[Fic]Two Girls, a Guy, and a Pizza Place[Complete]

[Sean Cassidy]

Sunday, April 13th, 2008

"That's awesome John, I knew you'd get it," Phaedra said with a warm smile and a warm hug.

John Struthers, 39, was thrilled by the by the feel of incredibly gorgeous, voluptuous young woman pressed close to him. He had to admit there was more than some desire for this blue-haired woman, but a great deal of admiration as well. Though Phaedra was easily the sexiest woman he had ever met, she also possessed a remarkably approachable, uplifting presence as well. Her bright, sapphire eyes compelled you to share your problems, and she would listen, with no judgements. And just being near her made you feel better; a few encouraging words from her could make you feel like you could do anything.

Which was how John Struthers found himself back in the workforce after eight years. He had even found an apartment, little bigger than a closet, but it was his, and all thanks to this exuberant young woman. It was easy to forget that she was also the hottest stripper in Boston.

With a final tight squeeze, he pushed Phaedra back to arms length, his hands on her shoulders. "I have only you to thank, Ms. Magnus-Thorne," John said, voice almost breaking with heartfelt gratitude.

"Ms. Magnus-Thorne is my muthah," Phaedra said, a trace of Boston in her smokey contralto as her nose scrunched up in fetching annoyance. "Call me Phae or Sapphire, yah? All I did was give you a name, you got the job yourself. And the people here at the Boston Family Sheltah gave you the place to sleep and eat. You should be thankin' them, not me."

She gave John a farewell slap on the arm, noticing the time indicated by her watch. "Whoops! Twelve already." She headed back behind the food counter, speaking over her shoulder, untying her apron. Underneath, she wore a wide necked BU sweat shirt, one edge sliding off a shoulder, revealing a black bra strap and a fair bit of considerable cleavage. Her denim short shorts were a well worn, faded black. "Gotta go boys, seeya next week, yah? Hopefully not all of you. Toodles." A last impish grin and a wave of her fingers, and she was gone into the back rooms.

Her high heeled boots clacked on the linoleum and her hips rolled with an inherent sway as she strutted down the hallway to the last door on the left. As she approached, she heard the sound of whistling wind, and the smell of dust and sand permeated the stale air.

She peeked around the edge of the door frame, only her upper torso visible, her blue ponytail swinging. With an appreciative smile, she took in the sight of the other godblooded woman, who had got caught with the paperwork; there was always paperwork.

Amy was a little younger than her, and the same height, though they were built very differently. She had a delightfully sleek and athletic body, and her slinky cat-like grace made Phaedra smile wider. Her pretty face and full lips just begged to be kissed. Pity she didn't play for the same team, but I'm still allowed to look.

She had seen the other scion helping at some of the other shelters for the last several weeks, and they had developed a cautious friendship. Nari had seemed interested when she had mentioned Amy in passing, so Phaedra had decided to see if she could get a meeting arranged. 'Sides, having another friend in the know would be nice.

"Hey, Ams. I'm meetin' a friend for lunch at Pizzatalia, down on Shawmut, wanna come?" Phaedra offered, dangling her keys in the doorway. Her tone was sensually frivolous, but it usually was. "Nari would like to meet you too. Says I'm tryin' to keep at the pretty girls to myself. 'Sides, I'm drivin' and buyin'. Ben and Matt were at the club last night, and they always tip good."

[SalmonMax]

Amica bought time for herself by yawning as she hung up her own apron at a leisurely pace. Sapphire was both likable and made her vaguely uneasy. When hanging out with her, there was always a dim, crawling concern that she'd get lumped into the same categories that Sapphire herself fit into. Stripper. Dyke. Slut.

On the other hand, she was the only person she felt she could really be herself with, and that was a lot more important. Friend.

So she turned to give Sapphire an understated smile of approval and says, "Sure, sounds fun. Now, refresh my memory. Nari's a guy right? Is he seeing anyone?"

[Sean Cassidy]

Success! It's like tamin' a stray cat. A little skittish, but well worth the effort.

"Nari's a guy, yah," Sapphire confirmed with a playfully lascivious grin. She twined the fingers of her right hand with the fingers of Amica's left, as she led her to her car, arms swinging enthusiastically.

