Now That's More Like It [Lux]

[ZOE CALIDA]

Zoe didn’t get out much. She was a very sensible person, thank you very much, and only undertook an action after careful consideration and consultation of her gut instinct. The daughter of Hephaestus was plenty busy at the forges, and finding new things to do in Camp Half-Blood required the kind of research and time that she just didn’t really have. And let’s be honest here, meeting new people in new situations sounded exhausting. She was just fine exactly where she was.

Except that statement didn’t really hold up under scrutiny. That statement didn’t reflect the pang of emptiness Zoe felt inside her most of the time, or the disconnect she felt from most people in her everyday life. She was not just fine exactly where she was – the approximate observation to make would be that she was actually feeling quite unfulfilled, but hadn’t found the right outlet yet. That meant she’d have to tiptoe outside her bubble, her comfort zone. And that opportunity came the night she’d unwittingly engaged with a camp ambassador.

Now that had been interesting, if only because Zoe had had to reevaluate and observe that she’d never even been over to the Roman side of things before. All she’d ever known was Camp Half-Blood, and after several years she couldn’t even really say that with confidence. It had been tricky figuring out the logistics, but Zo had eventually found herself wandering first through Camp Jupiter and then onwards to New Rome. An entire functioning city built to serve the Roman demigods after their service time in the legion. Absolutely nothing like the organized chaos of Camp Half-Blood. Now that’s more like it!

She was distinctly aware of how much she stood out compared to all the other passerby. Clearly starstruck, gaping at all the buildings she passed, and…wearing that hideous orange camp shirt that she’d forgotten to change out of. But she couldn’t even be bothered by that as she caught sight of a store dedicated to the sale of weaponry, then a bakery nearby that smelled delightful. “How does all this even exist…?” Zoe wondered out-loud in awe.

Lux Aurelius Morgenstern

[Lux Aurelius Morgenstern]

Today Lux had taken a day off and he'd gone to get bread for himself and his father when he noticed an unfamiliar face that was looking out over the city with such wonder there were only two options. She was new to the demigod life as a Roman demigod (less likely) or she was a Greek camper that knew the world she lived in far too well and stood in wonder of what could be achieved if one lived long enough to build a city. He was curious and she seemed impressed without judging the Romans so Lux felt comfortable enough to approach her. He was dressed casual that day, meaning he wore a loose shirt on top of his pants and only a pair of wrist guards in terms of armour. His gladius hung from his belt as always, since it was a very militant life and he was still part of the militia. It was less common here to be seen with weapons but still not at all strange. They were still demigods and threats were never too far.

"It's quite something, isn't it?" He said politely as he stood by the stranger and let his eyes admire the place he called home with a renewed love and respect. It was home and it was safe, not to mention it was well built and a perfect blend of the ancient aesthetic and a more modern style that allowed more comfort and convenience. The world moved forward, and so did Rome. It simply retained a proud heritage. "When I look at the adversity we face as people and demigods, even more so with the more recent events of the world, it always humbles me to realise what those that came before me managed to build up despite all their hardships. Even flawed as people, they must have been good leaders to allow such prosperity for their people. Perhaps one day I can do the same." His dreams and aspirations were obvious in those words, but he hoped they were joined with the sense of humility that he felt. He would serve the people as a leader, not have the people serve his leadership. There was a distinct difference there some people too often forgot. The people came first if you wanted what was best for them.

ZOE CALIDA

[ZOE CALIDA]

Despite being in New Rome itself, the design of the city allowed Zoe to see a good chunk of the whole area. If she unfocused her eyes, the layout became more obvious to her and she could see some of the conscious choices the city’s founders had made in its layout. As a daughter of Hephaestus, she was expected to focus on the details and stay in the forges. But they were creators, ultimately, and she always liked seeing the bigger picture come together at the end of a project. And New Rome looked like the ultimate project.

Zoe’s eyes were tracing the path of the main road that cut straight through the city when a voice next to her startled her out of the thought. The man standing next to her looked quintessentially Roman. Tall, serious profile, sword strapped to his belt, tattoo clearly visible. Her eyes lingered on his weapon with interest – it was always the first thing she noticed about new people. Zoe had heard the Romans used gold for their weaponry, and she was dying of curiosity to see if that gladius was standard issue. But she had to focus hard on his words, because she got easily distracted and those were some heavy concepts he was exploring with essentially a random stranger. But she nodded slowly.

