Daughter of Dauid Leonidas and Euphrosyne, Niece of Aglaea and Thalia. Grandaughter of Zeus and Eurynome. Native of Greece but I find beauty in all land and life. Photography is my passion and you can find my studio just downtown.
Grace, having lived through countless wars, regimes, and presidencies, was exhausted by the prospect of more of the same. She had been struggling for over 70 years in America, trying to make something of herself. Women were rarely taken seriously in standard business, and no one believed that she had been a nurse just because of how young she looked. It eventually lead her to the streets of New York City, living in hostels with other women and men struggling to get by.
Grace, unlike her counterparts, had succeded in avoiding some of the more deadly venereal diseases by screening her suitors first. It was a little easier when she had spent so many decades of her early life treating the more common ones in Greece, but eventually she was treating cholera and diphtheria more than STDs. When her father finally passed, she took the chance to leave the country, but her nursing license didn’t carry past the normal lifespan of a human woman. At 127, she was far more knowledgable than she looked.
That particular night, she was nursing a black-eye from her previous night’s partner. He didn’t take too kindly to being called dirty, but she wasn’t about to get genital warts for a few bucks. She still had money leftover from her score at the beinning of the week and she was in serious need of some alcohol and decent cocaine. She grabbed one of the other girls from the hostel who had a hookup with a coke dealer and they hit the streets, well after dark.
Chances was an old bar, well known for letting people in no matter how questionable they may be. Grace always knew that she could find Gianna working the bar those Friday nights, and she was the one person she wanted to see. Grace plopped down on a barstool and whistled for Gianna’s attention. The redhead smiled seductively and waltzed over, a gin in her hands.
“Well hello gorgeous.” Gianna leaned over the bar to kiss Grace’s bruised skin. In all her years, Grace had never met anyone who made her skin crawl like Gi did. She had never let her guard down long enough, at least not when she was sober.
“Well hello to you too.” Grace beamed, her curls bouncing around her face as she tossed her hair back. “I brought a little present for us to share later.” She dipped her eyes to her purse and looked back up at the Italian. “When you’re off, of course.”
“It’s your lucky night then, because I only have an hour left.” Gianna placed a gin and tonic in front of Grace, pushed her curls back behind her ear and sauntered away with as much balance as she had before.
Grace was mesmirized by the woman in front her. Not only had Preston taken a huge chance on allowing a woman to serve alcohol, but he had chosen probably the most perfect one to do it. Gianna had been born to Italian immigrants about 30 years ago, and she told Grace that her strong mother had been the one to tell her to follow her passions, not to just become one of the women that married a man for stability. She was headstrong and she glimmered with confidenced as she poured drinks and flirted with customers. Grace knew though, that she only had eyes for her.
Grace and Gianna had been dancing around a relationship for almost 5 years now. It was not unheard of for “spinster” women to llike the same sex, but both immigrant women had pushed back against the idea for a long time. Grace though, wasn’t sure how much longer she was going to be in New York, and she didn’t want to leave without knowing if Gianna would have her. Tonight was the night. It had to be.
Grace spent the last hour of Gianna’s shift swigging gins, nerves starting to overtake her before the alcohol could. Gianna could sense the Grecian’s fears and she grabbed her bag at the end of her shift, Grace in her other hand as she exited the bar. They took side streets back to Gianna’s apartment, giggling and holding hands as they made their way through the dimly lit night. Back at Gianna’s apartment the women fell into each other, laughing on the couch.
Grace grabbed her bag and fumbled for the cocaine, showing it to Gianna who excitedly grabbed for the powder and disappeared into the kitchen as a swimmy headed Grace layed out on the couch. When Gianna came back, Grace could feel herself sobering up and immediately reached for the substance, and the woman holding it.
A few lines later and Grace was getting antsy. “Gianna...”
“Yeah Gracie?”
“I want to kiss you.”
She couldn’t not be blunt at this point. She wanted more than to kiss her, she wanted to put her mouth on ever part of her beautiful, supple body. She wanted to bury her nose in her beautiful red hair. She wanted to feel those pillowy lips on her own and melt into the rest of her time with Gi.
Gianna wasn’t taken aback, but was instead insistent upon Grace’s request occuring. “Then kiss me, beautiful.”
