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Dite's Decadent Delights, Monday Afternoon

In a charming change of pace, Karla was both present and awake today in the shop. She had found her banner from last session and hung it up on the wall behind the cash register again, pointing towards the back room.

Two other signs adorned the windows, one that said

Buy One Sex Toy, Get Another HALF-OFF
One for Class and One for You!

and a second, much smaller sign reading

(Sorry, no refunds).

Signs and banners hung, Karla was searching for something to bring in to class of Friday. Right now, she was looking at a firefighter's helmet attached to a riding crop and trying to figure out how and why they went together.

So far, no dice.

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'Dite had to swallow, hard. If it was possible for an immortal goddess to be nauseated, she was.

If Karla looked closely, she might see 'Dite's hands shake a little as she straightened the inventory papers, before messing them up and straightening them again.

"So . . . Raven brought you . . . back?" She couldn't look at Karla, her face twisted as she accepted what was being said. "Was Emma okay?" 'Dite spared a grateful thought to the others who had helped save Karla. "How'd you guys get out of there?" She wasn't going to ask how Karla killed the creature.

"From the very brink, yes," Karla said quietly. "I didn't--quite--cross over, but Raven said it was very close." After Karla had badgered the information out of her.

"Emma's fine, if a bit diamondy right now. After Raven Healed me, she cut the maenad off from her emotional food supply. That left her weaker, so Emma engaged her in a kind of mental tug-of-war. Which was when I...finished her off."

Looking at 'Dite, Karla felt it was best not to go into that kind of detail. "After she was dead, we all hopped through a portal and came home. That was the second time Warren and I spent the night together." She tried to catch 'Dite's eye to explain that. "He held me and I cried and we kissed a little. That's all. I did the same for him when he came back from Meathook Palace or wherever he went over the weekend. He's not going to push me for anything I'm not ready to give."

'Dite wasn't sure how she should respond. Should she be concerned that Karla was spending nights with this Warren person? Be upset that the whole group had put themselves in such danger? Gratitude for Raven's abilities was her first and foremost emotion, but Raven wasn't here to thank.

She found she really couldn't look at Karla. "I'm glad you can trust Warren and I'm glad you have someone like that you can go to." Ignore the slight tang of jealousy in her voice; she was still well aware that there were details she wasn't getting.

Besides that, Aphrodite was suddenly very tired and a little afraid. Having to kill used to bother Karla. Now . . . 'Dite backed away from the counter, feeling her age for the first time in a long while. "I'm glad everyone's safe."

Karla felt her withdrawal and was uncertain how to deal with it. Guilt for having caused it? Anger for being judged without cause? Shame? "So am I," she said. "And I'm glad we stopped her. She was planning on moving on to start again somewhere else. We couldn't let her do that. She was evil, 'Dite."

'Dite nodded. "I know. Bacchae always are." She turned away, still troubled, then made a decision and turned back, her eyes tracking to Karla's once again.

"How did you kill her, Karla?"

There was no judgment in her voice, just a sadness and a touch of concern.

Karla looked away. "You don't want to know," she said. "You'll be more disappointed in me than you already are."

Taking a step back toward her, 'Dite raised her hands. "How can I be disappointed in you? How? So far as I know you're the same young woman that put herself in danger for some defenseless kittens, the same person that helped a group of mainly students discover the key to how to stop the whole island from going poof, and the same person that risked everything when she thought a friend was going crazy." Her hands dropped and she shook her head. "I'm not disappointed, Karla. I'm just worried."

She waited. "Tell me how."

"I waited until she was entrenched in her fight with Emma," Karla said, "and then I snuck up behind her and put my hand through her chest."

In all, it was a very delicate piece of Craft, passing her flesh through someone else's and removing something of theirs, without leaving any of herself behind.

Somehow, she doubted anyone else would appreciate the skill.

"I pulled out her heart, 'Dite." There was almost a challenge there. Do you still love me? Are you sure?

Aphrodite stared for a moment, taking one slow deep breath. She sensed the challenge, and met it.

Yes. I still love you.

Still, there was worry in her eyes, and a hint of warning in the soft tone she spoke with.

"Be careful, kiddo. There's a big difference between justice and revenge -- but the line between them is as thin as a hair."

She held Karla's gaze a moment more before starting back up the stairs to her office.

"I know," Karla said, cupping her elbows as she turned back to the counter. "May the Darkness have mercy, but I know."

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Dite's Decadent Delights, Monday Afternoon

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