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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 8:09 pm
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Parvana had walked on clouds after winning the dancing contest at Venus' engagement party. As her dancing partner had seemed...less than thrilled to be dancing with her (perhaps he just wasn't into women? that would certainly explain it...), she'd opted to take her prize and go on a date with another of the Erotes. Now, Parvana normally wouldn't choose a woman to go on a date with, but she'd become so taken with the Goddess of Beauty that she..she couldn't resist. And when the fetching God of Androgyny had turned the Goddess of Beauty into a very beautiful God of Beauty, well...so much the better. Their date had gone well.
Very well.
In fact, it had gone so well that after a season, Parvana returns to Aglaia's temple to give an offering and...hopefully to summon her here to the island. She's not at all sure what she'd say if the Goddess deigns to show up, but Parvana feels that she ought to know about them.
She carries with her twin baby girls, identical to all except their mother, swaddled in pink and purple, with blonde curls peeking out from their blankets. Yes, that date had gone very well indeed. And now Parvana was a mother. She'd been so focused on feeding, changing, and caring for her new little ones that she hadn't had time to reflect on her situation. But here in the temple, it hits her. Her babies were goddesses. Her bloodline was now mingled with that of Venus herself, and the realization makes Parvana's cheeks flush with excitement. Ever since the party last year, she'd been enchanted with Venus and her retinue. The were so powerful, so beautiful, so carefree in their sumptuous palace on Dolandor. She'd fantasized about being a part of it, being welcomed to come and go in the halls of Venus' temple as she pleased, chatting casually with Hymnaios or Phaenna, making wine with Euphrosyne. And while she'd never really get to do those things, her daughters might.
Realizing she'd been standing there without doing anything for quite a while, Parvana jumps a little, as if startled, and kneels down near the altar. She'd wanted to burn a sprig of myrtle as incense, but in Telrunya City it was difficult to find such things, and she didn't exactly have the time to go foraging for a myrtle tree with two newborns. So she'd gone to the market and found a small jar of myrtle oil. She sets the jar carefully on the altar. She bows forward, hugging her daughters to her chest, her nose not quite touching the marble floor.
Parvana sends up a silent prayer to Aglaia, Goddess of Beauty, hoping that she would choose to appear to her.
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:08 pm
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Life on Dolandor used to be so slendid and full of epicurean pleasures. Until Eris. Eris wrecked the Goddess of Beauty's beautiful life. But that was behind her now. Maybe. Sometimes. The trauma caused flashbacks once in a while if she was in a situation that reminded her of her previous life. Previous Life. That is what she called it. She was a different goddess now. Even different than who she'd been before moving to this island to be nearer her mother. She didn't know who she was anymore.
Venus had been so kind and delicate with nursing her back to sanity and helping ease the pain and erase the scars. Until recently. Aglaia inadvertently struck her mother's fiance with an arrow enchanted with her beauty spell. And another Pae'il whom she didn't know. Yeah, she was pretty sure her 'luck' was gone and she'd be cinders soon as Venus caught her. So she spent most of her time hiding or avoiding her mother for now. This was also likely a self-inflicted punishment, because she was simply avoiding her mother.
Aglaia lounged in the garden near the area set aside for the graces. She draped herself on the edge of the large fountain, just staring into the water and lazily drawing across the water's surface to create delicate ripples. She could see her reflection, and that of her small wings, and the ripples served to distort the image and the memories it invoked.
She hefted a sigh before pushing herself upright. She suddenly felt a tug in the back of her mind followed by the familiar ringing of chimes. Someone was summoning her? At first, there was a moment of panic, because the last time she'd been summoned, was to see her niece -- a piece of her past that was still painful to think about because of the grasp Eris had on her mind. After the panic, a sense of duty washed over her thoughts. She stood up, and straightened her drape and made sure her hair was pulled back out of her face.
Moments later, she appeared in the temple of Venus, squatting behind her altar, trying to hide until she could tell who summoned her. She peeked around the corner to see.
Oh!
She rose to her feet, and smiled at the woman she remembered from after the dancing contest. When she was a man. Oh right. Blushing from head to toe - thankful she was the same color -- her cheeks warmed and opened her arms in greeting. "Hello!"
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Posted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:22 pm
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Parvana is....sure she heard some rustling, but can't be positive until she hears a vaguely-familiar, if higher-pitched than the last time she'd heard it, voice. The Goddess of Beauty sounded happy to see her. At least, for now.
Suddenly Parvana is a bundle of anxiety, remembering the night they'd shared, and picturing the worst of Aglaia's possible reactions to her new daughters. She'd heard the gods could be uncaring toward their offspring, disdainful even. Perhaps she shouldn't have come here, just raised the little ones in secret and silence.
But she had come here, and her daughters deserved to know their heritage, and to at least know of the family to which they belonged, the proud lineage of which they were a part. Slowly Parvana lifts her head and smiles nervously. She watches for Aglaia's reaction as she straightens her posture, twin bundles held close to her chest. "Hello," she manages, her voice quavering.
