Songbird

Tristan "Tris" Reed | 40 | Singer The reincarnation of Orpheus. "He has been trying to sing love into existence again and he has failed." ~Margaret Atwood

[carodoodles]

A little PSA about ASL for ‘Thank you’! I’ve had all of these signed to me accidentally hahaha. And when I sign thank you to non signers, sometimes they thought I was blowing a kiss to them. T_T ✩ Twitter ✩ Tapastic ✩ Facebook ✩ Patreon ✩ [Image description under the cut:]

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[wellconstructedsentences]

He has been trying to sing Love into existence again And he has failed.

Orpheus 2 by Margaret Atwood (via wellconstructedsentences)

[songbirdorpheus]

thalia-ashe‌:

Thalia smiled at Tris, knowing the truth in his words. “I suppose neither of us have ever truly been lone wolf types,” there was a wistfulness in her voice that surprised her. This was the first life that Thalia seemed to resent the way she thrived on connecting with those around her. 

She shook her head. “No, I cannot. But at least you will not have to bear it alone. Besides, the nature of who we are- it can already be so lonely to walk amongst familiar faces that do not know you or-” she could not bear to discuss the pain of walking amongst mortals. Not when one could still be her daughter. 

"We're not," He agreed, smiling somewhat sadly as Tris recalled all the families he'd lost before, how it always hurt so damn much to lose them and then it hurt to be alone without any break in the pain. "So why does it seem like we're always pushed to the outer rings?" In every lifetime, Tris lost someone, and while he didn't know about Thalia's other lifetimes, he remember stories of how Hestia lost her seat as one of the twelve Olympian gods to Dionysus.

"At least some of them recognize us. I saw Persephone in a park admiring the flowers and she doesn't know me yet, but one day she will." No matter how many years, how many centuries and lifetimes had passed, Tris still felt grateful to her. "And until we find more that recognize us, we have each other."

[songbirdorpheus]

thalia-ashe‌:

“We might be,” Thalia replied. She did not sugarcoat it was not in her nature. But there was no harshness to her tone. She reached a hand across the table and squeezed Tris’ hand. “If we are, at least know that you and I will face it together.” 

She shrugged. “We could always become hermits in our next life. Stay far, far away from everyone else.” It was only a joke, her voice so light no one could assume she was serious. 

“You can be maudlin with me, Tris. I can bear it.” 

There was an ease that came from being with Thalia that it was rare to find in someone and Tris was grateful for it as he returned the squeeze to her hand, incapable of imagining a lifetime in which the goddess wasn't warm and reassuring. "You and me against the rest of the world?" He said, giving a flicker of a smile. "I don't know if either of us could cut ourselves off like that. Other people are a lot of who we are."

They would have each other, yes, but would that be enough?

"You're not my therapist," Tris pointed out gently, smiling to show he meant no insult. "I don't think you can make loss hurt any less."

[xshayarsha]

— Florence + The Machine, Hunger (dir. AG Rojas)

[etoilefragile]

September 2016

[wnq-writers]

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[xshayarsha]

[songbirdorpheus]

thalia-ashe‌:

“My offer to teach you still stands,” Thalia replied, laughing. She resumed cutting her chicken, pleased by the compliment. She typically did not accept compliments easily, but Tris was different. There was a sense of companionship and familiarity between them that made compliments seem to be a natural part of the conversation, not a challenge in remaining humble without being dismissive. 

“No, but I’ve told you, it’s not so difficult to be one. As long as you feel comfortable at home, you can make other people feel the same way,” she replied. 

“Tell me truthfully, Tris,” she said, setting her fork on her plate for a moment, “how are you doing?”

"Maybe one day."

Anemone had always been threatening to teach him how to cook and she would always laugh when she said it, the idea of dancing in a kitchen with his wife while their baby played in a highchair not an image that was easy to shake. It was just another lost chance for Tris to bury, his life was filled with them because he still seemed to remember them daily and even though they'd never stepped foot on Aionios, their memories haunted him.

"As if you need to ask," He huffed. It was polite of Thalia to act as if she didn't know, however, and Tris sighed before tipping his head back. "Sometimes I wonder if there are some paths we're always doomed to take, if there are some things in our lives we can't escape from and we'll keep doing over and over again until eternity ends."

I'm being maudlin, Tris thought, and then he promptly verbalized the thought. "I'm being maudlin. Sorry."

[songbirdorpheus]

artemisagain‌:

Melissa prepared herself for the disappointment that was sure to come. Her luck had never been the greatest when it came to relationships (platonic, familial, or romantic). Too often had  she cut ties with the hunters who had betrayed her, only to later regret doing so. She and Apollo always seemed to be either bickering or not talking to each other, while their mother watched from the skies, unable to help. And by the time Orion gained her trust, he had been killed—by her hand, worst of all. She sighed. She simply couldn’t stand any more sorrow.

