OOM: The Raid

[dovelike]

There is a forest outside Eirene's door, one that stretches up the side of a mountain. The trees aren't anything like Midwestern America - most of them are smaller and bear fruit. Some even bear olives. She finishes moving forward to give Clark enough room to escape the small hut they are exiting from.

"Up there, behind the clouds, is my home." She points at the distance top of the mountain, currently shrouded in low-lying nimbus clouds.

Comments

[eirenikos]

It takes more than a few seconds for Eirene's sense of sobriety to assert itself, and then for her to recognize the man hovering in the archway.

"There isn't, mortal. Eirene. Now."

He watches in silence as the goddess steps down from the wall awkwardly, pausing briefly to squeeze Clark's hand before shambling forward. If the boyscout can accurately read her body language now, it will tell him she's bordering on fright.

"What are you doing here? With him."

[hero_farmboy]

Clark watches her carefully, squeezing her hand back as she passes, her heartbeat racing in his ears. She's scared; he can tell.

He's also not entirely convinced this is his place to step in - yet. Not until he knows who this man, no god, is and what he wants. So for the time being, Clark will just keep his place and a careful eye on both of them.

[eirenikos]

Eirene approaches the stranger cautiously, halting a respectful distance away and bowing her head briefly. "I brought him here, and he's under my protection, Phobos." Her voice is deliberately quiet, unassuming. It is the best way to appease this particular god.

"Under your protection?" He reaches out and tugs her close against him. "When I felt your presence here, I thought perhaps your father had already spoken to you."

Eirene tilts her head. "About what?"

Phobos offers, for him, a wide smile. "Our impending nuptials." Like Clark, he lifts a hand to brush against her hair, even leaning forward to inhale the floral scent still clinging.

"I did not agree to a wedding, Phobos. Nor will I. You must be mistaken."

[hero_farmboy]

Phobos? Clark tries to think back to what little he remembers about mythology and comes up empty.

The manhandling of Eirene, however, snaps him out of it and he takes a step toward them before he has time to even think about it. The words stop him from going any further.

Nuptials? Wedding? Clark is as lost as Eirene appears to be and starting to think this is something him getting in the middle of isn't going to help. For now.

[eirenikos]

Phobos looks down at her like she's crazy, and Eirene agrees for all of a second. Who is she to deny the words of her own father? Common sense sneaks back in a few moments later.

"Eirene, my love, I think you've been spending too much time with those humans. It's affecting your personality." He glances over at Clark dismissively. "Take him back to wherever he came from. Say goodbye. We have much to discuss before the equinox."

...

"Phobos, I'm not your wife. You can't order me around." Eirene's trying to keep her voice low; this is a little humiliating, especially in front of Clark. She also yanks her arm away.

Which only prompts a backhand across the face, hard enough to knock her down. "You will obey me, woman."

[hero_farmboy]

Yeah, that's enough of that. Clark is at Eirene's side in a split second, helping her to her feet and brushing her hair aside to see how badly she's been hurt.

Then he glares over at Phobos, not really caring at this point if a god can kick his ass or not.

"I think it's time for you to leave."

[eirenikos]

Eirene didn't expect that. She should have, which speaks volumnes about how far separated she is from her own era now, in years and in self image. Mostly. It takes every ounce of courage she has in reserves to look up at Phobos while Clark helps her to her feet.

Phobos remains impassive, his hand flexing just once in her direction. Clark is beneath him, he does not acknowledge his existence, and won't unless Clark does something worthy of attention.

"Take your pet home. Do not disappoint me again, Eirene." The expression on his face suggests another smack will be the least of her worries if she does not.

It's an expression she shrinks from, remembering a similar look on his father's face.

[hero_farmboy]

Phobos can insult and ignore Clark all he likes. Clark's only concern right now is the fact that Eirene is all but shaking in fear, and he slides a steadying arm around her waist, holding her close to his chest.

Phobos is still getting glared at, of course. "She's not yours to order around. She's her own person and she's already given you an answer, so take it and leave." Pause. "Before I find out if I can make you."

[eirenikos]

Phobos looks singularly unimpressed. He is a god - and what could harm a god but another. Clark isn't quite registering on his worried scale yet, or so says his expression.

"Until later, Lady." At least his bow borders on politeness, though the tone promises there will be a conversation --of sorts-- in the near future, before the god turns and vanishes.

Eirene emits a frightened squeak, unsure whether lean against Clark or straighten up, the instincts to accept comfort and stand on her own warring with one another.

"Oh, Zeus, no."

[hero_farmboy]

Clark isn't egotistical enough to think the god has left because Clark told him to, and he's smart enough to realize that this isn't over yet. At least, not for Eirene.

