The Park, Thursday Afternoon
Karla had asked for them to meet in the park because she already knew that their discussion would be long, difficult, and emotionally draining. Since landscapers were already working on the park, she doubted anyone would notice or care about her doing an extra little bit of gardening. But Karla wanted to stay as calm as possible during this talk, and working with the land was a good method for doing so.
She looked up at ‘Dite’s approach, trying not to visibly stiffen up. “‘Dite,” she greeted softly. “I’m glad you came.”
Aphrodite tried a casual approach. “Well, I didn’t really have anything better to do.” Leaning against a tree, she offered a small smile. “Did they hire you to do some work, or are you just feeling helpful?”
“Like they could afford my wages,” Karla sniffed, giving ‘Dite a kind of wobbly smile. “I just like puttering around in the dirt. They’re just lucky I’m not trying to make mud pies and throwing them at people who passed by.”
Lame joke was lame, but Karla wasn’t at her best, okay?
“You can probably guess how many times I got in trouble for that as a little girl.”
The thought got a genuine smile from ‘Dite. “I can see that.” For a long moment she just watched. “Can I help in any way?”
The tone of her voice said she was talking about more than playing in the dirt.
“I’d like that,” Karla said quietly, nodding. “Have you ever gardened before? Or did you always just kind of snap your fingers and be done with it?”
Karla wasn’t judging if she had. She didn’t have the same issues with using Craft for every day tasks that others seemed to.
Slowly, ‘Dite stepped closer. “Have to admit, it was easier to just snap my fingers. Only Demeter really knew about gardens and such.” She shrugged even as she knelt, leaving a little room between the two of them. “I just knew the flowers smelled nice.”
Now that she was kneeling on the ground, she had no idea what to do and looked helplessly at Karla. “I have no clue what I should do.”
Karla was pretty sure that comment also applied to more than just gardening. “Here,” Karla called in another trowel and handed it over to ‘Dite. “We’re loosening the soil to prepare it for planting. It needs to be aerated and loose, or the seedlings won’t take.”
She showed ‘Dite the basics of what to do, giving a few tips and pointers. “It seems a little pointless,” she said ruefully. “But laying the groundwork is always important.”
”Right.” ‘Dite nodded. “Because if you don’t lay the ground work and something bad happens, it can’t be fixed. Right?”
She glanced sideways at Karla. “How do you fix it if something bad happens? Like . . . a storm?”
“The storm comes and washes everything away?” Karla asked. “Depending on the strength of your foundation, it’s really hard to lose everything. It might be buried under things or partially submerged, but a complete loss is difficult to imagine.”
She dug for a few moments, considering her words carefully. “I once had a garden in Glacia. There was a really, really rainy spring and it got flooded and the plants rotted in the ground. My entire garden was ruined. I had to put in a lot of work, clearing away the debris and re-working the ground. It was a lot of work and I was really angry for awhile, but I was able to reseed and replant. If I hadn’t laid all the groundwork before, it would have been unsalvageable. But even though the damage went deep, there was enough foundation for me to rebuild.” She shrugged a bit, keeping her eyes on the ground in front of her. “There’s no one tried and true way to fix something like that. It just involves working hard and trying.”
It was quiet for a moment as Aphrodite considered Karla’s words. She worked slowly, following what Karla had just taught her.
Finally, she sighed. “You know, I’ve never been great at hard work. Even at the store, it’s just easier to snap my fingers and change things around. I mean, zap, it’s done, how hard is that?” ‘Dite held up one hand, raising an eyebrow at the dirt on her fingers. “I suppose . . . maybe it’s time I get my hands dirty. What do you think?”
“I think it might be time,” Karla said, nodding. “Everything has a price. That’s how you know that what you have is worthwhile.”
She flicked a small bit of dirt onto ‘Dite’s hand. “Oops,” she said, darting the goddess a quick smile.
”Why, you little brat.” ‘Dite flicked her fingers back at Karla, but instead of dirt, small droplets of water sprinkled down. She winked.
