Who: Apollo/Elton & Polyhymnia/Shiri What: Drug deliveries and favors Where: Parking Area on Campus at University of Miami When: Backdated. Between 5/25 and 5/29 Warnings: Val shouldn't read this but other than that, none.
Campus. Her home away from home. At least now it was, now that she didn't live there anymore. Still, Shiri knew all the buildings and paths and she used that knowledge to find the shortest path to where her Musagetes said he would be. Would be waiting for her... Clutching the cooler tight in her hand, she held back the shouted greeting of his true name and instead, rushed toward him all grins and smiles.
Well. At least someone was in a good mood.
Apollo was leaning against the side of his car, puffing away at a cigarette, and staring absently into the sun. Several people had stopped, in the past hour or so, to express their concern at his behavior, but he'd ignored them, or told them to piss off if they'd become insistent. Meh.
He didn't look away as he heard Shiri approach, just flicked his cigarette butt away and attempted to light another. "Any trouble?"
Heee, Apollo! Shiri couldn't help but be in a good mood and him not looking at her did little to dampen it. Instead, she leaned against the car beside him, as casually as she could, placing the cooler at his feet and then looked away. It was like they were in a spy movie. Did real spies do this? She had no idea. “Nothing major. I made you three servings of vegetable loaf and froze it as an alibi but it did not come up.”
He nodded absently, finally looking away from the sky and down at the cooler. "That's good, at least." Now that he wasn't trying to make himself blind, it was much easier to light his cigarette, and once that was done, he knelt down to inspect the contents of the cooler.
Sigh.
Shiri sensed his motion more than actually seeing it and when he knelt down she allowed herself the pleasure of actually looking at him. She did, however, resist reaching out and petting his hair, no matter how soft his hair was and how easily reachable it was at the moment, “The blue tupperware has the syringes. The three wrapped in foil are vegetable loaf.” Hmm, now she felt like a drug dealer. Was this how drug deals went?
"Uh-huh." Sort of...self explanatory, really.
He popped open the container with the syringes in it, pulled out one, and then closed everything back up before standing. He held it up to the light, checking to make sure it still looked right before he stuck himself in the arm with it. Meh.
.... Not what she was expecting. Shiri didn't know what she had expected but not that. “... Beloved?”
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he pushed down the syringe plunger, then pulled the needle out. "Yeah?"
Hm. He'd have to get rid of the thing someplace other than a regular trashcan; he opened the cooler again with his foot and dropped the empty inside.
Okay. So he didn't think what he did was odd. So... Shiri wasn't sure if she should now either. If the doctor god didn't think it was odd, who was she to question it? “You just surprised me.”
"Why's that?" he asked, rolling his shoulders. Ah~ He felt better already. He hated that he had to resort to injecting himself just to feel normal and worthwhile again, but...one did what they had to do. There was no other way for it to happen these days.
He wondered if the college would have what he needed to make more, when the need arose.
Shiri frowned slightly as she could almost feel her own confusion like a tangible cloak along her shoulders. “I probably do not need to know what I just brought you. You did say confidentially.”
"Probably not, but it's nothing you need to concern yourself with. You know, nothing dangerous or whatever." He leaned against the door of his car again and yawned. He was definitely up for a nap somewhere after this.
"So, I promised you a reward; what's it going to be?"
Mustn't just kiss him. Mustn't just kiss him. But he looked so beautiful in the sunlight! It was reflecting off the car on him, too! Shiri took a deep breath and lowered her eyes. She actually had spent a long time in thought about what reward she would want. So many selfish desires had come to mind but in the end, she found one that her heart demanded. Her voice quieted, “I want you to forgive Vally. Not approve of her situation or her husband, if you do not wish, I know I do not approve of it myself but...” Her eyes closed, “She was just stupid and caught up in a moment... I just want you to offer her the consolation of your forgiveness.”
Apollo laughed. Somehow, someway, he'd known that was what she was going to ask for. It had been inevitable, hadn't it?
"I said anything within reason, sister. Now you're just going out on limbs." He flicked his spent cigarette away and stretched. "She doesn't deserve my forgiveness."
“Rarely do people deserve forgiveness. It is often the mercy of the forgiver that drives it, not the merit of the forgiven...” The words escaped her even before she knew she had thought them.
"You can wax poetic about forgiveness all you want, Polyhymnia, it's not going to happen. There's no reason for me to forgive her. And even if I did, she just go do the same stupid shit over again, and I don't feel like dealing with it. She got what she wanted; she doesn't need me." He turned to face her, frowning a little.
"And if I find out she put you up to this, it's not going to be fun."
“She has not. It is was just something I really wanted.” It tore at her heart for her sisters to suffer. Especially when she knew she enjoyed Apollo's presence and did not deserve it. But her eyes opened slowly and rose to meet his. His frown was not a surprise. “I had a feeling you would refuse it but I had to try to ask for it. She is one of nine with me.”
"Well next time you think you have to try but know it's not going to work, don't actually go through with it. That's just extra aggravation that neither of us need." Sigh.
He turned away again and ran a hand through his hair. Ugh. Sisters.
“Yes, Musagetes,” she murmured softly, no longer able to resist reaching out to him. At least now it wasn't due to how beautiful he looked in the light... well, not completely due to it anyway. She had upset him.
