That one bloody party (part 1)
"Honey, have you seen my earrings?" Nike shouted towards the bedroom.
She was in the bathroom getting ready for the gala tonight. Her hair was done in a neat bun, finished with a golden laurel on top of her head. Her dress was white and had a slit up her right leg and a rather deep V-cut. Golden bracelets arround her wrists and one on her right upper arm.
The make up on her face consisted of a natural color palette. A bit of gold glitter on her eyelids and a light pink shade on her lips.
She had everything, except her earrings.
"Yes they're right here." Was the reply that came from the bedroom.
One last glance in the mirror. Nike smiled at herself. She was happy with the way she looked right now. She turned around and left the bathroom, only to be met with the most divine sight she had ever seen.
Athena stood there in front of the mirror in a white suit. Her long dark hair was braided over her shoulder and had small olive branches weaved into it. No doubt her own handy work.
When she turned around the angel's jaw just dropped. When did she become so bold? Her make up was not at all what you'd expect from Athena. A dark red shade on her lips and a grey smokey eye on her eyelids.
"Like what you see?" The wisdom goddess said as she smiled.
"Like? You mean love." The victory goddess replied as she stepped closer.
Nike was about to kiss her girlfriend when Athena stopped her. She raised a brow.
"Please, this one time I wear lipstick, try to keep it in tact until after we have greeted everyone at the gala."
The angel chuckled.
"Then stop looking so hot." She playfully swatted her lover's arm.
Athena smiled in return.
"Oh right. You were looking for these weren't you?" The grey eyed goddess asked.
She held up a pair of golden earrings.
"Yes thank you!"
Nike took them from her girlfriend and looked into the mirror they stood in front of. She put on the earrings underneath Athena's gaze.
When Nike was done she once more admired her looks. Athena completed the picture by hugging her from behind.
"You look gorgeous angel." She whispered in the ear of the victory goddess, placing a tiny kiss behind her ear.
"I'm sure they'd all love to take you home."
"There is only one that will succeed." The angel said as she turned in her lovers arms.
She gave her a small peck on her lips, careful not to ruin her make up as requested.
A second later Athena flashed both of them out of their room and about a block away from their destination.
"Thank you." Nike whispered as they pressed their foreheads together.
A moment later they were interrupted by Apollo.
"Athena, Nike." He said, grabbing onto their shoulders.
The wisdom goddess grumbled something incoherent and pushed his hand of her shoulder.
"I must say Nike, you look simply gorgeous." The god of prophecies said with a small bow.
He took the hand of the angel and gave it a light kiss. To which Athena cleared her throat.
"My girlfriend. Remember?" She said through gritted teeth.
Nike couldn't help but chuckle at her overprotective girlfriend.
"I'm sure he won't forget darling." She said looping her arm through Athena's and dragging her along to the amphitheater.
"He better not." The grey eyed goddess said with a glare towards her brother.
The latter swallowed and let out an awkward chuckle. He followed a little behind the pair, not feeling safe around his ever calculating sister.
When they arrived at the festivities Dionysus seemed to have gotten everyone started already. Chatter and laughter filled the theather. Gods of all rankings were talking with nymphs and saters from far and wide.
All around them compliments and greetings were flung at the pair of goddesses. Athena walked tall and proud. Nike recognized it as the same posture she took when marching into a battle, knowing she'll win.
Some time passed and they were standing with Artemis and Hestia. The wisdom goddess prefered the company of the other maiden goddesses over that of the rest of the guests. At least they didn't drink as excessive as the others and did not feel the consequences of it.
The tree of them only drank occasionally and in contrary to the rest of the greek pantheon didn't get drunk or wasted. Nike however was definitely enjoying the wine. Athena wasn't really counting, but she was quite certain her girfriend already passed three.
"Babe, I'm going to go talk to Dike for a second alright?" Nike asked.
She was supporting herself by holding on to Athena's shoulder. Her words were slightly slurred. The grey eyed goddess shared a glance with Hestia and Artemis. The goddess of the hunt rose a brow and the goddess of the hearth just smiled at her.
"Alright, but slow down on the wine okay? The night is still young." Athena warned.
Nike chuckled.
"Alright miss. Know-it-all."
The daughter of Zeus grumbled. It was a nickname her brothers and sisters liked to use whenever they thought she was acting 'too stiff'. It was a nickname she hated. The angel saw the shift of mood in her girlfriend. She gave her a quick kiss and an apology before walking off towards Dike.
The taste of the kiss lingered on Athena's lips. Mainly the taste of wine, but somewhere in there, between the alcohol a taste of Nike.
"You good?" Artemis asked her older sister.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." She answered, pulling her eyes away from the victory goddess.
An older satyr was weaving his way through the crowd towards the trio of maiden goddesses. He had seen the scene between Nike and Athena and he wasn't pleased at all. Two women? Risky. The goddess of strategic warfare and the goddess of victory together? Impossible.