It felt almost normal between them for just that moment, but she knew it couldn’t last. After a moment, ‘Dite took a deep breath. She’d made the mistake and it was her job to start the conversation. “Are you all right, Karla?” She wasn’t asking about the state of their relationship now, but about Karla herself. “Is Raven okay?”
For a moment, it really did, and that, more than anything, gave Karla some hope about their own foundation.
“I’m okay,” she replied honestly. “I needed the time away, though. It helped me put things into a little more perspective.” She sighed, running her fingers through her hair, heedless of the dirt she left behind. “That came on top of a really crazy weekend of fighting and death and drama and it left me both--oddly numb and a little oversensitive at the same time, if that makes any sense at all.”
It probably didn’t, but it was accurate, for all that it was also confusing. “As for Raven...well, it’s hard to say. She was really shaken up by everything, but, in the end, it wasn’t anything you did that scared her the most.”
Which almost made things worse.
“I know, but if I hadn’t done what I did, Raven wouldn’t have flipped, and Max wouldn’t have needed to do what he did, and --” She sighed, then cocked her head. “Max and I kept blaming ourselves until we agreed not to talk about blame. We just kind of -- talked about everything else.”
‘Dite glanced down with a small smile, then raised her gaze to meet Karla’s. “I took him to Disneyland. To watch the fireworks. And . . . kind of say I’m sorry.” Her gaze grew distant and her smile wider. “I think it helped.”
Had it, or was Max just letting ‘Dite believe that? Karla wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t her place to ask, either. Especially when she wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to know.
“So, ‘Dite, what exactly happened?” she asked, instead. “More than anything else...I need answers.”
Thinking about the question, ‘Dite leaned back, shifting in the dirt, and crossed her legs in front of her.
She considered how much to actually explain. Did she tell Karla the whole story, or stick to the simple fact of how angry she’d been when she came back to the island?
The whole story. “I guess you could say it started with a prayer. To me. Which is really rare these days.” ‘Dite leaned back on her hands. “So, I try to answer the few I get. And . . . well, Cupid and Bliss weren’t happy about that.”
To say the least.
“Well, whyever not?” Karla asked. “I thought that was your responsibility as a goddess. To listen to those who pray to you.” She still wasn’t entirely, 100% clear on whatall a goddess did, but she was pretty sure that answering prayers was on the list.
”Sure, of course, and I do. But -- well, sometimes you have to listen to what’s behind the prayers. Why are they asking for something? Because they worked for it and deserve it or because they’re being greedy?” ‘Dite squirmed. “It’s not always easy to judge if you’re in a hurry.”
“It’s like being a Queen,” Karla said, noting the squirming and filing that away for now. It was an interesting reaction, but not really all that relevant right now. “My mother would get petitioners all the time. Most of the time, they’d be coming with legitimate concerns and grievances, but there are always going to be people willing to take advantage if they can.”
Karla grew a little wistful. She’d been dreaming about her parents a lot lately. They felt...closer...to her than usual; much like they had when they’d first died, and every thought was about them and every step had brought her to a place where their very presence lingered.
’Dite noticed the wistful look, but didn’t comment. She wasn’t sure it was her place to try to offer comfort at the moment. There was still too much between them.
“I suppose it is like being a Queen.” She nodded. “And -- well, I made a judgment call. A couple of them.” She pursed her lips. “Cupid and Bliss didn’t agree with my decision.”
That was putting it mildly.
Karla nodded once, and then bit her lip. “So this all stemmed from a disagreement...?” She was hoping there was more to it than this. Really, really hoping.
”In a way, yes.” Pulling her knees up, ‘Dite wrapped her arms around them. “That makes it seem so petty and juvenile, doesn’t it? And maybe in the long run it was, on all sides.” Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stay calm and repeat the words that had cut her. “They were angry, and we argued -- and Bliss said I was . . . obsolete.” Her face twisted. “And Cupid told me I should just go to my temple and stay there. For good.” She swallowed. “He said I wasn’t the goddess of love anymore. No one needed me, so I should just quit and . . . fade.”
