(a flicker of wings, the sound of air moving as someone makes her descent. She’s beautiful, she has eyes that seem to reflect every color in the room and make you feel a sense of hope, despite the mischievous flicker appearing in them. She has long black wavy hair and a long red chiton, she has large wings and a trumpet draped across her back. She giggles as you see her and you realize she hasn’t come to sit yet, she is still floating about a foot above the ground, moving around the air as easily as one does in water)
So, you must be Macaria. You must have the most wonderful stories to tell, do enlighten me. What might some of them be?
@goddess-of-fame-and-rumors
Ah, hello Pheme. Macaria is my darling sister, actually. The peaceful one. I am Melinoë. Peaceful is not quite a word I would use to describe myself. But I do have plenty of stories, if you care to listen. Although, I shall warn, most are not for the faint of heart.
My favorites shall always be the terror of men when confronted with their own night terrors. Even the most powerful of men lurch awake in a cold sweet from their dreams gone dark. Such an amusing thing to watch.
my apologies, I am often terrible with names. I would love to listen to your stories, stories are my specialty!! Often they are bad but I can raise up others as well as put them down, depending on how I feel they are of value.
Few tell me they are willing to share their stories without restraint, you surprise me, Melinoe. (she turns her head to the side in curiosity and her wings let out as she stands on the ground to make her way walking towards Melinoe. No one is this open, surely she has something to hide. She must!! There is an unease in the way she walks hidden behind her confident facade, she doesn’t know what to expect. Fear? Sure. Anger? Normal. Groveling from mortals? Expected. But openness? That is rare. She moves to sit next to Melinoe and faces towards her, there is a curious gleam in her reflective eyes and an uncertain grin in her face to combat the mischievous one before. There is still mischief there, but less so.)
Now do tell!! I love stories
It is quite alright. We are often together, I could see why one might confuse us at first glance. Let me think... Ah, here is a good one. | Tilting her head, she considered the other goddess for a moment, quiet consideration playing over her pale features. After a moment, she spoke, tone lilting to add to the effect. | I am certain you have heard of the man who cheated both Thanatos and my father, Hades. Sisyphus. His punishment is quite well know in both Olympus and the Mortal Realm. But no one ever mentions just how awful he is. Several times he has even tried to escape. The man tried to flatter me into convincing Hades into letting him free. As if I would ever fall for such a thing. He is rather hideous, did you know? I cannot imagine how his wife put up with him for so long. I certainly would not have. I do believe Macaria rewarded her for dealing with him for so long. There has been several times where he has even began to openly weep. It is a far cry from the confidence he has boasted so many times before. When he first arrived to his punishment, it was amazing how confident he was. He believed he was getting off so easily. Such an arrogant man. Hideous and arrogant, an awful combination really. His only good feature is his cunning, but I suppose that is what doomed him in the first place. Such is the way of mortals, though. I would pity them, if so many of them were not so awful.
I have certainly heard of such a man. Hm his wife does seem rather tolerant!! I do say a simple man trying to romance a goddess such as yourself seldom works, and if he has a complete lack of looks then he must truly be a fool then!! To think he could wrangle himself out of his punishment in such a way. He must have had his boulder increased in weight for that!
Many mortals are hideous and arrogant, that is quite true. I do however often enjoy their company. I suppose there is a sort of charm they possess in having flaws that immortals lack and doing what they can to make up for it. And oh so many of them make fine stories.
I enjoyed your story greatly, lady Melinoe. Thank you for sharing it. I am afraid most of my stories are not quite my own, nevertheless I feel I must tell you one in exchange for you telling me yours. Would you like to hear one?
I suppose they do make good stories. It is quite fun to scare them, even more so. Such interesting little beings, they are. And yes, please. I would be delighted to hear one of your stories. A good story is a good story, no matter whom it is from, and I am certain you have the most delightful of stories, Lady Pheme.
During the Trojan war, Helen used to talk to birds. She would talk to birds every day it seemed!! Tell them about her day and she would name them after people she knew when she was younger, I’m sure Paris would not have been happy had he learned of her very favorite eagle being named Menelaus. I do remember once Paris practiced shooting his bow and arrow and hit Clytemnestra, she didn’t talk to him for a week after that. The poor man had no idea why.
I just remember those birds flying away when Troy was sacked and only then did she stop caring.
(She pauses and looks back up to Melinoe.)
