Who: Deirdre and Perseus What: Distractions from almost stalkers (originally posted by Deirdre) Where: Perseus' place When: Thursday evening
As if it hadn't been enough the man from the teashop had found her journal, now Deirdre had to deal with the fact that somewhere out there Conchobar was walking around. She was honest when she said she didn't like hating anyone. But Conchobar she hated. For good reasons, she figured. He'd killed the man she'd loved and then had used her, then sold her, like an animal. What was worse is she always felt her nickname creep up on her when he was around and she had good things going for her. She didn't want to be sad.
She was utterly thankful Perseus hadn't minded her company. She could focus on being happy around him. And he far from had to. So when he'd come to pick her up she'd put Conchobar and the man who didn't take no for an answer out of her mind. She'd let one of the neighbors' kids watch over her dog because she didn't want to go an intrude too much. Throughout the taxi ride she'd listened to Perseus, finding it far nicer to focus on someone else and not her own self.
When they arrived at his apartment she removed her coat and scarf, hanging it up before slipping out of her boots. She already felt more relaxed, even if the cloud of sadness was still near. With a smile she turned to Perseus, "thank you again. I do appreciate it. I was close to losing my temper."
Perseus raised his eyebrows at that while he shrugged his coat off and toed out of his shoes. "I'm sure that would be pretty spectacular," he joked.
"Well this is my tiny apartment." It wasn't as small as some places in New York City because he had several centuries of money put away. It wasn't a studio; he had a separate bedroom and his kitchen and dining room both had their own areas. The living room was simple, however, and he didn't have many decorations. He did, however, have lots of books. "Make yourself at home. Would you like anything to drink?"
She smirked, "I had a few lessons but I try not to lose my head. It doesn't benefit anyone. Besides this man is a judge. His retribution may be costly."
She glanced around, taking a look at the books. "Bigger then mine. And yes, thank you." She could appreciate the simplicity. She'd grown up with few luxuries. She supposed it had been part of a plan to make her less spoiled. After a few moments she sat down, trying not to be too curious.
"Ah, yes. Probably best not to incur his wrath, though if he's a judge he should behave himself." Perseus made a face at the fact that the man just seemed to think he could have whatever he wanted.
Perseus went to fill his kettle and then he set it to boil. He could make some pretty good coffee and it did tend to warm a body up on a chilly day. Then he turned to smile at her. "If you're hungry we could order a pizza or something. I didn't shop for our dinner yet so I'm a little light on ingredients. Unless some noodles and peanut butter sound good!"
She sighed, "yes that's what I had hoped too. If anything I could report him I think, if he continues this nonsense." She didn't want to complain too much however. That'd just cause a spiral and she wasn't here for that.
She made a face, "not really, so pizza sounds wonderful." It seemed the less trouble as well. He'd already been kind enough so far. "and if I can help with anything do let me know. You're being very gracious in keeping me distracted." And rather then go into that she turned to him. "So may I ask something?"
Perseus had met her by breaking up a fight so he didn't exactly feel like then starting one with some guy who was giving her a hard time. Still, he felt the old urge to protect someone, whether she needed protecting or not.
He dug a pizza menu out of a drawer and then he handed it to her before returning to the open kitchen to pour boiled water over the grounds in the coffee plunger. "I don't mind at all. And of course you can ask something. Anything."
She took the menu with a thanks and glanced it over. She hardly ever ordered this, but she knew what she preferred. Smiling she glanced to him, "is it strange, knowing you have so many siblings." She knew the question was a bit off. "I was an only child." She frowned, "my mother, nothing's told of her so I think she may have died seeing me born. I don't know if my father ever remarried, and I've wanted siblings before. I must imagine it gets a bit...odd having so many though?"
Perseus carried in the plunger, mugs, some cream and a sugar pot as he thought about that. "Not really," he said with a shrug. "Most of them don't consider me a sibling because I'm half-mortal. And even if they did, family means next to nothing to most of them. I am closer to a few of them. Hermes and Artemis mostly. My father is a terrible person, but he protected me when I was on my journey."
Perseus sat near her and he kept speaking. "I was always closer with my mortal family until they were taken from me. They were the reason I tried so hard to make a better life for my children."
She sat up to help him and smiled her thanks, "that must be strange. I was going to ask what sort of person Zeus was, but you answered that. I never knew mine. I knew he was a bard, but I never learned if he loved me or not."
She set her hands around a mug, "I have to admit, knowing of gods taking such interest is curious. The gods of my home had some interest in the heroes, but I never met one. I knew they were present though."
"I can understand that. Did you have many?" She was curious. Even in Scotland she'd never had any and she'd been saddened at the time. Now she felt better for it as she couldn't have imagined what Conchobar may have done to them. Plus she was also grateful she'd never given him any either.
"They took interest in me because it suited them," Perseus said, waving his hand about. "As for children, I had nine. I don't know if any of them are around nowadays. I doubt it. Those movies hardly ever reference them, sadly. If they have to get things wrong, they least they could do is bring enough attention back to them to let them live on." Perseus shook his head and he changed the subject.
"I am sure if your father knew you, he loved you. Speaking as a father myself."