Karla and ‘Dite had met because Karla had taken very strong issue with a story about how ‘Dite had misused her goddess powers. And even now, Karla was uncertain just how she felt about the gods and their interactions with mortals. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be told such a thing. Darkness knew that is someone came and told Karla that she was obsolete, that it would be better for everyone if she just stopped being a Queen, she’d react poorly.
Still...to the extent that ‘Dite had? Perhaps not. “What does that mean?” she asked. “To fade. What happens to a goddess who is no longer a goddess?” A Queen was still a Queen, even if her Court was broken and she ruled no more than a thumb length of ground. But was that true for a goddess, too?
’Dite put her knee on her chin. “It’s not about not being a goddess anymore. And a goddess who is no longer a goddess -- well, they’re just . . . mortal, I guess.”
Her eyes were distant. “When a god or goddess locks his or herself in a temple and doesn’t come out, they begin to fade. To fade is to become . . . non-existent.”
“Wait...” Karla was processing this and her expression turned to horror. “Your son told you to do the equivalent of suicide?!” she screeched.
Don’t worry, Karla. ‘Dite probably didn’t need hearing in that ear.
Frowning, ‘Dite shook her head. “No, not like you’re thinking. I mean, it’s not like we can actually die, we just . . . fade away into memory. Until memory and myth is all we are.” Her head tilted. “Though . . . I supposed it could compare to mortal death, in a way. Kinda? But . . . not.”
Yep. That cleared everything up.
It did! You can tell by the expression Karla was wearing that it was completely clear!
As mud.
“Okay, so let me make sure I have everything straight so far,” Karla said slowly. “You answered some prayers. That made Bliss and Cupid fly off the handle and tell you that you’ve become obsolete. Then Cupid says you should either become a mortal or lock yourself away in a temple to fade away which is like dying but not at all.” She looked up at ‘Dite to make sure she was understanding this all correctly. “And then what happened?”
”Well,” ‘Dite thought back, trying to remember. “They finally told me not to use my powers, to stay out of their business and,” she frowned, “Go back to Fandom and ‘run my little shop.’” She shook her head. “I was so angry.”
Karla had kind of been expecting a little more, honestly. Perhaps even a lot more. Maybe she was missing something? “‘Dite, I don’t...I don’t understand. I mean, I get why you were hurt and upset and angry at them--” and boy, next time she saw Bliss, she was going to kick him in the kneecap for his role in this “--but why did you come back and do that to us?”
’Dite turned her head away, unable to meet Karla’s eyes. “Because when Cupid told me I wasn’t the goddess of love anymore -- all I could feel was anger. And I decided that if I couldn’t be the goddess of love, I would be . . . Mistress of Sex.” She rolled her eyes at herself. “And then I did an even stupider thing. I cut myself off from my own power and refused to use it.”
With a deep breath, she turned back to Karla. “I cut myself off from the power of love, Karla. By the time I got back to Fandom I couldn’t feel the love I had for anyone. Not for you, Raven, Max -- anyone. All I could feel was anger.” Letting her breath out in a sigh, she said, “Ares would have been proud.”
This was a lot to take in. Or, rather, it wasn’t as much as Karla had expected, even with the assumption that ‘Dite was giving her the most basic details possible. “What’s it like?” she asked quietly. “Cutting yourself off from love, I mean. Does that do something to you, too?”
”It’s -- not a great feeling.” She paused for a moment to consider what the difference had been. “It’s like -- water in a cup. If you punch a hole in the bottom of the cup, the water all leaks out, and the air rushes in. So, the cup isn’t really empty, it’s just not filled with the same thing.” ‘Dite felt like she should be wearing her glasses and adopting a scholarly pose, but didn’t think Karla would appreciate it. “If you think of water as something positive, like love, and air as something negative, like anger, then punching a hole in the bottom of the cup is like draining all the love away and letting all the negative emotions take over.” She turned back to Karla. “Until you guys came and plugged the hole. Do you see?”