“I’ve never really thought about living past 20,” she confessed. “And forget college or a career.” That had always been her family’s dream for her – she came from a long line of blue-collar workers, but her natural gifts for machinery and robotics had given her parents hope that she could be the first to go to college and do something with her life. She’d had to heavily modify her plan after the first monster attack. Zoe absentmindedly fixed her braids and shook her head. “I can’t believe a city like this exists. The ingenuity and resourcefulness that went into its creation. The amount of demigods that live here.”

She couldn’t resist the temptation any longer (only Zoe would rather see someone’s weapon before even learning their name), so she turned to the unknown Roman and blurted out, “Can I see your sword?”

Lux Aurelius Morgenstern

[Lux Aurelius Morgenstern]

It kind of made Lux sad to realise that most of their Greek siblings and counterparts didn't expect to get old. They seemed to think that dying young was the most likely, if not only option that life seemed to have for them. He realised that he was lucky in having lived up to twenty three already but he'd lost plenty of friends along the way. Her words stirred those memories in him, as well as the feeling of incompetence because he hadn't been able to save them and keep them alive. He absently scratched at his SPQR tattoo that showed his long service to the legion. At advice of his father he'd joined young, at the mere age of ten, now thirteen years ago already. He was one of the older soldiers and his duties were mostly that of the augur. He also spent a lot of time training the younger recruits, due to his experience and skill with weaponry. His father allowed him to become skilled enough with a bow to be able to teach the basics of that to his younger half siblings and the occasional odd one out that took a preference towards the bow over the gladius.

"My live has been in the service of Rome for as long as I can remember. My family has lived here for several generations, although I'm the first demigod in a long lineage of legacies. The blood of the Gods had gotten thin in our line so my father spent some time out in the mortal world, where he met my dad. Well, not too long after I followed." He said with a shrug. It was odd to think of his father outside the legion, in part because the man had never left New Rome again after Lux had been born. Lux knew it was mostly to keep him safe, although that wasn't quite as easy as expected in the end. Life, it was never easy just because you avoided danger. Still, to see that enthusiasm in the younger Greek demigod made him smile a very genuine smile that didn't grace his face too often. "Indeed. To people born and raised here it's a lot less incredible, but I can understand that it's amazing if you didn't know such things were possible. The military is very much a requirement because of the city. If we don't keep order and good defences it could all crumble under monster attacks, although we do our best to keep it safe by other means as well." He meant magic, of course.

Then she asked to see his sword, a bit out of the blue. Lux was slightly taken aback as he'd had a daughter of Venus ask him that with a very different meaning once. He arched one eyebrow slightly as he drew the weapon from it's scabbard. It was a blade that had been forged specifically for him after ten years of service to the Legion and had been his pride and glory ever since. It was one of the finest blades in the entire Legion and it came with some minor decoration that did not undermine the function of the blade. The hilt was set with many tiny rubies in a dark black leather and the pommel encased a large fire opal. He maintained it with utmost care and the engraving in the blade displayed the name of the weapon. Amplexus Ignis. He showed her the blade and couldn't help but feel the pride at his exquisite weapon as it lay on display. "Please don't touch it. It's very precious to me since it was a gift for ten years of service to the Legion." He said as he allowed her to study it.

ZOE CALIDA

[ZOE CALIDA]

Wow, the Romans seemed to really take things seriously. Zoe listened wide-eyed to the Roman’s comments, first on his own family then on the defense of the city. Camp Half-Blood had its own defenses, to be sure, and the Greek demigods were well-prepared to defend their home. But she’d never heard anybody talk about it the way he was now. And she was unprepared for his smile. People didn’t really do that around her (she didn’t exactly inspire feelings of goodwill) and she flushed at the sight. Be cool. Act like this totally happened all the time.

