Dite's Decadent Delights, Wednesday

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

A new employee would be starting the next day at the shop. Aphrodite was excited about this fact, and had put in some new equipment just for him. On the far end of the counter was a small high definition television hooked up to a dvd player. After all, it seemed her new employee's specialty was porn; he should have the best equipment for . . . his research.

But it wasn't exactly pornography playing in the store at the moment. After her first counseling appointment (at least the guy hadn't asked her to marry him today), Aphrodite had put in her favorite movie and collared Hercules to watch it with her.

He didn't seem very interested, but she was having fun, and like any true fan she was occasionally saying the lines at the same time as the characters did.

At one point she sat up straight, a serious expression on her face. "'Pudge controls the weather.'" Then she dissolved into laughter, hugging Herc and reaching for the popcorn.

Decadent Delights is open.

(ooc: A free virtual vibe to anyone who can name the movie from the one line. Contest void if you're thismaskiwear. Post open, forecast fair, with a hint of SP early.)

Comments

[glacial_queen]

After class, Karla decided to wander down to 'Dite's shop. She didn't think that the stuff about 'Dite in The Illiad was true, but she figured she'd ask.

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

The volume was up on the TV and Aphrodite didn't hear anyone enter the store at first. She was dancing to a song about surfboards, Hercules in her arms, when one extra twirl brought the front door and her visitor into her sight.

She froze, then turned and jabbed at a button on the television, letting Hercules leap onto the counter.

When she turned back to Karla her face held an apologetic look. "Sorry. Favorite part of the movie. Good to see you, Karla. Come on in."

[glacial_queen]

"Hi 'Dite," Karla said, a bit hesitant. "I didn't mean to have disturbed your movie. I could come back?" she offered.

How did one go about asking 'So, did you really mentally enslave a woman and start a war just to win a beauty contest'? Without coming across as being horribly offensive? While Karla didn't really have a problem being regular levels of offensive, this might be a bit beyond the normal bounds.

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

Asking in quite that manner might not be the best way, but one never knew unless they tried. Besides, the goddess of love and beauty had mellowed in this modern age.

She was watching Lilo and Stitch, for goodness sake.

"No, really, it's fine. I can always finish it later." She leaned on the counter, chin on her fist. "What can I do for you? Haven't seen you since that awful day. How've you been?"

[glacial_queen]

"I've been pretty hectic," Karla answered, propping her chin up on her hand. "Right after that whole other-Fandom thing I had to go home to help my best friend and then classes started and then my family was up this weekend so I had to keep Morton from embarrassing me by existing and Uncle Saetan from deciding to turn Fandom into a second Zuulaman..."

Karla had a tendency to babble when she was avoiding a topic.

But her natural pig-headed bluntness forthrightness wouldn't let her dance around the subject for too long. "So," she said awkwardly, "I'm taking a class on literature this term. We started off reading about Arthur and Merlin and we got all upset because the story got them all wrong. It was about them, but it wasn't them at all. Professor Demon said that lots of stories get that way--they get names and places right, but all the details wrong. Um. Right. And then, for this week's class, we read The Iliad. About the war with Troy?"

Karla was hoping 'Dite would get her drift, so she wouldn't actually have to come out and ask. Professor Demon's is right, right? Names and places but details wrong?

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

"Iliad?" She tilted her head, thinking. "I don't think I -- oh. You mean that poem by Homer. They still teach that in literature classes, huh?" Aphrodite took a deep breath. "Okay. I suppose since it's ancient Greece I would be the one to come to. Is that the one about Ulysses and the voyage home? Or the war itself?"

Please let it be about Ulysses.

[glacial_queen]

"The war itself," Karla answered. "The one with the apple contest."

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

The goddess exhaled loudly. She raised her head, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, as she murmured, "I'd forgotten he wrote about that." Then her gaze settled back on Karla. "And that's really what you want to ask about, isn't it? The apple, and what started the war, not the war itself." She folded her arms. "Can we take this somewhere a little more comfortable? I have some nice chairs in the other room."

[glacial_queen]

Karla nodded, looking a bit grateful. "I mean--I know I don't actually have a right to ask. This isn't my world, they aren't my people...Hell's fire, I'm not even entirely sure what gods and goddesses really are. The answers I get when I ask are generally confusing. But--I want to know. The truth, I mean."

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

"The truth?" Aphrodite laughed humorlessly. "Whose truth do you want, Sweet Pea? Everyone has one, and usually none of them are the same."