"Narinder's wicked gorgeous, hon. You're gonna love'im. And he's not seeing anyone, well serious-like, ya'know?" As Sapphire bent over slightly to unlock the passenger door of her ten year-old, silver Mustang, she sighed, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial purr. "Almost makes me wonder what I'm missin'. But don't tell him that, 'kay? It'll only encourage'im." It was impossible to tell if her puckish grin was serious or not.

Sapphire slid gracefully into the driver's seat, shifted the car into gear, then peeled out of the parking lot, tires squealing. A short distance and an irreverance for speed limits made for a very quick trip.

Sapphire sashayed through the door, all eyes turning to the vivacious and voluptuous woman, and her more reserved companion, as she scanned the smallish seating area for their dinner companion.

[Narinder Kapoor]

Narinder had gotten to the little restaurant early. Sapph had suggested it, and not having ever been here before, Nari had agreed with the suggestion. It was a cozy little dive that had twenty year old benches and tables, but at least three flat-screen TVs for people who wanted to watch whatever game they had on, usually more than one unless the home team was playing whatever sport was in season. Then the little pizza parlor got swamped, and all three LCDs were blaring at top volume.

Once he had gotten there, he'd situated himself at the bar and ordered a beer while striking up a conversation with the bartender. They had been joking about the coach for the Red Sox, when the bartender nodded towards the door behind Narinder.

"Those two are pretty hot.. they the ones you here to meet, pal?"

Narinder glanced over his shoulder, and then nodded, pulling out his wallet and tossing a few bills down to pay for the beer and the company. He could hear the quiet sound of crowds murmuring and the smell of warm olives that he knew were his own calling card as well.. but of more interest was the sound of wind echoing through the parlor, the way it would over dunes of sand. It was accompanied by the scent of dust and dry sand, and his eyes rested for a moment on the striking young woman next to Sapph.

"Yes.. they most certainly are."

He flashed the bartender a conspiratory grin then, and then turned around, catching both the women's attention with a smile, a wave, and painfully good looks. He hopped off the bar stool and headed over to the two women. He took Sapphire's hand first, lifting it as usual and lightly kissing the back of it first, before turning around and brushing his lips lightly across the palm of her hand. It was their usual greeting, and he grinned at her mischeviously before turning to Amica with a devastatingly charming smile.

"It's so good to see you again, my dear Phaedra. And this must be the mysterious Amy."

He held out his hand for hers, much like he had for Sapph, and without really realizing why, or contemplating the oddity of it, she let him take it. He lifted it then and caught her gaze with his own before brushing his lips across her skin softly. He lingering for a much longer moment than he had with Sapph, but finally he lowered her hand, and his lips curved in a smile as he continued to study her with dark eyes.

"It's such a pleasure to finally meet you.. I have heard wonderful things."

[Sean Cassidy]

Sapphire looked upon the interaction between Narinder and Amica, a speculative smile on her inviting lips. Nari was the most remarkably charming man she had the pleasure of knowing and she was curious to see how the introverted kitten of a woman would react to his presence.

Sapphire caught the staring eyes of an attractive waitress, and, her smile growing warmer, gave her a quick wink, causing the waitress to blush. A nod of Sapphire's head indicated that the trio would take the empty booth by the window, the embarrassed waitress shaking her head in understanding before hurrying into the back.

[SalmonMax]

It was to Nari's infinite credit that Amica noticeably hesitated, her cheeks pinkened slightly. Normally she was much harder to get an unplanned reaction out of. That said, she recovered almost instantly, growing a flippant grin and chuckling at the absurdity of it all.

"Yeah! Looks that way. Gee, wonder who's been spreading rumors?"

She gave Sapphire a wry look, then returned her attention to Nari.

"So. Nari. I'm guessing that's short for something, right?"

[Narinder Kapoor]

He chuckled softly, and they were led to a seat and handed menus. The waitress took their drink order, and then walked away, and Nari returned his attention to Amy with a slight nod.

"You would be correct. About my name, that is.. it is Narinder.. Narinder Kapoor."

He thought about it for a moment, then met Amy's gaze, looking pleased, as if he had just thought of something interesting.

