Andromeda sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose having expected to still get heat for that. Giving Medusa a bland look she asked, "How else would you have created enough pressure to actually make her think about herself and what's she's been and denied for millennia?"
...
Seeing Medusa's silence she continued on.
"The point was to give her a test to try and teach a lesson. That collar? I had it linked to her mental state and emotions and would only release if Athena became honest with herself. Yes, she was at risk of breaking under the mental stress but as for the whole 'living sex doll', that extreme wouldn't happen unless she actually indulged.
The problem is being pumped full of lust like that leaves desires and sensations, which she has little to no experience and therefore no tolerance for, is the risk."
"And what would have happened if the she hadn't become honest with herself and overturned her own fatal flaw?" Medusa asked she glanced at the goddess still sitting farther off on the couch with the puppy now sleeping in her lap.
"It would have gotten to the point that she actually might have started begging for relief and there was the danger since indulging her would have broken the last line of her rational. Of course I could have stopped the collar but that would have left her with the lust and desire accumulated beforehand and that would take possibly weeks to taper off.
Then that would mean isolation and possibly even needing to restrain her so she couldn't even indulge herself … and of course leaving her at point zero since she didn't accomplish anything in my test but at the same time I don't want to kill her."
"Couldn't you just, I don't know, drain away those desires?" Medusa asked with a slight tone of skepticism.
Andy gave her a pointed look before asking her own question. "How again was it that gods use their power on other sentient beings?"
"Prayer, sacrifice, willingly opening up, or entering and being part of a domain within the god's control," Medusa answered easily enough.
"So it comes down to invitation," Andy said with a nod before glancing at Athena. "And there is a goddess with one of the strongest minds and wills around fully capable protecting her mind to the point even us primordial would have to put effort to get past it. So, her emotions fall under my domains to an extent, especially those directly related to Love and Desire but at the same time, as a free and sentient mind, I can't just control her like some puppet. Still with me?"
Getting a nod from Medusa Andy continued on.
"So to even affect her to a point I need to either sneak past her defenses, something already highly unlikely considering it's her, or completely overwhelm the defense which I did with the collar even if I tried to limit it to an extent. If I'd had permission or an invitation into her mind before, I could have used lust without any risk of overwhelming her mind and breaking it, just make her as horny as I wanted her to be. Now in the reversed case, she's full of lust and still trying to guard against me so how would I remove the lust?"
"… Take it all in one fell swoop?" Medusa answered unsurely.
"Exactly, I'd have to go over the top but tell me, what's to say I wouldn't accidentally take too much or even remove other emotions that are related to lust?" she asked as she placed her hands on her hips while looking intently at the pseudo-goddess.
"I could have possibly turned her into a literal blank slate and, what's worse, the mind just isn't built to deal with so many sudden changes.
It could end with her being a vegetable and that's all going on if she failed but was still pumped full of lust. If she had broken to it and needing isolation or risk her going past the point of no return, taking that lust which would have become her drive at that point could cause violent withdrawals," she finished with a slight huff.
Medusa simply looked at her, blinking owlishly as she absorbed all the information. She went as far as to look at Athena for a full minute before looking back to Andy.
"Okay … so what's with the puppy?" she finally asked getting the winged goddess to chuckle softly.
"Like I said, I believe this is all a new start for Athena. True, it was done quicker and more urgently that strictly necessary but no pain no gain.
Anyways, it will be good for her to have a small companion that can grow with her and just be a little ball of energy to keep her happy while also giving her something to be a constant. After all, Percy's wolves work wonders with the kids they're assigned to in the clinic and orphanage so I thought Athena could use one too though that pup is purely hers to keep for as long as she wants," she explained.
"Which reminds me!" she suddenly chirped as she snapped her fingers and in a flash, a box appeared on Medusa's counter. "Puppy chow, some formula since she isn't completely weened yet and all other goodies and necessities for young pups."
"Don't I get any say in this?" Medusa asked as she looked into the newly arrived box before glancing to Andy. "Taking care of and cleaning up after puppies isn't exactly easy and quick."
Andy gave her a bland look. "You both can clean any mess with a snap of your fingers or just will the shadows to absorb it and the puppy is blessed by Percy meaning she's smart and will grow stronger and healthier that regular wolves. Also you love the wolves too so I don't see why you would complain."
Medusa sighed in defeat with a nod make Andy smirk. However that smirk soon melted into a fond smile as she looked towards the blonde goddess.
"You know, at the end of the day the original goal was reached. We wanted Athena out of combat but this way we have a chance of convincing her children to drop out of the fight. This shouldn't be their war but they're the ones currently on the front lines and as much as it pains us, if we meet them on the battlefield, we won't hesitate." She then paused as she looked to Medusa.
"Anyways, I should get going. Let me know if you or Athena need anything but I'll try to stop by again later on."
Seeing Medusa nod Andy gave her harem-sister a quick kiss before seeing herself out of the comfy town home. Sighing lightly as she stepped out she gazed up watching as the sun continued its rise before smirking at it.
Ever since they dropped the barrier hiding their presence she was sure Apollo could at least make out the mountain from his chariot even if he couldn't actually see the detail of the city or residents thanks to Styx's security barrier. Still, leaving thoughts of that sunny bastard for more important pursuits, she disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke only to reappear in another near the center of the council throne room.
In a few moments she ascended to her godly form, towering at 100 feet before making short work of siting on her throne and going through all the new information of her domains since the night before. While she did that the others soon appeared as well via their preferred methods of teleportation. Once all were in attendance and assimilated to their domains her king cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Alright, now that we're here, for those of you that didn't know, an Olympian goddess is traveling by footed escort here to speak with the council," he began.
"Which one?" Thalia asked while her gaze zoned out meaning she was trying to scan from the skies and looking for a divine signature.
"Chase," was Percy's curt reply and with it Rhea frowned slightly while Hestia actually growled earning concerned looks from the others.
Percy noticed it though and took a hold of a hand each to his sides from their thrones, effectively calming them. Andy had been informed of the passed night's events in the morning along with Rhea and Hestia, the latter of the goddess's not liking some of the newly revealed knowledge in the slightest.
Apparently her interactions with the new blonde goddess hadn't been much more that brief greetings at most. Hestia had not liked the goddess ever since she ascended, mainly due to the pain she caused Percy and then the following years where she became distant from her family.
She's also stated that Annabeth had never named a godfather, which for deities was nothing trivial, especially when considering the well-being and future potential of godlings. Now Hestia was of the mind that the blonde goddess was trying to pull something, possibly even make use of Percy's past feelings.
Andy hadn't been too sold on that prospect and planned on checking it more thoroughly later in her office and see if the goddess was hiding ulterior motives while Rhea was not as overtly hostile at the thought of Annabeth but wasn't exactly brimming with warmth at the thought of finally meeting the goddess face to face.
"Annabeth?" Thalia replied, snapping Andy out of her thoughts. "Why is she coming here? Is she surrendering or something?" Andy could see the lingering hope in Thalia's eyes at the thought, knowing the primordial goddess still cared some about the girl-turned-goddess that she took care of all those years ago even if they had become distant during the near decade Percy had been gone.
Percy shook her head at the question before sighing. "It's a little more complicated than that," he muttered as he prepared to explain in more detail as the others looked on curiously.
Andy for her part tried to sit back, idly wondering what tomorrow's meeting with the goddess would entail considering that from this morning's reports from Percy's wolves, the goddess wouldn't arrive until early tomorrow…
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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
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