Artemis almost started bawling when Orpheus recognized her. She pulled him into another quick hug, then got herself together and stepped back.

“I’m Melissa, Lise for short,” she replied, not able to hide the giant smile plastered on her face, “And thank you for the compliment, but Herbie and Harley are just really good dogs. They understand people, especially me. So…have you met any other deities lately? What have you been up to since last time?” She heard her babies panting, excited again.

The second hug was more of a surprise than the first, but it was nice to know there was someone out there that had missed him. Or was happy to see him, at the very least.

"It's okay," He said, not having missed the soft look that crossed over her face. The words escaped to turn into colorful curls of sound spoken over Melissa's shoulder as Tris patted her back, willing to be hugged for as long as she needed. "It's good to see you, too."

It could be difficult to keep up with someone when they spoke too quickly or for a long period of time, but at least her questions were short and to the point. "Lately? No, but I haven ran into a few. I get together with Hestia weekly, have you seen her?" As far as Tris knew, the two were usually on good terms, so Tris wasn't concerned about admitting his friendship with the other goddess to Lise. "How long have you remembered?"

[songbirdorpheus]

artemisagain‌:    

Melissa’s panic died down once she saw that the person her boys had gone after seemed okay with being accosted by two large dogs. Better yet, she recognized the person, and was very happy to. She quickened her step, and pulled the doppelgänger of her ex-husband Kit Harper into a rare-but-warm hug. Her dogs watched, confused yet calm.

Then she reminded herself of the circumstances and let go, stepping back to look at him, arms crossed. “It’s good to see you. Please tell me you remember who I am,” she said quietly, switching to the Ancient dialect of Greek that differed from the Modern. Few spoke even the newer version fluently on Aiónios, so she did this to reveal her identity without sounding insane to those who still were under the full effects of the curse.

Her dogs sensed her unease and started to whine, nuzzling at her legs. She gently shushed them, scratching behind their ears.

“They’re very friendly,” she promised Kit’s newest reincarnation, “But they don’t usually run up to people like this unless they think you’re…special.” Herbie and Harley had a strange way of sniffing out the supernatural. She had never even trained them to do that.

If there was a time when Tristan became accustomed to seeing old faces in a new life, it hadn't happened yet and there was a burst of unexpected joy and relief when he recognized just who it was pulling him into their arms. Tris may not have known her name for this lifetime, but he knew her soul and the fact they'd been born into the same century again felt like an unexpected kindness from the Titans as he embraced her warmly.

"Of course I remember you," Tris reassured her after a moment's pause, not using to seeing Ancient Greek on someone's lips. He knew the language, of course, but he felt almost transported back in time both by it and the woman using it. "How could I forget my favorite ex-wife?"

And also his only ex wife, all the others had died while she was the only one to survive. Of course, she was also the one he'd married without romantic intentions, so Tris didn't really think it counted.

"They sound like talented dogs. I wouldn't expect anything else from you." He admitted, sparing a glance down at the two of them before directing his gaze back to Artemis, realizing he didn't know her name yet in this incarnation. "I'm Tris this time. And you?"

[songbirdorpheus]

"You think I would have learned to be a better cook in all this time," Tris commented mostly to himself as he speared a bit of potato with his fork, thinking it strange that he'd experienced lifetimes without ever learning something that seemed so vital. Of course, with as many premade meals as could be found in his latest incarnation, Tris supposed it wasn't as important as it once was. Besides, he wasn't completely helpless in the kitchen, he just wasn't certain how to make anything that required more than a handful of steps before it could be deemed edible, he just wasn't qualified to host a dinner party or anything.

Thalia, he was sure, would be an excellent hostess.

"Would it be typecasting if I called you a good hostess?" He asked, Tristan's thoughts turning into words with an ease he frequently associated with Thalia. "Or just acknowledgement that you have manners?" @thalia-ashe

[thegoodvybe]

[thegoodvybe]

[songbirdorpheus]

izzyfaulkner‌:

