Chapter 24
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Alex was in no way ready to have children and he knew it so Zeus's words shocked him for a few moments while his imagination ran through the possibilities. He almost missed the part about training and this new topic distracted his imagination from the horror show that having a family would be like. He had grown up watching episodes of Married with Children and the show left a deep impression on him.
["Training me on how to use my powers?"] From what Alex could tell, he was just the same as he usually was. Only with fewer clothes at the moment. His curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask Zeus.
"I don't feel any different than usual. My eyesight is great but other than that, I don't feel like I have any kind of special powers. I don't even feel all that strong." If Angel was here, she'd be able to tell Alex more about the changes in his body and possibly other parts of him.
Zeus looked at Alex. "Trust me, you're on a completely different level from how you used to be. You just need to learn more about yourself." He said and then looked up into the sky and around at the shadows as if checking the time of day.
"Hmm, it's already getting into the early evening. Are you coming over to eat with us Persephone?" Zeus asked.
"I'll stop by for a bit, but I should really head home before she has a heart-attack." Persephone said with a bemused smile.
Instead of listening to the conversation, Alex was busy worrying about Angel again and with an obviously worried look on his face as he whispered her name "Angel" out loud. A heaviness had begun to settle into his heart at the thought of losing Angel.
Both Zeus and Persephone heard his whisper. Persephone gave Alex a gentle almost pitying look but Zeus stepped over and slapped his back a few times with a knowing grin.
"You'll forget all about Angel when we find you a good woman to spend the night with. A real one you can touch." Zeus said with a jovial tone and a laugh.
Just then Alex felt pressure in his mind and couldn't tell if he had heard a faint static sound or not. It gave him the impression that someone had yelled out in anger but from very far away and over a phone with really bad reception. It was like an analog radio station that just wouldn't come in playing on a distant radio in a separate room with a closed door.
"Is the sun already setting? It's getting cold, let's get going." Zeus felt a chill run up his spine at the same time that Alex thought he heard the strange distortion.
When they'd all started walking again Alex remembered thinking that it was supposed to be some time in the morning because Zeus had told him that walking around town in the morning with just a shawl covering his junk was manly. He was just about to ask about this when he felt Persephone clinging closer to him. Before it was mostly just their arms intertwined as she led him around. Now her chest was making constant contact with him.
The softness of her breasts he felt on his arm drove all his other worries right out of his mind and he became very self-conscious. He almost stumbled a few times and couldn't help but look over at her chest with the tips of his ears and the centers of his cheeks turning red. In the current lighting, he could almost see through the fabric of her clothes.
Of course, Persephone noticed him looking at her chest and her nipples were already getting hard from the chill but she was more comfortable with her sexuality and didn't feel embarrassed. Rather it was exciting having a handsome young man look at her in that way while he showed some shy embarrassment. She started clinging to him even closer on purpose to see his reaction. This overwhelmed Alex and he tried to pull away but she was to firmly attached which made him feel a little bit of instinctual fear. It was silly but he almost felt like he'd fallen into a trap and was going to get eaten alive.
"Why are you clinging so close to me?" Alex asked as his neck stretched away even as his eyes kept wanting to go back to her soft compressing breasts. He was feeling torn between Heaven and Hell.
"It's not as warm up here in the foothills." She squeezed a little harder before easing up. "And you have my shawl." She was a little disappointed that Alex was chickening out and trying to get away but she let off her cling attack and just returned to holding his arm like before.
Alex was relieved but began to feel disappointed in himself for ruining such a nice moment. He couldn't stand the awkward silence that threatened to take over and asked a question to get the momentum of the conversation moving again.
"The air feels perfect to me though." Alex couldn't understand how she could be cold. She was even wearing more clothing than him.
Persephone looked far more mature without her playful smile and deep down, Alex felt the stirrings of a different kind of attraction towards her. It wasn't just lust but also the desire of wanting to be with a real woman who could be a true companion for him. He seriously hoped she wouldn't notice the shawl sticking out in the front just a bit. She was still so close to him. If he didn't control his thoughts, the situation could get really bad for him.
"Women get cold easier than men. You should remember this when you get a girlfriend. Plus you have Zeus's protection at the moment."