Hey, this was a sophisticated analogy for the goddess of love.
Karla thought about it, turning the analogy over in her mind several times. “So, by cutting yourself off from love and all the positive emotions you associate with being a goddess, all that was left were the angry, hateful ones?” she asked. “Unbalanced, but with all the force of your uhh, goddess-yness?”
”Yes.” ‘Dite nodded. “Or, you could say that... it’s more like a running stream, love is, and that stream was damned so it couldn’t flow. So, where the love used to flow was only anger, until something broke through the damn and I could feel again.”
“I think I understand all that,” Karla said slowly. “But, ‘Dite, do you have any idea what you did to us? To me? I know you were hurting and angry, but...you know what I came from. What I left behind. And it didn’t matter to you.” She took a deep breath. “I’m not ready to forgive you yet,” she said. “I just can’t. Not yet.”
She looked back up at her friend and added softly. “But at least now I’m willing to try.”
For just a moment, Aphrodite’s expression turned haughty. “The goddess of love doesn’t ask for forgiveness from a mere mortal.”
Then her head dropped and she sighed. “But ‘Dite would ask it of her friend Karla. You’re right, I should never have put you in that position, any of you. I mean, you and Raven weren’t in any danger in the store, but you both must have been humiliated, and I’m so sorry. I was awful to both of you.” She drew in a breath. “And it did matter, by the way. If it didn’t . . . things would have been much worse.”
“I would have left,” Karla said simply. “I would have walked out and left you to fester in your own anger. Because you don’t do much more than that to two teenaged girls. Even if I didn’t have the spectre of Glacia hanging over my shoulder, I would have left and damned you for it. Any more than that and you would have been no better than what I’d left behind.”
’Dite wanted to argue that. At any other time she would have. But this wasn’t the time to argue, to disagree. Instead, she winced and simply folded her hands.
“Where does this leave us?”
“In the aftermath of a storm,” Karla said, returning to their earlier metaphor. “But with a foundation to work from.”
[Establishy! Preplayed with the wonderful divinesurfchick. NFI]
She looked up at ‘Dite’s approach, trying not to visibly stiffen up. “‘Dite,” she greeted softly. “I’m glad you came.”
Aphrodite tried a casual approach. “Well, I didn’t really have anything better to do.” Leaning against a tree, she offered a small smile. “Did they hire you to do some work, or are you just feeling helpful?”
“Like they could afford my wages,” Karla sniffed, giving ‘Dite a kind of wobbly smile. “I just like puttering around in the dirt. They’re just lucky I’m not trying to make mud pies and throwing them at people who passed by.”
Lame joke was lame, but Karla wasn’t at her best, okay?
“You can probably guess how many times I got in trouble for that as a little girl.”
The thought got a genuine smile from ‘Dite. “I can see that.” For a long moment she just watched. “Can I help in any way?”
The tone of her voice said she was talking about more than playing in the dirt.
“I’d like that,” Karla said quietly, nodding. “Have you ever gardened before? Or did you always just kind of snap your fingers and be done with it?”
Karla wasn’t judging if she had. She didn’t have the same issues with using Craft for every day tasks that others seemed to.
Slowly, ‘Dite stepped closer. “Have to admit, it was easier to just snap my fingers. Only Demeter really knew about gardens and such.” She shrugged even as she knelt, leaving a little room between the two of them. “I just knew the flowers smelled nice.”
Now that she was kneeling on the ground, she had no idea what to do and looked helplessly at Karla. “I have no clue what I should do.”
Karla was pretty sure that comment also applied to more than just gardening. “Here,” Karla called in another trowel and handed it over to ‘Dite. “We’re loosening the soil to prepare it for planting. It needs to be aerated and loose, or the seedlings won’t take.”
She showed ‘Dite the basics of what to do, giving a few tips and pointers. “It seems a little pointless,” she said ruefully. “But laying the groundwork is always important.”