Once Phobos is gone, however, Clark turns his attention back to the goddess in front of him, a hand rubbing her back lightly in a measure of comfort. "You okay?"

[eirenikos]

Is she okay? No, of course she's not okay. She's just been engaged to a psychopath. There isn't a realm in which that is 'okay'. She'd like to tell him all that, but what comes out of her mouth is a quiet,

"No."

There is a several minute span of silence, during which her posture relaxes only slightly, and her gaze does not lift from the ground.

"In ... in the customs of my people... " Eirene's voice is not cracking, thank you, "... when a woman marries, she becomes the property of her husband to do with as he will. It is why I have never considered marriage."

And now she has no choice.

[hero_farmboy]

It's a human thing, to ask someone if they're all right even when it's painfully obvious they aren't.

"You're not married to him," Clark replies. No point in mentioning how utterly stupid that particular 'custom' is. That isn't going to change it. "He doesn't have that... right until you are."

Pause.

"You're going to find a way out of it, aren't you?"

[eirenikos]

Which only proves that Clark is all too human, despite having been born somewhere else. Eirene slumps forward after a few more moments of fighting the urge and buries her face against his shirt.

"I'm going to try," she mutters when the trembling has lessened. "That involves pleading with my father not to ... Oh, Zeus. Clark, I don't want to be married to Phobos. I don't love him and he hates me, like his father does."

Beat.

"Phobos is one of the sons of Ares."

[hero_farmboy]

Human learned emotions. According to some, it's Clark's greatest weakness. Currently, they're not making much difference one way or the other, as he feels completely helpless.

"Why would he want to marry you, then?" He asks, gently stroking her hair. It certainly sounded to Clark like he wanted to. "And why would your father agree to it if it's not a good match?"

[eirenikos]

According to Eirene, it's probably his greatest strength. There is little that will stand against love, in whatever form it happens to take. Not that she thinks this is the right moment to tell him that.

"People think I'm more naive than I am," she speaks after another long silence. "Part of it, I think, is because his father never could get me under his thumb. That would be a coup for the house of Ares."

Now her shoulders tense.

"And I have rebuffed him several times. Were I his wife, I could not deny him the marriage bed or be punished for it."

[hero_farmboy]

"But that's only if your father agrees to it, right?" Clark's possibly grasping at straws here, but it's all he can think of. "Wouldn't he want you to be with someone who would make you happy?"

[eirenikos]

"You haven't met my father." She offers a hiccup. Or a half-giggle, it's hard to tell. "This is the same ... he contracted Aphrodite to Hephaestus against her own wishes. Not that it stopped her from continuing her affairs. If Zeus thinks it is a good match--"

She'll just halt that thought right there.

"I'm so sorry, Clark. You didn't ask for any of this."

[hero_farmboy]

"No, I haven't, but have to think that even he would be willing to hear you out on something this important."

He kisses the top of her head softly. "It's okay. You didn't ask for this, either."

[eirenikos]

"I know." Time, that elusive state of being, and a tangible ancestor, feels like it's beginning to run out now. Ticking away slowly towards a conclusion of her life's story that shouldn't be told.

Eirene nestles more closely against him, silent while she racks her brain for some sort of brilliant plan that will get her out of this. Sadly, in the end, everything comes down to her father. And, maybe, Clark.

"I have to talk to them. Both of them."

Although option B (holing up in Milliways for the rest of eternity) also sounds good, too.

[hero_farmboy]

He gives her a gentle squeeze. "I think that's a good place to begin. See how that goes before you start panicking, okay?"

[eirenikos]

"If it doesn't, I may end up begging Teja to let me live with him for ... ever." Okay. So. Sense of humor returning is a good sign, it means she hasn't completely given up hope.

She leans back to look up at him. "I just want you to know that, uh, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. In case I get turned into a decorative statue or something for the next few thousand years."

[hero_farmboy]

Clark... doesn't really buy that. She's been around for thousands of years; there's just no way he could even remotely rank up there, but it's nice of her to say.

So he's not going to call her on it. Instead, he'll just smile back. "Thanks. But somehow, I don't think that's going to be the case. You'll work something out."

[eirenikos]

Yeah, well. It's the true. But the narration will lie low and bid its time on that subject.

"Me too. I've never been a statue before, but I assume it would be a wholly useless existence, standing around in someone's garden."

Exhaled sigh.

"I should get you to the bar before he comes back, so he doesn't have a reason to hurt you."

[hero_farmboy]

"Well, at least you'd be a pretty resting place for birds." Look, humour!

Shortly after, however, he sighs. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I'm still glad you brought me, though."

[eirenikos]

Literal facepalm. "Maybe, if I'm really lucky, Father will let me hold a basin of water. Usefullness is the key."

Right. Eirene offers her hand.

"I'm glad you agreed to be dragged along."