baetiful | IC CONTACT POST

You've been instructed, have you?

[ Baelish seems moderately amused by the prospect of Brandon instructing anyone. ]

But it is an honor to meet you, Lady Circe. I am indeed from a time before this one. A time of lords and ladies, kings and queens, and no modern plumbing of which to speak. Is it help adjusting to this world you need? Or are you simply seeking the company of someone who understands how difficult it is to grow used to this land?

[ Circe smiles in somewhat opaque amusement. It's the façade she de facto falls back on whenever she's unsure. She's not really lady of anything, but the proper address for a goddess is a murky thing. It's good enough. ]

It would be useful to have someone to ask questions who will not be confused by the question itself, I think. It has been all so much at once, even finding new clothes for myself was a considerable undertaking. I could not wear the same dress forever. [ Indeed, by now she's out of her chiton and shawl, instead in a bohemian sort of sweater a dark enough green to be almost black. ]

Well then, Brandon was smart to send you my way. I've a tailor who has designed my clothing to my specifications. I've found most of the attire here not quite to my liking. If you would prefer some things more similar to what you are accustomed to, I can give you his name. He is extraordinarily talented. And do not worry about the price. I've more than enough to cover the cost.

Oh, I'm sure there must be some price, [ she answers smoothly. ] Or do you go about handing out acts of impeccable generosity for your own amusement?

[ Circe doesn't seem suspicious or critical, exactly -- but she's so rarely had someone just give her something with no strings attached, and she knows the game of distributing favors to be called in later. ]

[ His lips quirk after her comment. She is a perceptive one, isn't she? Many accept a favor at face value, not expecting he may request something in return. But those from their sort of time -- most of them are more attuned to the ways of things. The little tricks men and women play to get what they want. ]

I could say the reason for my generosity is the reason most men are generous to beautiful woman.

[ Amusement crinkles the lines near his eyes. ]

The price would merely be more of your company in the future, should you so choose.

[ It's a good thing she's had all these years entertaining Hermes to prepare her for this sort of flirting. A younger Circe would've been totally flummoxed. But compared to how cutting and incisive Hermes can be, this seems totally benign.

If she so chooses, hm? ]

Even more generous, to imagine so small a price. [ Circe's company is not usually rated very highly, though she knows she is a novelty, in a different way here than she was at home. It amuses her that her reputation from myth is so dramatically different from what she is used to. ] Powerful men are rarely inclined to provide choices.

Powerful men, you say.

[ The statement entertains him. No one has ever really called him a powerful man before. Or implied such. Dangerous and untrustworthy, sure. But never one with true power. ]

I suppose you might have to call into question the extent of my power. Simply because one holds a position of power does not make they themselves powerful.

[ He comments with a sly smile. Impish. Almost like a boy who thought himself too clever. He had no doubts Circe knew what he meant. She seems quite clever herself -- clever enough to have met men who have the title or the armies but are merely a puppet for others to pull the strings. ]

[ She'd included that little aside specifically to see how he reacted. Most men Circe knows are more than happy to be flattered, and the less true the flattery is, the more eager they are to receive it.

Granted, the men Circe's run into have not been exactly representative of the broader population. That only makes her miss Daedalus all the more. ]

It was my understanding that men always consider wealth a form of power. [ She means men as in humans, or in other words, mortals. Circe doesn't feel quite ready to reveal herself. People keep recognizing her by name, so going back to her more usual game with mortals is comforting. ]

And that those in coveted positions without the strength to hold onto them do not keep them very long. It is a tiresome game. [ Or so she thinks from her vantage point of immortality. The most exposure Circe's ever gotten to mortal kings is the one her sister had married, which... does not leave her positively predisposed. ]

Not fond of the games?

[ To say it's tiresome would indicate she doesn't tend to play. Or perhaps she is a seasoned player who has grown bored with the predictability. ]

By the time I was able to play them I was no longer interested, [ Circe says with a laugh.

At first, she hadn't been powerful enough to be a real contender in the jockeying for status within the hierarchy of the gods. Now she is powerful enough, but has thoroughly lost her taste for it. ]

Such can happen. I imagine the game is only as good as the opponents you play against. And some do not play well with others.

[ It does make him miss Varys a touch. No one within this universe has been able to compete. ]

What happened to make you lose your interest, if you do not mind my asking?

[ Circe thinks about how to put this that does not disrupt the game she is currently playing. Or reveal too many of her sore points, which for her this topic is littered with. ]

It is true that I am my father's firstborn child, and his halls hold the court all the rest wish they could attend. But I saw their ugliness too often to be dazzled by their image anymore. It is a farce.

All of the finest things others envy often are. The same is true of this world as well. But I do think you, coming from your experience, have picked up something invaluable...the ability to see through that farce.

It is invaluable only if I wish to interact with it at all, which I do not.

But you do not seem so fooled, either.

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