fandomtownies | 'Dite's Decadent Delights, Tuesday afternoon

It was almost closing time when 'Dite came in. She had a brightly colored if badly wrapped package in her arms that vaguely resembled a basket. Hanging from one hand was a bag of takeout.

"Raven! Happy Solstice!"

Putting the gift down on the counter, she held her arms open for a hug. "Thought I'd bring you your gift and some dinner. Chinese okay? I had a craving."

"Hello, Lady Aphrodite," Raven said with a big smile. "It is good to see you." And she wasn't turning down that hug.

'Dite squeezed hard, then stepped back. She pulled a bottle of coke out of the pocket of her parka. "By the way, a polar bear gave me this." She handed it to Raven. "Better than other things he could give, I guess."

"I met him -- or one like him -- earlier," Raven said, accepting the bottle and setting it down on the counter. "And several of his friends have visited Jono at Groovy Tunes earlier."

It probably didn't take a Goddess of Love to see how much Raven practically glowed when she said Jono's name.

"Ooooooh... I recognize that name." 'Dite winked, pleased to see the happiness shining from Raven. "I should so go and make sure he's good enough for you." She'd never do it, but teasing Raven and Karla about their boyfriends was just too much fun.

She put the wrapped present in front of Raven. "Here. Happy Solstice, Merry Xmas, whichever. Open it!"

Raven would find that it was indeed a basket, filled with scented body lotions, special bath salts, and sea shell candles that smelled like wonderfully like the ocean on a summer day. All of them were hand labelled, saying, 'Aphrodite's Special Non-Magical Creations'.

Except the candies. Those were just regular store bought chocolate truffles.

"Oh, thank you," Raven said, inhaling the scents of the lotions, candles, and candies. "I will have to use these to pamper myself." Something she wasn't used to doing, but she was willing to learn.

She reached behind the counter for her bag and pulled out a small box, which she shyly held out to Aphrodite. "I got you this," she said. She had no idea if a Goddess would have any need of balancing her chakras, but it looked pretty, at least.

"Aww!" 'Dite took it carefully. "Sweet Pea, that's so sweet of you. Thank you." When she opened it her eyes widened. "Oh, Raven, that's beautiful." Holding it up, she gazed at it, smiling. "Thank you so much!"

More hugging. There could never be too much hugging!

"This has been the best month ever," Raven said happily when she finally pulled away from the hug. Except for the beginning of it, which reminded her.... "Thank you for what you did for Karla to bring her home," she said softly. "I wish I had been able to help her, but I am glad you were able to do so instead."

'Dite's smile grew softer, but held a slight satisfaction in it. "It was nice to be one of the rescuers this time. But -- really, I was just glad we got her out of there. That bastar--" She took a breath, then blew it out softly. "Anyway, I'm just glad all of them came home safely." She put a hand on Raven's shoulder. "And you're more help to her than you could ever know, just by being her friend."

Speaking of friends . . .

'Dite pushed the bag of food over. "By the way, she told me about this plan of hers." Carefully not looking at Raven, she pulled out the containers of stir fried vegetables for Raven and beef'n'broccoli for herself. "I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter."

Raven picked up a pair of chopsticks but froze mid-picking up a pea pod and blushed. Of course Karla would have said something to 'Dite about it; she should have expected such questions. "About her Virgin Night?" she said. "If she feels ready to engage in the physical act of love, then I am pleased for her and relieved she can finally put the risk of someone from her home attempting to break her behind her," she said carefully. "And if I can help see her safely through this, I am glad to do so, though I must speak to Jono about it first."

"I think that's a very good idea." 'Dite's words weren't exactly mumbled, but they weren't said in a very loud voice either.

She stabbed a piece of broccoli and stared at it. "Do you think she's ready for this? Truly ready? Or is she rushing out of fear and wanting the wait to be over?"

Or was it both? 'Dite could concede that both might be true.

"She is understandably afraid of becoming the victim of an act of violence, and how aside from the physical pain, it could strip her of her powers," Raven said quietly. She had to clamp down on the rage that started to stir within her -- if someone did that to Karla, she would make them suffer for it.

"But she loves Warren; I have felt it," she went on. "She is nervous, but I think she is truly ready for such intimacy, more so than I was."

