LIODES.

liodes x oceanid x older than empires

[liodxs]

lydisms‌:

Lydia honestly could not care less what the nymph had been saying. She wasn’t even paying attention as she was on her way to storm out of the woods to get as far away from this arrogant creature as possible. No way she’d ever let anyone disrespect her like that. It wasn’t worth her time. Only.. she noticed that Liodes wasn’t behind her anymore. Lydia immediately whipped her head around and saw them on the ground in pain, tree roots tangled on their skin. Lydia cursed herself for walking away and just assuming that Liodes had been right behind her. She quickly ran over to them and got down to the ground, desperate to do something to help but also completely out of her league. “Liodes.” Lydia breathed out, doing her best not to panic as an all too familiar feeling of guilt washed over her. It wasn’t like she could do much to help them in that moment. There was no way she could stop the roots on their skin. 

There were no more words from the other nymph. She disappeared, back into the foliage she had sprung from. The roots followed soon after but even the few seconds before that were agony. When they gone, Liodes braced themself on their palms, their expression pinching together as they took deep breaths. They felt weird, like something was upset deep in the pit of their stomach. Their ears rang. The grit beneath their palms chafed. “We should get out of here,” they breathed, still looking at the ground, trying to collect themself.

[liodxs]

lydisms‌:

Lydia was completely unbothered by the nymph. She wasn’t afraid of harsh words but she did not want to let others walk all over her. Lydia had tried to be nice and follow all of the tips Liodes had given her but there was only so far the strawberry blonde was willing to go. “It can be done. However if you’re not powerful enough to pull that off then you can just say so. You don’t need to continue wasting my time.” The banshee rolled her eyes, spewing the venom right back at the nymph. Lydia wasn’t the type to be intimidated easily and she was done with this conversation. She would find another way to make the nemeton dormant again. Shrugging her shoulders, Lydia signaled to Liodes that they could start leaving. 

Liodes’ met the angry eyes of the nymph. They were suddenly quite keen on getting out of there. They would not begrudge Lydia for her frustration but, one nymph to another, they knew better to stick around. They tried to follow behind the redhead but their feet wouldn’t move. Brow furrowing, they looked at their feet, seeing the roots shooting out of the ground, wrapping around their shoes. “Power? Like a little girl and a fish out of water knows anything about that. You insult me and you--” she looks pointedly at Liodes “--insult me by even bringing her here.” The tree roots continue to tangle them up, creeping beneath the hem of their jeans, wrapping around his legs. “Pathetic to see a nymph trailing after a human. You might as well be human yourself.” Her last words weren’t said in English. It was language and it was not. But Liodes heard it, had heard the sentiment before. But it was not her words stung. It was the roots on his skin. A cry fell from their lips as they fell to their knees. Pain. They would remark on the rarity of the feeling if it weren’t so all-consuming.

[liodxs]

rileylyon‌:

“Frequently,” Riley admitted with a sigh.  “Sometimes I’m not sure the words even exist.”  Or if they did, it wasn’t in French or English.  The blonde often thought she was too many contradicting things at once to even begin to put it in a sentence.  

“I’ve known--” they frowned, pausing for a moment as they try to count, giving up quickly “--many languages. I’ve seen them evolve, I’ve seen them be ‘born.’” Born, like a language popped into existence. But at some point, languages did evolve beyond what they came from and they’d seen that. “I’ve struggled with every one of them. Some concepts beyond words or those words are lost to time.”

[liodxs]

lydisms‌:

Lydia was completely unimpressed by the response from the nymph, which was clear when she rolled her eyes. “You asked me a question and I answered.” The strawberry blonde retorted back, just a natural instinct; one that she slightly regretted afterwards. She knew biting her tongue was going to be a problem in this situation. She took a deep breath and reminded herself not to lash out, even if it was hard not to. Lydia looked over at Liodes when they spoke. She was very thankful to have them with her in that moment, considering this was new territory for Lydia. They made for an odd friendship- Lydia wasn’t even sure Liodes would consider them friends- but she enjoyed their company. And she certainly wasn’t going to let them receive glares from the nymph when this was Lydia’s problem. She remembered everything Liodes had told her, and spoke up again. “You are the only person who’s smart enough, and strong enough to do it.” Lydia said calmly, though the words were difficult to get out. She knew that nymphs thought they were better than mortals, so she would make this one feel that way.  

The nymph’s eyes shifted to Lydia, regarding her with mild interest as she spoke. Her lips twitched at the end. Pleasure and amusement shown in her expression. “You speak as if it’s something that can be done,” she replied to the banshee. “Do you know what it would cost to even try? Do you offer something more than hollow praise? Or have you just come to request a miracle as a favor?” There was a venom to her voice that nearly made Liodes flinched. They still weren’t sure how to respond. This was Lydia’s conversation. 

[liodxs]

rileylyon‌:

“Huh.”  Riley considered that, trying to imagine what life would even be like without getting hurt physically.  She’d been that toddler that couldn’t take three steps without running headfirst into a doorknob or tripping over her own feet.  “I guess it’s kind of hard to describe something that’s completely normal to you, that you’ve had forever.” 

