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Iris: Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger (eiris_iris) wrote in deities_dot_com,
@ 2012-03-05 06:50:00

Entry tags:

~hermes, ~iris

This and That [tag: Hermes]
“What about these, Ma'am,” the clerk at Jimmy Choo's in New York asked the Goddess of the Rainbow as she handed her a box. Iris looked down at the shoes being offered. This was difficult. Jimmy Choo was her favorite designer when it came to shoes and she found herself unable to decide between the now four pairs in front of her.

She knew that she was planning on shopping today, mostly for accessories, which was why she was wearing a black pencil skirt with a simple white blouse. She wanted to be as blank a canvas as possible. She slipped off one pair of shoes she had been trying on and slipped on the newly offered pair.

Standing before a mirror, she frowned. They were gorgeous. Just like the previous three pair had been. This wasn't good. Iris really didn't want to go home with four new pairs of shoes. There was a point where Zephyrus was not going to be so understanding with how much space her shoe collection took up on Olympus. If only she had some help deciding.

Iris supposed she could ask Hera. Her trusted employer always had an honest opinion that she shared with the Rainbow. But there was something that wasn't right about summoning the Queen of the Gods for something as mundane as deciding what shoes to buy. It would be one thing to do it in reverse, like if Hera summoned her, but it didn't work with Iris being the one distressed.

She could also call to her husband. Except that Zephyrus, as endearing a fellow as he was, didn't exactly have the fashion sense she was looking for. He always seemed to say everything looked wonderful on her. He was biased. His opinion wouldn't count. Zephyrus always said she was beautiful.

No, what Iris needed was an honest opinion from a dear friend. Someone who shared the ups and downs of her job, had good taste and was an overall good person.

“Hermes,” she called silently as she stood before the mirror, trying to look at her feet from a few different angles. “I need your... expertise. I'll buy you lunch in return for this.”

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poneomenos
2012-03-06 10:09 pm UTC (link)

Iris!

With a grin, Hermes put down his video game and went to freshen up and change his shirt. If he was having lunch with her, he was going to look the part. Because he knew without thinking about it that Iris would be dressed to the nines. She always was.

Finding her took no effort. As the Messenger, finding people was what he did, and finding those that called him was second nature. He stood outside the shop and looked at the sign.

Ah, so it was to be shoes.

"Make it dinner and you're on," he responded silently as he entered Jimmy Choo's. "No steak." Though that should go without saying, considering Iris well knew his fondness for his herd. It would be tantamount to cannibalism.

He walked up to the Rainbow goddess, leaning in to give her a light hug. Speaking aloud this time, he queried, "So, how goes the shopping?"

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eiris_iris
2012-03-07 01:14 pm UTC (link)

She smiled when she heard his silent reply and shook her head slightly. Really, the boy and his cows. If he wasn't careful, someone would mistake his affection for his herd as an unhealthy bovine obsession. Emphasis on unhealthy. And it would leave one wondering just what he did with those cows that made them so special to him.

Iris knew Hermes, though, and knew better. They knew each other so well and they were essentially coworkers. With the exception that they reported to different bosses, they were part of the same company, if you considered the inner workings and nitty gritty of running a pantheon smoothly as a company. Besides, if Zeus called her and asked of her, Iris would comply. She figured Hermes would do the same if Hera called on him.

Become friends had been second nature considering how closely their duties to the throne overlapped. Not to mention that Zeus' Messenger had been an adorable little scamp since birth with a radiant sense of humor. And other than Hera, he was one of the few she allowed to assist her with her wardrobe. He had good taste... usually.

As he embraced her, she smiled and pressed her lips to his cheek. “I need help. I only want to get two pair, but all four of this just speak to me. They say, “Iris, we want to be in your collection.” So any help would be fantastic.”

The Rainbow stepped back a few paces and gestured to her feet. “What do you think about these? It's not a matter of comfort, they are all extremely comfortable. But do they suit... me?”

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poneomenos
2012-03-08 07:25 pm UTC (link)

Hermes cocked his head, looking at the shoes thoughtfully. Iris' skin tone was light enough it could be pulled off, but there was this need to look twice at them to understand. Doing a double take because a pair of shoes catches your eye is one thing. Looking twice because the shoes are confusing was another.

The fact was, at a glance the shoes didn't look like the feet were actually in them, but on top of them.

"With the right outfit, they would certainly be complimentary, but where does your foot end and the shoe begin?" He was sure the salesman would be put out by the comment, but Iris hadn't asked him here to be all whatever-you-want-they-are-all-lovely. She expected Hermes to give her his honest opinion, and that's what he was going to do.

Even if she went for dresses next and wanted to know if her butt was too big. Friends didn't lie to friends when it came to serious issues like fashion.

