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'Dite's Decadent Delights, Friday

Yes! Valentine's Day was almost here! Aphrodite happily flitted about the store, putting final touches on displays. Moving that box just a jump to the left, then that sign a step to the right. When it was perfect, she put her hands on her hips and surveyed the store.

To celebrate the holiday, the store was filled with roses. Thankfully for those customers with allergies ~~or who work in the floral industry~~ none of them were real.

Instead, there were perfumes in bottles shaped like roses, with several colors of tinted glass and crystal. Chocolate roses wrapped in red tinfoil. Candy roses in all colors and sizes. Teddies (bears) holding roses in their cute little paws.

The theme extended to the clothes, of course. Teddies (not bears) with roses and hearts, boxers with the same, robes covered in the flowers. There was even a matching wrist-cuff and collar set with red roses decorating the black leather. On the even naughtier side there were roses created out of cleverly folded underwear, and toys in the shape of a rose, complete with vibrating petals.

As she opened the door for the start of Valentine weekend Aphrodite spotted something on the floor and picked it up. "Hercules, why aren't you wearing your collar?"

Looking up suddenly the cat stared for a moment at the pink collar with the tiny pink roses attached. Then he shot up the staircase to find a place to hide.

"Hercules!"

Yes, this would be an all day battle. 'Dite's Decadent Delights is open.

(OOC: Open store, open post, open mind . . .)

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It was ridiculously, insanely, totally, completely, and quite a few other adverbsly overdue... but today was the day that Fiona Post ventured through the door of 'Dite's Decadent Delights.

To be frank, she was expecting the goddess to either be very annoyed with her or very very hurt. Her worst fears said that 'Dite hadn't even noticed her disappearance, but she recognized that as a terrible sort of lack of charity and pushed it from her mind immediately.

"'Dite?"

Things had improved since talking to Griff, but it was still a somewhat more timid girl than the one that had first walked into this store.

Aphrodite had been trying to reach Hercules, who had crawled under a display case in the back room in order to avoid the rose collar dangling from his mistress's hand.

When she recognized the soft voice she lifted her head, promptly banging it on a shelf.

"Son of a bacchae, that hurt." Rubbing the spot and wincing. "Fiona? Is that you?" An ice pack materialized in her hand as she headed to the front of the store.

She had faced a crocodile the size of an apartment, a mad and flaming Prometheus in a coverall, and a demon lord... and Fiona was about three seconds from running. But she clung to the door frame, nodded, then realized how silly it was to nod in such a situation.

"Yes. Hi."

As entrances went, it was lame. But at least she was here?

"Oh, my gooooosh!" Stepping forward quickly, she moved to hug Fiona. "Sweet Pea, where have you been? I've been worried." At the last moment she remembered to get rid of the ice pack before she accidentally dropped it on Fiona, zapping it back to where ever she pulled it from. "I'm so glad you're here."

A far more damaging weight had fallen on Fiona, and that was guilt. But it wasn't 'Dite who'd dropped it. If anything, Fiona had left it where it could be pushed quite easily on her head and 'Dite had just walked along her merry way.

She hugged the other goddess back, firm and hard as if saving up all the hugs she'd missed in the last few--

Months. It's been months.

"Sorry."

"Sorry for what, Sweet Pea?" 'Dite pulled back a little to look at Fiona. "Are you okay? You look so glum." A chair appeared and 'Dite motioned her friend toward it. "Sit. Tell me everything that's been happening. I've missed you!"

"For not coming here. I should have. Stuff--"

Too much stuff. Too much stuff and too much avoiding people and not enough trust for those who'd earned it.

Fiona sat.

"Missed you too," was the honest truth.

"Tsk! Don't worry about it." 'Dite waved a hand. "You're a teenager, things are going to get busy, I understand that. Besides, it just means we get a nice long girl chat session." She grinned, her nose wrinkling as she did so. "Soooooo . . . first things first. How are things with Griff?"

She had a feeling she knew, but thought it better to ask.

She swallowed and gave off a soft huff of a breath.

"We're... friends. Again."

There'd been a blow up in between, of course, and one that had actually not been her fault, as far as she was concerned.

