PNMD: Chapter One

Fool us Twice, Shame on You
She took a breath.

This was widely regarded as a bad move and left several cosmological beings displeased. With that single, small breath came the implications of a scaled war between some jealous ethereal beings. And at the war's helm, Eris.

Once again, she had successfully ticked off some of the most prominent figures in Olympian society - and with the same old shtick too! And in no time, all of them would come runningback to her and bantering about how awful she was, that they were going to have a word with her boss about this-!

Eris' hand met her face and she stifled a groan. She was going to get absolutely chewed out, maybe even get probationary leave from her job at customer service. At least she wouldn't have to listen to Hermes yammering at her for being 'unpleasant' with demigods who needed travel help.

The kids should know where they're going anyway! They're on a quest for a reason.

She shook her head and looked into the throne room again, where the goddesses were fully heated and even beginning to rattle the walls a bit with their shouting. Even Athena, who was normally poise and mature as befitting her role, had raised her voice and was looking agitated.

It was beautiful.

Truly beautiful. Not the Aphrodite-brand, paste faced type of beauty that came out of a little tube. No, this was disorder, beauty in its purest form.

And with the inclusion of more thrones for more gods and goddesses - thank Nyx for Percy Jackson - there were even more idiots fighting about it! A small mass of goddesses arguing heatedly over a small podium, head ducked to see what was going on. The only who hadn't joined the fun was Melinoe, who had long given up the pursuit of beauty and slumped against the back of her onyx chair.

The podium was locked onto a certain point - a beautiful beach in a far off place with its eyes trained on the, you guess it, breathing girl. From Eris' position just outside the room, she listened as the bickering silenced and took her own visual of the scene.

The breathing girl with skin like shadows and the crusty remains of make-up along her face. Eris could remember her well - bold, stormy eyes and freckles she wouldn't have noticed from a distance. There was a deep-set frown on her face and she looked tired and painfully hungry.

And Eris herself wouldn't have noticed the girl if she hadn't been about to drop a flowerbox on top of her. Before she'd been able to snap her fingers and smother her in dirt, however, the girl stumbled forward and complimented the goddess on the dress she was wearing.

Which was odd, this being New York City. Usually, all Eris got was a simple 'Watch it!' or 'Move!' from the people on the sidewalks, who then met a chunk of dirt to the face or a wave of slush to the legs, but this girl was different.

"Excuse me, I just wanted to say I really like your dress." The girl had said, gesturing to her own faded red blazer. "Where did you pick it up?"

"Are you sick?" Eris replied bluntly and the girl shook her head.

"No."

"You look sick." The girl had frowned and adjusted her blazer awkwardly.

"....Excuse me." She'd said, then snuck past Eris and continued down the street.

And in that moment, a little bit of harmony showed in the usually malevolent Eris, as she hurried to catch up with the young lady and offered her to come to dinner.

...And unleashed her plan.

She felt a little bad watching the girl chow down on the meal like it was her first in weeks, but watching all of those sour broads arguing next door was completely worth it. With a childish giggle she turned toward the door frame again and looked inside.

And her smile fell.

Heading the silent crowd now was Hera herself, gripping the edges of the screen where the girl was in plain sight, shaking her head. She turned to face the rest of the arguers and they all instinctively backed up, knowing the implications of an angry wife of Zeus - a queen, no less.

The composed queen took a deep breath and, with her arms curled cordially at her waist, she spoke.

"Whose idea was it to give the Golden Apple to a mortal?"