Lost City, Lost Kingdom, Lost Soul - Orm (Aquaman)

XXIII - Dr. Andreas, Surface Atlantis Expert

"I think I'm going to take a break and go back home for a little while," Tatiana told Arthur. After all, everything had changed now, and dramatically at that, and she had to reassess her situation and options.  "Besides, I might have to move back; he - Orm - was helping me pay for my stay and research, after one of my partnerships fell through, but I can't steal his money, not now." It was like admitting defeat. 

"But you can steal mine." Arthur chuckled at her confused expression.  "Hey, I'm King of Atlantis, that kinda makes me rich."

She gawked at him.  "You'd be willing to help me financially?"

"Yeah."

"But you barely know me."

"But I can see how much this all means to you. I don't want you to lose your chance at research, especially not now when it sounds like you're the closest you've ever been to your goals. And besides, you managed to change Little Brother, and trust me, that's no small feat. You deserve all the awards for that." Then he turned more serious. "And I feel partially responsible for what happened."

"You don't have to be. He was the one who lied."

"Yeah, but I ordered him to spend time on the Surface. I didn't expect it to go well, necessarily, but also not go this badly." As in an old enemy resurfacing.

"Well if you hadn't then we would never have met." She didn't regret it, for it had literally changed her life, and in many more ways than one. 

"I was starting to fall for him," she admitted suddenly. "But not him, not really." No, she had been falling for the false version of himself he had presented to her. The real version was a liar, a killer, full of hatred. 

She shook her head, face ablaze now with flush. "I don't know why I just said that..."

But Arthur, as usual, was nothing but kind and supportive. "Hey, you have a lot to process.  Take some time, and all this will still be waiting for you when you return."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Santorini, Greece

Going back home for a while was like breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Something familiar in the midst of so much unfamiliar.

And then her family dropped the bomb. 

"We are descents of Poseidon."

Her family, her own family, had lied to her. As well as everyone else. Tatiana turned to her sister, full of betrayal. "You knew? You knew too and you didn't tell me?" By the looks, and sounds, of things, she was the only member of the family left in the dark on this, and that hurt even more deeply. 

Again, had anyone not lied to her?  And all so recently. 

"You knew? You know how fascinated I am with all this and you still hid this!"

"Tatiana, it is a curse-"

"Maybe to you, but maybe not to me. I am free to make my own decisions about this for myself. Did you ever think of that? Ever consider it?" No, they had been too busy thinking she was wasting her life. 

And just like that, home didn't feel very much like home anymore. 

This did connect some dots though, she realized, once she was able to wrap her head around it all: her vision of Poseidon's Temple when holding Orm's trident. Little had she known it was her ancestor, the Sea God himself, calling out to her. 

She had to go there - now she knew she just had to. Her ancestor awaited her. 

She cut her visit short after that.