#ch: (hercules kouros)

[menodoramoon]

Hercules jokes. Menodora laughs. How funny. She wonders if Mjaunie were to ever have something like that happen, how people would treat her. Both in the dream, and upon waking. Would she have been married to River in those dreams, as he was there? Neither dream contained him, but he wasn't in Swynlake to be present.

"It's certainly a way to break some pre-conceptions," Moon says, "or alter them. Dreamy first impressions. It's an interesting thought."

She's met him this way, after all.

"I think you're putting too much stock in that gift basket," Menodora says. "I promise you, I'm not that nice." If she was, she might not have started an affair. If she was, maybe her daughter would still talk to her. "But it's sweet that you think so."

She considers the idea of taking a class. She considers the idea of getting out more. She needed to. "Maybe. I'll think on it some more."

Menodora has to wonder what else there was to say. They couldn't talk more about the dream, could they? While she remembered them so vividly, he was more interested in the real her. The worse her.

"I think," Menodora starts, thoughtfully, "I hold onto the dreams because they're so vivid for me. I rarely forget them, which in itself can be a curse. And then it's interesting that everyone else has forgotten and I don't know what to do with the two versions of a person that I'm left with. At once, I want to hug you because I feel like I've known you most of your life, only that life isn't real and never was. I'm excited to know who you are, if you'll have me, but it's a strange sensation all the same."

@kouros-herc

Delayed Gratitude - Mene

[menodoramoon]

Select Gifts left at Olympus Gym for Hercules Kouros, among other assorted trinkets and sun-themed items.

@kouros-herc

[kenneth-carson]

Spring Spiff Up || Kerc

@kouros-herc

A proper year and a month had turned over since Ken had been living with Hercules Kouros, and he had learned several things about his roommate over that time. Some things Hercules had told him out right, some things other people had given to him, and then there were the things that Ken had picked up on himself.

The main one being, Hercules' wardrobe.

Look, it was fine and all, but Ken couldn't help but to feel like the guy had so much more potential in him and that it was Ken's absolute responsibility to show him that! Seriously, he still kicked himself thinking about how he had let him take Vixey to Remy's in that window pain shirt and blue trouser ensemble. Agh! And that brown belt! No tie? No jacket? Unflattering? Boring? All things Ken knew Hercules wasn't. Just like he also wasn't the same old work out shorts and zip ups and slides.

He had just been trying to think of how to approach without scaring Hercules off, because he felt like if he said anything to alarm the self-consciousness of him in a negative way then it could all go very wrong.

It was just unfortunate that Ken lacked a sense for tact when he saw a cry for fashion help strolling in through the kitchen. He covered his face with his hands, breathed in, and then clasped them together under his chin to rest on. "Hercules, you know I'm your friend, right?"

[cruzzramirez]

@kouros-herc

Cruz knew she didn't have to do it. If there was anything her mum had taught her, it was just that, but she wanted to!

That was sort of just the way it was in Swynlake. At least, from her point of view. As much as people liked to act like the place was full of nay-sayers, or like there was a big fat line drawn in the sand for people to pick what side they wanted to stand on, Cruz always saw it as a the community of helping hands.

Everyone was willing to help one another, all you had to do was ask. From the simple, needing to borrow a lawn mower because yours decided to die that day, to the complicated, needing someone to help you get rid of the hex on your mailbox that sent everything to Iceland, to the hefty, needing help cleaning your front lawn after it got hit with the Newest Disaster.

As far as Cruz was concerned, it wasn't just something she wanted to do, it was just something a fellow Swynlaker did for one another. Hercules helped her, she was going to help him right back.

"Will do!" she nodded, standing with a lil hop to her feet. Cruz waved and started making her way back out to the front, but couldn't resist saying a cheeky, "Have a good day, Mr. Kouros!" before leaving.

Calling In The Big Guns || Muscle Car

[kenneth-carson]

Lo Tov || Kerc

@kouros-herc

Ken had been doing the dishes when his phone, sitting on the counter next to the sink, started to ring. He'd glanced at the name and startled when he saw the picture of his parents with the ID Mother looking back at him. He hastily dried a hand on a towel to reach forward and slide his finger across the screen to answer and hit the speaker button.

"Hi, Mom!" he greeted, trying to get everything in order to get his hands free and to get the phone into his hands.

"Hello, darlin'," said the phone muffled tone of his mother, pleasant and sweet. "How are you?"

"I'm good, you know," he replied, finally able to get the towel between his hands to dry off. "What about you? How's dad?"

