The Park, Sunday lunchtime

[future_sandworm]

Leto was tired. She was sitting on a bench in the park, wrapped in a cloak. She was also hungry and in a terribly bad mood. This island seemed to lack mortals with proper respect for the gods, as well as decent olives. There were no humble servants to be found and she had had to sleep out of doors. To make things worse, the baby inside her kept kicking a lot. If she ever saw Zeus again she would kick him where it hurt.

[Open!]

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[atreideslioness]

Ghanima had listened to last night's radio, and had immediately set off in search of her brother this morning.

Or would it be sister?

Regardless, she felt a great relief when she spotted the rather pregnant woman in the park. Letting Leto experience this first-hand would be funny on Monday. Today, s/he was carrying twins, and Chani-within was most insistent that Ghani go do something right now.

Ghani wasn't sure what, exactly, she was supposed to do, but at least being proactive was soothing Chani's tau.

"Tea?" she asked, holding a thermos as she sat down next to the other woman. "You look terrible."

[future_sandworm]

Leto looked up and was about to say something about how she did not look terrible, because she was a goddess, but decided that the woman was probably right. "Yes." She sighed. "You don't happen to be a midwife or know where I can find this place called a 'clinic'?"

[atreideslioness]

"Well, you could say I have been trained as a midwife," Ghanima answered, lips twitching slightly as she opened her thermos and poured some of the hot drink into the lid for Leto. As a Sayyadina of the Rite, Chani had presided over many births before her death. "Or I could escort you to the clinic. Do you have a preference?"

"And have you eaten yet today?"

[future_sandworm]

The 'clinic' sounded strange; a proper midwife seemed a lot safer. Leto accepted the tea. "Only those horrible olives," she said, gesturing at the small bag next to her. "They're almost inedible. Can you find me some decent ones? And your care will suit me fine."

[atreideslioness]

...If Leto gave birth before he changed back, Ghanima was going to laugh herself sick. Although she did not particularly want to know if alternate-reality children would remain or vanish once the island was done with its joke.

"I'm sure we can find something you will find acceptable," Ghanima replied. "I am Ghanima. If I'm to be your midwife," and she was not going to laugh, "I would greatly like to know who I am assisting."

[future_sandworm]

She stretched a little. "I am Leto, daughter of Coeus and Phoebe of the Titans," she said. "I'm a goddess," she added, as people around here occasionally seemed to have missed that fact."

[atreideslioness]

Of course. If Leto was going to be any Leto, why would he settle for mere mortality?

"Well, daughter of Titans, Ghanima of the Atreides is at your service," she assured Leto. "We'll find you some proper dinner, and you may stay at my lodging, if you wish."

She was not sending a pregnant woman to sleep in the dorms, even if the odds were she would be a he tomorrow.

"But slightly more important things first," she said, glancing at Leto's belly. "When are you due, and where is the father?"

Blessed Maker, let the father NOT be here, and the due-date be 'not yet.'

[future_sandworm]

Finally someone who was able to treat her the way she was used to. "I accept your offer, Ghanima of the Atreides," Leto said. "Zeus is the father, he won't be around, and thanks to his cow of a wife I have carried these children a lot longer than I ought to have." Why did Zeus have to have a wife who was responsible for childbirth?

[atreideslioness]

"Zeus." Of course. Everything else was going according to myth so far. "I would feel a bit sorrier for the Lady Hera, being stuck with him a husband, if she'd just direct her ire in the appropriate direction," Ghanima said dryly.

"I must confess to not have hosting an actual goddess before, so you'll need to forgive any questions I have that may sound silly," she continued. "You say the olives are unacceptable. What else have you tried to eat lately? Have you tried pizza?"

[future_sandworm]

"Pizza?" That was a no. "And Hera certainly should direct her wrath in a more suitable direction!" Yes, Leto could get stuck on this subject. Right now though, she was tired and hungry. "But tell me, are your lodgings very far away?"