The satyr finally reached Athena and tapped her lower back. He would've tapped her shoulders, but not all mythological creatures are gifted with height. Besides, Athena was tall anyway, even for god like standards.
Athena turned her head at the tap. Immediatly she felt alert. Artemis and Hestia seemed to pick up on it. The silver eyes of Artemis turned a shade darker, as always when there is trouble. Hestia's expression didn't change, but her energy did. Where it was cheereful mere seconds ago, it was now full of warning and caution.
"Excuse me lady Athena, but could I have a word?" The satyr asked looking up.
Hestia's fire colored eyes cast a worried look in the wisdom goddesses' direction.
"Of course sir. What is it you wish to tell me?" Athena replied.
"I saw you with the victory goddess my lady."
The grey eyed goddess raised a brow.
"Quite naturally sir. She came here with me."
"It is not the only thing I saw however."
With her eyes Athena dared him to continue.
"I saw you kiss her. Something I believe is unacceptable." The satyr said.
Artemis scoffed.
"What makes you say that fool?" She snapped.
"Artemis." The goddess of the hearth said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Athena's eyes had darkened a tone. Her face became free of any emotion. It was like looking at a mask. She glanced at the goddess of the hunt.
"Although I do not agree with her choice of words, I stand with my sister. What makes you believe it would be unacceptable?" The daughter of Zeus asked.
"Well, for one you are two women. However I can find it within myself to look past that poor choice of lifestyle. What makes it truly distasteful is that you are the goddess of war and Nike is the goddess of victory. If you two are a... thing... the victory goddess will become biased. It will never be fair again. You always win my lady and now I know why. Because you share a bed with the embodiment of victory." The satyr explained.
The blood started pounding in Artemis' ears. Did she hear this correct? Did this peasant just, not only insult her sister's sexuality, but also her status as the goddess of war and her relationship with Nike? Also did it just get hotter here or was that her?
She looked around and saw that all the flames within a 6 feet radius were flickering and burning brighter than before. The goddess of the hearth didn't seem to like this satyr either. Which really said something, because Hestia liked everyone.
Athena's jaw was firm and cleched. The glass she had been holding shattered in her hand as she had been holding it in a deadly grip. She took a deep breath as her drink and ichor spilled everywhere.
Silence draped over the entire theather. Everyone looked in the direction of the shattered glass. Nike's eyes met Athena's for a breef moment, but she couldn't read her emotions.
"I don't have time for small minded satyrs who don't look beyond the length of their own nose." The wisdom goddess said, her voice laced with the poison of hate.
She turned on her heel and paced away. Behind her she could hear Hestia call her name, but Athena ignored it and left the amphitheater. She had no idea where she was going, she just knew she had to get away from here. If possible from her thoughts as well.
Nike saw Athena pace away and wanted nothing more then go behind her. As the wisdom goddess left, music picked up again and so did the cheerful voices. The victory goddess drowned it all out. She wanted nothing more than to go behind her lover, but she had something else to do first.
The angel hadn't heard what her girlfriend and the satyr had been talking about, but she had heard Athena's last sentence. She ought to have a word with that satyr.
When she got there however she found pretty much the entire Olympian council towering over him.
Zeus had lighting sparking from his fingertips. No one insulted his favorite daughter and lived to tell the tale.
Unexpectedly Poseidon too stood amongst them, claiming he was the only one allowed to make Athena pace away.
Hestia was still burning with anger, seeing as none of the candles had settled down yet. However her expression remained unchanged.
Hades treathened with the fields of punishment. He might not always be fond of Athena, but she was still his niece and no one deserved to be treated like this.
Demeter just grumbled some curses and something about bad parenting among satyrs. Like Hades she didn't care that much for Athena, but she knew that without the goddess of wisdom Zeus doesn't function. And without Zeus nothing funtions at all.
Both Artemis and Apollo had arrows pointed at the satyr's troat. Perhaps, besides Hestia, they were the only ones truly worried for their sister's well being.
Well them and Hermes, he may be a trickster, but him and Athena always sort of connected. They were as diffrent as night and day, yet they could have the deepest conversations with one another. The god of thieves too stood with the other Olympians, ready to defend his sister.
Ares was there too, if only to see the fighting between the two parties. Aphrodite next to him smiled. She loved this drama.
The only ones missing from the party were Hera, Dionysus and Hephaestus. They really could not care less.
Dionysus was enjoying himself far too much. This was his scene of worship, he wasn't about to interrrupt it for some family drama.
Hera? Well what do you think? This happening to a bastard child of her husband, it was her lucky day it seemed.
And Hephaestus? Well, he pittied Athena. Sure, they connected when it came to knowing how things work, but that didn't mean they were close all of a sudden. A part of him however still felt bad for her. But that part wasn't big enough to actually defend her.