#buff Ctimene and nervous Eurylochus? Yes

[witless-winion1]

guess who saw the latest @notsolonedesert art and immediately went feral, so.

Eurylochus was not quite sure if his heart had ever beat so hard as it was now in his entire life.

He adjusted the cover on the small basket he held, the intricate wickerwork filled with the pastries he knew she liked; he’d seen her stealing them from kitchens with her brother and filling half her plate with them at royal banquets enough times, so he’d taken great care in making them. And even more care in wandering an entire orchard to find the perfect apple, nestled in the center, hopefully not getting too sticky with honey from the pastries.

Odysseus’s massive grin filled his mind. “Are you nuts? My best friend marrying my sister? Go for it, brother, I don’t know why you didn’t ask me sooner!”

An encouraging response, but his stomach was tormenting itself with mild nausea, nonetheless.

He found Ctimene where he had asked Eurycliea to tell her to meet him; sitting on the old wall where they had met, underneath the branches of an oak tree. She was smiling off into the distance, her sandals hanging on for their lives on her swinging feet.

He wasn’t as massive fan of the gods as his mother was, but he found himself praying anyway, and to a goddess he rarely spared a thought to; please, Aphrodite, grant me your favor…

Ctimene’s head snapped toward him as he stepped on a fallen branch. Her dimpled grin increased at least twofold as her eyes landed.

Oh, no. He should back up. Turn around and run, she was scarier than that divine boar of Athena’s with the way her lips curved and eyes crinkled in the corners, the light falling unevenly over her hair and shoulders from behind. He was walking towards his doom, his death at the hands of this lovely beast.

He didn’t know how, but his face remained calm as ever, though he did notice his hands shaking, the faint quiver of a lute’s plucked strings as he placed the basket on the wall and took a seat next to her on the uneven stone. “Hello, Ctimene.”

“You’re here!” The king’s sister grinned. “I was beginning to think you would keep me waiting until sunset. But I will forgive your lateness, I see you’ve brought treats?” Her delighted eyes darted down to the basket beside her legs. Classic, he thought, his heart fluttering so hard it was a wonder it found time to beat.

Eurylochus nodded and gestured weakly for her to take as she wanted, biting his lip. He was so thankful the way he had come up to do this didn’t require much speaking or movement. His hands were numb. They probably shouldn’t be numb. Should they? Was this what love did? Curse you, Aphrodite.

Ctimene’s quick fingers were on the basket cover, pulling it off, and-

-taking a pastry with a giggly gasp and a “My favorites! How did you know?!”

She didn’t even see the apple?

Give it a moment.

“It…wasn’t hard to guess.” Just wait. She’ll recognize it in a moment. What if she says no? What if she says yes?

“Ah, I suppose not. I do eat them all the time.” She bit into it with eagerness, her joyful eyes flickering over his deceptively stoic face. “Did you make these?”

“Yes, I did. Do you like them?”

“Love them! You’re getting better. You and I should bake together sometime. Aren’t you going to have one?” She asked, noting his empty hands, which had made no effort to reach for the basket. Eurylochus would likely drop whatever he picked up now, his hands settled on his knee and wrist, firmly pressing down in an effort to conceal their shaking.

“No, I’m not hungry.” He’d probably throw up whatever he ate, if he tried to put anything in his mouth before Ctimene gave her answer to the question she hadn’t noticed was hanging in the air between them. Sitting in the basket.

“Hmm. More for me.” Ctimene giggled and went for another pastry. “You made a lot of these. What’s the special occasion?” She picked up another, her fingers barely brushing against the glossy red fruit. As she bit down, her brow furrowed the tiniest bit, and her eyes darted back to the basket in a double take. His stomach tightened, watching her enchanting eyes widen. His hands definitely felt numb, and his brain as well, should he be saying something clever? Asking her the question outright? Surely sitting here in silence was the cowardly way-

A funny noise came from Ctimene’s throat. It took Eurylochus a moment to recognize it.

“Oh, gods, are you choking?” He leaned over the basket, reaching for her shoulder, brain un-numbing and kicking into high gear, Ody would kill him if she died because of his stupid proposal method, no, he would do it himself first-

She waved him off, eyes wide, and forced down the bite of pastry with merely a small cough. He’d overreacted. His face was on fire.

“No, no, I’m fine, Eury, but- is that what I think it is-?” She murmured, looking up at him with an excited gleam.

Well, I certainly hope so, I’m not sure what else an apple would mean, he thought, managing a stupid “y-yes.”

Ctiemene sat there a moment, before she kicked off the wall and grabbed his elbow. He nearly fell off and on top of her, barely muffling a grunt of surprise, but it slipped out again when she threw her arms around him properly and squeezed. Then he had no breath left to grunt with, because dear gods, this girl was strong, what were they feeding her?

“Yes!” She nearly shrieked, almost wiggling his body in her grip as her sandals danced on the pebbled road. And Eurylochus’s heart nearly burst with relief.

He would have loved to pick her up and spin her in his arms as she loved him doing, except she was kind of trapping them already, and if he tried to pull them out they might pop off. So he settled for a relieved, breathless chuckle.

Thank you, Aphrodite.