Stepping around the counter, she headed for the counseling room door. "Come on. We can talk in here."

She sat in one of the comfy chairs, folding her knees up, bare feet on the edge of the seat. "Okay. Ask your questions."

[glacial_queen]

"Which is why I'm here asking for yours," Karla said as she followed the goddess into the counseling room. "Instead of just listening to that Homer guy. Gabrielle\s already huffy that he left her and a friend of hers out of the story entirely. I figure there are lots of things he might have been mistaken about."

Karla imitated 'Dite's pose, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her chin on top of them. "So what happened with the party? Did Eris throw an apple? Was there a competition? Did you really bribe Paris?" she asked, wincing.

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

"Bribe Paris? Is that what he wrote?" Aphrodite shook her head and sighed. "Okay, first off, you have to understand that this was a long time ago. I mean, really. Like, thousands of years, long time. And -- everything changes. Everything and everyone, okay? Remember that."

She put her chin on her knees. "So, short answer is, yes. Yes, there was a party; yes, there was an apple; and yes, there was a competition. As far as bribing Paris?" Her shoulders moved in a half shrug. "This is where the differences in truths come in. I am the goddess of love and beauty. Paris was going to give the apple to me when Hera offered him rule over all of Asia, which was like, half the known world at that time. So, Athena had to step in and offer him wisdom and some really awesome fighting ability. So then, he looked at me and said, 'What will you offer me?'" She sat up a little straighter and spread her arms. "I am the goddess of love. So that's what I offered him. The love of a beautiful woman." She sighed. "He should never have chosen Helen."

[glacial_queen]

"A few thousand years isn't that long," Karla objected. "The average Dhemlan or Eyrien can expect to die of old age at about five thousand. My adopted uncle is fifty-thousand years old--though, I'll grant you, as a guardian, his lifespan is longer than most."

Of course, arguing about time didn't really hold any relevance to the conversation at hand. "So, you didn't offer Helen? He chose her? I knew it was a tropy thing! Did she love him already or did you...?" She made a vague gesture, hoping it would convey 'use some kind of magic or godly-power to force Helen to love him' adequately.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

Max didn't knock, he just strode into the shop. He hoped 'Dite was in today. Otherwise he'd have to explain the chocolates, and that'd be a bit awkward.

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

Aphrodite had turned the movie back on after Karla left, but was a little more subdued. As the end credits rolled, the door opened and she turned. "Max! Great to see youuuuu!"

Shutting off the television she stepped around the counter to give him a hug.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

Max laughed juggled the box of chocolates out of the way and picked her up with one arm. "So I see. And it's great to see you too."

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

She kissed him on the cheek, smiling widely. "Did you have a reason to drop by, or did you just . . . miss me?"

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"I just missed you," Max admitted, turning to brush his lips lightly across hers. "I hope that doesn't make me seem all clingy."

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

"Maybe I like you all . . . clingy." She winked and led the way further into the store. "What have you been up to? Terrorizing students and their families over the weekend?"

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

Max sighed theatrically. "I tried... but..." Then he sighed for real. "Most of them seemed... appreciative." That he was teaching their kids to fight and kill.

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

On the one hand, that was disturbing, that parents would thank someone for teaching their son or daughter to kill. Then again.

"You're the one who reminded me that some of these kids will leave here and head off to a war or something just as bad. Maybe the parents are just thanking you for giving the kids a fighting chance to stay alive."

She pulled her stool out from behind the counter and perched on the edge. "Speaking of teaching, how's your class going?"

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"Pretty good, actually. No incompetents in this batch. And we've just finished the first, and probably hardest for them, unit. It'll be interesting to see how they handle the part that comes after the break."

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

"What's after the break? Are you going to make them battle each other?"

Aphrodite wasn't really interested in the answer, but she thought conversation would be good today. For a few minutes, anyway.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

Max leaned casually against the counter and took a moment or two to appreciate the view.

"No," Max laughed. "I already did that. After the break we're going to switch over to irregular tactics. The sorts of things most of them already have an aptitude for."

[divinesurfchick.livejournal.com]

"Like what? Hiding and shooting from behind rocks?" She gave an undignified snort. "I'd prefer that to them standing in the open and getting shot at."

Aphrodite tilted her head and regarded her friend. "How do you know so much about this stuff? I mean, you scream military with your bearing and all, but -- what makes you the right guy to teach them, Max?"