Chapter Three: Moments of Fatherly Lovin'.
— I watch the work of my kin, bold and boyful, toying somewhere between love and abuse !
That night, everything was in disarray.
Two of the three godly brothers had broken their oath to never have children after the dreaded war that was caused because of it. Only the oldest managed to upkeep his end of the deal, but the truth about his children were a story for a future date. Now, both the god of lightning and the god of the sea had children behind the backs of their wives — not that the gods weren't know for their faithlessness and infidelity, but these were gods had sworn to not have children for more than a century in hopes that the prophecy that would either save or destroy the world they built, wouldn't come to life. There were consequences to being a child of the Big Three, torture even after death had to be the worst. For that very reason, being one of their children seemed to absolutely suck. It's also why Apollo tended to gloat to his daughter about being one of the best godly parents. Due to him never listening to a word that comes out of his father's mouth, he was one of the most parents involved with their children's lives and he prided himself for it.
Apollo prided himself in being willing and open to take whatever consequences his father might give him so long as he speaks to his children — as a father, it was all that mattered to him. He might've become a lot more laid back over the years, but should something happen to his children, his anger would not be restrained. Despite knowing that he might be punished, he kept a warm and loving smile on his face as he appeared in his daughter's dream. She was growing up, faster than he'd hoped, she was finally a teenager — he was proud that she had made it this far and he could only hope that she'd make it to eighteen. As she grew, she was starting to look more and more like him. Her hair was beginning to darken at the roots and grow brighter at the ends, her eyes that shone like the sun and the stars would deepen a shade whenever she felt something negative, and her powers were growing along with her. The body he took on was young, but damn, was he feeling like a proud father.
When her eyes opened, Apollo could see that Colette Victoire's eyes immediately softened at the sight of something so familiar. They were in front of a lake, watching the sunset over a gothic cathedral in Strasbourg, France. He remembered the day that she'd once told him that she wished to visit in person clearly, so he brought it to in her dreams. "I remember you once told me you wished to visit," he smiled at the wistful look on her face.
"I still do. Maybe I'll go in person one day." If she could make it to eighteen, of course. The scenery was so nostalgic. Colette loved France with all her heart, it was where she was raised even if it was where her mother was murdered as well. For now, it was the one place she would truly call home — the one thing she adored with every fiber of her being, but she knew that one day, it would be in third place of the things she loved. She would love two things — two people — more.
As if reading her thoughts, Apollo sighed tiredly, feeling his incredibly old age hit him like a truck. "You know what's to come," he commented rather than questioned because he knew the answer. He kept his eyes on her expression, noting the way she gulped audibly and her pouty lips dropped into a soft frown, enhancing their shape. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner, I was forbidden. I may be the god of truth, but that doesn't mean I can't withhold certain truths."
"No, I—" she sighed quietly, thinking her words through before speaking them. "Je ne suis pas fâché contre toi, papa. I'm not upset with you, dad. Parents have to keep things from their kids sometimes; I understand that — I just wish there was a way around it, you know?"