"Oh, we were doin' just fine until we had to hear that you wouldn't be coming home for the holidays this year," she said and Ken squeezed his eyes shut, frozen in place as his stomach dropped. "So not only are we confused as to why our eldest doesn't want to see us, but we're also wondering why he has to act like a coward and get that message to us through his little sister at breakfast?"

Ken quickly scooped up the phone, getting it off speaker, and pressing it to his ear, "I'm- I didn't mean for her to tell you. I was going to call, but it was-!"

"Don't you dare use those time zone excuses," she said, voice still loud and making him wince as he leaned against the counter. "So it's true then? You're not coming home? Not even for Yom Kippur?"

Again, he hesitated to answer, knowing that as soon as he did the conversation was only going to get that much worse. The silence seemed to speak for itself.

"I see," she said. "Well, you can add that to your no doubt long list of things to ask forgiveness for."

[kenneth-carson]

Deck The Halls || Kerc

@kouros-herc​

Twas...not quite the season just yet, but Ken could feel it brimming beneath the surface. Halloween had been kicked to the curb as soon as November hit, everyone waiting for the fuddy duddies to get their, ‘It’s not even December!’s out before they actually got to enjoy themselves and this time of year.

As for Ken and Hercules, they had been tasked with a mission. A nice mission, one that really made Ken happy to be apart of the Southern Isles.

One of the residents was in need of a little help this year. She was getting too old to be standing on any ladders or spending too much time out in the cold, but was still wanting to decorate her house for the season. 

The boys at 433 Sycamore were more than happy to help! And on top of the decorations she already had, Ken went out and got more because, already having a vision for this place.

“Alright!” Ken was standing on the front lawn with Herclues, the boxes of said decorations, and tools to help, sat around them, ready to be put up. “I think we should start with the roof.”

Before:

After:

[kenneth-carson]

Big Time Clean Up || Kerc

@kouros-herc

Ken was ever so happy that the magic was back in town, even if he had none himself. It meant that everyone at the Inn was back, thank goodness because he had seriously been wondering what the heck they were going to do, and it meant the town could settle back into normalcy. At least, what was normal for Swynlake.

He had felt bad last time for not signing up helping to clean everything up after the whole demon storm thingy at Prom, so when Hercules had asked if he wanted to help out this time he was quick to agree.

They had been assigned to help out in their own neck of the woods, where the Southern Isles was backed up against Enchantra herself. People’s fences had been mowed down by big ol’ branches and overgrown brush. And who better to rebuild them and cut all that back than them?

Probably several people with more experience in fence building but, hey, they were pretty good, too!

“I feel like all our gardening has been preparing us for this moment,” Ken said, dragging some branches they had cut down to the pile they’d been collecting. “Next thing you know we’re going to be landscapers.”

[kenneth-carson]

Branch Out || Kerc

@kouros-herc

The Carson land had been tended to by other hands ever since the family had made enough money to pay for the services. The hedges were always trimmed, not a leaf out of place, and the grass was soft enough that several unplanned naps would occur in the week or two of Spring that Texas would offer. 

Once, when he had been 17 and bored, he had gone outside and sunk down to his knees beside the flowerbeds. Weeds were sprouting and he had started to pull at them. It had been one of his chores to do back in Swynlake, Jules giving him something simple but time consuming to do when she worked outside on the yard. 

His mother had been furious. Ken hadn’t touched a garden since. 

It’s why he had such nervous energy about him as he and Hercules stood, looking at their front yard. Giddy, to be sure, but still nervous. It didn’t look bad by any means but with Annie’s whole...thing, Ken thought they should clean it up a bit. Smooth over those rough edges with some TLC! 

“Alright, looking at it, what’s your biggest concern?�� he asked, turning to Hercules with a raised eyebrow. “No right or wrong answer. Just the first thing that comes to your mind.” 

[gabriella-marino]

Gabriella gave a little nod, feeling that worked in her favor since she felt way safer at the Court than anywhere else. It was a place familiar to her now, and she knew the people there as well as they knew her. If anything did happen, like a drink too many, someone there was going to take care of her.

Plus, she had a few performances there that night, so, she wouldn't have to dance and dash.

"Perfect," she signed. And this would give her time to go get Bruce something. She didn't know what yet, but since this was a celebration, a present seemed to be in order! It seemed deserved, he had worked for this, and he should get something nice in return for that.

She glanced at the gym owner, erasing her earlier message on the white board so she could write something new.

