[eppy]

[callipygos]

Aphrodite has been feeling hungry for gossip.

Well, 'hungry' may be too strong a term. Peckish, perhaps. In need of a light nibble. And, since there is no place in the manifold universe better for the acquisition of interesting tidbits than Milliways, she's sitting at the Bar with a fragrant drink that seems primarily to involve whiskey, cherry, and orange bitters.

She has on a sleek black trenchcoat (for secrecy) and a pair of high high heels (for the femme fatale in her).

Comments

[2020sight]

Epimetheus frowns at her.

"Hey, now. I do not have any game with River. No gaming. Period."

It'd be like flirting with Medusa. Or Lethe. Just. No. Ew. What? No.

[callipygos]

"Which demonstrates terrible taste, but all right."

Aphrodite crosses one leg primly over the other, lifting her glass to her lips.

"What about that nice boy? The one who brought me candy."

[2020sight]

"Who, Matt?" He shrugs one shoulder. "Haven't seen him in a while.

". . . You are trying to set me up, aren't you."

[callipygos]

"I really can't put one past you," she says dryly.

[2020sight]

"'Dite," he says, starting to get annnoyed, "for fuck's sake, you know how I feel about that."

DEEPLY SUSPICIOUS.

[callipygos]

"But this time I'm not doing anything!" She holds up her free hand. "Not anything divine, at least. I'm just holding a bit of a mirror up to your life."

And in that mirror, there is a vast and sexless prairie.

[2020sight]

Dry: "My sad, sad game-less life?"

[callipygos]

"Prove me wrong."

[2020sight]

"This is important to you why? Do you get some kind of voyeuristic thrill out of me getting laid?"

[callipygos]

Her nose wrinkles.

"No offense, Eppy, but I don't really want to picture that." Half a beat. "Although your boy was very cute."

He had such a long neck. Like a swan!

"No, sweetie, it's important to me because it's what I do. I know I haven't always gone about it in the best way, where you're concerned, but I do get love right more often than I don't."

[2020sight]

"Ha! Prove that."

Miss Thing, having finished her bottle, wriggles out of Epimetheus' hands to explore the countertop.

[callipygos]

Aphrodite smiles at the kitty.

"I have too many success stories to count."

[2020sight]

He makes a buzzer noise.

"If you can't count 'em, how can they count?"

[callipygos]

She sighs.

"Do you really want me to start naming names? We'll be here all night. That's not the point, anyway."

[2020sight]

"And what is?"

[callipygos]

Aphrodite doesn't fidget, exactly.

"That I ... occasionally ... care about you, Epimetheus. If you don't like what I have to say, then fine; it isn't a mandate."

[2020sight]

. . . He grins, after a moment, a little sardonic.

"Your grudging sense of familial affection is much appreciated."

[callipygos]

"Does that mean you'll talk to me?"

[2020sight]

"Well, I haven't run away yet."

He is, arguably, hindered by having a kitten to take care of.

"But seriously, what's your angle? If I am or am not getting laid, big whoop."

[callipygos]

Aphrodite smiles.

"I'm bored. And I haven't really done much by way of grudging-familial-affection duty lately."

She pauses, tracing the rim of her glass with a fingertip.

"Not the way you did for me."

[2020sight]

He raises his eyebrows.

"so you're gonna grudgingly get me a date?"

[callipygos]

"If that's what you want."

Her lips quirk.

"I get the impression you don't think about it much."

[2020sight]

"Getting laid?"

He blinks at her.

"Nnnno, I guess not."

He sounds wary. He suspects a trap.

[callipygos]

"Why not?"

[2020sight]

"Why don't I think about getting laid much?"

He shrugs, still eyeing her.

"I mean, it's fun, but it's not important."