Who: Deirdre and Briseis What: Two former spoils meet up When: Monday evening Where: Random bar Warnings: TBD
Surrounded by so many strangers, Deirdre remembered why she didn't go out so much. Too many people got to her, and she tended to get noticed. She liked to date, she liked having someone who loved her and who she could love back but it always ended poorly. Now she had the choice to say no, but those who wanted her for themselves without thought of what she may like never took it well. She'd filed her share of restraining orders over the years and every time she was convinced it wasn't always worth it.
Now she was sitting at the table, politely smiling at the man who had come to sit with her as he regaled her with his tales. Deirdre had a type, all of her loves had black hair and red lips, and this wasn't one of them. He reminded her of Conchobar, and it was a sure way of earning her disfavor. But she didn't know how to tell him to go away, so she sat through the talk and hoped to find a way to slip out before he got ideas to ask her out.
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[info]spoil_of_war 2011-10-24 04:58 am (local) (link) Track This Briseis didn't usually got out to bars, not the sort that were meet markets like this. But the other option was being at home where the alcohol had run out which at the moment wasn't an option. Her nightmares of late had been terrible and sometimes now she saw things out of the corner of her eyes when she was awake. So drinking was the solution.
But with her glass of white wine in hand she'd be sitting and watching the very pretty immortal woman who was being talked at by someone without the sense to see the girl was clearly uncomfortable. She waited for a little while longer to see if the woman's agitation was going to become clear to the man but he just kept going.
So Briseis decided to step in.
She made her way across and sat down next to the blonde, wrapping an arm around her. "Hello, sweetheart," she smiled at her warmly. "I'm sorry I'm late." She looked at the man. "I really don't mean to be rude, I'm sorry, but it's our anniversary so maybe you could leave us now?"
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[info]depthofsorrow 2011-10-24 05:07 am (local) (link) Track This Deirdre had no idea how to play off this. Lying had never been something she was good at. The only time she'd ever used her wiles was to get Naiose to run away with her. And that had hardly been hard.
But she managed a smile, and thankfully the man stepped away with a few choice words that even Deirdre knew weren't nice under his breath. She gave the woman a smile, able to feel the immortal on her. "Thank you. He jsut kept talking. I'm not very good at telling people to go away." She knew she needed to work on that. "I'm Deirdre mac Daill." Sometimes people got who she was from that. Otherwise she'd explain more. The Ulster cycle wasn't as remembered as she liked.
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[info]spoil_of_war 2011-10-24 05:11 am (local) (link) Track This "Yeah, I noticed you looked like you were stuck," Briseis said to her with a little smile. "Luckily I have no problem with coming off as a bitch to men who don't know when to take a hint." The name was unfamiliar to Briseis and she said so, but then added: "I'm guessing you're Celtic though? My name's Briseis, I'm a Greek mortal. Well, I was a mortal in my first life."
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[info]depthofsorrow 2011-10-24 05:16 am (local) (link) Track This Shyly she brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I get that a lot. Thank you." She gave a small smile before nodding, "Celtic is right." She looked to the table, "ah. I was like your Helen. Deirdre of the Sorrows I'm called." She sighed, "all I wanted was love really. In the end, I lost everything."
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[info]spoil_of_war 2011-10-25 03:40 am (local) (link) Track This Briseis didn't say anything about hoping Deirdre was less manipulative than 'her' Helen, as that was Briseis' own problem. (Patroclus was still madly under Helen's thrall and Briseis didn't trust that at all.)
"I'm sorry," she told the other woman, her tone sympathetic. "It seems like to be a woman remembered in myth who wasn't a warrior or a goddess means heartbreak and suffering. I'm somewhat in the same boat as you. I was taken as a prize in war."
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[info]depthofsorrow 2011-10-25 03:50 am (local) (link) Track This She gave a half smile, "that was my lot, in the end. I was born under a prophecy. I'd cause great ruin and sorrows, and the exile of many warriors." She sighed, "I won't bore you with the entire story, but I was given to raise by a druid who said I'd love someone with black hair and red lips." She smirked, "and thus I met Naoise, and by the gods did I love him." She smiled at Briseis. "I knew happiness and I taught I'd outrun my curse. We exiled along with his brothers but I just needed him." She looked to the table, "in the end Conchobar lured us back under false promises, making another give up the oath of protection he'd given us by trickery and killing my love. Then he took me for himself."
She took the glass, "I was wedded and bedded, and when I wouldn't give him more then cold silence he said he'd give me to the one who had killed my love. So, in the fashion befitting most women I threw myself off the chariot and onto a rock." She gave a rueful smile. "I know about you. I wanted to know this Helen I kept being compared to. You knew love though, right? With your Achilles?"
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[info]spoil_of_war 2011-10-25 04:09 am (local) (link) Track This Deirdre's story was difficult and painful and Briseis was glad that it hadn't been her own. She wanted to drag this woman into her arms and protect her, come what may, but Deirdre was a grown woman just like herself, an ancient woman who didn't need someone coddling her. But still Briseis was tempted.
When Deirdre asked about Achilles, Briseis gave a small, fond smile. "I did, yes," she told the blonde. "I was married before he took me away, but Achilles was the only man in my mortal life who ever treated me with kindness. I didn't even know that a man could show respect and love to a woman before him. I was fortunate."
Even now it was strange to think that Achilles murdering her husband and brothers and making her into a slave was the best thing that ever happened to her, but here was the proof right in front of her that it could have been so much worse.
"But I outlived him and spent my remaining years being passed between soldiers who didn't care to even know my name. History hasn't ever been kind to women."
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[info]depthofsorrow 2011-10-25 04:15 am (local) (link) Track This Gently Deirdre set her hand on Briseis', "No. It never is." She smiled and drew her hand back, "and you were fortunate. We both were. I tricked Naoise into running away with me, but he loved me and treated me with all the respect. We never married, not officially, but it was as close as it." She shrugged, "and you say did. Time has an odd effect doesn't it?"
Smiling she sipped from her drink, "I've loved since Naoise. He will always be my first love, but I don't know if I still would if he showed up again. It surprises me to this day I'm still around. Not many are interested in the old tales anymore."
She waved her hand, "but I could mope about things like that for a long time. I excel at being sad. Let's change the topic. What do you do these days?"
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[info]spoil_of_war 2011-10-26 10:51 pm (local) (link) Track This Time did have an odd effect. Time had given her this freedom of a second chance, one she could forge her own path for this time. She was thankful for that.
"I'm a photographer," Briseis told the other woman with a smile. "It's a nice change to be the one admiring beauty instead of being captured because of it. Although I spend a lot more of my time doing volunteer work, things that benefit women. We've come a long way but there's still work to be done."
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[info]depthofsorrow 2011-10-26 10:59 pm (local) (link) Track This She removed her hand and smiled, "that's admirable. And it's certainly nice to have more choices. I'm not really doing anything. Being more of a hermit has it's drawbacks. I'm very behind on society. But I am helping Patrick with getting new immigrants from back home some much needed help. It's nice to do something that matters."