See you two there! it said with a hastily drawn trio of stick figures. All smiling with drinks in their hands. It was easy to make out which one she was, being comically shorter, with long lines for hair, and a triangle for a skirt. They were distinguished by hair texture, one curly and the other spiky, and she had also given Bruce sunglasses for seemingly no reason.

@kouros-herc @brucewhite

Pool Party | Gabherce

[kenneth-carson]

@kouros-herc

The demon highly doubted that the roommate would. Humans were funny that way! They would say they would do something but never would change their ways. They were creatures of comfort and habit. And, also, it hoped that the roommate didn't, that the demon had sufficiently scared him off from wanting to have any deeper meaning conversations.

Surface level would suffice. Unless he wanted to go even shallower with their relationship, then all the better.

It considered letting Kenneth back in control, but given the wreckage of emotions that were coming from the host, the demon decided against it. He would be too impulsive, want to coddle and reassure the roommate and try repairing what the demon had done. And while the demon knew he wouldn't be able to, it would be best to keep a little tension through the rest of this time together, left over from this conversation.

Plus, maybe the demon wanted to watch the movie.

"Yeah, of course," it told the roommate with a smile.

A Quiet Night In - Kerc

[kenneth-carson]

@kouros-herc

The demon was unimpressed by this answer.

It had been expecting something more interesting than kindness. That hardly seemed like something worthy of declaring that you would do anything for somebody, such as this roommate had proclaimed. Humans. So confusing. It had been among them for several generations now and it didn't know if it would ever understand.

The Carson's had friends, sure, but it had seen how they treated their friends. A bullet could have been taken for them and they would still turn around and feed that person to the wolves if it had meant they got a leg up in their business. They had led many of those 'friends' to the demon itself. Those were the easiest to hand over their souls, after all. They trusted that they were being given an opportunity rather than the truth, which was that they were the opportunity.

The demon used Kenneth's vocal chords to him, low and long. It was one of its favorite sensations.

Either this friend of Kenneth's was easily persuaded or he was not telling the truth of how devoted he was. Both were good.

"We look after each other," the demon parroted with a nod. "And...we have other friends, don't we? Would you say the same thing to them?"

Missing Pieces || Kerc

[menodoramoon]

"Maybe moreso for me, considering I'm still relatively new to town?" Moon hazards, smile across her face. Speaking to Hercules may have, indeed, been better than returning home and locking herself in side. He was brightening her day a little at a time and she was immensely grateful.

Moon nods. "I know, I've passed the gym on my way to The Lucky Cat," she says fondly. Then, "I've thought about joining a class, actually, but I'm a bit timid about things like that. No formal athleticism, I mostly take poor-form runs along lakeside. Did some sword fighting back in Mjaunie, though."

What he says about small towns, though. Moon liked a town where she wasn't terribly special. She wasn't a political figure, she was just some woman here. It was nice. But then she thinks about how selfish it is to forsake responsibility like that, even in a fantasy. "Like ourselves?" Moon asks, with a slight humor. "I don't know if I'd have found myself so fond of you if not for our countless heart-to-hearts in our dream history."

@kouros-herc

Delayed Gratitude - Mene

[menodoramoon]

'It helped,' Hercules says. That makes Moon wonder if there's more to the story. She won't pry, they're not close here. But... she's curious. She's curious about this town, she's curious about the people. She's curious about the world so different from her own.

His take, that the change might have been needed, feels nice. It feels validating. After the things Tófi has said to her in their last meeting. After the things Oswald and she had done... It felt nice to have someone from the outside say something that felt supportive. Oswald was supportive, but she figures he's biased. Tófi wasn't, and for good, justifiable reason.

What has Menodora found that she likes about Swynlake?

"The people, mostly," she says, trying to match Hercules's pace. She kept slowing down when her thoughts drifted, kept speeding up when she tried to compensate for it. "There are so many interesting people with interesting stories here. And it's magical, something I feel like I've never been able to live without."

He hums for a moment, thinking.

"It brings me people I can't help but care about. Yourself, it seems. A young man named Tony, who was your brother in the dream. Aurora, who i felt was as close to a daughter to me once. Cass, the owner of The Lucky Cat... she's become my dearest friend..." Moon smiles, remembering these people that she's hidden away from these past few days, "I think there has to be some fate involved there."

@kouros-herc

Delayed Gratitude - Mene

[menodoramoon]

Moon glances down. The totes weren't too heavy, and she hated inconveniencing anybody. She shakes her head, knowing she may regret it later. But... Hmmm... No, she can handle it. If she can't handle her own groceries, how on earth could she say she was 'fine'?

