Elpis twirled her pink locks with her thumb and index finger. She was pensive. Ever since Pride forged her the ring that allowed her to freely move anywhere without being noticed by her siblings, she had been able to train. She had been able to test her newfound power. For a brief moment, Elpis felt so good she almost forgot her revenge. To be able to walk the Earth without a bother in the world proved to be overwhelming for the goddess. She could try modern cuisine, attend concerts, operas, and any artistic event without worrying about the cosmic pair of eyes looking for her. She could enjoy her life and the human delicacies without being worried about their assassination attempts. So why was she worried? The pink locks cascaded on her back and on her front. A gentle frown creased her forehead, and she stood up. She had to do something. Ruminating all day was not going to be right for her, so she decided instead to be in action.
"Perhaps you'd enjoy a little bit of company tonight." -Pride's voice pierced the silence that had settled in the empty room. Elpis turned her head, and her gaze settled on his face.-
He was elegant, as he always was. He was dressed sharply, wearing a tailored grey suit that complemented his skin and features well. His hair was combed in a little slick back, and at his wrist there was an expensive watch. At his feet were brown leather shoes. He dressed as if they were attending a ceremony or a meeting. Elpis's eyes glowed in appreciation of the sight before her, and for a brief moment, the goddess forgot about her plight. Seeing Pride often led to this. She always forgot about what was plaguing her mind, and eventually was snapped out of her train of thought.
"I apologise, beloved. I have been restless these past couple weeks, and I was caught up in my thoughts this morning." -She ran her hand through her pink locks and gave him a sheepish smile-
"Restless, you say? Tell me, my Light, what is it that keeps your mind busy like that?" -He closed the distance between them and allowed his hand to stroke her cheek-
"For one, it has nothing to do with the upcoming war. I am eager for the army you're gathering for us, and even more eager to don the armor you forged for me. I am grateful, Beloved, for the months spent together without the fear of being located by my siblings. I have to confess, I almost forgot about them because I was enjoying myself with you. It just... Now that I have time with you, I realize what was robbed from us. We were robbed of time."
They have been. Pride knew that despite her claims, his goddess had been traumatized by her curse. She put on a brave face, but he knew that she doubted her ability to face her siblings. Ayasha would be easier to deal with because she always used pawns to do her bidding. Elpis was confident in her ability to confront her sister and win, but there was always the possibility that Ayasha played mind games. She was excellent at it, and Elpis wasn't so proud as to deny how much impact this could have on her. She could try to turn her brain off and force Elpis to turn on her lover. She could even convince her that it would be best if she were dead by dangling the death of their father in her face. She knew a lot of Elpis' soft spots and could use them against the goddess of Hope. Still... Elpis thought she still had a chance. She couldn't face Ishtar. The very sight of him made her recoil in horror, and she froze.
Her brother had been responsible for so many awful things when it came to her. He tried to force himself on her once. While he stopped himself in the middle of the act, it was too late, as she knew the dark desires he tried to keep inside. She knew that night that the mighty Ishtar was no better than all the gods (primeval or not); he had to protect her from her. He didn't do it from the goodness in his heart, but only because he was a selfish man. She felt betrayed that day because the sibling she thought was the safest to be around was actually a predator like the others. It made her skin crawl, but she thought that she could get over it. It was going that way before he did his "big one". His ultimate betrayal. He stabbed her in the heart with the Dagger of Fate, and since he couldn't bring himself to kill her, he cursed her instead to an existence of eternal reincarnation. He punished her to a life spent forgotten by the world and the gods and, more importantly, forgotten by her beloved Sin. It was a fate worse than death and complete annihilation.
Yet, she could still remember his face as he held onto her disappearing body. She could see the tears he cried because he realized the horror of his action. She still could feel the jealousy in his eyes as she rejected him once again. She saw hatred in his eyes, and it made her feel disgust for him. It also traumatized her to the point of being unable to face her sibling. Pride was aware of it, and he knew that it was the reason for her restlessness. He cupped her cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.
"Yes, we were robbed, my Light, but the time we lost is nothing compared to eternity together. We were both different souls when you were cursed and I unmade. We both grew out of the people we used to be. I do not regret the time lost. What I want is to make sure that we have a future together, free of your pantheon and their constant meddling." She moistened her lips and nodded quietly. Pride planted another kiss on her forehead. "You won't have to fight Isthar. He is mine to kill. Mine to brutalize for the pain he inflicted on you. You will never have to face him because I know how terrified you are of him." -She looked up to meet his gaze and see a tiny bit of judgment, but there was none.
"You're right, beloved. I am sick to my stomach at the thought of seeing his face again. It was the last thing I saw when he stabbed me and cursed me into this horrific existence. I thought that after all these years, I would have been able to move on and soldier on, but I just can't. He scares me." She admitted in a soft voice, her eyes went from his face to his chest.- "I would freeze should I cross paths with him, and I don't want to become a burden during our war."
"You won't. I'll take care of him. You won't ever see him. Focus on Ayasha and your revenge, my Light. I know that your fear is only matched by your anger, and I want you to be angry. She is the reason you were locked into that loop. She is the reason the world has forgotten about you. That / I/ was made to forget you. She is the reason your father was killed, and she needs to pay for her crimes. She, Gaea, and every single one of your siblings are still alive."
"Superbia..." She called out his name, eyes filled with unshed tears as she felt his support, unwavering, stronger, and louder.- "Thank you, beloved, for your rousing speech. You are right. I am angry, and I will let that anger take over the rest because I want them to pay, and they will." She closed her eyes for a moment, savouring the comfortable silence that was starting to settle between them. "I love you, Superbia. I love you more than the world... more than the universe. I will follow you wherever you go, and since you suggested we go out, I'm willing to follow you outside. Let's mingle with these humans and have some fun tonight."
"That's my good girl. Let's entertain ourselves tonight. I'll make you forget about your worries."
He smiled and decided they would leave their room the old-fashioned way since he didn't have a clear idea of where he wanted to take them. This way, she would be able to choose where they would go. It was still morning, and they had all the time in the world to do as they pleased. Pride offered his arm to the goddess so she could wrap hers around it, and they could walk outside. Elpis didn't hesitate and wrapped her arms around his and followed him as he started to walk towards the door. Perhaps she would try and test her powers once more, see how much control she could have on nature, and see how close she was to dethroning Gaea as the All-Mother. Perhaps this would be enough to take her mind off the fearful thoughts that festered in there. He could only "hope".
-TBC-
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