Pointe Shoes and Spider Webs

61. The Anemoi

Sunday is homework and hangout day for Peter and Daphne. They're at Daphne's place. Peter is spinning in her desk chair while Daphne lies on her back on the bed, reading the e-mail from the teacher on her phone.
"We need to study up on the Anemoi," Daphne says.
"Anemoi?" Peter stops the spinning and rests his head on the back of the chair as he looks sideways at Daphne.
"The four winds." Daphne turns towards Peter. "Yaknow; north, east, south and west?"
"Aha." He starts spinning again, obviously bored with the concept.

"Pete, could you please focus a little bit?"
"Sorry," he groans. "History is just... Not my thing."
"Well, it is mine." She moves to sit upright with her legs tucked in. "Haven't really been enjoying Midtown Tech's curriculum, so please, let me have this." Peter stops spinning again and stares at her confused.
"You haven't?" Daphne holds in a scoff. He looks genuinely offended that she's not having the best time at his school.

"All Midtown focuses on is science and physics. I used to have art classes every day, Pete." He doesn't reply. Instead, he looks away and crosses his arms. His behavior is frustrating her. She shakes her head. "I miss my vocal classes, Pete. My dance classes. My painting classes. Art history." She drops flat on the bed again. "This project is the closest thing I get to do at this school that somewhat resembles what I used to do at my old school."
"So, you want to go back?" His voice is restrained, like he's trying to hide his own frustrations, but failing horribly. "After everything you've worked for?" She knows he meant to say 'we' but for some reason he didn't.
"Maybe I do." She looks away from him and frowns before taking a deep sigh. "Well, I don't. Obviously." She shoots a glance at him.

Daphne knows Peter's not doing it on purpose, but those damned puppy dog eyes will be the death of her.
"I just miss my old classmates. And my classes."
"I didn't know you felt like this," he mumbles.
"I mean- I have friends at Midtown, yes, but like..." She sniffs. "All my classmates are prepping for the Christmas performance together. They'll all help each other with their acts and my act will be something entirely separate..." Peter doesn't reply and Daphne doesn't continue. It's quiet for a minute.

"Anemoi, you said?" Peter tries suddenly. She looks at him with her eyebrows curled up.
"Yeah." Her voice cracks, but she doesn't cry.
"Can you tell me about them?" She scoffs softly, but tries to smile at him through her pain. At least he's trying now. She unlocks her phone again and reopens the document she found on the Anemoi. There's a hint of excitement in her tone as she speaks.
"Well, there's the God of the northern winds: Boreas. Also known as the bringer of winter," she recites.
"Okay...?" He urges her to continue.

"Next up is Eurus, the easterly wind. There's not really anything special about that one..." Daphne's eyes scan the letters as she tries to find the most interesting parts about each wind. "Then there's Notus, the southern wind..." There's a lot of text on this one and she reads quickly. "Oh, this one's kinda interesting. People feared this wind cause could destroy crops during late-summer or fall."
"Why?"
"This wind usually carried storms. Warm air..." She puffs her cheeks for a second before continuing. "This one might be cool to go more in depth on for the project."
"Could do!" Peter starts spinning again. "Did you read up on the westerly wind yet?" Daphne looks back at her screen and scrolls further.

"I haven't yet. Let's see..." She purses her lips until she finds the right paragraph. "'The Westerly Wind'," she quotes. "The gentlest of winds... Blah, blah... Fructifying..."
"Fructifying?" Peter asks amused.
"Yeah, like: to make something more fruitful or productive."
"Just the sound of the word-" Peter interrupts himself by shuddering and Daphne laughs.
"I get you, man-" Her attention goes back to the text in front of her and Peter relaxes his head so he looks at the ceiling. "Eh... Bringer of spring. Prosperity..." she adds. "The most favorable of directional winds as it aids sailors and farmers."
"Sounds like there's also a lot of info on that one."
"Yeah, definitely."
"What did you say it was called again?" Peter frowns at the ceiling.
"Oh, I didn't say yet. The name's probably at the bottom of the paragraph this time. Let me see..." Her thumb flicks over the screen. "In Ancient Greece, the westerly wind was more commonly known as-"

It's quiet for a few seconds.
"As...?" Peter asks, still looking at the ceiling. Daphne doesn't reply, so he turns his head to look at her. Her eyes are glued to her phone and her mouth is half open with a clenched jaw. Her left eye twitches. It seems like she's trying to say what's on the screen, but nothing's coming out. Instead, she's frozen in place. Peter immediately sits up straight. "Daph?"
"I- I can't-" Peter rushes off the chair to sit beside her. He rests one hand on her shoulder. She's shaking.
"Are you okay?"
"I can't say it, Pete-" She gasps for air and closes her eyes. Peter's eyebrows raise when he realizes what's going on. He shoots a glance at her phone, reading the word she's stuck at. "I- I can't-"

"Ssh... It's okay, Daph." He takes the phone out of her hand, drops it next to her on the bed and pulls her in for an embrace. She clings onto him, still shaking. A sob escapes her mouth and she hides her face in his chest. "You don't have to say it." He pushes her away from him, so she can look at him. "I need you to breathe with me, Daph-" he says calmly. "You're not breathing, I need you to breathe with me."

Peter can tell her entire body is tensed up. He holds her hands and his thumbs rub gentle circles in her palms. It takes her a few minutes to calm down and she ends up in his arms again, still focusing on her breathing and not saying anything. He pets her hair gently and he can't help but glance at her now locked phone. Why couldn't she say that name? The Memory Prison spell was blocking her, but why? Why couldn't she say Zephyrus?