They walked on in silence for about seven steps before she spoke again.
"With a reaction like that, people really will think you're the son of Zeus." She laughed and pressed her chest into Alex's arm again a few times before holding his arm like before again but with a big teasing smile across her happy-looking, red-tinged face.
Alex nearly died of embarrassment, he had been losing the battle of control with his lower son.
Alex covered his crotch with his free hand and got a serious case of tunnel vision as he kept his head down. With his face burning red unable to say anything he hoped that nobody was looking at him as they made their way up the street. They all walked on like that for a little while until they came upon the gateway of the inner wall.
As they passed, Alex was able to see the sentries close up. Their skin was smooth over rugged muscles and it looked like gold glitter had been thinly spread over them. There were occasional sparkles of gold as the light reflected off from different angles. Of course, the sentries also took a good look at Alex with their deep golden eyes. When Alex made eye contact with them, one of them smiled and winked at him while the other smiled at Zeus and Persephone.
They held spears that were a foot and a half longer than the sentries were tall with the butt of the spears in the ground and they carried round shields that looked like half of a mostly squashed dome that covered them from just under the shoulder to just above the knees. Alex wasn't familiar with what any of their equipment was actually called other than the very basic definition of armor, shield, and spear. The metal of their gear looked like a combination of bronze and gold with the edges and symbols trimmed in black with the crest of their helmets made of thick black hair that thinned out like a wispy streamer as it trailed out a bit behind the head and neck. Alex forgot himself as he stared wide-eyed at the cinematic looking warriors as he pictured them fighting hordes of enemies on the battlefield.
There were a lot more people on the streets on the other side of the gate. They stepped into what looked like an open air market ringed by buildings of different sizes made with higher quality architecture and materials than the buildings that lined the street between Zeus's workshop and the inner gate.
Alex's mind was blown. Aside from the buildings, the people came in many shapes and sizes. Some looked like normal if not beautiful humans while others had animal ears and facial features. Others had elvish ears and features while still others had thicker rounded ears and features. There was such diversity that Alex truly felt like he'd stepped into a fantasy game. He didn't notice at the time but most of the people were women. The only males walking around besides the patrolling guards and craftsmen at their stalls were young children and scholarly looking elders.
Zeus and Persephone smiled and let Alex take it all in before Zeus led the way to one of the larger buildings along the edge of the market. This building was the public toilet. Zeus had no intention of potty training Alex himself, not when Persephone was conveniently there with them.
When they reached the entrance, Zeus turned to the other two.
"Persephone, I want you to teach Alex what he should know to live here. Since we're here, I'd like you to teach him how to use the bathroom."
"I knew this was coming. Fine, I'll teach him about lots of things." Persephone led Alex through the entrance and looked back at Zeus and said, "Especially some of the stuff I learned from Eris."
Zeus paled a bit at the thought of Alex falling into the hands of Eris and becoming a new trickster god. The boy had already been a phenomenal headache for him.
Inside the bathroom, Persephone led Alex to one of the benches furthest to the right which was where the streamlets of water entered the building from. Much like in an old Roman public toilet, there were benches with holes in the top where people would sit and do their business while water running through a small channel underneath would wash the waste away. They would wash with a sponge on the end of a stick dipped into a separate, clean, streamlet of running water. To cleanse the sponge itself after the rest of the business was done, there were jars partially filled with vinegar and old spoiled wine. They even had soap made of lye and herbs.
The air of the interior was heavy with the scents of wildflowers and mixed kinds of vinegar. Persephone taught Alex the proper way to do his business without traumatizing him too much. Of course, for someone who'd always had a private bathroom, having to do his business in plain sight in a room full of others was enough trauma on its own.
As they walked out, Alex had a horrified expression on his face at which Persephone laughed and reminded him not to "grab the wrong end of the stick next time and to remember about the three seashells."
"Zeus! Hey Zeus!" An unfamiliar voice called out when the trio had started to leave the area.
"Oh crap, its Virgil again. He must've been waiting for me here the whole time." Zeus said as much to himself as to Persephone and Alex.
"You two go on ahead. This might take some time." The old man said and sighed before turning to the man running up to him.