Grace grasped the back of the Italian’s head and pressed her lips to hers, melting into the feeling.For the first time in a long, long time, she felt emotions she had repressed. The women kissed fervently, softly touching one another at first, but soon their touches became grasps, and they gasped into each others mouths. Grace’s nerves were on fire, and between the cocaine and the alcohol and Gianna, she was getting very light headed but she needed more.
Gianna broke the kiss first and pushed away, gasping out “bed,” before dragging Grace up with ease and nearly carrying her to her bed. Grace allowed herself to be laid out, legs spread and lips swollen from their fervent kisses. Gianna slowly removed her own clothes before stripping Grace, taking care to touch every sensitive piece of skin on the Grecian.
Gianna spent that night stripping Grace of every virginity she had remaining. She seemed to know exactly what she needed as the night went on. Grace came more than she ever had, seeing stars, seeing the gods, Olympus, things she would swear she had never seen beforein her entire life. She slept better that night than she had since her father passed. Over 80 years of sleeping in hostels, in brothels, in beds with men whose wives were sick or taking care of their mothers and fathers, and she finally found respite in the bed of a woman who had taken such amazing care of her.
The following morning she rolled over, expecting to place her hand on the breast of her lover from the previous night. Maybe she’d finally be able to expose her life to someone else. Instead of warm skin, she met an empty space, and her eyes snapped open with fear. Standing next to the bed, shock written across her face, was Gianna, but something was different about her.
“What? How are you still alive?” cried an echoey version of Gianna’s own voice. It was a tone Grace had only heard once before in her life, and she cried out in shock.
“You’re a succubus?!” The tone was more solemn than accusatory as Grace sat up slowly.
“What the fuck are you?” asked Gianna, her voice still broken and gravelly.
“The daughter of a fucking Charite you piece of shit demon.” Grace hopped out of bed and all thoughts she had had prior were abandoned. “Let me out without a fight and you won’t have the wrath of the gods of Olympus on your ass.”
Gianna let her pass, snake eyes watching the demi-goddess as she gathered her things, leaving every ounce of trust she thought she could give someone on the ground of that dingy Greenwich Village apartment.
That evening, she returned to the hostel and packed her things. She figured she’d head to Canada for a few decades before returning to the America. Maybe some time in the wilderness would clear all the years of filth from her body. She focused her eyes further North and steadied herself, making a pact with her own mind, body, and spirit, to never trust someone with her soul again.
Grace was born Χάρη Θάλεια Λεωνίδας (Chari Thaleia Leonidas), on June 22nd, 1812 in Achaia, Peloponnese, Greece. Her mother is the Charite, Euphrosyne, goddess of Good Cheer and Mirth as well as charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, and fertility. Her father was Dauid Achaikos Leonidas, an older man whose wife had killed herself after she found she could not have kids. Grace lived the life of a princess, to a point. Her father gave her all he could until he died at the age of 79. She had him cremated and spread his ashes in the sea, so he could lie with his wife once more.
She is a practicing Hellenist, right handed and currently working as a photographer. She owns almost fifty cameras of different makes, models, and years. She is permanently scarred on her stomach and back from her life as a prostitute in New York. She has owned a number of pets after moving out of the city and she goes to visit Greece every year.
Lunch with her family turned into dinner which turned into drinks which lead to them not getting back to the apartment until almost three am. It was probably safest for them to be inside the night before the full moon, but they were all trained well in self defense, and Grace knew for a fact that Adelaide carried a silver knife with her at all times. The seven family members fell in the door, laughing and having a good time and Zeus barely looked up from the chair he was sitting on until Joan shooed him off so she could sit down. Grace crashed on the couch, still laughing when Iona and Corrine collapsed with her. Jack and Oliver were singing drunkenly and Adelaide was watching everyone lovingly.
As everything died down, Iona smirked over at Grace. She stood and picked up a picture frame from a bookshelf next to the TV. "Is this Noah?" She asked, holding it up. Grace blushed and turned over on the couch so she was face down. "He's hot, G." Iona said, walking back over with the picture in hand.
Corrine nodded in approval and passed the picture on to Joan. She smiled at Grace. "He seems like a keeper, Gracie."
The boys wound up with the picture next and Grace continued hiding her face as they rambled about his good looks, his hair, his smile. It wasn't until Adelaide got the picture that she looked up.
