* 𝑻𝑶 𝑲𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝑨 𝑮𝑶𝑫 .

what a BLASTED FOOL . he may be of her own kind ( sheer power radiates off him in waves , enough to signify that he is not a mortal nor bleeds crimson , but posses ichor , the blood of the gods ) but he is not one she would willingly accept , nor want to speak to OTHERWISE . for vandalizing books … it is what would likely set her cousin THOTH in an uproar , one that may even lead to the decimating of towns , and the leveling of land that is teeming with mountains. no … it would be far better for her to deal with this one on her own terms .

  ❛   indeed I am not .  ❜   says the goddess rather curtly , giving a somewhat slow one-over to the other god before turning . it is a dismissal , one that is meant to signify how she deigns him unworthy of her time and attention .    ❛   but i did not know beings such as us found that vandalizing was an appropriate way of spending our time.   ❜   

far more words than she would have preferred , perhaps ; but her words are tinged with the authority of one who has spent millennia roaming the earth , and does not particularly enjoy stumbling upon scenes ( such as this one ) that DISPLEASE her. 

  ❛   now put the pages back - FOR I KNOW THERE ARE MORE THAN THE ONE YOU CUT - and be a respectful godling , hm ? there are far better things to do than … whatever this is .    ❜   

                 ‘   i  understand  you’re  upset,   ’   he  starts  with  a  smile.  how  many  times  had  he  used  that  line  ?   feigning  sympathy  for  those  who’ve  caught  him  red  handed.  apollo  was  the  first  one  to  hear  it,  and  the  implication  was  a  bit  more   literal   with  blood  still  on  his  hands.  cattle  thief  became  the  first  of  his  titles,  though  luthier  was  the  second  as  he’s  happy  to  remind  those  who  forget.   ‘  but  i’m  only  borrowing.  it’s  a  library  after  all,  they’re  quite  fond  of  people  like  me  here.   borrowers.   ’   he  has  the  audacity  to   wink   at  the  elder  goddess,  but  then  again  hermes  never  held  much  recognition  for  hierarchy,  beyond  loyalty  to  his  father.

                   ‘   you  didn’t   ?    perhaps  you  should  broaden  your  circle,  i’m  hardly  the  only  entity  who  would  find  this  game  amusing.   ’   his  brow  creases  as  if  in  thought,  thinking  of  others.   ‘  i  can  name  at  least  four  or  five  off  the  top  of  my  head,  but  let  me  introduce  myself  so  at  least  you  know  me.   ’   he  bows  at  the  waist,  folding  one  arm  under  him  as  part  of  his  show,  but  never  looks  away  from  her  face.  it’s  all  part  of  his  distraction.  sometimes  you  did  best  not  to  be  seen,  and  other  times  you  must  become  so  big  they  cannot  look  at  anything  but  you.   ‘   hermes,  god  of  transitions,  travelers,  tricksters,  and  thieves.  there  are  a  few  others  in  there  but  i’m  personally  fond  of  the  alliteration.   ’

                    he  looked  up,  raising  an  eyebrow.  he  did  not  have  to  think  about  who  it  was.  she  was  the  other  side  of  his  coin:  standing  at  the  crossroads  he  wandered  down,  breaking  down  the  gate  that  he  acted  as  the  hinge  of,  another  who  guided  souls  to  hades.  the  thing  about  coins  ?   neither  face  ever  spends  much  time  with  the  other.  hermes  and  hecate  were  perhaps  an  illustration  of  why.  they  had  tried  once,  long  before,  made  an  attempt  at  something  that  brought  similar  forces  too  close  together.  the  result  was  unpleasant  and,  though  time  heals  all  things,  both  were  left  certain  that  they  were  better  as  something  more  platonic.  yet,  she  was  still  the  other  side  of  that  coin.

                   ‘   does  this  count  as  a  crossroad  ?   ’   he  asks  with  feigned  curiosity,  as  if  he  didn’t  know  and  was  not  just  teasing.  ‘  i  usually  picture  something  more  …  secluded.  dusty  places  and  swamps  mostly,  though  i  don’t  know  where  i  got  that  idea.   ’   he  hums,  leaning  his  head  back  against  the  plexiglass.   ‘   been  a  while,  hecate.   ’           @wickedsmiles​

                  oh,  also,  most  of  the  books  had  been  rearranged.  call  it  redecorating.  the  dewey  decimal  system  was  practically  as  old  as  he  was,  or  so  he’d  claim,  they  might  learn  to  shake  it  up  a  bit.  

                  hermes  drags  a  pen  knife  carefully  over  the  edge  of  the  page,  leaving  the  book  so  that  if  you  had  not  known  there  was  previously  a  page  there  you  might  not  have  noticed  at  all.  he  pulls  the  now   missing   page  and  dexterous  fingers  peel  it  back,  slipping  it   (   carefully  &  unfolded   )   into  a  messenger  bag  by  his  side.  as  his  eyes  drift  upwards  from  the  task,  he  finds  himself  looking  at  someone  new   ——   but  someone  who  emanated  a  certain  power  from  them  to  signify  they  were  of  the  same  ilk.   ‘   here’s  to  hoping  you’re  not  a  patron  of  libraries,   ’   he  says,  practice  charming  smile  finding  it’s  place  again,  like  an  ancient  mask  that’s  grown  comfortable  on  the  face  it  serves.                  @duatdweller​