Persephone led Alex around the corner of a nearby stall that was selling shoes and sandals which was apparently doing decent business owing to its proximity to the public toilets and the propensity of people to lose or foul their shoes at the worst time. They were still able to hear Zeus and Virgil talking.
"This should be good to see. You aren't the only one able to annoy Zeus." Persephone told Alex as she listened in.
"I made a new poem and wanted to hear your thoughts on making it a new play." Virgil said with some excitement. He didn't wait to hear Zeus's response as he began his recitation.
"How much for thi..."
"Shhh!" Persephone shushed a loud-mouthed customer coming to buy a replacement for the sandal he lost in the bathroom and ended up missing the opening verse of Virgil's poem.
"... Maybe an eyebrow or an eyelash? A hair upon the head, or a hair from down there. From a leg or an arm? Even a tummy or a back hair has its charm..."
Yet more noise from passing people made it impossible to hear more for a moment.
"Maybe off a finger or a toe? In the end, I don't know..." She heard Virgil recite.
Persephone gave up trying to hear the rest of the conversation as more people passed by making too much noise. She turned around with a huff.
"What's the big deal with Zeus not wanting to get us involved?" Alex asked.
"There are times when Virgil traps people in pointless conversations. You might not understand now but you will after the first couple of times it happens to you." She told Alex.
"Why doesn't Zeus just brush him off then?"
"He feels guilty over what he did to Virgil. What happened is a bit of a story and I don't want to be telling it around where the parties involved can overhear us so let's walk and talk."
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Alex was in no way ready to have children and he knew it so Zeus's words shocked him for a few moments while his imagination ran through the possibilities. He almost missed the part about training and this new topic distracted his imagination from the horror show that having a family would be like. He had grown up watching episodes of Married with Children and the show left a deep impression on him.
["Training me on how to use my powers?"] From what Alex could tell, he was just the same as he usually was. Only with fewer clothes at the moment. His curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask Zeus.
"I don't feel any different than usual. My eyesight is great but other than that, I don't feel like I have any kind of special powers. I don't even feel all that strong." If Angel was here, she'd be able to tell Alex more about the changes in his body and possibly other parts of him.
Zeus looked at Alex. "Trust me, you're on a completely different level from how you used to be. You just need to learn more about yourself." He said and then looked up into the sky and around at the shadows as if checking the time of day.
"Hmm, it's already getting into the early evening. Are you coming over to eat with us Persephone?" Zeus asked.
"I'll stop by for a bit, but I should really head home before she has a heart-attack." Persephone said with a bemused smile.
Instead of listening to the conversation, Alex was busy worrying about Angel again and with an obviously worried look on his face as he whispered her name "Angel" out loud. A heaviness had begun to settle into his heart at the thought of losing Angel.
Both Zeus and Persephone heard his whisper. Persephone gave Alex a gentle almost pitying look but Zeus stepped over and slapped his back a few times with a knowing grin.
"You'll forget all about Angel when we find you a good woman to spend the night with. A real one you can touch." Zeus said with a jovial tone and a laugh.
Just then Alex felt pressure in his mind and couldn't tell if he had heard a faint static sound or not. It gave him the impression that someone had yelled out in anger but from very far away and over a phone with really bad reception. It was like an analog radio station that just wouldn't come in playing on a distant radio in a separate room with a closed door.
"Is the sun already setting? It's getting cold, let's get going." Zeus felt a chill run up his spine at the same time that Alex thought he heard the strange distortion.
When they'd all started walking again Alex remembered thinking that it was supposed to be some time in the morning because Zeus had told him that walking around town in the morning with just a shawl covering his junk was manly. He was just about to ask about this when he felt Persephone clinging closer to him. Before it was mostly just their arms intertwined as she led him around. Now her chest was making constant contact with him.
The softness of her breasts he felt on his arm drove all his other worries right out of his mind and he became very self-conscious. He almost stumbled a few times and couldn't help but look over at her chest with the tips of his ears and the centers of his cheeks turning red. In the current lighting, he could almost see through the fabric of her clothes.
