🃜🃚🃖

while the attention was nice from time to time, it was ultimately isolating. people loved you for your gifts but it never felt like enough. you felt like an imposter, living in a spotlight not meant for you. it was difficult for your family to understand how you felt, all they saw was something you should be thankful for. you carried it more as a burden, something to be ashamed of. why had the gods saddled you with this baggage? what did you do to deserve your looks, your talent, all of it? it quite imposing to think about. 

but for now you played your lyre, practicing to not make a complete fool of yourself in front of the myriad of important people that would be in attendance, as well as the gods who you were sure looked down upon the city. your parents hoped this opportunity would bring more advantageous suitors to your attention, and elevate your “price” in the eyes of the community. but you knew that no man truly cared for more than your looks, and would never endeavor to help you shoulder your burden. you wanted someone to see you for more, for everything you had to offer, and to offer you a hand in times of distress. but you had a responsibility to your family, you couldn't afford to dawdle in fantasies. it was a lovely dream to think about, but your mother’s voice calling you to help with dinner pulled you back to reality. 

                       ⛧°. ⋆ ༺ ☾𖤓 ༻ ⋆. °⛧

lando sat on his luminous throne on mount olympus, lazily fiddling with a golden arrow. his day started the same as every day in his immortal life, tasked with driving the sun chariot across the sky to welcome yet another morning. despite his immense power, he grew bored of his duties as the sun god, and found it refreshing when the humans planned menial celebrations for godly amusement. even after hundreds of years, he looked forward to indulging in some mortal merriment. lando much enjoyed the freedom of disguising himself as a normal person for a night. 

oscar, his twin brother, sat on his own silver throne, readying himself to steer the moon chariot and greet the night sky. he chuckled to himself as he strapped on his gauntlets adorned with moonstones, observing the bored look on his brother's face. oscar was always enchanted with the mortal festivities as well, finding it quaint and lovely how the people showed their devotion to the gods. it was nice to be appreciated, but lando always insisted on dragging him into all the fun, which, even year after year, took a bit of convincing. 

each of the twin’s dispositions seemed to match their respective celestial body. lando was like the sun– passionate, fiery, and jubilant. he had immense pride but also felt criticized under the gaze of the rest of the pantheon, it was tiring for the sun to always shine. oscar had more of a calm disposition, like the moon. he was more level headed and serene, content with his godhood. this often isolated him from the others, as he felt more comfortable being alone. only at night could he sit with his thoughts in silence. 

the brothers were close, spending most of their time together since birth. but at times the young gods were quite competitive, trying to best each other in meaningless displays of power. they had frequent archery tournaments, since they both excelled at using a bow and arrow, always fighting about who could hit the farthest targets. they also competed heavily over the favor of mortals, each godling testing the fealty of their worshippers. lando would create new symphonies and instruments for them to play, while oscar would make the forest abundant with rabbits  and deer for the upcoming hunting season. the mortals relished in the gifts, and the twins got a kick out of delighting them. sometimes they would get so caught up in competition they would forget to move the sun and moon for a while. this resulted in them doing it at the same time, creating an eclipse. 

lando and oscar also tended to quarrel over mortal women. they had a certain affinity for… earthly pleasures. the twins would often fall for the same girl, and that usually wouldn’t end up very well. even though they were gods and could be with anyone they chose, one brother would always grow jealous at the other having something he couldn’t. their romantic partners often met tragic ends, disappearing mysteriously or turning into various shrubbery at the hands of another god. the twins didn’t appreciate the others meddling in their affairs, but they knew sometimes they got too carried away. 

                       ⛧°. ⋆ ༺ ☾𖤓 ༻ ⋆. °⛧

you made your way to the amphitheater at the center of town, weaving through the crowded marketplace that smelled like roasted meats and fresh baked bread. the stalls were selling jewelry, baskets, sweets, anything you could think of. it was an epicenter of activity, hundreds of people haggling with vendors and children running around with toys. you clutched your cloak around you tighter with one hand, the other knuckles white around your lyre. all you could think of was being on the stage and messing up, embarrassing yourself and in turn your family. you walked slowly, trying to avoid bumping into people as your anxiety clouded your mind. the amphitheater was just ahead, the rows of seats already beginning to fill up. 

you made your way down the sections to the side of the stage, where the other acts were warming up. They were familiar to you, other artists from your villages as well as the neighboring ones. Theater troupes, dancers, and other musicians mingled about themselves as they readied for their performances. You sit down a bit off to the side, taking off your cloak to reveal your best dress. It was beautiful, lined with gold accents that emphasized the glow of your skin. It was cut low, not too low, but just low enough to show off the top of your chest. Pieces of fabric cascaded from your shoulders, meeting the gold bands on your wrists. the skirt of flowing white cloth fell down to your ankles, swooshing satisfyingly as you moved. Your mother had sewn this dress for you, saved up for months to buy the fabric and adornments, just so you could have a lovely performance dress worthy of the gods. you thanked her silently in this moment, as you felt stunning in the gown. As you set your cloak down and picked up your lyre, you noticed the other acts staring at you in awe. One man’s mouth even fell open. Your face went red, uncomfortable from the attention. You were used to it by now, but it still caught you off guard every time. 

“like one of the muses…” one woman murmured lowly. 

you pretend not to hear all the gossipping around you and start to practice your song. You strummed the lyre gently as you whispered the song. you were well rehearsed, ready for the stage. you were beyond nerves, a true artist confident in their craft. the amphitheater began to fill with hundreds of people, the noise drowning out the thoughts in your head. 