He nodded. “I’m not even sure there’s words to describe. If there are, I don’t know them.” His English had improved leaps and bounds since he first arrived here though his accent was still just as thick. “Do you ever experience that? Not knowing the words to describe yourself?”

[liodxs]

allyxargent‌:

“Yeah,” she agreed softly.  “Not impossible just… Unpredictable.”  The word didn’t feel right in her mouth, but she wasn’t sure if that was due to its meaning or just the idea that she would certainly be changing too.  “Is that what you’ve done?  Found new places to belong?” 

“After a while,” he says with a nod. “Sometimes there’s not an option to remain.” Constantinople came to mind. After it’s fall to the Turks, there had been no reason for him to remain. “It’s not easy.” Understatement. “It takes time even to accept that you need to go, to change.”

[liodxs]

lydisms‌:

Lydia let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding when the nymph finally appeared. For a moment she didn’t think this was going to work- there was still a chance this idea could fail miserably but, she wanted to try. At least they had managed to make contact with the nymph. Now it was showtime. Lydia had to remember everything Liodes briefed her on when it came to interacting with them. She stood tall and kept her head held high, showing no sign of anything other than this being a normal conversation. Lydia was not intimidated. “I came here because I had a question that maybe you could help me answer.” Liodes had said they thought they were better than humans- even if Lydia wasn’t completely human- so a slight compliment seemed like a good idea. She also wanted to get straight to the point. “There’s a nemeton here, bringing all sorts of creatures to this town. I want to make the nemeton doormant again.”

Liodes’ eyes flicked between the nymph and Lydia. They thought Lydia was doing well, polite if strong, but nymphs were catty and self-righteous. They weren’t immune to those impulses either -- it was hard to resist when you were arguably better than mortals. The nymph seemed unimpressed with the banshee. “I know what it does,” she hissed. “I don’t know why I should care.” Her reaction didn’t surprise them. They hoped for a nymph that would at least be amused but some were hostile. And that was back home, where nymphs had once been revered as Gods. They could only make guesses about American nymphs. “The people would thank you,” they interjected before Lydia could respond. The glare they received in turn from the nymph caused them to look back at Lydia. This was her conversation to have, her plea to make. She didn’t want to hear their thoughts.

[liodxs]

rileylyon‌:

“I’m glad!” She chirped, settling back on the bench.  “So you obviously don’t age physically the same way as I do… But do you have super cool healing and stuff?  Are you like a starfish?  It’s so wild to me that they can just… regrow limbs,” Riley babbled without meaning to, just overly excited. 

Liodes was a sea nymph and yet they had no idea what she was going on about regarding starfish. They could picture them, yes, but they didn’t know anything about regrowing limbs. He shrugged. “In a way. I don’t really get hurt,” they answered. There wasn’t an explanation -- you could punch them and they wouldn’t bruise, you could cut them and their skin wouldn’t break. “I don’t know how to describe it.”

[liodxs]

allyxargent‌:

A smile spread across Allison’s face at their offer.  “Thank you… But I don’t think there’s anything you can do.  I just… I feel like I’m a puzzle piece that got left out in the rain, and I’m not the right size to fit in anymore.  Like everything’s changed and I don’t know where I belong.”  Her words came pouring out quietly.  There weren’t exactly many people who she could talk to about this, considering the fact that her friends, her pack, was a part of the problem.  

They nodded. It took them a moment to puzzle through the metaphor, and they still didn’t quite understand it, but something resonated. They had never fit this world and yet that had never more apparent then when faced with the modern world -- with cars that made them sick and social norms they failed to grasp. “Maybe it has changed. The world likes to do that. But it’s not impossible to change yourself as well. Or to find a new place to belong.”

[liodxs]

call-me-stiles‌:

Liodes was probably right. Stiles didn’t tend to look at the positive as much as he did the opposite. He shrugged at the question. “Research only gets you so far. Most people who believe in the supernatural without tangible proof are made fun of and treated as lepers in the scientific community. I’m actually sort of confused as to what it could be, really. Maybe some sort of hybrid wolf…the bodies, the attacks…it’s all familiar but different at the same time. I don’t want my life to be a repeat of my past but with only small alterations, you know? I want to solve this problem before it ends the town.”

“Science and supernatural have come a long way,” they replied. “Commonly accepted scientific fact of today got some people executed in the past. Interesting to think about.” Not that he usually did. Liodes was often questioning what they saw around them and not what they had experienced many years ago. Or they were baffled as they watched daytime soap operas where they lived. “A hybrid wolf but... Not a werewolf?” the nymph asks, tilting their head to the side in confusion. 

[liodxs]

rileylyon‌:

“True,” she nodded.  There were plenty of worse things that she had nearly let rule her life after her dad died.  “Can I ask you some more bizarre, probably invasive questions?” Riley asked brightly.  It was fun, talking to someone friendly who was so different from her.  