It was supposed to be poetry night. Isidore left home in a hurry to catch the beginning of the presentations, hoping to witness the very first appearance of an Allen Ginsberg or Emily Dickinson. He always had that strange idea he would, somehow, be present during historical events. Frankly, Izzy even dreamed about being friends with Jack Kerouac and the Beats, though he was certain this was just his wishful thinking. Nothing of the sort could’ve happened. And apparently, he wouldn’t be witnessing history tonight either. After all, he ended up mixing the dates and instead of running late to poetry night, Isidore walked in a full house for music night. He was in for various presentations of poor singers and bad musicians as the man on the stage suggested, and the worst part was: he had just bought a beer and had no place to sit, other than by some strange guy’s side who seemed to ignore him completely. Until he didn’t. “I’m sorry to disturb you, I actually asked if there’s someone sitting here… I was hoping it was vacant, I’m kinda sore and I would really like to go through this guy’s presentation sitting down, rather than standing up”. And just like that, Isidore was over sharing again. His mom once said he had to control that habit, but his other mom always defended that we do our best speeches while bullshitting. Hopefully, the stranger would agree more with River than with Alexandra. Otherwise, this was going to be extremely awkward. “Sorry, you don’t wanna know all that… let’s start again,” Izzy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Hi. I’m Isidore and I’m socially awkward. Would you mind if I sit here? You can be honest with me.”

It was a little bit of a struggle to keep up with the young man's ramble, but Tris nodded his head along to show he was listening - or at least paying attention since he was deaf - and tried to keep up with the shape of the stranger's mouth as he formed his words. "Hi, I'm Tristan and I"m always honest." He said, distracted from the temptation to mope by Isidore's admitted awkwardness. He didn't actually seem that awkward, just talkative, and a drop of condensation rolled down the side of Tristan's glass to land on his finger as his fingers curled more tightly around his drink, the sensation prompting Tris to wipe his hand on his pants before holding it out to Isidore. "Take a seat, I don't mind. Why are you sore?" That last question was absolutely none of his business and Tris knew it, but he wasn't asking out of nosiness as much as he was concern. The other didn't seem roughed up or like the type to get into brawls, but what could he really know just from a single opening speech? "You don't have to answer that, I meant to ask if you're okay. Which you still don't have to answer." Glancing away, Tris turned his attention towards the stage where the next guy seemed to be getting ready and Tris sighed as he watched the soundwaves calming down around them, people shushing their conversations to pay attention to the next presentation. He didn't know if Isidore was interested in talking, but Tris figured that it was polite to at least exchange some simple pleasant conversation. "Are you here to support someone or are you going to perform?" That was certainly a less prying question, wasn't it? And it seemed on topic for their surroundings.  

[songbirdorpheus]

lilith-castellanos‌:

Lilith could feel a laugh begin the bubble up her throat, her grin stretching further across her face.”I did! Though I suppose it wasn’t all that important.” She let the hand that had tapped his shoulder rest on it for a few seconds before trailing it down his arm and finally returning it to the glass her other hand was wrapped around. He was interesting enough to catch her attention, a way to kill some time.

“What I was saying was that this place is pretty packed. I was wondering if you would mind too terribly sharing your table here. I promise I’m good company.” She raised an eyebrow and her grin lessened a bit. Slightly less predatory, more curious. Nodding towards his hand that tapped against the glass she said, “Whatever your tapping there has some good rhythm to it.”

When you couldn't hear tone, facial expression became important and so did body language, nonverbal hints about someone's intentions that Tris learned to read early on in the hopes of understanding what was going on with the people around him. Tapping someone on the shoulder to get their attention was normal, but the way her touch lingered and her fingertips dragged along his arm hinted at a familiarity they certainly didn't have.

"I don't charge a price for letting someone take a seat," He said, waving his hand at the seat before placing his palm on the table and tapping out the same rhythm on the wooden surface. Humming along to the simple melody for a few notes, Tris soon shrugged and added, "Thank you, it was a song my wife liked. Are you a big music fan?"

[songbirdorpheus]

primrosebyanyothername‌:

“Don’t apologize. I tend to sometimes get stuck in my own heads and thoughts.” Prim was happy to see someone who appreciated the flowers like she did. She smiled, patting the spot next to her and offering him a spot to sit. “That sounds wonderful. My mother grew flowers in a plant box when I was little, that’s where my name comes from, but we never had a full garden. I missed the flowers so much when she stopped.” There was a moment of silence, and Prim tried to push the memories from her mind. “The flowers in here bring me happiness. I mean, how can you look at the petals and feel anything but hope and joy?”

"Thank you." Nonverbal gestures were strangely charming to Tris, likely because he didn't have to worry about catching what the other person was saying and responding. There weren't a lot of people that knew sign language, but there were certain gestures that everyone understood and he settled into place next to her, reaching out to trace the edge of a leaf with a careful fingertip. It was more than he appreciated bright colors than the flowers themselves, but sometimes flowers were the brightest thing around. "Do you have a planter box?" He asked, assuming the answer was no, but thinking it rude and interrogatory to simply ask why she didn't grow her own flowers.