Of course, Persephone noticed him looking at her chest and her nipples were already getting hard from the chill but she was more comfortable with her sexuality and didn't feel embarrassed. Rather it was exciting having a handsome young man look at her in that way while he showed some shy embarrassment. She started clinging to him even closer on purpose to see his reaction. This overwhelmed Alex and he tried to pull away but she was to firmly attached which made him feel a little bit of instinctual fear. It was silly but he almost felt like he'd fallen into a trap and was going to get eaten alive.
"Why are you clinging so close to me?" Alex asked as his neck stretched away even as his eyes kept wanting to go back to her soft compressing breasts. He was feeling torn between Heaven and Hell.
"It's not as warm up here in the foothills." She squeezed a little harder before easing up. "And you have my shawl." She was a little disappointed that Alex was chickening out and trying to get away but she let off her cling attack and just returned to holding his arm like before.
Alex was relieved but began to feel disappointed in himself for ruining such a nice moment. He couldn't stand the awkward silence that threatened to take over and asked a question to get the momentum of the conversation moving again.
"The air feels perfect to me though." Alex couldn't understand how she could be cold. She was even wearing more clothing than him.
Persephone looked far more mature without her playful smile and deep down, Alex felt the stirrings of a different kind of attraction towards her. It wasn't just lust but also the desire of wanting to be with a real woman who could be a true companion for him. He seriously hoped she wouldn't notice the shawl sticking out in the front just a bit. She was still so close to him. If he didn't control his thoughts, the situation could get really bad for him.
"Women get cold easier than men. You should remember this when you get a girlfriend. Plus you have Zeus's protection at the moment."
They walked on in silence for about seven steps before she spoke again.
"With a reaction like that, people really will think you're the son of Zeus." She laughed and pressed her chest into Alex's arm again a few times before holding his arm like before again but with a big teasing smile across her happy-looking, red-tinged face.
Alex nearly died of embarrassment, he had been losing the battle of control with his lower son.
Alex covered his crotch with his free hand and got a serious case of tunnel vision as he kept his head down. With his face burning red unable to say anything he hoped that nobody was looking at him as they made their way up the street. They all walked on like that for a little while until they came upon the gateway of the inner wall.
As they passed, Alex was able to see the sentries close up. Their skin was smooth over rugged muscles and it looked like gold glitter had been thinly spread over them. There were occasional sparkles of gold as the light reflected off from different angles. Of course, the sentries also took a good look at Alex with their deep golden eyes. When Alex made eye contact with them, one of them smiled and winked at him while the other smiled at Zeus and Persephone.
They held spears that were a foot and a half longer than the sentries were tall with the butt of the spears in the ground and they carried round shields that looked like half of a mostly squashed dome that covered them from just under the shoulder to just above the knees. Alex wasn't familiar with what any of their equipment was actually called other than the very basic definition of armor, shield, and spear. The metal of their gear looked like a combination of bronze and gold with the edges and symbols trimmed in black with the crest of their helmets made of thick black hair that thinned out like a wispy streamer as it trailed out a bit behind the head and neck. Alex forgot himself as he stared wide-eyed at the cinematic looking warriors as he pictured them fighting hordes of enemies on the battlefield.
There were a lot more people on the streets on the other side of the gate. They stepped into what looked like an open air market ringed by buildings of different sizes made with higher quality architecture and materials than the buildings that lined the street between Zeus's workshop and the inner gate.
Alex's mind was blown. Aside from the buildings, the people came in many shapes and sizes. Some looked like normal if not beautiful humans while others had animal ears and facial features. Others had elvish ears and features while still others had thicker rounded ears and features. There was such diversity that Alex truly felt like he'd stepped into a fantasy game. He didn't notice at the time but most of the people were women. The only males walking around besides the patrolling guards and craftsmen at their stalls were young children and scholarly looking elders.
Zeus and Persephone smiled and let Alex take it all in before Zeus led the way to one of the larger buildings along the edge of the market. This building was the public toilet. Zeus had no intention of potty training Alex himself, not when Persephone was conveniently there with them.
When they reached the entrance, Zeus turned to the other two.
"Persephone, I want you to teach Alex what he should know to live here. Since we're here, I'd like you to teach him how to use the bathroom."
"I knew this was coming. Fine, I'll teach him about lots of things." Persephone led Alex through the entrance and looked back at Zeus and said, "Especially some of the stuff I learned from Eris."