"You may know my mother - Phaedra says you work at the woman's shelter? My mother does volunteer work there twice a month with the children, she is a child physician and comes to give the little ones staying with their mothers check-ups and medicine, if it is needed. Her name is Dr. Abhaya Kapoor-Anderson.. have you met?"

Now that Amy thought about it, she did remember an Indian woman who came in to check out the children every other Thursday in the evening. She insisted everyone call her Dr. Aya, because it was easier for the children to remember, so Amy hadn't placed the name right away. She was always very kind with the children, but she put her foot down when it came to the mothers, insisting that their kids be given whatever medications or treatment that she claimed they needed and bending over backwards to help accommodate their tricky situations. She was lovely, in a simple yet exotic sort of way, with a serious demeanor that one would never picture from such a frail, delicate-looking woman.

[Sean Cassidy]

Originally Posted By: SalmonMax

"Yeah! Looks that way. Gee, wonder who's been spreading rumors?"

"Hey! Don't look at me like that, Ams," Sapphire said, turning a perfect smile on Amica. "Nari's a very good friend, and it's not like we're," a glance from depthless blue eyes flicking from Amica to Narinder and back clearly implying what she meant, "bouncin' all over Boston."

With another stunning grin for the waitress, and another blush, Sapphire ordered an Agent Orange. She listened to Narinder's smooth voice describe his mother, her smile turning wistful.

Click to reveal.. (Memories)

"Again!" Cassandra's deep voice was hard.

"But Moooom," Phaedra whined, panting, on her knees. "I've been doin' this for n'hour. I dunna wanna anymore."

"And you'll do it for another hour. You're small and weak Phae, but that's not your fault. You father had money, but little else. You may be a mistake, but I won't let you be an embarrassment. Now, again!"

With a groan, Phaedra climbed back to her feet, positioned herself in the proper stance, and faced the wooden training dummy. With each kick and punch, she let out a stiffled yelp, her bruised flesh protesting each blow. Soon, tears were silently rolling down her cheeks, and her lip was bloody with the effort of remaining quiet, but still she continued, despite her gasps and trembling limbs.

"It hurts!" the young girl cried.

"Because you're soft Phae. This will help make you hard."

"I dunna wanna be hard!"

"Goddess preserve me! Enough!" Cassandra roared. With a powerful arm, the large woman grabbed her daughter by her shirt and effortlessly lifted her up to eye level; the little girl's feet dangled two feet off the ground.

"Look at you Phaedra. You're only ten and already beginning to show a woman's figure." Cassandra punctuated her statement by poking her daughter with a stiff finger in the softness of her chest. "Men will take advantage of you, they will force you on your back, and they will hurt you. You're not big and strong like the rest of the Tribe Phae, so you have to learn how to fight better, and get tougher."

"I dunna wanna be better fighter and be better tougher," Phaedra bawled.

Cassandra sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand. Why couldn't she have a had a daughter like Illie? Any Amazon would be proud to call Illyana daughter. Instead she was saddled with this, the weak offspring of weak seed.

"What do you want to do Phaedra?"

"I wanna dance," Phaedra sniffled.

"Dance?" Cassandra's said in confusion.

"Yah, dance. Jamie is takin' lessons and it looks fun and I wanna try it."

"Jamie? Is that the stupid girl across the street?"

"She's not stupid, she's blonde and she's my friend and her mom lets her dance." Phaedra's lower lip pushed out in a pout.

Being strict on the girl wasn't helping so far, so another tactic was called for. "If I let you take dance lessons, will you try harder learning the things I'm teaching you Phaedra?"

"Yah-huh," the girl said softly, looking at her mother through her lashes.

"Do you swear? This isn't going to be like the cat."

"By Blood and Heart and Ishtar, I swear mommy."

Cassandra winced at the appellation, but summoned a brief smile for her daughter. "We'll see then."

Sapphire leaned across the table, supple fingers resting lightly on Narinder's forearm, inadvertently (or not?) giving him a good view of her phenomenal breasts. "Doc Aya is a wondahful woman, Nari, you must be proud. You're very fahtunate... And she has very pretty eyes." Her half-smile was playful.