"That's kind of you," she says, feeling a slight swelling of feeling in her chest, "but I'm alright for now."

She wonders why such a small thing catches her attention. Makes her feel... emotional. After all, it was just groceries. Maybe because she had been feeling alone?

Moon wonders what it would be like in London. Less good, she expects, with their attitudes towards Magicks. Hercules had been there, even if it wasn't long. Moving at sixteen... if anything, Moon had learned at sixteen that she would never leave her home. And yet, look where she is...

"That sounds very sensible," Menodors says, not wanting to pry. "A change of scenery can do wonders."

A change of scenery might be tearing her life and heart apart... She absolutely is not going to cry in front of Hercules.

She doesn't know him. She knows a dreamed figment of him. She knows some child of Apollo who she would sometimes tell stories to and give baked goods and would, at one point, sing campfire songs with.

He doesn't know her, but part of Moon aches to know that version of him again. To live that other life. It's appalling how much she lets these dreams affect her. Tófi had said so. Yet she yearns to be someone else, who all these people who have met her might expect her to be.

He asks about her and she has multiple responses prepared. Research, sure. She could always talk about the survey. She needed more responses...

"Change of scenery, maybe? Work, supposedly, but if I'm really honest with myself, I probably just needed an escape."

That was probably too honest. She feels ill for a second.

"You might be able to call it fate," Menodora says, "depending on what signs you believe in." She smiles at the ground, shifts her weight as they walk. "I certainly didn't expect to fall in love with this town."

@kouros-herc

Delayed Gratitude - Mene

[menodoramoon]

Moon shakes her head. "Mostly shelf-stable groceries this time," Moon admits. "Or fruit that I don't fear spoiling on the walk."

She smiles earnestly. It's nice. In the dream, he'd been like a ray of light. Helpful and sweet, kind. In the real world, he seemed much the same. The dreams had felt, so far, like full lives -- though not every moment exactly accounted for. She knew only so much of that translation of him.

"Oh, it wasn't thematic," Moon comments. It's pleasant. Not judgmental. "I like it." Not that he needed her approval.

The walk is reminding her what it's like to feel a little more alive. After a week of being reclusive in her home, she needed this, even if she hated to admit it. The sun was doing her wonders, the smell of freshly mown grass. The sound of not-exactly-stillness. Like bits of life moved through it, breaking up the static.

She enjoys hearing Hercules talk about the gym, about the changes in his life. Though, the thought of him living in town since he was sixteen is interesting. In the dream, she knew him earlier than that.

In the dream, she knew him at all.

"Just over a year," Moon says with a casual smile. "Um, a week or so ago was the anniversary of me moving here. It's been different than what I've known all my life. It's quaint but busy. Definitely more modern than where I'm from. And a bit more unique when it comes to the dreams."

How much should Menodora admit about herself? How much was too much or too little to say? She's getting caught up in her head, her mind is drifting to less happy thoughts. Her annual visit, the things that were -- well -- not right about it. The things that felt wrong about it. The things that felt wrong about her--- (stop.)

"So, you moved here when you were sixteen? Was there a particular reason?" Moon asks, trying to keep the conversation about something else. About him.

@kouros-herc

Delayed Gratitude - Mene

[menodoramoon]

So it would be a walk along Lakeside, then. Her goal to not be seen or approached had failed, but perhaps it was for the better. She'd been reclusively lately, except for a singular person. She feels a spike to her heart rate at that, a feeling of nervousness.

"Hmmmm, a reverse rain-check. Consider a cold, blustery day inside with some coffee or tea?" She would hate for him to spend money on her, though. She already is trying to figure out how she can evade that outcome.

At his suggestion, she does nod. Leaves his side, perhaps a bit awkwardly, to find a few more items. Her tote shouldn't be so heavy that it's an inconvenience to carry around on a walk.

She waits patiently outside, telling herself not to bolt or run. Moon really is a shadow of herself, isn't she?

It's meeting him outside again that has her slightly rooted. Smiling. Saying, "ah, so... I suppose the dream was just a baseline. We don't really know each other too well." After her first dream, she'd been so ready to meet people. Build up those relationships again! This time, she was trying to be a little cautious and not overwhelm. Either herself or others. "You're still an athlete, then? I poked my head into your gym. It looks nice."

@kouros-herc

Delayed Gratitude - Mene