"Friends is good." 'Dite nodded. "Some of my best friends are friends."

She took a moment to really study Fiona. The last time she'd seen her there had been a touch of confidence growing in her, an excitement that shown from her eyes. Now they just appeared -- dull. Aphrodite frowned.

"What's happened, Sweet Pea? What made you stay away for so long?"

She put her arms around herself and leaned back in the chair.

"Trying to figure things out. Family stuff. And then things with Griff were... weird. And then they kind of exploded. And I've been busy with homework, lately."

"Well, I'd offer to help with Griff, but I think I better not. Though you're welcome to complain about him if you want." She winked, trying to get a small smile.

It faded soon enough. "What kind of family stuff?" That was the part that worried her. A memory of Fiona's uncle flitted through her mind and she leaned forward a little. "Tell me?"

"I... shouldn't complain," she said, though it was obviously with effort. She wanted to rant and rave and scream for a while, but she didn't want to chance it getting back on the radio.

"We're friends now. Whatever happens there happens."

Then she breathed out.

"My mother, pretty much."

"Tell me about her?" They could go back to Griff later; this was more important. "Last time I saw you, you were excited because your Aunt had been able to fix it so you can taste food. But I don't remember you mentioning her. What's been happening since then?"

More guilt. She'd found out about both things at the same time, but she hadn't told 'Dite out of shame.

"I found out at the same time, really. I just... I don't-- it was on radio but so much stupid crap is on radio--"

She sighed.

"My mother's decided we're a liability. If my brother or I step out of line, the Council's already decided we're dead."

And that would be a very upset goddess of love.

"And she calls herself your mother?" She stood. "Uh-uh. No." Pacing. "Not happening. Ever." She stopped and turned back.

"What about Aunt Dallas?" After all, that was supposed to be her in Fiona's world, even if it was a ridiculous name. "Tell me she told them off?"

Fiona nodded.

"And got kicked off the Council for it. Uncle Aaron signed... but just so he could stay on. That's what Aunt Dallas said."

The words came out like from a computer, automatic, from memory. From thinking them over and over and over, going over every moment of her Aunt's warning to try and find new meaning, or maybe just some loop hole for her mother.

Louis had said to forgive her. Had begged them to. She wasn't sure she could this time.

"Right. Just so he could stay . . . uh-huh." She didn't trust the man as far as . . . as . . . well, let's just say she didn't trust him. "So, what protection has Dallas put in place for you? To make sure no one gets any . . . ideas?"

'Dite was already rolling up her sleeves.

"I don't know. I... don't think she has. I think she's just working on family politics at the moment."

"So -- has anyone thought about protecting you and your brother? Or did they just say, 'stay out of trouble'?" She was not happy about this.

She thought for a moment before--

"Uncle Aaron had one of the teachers take me on for extra lessons. And they both told me to work on the, um, the things I can do with the strings. And cutting."

Specifically those things that weren't merely martial but the severing, joining, and manipulating of Fate.

"Which teacher? Someone here?" She frowned. "Which strings are they talking about?"

If they were the ones she was thinking of . . . encouraging a teenager to do that was just wrong in her opinion.

"Professor Maximus," she said, though she'd been avoiding him as well.

"And... the strings. Threads. Whatever."

It was nearly second nature now, to reach out into the fabric. She never changed anything, never cut anything but her finger paused on one in a way that perhaps only someone like 'Dite would be able to see.

Aphrodite felt the touch more than she saw it, but it still made a shiver crawl up her spine. Her voice went very soft. "Please stop that."

Hearing that Max was teaching her young friend was both heartening and worrying. "What are you studying with Max? What did your Uncle want him to teach you?"

'Dite remembered someone else who had rewoven threads he didn't understand, and the almost horrific consequences of that action. It wasn't a story she enjoyed telling, but she considered that Fiona might need to hear it. Soon.

She pulled her finger away from it, almost startled. What had she done wrong?

She swallowed and wasn't sure exactly what she should say.

"Mostly about soldiering stuff. I took one of his classes last semester as well. I, uh, haven't been to see him for a bit, though. He's probably kind of pissed at me."

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'Dite's Decadent Delights, Friday

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