Ask or Dare Lady Athena

Dare - #92

Elle: Hey, there's this new dare from ShinobuKochoishere.

Athena: *sighs, leans back on her chair, and looks at Elle*

Elle: You need to tell us one of your biggest secrets.

Athena: *abruptly stands up and shakes her head* Oh, absolutely not!

Elle: You don't really have much of a choice. *shrugs and chews on her gum*

Athena: *paces the room, closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath*

Elle: Oh, come on. It can't be that bad.

Athena: *frowns at her*

Elle: *grimaces* ...Right?

Athena: *mumbles incoherently*

Elle: *raises her eyebrow and leans forward* I'm sorry, what was that?

Athena: *looks down sheepishly* I... had a thing for Odysseus before.

Elle: *eyes widen* YOU WHAT? AS IN ODYS —

Athena: Keep your voice down!

Elle: *looks at her with wide eyes and whisper-screams* Odysseus?! As in that loyal, married hero Odysseus from the Odyssey? Him?

Athena: *snorts* I'm not so sure about the loyal part.

Elle: W-wait! What do you mean by thing?

Athena: You want me to spell it out for you? I liked him.

Elle: I thought you were just his patron goddess.

Athena: Why do you think I wanted to be his patron?

Elle: He had a wife and kid, mom.

Athena: *whispers* Kids, actually. Another with Circe... that I tried to take away as a baby.

Elle: MOM?!

Athena: I didn't actually pull through with it! The Fates had to intervene that I couldn't do it directly.

Elle: Why would you do that?! Were you jealous of Circe or something?

Athena: *rolls her eyes* Jealous? Of that witch? Please! It was for prophecy reasons. That kid was supposed to kill his father one day.

Elle: *gives her a look of disbelief* 

Athena: Don't look at me like that. I still gave the child his own empire later on.

Elle: I forget just how crazy you gods can be.

Athena: *looks down* I'm not proud of it!

Elle: But still! What you had for Odysseus—

Athena: I admired him, alright? He was... Well, what's important is that I came to my senses.

Elle: Oh, no wonder it's your biggest secret. That's like... a woah thing to admit, coming from you of all people.

Athena: *sighs and sinks into the nearby couch* I know.

Elle: Does Hermes know?

Hermes: *suddenly walks up to them and leans over the back of Athena's couch* Does Hermes know what?

Elle and Athena: *look at each other*

Athena: *gives her a hard stare*

Elle: Uh, I have to go. *stands up and walks out of the room*

Hermes: *looks at Elle, and then at Athena*

Athena: *shrugs nonchalantly*

Hermes: *hops over the couch, sits beside her, and smiles*

Athena: *awkwardly clears her throat and tries to casually drink from the cup*

Hermes: *crosses his arms and hums* So... Odysseus, huh?

Athena: *spits her water out and starts coughing*

Hermes: *stares at her and smirks* You do know he was a descendant of mine, right?

*later*

Athena: *bursts into the room* You sneaky little shit!

Elle: *snickers* Hey, mom!

Athena: *takes slow, angry steps forward* You never told me I could have chosen between two dares!

Elle: *backs away but looks at her innocently* Would you rather tell Apollo you love him?

Athena: I would've made a good plan out of it and you didn't let me choose!

Elle: *suddenly bolts out of the room*

Athena: *rushes after her* Get back here!

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read circe by madeleine miller not long ago and i had to change the chapter a bit. loved the book!