TAMING APOLLO | completed

08. the cautionary tale of mac n cheese

G A Y L E

08. a cautionary tale of mac n cheese

BY THE TIME I work up the courage to head out back, hours have gone by since the verbal battle of the brothers.

Apollo is sat on the grass, legs outstretched before him as he watches the sunset, his thin hands supporting his face. He briefly glances at the door as I make my entrance, but immediately returns it to the sunset.

I clear my throat awkwardly before plodding myself down besides him on the ground. The slight arch of his brow is the only acknowledgment I receive from him and besides that minor thing, its almost as if he doesn't realise he's not alone.

We sit there in silence for a few moments, soaking up the gentle sunlit rays together.

"It feels weird. Different." He says slowly, silver eyes snapping towards me as he examines me for a second. His glare is apparent but unreadable. I'm unable to sense what he's thinking, he looks away.

"Different?" I ask slowly, that scene with Ares from earlier replaying in my mind over on a loop for the hundredth time.

His face scrunches up slightly in thought, like he's trying to find a way to explain himself but words don't come easy.

"I am," he clears his throat. "I was the god of light. Consequently, the sun and I were interconnected. I was in charge of it, made sure it rose every morning in the east, and set every evening in the west. It formed part of my life force. Wherever I went – even in the Underworld, where it is non-existent, I could feel it. Now? Now it's like I'm watching artwork on a canvas. It's beautiful, yeah it always has been... but now I look at it and feel nothing." He shakes his head with a disbelieving chuckle, blond hair flopping in the wind as a nervous smile etches itself onto his face.

"I'm sorry, this must be a lot for you to take in... especially with everything that went down in there." His gaze on me is now constant and for some reason I start to feel better.

Smirking, I wave my hand in dismissal. "Are you kidding? Days of Our Lives; The Greek God Edition is my new favourite melodrama." I balance my hands on the grass behind me, a light breeze blowing in my face.

I don't want to admit to him that all this is too much to take in. I'm still having a bit of trouble understanding how it all works but I'm finding my feet. Slowly, but surely.

"The human vessel is heavier to move around when you're no longer a powerful entity. It's strange. Everything is magnified, even willing myself to walk takes up ten times more of my being. My stomach is twisting and churning and I've no clue on how to appease it. Keeping my eyelids open is growing harder by the second, and I fear for what may happen once I close them." He seems genuinely baffled by all these factors, and I can't help but break out into a fit of laughter.

He's puzzled by my reaction to his words, frowning deeply in disapproval which only makes me laugh harder at his obliviousness. "My turmoil brings you joy?" He questions me indignantly, but there's a flicker of amusement in his silver eyes.

"No, definitely not, it's just – what you just described, it sounds a lot like fatigue and a bit of hunger." He seems to take offense to my words and he huffs haughtily.