Liodes lips twitched. “If you think these are the most invasive questions I’ve been asked, you are sorely mistaken.” Those were stories he was keeping his lips shut on though. “But you can try. I find this fun.”

[liodxs]

lydisms‌:

Having to follow someone else’s lead was completely foreign to Lydia. She was a natural born leader; she liked to take charge of almost every situation. Even now she found herself struggling to remain quiet and allow Liodes to do what they needed to do. Lydia knew better, though. If she wanted their help then she would have to be a follower for the time being. Lydia did trust Liodes to an extent. She knew they wouldn’t hurt her so she had no problems following them out further into the woods. Lydia did take a moment to reach for her phone and send Stiles a quick text message, sharing her location with him just in case anything went wrong. She simply nodded at Liodes, keeping her footsteps light as they ventured out into the woods. Lydia definitely anticipated every move, not wanting to do something to ruin the entire plan. 

This isn’t something they’ve done before. When they’ve spoken to other nymphs, it was usually they, rather than Liodes, who started the conversation. They were questioned about why they were there, why they bothered with humans. They’d never sought one out specifically, especially not at the request of a human, and certainly not in America. But as they led Lydia further into the forest, the whisper grew louder. They began to feel something, the slight tickle that accompanied magic like theirs. Oh, that was something they hadn’t felt in a while. When they reached the point where that feeling, and that voice, were the strongest it had been, they spoke -- they didn’t speak in English nor in Greek. It didn’t really sound like words, not in a human sense at least. The forest was unnervingly quiet for a second until a face formed in one of the trees, pushing forward and becoming a person-shaped creature. The nymph looked like a woman with flecks of bark attached to her skin and long, thin hair falling past her waste. She stared suspiciously at Liodes before her eyes flicked to Lydia. “What do you want?”

[liodxs]

allyxargent‌:

“I have to agree on that one,” Allison mused.  Her family had stuck to the same code for hundreds of years, and look where it got them.  So much pain and suffering… So much that Allison wanted to change.  “Adapting isn’t my favorite stage of the whole process,” she agreed wistfully.  

They blinked at her, and without much thought -- not that they were a heavy-thinker to begin with, asked, “Is there anything I can do to help? With the... adapting?” It was a sincere question though it was almost humorous in a way. There was probably little he could do to help yet the offer was there.

[liodxs]

rileylyon‌:

“Huh.”  She considered that for a moment, uncertain.  “I guess maybe I’m the odd one, but I’m not sure life would be worth living without hope.”  Riley admitted softly.  “But it’s always been a big thing, in my life.  Something my dad and I held on to.”  

Liodes shrugged. “I think that’s understandable for you. You understand hope, you’ve lived with all your life. To me, it’s a foreign concept. I live without it because I also live without it’s opposite.” He nodded. “There’s a lot worse things to hold on to. I think you’re okay in those regards.”

[liodxs]

rileylyon‌:

“I like that,” Riley chirped.  Living instead of philosophizing about the best way to do it or what it all means.  “People are the best,” she agreed with feeling.  Being in a town with so many guarded and unfriendly people was hard on her, especially because she loved all of those things about people too.  “Do you have hopes and dreams, and all that jazz?”   Riley would guess that the answer is yes and that they’d had far more throughout their long life than she might ever have.  

“I’ve certainly liked people more than most other things. I’m quite fond of the food they make though -- that might be the absolute best.” But still, a human creation. Far from meaningfully better. He hummed, looking thoughtful. “I don’t know. No? They’re not things that come naturally to me.” They weren’t mortal. Most nymphs didn’t even take form like they did -- they were spirits, personifications of nature. Liodes was curious above all, a trait uncommon in their kind. But hopeful? Dreamy? Not really, not naturally at least. “Hope is a mortal thing. I am not.”

[liodxs]

allyxargent‌:

“Maybe,” Allison shrugged, a sad smile on her face.  She wasn’t sure it really got better than the people she had right before she died.  And now, it really had changed, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to find how she fit with them now.  She hoped she’d figure it out before things changed again.  “Has change been more good or bad for you?”

He thought for a second, a pensive look dominating his expression. “Both, I think. Change is... Confusing. It can hurt. It burned me out at one point. But it seems to have been for the best. I’m just slow to adapt.” That last thought was truer than anything. He was neither human nor young -- adapting wasn’t one of his strong suits. But he tried and, he thought, that was what mattered. “I think change is better than remaining static. I think the world would be a much worse place if nothing had changed in a thousand years.” Even though he liked those times, he could admit now was better for humans at least.

[liodxs]

rileylyon‌:

“Didn’t like Aristotle?” Riley laughed. “Too be fair, I didn’t really like reading his work much either.  Or memorizing it for tests.”  She hesitated a moment, like she wasn’t sure whether she was going to ask her question before finally  blurting out- “What has?”  

“I found most philosophers rather... Frustrating?” He wasn’t sure of the word, it didn’t seem right but another one wasn’t coming to mind. “Why go on about the meaning of life when you could live? That was what was interesting to me. People. Their lives. Their hopes, dreams, fears, and actions. Those things weren’t familiar to me.”