A million excuses and words want to tumble from her mouth--don't worry, I'll take care of them--you don't even have to visit--please don't be angry--but she remains silent, offering the first word to the Goddess.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 11:07 pm
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The Goddess seemed...delighted to see them? Like she'd expected her to show up with infants? That hadn't been the reaction Parvana had expected at all. But then, something about the way Aglaia had said your babies doesn't sit right with her. It's odd, somehow. But she pushes it away from her mind and nods right away, offering one of the bundles to the Goddess. "Of course, of course," she says. During the transfer, the cloth falls away from the infant's head, revealing a cheerful blonde head of hair.
That's when Parvana remembers Aglaia's words. Your babies. The Goddess hadn't been expecting them at all--she must think that these little ones were Parvana's from before! Her cheeks flush red again, and suddenly she wishes she hadn't given the baby over to her. What if she needed to flee from the Goddess' wrath after all? She'd have to snatch the bundle and run. What if Aglaia took her anger out on the baby? Parvana bites her bottom lip. Best to break this news slowly.
"So..." She struggles to find words, beginning to sweat nervously. "H-how have you been this past season?" she finishes lamely. Think, Parvana, think!
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 1:37 am
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2014 8:58 pm
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Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:10 pm
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 2:16 pm
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Parvana senses the change in Aglaia's demeanor, and she mentally backs off. She takes the other baby back into her arms and shifts to hold them both comfortably. She'd acquired quite the muscles in her arms since she'd had them.
"Identical," she agrees with a nod. "Their names are Aliza and Zuleika." She lifts each baby slightly as she names her. She smiles a little bit, but one of Aglaia's comments had gotten under her skin. Combined with I am not sure you have the right pae, the remark that usually only one child results from trysts with my brothers communicated that not only was Aglaia denying the children were hers...she was implying that Parvana had slept with one of the other gods! What kind of woman did she think Parvana was?
"I didn't have a tryst with one of your brothers," she says calmly, simply. She knows such a statement is dangerous, as clearly Aglaia is already on edge, but as a woman Parvana must defend her honor. If not for her own sake than for the sake of her daughters. She was not a loose woman. "In fact," she adds, deciding that she might as well go for broke, "I haven't had a tryst with anyone as of late, except one." Her tone is defensive, not accusatory. She's just trying to uphold her reputation.
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:12 pm
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:33 pm
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Parvana had been bracing herself for a verbal barrage, but Aglaia had kept her tone even. This surprises Parvana, who chances a glance up at the Goddess' face. Twins weren't common on Dolandor? It stood to reason, she supposes, since identical twins weren't common anywhere. Perhaps only a whole handful on the whole isle. The idea of such uniqueness brings a little smile to Parvana's face.
There, the annoyance in Aglaia's voice had returned. Parvana stands very still. She'd hate to incur the wrath of the gods....Venus could be vengeful, and Aglaia was her favorite. And all of them had powers beyond anyone on the isle...
She's asking to see them again. Parvana bites her bottom lip. She's hesitant to give either of the girls over again, not when it's so tense and dangerous. But would it be worse not to? Parvana nods and gives Zuleika this time over to Aglaia. Let them both have a chance to be held by the Goddess. Hopefully she wouldn't wake.
The last question disarms her. She hadn't expected that. Not at all. She'd expected to come here and deliver the news and be sent away. She'd expected to never hear from Aglaia again. "I..." she begins, her voice cracking. "I don't know...I don't wish anything of you, necessarily," she says with a nervous shrug. "I just thought you should know is all."
After a moment's pause, she adds, "What do you wish of me?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:02 pm
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:40 pm
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:06 pm
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Aglaia saw the worry and stress the question caused, though she was unsure of the reasons why. She handed one of the babies back to the Fae and held the other out to look in her face. "They're the same. They belong to both of us. Seems reasonable that I have one, right?"
She took the baby back in close, petting the little blond curls.
Since there's never been twins before, she had no idea what the protocol was for this sort of situation. What would happen if she brought an infant home? She considers that if her mother was there, she'd be elated. Another little chubby cheeked cherub. She'd never had a chance to know her grandkids and Aglaia thinks maybe she could be the first to let Venus have a role in one of her granddaughter's lives. It complete escapes her stream of thought that Venus was the one who raised Voluptas. That would ruin her rational, too.
A sudden smell wafted up from the baby. Aglaia furls her brow and tries to cover her nose. "What in the world is that smell?" she gags a little, "oh my, I think it got in my mouth!" she gags more, nearly dropping the child. A bout of panic hit her heart at the thought of nearly dropping the precious bundle. But the smell! "Is that normal?"
She quickly unloads the stinky infant on Parvana. She did not know babies could create that big of a stink. They're so little! She knew they'd poop, but she figured they were small, so small smells. "What do you feed these things?"
Maybe having one of her own wasn't a good idea.
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Posted: Thu May 01, 2014 8:54 pm
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