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eiris_iris
2012-03-09 01:22 pm UTC (link)

Ok, so that was his kind way of saying he didn't like those. So Iris slipped them off and gestured for the sales clerk to take them away. She could have argued it, but once he had asked if her foot was in the shoe or on the shoe, given the coloring of the shoe, Iris couldn't help but see that herself. There were, effectually, ruined for her now. “So, those are out.”

She wiggled the toes on her bare feet while deciding which pair to try next. Her eyes kept going back to the pink suede pumps. They were, in a word, adorable. So choosing those next, she slipped them on and turned to face Hermes again.

“What about these?”

Iris didn't even bother to consider that the clerk might be confused as to how the man who had joined her knew she was there as the Rainbow never pulled out a cell phone or anything. Or even as to how the titaness may be related, if at all, to her companion. Iris just took it at face value. Besides it wasn't the other woman's business.

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poneomenos
2012-03-11 03:56 pm UTC (link)

There was no mistaking the look in Iris' eyes when she selected the next pair. These she really liked, so Hermes planned to take that into account. Once she slipped them on, however, there was no need.

He nodded approvingly. "Oh, now those are cute." Suede was tricky to keep clean, but Iris would have no issues there. He had yet to ever see her with a spot on her blouse or a run in her stockings.

"The color is really fun, and the style certainly suits you." The shape was similar to the first pair, except for the open toe, so she obviously was drawn to that height of heel. Which was no surprise; for his part Hermes didn't even know if the goddess owned a pair of tennis shoes. She was all class, and her accessories reflected that.

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eiris_iris
2012-03-11 08:13 pm UTC (link)

“They are fabulous, aren't they?” She beamed.

Iris shifted her feet a bit, giving them a proper go, and turned to look in the mirror. She knew exactly what in her expansive wardrobe the shoes would go with. And her wardrobe was expansive. It was spring, well... almost spring, which meant it was about time to clear out her closets of outdated and out of style garments. Which she generally let any other Olympian that wanted to, pick through and take what they wanted before she donated the rest to upscale second hand.

It was an annual thing. Every spring. Most of which she could sort through on her own. But sometimes she needed opinions there too. Thankfully, Hermes was a patient and cherished friend. Which was why she was so glad he was with her now.

“I almost don't want to take them off.” Iris really didn't. But she had two more pairs to go through and regular black Jimmy Choo pumps from last season were on the floor nearby, next to her other bags from shopping and the small purse she carried. She wouldn't be a bumpkin and wear the new shoes out of the store.

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poneomenos
2012-03-20 06:21 pm UTC (link)

"Very. They definitely say 'spring and summer'. Good choice."

It was delightful to see Iris this excited over something so simple. It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. But sometimes the little things like shopping were all it took to make the world a happier and prettier place. Apparently particularly if pink suede shoes were involved.

It also said a lot about a god who was confident enough in himself to be comfortable giving shoe advice. But no one, not even Zeus, had tried to box him into some sort of mold. He was who he was, defying most definitions, and most people seemed okay with that. And if they weren't it mattered little to Hermes. He liked himself, and that mattered more than anyone else's opinion anyway.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to, if you want me to see the others. I believe you still want to let one pair go?" Which Hermes thought was silly. If she liked them all, she should get them all. Simple.

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eiris_iris
2012-03-21 01:05 am UTC (link)

“I don't want to, I have to,” she clarified immediately. Iris reluctantly took off the pink suede peep-toe pumps and slid into another pair. “If I come home with four more pairs of shoes, Zephyrus will have a bird.” She looked up at her dear friend and gave him a sly smile, “If I come home with two pair and tell him I considered four, it looks much better to him.” It was a way of tricking her husband into not flipping out when she went a little overboard with fashion. A bit of a skill she picked up from hanging around Hermes a bit too much.

Modeling the next pair she asked, “These?” Iris wasn't sold on them. They were cute enough that she wanted them, and they versatile enough that she could wear them with a number of different things, but she feared that she could find something similar at... gods save her... Payless Shoe Source. “They're adorable, but you don't think they're too... common, do you?”

The clerk took the first pair of shoes away and Iris paused to give her instruction on the pink pair. “Those are a definite keep, you can take those to the counter.”

The woman looked between Iris and Hermes, and back and forth a few times. “I know you declined, Ma'am, but would your husband like anything to drink while you shop?” It was more common in the more upscale stores to offer simple refreshment to those assisting in the shopping.

“What?” Iris asked, taken off guard by the husband comment. She started laughing. “Oh no. No. He's not my husband. He's my...” Then she paused. How would one describe her relationship with Hermes.

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poneomenos
2012-03-28 06:21 pm UTC (link)

That was just silly. Hermes considered suggesting she keep some shoes at his place to hide them from Zeph, but immediately realized that would be an exceedingly bad idea. Even if he wouldn’t mean it that way, it would almost come out sounding like offering to keep a change of clothes there for occasions when she might need them in the morning. That was most definitely NOT what their relationship was about.

