[It's some time in the later afternoon, after the captain's bed has been rightfully christened in the interest of them not immediately jumping each other that Aphrodite is lounging amidst the rumpled sheets. Just relaxing while Fjord goes about whatever needs done in the captains quarters. Even if his duties pull him out of the room, she'll be waiting for him, quite content to keep him company and his bed warm.]
So, my love, I must know one thing.
[She sing-songs. Currently she's laying on her stomach, pedaling her feet lightly behind her, and curling a lock of her hair around a finger, while she peers around the room. Something about it seems off about the sort of aesthetic she would expect from a room purely of Fjord's doing. But her question isn't about that. (yet)]
[ With a morning romp out of the way he can focus more on the map he's making of the current island they are on. Poring over it in his trousers and a loose, crinkled shirt, he looks up affectionately from the desk at the sight of Aphrodite lounging on the bed and snorts at the question. ]
I was wondering how long you were going to bury your curiosity about that. I, uh ... ate these balls, [ that sounds so weird, ] they belonged to my last patron.
[She’s not certain what explanation she was expecting – sailors weren’t known for having the cleanest sense of humor so she assumed perhaps it was some kind of joke – but the one she gets, and the subsequent stammering that follows has her grinning. He’s so cute when he’s flustered.
Tilting her head, she lets the curl she’s been twisting in her hair go slack, and it bounces free of her finger.]
Hmm, by that logic, can I expect your next ship will be named for your current patron? The Clit Licker perhaps…?
[ He wheezes and tips his head back, laughing into his hands. After collecting his composure (somewhat, send help) he reaches into the Bag of Holding beside the table and fishes out the Cloven Crystal, setting it on the maps with a thunk. His other hand covers his eyes, still recovering from the very apt naming of his 'next' ship, which now has a netter name than the Nein Heroez ever did. ]
This. He pushed these into my chest, I had to vomit them up.
[ The yellow ball glimmers like glass, a slit pupil much like Fjord's still and unmoving inside. ]
[His laughter makes her grin pull wider, and she takes the time it takes him to calm down to swing her legs around and move to sit on the edge of the bed. At the same time he retrieves the orb out of the bag, and the gravitas of the thunk it makes on the table is offset slightly by the persisting giggles.]
That... is not nearly as fun as my first assumption. [Standing up, she walks over to the table, looping an arm lazily around his side. Her other hand taps one manicured nail on the reflective surface of the orb.]
[ He leans into her warmth at his side, an eye twitching as she taps the orb. ]
I pushed it into my chest. I don't know how. He kept tabs on me with them, after I betrayed Uk'otoa he attacked me whenever I went on the sea. Always knew where I was.
Three of these would release him from his bonds at the bottom of the ocean. I found two before I stopped searching.
[It's a rather pretty bauble, it makes her think of Fjord, although the story around it isn't so pleasant. These things typically aren't, when it comes to the whims of gods.
Her arm around his side holds him a little tighter.] What made you change your mind about helping him?
[Asking for a friend so she knows what keeps Fjord in a god's good graces.]
He wanted to reign terror down on everyone for being bound as he was. Destroying cities and taking back coastlines ... I didn't want anyone to get hurt, so I threw in the towel.
[ Picking up the orb, he tosses it up and down. It's cold like it was dipped in sea-water, smelling faintly briny. ]
When Uk'otoa's minions killed me, Caduceus brought me back and helped me to vomit this thing up, once and for all.
I'm impressed that Cadeuceus has that kind of power. He seems like such a gentle person.
[Gentle and unassuming. Nothing wrong with either, but among everyone in the neinhaus it was sometimes difficult to parse the nature-loving, soft spoken firbolg in a setting beyond enjoying tea in a beautiful garden.]
Why do you keep it with you, if it carries such bad memories? Aren't you concerned that this Uk'otoa would still be able to follow you through it?
You should see him carrying around severed heads to have chats with. He's a grave cleric, it's all a bit ... grim. [ Easy to forget. ] He makes tea from the flowers that spring up on the graves of his family cemetary, they all taste like the people.
