. Even then, I felt the burdens placed on me." Out of all them, he felt he'd always seen so much of their father's anger and coldness. It was why he'd tried so hard to be a calmer presence.

He shrugged. "I liked getting distracted. You, Rhode, and even Benthesikyme all ran after me." He chuckled to the memory of his sisters, all young and innocent. "It was my joy. I loved coming back and answering so many questions and sharing my tales." He sighed, "and then one by one he made you leave. I'm sorry about that. that I couldn't keep you safe."

[waveranging.insanejournal.com]

"I was angry at you for that," Ky admitted, looking only at her plate as she pushed food around. "No, angry doesn't even cover what I felt. I didn't even know I could feel that sort of fury. Poseidon... I was too scared of him to be angry, but you-" she looked up at her brother. "You I loved, and I waited so long for you to come save me. But you never did. Not you, not Amphitrite. None of you came for me."

Her voice was quiet, all of this more than she'd ever let anyone know. She felt uncomfortable to be saying such things but her husband and father had worn her out.

[wreathed-horn.insanejournal.com]

He watched his fingers. "He wouldn't let me." They both knew who the 'he' was in this conversation. "I wanted to. I'd gotten everything ready and I was going to get you back. He said he would kill me. You belonged to another he said."

He scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Like that makes any sense now. I still tried. He trapped me with Charybdis and then made me do my duties until I knew I had no choice but to accept." He looked at her then, "and I'm sorry I never tried hard enough."

[waveranging.insanejournal.com]

It was then that Kymopoleia did something she hadn't done in front of someone else since her youth. A sharp sob escaped her throat and her shoulders shook as she pressed her hand over her mouth. Standing up quickly she shook her head, trying to laugh it off. "Oh gods, it's been a long couple of weeks."

Triton had wanted to come for her though. He'd wanted to come find her then, when everything had been awful.

[wreathed-horn.insanejournal.com]

At the sob he got up and walked to his sister. She could hit him for this, but he risked it and went to pull her into a hug. "I think it's been a hard week for everyone involved." He sighed and kept his sister close, missing the days of their youth.

"But it's alright now. I promise your safe now. He can't lock me away again, and this time I'll kill

him

if he tries to do anything."

[waveranging.insanejournal.com]

Ky sniffed and laughed again, letting her brother hold her for just a moment before she drew back and wiped her eyes.

"This is all getting way too..." she waved a hand, indicating the general feelings flying all around. "You won't tell anyone about... any of this stuff, right?"

[wreathed-horn.insanejournal.com]

With a smile he ran his hands down her arms before releasing her. He stepped back and offered her a napkin. "Here you go. And of course I won't. I will keep what secrets you wish me to keep sister."

Smiling he went to sit back down, "just eat something. Stay as long as you like. The guest room is all set. You need any extra clothes?"

[waveranging.insanejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said as she took the napkin. "I just need a few days to work myself out. I'll try not to make all your towels go red." She flicked a few of the dyed strands to indicate what she was talking about. "I could go home and get some clothes."

[wreathed-horn.insanejournal.com]

He shook his head, "no it's alright. I don't mind. You make yourself comfortable." He gave her a grin. "And I'm sure I'll be able to live with red towels. However long you need Ky. I don't mind."