Grace searched for the approval of her oldest sister the most. It meant the world to her if Addy liked the guy she was dating. Her sister looked at the picture then up to Grace. "What does he do for a living?" She asked.
"He's a stripper." Grace said, holding her head high. Jack and Oliver almost lost their shit. Grace was proud of Noah for doing what he was good at, even if it wasn't the most acceptable to society. He didn't sleep with clients now that he was dating Grace, he promised.
Adelaide gave her sister a look before smiling slightly. "He knows?" She asked.
"Of course. He's my best friend first." Grace responded.
"I want to meet him while I'm here, but otherwise, I've never seen you happier." Adelaide set the picture down and went over to sit with her sisters.
"Thank you." Grace hugged the older girl and everyone went about chattering again. They asked Grace questions about the new place, Noah, and everything else they could think about. Grace couldn't find a time in her life when she'd ever been happier with things going on.
Grace opted to spend her birthday alone, working on things around the studio. It needed painting, and she needed to put up some of the light fixtures, so she could do that instead. 201 wasn't a huge deal to Grace, it was just like any other birthday. Granted, last year's birthday was celebrated by watching Noah strip and her going home to get off on that image. That thought, combined with what Julian had told her the day before, was enough to make her shiver and smirk as she bent to pick up her paint brush again.
She'd already painted the back wall a light green, and she was going back and painting on black chevrons. The other walls were already a light grey and some of her canvases were already hanging. Zeus was laying at the base of the stairs with one of his rawhide bones. Grace had her laptop open and she was blasting Paramore while painting. She'd hung a bell above the door when she'd first started painting in case someone came in.
She was singing and dancing around in worn out overalls and an oversized t-shirt. The wall was nearly done and she was excited. The desk was at the front of the wall, her backgrounds and props were sitting in boxes and she was hoping to be opened by the beginning of July. She was at her highest point in years as she painted and danced. A ring from the bell over the door alerted her to someone walking in.
"We'll be open in a week!" She said without turning around. Zeus barked from his corner, but not defensively. It was a homely, happy bark. Grace, confused, turned to see four women and two men in her doorway.
"You're not even open for family?" Asked the tallest woman.
"Addy!" Grace put down her paintbrush and ran at her sister. She hugged her tightly before moving on to the next girl. "Iona!" She hugged her too.
"No hugs for your darling brothers?" Asked a british accent.
Grace laughed and pulled away from Iona. "Of course you two get hugs." She moved over and hugged Oliver and then Jack before kissing them both on their cheeks.
"Joan! I thought you were in Pakistan." She cocked her head after hugging the other brunette.
"I was. Dad decided he was bored at home and the village I was in was out of school anyway so I came back. Adelaide called me and asked if I was coming to the states for your birthday and I thought I might as well." The other woman smiled and Grace hugged her again.
The last woman was their cousin Corrine. She was looking around in awe at the studio. "You like it?" Grace asked, looking up at her. Corrine hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear,"You did it."
Grace pulled away finally and stared at her family. "I'm so glad you guys could come." She said, grinning. "I don't know if Noah will find any free time while you're here, but I hope he does. You guys would love him."
"Noah?" Olly piped up.
"Yeah, who's Noah?" Asked Jack.
"He's my boyfriend." Grace said shyly. She picked at a paint spot on her pant leg while the comment registered with her siblings and cousin.
"Boyfriend?!" Came six outraged and ecstatic cries. Suddenly, Grace was surrounded by her family members, asking questions and laughing. She was so happy to have her brothers, her sisters, her cousin and a boyfriend who was probably dealing with his own things.
"Hey, hey. I'll answer questions later. Who wants to do lunch?"
The above is the floor plan for Grace's new apartment. What's not shown, is the wall of pictures in her office. It includes photos of her boyfriend, sisters, brothers, and even a rare photograph of her father. There are none of her, though. She has strictly forbidden that she ever be put on The Wall.
Grace looked down at the paper in her hands with wide eyes. That letter was her ticket to an actual gallery of her own. A studio that she didn't have to run out of her cramped house. The only problem then became her pups. Thea wouldn't take moving well. Zeus would be fine, but he was getting up there in years. She sighed and set the letter down on her kitchen island, Zeus following close behind as she walked away.