[ He steps up behind her, arms looping around Aphrodite's waist as he chins her shoulder, orb set down before them. ]
I'll have to kill him one day, and the Cloven Crystals are indestructible. If I drop it somewhere there's a chance one of his other acolytes will find it.
Well, either he dies or I do, and I'm not going down easy.
[ His embrace rubs her arms to keep her warm, lips meeting her temple. ]
He's more of a leviathan than a god, from what I know. A god created him to be his ... baby godling, kind of, and to rule the oceans while the big bad got banished during the Calamity. Think of him as very determined sea-food.
[She knows she certainly has a vested interest in Fjord staying alive. Catching his hands to lift to her lips and press a kiss on his fingers, she tilts her head back to look at him. Giving a wry smile,
You'll never try to slay me, would you? I promise that I won't make you eat anything you haven't asked for.
Slay the Goddess of Love and Beauty? For what? [ He seeks a kiss, slow and soft, an echo of the adoration he has for her. ] Stealing all the bedsheets?
[The goddess of love isn't without her own share of detractors but she didn't have to worry about that with Fjord, of course. She grins into the kiss, fingers reaching up to stroke through his hair before flicking over the tip of a pointed ear.]
And I only steal the bedsheets if you've rolled away from me. It gets cold.
Edited (oops i forgot an icon) 2021-05-02 21:19 (UTC)
[ He takes the ear-flick with a wince but isn't dissuaded from doggedly following the subject home. Fjord crooks a finger under her chin to try and coax Aphrodite to meet his steady gaze, still as practiced at reading people as he was back on Exandrian soil. ]
[He tilts her chin up and her expression shifts more somber, if not a little sheepish. Fjord's too good at seeing through the cracks in the moments that her confidence wanes, even if she knows her smile and laugh is just as charming as any other time.]
It's not that I doubted you. It is just that sometimes things do not turn out the way we want them to be, the goddesses of fate are not known to be kind. And I am not without my own misgivings that mortals have grown to hate me for.
[Sighing, she lets her head rest back on Fjord's shoulder, letting her eyes slide shut.]
Being here with you has made me very happy. It makes me want to keep it like this forever.
[ He would fight them, for sure, if they tried to tell him to go against Aphrodite in any way. Fjord's determination is as steady as his Vestige of Divergence and just as the Star Razor never bends once aimed, nor does he.
He wraps an arm around her, bringing his hand up to brush through her hair and cup the back of her head. ]
No matter where I am, I'll always love you as fiercely as I do now. [ The hand in her hair slips free, guiding one of her palms to his chest where it rests over his heart. She can sense it, he knows. ] See?
[She laughs although the mood calms as he places her hand over his heart. She doesn't need her hand there in order to feel it, but she lingers there all the same, gaze going soft and smile turned peaceful.]
I know, and I you. I love you. [Standing tall on her toes, she presses a kiss to his lips. Lingering but sweet. And then... a hug. And he'll feel the tension bleeding out of her body along with a long sigh, cheek pressed against his chest. Not asking for anything more than simple affection.]
I apologize for letting fears about the future cloud my thoughts. Uncharacteristic of me, I know. [The smile returns to her voice.] If Athena ever heard of this, I'd never live it down.
[Aphrodite hums a happy tune, enjoying the simple closeness. It’s not something she indulges in so often, especially here on the island. Sure, up in Olympus she was constantly lounging on and around her fellow gods, but simple, affectionate snuggling? Not so much. It’s nice.
Musing out loud,] I think she would get along well with Caleb. [Ah,] That is, I do not consider Caleb boring!
There's always one boring god. Erathis the goddess of law and civilisation is Melora's lover, I bet keeping all those buildings neat and tidy is thrilling.
[ He sways with her on the spot, slowly back and forth. ]
We both know Caleb's a wildcard when he wants to be.
We all have our calling. I am fortunate that mine is love and beauty and sex.
[Said with a grin, and a playful hand that dips low to squeeze his butt over top his sleep pants.]
And is that so? I’m afraid I haven’t had a much of a chance to talk to him since our pretend date. [And she’d put that in the category of sweet over unpredictable, although she’d been surprised how readily he’d accepted pretending to be her boyfriend for sweets.] What is the most wild thing that you’ve seen him do?