Oh well. No sense dwelling on the fact that they never learned. He crossed his arms. "So, is there anything else you'd want, or did you come out here with just that dud?" Glance~
No, she hadn't though she erased the next one off her mental list as well. If Valentine didn't deserve his forgiveness.... Shiri wouldn't ask him to always love her then. It was a trick and she knew she didn't deserve such a guarantee as her sin was so much greater. So number three on the list it was then, maybe this would do. “No. I had other ideas.” She took another deep breath, “When Adam wishes to marry me and goes to ask you for permission, I ask you to grant him the privilege of such a temporary title.” There was no doubt in her tone at all that that was exactly how the event would happen. She had no doubt Adam would ask permission. Peeking up through her eyelashes, she couldn't help but smirk just a little, “But feel free to make him sweat about it a little bit.”
It probably helped her cause that he was feeling much better now than he had been only a few minutes earlier; fast drugs were good drugs. That wasn't to say he was in the absolute best mood, but...it was better.
Better enough that he actually laughed at the suggestion. "Oh~ I plan on enjoying myself on that day." Grin. Adam wasn't so bad, but he supposed that was only because he never saw the guy, never heard about him, and knew that the kid was absolutely certain of his place. It was...refreshing.
Apollo's laughter was a relief and so was the assumed acceptance. Shiri actually let out the breath of relief. Now she wouldn't have to freeze in place when Adam spontaneously knelt down in front of her in fear that he might propose... She could simply enjoy the fact that he was a priest that enjoyed making his goddess happy with prayer. That was his place. Her own smirk remained, “Thank you, Beloved Musagetes.”
Apollo waved his hand absently, and then rubbed his eyes. Still a little drowsy. "Yeah, I know. I'm great and stuff. I just don't want any complaints when I make him earn it." Because he wasn't going to just...agree to the whole thing, even if he'd promised to allow it in the end. Little squirt was going to have to prove he was worthy. Or something.
He looked a little drowsy... Or maybe it was all in her imagination and an excuse to slide up beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. But her smirk, turning slowly into a warm but amused smile, never faded away from her, “Oh, go ahead. Just do not give him anything he can fail at. Or die doing. That very much defeats the whole purpose of asking permission for something that ends at death in the first place.”
Sigh~
"Giving them tasks they could die trying was so fun, but it's not really possible these days. Everything's so...messy and unentertaining." Where was the spectacle? He wondered if her asking this meant that he should be expecting a visit from Adam soon...
“And good mortals are hard to find. The majority of them are such unabashed jerks.” Shiri gave her leader and beloved brother a squeeze of a hug before resting her head against his shoulder lightly. “And a lot of them seem to be in this college so be on the look out for them. I am sure the med school is not immune to their nonsense.”
Snort. "Oh, you don't need to warn me about that sort of thing; I'm already biased against most of them, remember?" Which is why he still wasn't entirely sure why he was actually going through with this whole doctor thing. What did he care if mortals were sick and dying? They'd tossed him aside, after all.
“I remember,” Shiri: nodded against his shoulder. “They are fun to mess with though.”
"Haven't really been interested lately..." Though maybe he should start. Maybe he'd feel better if he made a few dozen mortals absolutely miserable...
“You would have to play different games than I play,” She gave him another hug and then began to remove herself from his side. It was a slow process though as her body, nor her heart, understood why this was happening. But her mind did... He had a cooler of clearly temperature dependent things. In a parking lot in Miami. “People know you speak fluent English. That is not the case for me. Hilarity often ensues.”
"Yeah, well, I haven't met everyone on campus yet. I'm sure I'll figure something out to fill up my time..." In between napping and chasing D down for sex. But yeah, the cooler wasn't going to last much longer sitting out in the sun; he really ought to get it back to his sister's place before everything inside was useless.
Shiri knew that, too, even though she didn't understand what was inside of the cooler... Beyond the fact there was food she made for him and doctor stuff. Leaning in, she placed a soft kiss to his lips and then pulled away. “So... in these ninja spy scenarios, who leaves first?”
Apollo returned the kiss, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear as he did so. "Generally, I would probably leave first, but if you need a lift somewhere, I can probably manage."
At his touch, Shiri couldn't help but blush. Whenever Apollo touched her was always like the first time he touched her. And now she was regretted she took her bike here. It was probably for the best. No need to have her minor-to-major car freakouts in front of Apollo. “I rode here so you need not worry about me.”
Nod. "All right then. I'll see you later, sweetheart."
Another kiss, half a smile, and then he reached down to pick up the cooler before opening the car door and slipping into the driver's seat.
Shiri waved to him and then stepped away from the car. Very important when trying not to be ran over. She leaned against a nearby tree, plentiful on campus for decoration and shade, and prepared to watch her beloved until he was out of sight. “Maybe next time we can jam,” she called out to him.
He started up the car, then twisted around in his seat to blow her a kiss before tearing out of the parking lot. Yeah. Sure. Maybe next time they could jam; he really should swing by the house to pick up some of his instruments, but...that would probably kill the small bit of good mood he had.
He'd call D about it later.
Summary: As everyone knows, the don cannot refuse a request on the day of his daughter's wedding... I mean, Shiri brings Apollo what he asks for like a good little sneaky muse and she gets to ask him for one promised favor.