I’m terribly sorry, am I boring you?
Ah, no, not at all. I apologize, the mortals seem to be attempting to summon me for a ritual. Please continue. I have never heard this story before. | Attempting to offer her politest smile, manners were not something she was all that practiced with, she nodded for the other goddess to keep talking. It was certainly interested, to hear about Helen naming birds. |
I understand, Lady Melinoe. Mortals see me sometimes as an oracle of sorts, to repeat or share life altering prophecies, it can be exhausting, I can only imagine how your job is.
Last I saw, Helen kept a coop of eagles at her place with Menelaus, she’d listen to stories he told and name the birds after the fallen Achaeans Menelaus treasured most. I suppose it may have been a way of apologizing to him for being away in Troy.
Have you met any of the war fallen from the Trojan war, Lady Melinoe?
Perhaps. It is a backwards apology of sorts, but it fits her in a strange sort of way. A few of them, yes. Cassandra of Troy for one. The poor woman. She deserved far better. Paris of Troy as well. He is rather arrogant, even in death, but more mannered than some. On the greek side, Achilles and his boy, Patroclus, I believe. As well as Agamemnon. I never did quite like him. He was an awful father, sacrificing his daughter like that. I know I do have delightful parents for as far as parents go, but he was a new level of treacherous. And you, Lady Pheme? Any famous heros you have met?
I am always there when a hero is, lady Melinoe! I am the goddess of fame, they could never be heroes without my help.
(she laughs and her head falls backwards and her wings stretch out, almost to catch her. Her eyes, reflective like an animal’s seem warm. And her demeanor relaxed. Just as soon as it starts, she straightens up and brings her wings back in.)
My apologies, I must have almost knocked you over! I have met every hero, large and small. Their names are remembered because of me, but I would say some are certainly more pleasant than others. I agree on that part. Have you ever made a mortal a friend before, lady Melinoe?
| Her lips curled with slight amusement. Waving a dismissive hand at the apology, Melinoe finds herself humming in consideration at Pheme's words. | I do suppose I walked right into that one. It would be impossible to have a hero without you. Their renown rests in your hands. It must be such the interesting job, handling all of their stories. I must say, I admire your memory. Befriending a mortal, you say. Friend is such peculiar word. There have been mortals I have found myself returning to their dreams more than a few times, but I do not believe they would consider me a friend. I converse mostly with spirts. Mortals who are long since dead. They are good company, but once more friend is a stretch. I am not someone anyone wants to befriend, you see. How of you, Lady Pheme? I am sure many mortals desire your companionship.
lady Melinoe, I feel you underestimate yourself! You’re lovely company! I am sure many wish to have you as a friend! You’re open and honest and understanding. What more could one ask for in a companion? I suppose mortals may fear you though as they fear us all. I have had no mortal friends either, lady Melinoe. They worship me and act as they should to a goddess, but none has called me friend. Even the gods find my company bothersome with my endless curiosity and desire to seek the whole story. I cannot certainly say that any mortal has seen me as a friend and it has been a very long time since an immortal saw me as one either. I do have a lovely job, I bask in luxury and those who wish to be remembered fondly offer me great things. I can make or ruin people in only a sentence, but it leads to not many trusting me. Mortals they stay far away out of fear and respect. Immortals practically run as soon as they see me! Now lady Melinoe I have told you enough of my job, tell me of yours!
You flatter me, Lady Pheme, but I am afraid I am not nearly that sweet. Ah, I do apologize for that. It must be difficult, to be seen only as a goddess or a bother with no in between. Although, the respect you receive must be great. To have such a position must be delightful, such power must be useful. My own job? It is less a job, more of a hobby. My father, Thanatos and Charon handle nearly everything that might count as my duty. I do attend to the mad, though. I do think, although, many of them are far more sane than the ones the mortals call normal. Normal is subjective, yet no one quite seems to realize it. I handle ghosts, when they act out or wander to far, but that is rare. Most are content to haunting whoever they knew in life. Fickle revenge. My main occupation, Lady Pheme, is bringing nightmares. | A sly smirk curved her lips, dark eyes glimmering with both amusement and something darker. Gesturing to her pale complexion and shadowy adornments. | That is why I look like this after all. There is nothing nearly as terrifying as something humanoid, yet not. Shapeshifting is a gift, really. It is a shame most gods do not have even half as much control in their shifting forms as I do.
