11th September 2012
12:58 GMT +3
"Because while I am a Hellenist, I wasn't raised in the tradition and so I'm not necessarily aware of the names and personalities of… Less well known deities.
"
"You can say 'minor gods'. We are well acquainted with the concept.
"
"I mean… To be honest, there was more of a chance that you'd know
me.
" I shrug.
"So let me turn that around: why didn't you come and find
me? Anyone on Themyscira could have got a message to me.
"
Aporia tilts her head to the left slightly.
"Zero worshippers. We're a footnote in
some texts on Greek 'mythology'.
"
I shrug again.
"And?
"
Gaudia waves her right hand.
"And we were out and about, making lives for ourselves in
highly restrictive avatars, up until Lord Hades recalled us to help manage his workload.
I thought that someone had destroyed Themyscira.
"
Aporia nods.
"So we returned, and met these
fascinating people foreign to the Earth, and…
"
"And we had cause to want to… Branch out.
"
"You don't want to work for Hades and you're doing a runner?
"
Aporia looks away awkwardly.
"I wouldn't put it-
"
Gaudia nods.
"Yes.
"
"-
quite like-.
" She glares at Gaudia.
"That.
"
"You understand that we give these rings to people in the expectation that they'll use them for useful things, right? Telling me that you're slacking off from a low-stress administrative job isn't the best way to start an interview.
"
"We can make it worth your while.
"
"I can just ask someone else where Melinoë is. Actu-.
"
I turn my empathic vision up a little, looking for-. Ah, there she is! Serves me right for asking a Hellenistic deity to be
helpful.
"Found her.
" I rise off the ground and fly in her general direction into the palace.
"Have a nice day.
"
"Wai-t!
"
I pause in the air, half-turning back to see a worried-looking Aporia with her right hand outstretched.
"Yes?
"
"Are you telling us that you don't want anything from us at all?
"
"Yes. Few gods are more powerful than the Ophidian. Hades has my afterlife requirements covered, and I understand my own desires perfectly. And-.
" I frown.
"Can't you tell?
"
Gaudia shakes her head.
"You're… Hard to read.
"
"Well… You're coming to
me. If you think you've got something to offer me, offer it.
"
"Power.
"
"I can see your link to Erebos. You're being empowered by it at Hades' direction. I don't know if the Ophidian is more powerful than Erebos, but I know that I'm closer to her than you are to
your power source. If you're ducking out of work, I imagine that you think you're going to lose that link and want me to replace it.
"
"Sex.
"
"Like Aphrodite offered Paris? I'm happy with-.
"
"With-.
" Gaudia glances at Aporia and gets a nervous nod.
"With
us.
"
"No. Anything else?
"
"What?
" /
"How dare y-?!
"
Despite her surprise, Aporia is alert enough to elbow Gaudia before she can complete her complaint. Gaudia realises her error at once, and inclines her head slightly to indicate that her friend should continue to advance their case.
"We are goddesses of
desire. There is no form-.
"
"If I was interested in having sex with an embodiment of desire then I'd have sex with the Ophidian. If I was interested in an ego-massaging harem of goddesses picked from near-dead religions, I'd have gone out looking for recruits before now. I want neither of those things.
"
Though… Looking back, that could have been an interesting way to spend a few years.
"I've got no special interest in winning some sort of prize for being the biggest myopically egotistical hedonist in Hellenic history. People aren't prizes who can be won, especially not by having sex with them.
" I pointedly raise my eyebrows.
"Done?
"
Aporia looks slightly awkward, though whether that's because she recognises that she's misstepped or because she insulted me I'm not sure.
"I.. understand. Ah. Princess Melinoë-.
"
"Is here.
" Melinoë steps out of the palace, looking decidedly unimpressed.
"And she's wondering why you're here instead of at your desks. But only for a moment, because it isn't hard to deduce.
"
"Melinoë, it's good to-.
"
"Djh!
" She spares a moment to glare at me.
"I will deal with you in a moment.
"
I bow my head slightly.
"These work-shy slatterns need to learn that they're
here to do a job! They have thousands of applicants to review for deviant desires and actualisation achievements! And the fact that they haven't
already started heading back towards the line suggests-
"
Gaudia gets a clue, tugs Aporia's arm and starts walking back the way Melinoë came.
"-that they're eager to volunteer for nightmare-testing.
"
She gives them a few minutes to get out of sight, then looks back contemptuously..
"Honestly. If we weren't desperately overworked I would have told father to leave them where he found them.
"
She huffs, then gives me her full attention.
"Well? What is it?
"
"A group of Olympian-themed demigods -or possibly gods- have set up shop on an alien planet and want to talk. I'd like to have someone from that mythos accompany me. Are you available?
"
She blinks.
"Another-? Are you-?
"
"Of course, if you're busy with the new intake-.
"
"This sounds more important. If they've found a way to leave a single world, that would be valuable knowledge.
" She thinks for a moment.
"And if I'm not here to watch them, those two aren't going to do anything. I'll take them with me as
maids. Who else is coming?
"