Zeus paled a bit at the thought of Alex falling into the hands of Eris and becoming a new trickster god. The boy had already been a phenomenal headache for him.
Inside the bathroom, Persephone led Alex to one of the benches furthest to the right which was where the streamlets of water entered the building from. Much like in an old Roman public toilet, there were benches with holes in the top where people would sit and do their business while water running through a small channel underneath would wash the waste away. They would wash with a sponge on the end of a stick dipped into a separate, clean, streamlet of running water. To cleanse the sponge itself after the rest of the business was done, there were jars partially filled with vinegar and old spoiled wine. They even had soap made of lye and herbs.
The air of the interior was heavy with the scents of wildflowers and mixed kinds of vinegar. Persephone taught Alex the proper way to do his business without traumatizing him too much. Of course, for someone who'd always had a private bathroom, having to do his business in plain sight in a room full of others was enough trauma on its own.
As they walked out, Alex had a horrified expression on his face at which Persephone laughed and reminded him not to "grab the wrong end of the stick next time and to remember about the three seashells."
"Zeus! Hey Zeus!" An unfamiliar voice called out when the trio had started to leave the area.
"Oh crap, its Virgil again. He must've been waiting for me here the whole time." Zeus said as much to himself as to Persephone and Alex.
"You two go on ahead. This might take some time." The old man said and sighed before turning to the man running up to him.
Persephone led Alex around the corner of a nearby stall that was selling shoes and sandals which was apparently doing decent business owing to its proximity to the public toilets and the propensity of people to lose or foul their shoes at the worst time. They were still able to hear Zeus and Virgil talking.
"This should be good to see. You aren't the only one able to annoy Zeus." Persephone told Alex as she listened in.
"I made a new poem and wanted to hear your thoughts on making it a new play." Virgil said with some excitement. He didn't wait to hear Zeus's response as he began his recitation.
"How much for thi..."
"Shhh!" Persephone shushed a loud-mouthed customer coming to buy a replacement for the sandal he lost in the bathroom and ended up missing the opening verse of Virgil's poem.
"... Maybe an eyebrow or an eyelash? A hair upon the head, or a hair from down there. From a leg or an arm? Even a tummy or a back hair has its charm..."
Yet more noise from passing people made it impossible to hear more for a moment.
"Maybe off a finger or a toe? In the end, I don't know..." She heard Virgil recite.
Persephone gave up trying to hear the rest of the conversation as more people passed by making too much noise. She turned around with a huff.
"What's the big deal with Zeus not wanting to get us involved?" Alex asked.
"There are times when Virgil traps people in pointless conversations. You might not understand now but you will after the first couple of times it happens to you." She told Alex.
"Why doesn't Zeus just brush him off then?"
"He feels guilty over what he did to Virgil. What happened is a bit of a story and I don't want to be telling it around where the parties involved can overhear us so let's walk and talk."
Alex was in no way ready to have children and he knew it so Zeus's words shocked him for a few moments while his imagination ran through the possibilities. He almost missed the part about training and this new topic distracted his imagination from the horror show that having a family would be like. He had grown up watching episodes of Married with Children and the show left a deep impression on him."Training me on how to use my powers?" From what Alex could tell, he was just the same as he usually was. Only with fewer clothes at the moment. His curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask Zeus."I don't feel any different than usual. My eyesight is great but other than that, I don't feel like I have any kind of special powers. I don't even feel all that strong." If Angel was here, she'd be able to tell Alex more about the changes in his body and possibly other parts of him.Zeus looked at Alex. "Trust me, you're on a completely different level from how you used to be. You just need to learn more about yourself." He said and then looked up into the sky and around at the shadows as if checking the time of day."Hmm, it's already getting into the early evening. Are you coming over to eat with us Persephone?" Zeus asked."I'll stop by for a bit, but I should really head home before she has a heart-attack." Persephone said with a bemused smile.Instead of listening to the conversation, Alex was busy worrying about Angel again and with an obviously worried look on his face as he whispered her name "Angel" out loud. A heaviness had begun to settle into his heart at the thought of losing Angel.Both Zeus and Persephone heard his whisper. Persephone gave Alex a gentle almost pitying look but Zeus stepped over and slapped his back a few times with a knowing grin."You'll forget