Her eyes wandered around the house, rebuilt three times now. It was her home and had been for over sixty years. She'd added the second floor about fifteen years ago when she stripped the house and completely rebuilt it from the foundation up. But the opportunity that had just arisen made her want to just not care.
She picked up a bottle of port wine and a glass from her liquor cabinet and walk back into the kitchen. Zeus followed obediently as she moved and laid down as she sat at her bar stool. Reaching for a chocolate square, she kicked off her heels. That letter was... this was amazing.
Dear Miss Leonidas,
We hope this letter finds you well, after all we only saw you were in the city for two days. Your exhibit was intensely personal, and we felt it upheld the gallery's theme in the best ways. We personally bought two of your pictures and were hoping to buy a third, but it was not for sale. They're my wife's new favorite photographs.
I noticed that you seemed to be operating out of travels, and not a studio. Not that I don't love the way your pictures look, I know many photographers prefer working out of a studio. I appreciate the work you do, and was wondering if there was any way I could help in getting you a studio, or an models or anything you need as a start up.
I have enclosed a check for five thousand dollars, matching the money you should have just made at the exhibit. I hope to hear from you again soon, my dear.
Regards,
Dr. and Mrs. Alder Pots
That letter and that check were gracious. The money she'd made at the gallery was intense. She was buzzed from the wine and the thought of having her own studio, with a dark room and a canvas printer and a collection of digital cameras, film cameras, lights -- oh the thought of it made her so happy she could burst.
The problem was, she would have to move into town, or out heaven forbid out of the village altogether. The woods aren’t a bad commute but Grace prefers to just wake up and go down to her studio, or wake up in her studio. She took a drink of her wine, studying the glass. It was hard, making decisions this big. The last big decision she made like this was made sixty-three years before.
Grace's body longed for sleep that would never come, but she agreed with herself that she'd try. She put the letter and the collection of checks in her desk drawer and turned off her desktop computer. She took her wine and her chocolate and padded upstairs. Zeus and Thea followed, his head bumped her calves and she took it as a comfort. This would take far more thinking over than she'd expected.
Fun fact, Grace has five tattoos. She's gotten them over the last few years across the world. She loves them dearly and she plans on getting more at some point.
Tattoo #1: Camera on the back of her neck.
Tattoo #2: "Believe in yourself" on her wrist.
Tattoo #3: "Je ne regrette rien" or "I regret nothing" on her hip. She got this in France after her life as a prostitute was truly over.
Tattoo #4: A treble clef on her right ankle.
Tattoo #5: "without struggle there is no progress" on her back.
The main thing was this nagging voice in the back of my head telling me if I stayed in Limbo, there would be no such thing as a biased decision. It was what Dad would have wanted for me, in the end. He would have wanted for me to spread my love and not be pressured to only be friends with certain people. I mean, other than that, I'm not the biggest fan of the way demons run things, and I like the Astatres, but they seem a little uptight sometimes. Polt runs like an almost too well oiled machine.
Where do you think you would be if you had taken a different road? Would it really have changed who you are today?
It really depends on the road. If I'd gone to the Pit, I wouldn't have gotten out of the prostitution business. I'd probably own a bar, run a porn site, something questionable and sexual like that. I'd never have made the friends I have today. If I'd gone into Polt, things probably wouldn't be too different, but I more than likely would not be friends with Beleth's... family. There're not exactly like my own brothers, but they're definitely good friends to have. I just hope no one makes me pick sides, is all.
Grace Leonidas || Demi-God || 200, looks 25 || TAKEN
FC: Marina Diamandis
Background: Grace is the daughter of Thalia, one of the Charites. She was raised by her human father, Dauid Leonidas. Dauid did what he could to take care of his only child, his precious daughter, and made sure she had what she needed. When he died, Grace felt lost. After some guidance from her mother and aunts — and ignoring of the suitors who followed her — she left her small Grecian village in search of some place new. When she finally came across the Crossroads she didn’t know what to do. In her head, her father was guiding her along.
Her instincts took her straight ahead and into the territory of Limbo Lakes. She prefers to look at life through a lens, taking up photography when the technology was discovered. Before, she had been a painter, a singer, a musician, anything to keep her creativity flowing. While her mother’s powers keep the men coming after her, she continues to refuse their advances. She prefers to watch life go by for others, as opposed to dealing with her own issues.
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