”Right.” ‘Dite nodded. “Because if you don’t lay the ground work and something bad happens, it can’t be fixed. Right?”
She glanced sideways at Karla. “How do you fix it if something bad happens? Like . . . a storm?”
“The storm comes and washes everything away?” Karla asked. “Depending on the strength of your foundation, it’s really hard to lose everything. It might be buried under things or partially submerged, but a complete loss is difficult to imagine.”
She dug for a few moments, considering her words carefully. “I once had a garden in Glacia. There was a really, really rainy spring and it got flooded and the plants rotted in the ground. My entire garden was ruined. I had to put in a lot of work, clearing away the debris and re-working the ground. It was a lot of work and I was really angry for awhile, but I was able to reseed and replant. If I hadn’t laid all the groundwork before, it would have been unsalvageable. But even though the damage went deep, there was enough foundation for me to rebuild.” She shrugged a bit, keeping her eyes on the ground in front of her. “There’s no one tried and true way to fix something like that. It just involves working hard and trying.”
It was quiet for a moment as Aphrodite considered Karla’s words. She worked slowly, following what Karla had just taught her.
Finally, she sighed. “You know, I’ve never been great at hard work. Even at the store, it’s just easier to snap my fingers and change things around. I mean, zap, it’s done, how hard is that?” ‘Dite held up one hand, raising an eyebrow at the dirt on her fingers. “I suppose . . . maybe it’s time I get my hands dirty. What do you think?”
“I think it might be time,” Karla said, nodding. “Everything has a price. That’s how you know that what you have is worthwhile.”
She flicked a small bit of dirt onto ‘Dite’s hand. “Oops,” she said, darting the goddess a quick smile.
”Why, you little brat.” ‘Dite flicked her fingers back at Karla, but instead of dirt, small droplets of water sprinkled down. She winked.
It felt almost normal between them for just that moment, but she knew it couldn’t last. After a moment, ‘Dite took a deep breath. She’d made the mistake and it was her job to start the conversation. “Are you all right, Karla?” She wasn’t asking about the state of their relationship now, but about Karla herself. “Is Raven okay?”
For a moment, it really did, and that, more than anything, gave Karla some hope about their own foundation.
“I’m okay,” she replied honestly. “I needed the time away, though. It helped me put things into a little more perspective.” She sighed, running her fingers through her hair, heedless of the dirt she left behind. “That came on top of a really crazy weekend of fighting and death and drama and it left me both--oddly numb and a little oversensitive at the same time, if that makes any sense at all.”
It probably didn’t, but it was accurate, for all that it was also confusing. “As for Raven...well, it’s hard to say. She was really shaken up by everything, but, in the end, it wasn’t anything you did that scared her the most.”
Which almost made things worse.
“I know, but if I hadn’t done what I did, Raven wouldn’t have flipped, and Max wouldn’t have needed to do what he did, and --” She sighed, then cocked her head. “Max and I kept blaming ourselves until we agreed not to talk about blame. We just kind of -- talked about everything else.”
‘Dite glanced down with a small smile, then raised her gaze to meet Karla’s. “I took him to Disneyland. To watch the fireworks. And . . . kind of say I’m sorry.” Her gaze grew distant and her smile wider. “I think it helped.”
Had it, or was Max just letting ‘Dite believe that? Karla wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t her place to ask, either. Especially when she wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to know.
“So, ‘Dite, what exactly happened?” she asked, instead. “More than anything else...I need answers.”
Thinking about the question, ‘Dite leaned back, shifting in the dirt, and crossed her legs in front of her.
She considered how much to actually explain. Did she tell Karla the whole story, or stick to the simple fact of how angry she’d been when she came back to the island?
The whole story. “I guess you could say it started with a prayer. To me. Which is really rare these days.” ‘Dite leaned back on her hands. “So, I try to answer the few I get. And . . . well, Cupid and Bliss weren’t happy about that.”
To say the least.
