Theo "Aristaeus" Bouras

“I’m sure it is.”

His words made her miss her sisters, missing that family connection, even if her family had never been entirely simple. She could only hope that the Fates might permit them a second life too. “A bit of both really. It came about like a… second chance of sorts. But once it did, I was determined not to let it go. Things haven’t always come easy. I wanted to make this work.”

         Her answer was specifically indecisive, giving him no indication of whether she would remain for it by choice or through obligation, simply acknowledging what he’d stated of the farm itself.

“Yeah…yeah.” Nemesis nodded, nearly defeated in her own remarks, still staring over the other with nothing but contempt. If he was content, then she could only assume others were, at least, as far as she knew, though, she still wasn’t quite sure what the other seemed so into about this life or even if he knew this wasn’t his past life either. “I imagine it would make a world’s difference. But…than again, you probably wouldn’t believe the things I would tell you.” She narrowed her eyes at his meat as he popped it into his mouth, wondering just what it was about him that fit in too well here. “Maybe you were made for this life Theo. Carved out for…all of this.”

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          “I would believe the things you would tell me, Nemesis,” he assured her because he knew what she desired to say, was almost shocked she continued to step around it so much when she was very obviously frustrated by him, likely even more frustrated by others who actually didn’t even know what was going on. “That is probably true, I did have an...easier adjustment to who I am now that others might. To already be so connected to what is innately...human makes things easy. You - you have other traits, not so easy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t adjust, it means you have to choose to.” 

“The part of us that…comes from before all of this.” She tried, a sneer making its way across her face, before she recoiled and instead balled her hands up into fists to contain her own frustrations. This was no way to show herself as she managed a narrowed glare. “Obviously, of course.” She took everything in her to not roll her eyes at him, swearing up and down in her head about what game he was playing and not being in on it. “You like this, don’t you? You’ve found happiness in contentment and you’re not swayed.”

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        “Before all of this,” he mimicked because whatever ‘this’ was continued to go unsaid between them. He could tell she might know that he knew but Theo didn’t really care, Nemesis wasn’t going to sway him. His powers weren’t like hers, he wasn’t a God in the same way she was. This was enough for him, he suspected it was enough for a lot of them. “I am a happy and content sort of person,” he reasoned, picking up a rolled piece of salami. “If I have no intentions of changing the way things are, what makes you feel compelled to draw something out of me? What difference do you imagine it would make?” Theo asked, flicking around the salami while he spoke before finally putting it in his mouth, oil from the meat lingering on them.

they scratch the side of their head with one hand while tapping their pencil with the other. “i mean, the whole point of the artist is to be creative, isn’t it? so having creative exercises like this could be really useful.” Chason mused. they ripped the page of what they were working on and put it to the side to use as reference for the new drawing.

        “Hopefully you can do something with it then,” Theo offered, not really sure that art made simply for the purpose of it being made held any sort of logic to it but he also wasn’t much of an artist. Sure, he could make salami look like a rose but that was less art and more meaningless playfulness. “And hopefully the food can give you some energy to get the rest of it done.”

Willow loved their trips up to the olive farm. There was something so calming about the rows and rows of vines and the general woodland atmosphere.  They were dressed up in one of their favorite sky blue silk dresses with a leather jacket on top, excited for what the evening of tasting would hold for them. Darn, did they love cheese. “Theo you flatter me so, I cannot tell you how happy I am to be here.’ they hummed, coming in to wrap their arms around the larger male before them. “A surprise” THey murmured before pulling back. “Oh, you do spoil me.”

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          Theo lifted them a little when he was embraced by the shorter person, only for a moment or two and not so much that their feet would have entirely left the ground. When he let them go Theo gave them a broad sort of smile. “That’s nearly my favourite part about this place, getting to spoil people a little,” he grinned, lifting up a second of the bar designed for staff to go through. “I say nearly because the other day I had a model in here and that was pretty wonderful,” Theo explained, hand running along the bar as he moved behind it, grabbing one of the boards to start making what he had planned for Willow, not premaking it in case the food went bad. “I’ve only had this place in travel or cooking magazines before, not fashion ones.” 

