As they arrived home, Medusa grew a little disgruntled by the fact that the roof hadn't been fixed
"We gotta fix that soon... Well at least, stuff it with something" she told Thalia, who treated it fairly nonchalantly
"Dusa we're in the summer! It's not gonna rain or anything, don't worry about it!" she smiled trying to soothe her fairly panicking friend "Besides! Like i mean is a hole on the roof like THAT bad?? Like it isn't a big deal or anything, it's totally fine! I mean sure maybe something could get inside but it's refreshing! And I mean sure even if it ends up raining, we can like make a hole to get some water! " Thalia giggled, with an ever so slightly exasperated Medusa rolling her eyes at the most beautiful woman... Who well, happened to rant quite a lot, not that our Medusa was complaining, for her sweet voice could last for a thousand lifetimes and she'd still beg for more.
"Yes, I suppose a hole in our roof is a great idea isn't it?" Medusa teased as they went inside their little shack "Just go change your clothes if you want to, I'll start making the tagenites and we can decorate later." she said as she went up to the kitchen, ready to cook
The Princess let out a little cheer as she went and hugged Dusa from behind before giving her a little kiss on the cheek" Thanksssssss!!!!!! You're the BEST! " she giggled as she went to her...well Medusa's wardrobe to switch up some clothes
Medusa meanwhile, was left speechless, caressing her cheek as the faint lipstick, left a little hickey on there, Medusa stood there in awe, blushing her dark amber red, thinking to herself "S-she kissed me...", she was both in a state of shock and bliss, for that kiss was just... Phenomenal, even if it only lasted for a few seconds
Either way, she did her best to get back to cooking, yet in the back of her mind, she still thought back to what happened, it was...
Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the Princess's sweet voice as it came from behind her "Um... Dusa what's this?" she asked as Medusa turned around, gasping at the object the Princess was carrying
"THAT'S MY GUITAR!!! I haven't played it in so LONG!!!" she sighed in joy, taking the guitar from Thalia's soft hands, meanwhile, the Princess shot Medusa a fairly confused look, the object was foreign to her touch and the word was fairly exotic to her ears
"Um... What's a g-guitar?" she asked hesitantly blushing, not sure if she was pronouncing the word correctly, well Medusa seemed to really like it... So well she did a nice thing!
"Hm? Oh, you don't have those back in the mainland?" she asked a little confused, she thought someone else would have made it at this point, if anything it was quite a simple concept...
"W-well, I mean I've been gone for a bit so like maybe? At least in the Kingdom of Lesbos we don't... Even in Athens, they don't have it!" she replied hesitantly, Medusa tried to hide a snarl on her face as she heard the mention of Athens, well it was only normal to hold a slight grudge against the Goddess who cursed you to become a lady with snake for hair and could turn anything living to stone. She ruined her life, and she hated her for it.
Than again...
Well if had never been cursed, she would've never met Thalia. And maybe that was worth all the hardship she had ever gone through, for Thalia... Well, she was magnificent to say the least, maybe the best woman in all of Greece and the whole world. Fate works in strange ways Dear Reader, for blessings can become curses and the most horrid of things can change one's life for the better.
"Well, that's a little strange..." Medusa muttered under her breath, almost ready to drop the topic when Thalia's puzzled look advised against it
"Oh right! The guitar! Anyway, this is like an instrument I made by myself, it's sort of like Apollo's lyre since they both have strings but... Well they produce a different sound, AND have a different shape!" she told Thalia, not wanting to tell more about it for fear she might bore her or something similar
Instead, Thalia proved to be quite the opposite, showing off an impressed face" That's like SUPER COOL!!!! Like you know I love lyres cause Apollo is the best boy, and like I bet guitars are awesome!! I mean you made it after all, and anything you make is probably gonna be awesome. Tell me more!!!" she asked of Medusa, stammering a little and being thrilled to talk about a passion she loved most dearly
" W-well so like this has six strings, and there are these things called octaves which basically determine how low your note is" she told to a clearly fascinated Thalia as she continued on "And like the lower your note, the lower the octave! And you can use the strings to make some other noises and like they can be lower or higher! Also like you can tune the guitar to make different sounds and all!" Medusa giddily ranted,
Meanwhile, as she kept on explaining her passion, the girl stood there with a smile, listening patiently and carefully, finding how adorable it was that her usually composed friend, was ranting about such a niche hobby.