“Well, whyever not?” Karla asked. “I thought that was your responsibility as a goddess. To listen to those who pray to you.” She still wasn’t entirely, 100% clear on whatall a goddess did, but she was pretty sure that answering prayers was on the list.
”Sure, of course, and I do. But -- well, sometimes you have to listen to what’s behind the prayers. Why are they asking for something? Because they worked for it and deserve it or because they’re being greedy?” ‘Dite squirmed. “It’s not always easy to judge if you’re in a hurry.”
“It’s like being a Queen,” Karla said, noting the squirming and filing that away for now. It was an interesting reaction, but not really all that relevant right now. “My mother would get petitioners all the time. Most of the time, they’d be coming with legitimate concerns and grievances, but there are always going to be people willing to take advantage if they can.”
Karla grew a little wistful. She’d been dreaming about her parents a lot lately. They felt...closer...to her than usual; much like they had when they’d first died, and every thought was about them and every step had brought her to a place where their very presence lingered.
’Dite noticed the wistful look, but didn’t comment. She wasn’t sure it was her place to try to offer comfort at the moment. There was still too much between them.
“I suppose it is like being a Queen.” She nodded. “And -- well, I made a judgment call. A couple of them.” She pursed her lips. “Cupid and Bliss didn’t agree with my decision.”
That was putting it mildly.
Karla nodded once, and then bit her lip. “So this all stemmed from a disagreement...?” She was hoping there was more to it than this. Really, really hoping.
”In a way, yes.” Pulling her knees up, ‘Dite wrapped her arms around them. “That makes it seem so petty and juvenile, doesn’t it? And maybe in the long run it was, on all sides.” Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stay calm and repeat the words that had cut her. “They were angry, and we argued -- and Bliss said I was . . . obsolete.” Her face twisted. “And Cupid told me I should just go to my temple and stay there. For good.” She swallowed. “He said I wasn’t the goddess of love anymore. No one needed me, so I should just quit and . . . fade.”
Karla and ‘Dite had met because Karla had taken very strong issue with a story about how ‘Dite had misused her goddess powers. And even now, Karla was uncertain just how she felt about the gods and their interactions with mortals. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be told such a thing. Darkness knew that is someone came and told Karla that she was obsolete, that it would be better for everyone if she just stopped being a Queen, she’d react poorly.
Still...to the extent that ‘Dite had? Perhaps not. “What does that mean?” she asked. “To fade. What happens to a goddess who is no longer a goddess?” A Queen was still a Queen, even if her Court was broken and she ruled no more than a thumb length of ground. But was that true for a goddess, too?
’Dite put her knee on her chin. “It’s not about not being a goddess anymore. And a goddess who is no longer a goddess -- well, they’re just . . . mortal, I guess.”
Her eyes were distant. “When a god or goddess locks his or herself in a temple and doesn’t come out, they begin to fade. To fade is to become . . . non-existent.”
“Wait...” Karla was processing this and her expression turned to horror. “Your son told you to do the equivalent of suicide?!” she screeched.
Don’t worry, Karla. ‘Dite probably didn’t need hearing in that ear.
Frowning, ‘Dite shook her head. “No, not like you’re thinking. I mean, it’s not like we can actually die, we just . . . fade away into memory. Until memory and myth is all we are.” Her head tilted. “Though . . . I supposed it could compare to mortal death, in a way. Kinda? But . . . not.”
Yep. That cleared everything up.
It did! You can tell by the expression Karla was wearing that it was completely clear!
As mud.
“Okay, so let me make sure I have everything straight so far,” Karla said slowly. “You answered some prayers. That made Bliss and Cupid fly off the handle and tell you that you’ve become obsolete. Then Cupid says you should either become a mortal or lock yourself away in a temple to fade away which is like dying but not at all.” She looked up at ‘Dite to make sure she was understanding this all correctly. “And then what happened?”
”Well,” ‘Dite thought back, trying to remember. “They finally told me not to use my powers, to stay out of their business and,” she frowned, “Go back to Fandom and ‘run my little shop.’” She shook her head. “I was so angry.”