        No one much called him Aristaeus, save a few he was willing to allow be settled in their old ways, Athena included. Like Apollo she was one of the few Gods who knew that he was aware of his past self and he was content with this because while they debated the curse together she never tried to force his hand. He could sense parts of her perhaps wanted to but she had voiced to him how important it was for her to be a newer version of herself, to return to her Godhood changed. Theo admired that, even if he felt, quite frequently Athena was...

           “I wish you were not so hard on yourself,” he commented, taking a sip of his wine as they sat in his living room of the small cabin on his olive farm. She’d visited a few times, the modest home of his filled with various books on beekeeping, farming, wine making, and a few on tanning and drying meats. The most obvious object in the room was a wooden wine shelf that took up an entire wall of his living room, the brilliant shades of red shifting in the fires light. “There are other Gods more deserving of that.”

            Resting a hand on his jaw he focused his gaze on her. “How have your efforts been going, though? At the lawfirm?”

“Here’s what I don’t get about you dear Theo…” She simply stated, knowing that he had had plenty a conversation with her thus far. So much so, that Nemesis couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that he claimed he didn’t know who he really was. “You seem so perceptive about my situation that I’m curious why you’re not going through anything yourself, because you and I…we’re in the same boat, whether you want to believe that or not?” She tried to tempt him, though wasn’t sure how much it’d work. “This…before you’re talking about…what do you mean by that? Because moving on will never be an option for me, not when you know what I know. And it seems like it’s all you’ve done.”

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           “Which part of us is in the same boat?” Theo asked, because to him they were in different boat. They might have boarded at the same spots, and their boats may have the same look to them but the destinations were by no means the same. “Before I opened my farm, obviously,” he answered with a knowing smile on his face. “Before you...became whatever you are now,” he continued to clarify with her questioning, picking up a piece of salami from the counter and having a bite.

“No, of course they don’t.” And yet, debts still needed to be repaid. She didn’t say that of course, at least not the unknowing other, or so she thought he was unknowing. She managed to keep herself under lock for now. “Moving on isn’t an option for me.” Nemesis of all people knew her purpose, and without it, she often wondered if she’d fade into a point of nothingness. There was far too much at stake to give it all up on the fact that this former god was telling her to. Her eyes narrowed onto him though, popping a brow in suspicion. “I don’t just rely on others for my own contentment. I restore a balance, a much-needed one at that, and there’s nothing that will stand in my way, not even your affinity for pairing cheeses and wines.”

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“the problem is that I suggested that, and got a firm no from my teacher, so I’m supposed to make things sharp and… yeah, basically triangles. or rectangles.” they drop their head for a moment in frustration and exhaustion. “it’s very hard to come up with something that hasn’t been invented before. part of the idea that i’m currently going for includes square shoulder pads with long strings hanging from them like curtains, and then maybe try to gather the fabric in tight angles in some way.” and as they’re talking, they show off their sketches.

“If they did, it would not be me you’d want to repeat it with.” Apollo gave him a viciously petty look, although they had no cause to be jealous. They were just vain and had no shame about it. 

“That’s fine. I got everything I needed.” Apollo took a sip of their drink, completely not embarrassed that they were outright ogling Theo licking his fingers. “Almost.” They had to bite down on their bottom lip to contain the delighted shudder that threatened to wiggle out of them, tugging on the collar of their shirt. “But I go well with rosé and rosé goes well with me - I am complete.” With that, the next sip they took put a faint blush onto their cheeks. It was their third glass and they didn’t want to stop.

“It’s a lovely place you have here. Is there a shade beneath a tree among olive branches and honeybees that you retreat to and keep it a secret? Tell me, I want to know about the clandestine places this orchard hides.” Placing the glass onto the table, Apollo’s middle finger drew circles along its brim, making the glass whistle.  

       “Not sure I was his type,” he actually wasn’t sure anyone had been the guys type since he barely said anything but that was beside the point, Theo was quite willing to let Apollo be as playfully petty as they liked. “Perhaps if he had seen you he would have been more inclined to share.”

         One corner of Theo’s mouth pulled, not opposed to Apollo looking at him, really rather flattered since very obviously the God themselves was stunning. It wasn’t simply in their etherial looks gifted to them by their birthrite but in how they presented themselves. “Just almost?” he asked, eyes lingering on Apollo’s jawline, defined but soft.

