Vision (gxg)

trois

"Black or brown?"

Lifting her eyes from her book for the nth time in the last hour due to Athena's endless questions, Medusa patiently sat up from the sofa to get a better look at the nervous goddess. Athena held up a brown and a black jacket in front of Medusa, and the latter could not help but laugh at the sight.

"For someone who acts so proud and collected all the time, you're awfully nervous. And all because of a lunch date with a pretty girl," Medusa teased.

"I'm not nervous," Athena replied, not a trace of conviction in her shaky tone. "And she isn't just a pretty girl. That's the understatement of the millennium."

Medusa laughed. "Go for brown. You look a lot softer in it."

"I'm trying to look... you know, badass."

"We both know you aren't. Plus, Aphrodite knows you're soft for her. I think she'll like brown more."

Athena huffed. "I'm not soft for her," she mumbled to herself while donning the brown jacket anyway. She picked up her keys from the coffee table. "I'm dropping you off near your little hideaway right?"

Medusa stood up excitedly as she wore her cap. She silently prayed that Jasmine would be there, too. "Yeah, let's go."

Small white clouds dominated the sky as the light breeze did with the forest-like garden. Put simply, it was the perfect weather to stay outside for hours.

Pulling off her cap and removing her aviators, Medusa sat down on her picnic blanket and resumed reading her novel. Unfortunately, she found herself unable to immerse herself in the fictional world of Coelho's Eleven Minutes. It did not take long for her to realize that the anticipation of seeing Jasmine had been consuming her entirety once again. Each time she would hear the slightest sound, her head would snap up in hopes of seeing her recent acquaintance — but each time it was only the wind or a small wandering animal, much to her disappointment.

And so she gave up on reading for the moment. She decided instead to just play music on her phone as she laid on the blanket and traced with her eyes the formless clouds that decorated the pale sky.

Her eyes were already growing heavy when the sound of crunching leaves disrupted the quiet air. Suddenly fully awake, Medusa sat up to see if her hopes were finally realized — and this time the universe was on her side. She failed to fight the wide smile on her face when she found Jasmine approaching. That day Jasmine looked adorably cozy in an oversized hoodie and black jeans — easily the simplest casual outfit one could don. Yet she took away Medusa's breath and brain and heart, and Medusa did not mind one bit.

Medusa paused the song — it was Mrs. Cold by Kings of Convenience — as if to place all power of her senses into sight so she could give Jasmine all the attention her presence deserved.

Noticing the sudden pause of music, Jasmine called out Medusa's name, her head turned towards the picnic blanket. "Medusa?"

Medusa's pulse grew erratic and her heart felt full and she could barely breathe and all she could say at the moment was a soft, "Yeah."

"Looks like the gods wanted us to meet again," Jasmine said with a smile. "May I sit with you?"

Nervously, Medusa stood up and guided Jasmine until again they both sat across each other under the shade of the same strong tree that towered above them the day prior.

"Hi," Medusa said amid the comfortable silence. Her pulse betrayed any attempt at calmness.

Jasmine's smile grew at Medusa's evident shyness. "How are you?"