Karla had kind of been expecting a little more, honestly. Perhaps even a lot more. Maybe she was missing something? “‘Dite, I don’t...I don’t understand. I mean, I get why you were hurt and upset and angry at them--” and boy, next time she saw Bliss, she was going to kick him in the kneecap for his role in this “--but why did you come back and do that to us?”
’Dite turned her head away, unable to meet Karla’s eyes. “Because when Cupid told me I wasn’t the goddess of love anymore -- all I could feel was anger. And I decided that if I couldn’t be the goddess of love, I would be . . . Mistress of Sex.” She rolled her eyes at herself. “And then I did an even stupider thing. I cut myself off from my own power and refused to use it.”
With a deep breath, she turned back to Karla. “I cut myself off from the power of love, Karla. By the time I got back to Fandom I couldn’t feel the love I had for anyone. Not for you, Raven, Max -- anyone. All I could feel was anger.” Letting her breath out in a sigh, she said, “Ares would have been proud.”
This was a lot to take in. Or, rather, it wasn’t as much as Karla had expected, even with the assumption that ‘Dite was giving her the most basic details possible. “What’s it like?” she asked quietly. “Cutting yourself off from love, I mean. Does that do something to you, too?”
”It’s -- not a great feeling.” She paused for a moment to consider what the difference had been. “It’s like -- water in a cup. If you punch a hole in the bottom of the cup, the water all leaks out, and the air rushes in. So, the cup isn’t really empty, it’s just not filled with the same thing.” ‘Dite felt like she should be wearing her glasses and adopting a scholarly pose, but didn’t think Karla would appreciate it. “If you think of water as something positive, like love, and air as something negative, like anger, then punching a hole in the bottom of the cup is like draining all the love away and letting all the negative emotions take over.” She turned back to Karla. “Until you guys came and plugged the hole. Do you see?”
Hey, this was a sophisticated analogy for the goddess of love.
Karla thought about it, turning the analogy over in her mind several times. “So, by cutting yourself off from love and all the positive emotions you associate with being a goddess, all that was left were the angry, hateful ones?” she asked. “Unbalanced, but with all the force of your uhh, goddess-yness?”
”Yes.” ‘Dite nodded. “Or, you could say that... it’s more like a running stream, love is, and that stream was damned so it couldn’t flow. So, where the love used to flow was only anger, until something broke through the damn and I could feel again.”
“I think I understand all that,” Karla said slowly. “But, ‘Dite, do you have any idea what you did to us? To me? I know you were hurting and angry, but...you know what I came from. What I left behind. And it didn’t matter to you.” She took a deep breath. “I’m not ready to forgive you yet,” she said. “I just can’t. Not yet.”
She looked back up at her friend and added softly. “But at least now I’m willing to try.”
For just a moment, Aphrodite’s expression turned haughty. “The goddess of love doesn’t ask for forgiveness from a mere mortal.”
Then her head dropped and she sighed. “But ‘Dite would ask it of her friend Karla. You’re right, I should never have put you in that position, any of you. I mean, you and Raven weren’t in any danger in the store, but you both must have been humiliated, and I’m so sorry. I was awful to both of you.” She drew in a breath. “And it did matter, by the way. If it didn’t . . . things would have been much worse.”
“I would have left,” Karla said simply. “I would have walked out and left you to fester in your own anger. Because you don’t do much more than that to two teenaged girls. Even if I didn’t have the spectre of Glacia hanging over my shoulder, I would have left and damned you for it. Any more than that and you would have been no better than what I’d left behind.”
’Dite wanted to argue that. At any other time she would have. But this wasn’t the time to argue, to disagree. Instead, she winced and simply folded her hands.
“Where does this leave us?”
“In the aftermath of a storm,” Karla said, returning to their earlier metaphor. “But with a foundation to work from.”
[Establishy! Preplayed with the wonderful divinesurfchick. NFI]