Even if he could still remember what she looked like with her breasts bare. It was a very, very fond memory of his earliest days when Iris had nursed him after his arrival on Olympus. Regardless, she had Zephyrus, and Hermes and Iris were actually too close for that sort of relationship. She was among his dearest friends, and he couldn’t fathom complicating that.

“Common? Darling, nothing could ever be common when graced with being worn by you. But let’s see what the other pair looks like first.”

When the sales clerk offered him something to drink, as her husband, his mind flew back to his own earlier thoughts. He supposed there was certain easiness to their friendship that one could surmise that, and had probably done so silently many times. Yet, this was New York. It was rather surprising that it was assumed he was her husband. There were plenty of other conclusions. He was a man, giving a woman shoe advice. Funny the sales clerk didn’t think first about “Will and Grace”. It would be understandable.

Hermes was about to simply say friend, regardless of the fact that it didn’t even scratch the surface of their relationship, when he decided instead to have a little fun. Iris owed him, even if it cost him dinner. He knew it wouldn’t, she had too much class for that, and she had put up with far more from him over the years.

“Alas, no. She just keeps refusing me, over and over. Gives a poor chap a bit of a complex, you know? I am forced to have to remain her devoted…friend.” He put enough of a hesitation and emphasis in his voice at that last word to give an impression that “friend” meant a great deal more than that.

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eiris_iris
2012-03-29 11:38 pm UTC (link)

Without missing a beat, Iris cocked her head to the side and said, “Oh, please. As if you even swing from that branch.” She was being cheeky, and silly, not wholly uncommon when in Hermes' presence. He seemed to bring out her more playful side. Something that few who took the Rainbow at face value even knew she had. Only those who were so close to her they could almost be considered immediate family saw it.

Then she looked at the clerk as she sat down in the nearest chair, the next pair were going to require her to do more than slip them on, and brought her hand up to cover her mouth from view. Then, just above a whisper but loud enough for both the clerk and Hermes to hear she said, “He plays for the pink team.”

At the clerk's understanding look, it was New York after all, Iris turned to Hermes and stuck her tongue out. Two could play that game. Returning to her shoes, the final pair, she put them on, stood up and smiled. “I think these are just fun. Classically sassy, don't you agree?”

Looking down and toeing the floor in various ways, she added, “They'd look fabulous with denim... you know, if I wore denim.” Which she didn't. There wasn't any denim, even jeans, in her wardrobe. Some gods wore it well. For Iris it always felt like she was trying too hard to fit in with the more common crowd. And really, she didn't need to fit. The titaness was quite comfortable in who she was.

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poneomenos
2012-04-01 07:49 pm UTC (link)

"Only on the weekends," he retaliated. These sorts of friendly jibes were frequent among the two old friends. Besides, Iris was half right- thing was, he batted for both sides. "Yet I await the day you will show me I have no further need to explore my options." Then he laughed the light, infectious laugh that he was known for.

Focusing again on the task at hand, Hermes puzzled over the newest shoe possibility. "You know, dear, you are absolutely right. They would look fabulous with jeans. Or the perfect skirt." Which would mean picking the outfit to go with the accessories, rather than the other way around. It seemed to him that fashionable or not, they were far from practical if she was only going to wear them once or twice. He understood that she wasn't buying them because they were supposed to be practical, but she also was sensible and would not lean toward excessive wastefulness either.

"That being said, I think if you are going with only two pairs, I would go with the pink ones and that last pair." Iris, like himself, never knew from one moment to the next when she might be called upon. The less she had to be concerned if her appearance was appropriate for the Queen's presence, the better. Fortunately for Hermes, he didn't have to worry too much about that with Zeus. At least he couldn't remember ever being called out for his attire. Then again, Hermes wasn't exactly a torn jeans and dirty t-shirt kind of guy, either. So perhaps Zeus had never had a need. Yet it seemed to Hermes' perception that Hera was a little more particular in what she expected.

"Classy, fun, and versatile. Yup, I think I like those. Now, what do you think?"

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eiris_iris
2012-04-04 12:55 am UTC (link)

“You're right,” she said and sat down to take off the boots. “And when you're right, you're right.” Setting them aside, she slipped on the black pumps she had come in with and stood while grabbing her purse. “Those black and white ones, then,” she said to the clerk.

Iris pulled out her wallet and the well used credit card contained within it. Heavens above how she loved divine credit limits. Then, gathering up her other bags, she started for the counter and addressed her companion, “Anywhere else you want to go while we're in town or did you just want to go grab a bite?”

She was up for either option, really. Unless something else really grabbed her attention, Iris was always for shopping or bumming around. Or relaxing on a beach. Or really just spending time with her dear, dear friend. “Your choice. I did, after all, call you away from whatever or... whomever... you were doing.” Hera's Messenger gave Hermes a thoroughly wicked sidelong glance. She was well aware of his chain of lovers and never thought for one moment that he would ever completely settle. No one would ever fully tame him. Or any son of Zeus for that matter.

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