"So can you like play some for me? I'd love to hear you play and sing!" the Princess asked, longing to hear the beautiful voice of Medusa, the Killer of Men. Besides, maybe they could sing together too sometimes! After all, she was quite the singer, attracting girls from far off, begging to hear her voice as they crowded around the palace.
Medusa was a little taken aback by the question, blushing as she was asked to perform "Y-you sure? I mean I'm probably not that good.. And I'm a little rusty, I haven't played in a few years!" she managed to stutter out, she had taken it up as... Well, a coping mechanism, and she hasn't picked it up ever since.
"What?? No!! Dusa you'll do amazingly, trust me, you'll do FANTASTIC!! Like I mean you're you! Of course, you'll do great!" she giggled, trying to get her friend to play this supposedly wonderful
"Fine!" she smirked, trying to act exasperated as she grabbed the guitar by its neck "Let's just go to the forest or somewhere, the sound here isn't all that good to play around," she told Thalia as they went outside and brought her to the log she would play at, she hadn't been there in ages and well, the memories weren't all that fantastic, but she was fine and for one single reason,
Thalia was with her
"W-well um, let me just tune the guitar real quick!" she stuttered out, a little nervous to be playing in front of someone.
Years ago she had played for the wood's and for all those that lived there. She would come late at night, terrified of the shadows and everything that lurked behind, but she used her music to keep them at bay. She would sing of love, and beauty, of heartbreak, and sorrow, and of life and death as she would hold back tears, terrified of who she had become, and what she could be.
Yet a faint spark of hope was always in her heart, without it, her music of dejection and misery would not be complete. For to be truly alive and human, one must first feel pain.
As she sat down, playing the very music that brought tears to her eyes, the whole forest watched both horrified of the monster that plagued the island and a desire for more of her sweet voice, as if they were desperate for her tears. It was as if all of time had stopped, her sorrow passed down as if Orpheus himself was playing, and the whole world would hear her cry.
And that was why she stopped, music became a vice to her, a drug, as she cursed the island with her misery, no joy came from her words, only a desire and passion for more as she went deeper and deeper into a path of despair, and as she tried to climb back out of it, she only came back down, deeper that time. As if the place called her back, desperate for more of her words.
And so she did what she had to do.
And from the day forward she never played again, with memories of her trauma replaced with memories of joy, yet she herself was repulsed from the guitar, a bad omen really.
All these memories came back to her, and she hesitated for a moment to pluck the first string.
But as she felt Thalia's soft hand on her back, she felt as if all was right in the world. She turned and saw her kind smile as she looked towards her, and knew she wouldn't fall back in.
And so she plucked the first string
"If, I were ever to lose you...
I'd surely lose myself.
By the golden throne of Aphrodite
She cursed me long ago, doomed to love you forever,
And by the half of night, I lie there alone, bloodshot eyes, thought I'd never.
The weight of the Heavens lies on me instead of you, my darling queen
Yet as the morning comes, I rise.
For while forsaken, I have learned. I have learned, that I was never truly yours, and you never truly mine. "
And she kept on singing, and time stopped. Yet the Forest did not watch in despair as their Queen had come back, yet the beauty of her words wasn't tragic, they brought joy to the cruelness of the outside world.
The Queen of The Forest's voice was far from perfect. It would break if she went too high or too low, and her pitch was far from true. Yet it's imperfection was what truly made the song beautiful. It showed how human even the most cursed of monsters could be, and it's flaws, brought it all to life.
"And as Sweet Aphrodite lifts her curse
I realize the purest fact of them all
Love is real,
And I will, love again."
And as the music stopped, the world returned to normal. The worries of all, had returned as the Queen of the Forest stopped playing, her vice had not returned, for one thing kept her from going over,
Thalia
"That was beautiful Dusa"
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