⛧°. ⋆ ༺ ☾𖤓 ༻ ⋆. °⛧

“why are we wearing these cloaks again?” oscar asked quietly as he followed lando to sit in the farthest row of the amphitheater. 

“so we don’t get spotted, genius. guess there's a reason why you're not the god of wisdom…” lando grumbled as he pulled the hood of the cloak farther over his face. it was hard not to be recognized among mortals, especially since there were statues and paintings of the twin gods everywhere. they loved the attention of course, but they had come to appreciate the festival and listen to music… mostly. there were many beautiful girls around, one of the things the young gods enjoyed most about these kinds of festivities, as there were so many options to choose from. 

“i’m trying to find someone who inspires me,” lando exclaims. 

“anything with tits inspires you, brother.” oscar rolls his eyes, resting his head in his hands. 

“you’re such a bore oscar, i know you enjoy our earthly escapades just as much as i do…” lando says as he hits his shoulder, urging him to look up. “look its starting!”

the crowd erupts in cheers as the first performer walks out. 

  ⛧°. ⋆ ༺ ☾𖤓 ༻ ⋆. °⛧

you stand in the middle of the stage, looking out at the hundreds of people in the audience. you take a deep breath and begin your song. the first strum of your lyre echoes out into the crowd. you start to sing, closing your eyes softly as you let your song pour out of you. you feel the energy, as if the whole world paused to hear your music. it was silent as you continued, your voice soothing and calm, accompanying the delicate strumming of the lyre. the performance was pure magic. as you sang the last note, you finally opened your eyes. for a moment, you could hear a pin drop, the audience still as death. 

then, an eruption of applause. 

it was almost suffocating. you were so overwhelmed by the response you could scarcely think. you gave a timid bow, your face flushing red, and ran off the stage. 

   ⛧°. ⋆ ༺ ☾𖤓 ༻ ⋆. °⛧

the brothers hadn’t taken their eyes off you for the entire performance. they were entranced by your stunning beauty and otherworldly talent.

“inspiring…” lando breathed out in awe. even his divine being couldn’t comprehend the purity of your soul, and the passion that leaked out of you through your music. 

“are you sure she hasn’t had your godly blessing? i’ve never heard of a mortal with that much natural talent.” oscar was intrigued by you as well, it wasn’t every day that a human possessed the vocal prowess that you did. 

“no, i’m sure i would’ve remembered such a beautiful creature. oscar, i must have her.” lando stood up abruptly, determined to find the enchanting girl with the siren-like voice. oscar pulled him back down to sit. 

“why? what if i wanted her as well?” oscar challenged, grinning coyly at his twin. 

“have you forgot music is MY domain? what do you admire about her, other than her face of course.” lando grumbled, obviously frustrated. 

“her voice was haunting, like dark waves lapping the shore under a full moon.” oscar turned to his brother with a soft look. seems like they were both very interested in this mortal. 

“what do we do then?” lando asked, folding his muscled arms across his chest. 

“we must speak with her, ask her who she prefers.” 

   ⛧°. ⋆ ༺ ☾𖤓 ༻ ⋆. °⛧

you sat off-stage on a bench made of brick, recovering from the performance. holding your hand to your chest, you feel your heartbeat, centering yourself. slowly, you begin packing your lyre into your bag as the other acts continue performing. you were pleased with how it went, you loved making others happy through your music. some part of you hoped you had inspired someone or made their day, music was truly your passion. your parents will surely be happy, word of your talent even more widespread now. out of the corner of your eye you saw two large men walking toward you. you turned to face them and your eyes landed on the most majestic faces you had ever seen, like marble sculptures. they remove the hoods of their cloaks as they near you, giving you a better look. one was more tan with curly dark hair and a toothy smile, the other was more fair skinned with longer lighter hair and a serene expression. they looked different yet similar, two sides of the same coin. a sense of familiarity crept up on you, you felt like you had seen them somewhere before. 

“hello miss, may i say you are truly breathtaking.” the dark haired one began, flashing a dashing smile.

“we quite enjoyed your performance, little songbird.” the other added, “may we take a seat?”

your voice escaped you, for the first time ever, and you felt yourself nod quickly. the men shared a look and sat down on both sides of you. 

“don’t be scared beautiful, we’re just here to talk.” the lighter haired man reassured you with a smooth tone. 

you finally understood where you recognized them from. as you looked back and forth between the two, it clicked. 

“my lords? is it truly you?” you immediately got up and curtsied to them, unsure what to do in the presence of divine beings. you were sure of it, they were the twin gods of the sun and moon.

“please little songbird sit down, no need to make a fuss.” the man with the dark hair who you now recognized as lord lando of the sun crooned softly, patting the seat next to him. 

“i- i don’t know what to say my lords. you honor me with your presence.” you managed to stutter out as you sat back down shaking. 

“you honor us with your wonderful gifts. it is rare to see such a girl with pure talent. tell us your name.” lord oscar of the moon reassured you, settling your nerves a bit. you tell them your name, eyes darting between the young gods. it was surreal the way they radiated godly energy and elegance. you felt meek and dull in comparison. 

“i just don’t understand…” you were confused, why were two gods speaking to you? a regular mortal? 

“you have captured our special attention,” lord lando says, taking your hand in his and raising it to place a delicate kiss on your knuckles. his piercing eyes bore into your soul as you blushed profusely. 

“we are both extremely taken by you, my dear. my brother and i are in a bit of a predicament…” lord oscar continues, placing his hand on your knee, caressing it softly. 

“i haven’t felt this inspired in centuries. the way you played my creation, the lyre, with such passion and precision, i have never seen anything so intimate. you are the perfect muse.”