His explanation of the rationale behind the legion was interesting enough, but Zoe gave a gasp of delight as he finally unsheathed his sword. She’d had an intuition about this blade (although some of the other Hephaestus campers were much more involved with weaponry the way she was with machinery). That hunch proved correct, as it was the most magnificent sword she’d ever seen (and, to her delight, gold). Her first instinct was to run her hands all over it, so she gave a sheepish laugh and folded her hands behind her back as he immediately asked her not to. She still examined it closely with a critical eye, although she couldn’t find any flaws. “It’s beautiful. And you can see the perfect balance, despite the extra weight on the hilt. It takes a careful eye to make that sort of modification to a blade. How important do you have to be to get a sword like that?” It was a rhetorical question, but she still spoke with the awe of seeing the product of master craftsmanship.

Zoe would never dare to navigate through the Labyrinth unarmed, so she’d brought her own personally-forged axe – which she kept strapped to her back when not in use. She shrugged it off now and held it up to the sunlight. The Hephaestus campers didn’t usually get involved in competition, but weapons were certainly a status symbol. “We didn’t exactly have any spare jewels lying around in the forges, but it still took me near a week to get the design right. Double-bladed, with a trailing lower blade edge to maximize cleaving power.” She’d gone for a two-handed battle axe design, and wrapped the hilt in simple leather. It had taken her a full day simply for the detailing, and she’d carved flames and the insignia of Hephaestus over the Celestial Bronze. It was her masterpiece. She shot him an easy grin. “Maybe I should make myself something special if I’m still around in five years.” She couldn’t imagine 10 years in Camp Half-Blood, but she’d reached the halfway point already so nothing was impossible.

Lux Aurelius Morgenstern

[Lux Aurelius Morgenstern]

It was amusing to see how different people noticed different things. She was nice and respectful and he appreciated that. Still, did he see a blush on her face? Probably just his imagination or the compliments of some of the girls at camp getting to his head. He almost shook his head at the insane thought but his discipline and control were stronger than his impulses, luckily for him. To give others hope was always a nice thing, and at least the city seemed to give that to the friendly stranger.

It was amusing to see her analyse every inch of the gladius, examining it with what was clearly the eye of an expert. Perhaps not a master of the craft but she knew things about creating weapons by the sound of it. Still, she had to keep her hands behind her back to contain herself and not touch his weapon so he appreciated the effort. He considered it bad manners to touch the weapon of another without explicit permission, unless they were not personal weapons but those free to use for all. His blade most certainly was not. He wasn't an aggressive type of person but he would not be kind to those that would manhandle his weapons or chose to touch them without his explicit permission. He never left his sword behind, no matter where he went. It was his pride and thus not easily set aside. He did feel that warm glow when she confirmed what he already knew for a long time. It was a magnificent weapon and he was lucky to have gotten it. "Well, I'm not sure. Not a huge number of demigods serve the Legion for a full decade. Most choose a safer path. We're allowed to retire after four years and most retire by the time they hit college age. Luckily not many come in too young so very few make it to the ten year mark unless they choose to do so. I personally have a rather high rank on top of that. I'm not sure if that influenced the forging of the blade, but my family also has a high standing. It could be that they made the weapon more elaborate as it will likely become a family heirloom. We've served Rome for many generations and I would feel honoured if I ever am lucky enough to have children that would take the same path." He most certainly would be raising them in a similar fashion. He'd always had a choice, despite his duties. He just loved what he had been guided to do.

Her weapon was certainly well crafted, confirming his suspicions that she was skilled in her craft. Perhaps one of the children of Vulcan? Or well, Hephaestus in that case, since she was not Roman. Her suggestion that she could make one in five years if she was still around made him nod ever so slightly. "You should. It's not clever to take life for granted for demigods. Five years is already quite the accomplishment and ten years is not something to be taken lightly. Too many perish long before they reach an age where they can state they've known what they are for ten years." He said and there was an undertone of sadness deep within his voice. Not that it was abundantly obvious but to the careful observer it clearly was there. "I'm Lux, by the way." He introduced himself as he sheathed his weapon once again. "Lux Aurelius Morgenstern, son of Apollo and Augur." He said with a slight bow to her. Ever the gentleman, and always aware of both manners and protocol. To get a fully informal greeting from him would indeed be quite a special feat.