"That's...that's a lot. I don't...I don't really think love should be a gun. Love should be softer than that, less threatening? It should be a comfort."

Maddie knew he was flirting. Men–and women–flirted with her plenty. The job seemed to invite it as much as her looks. She had no problem with his flirting, secure in the knowledge that nothing of substance would happen. So she let him take her hand as he did, with a smile on her lips. “I might just do that. What I’ve seen of the place, it’s beautiful.” Her tone was friendly, charming. Some might call it flirting, but if she were, it was more of a game than serious. Medusa would not fall again and risk ruin.

“So, Theo,” she said, taking her hand back. “Tell me about this place. How’d you end up doing this?”

        “It’s even better at sunset, though perhaps you’ll see that, I’m not sure how long they intend to take pictures of you for,” he admitted, looking from her to the others working, his hand still gently caressing her own until she finally drew it back. His gaze shifted back to her again, trying to memories every inch of her far for when she finally did leave, especially if she decided not to return.

“Oh, how dare you tempt me by being handsome while holding food.” Apollo arched an eyebrow, looking for all intents and purposes offended by the gesture. They were just that good of a prima donna, spoiled rotten if allowed to act that way. To say that it was an act was an understatement - Apollo firmly believed in the phrase ‘squeaky wheel gets the grease’. It was entirely up to the other person to suffer them or not.

“Perish me, if they did. How would I survive my company getting more attention than I do.” They glanced at the delicious bite Theo prepared for them, head indignantly declined as their hand swirled a wine glass half full of sparkly rosé.

They reached up for Theo’s wrist with their free hand, long fingers clasping around it and perfectly capable of capturing it. They directed the hand holding the food the other way instead, to Theo’s mouth. “Don’t use someone else’s cheap tricks on me until you test it on yourself first. It’s only chivalrous.” A wicked smirk tilted their lips. 

         “You sound so sure he didn’t use them on me, as you said, I’m terribly handsome, maybe he did,” Theo responded with a slight pout. Of course, no, the food had not been fed to him and so he readily caught his own fingers in his mouth, popping the mix of items in and biting down to taste all of the flavours on his tongue at once.

His compliments were as sweet as the honey he’d given her. She was used to compliments again, as Maddie, but they were never unappreciated. The make-up artists had moved away, unintentionally giving her a chance to actually talk to him properly–at least until the director made his mind up about what he wanted. “Not at all, it’s wonderful. I’ve never had anything like it.”

But it was still his farm, Maddie gleaned. And he had booked this without knowing her name. It wasn’t that she got recognised so often, but if the shoot had been booked here, wouldn’t he want to know? “Maddie. And no offence taken.” She held her hand out to shake, grabbing another olive with the other.

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        Theo had actually had the place photographed a few times by magazines so when he was asked he simply assumed it was for some kind of food based magazine, a travel one or even just something about nature and the environment. So he didn’t really think too heavily on discovering why the magazine wanted the photos. Unless they asked to speak with him it didn’t totally matter, it was a nice pay cheque to supplement the general running of the establishment and gave him a day off.

“One of a kind?” Maddie raised her eyebrows, dipping one of the crackers into the honey as she did. It was sticky and sweet, but with that sure kick of chilli. Her eyes widened. It wasn’t really like anything she’d tried, but it was delicious. She took a sip of water to clear any remaining stick from the honey, noticing the way the man’s eyes lingered. “It’s beautiful.” 

She took a piece of cheese yet, deciding to taste it on its own before trying it with the other elements of the plate. “You make all of this yourself?” It was impressive. One of these alone would be impressive, in fact, but all of them? Maddie smiled wide. “What’s your name?”

       Honey on her lips with some of the cracker dust Theo leaned back against one of the tables in the room, only a foot or so from her, letting out a gentle laugh when he eyes went wide. “You would be the person to know what is,” Theo offered lightly, only then letting his eyes drift away, glancing outside and seeing them set up for her. “Hopefully it wasn’t too strong, I wouldn’t want to ruin any of the work being done on you,” he continued, trying to be somewhat humble about his work and to potential lighten the words he’d said before.