(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.

[riversinger]

"Oh I do appreciate the classics, Shakespeare among them. But the real world, I find, has more than enough tragedy and triumph, and just general strangeness to keep me interested." She takes a seat and rearranges the books enough to offer her hand in greeting. "Dr. River Song, 52nd Century, Outer Reaches, pleased to meet you."

[lady_of_athens]

"Sometimes tragedy in words seems preferable to the tragedy before your own eyes," Athena remarks, "Unfortunately, only one is avoidable."

Taking River's hand in hers, she responds, "Athena, currently the 21st century, Earth and, very rarely now, Olympus. The pleasure is mine."

[riversinger]

"Olympus. Oh. Oh. Oh how very interesting. I love your work." Really, did that sound as fannish as she's afraid it did? She winces through a smile.

"Sorry, you must get that all the time."

[lady_of_athens]

Athena waves a hand, grinning in a half-sheepish, half-slightly-less-than-completely-modest way.

"Doesn't mean I don't mind hearing it," she says cheerfully.

"Doctor Song? What field do you study? If you don't mind my asking, of course."

[riversinger]

"No of course not. Archaeology was my primary field, among other things. But I've, erm, branched out."

Lycanthropy has opened up a whole new world to River's eyes, bringing her back full circle from professor to student again. Her eyes flit over the sparse crowd of patrons at the bar. Things are still tense, and the very air feels off.

[lady_of_athens]

"This place does tend to do that," Athena notes.

"Broaden one's horizons, I mean. It does feel as though the whole place has its breath held, doesn't it? In the past few days, anyway."

[riversinger]

"Well, if the rumours are true, there's a good reason for it," River says, the tone of her voice becoming more serious. "Milliways is my home now, and I feel like we've been -- violated, somehow."

Her gaze moves back to Athena's face, blinking respectfully.

"I'm curious, what have you heard?"

[lady_of_athens]

"There was a corpse, found out in the woods. A young man, I should think. Murdered for what purpose, I couldn't say. Not a pretty sight.

"What have you heard?"

[riversinger]

River cocks an eyebrow. "Not just murdered. Dismembered. Torn limb from limb, from what I can tell."

She shifts slightly in her chair, trying to catch the ribbon of scent from the goddess. Whereas before, she marvelled at Richard's ability to read both tracks of information at the same time, now it's become instinctual for her.

"And of all things, there was a cupcake left on his body."

[lady_of_athens]

(On one level, she just barley scents of lavender, symbolic of serenity - the calm before the grey-eyed storm - and a balm to ease hurt caused by love - because she is the virgin goddess and has watched her beloved heroes fade away far too many a time. On the next, her home -- not so much the industrial tone that has overtaken her city of Athens, but the scent of the Aegean Sea. Underneath it all, for now at least, a sense of vague discontent.)

"Rather theatrical, if you ask me," Athena says, propping up her chin on the knuckles of one hand.

"Then again -- I hate to sound cynical, but -- a good murder always is."

[riversinger]

(River catches the threads, weaves them together, and relaxes minutely as they coalesce into the image already forming in her mind. Lavender bobbing in a sea breeze, and through it all, the same discontent that plagues everyone these passed few days.)

"Oh it's not cynical at all. It seems clear that the whole thing was staged for maximum impact. Which should rule out some of the patrons as suspects. One would think anyway." She doesn't sound happy about the whole affair.

[lady_of_athens]

"Mm. I just wonder what that boy could have done to have so badly gotten on someone else's nerves."