ZOE CALIDA

[ZOE CALIDA]

It was amazing how much a change of scenery could help. There was something about being away from Camp Half-Blood that helped Zoe relax and enjoy the simple things in life, like comparing weapons with other demigods. Things weren’t so simple in camp. There were people who knew her there, and all the implications of that association. Expectations for her to fulfill her responsibilities in the forges, raised eyebrows if she ever acted ‘out of character’ and the heaviness of some campers’ judgments and teasing. Zoe’s history was a dark spot for her reputation, and sometimes it seemed as if it’d never be forgotten. As if she’d never be able to move on or escape from that caveat (something like: yeah, she might seem like a nice girl, but did you hear what happened with the Titans?).

She’d never been to New Rome, and she’d never met a Roman before. So it was much easier to show off her crafting skills and nod at the Roman demigod’s observations like she completely understood what he was saying (not that he was using difficult language, but Zoe could count on one hand the number of times she’d ever thought about having a family). “I guess it’s lucky you come from a good family, then. Probably makes life easier,” Zoe observed idly as her eyes remained transfixed on the sword. There seemed to be a recurring motif in this conversation, as he’d already mentioned family lineages and service to the legion. Considering Zoe came from a family of nobodies, maybe it was for the best that she was Greek.

Zoe had meant the comment about ten years as an offhand joke, but his response made her feel guilty and she did her best not to hunch her shoulders in embarrassment. “There’s more to a demigod’s life than a claiming and camp. Or there should be anyway,” she mumbled, finally peeling her eyes off his sword long enough to strap her axe to her back again. She didn’t really want to explore her emotional baggage or inject it into this conversation, but she couldn’t deny the resentment of being completely defined by her godly parent and how that meant she could be used by people. Although, as her eyes drifted to look over the streets of New Rome, maybe it didn’t have to be that way forever.

Her eyes shot back to meet his as he finally introduced herself and she realized – oh right, most people do this at the beginning of a conversation. She frowned as she repeated the unfamiliar word, “Augur? Like the drill?” She was familiar with augers, but that probably wasn’t what he meant. Nobody at Camp Half-Blood had ever bowed to her before, and she gave a grudging smile at the sight. “Uh, right. I’m Zoe.” Her words were followed by an awkward pause, until she figured she should at least attempt a clumsy imitation of his introduction. “Zoe Calida. Daughter of Hephaestus. Um, cabin nine.” She was suddenly very aware of her rather sloppy appearance, from her oil-stained camp shirt to the toolkit she almost never took off. It was definitely a stark contrast to Lux's more refined image. “It’s probably really obvious but this is my first time here. And I kinda got separated from my camp ambassador so I don’t even have anybody to tell me when I’m breaking cultural norms.”

Lux Aurelius Morgenstern

[Lux Aurelius Morgenstern]

He chuckled momentarily as she suggested his life was easier for having born into a family with repute. "There are two very different sides to that particular coin. I enjoy advantages due to my birth but also plenty of scrutiny. If I fail it brings shame to the entire family. If I succeed it is what is expected from somebody of my bloodline. In terms of my fathers, I certainly got lucky. Both are incredible. My father is very strict and I've been told I seem to take more after him than Apollo. Not that it matters too much. I get to be proud of who I am and where I come from, which isn't something that many can say." Apollo was a God that was held in pretty high regards around camp and the same went for his father. Especially in the Roman camp, lineage mattered. Not in terms of where you ended up but even more so in terms of what people expected. If you had a disreputable parents, not much would be expected of you. You could defy expectations but going against the grain required a lot more. It was usually the children of the better known and honoured gods that got the coveted positions.

Her introduction made it clear (once again) that the Greeks didn't really hold up much decorum and didn't have a very formal nature to them. It was something that never really sat well with Lux, but not something he was privy to change. He appreciated the few that at the very least attempted to adhere to the Roman culture when in New Rome. He nodded slightly as she mentioned having been separated from her ambassador. "I can at least help you return to a point where it's easier to find your way back. Or alternatively I could show you to the smithy here. As a daughter of Hephaestus I can imagine that location might hold some interest to you." He offered politely, completely ignoring the face she was indeed breaking a fair few cultural norms. It was something he had to get used to a lot more. Greek demigods simply were not as formal and military as they were. It was something to accept and deal with.

ZOE CALIDA