all about Angel when we find you a good woman to spend the night with. A real one you can touch." Zeus said with a jovial tone and a laugh.Just then Alex felt pressure in his mind and couldn't tell if he had heard a faint static sound or not. It gave him the impression that someone had yelled out in anger but from very far away and over a phone with really bad reception. It was like an analog radio station that just wouldn't come in playing on a distant radio in a separate room with a closed door."Is the sun already setting? It's getting cold, let's get going." Zeus felt a chill run up his spine at the same time that Alex thought he heard the strange distortion.When they'd all started walking again Alex remembered thinking that it was supposed to be some time in the morning because Zeus had told him that walking around town in the morning with just a shawl covering his junk was manly. He was just about to ask about this when he felt Persephone clinging closer to him. Before it was mostly just their arms intertwined as she led him around. Now her chest was making constant contact with him.The softness of her breasts he felt on his arm drove all his other worries right out of his mind and he became very self-conscious. He almost stumbled a few times and couldn't help but look over at her chest with the tips of his ears and the centers of his cheeks turning red. In the current lighting, he could almost see through the fabric of her clothes.Of course, Persephone noticed him looking at her chest and her nipples were already getting hard from the chill but she was more comfortable with her sexuality and didn't feel embarrassed. Rather it was exciting having a handsome young man look at her in that way while he showed some shy embarrassment. She started clinging to him even closer on purpose to see his reaction. This overwhelmed Alex and he tried to pull away but she was to firmly attached which made him feel a little bit of instinctual fear. It was silly but he almost felt like he'd fallen into a trap and was going to get eaten alive."Why are you clinging so close to me?" Alex asked as his neck stretched away even as his eyes kept wanting to go back to her soft compressing breasts. He was feeling torn between Heaven and Hell."It's not as warm up here in the foothills." She squeezed a little harder before easing up. "And you have my shawl." She was a little disappointed that Alex was chickening out and trying to get away but she let off her cling attack and just returned to holding his arm like before.Alex was relieved but began to feel disappointed in himself for ruining such a nice moment. He couldn't stand the awkward silence that threatened to take over and asked a question to get the momentum of the conversation moving again."The air feels perfect to me though." Alex couldn't understand how she could be cold. She was even wearing more clothing than him.Persephone looked far more mature without her playful smile and deep down, Alex felt the stirrings of a different kind of attraction towards her. It wasn't just lust but also the desire of wanting to be with a real woman who could be a true companion for him. He seriously hoped she wouldn't notice the shawl sticking out in the front just a bit. She was still so close to him. If he didn't control his thoughts, the situation could get really bad for him."Women get cold easier than men. You should remember this when you get a girlfriend. Plus you have Zeus's protection at the moment."They walked on in silence for about seven steps before she spoke again."With a reaction like that, people really will think you're the son of Zeus." She laughed and pressed her chest into Alex's arm again a few times before holding his arm like before again but with a big teasing smile across her happy-looking, red-tinged face.Alex nearly died of embarrassment, he had been losing the battle of control with his lower son.Alex covered his crotch with his free hand and got a serious case of tunnel vision as he kept his head down. With his face burning red unable to say anything he hoped that nobody was looking at him as they made their way up the street. They all walked on like that for a little while until they came upon the gateway of the inner wall.As they passed, Alex was able to see the sentries close up. Their skin was smooth over rugged muscles and it looked like gold glitter had been thinly spread over them. There were occasional sparkles of gold as the light reflected off from different angles. Of course, the sentries also took a good look at Alex with their deep golden eyes. When Alex made eye contact with them, one of them smiled and winked at him while the other smiled at Zeus and Persephone.They held spears that were a foot and a half longer than the sentries were tall with the butt of the spears in the ground and they carried round shields that looked like half of a mostly squashed dome that covered them from just under the shoulder to just above the knees. Alex wasn't familiar with what any of their equipment was actually called other than the very basic definition of armor, shield, and spear. The metal of their gear looked like a combination of bronze and gold with the edges and symbols trimmed in black with the crest of their