Aphrodite nodded, having to agree with that. "Nervous is understandable, of course. And I agree that she's more -- aware -- than you were." See, she could do delicate, really. "The question is -- are you ready for such intimacy . . . with Karla?" She raised a hand to forestall any immediate reaction. "I want you to think carefully about this, Raven. I can see your feelings for her and how deep they go. Yet your face lights up when you talk about this Jono." She sighed. "I'm not trying to be mean, and I'm not saying it's a bad idea. But are you sure you're ready for your relationship to change in this way? Because it will change things."

Raven picked at her rice for a long, silent moment. "It will not change things," she decided. "It is only one night that I will be there with them, and then she will not need me for such things. It will only be her and Warren. And I will be with Jono, which is where I wish to be."

"Raven, you're talking about having sex with two people, neither of whom are Jono." 'Dite tilted her head. "And not just sex, but to be emotionally connected, feeling everything Karla does -- only one night or not, how will that not change things?"

She sighed. "Look, it's not like I'm against the idea. I'm actually thinking it's half-brilliant. But I worry about you just as much as I do her, and I want to make sure you've thought about how it will affect you as much as you have Karla."

"I do not think it will change things between Karla and me," Raven said, though her voice wasn't entirely confident. She was a little worried about things changing.

"I care for her, and she for me," she said, "but we both understand this is just for one time. I will not long for more intimacy with her, for I am very happy with what I am sharing with Jono. My concerns are that Jono not be hurt and that Karla emerges from this night healthy and safe."

Aphrodite certainly couldn't argue with the last part. She definitely could with the first.

But she wouldn't.

She leaned forward, her forearms against the countertop, her upper body parallel to them. For a moment she was quiet, thinking of how to say what she needed to.

"Raven, you're still pretty new to dealing with strong emotions, and especially love. So, I'm going to share a secret with you, okay?" 'Dite took a deep breath. "There are many ways to show that you love someone. Being concerned is one, being there to hold them, take care of them, all great ways to show love. But Raven, deliberately sacrificing yourself, or your feelings? Isn't."

Having nothing more to say,'Dite straightened, reaching for her next dumpling. "Do you have plans for the holiday? Or on Thursday? I could really use you or Karla for those two hours of the contest, but not if you have plans."

"I do not consider this a sacrifice," Raven promised. "And I will do my best to make certain it changes nothing between any of us." Well, except between Karla and Warren. That was a big change.

"Our friend Sookie has invited us to her home in Louisiana for Christmas," she went on. "I am not certain exactly when we are to take the portal, however, so we may still be here for the contest. I will speak to Sookie and find out if we will be here to help you."

"I'd really appreciate it. It's just two hours. I figure one person to take the donations, and one to run the counter?" 'Dite shrugged and wrinkled her nose. "In some ways I'm really not looking forward to this."

"Why not?" Raven asked, concerned. "What is wrong? Is there something I can do to help?" She was glad to shift the conversation from her and Karla and Warren and Jono because it involved less blushing and/or flailing.

"No! No, Sweetie, nothing's wrong." 'Dite laughed a little. "It's just -- well, this whole thing started because I put up some mistletoe and everyone was stopping under it and demanding a kiss, and some of them? Hercules could kiss better than them." She shivered slightly in remembrance. "Kissing's an art, not a sport."

'Dite bit her lip, thinking about it. "Kissing should be like. . . the opening gentle notes of a long drawn out dance number. It should whet your appetite for the event to come." And then a disgusted face. "Not make you think you're about to drown in an aquarium." And just for kicks she made a kissy face, opening and closing her lips like a fish would.

Raven made a face. "I hope I do not look like that when I kiss," she said. Her expression grew more dreamy. "But Jono has never complained, at least. I hope I do it more like the art you describe."

"Well, as long as Jono has no complaints, I'm sure everything's great." She paused, hoping it was okay to tease. "No complaints from, um, other quarters, I suppose? Like, one blond haired witch?" 'Dite's face was the picture of innnocence. Truly!

Raven turned a bright shade of red somewhere around the crimson part of the spectrum. "She has never complained, either," she murmured. "Though it is different from when I kiss Jono, for that is empathic or in dreams. But it feels very real. It is real to me."