"That must be hard. I only knew the gods through prayer. After everything, I stopped believing in them. I didn't like being a pawn." She smiled, "Nine, that must have been a nice and busy house." She could tell his children seemed to be a touchy subject so she went to set a hand on his arm. She couldn't imagine what it was like to know that you couldn't see your own flesh and blood again.
"Oh I know. I was just taken away too soon I imagine. It must have been very difficult for him."
Perseus chuckled and then leaned forward to pour the coffee. "Never quiet," he said. "I was given a kingdom and they call my family line th Perseid Dynasty, whatever that means. I still haven't seen my family in hundreds of years. But I get by." Perseus put on his brave face and he handed Deirdre a mug. "We all have our heartbreaks when we live such long lives." That was something he knew Deirdre would certainly relate to.
She leaned forward to get some of the quiet, "but perhaps you still have some very distant descendants? It's something, I think? I'm not sure how that would work." Sighing she nodded, "now that I know." She frowned, "Still, and perhaps it is cruel to say, but I feel fortunate I never had children. In Scotland, I regretted it. But now, I do not think I would have made the greatest mother. And then later," she shrugged, "well he wanted sons I know that much. But I would have hated my own child, and I would feel even worse about that."
"I probably do," Perseus mused about having descendants and then he shrugged. They wouldn't know him.
"It's not cruel to say. I understand. The things you went through- I can't imagine adding children to the scenario would have made it any better. Which I am incredibly sorry for."
She offered him another comforting smile, wishing she could make that easier. She had no idea what it felt like. Even when she had been reborn she had rarely allowed herself to grow that close to anyone.
"It's alright, thank you." She sipped from her mug, "I've spend decades feeling sorry for myself. I don't enjoy it Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror though and I do not see what the fuss is about," She smirked, "I suppose it's a form of vanity, to not see what makes one self so pretty." She shook her head, "but I've gone and started on myself again. You really need to not let me do that."
Perseus gave her an amused smile and he reached out to pat her shoulder. "You know what I see when I look at you? A caring, kind, interesting and intelligent woman. There's no denying you are beautiful, but it's the rest of it that really matters. You can't tell what the fuss is about from a mirror. Mirrors tell lies anyway, no matter what people say."
She smiled to his compliment and set her hand on his. "Thank you, I mean that. I think it's why I like you, because you don't stop at just how I look. Not a lot do." She shook her head, "although I mean it. I know I get very woe be to me sometimes, as if I am the only one to have known sorrow." She glanced around and smiled, "to change the topic I enjoy your little library you made."
Perseus didn't think she was 'woe me' any more than anyone else he knew. But he was generally surrounded by Greeks, and they did love their drama.
When she changed the subject, he smiled. "Thank you! I was never really a learned man. I had to teach myself when I became king. And I suppose this is just carrying on from that. I love that you can read a book and learn something new."
Smiling she set her hands around the mug again, more enjoying the warmth then the contents. "Not all knowledge is in books, but they are nice. I didn't enjoy having to learn how to read. Then the language changed and I had to start all over." She grinned, "I like reading, but I prefer learning out of example. Makes me a poor student in any schools, but old habits and all."
Perseus shook his head, "I learned by doing for centuries. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just different for different people. My work with the fire department and the rescue crews is all so active, sometimes I like to just relax and read."
"I just find it hard to sit still," she'd always had that, "too much doing. Rebelling in my own silly way I suppose. Each time I saw Conchobar, I was covered in twigs and wild from the forest." She shook her head, "I'm just odd."
"I actually find the idea of you covered in twigs incredibly endearing," Perseus said with a grin.
She gave him a smile, "it happens quite a bit. I had limited freedom, and I knew how I was supposed to act. I would have made a very poor Queen." She smiled, "forests just let me think and breathe. There's a quiet there. This softness. It's the one place where I feel everything makes sense."
"I like being out in the open too," Perseus admitted. "We should go camping sometime! Then you could run wild at your heart's content."
She laughed, "I would like that, I think. You did promise to take me hunting if I recall correctly." She did like hunting as well. It was a little more organized then it used to be, but it was still fun.
"I did! Hunting and camping." Perseus grinned at Deirdre, pleased at the idea of heading out to the forest. He missed sleeping under the stars, though it was far too cold to do so at the moment. Unless they went elsewhere, but he was fairly sure it was too early to do that.
"Ah! I promised you pizza and then it slipped my mind. I'll order up something quickly, and then I can show you the rest of the apartment if you like, though really there's only my bedroom left." Then Perseus held up his hand. "That...came out wrong."
She set her hand over her mouth and laughed, "it did. Just a little. I think I can wait for that." She smiled, "but pizza sounds wonderful and then when it is a little warmer we can go hunting." She'd hunted in colder weather, but it was less fun. And it was something to look forward to. IT gave her something to plan for. "and just a regular pizza is fine for me."
The moment Deirdre laughed, Perseus laughed in a relieved fashion as well. It hadn't been a come on at all. Perseus liked taking his time when it came to people he considered special. And Deirdre was incredibly special. "Gotcha," he said, moving to order the pizza. Then they could spend the rest of the evening ignoring creepy stalkers and sticking to the living room because it kept things less complicated that way.
Just talking sounded like the perfect thing for her. She'd moved too fast once, so this was nice. It helped her forget her troubles and made her calm down.