The S.S. Olympus -under refurbishment

Chapter VI: viață nouă--new

Cornelia's bare feet moved in whispers next to Apollo's heavily armored steps. The golden god wore something quite different from when she first saw him. The bright leathers were gone and replaced with a loose short dark blue short tunic with a strange light grey graphic on it, and thick blue leg sleeves, she hoped they had a better name for the clothing items. 

Cornelia gestured toward his garments. "what are those called?" She asked, knowing full well she sounded imbecilic, but how else would she know and she even felt stupid trying to ascertain them on her own. A quick moment of stupidity was worth saving herself a lifetime of it for the sake of 'embarrassment'. He snorted, then took a moment to regain his composure. Cornelia could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks and regretted the question instantly. 

"Clothes?" He asked with more amused gentleness than she deserved.

"Yes, no, I know that part." Cornelia felt her shoulders heave with a frustrated sigh. "I just have not seen anything of their like." She kicked out a leg as an example, "are these sleeves?"

His reassuring smile sent a warm chill down her spine. "Right," he put a hand through his golden hair as he collected his thoughts. Apollo pointed to his 'leg sleeves', "these are called pants. This," he pulled on his blue tunic, "is a t-shirt." He kicked out a foot with growing enthusiasm. "this," He wiggled his foot to draw her attention, "is a sock and a boot." 

Cornelia smiled, "yes those are much better names!" She jumped up giddily. "I like them! They are so much easier to move in than Stolas and togas!" She beamed at him as she started stepping to the joyous music that seemed to still be coming from nowhere. 

He joined her caught up in her enthusiasm. He put one hand in her right and the other in her left and together she followed him about the room in whatever dance he had seemed to dream up from nowhere.  

"Where is that coming from?" She asked through her laughter.

"hmm?" He asked bemused, "where is what coming from?" His voice had a soothing bardic quality to it. 

"The music!" She laughed again, "there are no musicians to be found, yet there is music?"

"Oh!" He laughed, "I forget sometimes how behind your people are." She felt the moment deflate around her and stepped back. 

"Excuse me?" Cornelia knew the gods could be cruel, she just was not ready for it. Immediately her walls went back up and she shot him a defensive glare, "We are the most advanced civilization on Terra!"

He laughed, "well that is true, but your planet is much younger than many, you are barely out of the bronze age. Usually, we do not bother with indigenous cultures until at least the computer age." 

"My what, and the what age?" Cornelia asked ashamed that she did not have a single clue as to what any of those words meant. Especially in consideration that he implied it to be a common word. 

"Planet," he groaned choosing to answer only for one of the words, "this is going to take a while." He gave her a baleful stare, " I am sorry, its not an insult, you do not control that sort of thing, it takes time." Cornelia answered him with an indignant expression and he sighed in answer, "Look we are not from here." he gestured around him using the lights and strange sounds as a non-verbal explanation, "we are from a place far away." 

"I know," She answered curtly. 

"You do?" He asked with an eyebrow raised. 

"You are gods," She stated with what she believed was the right amount of awe and confidence. "I know you said not to call you that, but it is what you are."

Eerie laughter erupted behind her, and the man with dazzling sapphire eyes and night-black hair appeared next to her. "Do not say that too many times, he is cocky enough as is." As far as us being 'all-mighty gods' that would be the easiest thing for your primitive mind to understand, but it is not the case."