That… Is not what I was expecting to hear. [Said with a laugh,] When we talked it was largely about pastries and baking. He strikes me as more of the strategist – the brains for your brawn and Molly’s charm.
[And if you think sitting down will protect your butt, sir… Maybe for now, but in the meantime she’ll happily crawl up in his lap, legs curled up on the side so she can cuddle in comfortably within the arms of the chair, head on his shoulder. Too bad for the map that remains unfinished on the desk, the orb laying forgotten on top of it.]
I worry I may intimidate him. We have a little game that I am a mortal – but I’m not sure if he would prefer it that way.
[She’s not the most insightful when it comes to deeper thoughts. Her specialty lies with more surface, emotional responses, so Caleb’s calm demeanor is largely a shroud to her.]
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B! Let me know if the time jump is okay :D
in the interest of them not immediately jumping each otherthat Aphrodite is lounging amidst the rumpled sheets. Just relaxing while Fjord goes about whatever needs done in the captains quarters. Even if his duties pull him out of the room, she'll be waiting for him, quite content to keep him company and his bed warm.]So, my love, I must know one thing.
[She sing-songs. Currently she's laying on her stomach, pedaling her feet lightly behind her, and curling a lock of her hair around a finger, while she peers around the room. Something about it seems off about the sort of aesthetic she would expect from a room purely of Fjord's doing. But her question isn't about that. (yet)]
'The Ball Eater'...?
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I was wondering how long you were going to bury your curiosity about that. I, uh ... ate these balls, [ that sounds so weird, ] they belonged to my last patron.
[ Wait. ]
Not like that —
[ This is the worst explanation. ]
I could not resist
Tilting her head, she lets the curl she’s been twisting in her hair go slack, and it bounces free of her finger.]
Hmm, by that logic, can I expect your next ship will be named for your current patron? The Clit Licker perhaps…?
FNFBJJDG
This. He pushed these into my chest, I had to vomit them up.
[ The yellow ball glimmers like glass, a slit pupil much like Fjord's still and unmoving inside. ]
:'D
That... is not nearly as fun as my first assumption. [Standing up, she walks over to the table, looping an arm lazily around his side. Her other hand taps one manicured nail on the reflective surface of the orb.]
What does it do?
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I pushed it into my chest. I don't know how. He kept tabs on me with them, after I betrayed Uk'otoa he attacked me whenever I went on the sea. Always knew where I was.
Three of these would release him from his bonds at the bottom of the ocean. I found two before I stopped searching.
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Her arm around his side holds him a little tighter.] What made you change your mind about helping him?
[Asking for a friend so she knows what keeps Fjord in a god's good graces.]
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[ Picking up the orb, he tosses it up and down. It's cold like it was dipped in sea-water, smelling faintly briny. ]
When Uk'otoa's minions killed me, Caduceus brought me back and helped me to vomit this thing up, once and for all.
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I'm impressed that Cadeuceus has that kind of power. He seems like such a gentle person.
[Gentle and unassuming. Nothing wrong with either, but among everyone in the neinhaus it was sometimes difficult to parse the nature-loving, soft spoken firbolg in a setting beyond enjoying tea in a beautiful garden.]
Why do you keep it with you, if it carries such bad memories? Aren't you concerned that this Uk'otoa would still be able to follow you through it?
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[ He steps up behind her, arms looping around Aphrodite's waist as he chins her shoulder, orb set down before them. ]
I'll have to kill him one day, and the Cloven Crystals are indestructible. If I drop it somewhere there's a chance one of his other acolytes will find it.
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Kill a god? [This Uk'otoa is clearly evil but the concept still sends a shiver that Fjord can probably feel with how he's holding her.]
That's a tall order, my love. One that would give pause to even the most powerful of my kin.
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[ His embrace rubs her arms to keep her warm, lips meeting her temple. ]
He's more of a leviathan than a god, from what I know. A god created him to be his ... baby godling, kind of, and to rule the oceans while the big bad got banished during the Calamity. Think of him as very determined sea-food.
