“Well, everyone seems to be taking care of Eutostea.”
“Yes, that place has been empty for so long that… I’m tired of being lonely. By the way, wasn’t it supposed to be safe from Artemis in the first place? What made you go to my temple? Artemis could have been following you. Are you trying to advertise her place to your sister in order to up the game?”
“That’s why I stopped by when Zeus called in the gods to Olympus. To kill some elves that were following me.”
“…..”
Dionysus sealed his lips into a thin line and wondered who this arrogant friend of his would piss off next in the foreseeable future.
“Did you meet Eutostea?”
It was the most important thing.
Apollo nodded.
“She seemed to be feeling a lot better, except for a slight limp in her leg,” said Apollo.
“That’ll get better soon, too.”
“I gave her the right medicine and came back. You can’t go empty-handed to a temple, so even if you say that I was purposely creating an excuse, I have no objections… the idea alone of seeing her awake sent my heart into wild beating.”
He lowered his head and touched his forehead with his fingers.
Like an untimely headache.
“Reconsidering the justice of rivalry you mentioned, I was foolish to think that any energy out there that Artemis couldn’t reach would purify her curse. But when I met Eutostea today, I realized that I was going on a wild-goose hunt. She didn’t even recognize me. She forgot everything.”
“…..”
“So I introduced myself again to Eutostea, who didn’t even know my name. It was ridiculous to tell her who I was, why I was great, and why I was famous. Facing her confused expression, I questioned my actions… she’ll forget it all tomorrow anyway. Wouldn’t it have been better or wiser to have her think only of my name dozens of times and hope that she remembers it? Despite thinking that, and despite finding myself pathetic, just seeing her face alone with her eyes closed, her face glowing with life, made me breathe again. Eutostea’s eyes were brown. I looked into those eyes of hers for a long time under the dazzling sun. She eyed me warily but what if she had gazed at me warmly with those beautiful eyes? I don’t expect such a day to come, but I dared to imagine it and shivers traveled all throughout my body.”
“…..”
“I also imagined her letting me in without me having to chase her or her flinching away from me. I wanted to see her hand reaching out to me, touching my hair. I wanted her to touch me more. I didn’t want her to hate me. I believe that the woman I held in the dark still remains somewhere inside her. The woman who has never avoided my kiss was Eutostea’s true self. Even if she doesn’t remember me now, I won’t give up. I can’t give up. I don’t want much… just for her to remember my name, and I’ll visit her every day with the wind and whisper it in her ear… “I’m Apollo. Without you, neither my radiance nor my glorious laurel crown are of any use.””
“…..”
Dionysus couldn’t take a single sip of alcohol, listening to Apollo’s monologue. The tears he saw at the Temple of Delphi were real.
“Every day, you say?” said Dionysus harshly with a bitter smile.
“You seem to have forgotten the purpose of asking me to hide Eutostea.”
Was it just to have him watch Apollo’s courtship of Eutostea in his territory?
Apollo had no inkling of the inferred meaning behind Dionysus’ question.
“I’ll take care of Artemis’ tracking.”
What a bunch of bull.
Dionysus’ smiling face cracked.
“Even if the fairy’s wings you ripped up were piled up to make mountains, Artemis would send more pursuers after you without batting an eyelid. If your tail is long, you’ll eventually get caught. If you think of Eutostea that way, shouldn’t you be the first to care about her safety?”
“Even though she doesn’t remember me? How far am I bound by Artemis’ curse? And if there’s no way to solve it? Shouldn’t we choose to go down another road?”
‘Fuck, what a bullshitter.’
Dionysus nervously threw the golden cup in his hand to the floor.
“That’s why you’re a selfish bastard.”
It’s too ridiculous to listen to further.
The green eyes of Dionysus flamed with jealousy.
“Well, everyone seems to be taking care of Eutostea.”
“Yes, that place has been empty for so long that… I’m tired of being lonely. By the way, wasn’t it supposed to be safe from Artemis in the first place? What made you go to my temple? Artemis could have been following you. Are you trying to advertise her place to your sister in order to up the game?”
“That’s why I stopped by when Zeus called in the gods to Olympus. To kill some elves that were following me.”
“…..”
Dionysus sealed his lips into a thin line and wondered who this arrogant friend of his would piss off next in the foreseeable future.
“Did you meet Eutostea?”
It was the most important thing.
Apollo nodded.
“She seemed to be feeling a lot better, except for a slight limp in her leg,” said Apollo.
“That’ll get better soon, too.”
“I gave her the right medicine and came back. You can’t go empty-handed to a temple, so even if you say that I was purposely creating an excuse, I have no objections… the idea alone of seeing her awake sent my heart into wild beating.”
He lowered his head and touched his forehead with his fingers.
Like an untimely headache.
“Reconsidering the justice of rivalry you mentioned, I was foolish to think that any energy out there that Artemis couldn’t reach would purify her curse. But when I met Eutostea today, I realized that I was going on a wild-goose hunt. She didn’t even recognize me. She forgot everything.”
“…..”
“So I introduced myself again to Eutostea, who didn’t even know my name. It was ridiculous to tell her who I was, why I was great, and why I was famous. Facing her confused expression, I questioned my actions… she’ll forget it all tomorrow anyway. Wouldn’t it have been better or wiser to have her think only of my name dozens of times and hope that she remembers it? Despite thinking that, and despite finding myself pathetic, just seeing her face alone with her eyes closed, her face glowing with life, made me breathe again. Eutostea’s eyes were brown. I looked into those eyes of hers for a long time under the dazzling sun. She eyed me warily but what if she had gazed at me warmly with those beautiful eyes? I don’t expect such a day to come, but I dared to imagine it and shivers traveled all throughout my body.”
“…..”
“I also imagined her letting me in without me having to chase her or her flinching away from me. I wanted to see her hand reaching out to me, touching my hair. I wanted her to touch me more. I didn’t want her to hate me. I believe that the woman I held in the dark still remains somewhere inside her. The woman who has never avoided my kiss was Eutostea’s true self. Even if she doesn’t remember me now, I won’t give up. I can’t give up. I don’t want much… just for her to remember my name, and I’ll visit her every day with the wind and whisper it in her ear… “I’m Apollo. Without you, neither my radiance nor my glorious laurel crown are of any use.””
“…..”
Dionysus couldn’t take a single sip of alcohol, listening to Apollo’s monologue. The tears he saw at the Temple of Delphi were real.
“Every day, you say?” said Dionysus harshly with a bitter smile.
“You seem to have forgotten the purpose of asking me to hide Eutostea.”
Was it just to have him watch Apollo’s courtship of Eutostea in his territory?
Apollo had no inkling of the inferred meaning behind Dionysus’ question.
“I’ll take care of Artemis’ tracking.”
What a bunch of bull.
Dionysus’ smiling face cracked.
“Even if the fairy’s wings you ripped up were piled up to make mountains, Artemis would send more pursuers after you without batting an eyelid. If your tail is long, you’ll eventually get caught. If you think of Eutostea that way, shouldn’t you be the first to care about her safety?”
“Even though she doesn’t remember me? How far am I bound by Artemis’ curse? And if there’s no way to solve it? Shouldn’t we choose to go down another road?”
‘Fuck, what a bullshitter.’
Dionysus nervously threw the golden cup in his hand to the floor.
“That’s why you’re a selfish bastard.”
It’s too ridiculous to listen to further.
The green eyes of Dionysus flamed with jealousy.