At first 'Dite just wanted to laugh at the blush on Raven's face. Then the words caught up with her and she stared.

"Wait -- what? Empath-- in dreams? You . . . haven't kissed him in real life?" Obviously, 'Dite hadn't met Jono. This . . . would be interesting. "I've heard of people waiting to have sex, but waiting to kiss? I thought that went out of style with the Hestians."

"No, not, it is not like that," Raven said quickly. "We have been physically intimate." That admission wasn't helping her blush at all. "But his gifts have altered him, and he has psionic energy where his chest and the bottom of his face once were."

"Psioni-- you mean he -- oh." 'Dite tried to picture it and failed, then tried again.

"Hm."

That was a little better.

"So -- he can't kiss, except -- empathically? How does that work?" She wanted to ask about that slip, that they'd been intimate, but figured Raven's blush was getting strong enough to heat the room already. No need to push the envelope. Yet.

"I can use my gifts to make him feel the sensation of being kissed" -- or licked or nibbled as the case may be, but she wasn't about to get into that without some more serious blushing -- "and he can project the same to me," Raven explained. "It is not a use of my powers that I had much practice with before now, but...." Well, she'd gotten quite good at it, if she could say so herself.

"That's . . . fascinating." 'Dite looked partly intrigued and partly amazed. "I mean, I can do that, and I know Ma--" Well, maybe that wasn't a name to bring up in this conversation. "-- someone else who can do something similar, but I didn't know you could do that." She leaned forward a little more. "What kind of power does Jono have, anyway? You said he has psionic energy instead of a chest and face?"

Raven twitched, just a tiny bit, knowing what 'Dite had been about to say. She knew far too well what he could do with his powers, but she swept that away to the back of her mind, refusing to dwell on it. Or, well, get over it, but that was beside the point.

"He is able to project that energy," she said. She'd seen him do it in Agio as she'd rushed around healing people, and she didn't like to dwell on that, either. "And use it to destroy a foe. And he is telepathic, as well, since he can no longer speak."

"Well, at least he can communicate fairly easily, then." Which would come in handy during sex, but 'Dite wasn't going there. For once.

She smiled, mischievously. "You know I have to meet him and approve before things go any farther, right? It's my duty as your employer and friend." At least she gave Raven a wink to let her know she was (mostly) kidding.

"He has already had to deal with Professor Skywalker," Raven said, blush easing but still there. "I am certain he will face you with equal bravery."

"Oooh. Now you're just challenging me to be all scary and come up with tougher questions than this Skywalker guy." Aphrodite couldn't help but tease. "I'll have to ask about his intentions, his future prospects . . . make sure he'll be able to provide for you and all the little Ravens that'll be popping up . . ."

Raven's eyes widened a bit at the teasing, taking it too seriously as she was often wont to do. "My feelings for him are stronger than his for me," she said, "though I am hopeful that will one day change. I am not certain how much of a future he has envisioned. And I do not think that he can...make...little Ravens." Since certain internal parts were missing, though the external ones worked just fine, so maybe that was a foolish assumption. They hadn't exactly been practicing safe sex.

'Dite had to laugh. She hadn't meant to make Raven look so worried. "Easy, Sweet Pea. I was joking, mostly." She shook her head. "You two are just starting out, so who knows which way feelings will go. His might grow while yours fade, and such is life and love. Or they might both grow at the same time and you'll end up in a happy ever after. Who knows?" She patted Raven's hand. "And it's wayyyyy too early to start really thinking about little Ravens. I'm sure when it's time, you'll figure something out."

She didn't want to get into a conversation about how she thought she should never have children because she didn't want to condemn them to the same struggle that she faced with her demonic blood. Instead, she smiled and nodded. "I hope so," she said, "though I am certain my feelings will never fade. I love him, Lady Aphrodite, and it is such a wondrous feeling."

What could the goddess of Love say to that?

She could say a hundred things. She could talk about Chuck, could bring up the time Raven unconsciously forced people to love her, she could simply say that Raven had come a long way since they'd met.

Instead, her smile turned slightly mysterious, and she suddenly looked just a little bit wiser. "I know it is, Sweet Pea." 'Dite nodded. "I know."

'Dite's Decadent Delights, Tuesday afternoon

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