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[She knows she certainly has a vested interest in Fjord staying alive. Catching his hands to lift to her lips and press a kiss on his fingers, she tilts her head back to look at him. Giving a wry smile,
You'll never try to slay me, would you? I promise that I won't make you eat anything you haven't asked for.
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Slay the Goddess of Love and Beauty? For what? [ He seeks a kiss, slow and soft, an echo of the adoration he has for her. ] Stealing all the bedsheets?
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[The goddess of love isn't without her own share of detractors but she didn't have to worry about that with Fjord, of course. She grins into the kiss, fingers reaching up to stroke through his hair before flicking over the tip of a pointed ear.]
And I only steal the bedsheets if you've rolled away from me. It gets cold.
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[ He takes the ear-flick with a wince but isn't dissuaded from doggedly following the subject home. Fjord crooks a finger under her chin to try and coax Aphrodite to meet his steady gaze, still as practiced at reading people as he was back on Exandrian soil. ]
I would never hurt you, Ditey.
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It's not that I doubted you. It is just that sometimes things do not turn out the way we want them to be, the goddesses of fate are not known to be kind. And I am not without my own misgivings that mortals have grown to hate me for.
[Sighing, she lets her head rest back on Fjord's shoulder, letting her eyes slide shut.]
Being here with you has made me very happy. It makes me want to keep it like this forever.
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[ He would fight them, for sure, if they tried to tell him to go against Aphrodite in any way. Fjord's determination is as steady as his Vestige of Divergence and just as the Star Razor never bends once aimed, nor does he.
He wraps an arm around her, bringing his hand up to brush through her hair and cup the back of her head. ]
No matter where I am, I'll always love you as fiercely as I do now. [ The hand in her hair slips free, guiding one of her palms to his chest where it rests over his heart. She can sense it, he knows. ] See?
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[She laughs although the mood calms as he places her hand over his heart. She doesn't need her hand there in order to feel it, but she lingers there all the same, gaze going soft and smile turned peaceful.]
I know, and I you. I love you. [Standing tall on her toes, she presses a kiss to his lips. Lingering but sweet. And then... a hug. And he'll feel the tension bleeding out of her body along with a long sigh, cheek pressed against his chest. Not asking for anything more than simple affection.]
I apologize for letting fears about the future cloud my thoughts. Uncharacteristic of me, I know. [The smile returns to her voice.] If Athena ever heard of this, I'd never live it down.
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Athena's the bookworm, right?
[ He has a vague overview of Aphrodite's pantheon, kissing the crown of her head as they cuddle. Stage-whispering, he smiles. ]
Sounds boring.
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[Aphrodite hums a happy tune, enjoying the simple closeness. It’s not something she indulges in so often, especially here on the island. Sure, up in Olympus she was constantly lounging on and around her fellow gods, but simple, affectionate snuggling? Not so much. It’s nice.
Musing out loud,] I think she would get along well with Caleb. [Ah,] That is, I do not consider Caleb boring!
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[ He sways with her on the spot, slowly back and forth. ]
We both know Caleb's a wildcard when he wants to be.
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[Said with a grin, and a playful hand that dips low to squeeze his butt over top his sleep pants.]
And is that so? I’m afraid I haven’t had a much of a chance to talk to him since our pretend date. [And she’d put that in the category of sweet over unpredictable, although she’d been surprised how readily he’d accepted pretending to be her boyfriend for sweets.] What is the most wild thing that you’ve seen him do?
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You'd still be beautiful even if it wasn't in your job description.
[ Thinking about Caleb though ... ]
He disintegrated a goliath monster underwater, once.
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[And if you think sitting down will protect your butt, sir… Maybe for now, but in the meantime she’ll happily crawl up in his lap, legs curled up on the side so she can cuddle in comfortably within the arms of the chair, head on his shoulder. Too bad for the map that remains unfinished on the desk, the orb laying forgotten on top of it.]
I worry I may intimidate him. We have a little game that I am a mortal – but I’m not sure if he would prefer it that way.
[She’s not the most insightful when it comes to deeper thoughts. Her specialty lies with more surface, emotional responses, so Caleb’s calm demeanor is largely a shroud to her.]
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