helmets made of thick black hair that thinned out like a wispy streamer as it trailed out a bit behind the head and neck. Alex forgot himself as he stared wide-eyed at the cinematic looking warriors as he pictured them fighting hordes of enemies on the battlefield.There were a lot more people on the streets on the other side of the gate. They stepped into what looked like an open air market ringed by buildings of different sizes made with higher quality architecture and materials than the buildings that lined the street between Zeus's workshop and the inner gate.Alex's mind was blown. Aside from the buildings, the people came in many shapes and sizes. Some looked like normal if not beautiful humans while others had animal ears and facial features. Others had elvish ears and features while still others had thicker rounded ears and features. There was such diversity that Alex truly felt like he'd stepped into a fantasy game. He didn't notice at the time but most of the people were women. The only males walking around besides the patrolling guards and craftsmen at their stalls were young children and scholarly looking elders.Zeus and Persephone smiled and let Alex take it all in before Zeus led the way to one of the larger buildings along the edge of the market. This building was the public toilet. Zeus had no intention of potty training Alex himself, not when Persephone was conveniently there with them.When they reached the entrance, Zeus turned to the other two."Persephone, I want you to teach Alex what he should know to live here. Since we're here, I'd like you to teach him how to use the bathroom.""I knew this was coming. Fine, I'll teach him about lots of things." Persephone led Alex through the entrance and looked back at Zeus and said, "Especially some of the stuff I learned from Eris."Zeus paled a bit at the thought of Alex falling into the hands of Eris and becoming a new trickster god. The boy had already been a phenomenal headache for him.Inside the bathroom, Persephone led Alex to one of the benches furthest to the right which was where the streamlets of water entered the building from. Much like in an old Roman public toilet, there were benches with holes in the top where people would sit and do their business while water running through a small channel underneath would wash the waste away. They would wash with a sponge on the end of a stick dipped into a separate, clean, streamlet of running water. To cleanse the sponge itself after the rest of the business was done, there were jars partially filled with vinegar and old spoiled wine. They even had soap made of lye and herbs.The air of the interior was heavy with the scents of wildflowers and mixed kinds of vinegar. Persephone taught Alex the proper way to do his business without traumatizing him too much. Of course, for someone who'd always had a private bathroom, having to do his business in plain sight in a room full of others was enough trauma on its own.As they walked out, Alex had a horrified expression on his face at which Persephone laughed and reminded him not to "grab the wrong end of the stick next time and to remember about the three seashells.""Zeus! Hey Zeus!" An unfamiliar voice called out when the trio had started to leave the area."Oh crap, its Virgil again. He must've been waiting for me here the whole time." Zeus said as much to himself as to Persephone and Alex."You two go on ahead. This might take some time." The old man said and sighed before turning to the man running up to him.Persephone led Alex around the corner of a nearby stall that was selling shoes and sandals which was apparently doing decent business owing to its proximity to the public toilets and the propensity of people to lose or foul their shoes at the worst time. They were still able to hear Zeus and Virgil talking."This should be good to see. You aren't the only one able to annoy Zeus." Persephone told Alex as she listened in."I made a new poem and wanted to hear your thoughts on making it a new play." Virgil said with some excitement. He didn't wait to hear Zeus's response as he began his recitation."How much for thi...""Shhh!" Persephone shushed a loud-mouthed customer coming to buy a replacement for the sandal he lost in the bathroom and ended up missing the opening verse of Virgil's poem."... Maybe an eyebrow or an eyelash? A hair upon the head, or a hair from down there. From a leg or an arm? Even a tummy or a back hair has its charm..."Yet more noise from passing people made it impossible to hear more for a moment."Maybe off a finger or a toe? In the end, I don't know..." She heard Virgil recite.Persephone gave up trying to hear the rest of the conversation as more people passed by making too much noise. She turned around with a huff."What's the big deal with Zeus not wanting to get us involved?" Alex asked."There are times when Virgil traps people in pointless conversations. You might not understand now but you will after the first couple of times it happens to you." She told Alex."Why doesn't Zeus just brush him off then?""He feels guilty over what he did to Virgil. What happened is a bit of a story and I don't want to be telling it around where the parties involved can overhear us so let's walk and talk."
