(Untitled)

[lady_of_athens]

Over on one of the couches? A goddess and her book.

In this case, Athena and a copy of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. As anyone who has read it before will attest, it is depressing as all Hell.

As such, she probably wouldn't mind some company to cheer her up.

(Or at least, recommend another book.)

Comments

[riversinger]

River is incapable of passing by someone reading a book without tilting her head to read the spine. Her brow furrows a touch. A title like The Road is not incredibly helpful at conveying either the subject matter or the contents of said book. She does not recognise the author either.

She also can't help trying to scent the woman. She's getting better about being subtle about that, at least. Whatever ribbons of scent in the air around her is more than enough for her to know that she is not human, and that she's not happy.

"Is it any good?"

[lady_of_athens]

It takes Athena a few moments to realize that she is being spoken to, and she looks up with her eyebrows about halfway up her forehead. It takes her another moment to process the question, at which point her lips form a small line and she looks back at the pages of the book.

"It's -- a bit depressing, to be honest," she answers, glancing up at River.

"It's beautiful, but not exactly cheerful reading. You know the type?"

[riversinger]

"Yes, actually I do. Never cared for them, much. I've never really understood the appeal of tragedies." River adjusts her own armload of books. "I tend to prefer non-fiction."

[lady_of_athens]

"I don't think I've ever really been able to keep away," Athena admits, with a half-sheepish grin.

"Tragedies in the theatre, in particular. King Lear, Cyrano, both dear to my heart." (Of course, there is the matter of the actual Cyrano de Bergerac, who was ever dearer to her.)

"Non-fiction, you said?" she asks, as she scoots over on the couch to make some room.

[lockitwithkeys]

This is not a cheerful person.

Of course to any form of divine senses whatsoever this is not a person.

It appears to be a small boy - teenage but short - in an almost all covering black leather coat.

In reality he's somewhat less than that.

[lady_of_athens]

Odd, to say the least. Athena's fingers hold her place in the book as she looks over at the boy, brow slightly furrowed, and curiosity in her features.

She doesn't say anything for now, simply keeping watch.

[lockitwithkeys]

His head snaps around - too fast - and his eyes narrow. "What?" he's got a voice that doesn't quite hit the emotion correctly. He's faking it. Or he's forcing it to be more than it really is. One of the two.

[lady_of_athens]

Her own face seems to become a bit sallow. So perhaps his emotions are not completely genuine, it does not prevent Athena's (rather tremendous) pride from taking a hit.

An entirely unpleasant smile crosses her features as she responds: "Watch your tone, boy."

[jane_becomes]

Jane also has a book but stops to try and somehow peer at Athena's book.

[lady_of_athens]

This attention is quick to get Athena to notice, who, with a grin, holds up the book to make it easier for Jane to figure.

[jane_becomes]

"What a striking name. What is the book about, ma'am?"

[lady_of_athens]

"A father and a son," she responds, looking down at the book in her hands.

"Traveling through a post-apocalyptic wasteland and, essentially, living off of each other. Beautiful and striking, but ... not for reading if you want to be cheerful."