First Day (01)

It makes me smile the way Heracles holds me and moves me like I'm a kitten he's playing with. It makes me feel like I'm floating, and like I'm a little drunk, in the tipsy fun way. I place a hand on his shoulder, just to enjoy the feeling of his strength and to feel that this isn't straining his effort at all.

"I'm glad you like it," I tell him. "Are you here with someone, or just flirting with Oceanids?" I lean a little closer to his ear, lowering my voice as I add, "My friend Bentley was eyeing up Ida earlier." I glance down to see if Bent has started chatting with her again or if he's just waiting for a re-introduction.

I give Bent a conspiratorial little wink as Ida moves up to join him, then turn back to Heracles.

"Just because I don't need a strong hand doesn't mean I don't like one from time to time," I answer flirtatiously, giving him a cheeky grin.

Heracles is smart, I suppose, to notice my mother and grandmother here and behave accordingly - even if I don't want him to. He sets me down and I try not to pout, instead choosing to keep up the flirtation, which is harmless even with family across the room as long as it doesn't get too overt.

"And where might I find you alone these days?" I ask him. "Are you staying in Leavenworth?"

I'm sure Galinthias is a good dodger, but I'm worried about her getting stepped on trying to reach me, so I move quickly toward her, lowering a hand in case she wants to use it to climb up to my shoulder where it's safer for a ferret to be.

I head toward Mom, but I don't hurry. That would seem desperate or pandering or something, and I'm my mother's daughter after all, not just some other god.

At Galinthias' question, I feel my cheeks warm a bit. "Not tonight," I tell her honestly. "But maybe some other time."

"It's pretty great," I tell her, but it's a little weird knowing she and Dionysus have a relationship when she's here and dad's basically just down the street too. Still, if Knox and I can have an open relationship, I can't judge her really. It's just weird.

"I've had fun so far," I tell her. "But I have a curfew so I can't have too much fun. Did you come just for Dionysus?"

"You did?" I echo, a little embarrassed that I didn't notice earlier. "Who are they? Just servants attending you tonight?"

The necklace alone is gorgeous, but finding out it contains literal people - people my age from a world created by my mother - makes it seem beyond valuable.

I take it with reverence, looking at the shimmering diamonds with wonder. "Wh-why do you want them here?" I ask, finally tearing my gaze away from the necklace to look up at Mom again. "What am I supposed to do with them?"

I touch the jewels gently, with reverence, wondering if the people held inside can sense it somehow or if they're in some kind of stasis. "Of...of course I'll look after them, as best as I can. And..." I inhale a breath, holding it as I think about Medora. I nod, assuming Mom can read my emotions well enough to know what part I'm thinking about. "Do you...mean they could be changed to...look like me? If there was a good..." I don't want to use the word "replacement" as if Medora could ever be replaced so easily. "...option," I finally decide.

I press my lips together, but I'm still nodding slowly at the idea. As much as I don't want to have to replace Medora, I think I might need to, in order to move on with my life. Or, rather, with the life I really want to have.

"Okay," I say softly. "Thank you." I turn my back to her. "Would you help me put it on?"