[notsolonedesert]

I have no words for how much I love this

OH YOU'VE CAPTURED THEM SO BEAUTIFULLY I'M SO HONORED

guess who saw the latest @notsolonedesert art and immediately went feral, so.

Eurylochus was not quite sure if his heart had ever beat so hard as it was now in his entire life.

He adjusted the cover on the small basket he held, the intricate wickerwork filled with the pastries he knew she liked; he’d seen her stealing them from kitchens with her brother and filling half her plate with them at royal banquets enough times, so he’d taken great care in making them. And even more care in wandering an entire orchard to find the perfect apple, nestled in the center, hopefully not getting too sticky with honey from the pastries.

Odysseus’s massive grin filled his mind. “Are you nuts? My best friend marrying my sister? Go for it, brother, I don’t know why you didn’t ask me sooner!”

An encouraging response, but his stomach was tormenting itself with mild nausea, nonetheless.

He found Ctimene where he had asked Eurycliea to tell her to meet him; sitting on the old wall where they had met, underneath the branches of an oak tree. She was smiling off into the distance, her sandals hanging on for their lives on her swinging feet.

He wasn’t as massive fan of the gods as his mother was, but he found himself praying anyway, and to a goddess he rarely spared a thought to; please, Aphrodite, grant me your favor…

Ctimene’s head snapped toward him as he stepped on a fallen branch. Her dimpled grin increased at least twofold as her eyes landed.

Oh, no. He should back up. Turn around and run, she was scarier than that divine boar of Athena’s with the way her lips curved and eyes crinkled in the corners, the light falling unevenly over her hair and shoulders from behind. He was walking towards his doom, his death at the hands of this lovely beast.

He didn’t know how, but his face remained calm as ever, though he did notice his hands shaking, the faint quiver of a lute’s plucked strings as he placed the basket on the wall and took a seat next to her on the uneven stone. “Hello, Ctimene.”

“You’re here!” The king’s sister grinned. “I was beginning to think you would keep me waiting until sunset. But I will forgive your lateness, I see you’ve brought treats?” Her delighted eyes darted down to the basket beside her legs. Classic, he thought, his heart fluttering so hard it was a wonder it found time to beat.

Eurylochus nodded and gestured weakly for her to take as she wanted, biting his lip. He was so thankful the way he had come up to do this didn’t require much speaking or movement. His hands were numb. They probably shouldn’t be numb. Should they? Was this what love did? Curse you, Aphrodite.

Ctimene’s quick fingers were on the basket cover, pulling it off, and-

-stealing a pastry with a giggly gasp and a “My favorites! How did you know?!”

She didn’t even see the apple?

Give it a moment.

“It…wasn’t hard to guess.” Just wait. She’ll recognize it in a moment. What if she says no? What if she says yes?

“Ah, I suppose not. I do eat them all the time.” She bit into it with eagerness, her joyful eyes flickering over his deceptively stoic face. “Did you make these?”

“Yes, I did. Do you like them?”

“Love them! You’re getting better. You and I should bake together sometime. Aren’t you going to have one?” She asked, noting his empty hands, which had made no effort to reach for the basket. Eurylochus would probably drop whatever he picked up now, his hands settled on his knee and wrist, firmly pressing down in an effort to conceal their shaking.

“No, I’m not hungry.” He’s probably throw up whatever he ate if he tried to put anything in his mouth before Ctimene gave her answer to the question she hadn’t noticed was hanging in the air between them. Sitting in the basket.

“Hmm. More for me.” Ctimene giggled and went for another pastry. “You made a lot of these. What’s the special occasion?” She picked up another, her fingers barely brushing against the glossy red fruit. As she bit down, her brow furrowed the tiniest bit, and her eyes darted back to the basket in a double take. His stomach tightened, watching her enchanting eyes widen. His hands definitely felt numb, and his brain as well, should he be saying something clever? Asking her the question outright? Surely sitting here in silence was the cowardly way-

A funny noise came from Ctimene’s throat. It took Eurylochus a moment to recognize it.

“Oh, gods, are you choking?” He leaned over the basket, reaching for her shoulder, brain un-numbing and kicking into high gear, Ody would kill him if she died because of his stupid proposal method, no, he would do it himself first-

She waved him off, eyes wide, and forced down the bite of pastry with merely a small cough. He’d overreacted. His face was on fire.

“No, no, Eury, but- is that what I think it is-?” She murmured, looking up at him with an excited gleam.

Well, I certainly hope so, I’m not sure what else an apple would mean, he thought, managing a stupid “y-yes.”

Ctiemene sat there a moment, before she kicked off the wall and grabbed his elbow. He nearly fell off and on top of her, barely muffling a grunt of surprise, but it slipped out again when she threw her arms around him properly and squeezed. Then he had no breath left to grunt with, because dear gods, this girl was strong, what were they feeding her?

“Yes!” She nearly shrieked, almost wiggling his body in her grip as her sandals danced on the pebbles road. And Eurylochus’s heart nearly burst with relief.

He would have loved to pick her up and spin her in his arms as she loved him doing, except she was kind of trapping them already, and if he tried to pull them out they might pop off. So he settled for a relieved, breathless chuckle.

Thank you, Aphrodite.