[SalmonMax]

"Aya?" Amica asked, lifting an eyebrow in mild surprise. "She's your mother?" Either she was well-preserved or Narinder was younger than he looked. Or...hmm.

"Wait, do you mean she's..." Amy furtively looked upwards and clasped her hands in an exaggerated 'prayer' position for a moment. "That mother?"

[Narinder Kapoor]

He laughed at that, his eyes sparkling playfully, then shook his head.

"No.. she just eats very well, and takes good care of herself. Her husband insists these days, so I don't have to. It's a load off of my mind, I must confess. She was always very bad at taking care of herself in the past, and required my aunt to do it for her. Too busy taking care of others, you see. No.. it is my father that is.. that parent."

He grinned again, and then pulled out one of his card-case from what seemed like nowhere, flipping out a card from the bottom of the stack and holding it out to her.

Originally Posted By: Narinder Kapoor

Of course, this was a card from the bottom of the stack, and unlike the simpler cards on top, this one had the printed appearance of a white marble surface. It stated his full name - "Narinder Kapoor" and a phone number, but underneath it a title as well.. "Communications and Delivery Specialist". By his name was a logo, of all things. It was the simple outline of a foot in movement, clad in a sandal with a wing attached and a circle around it, almost like an Olympic ring.

Click to reveal..

Successful Int+Occult roll identifies the Winged Sandal as a symbol of Hermes, Messenger of the Greek Gods.

"In case you need anything.. I am a bit of a contact between people like us, or other useful people as well. Please, do not hesitate. Like my father, I specialize in messages and communication. Otherwise.. he would be very busy these days, I would think."

He grinned at her, but though he had offered his own information he didn't press her for hers. Perhaps he hoped she would offer it up on her own, but truly it just seemed like he was telling her because.. he wanted her to know.

[SalmonMax]

Amica takes the card and reads it a couple of times, then looks at Nari again.

"Messenger, eh? Must be a lot of us around here if we need a messenger. Is there a reason for that? The Boston Hellmouth?"

[Sean Cassidy]

Sapphire took another sip fo her drink, then licked her lips with a clever tongue. Her eyes turned to Amica with amusement.

"I've lived in Boston my entire life. I've nevah noticed it to be dangerous, special-like, ya'know?" Sapphire nodded her chin in Narinder's direction, but kept her attention on Amica. "I only know you and Nari, though I caught a whiff of one or two others around. Nari, you know more, yah? Is that a lot of us for a city? I don't know."

Sapphire's lush lips bent in an inquiring smile. "What about you, Ams? What do your mom and dad do?"

[Narinder Kapoor]

Narinder shrugged a little, and smiled.

"Well, I think things are starting to heat up a bit.. maybe all over, not just here. There are others in Boston, yes.. more than is usual. But you must remember.. I am not just a local kind of guy. The world is much larger than Boston, Massachusatts, yes?"

He winked at Amy, then waited patiently to see how she would respond.

[SalmonMax]

"Oh?" Amica asked, her interest piqued. "Not just Boston? You must rack up a lot of frequent flier miles. Surely you're not the only one doing this?"

[Narinder Kapoor]

He shrugged, and smiled a little.

"If there is another, I would be happy to hear of it - but I have yet to meet them. They would be a useful person to know, as I hope I am to those I meet. I have my own methods of travel too, but this is the modern age. Even the gods - and certainly my father - encourage modern conveniences. Phones.. cell phones.. the internet. My father considers them all marvelous inventions.. indeed, he was attending college for the computer sciences here in Boston when he met my mother. It was all very new, at the time. But because of all these things, being a messenger is not as hard as it used to be. Perhaps "messenger" is not the best description for it. I am more like a.. liason, perhaps? When I contact someone, or deliver something.. it is usually a message, a warning, an offer. Maybe one day things though.. I suppose we'll see."

He grinned at that a little, and the waitress showed up to take their order. He ordered a Caesar salad for himself, and they settled on what kind of pizza they wanted between the three of them. Then he focused on Amy again, smiling another one of those charming smiles.

"I am so sorry - I have done nothing but talk about myself. You would think I was the son of Apollo. What about you, my dear? Please.. tell us about yourself."

[SalmonMax]

"Oh, not much to say," Amica answered breezily, shifting from a leaning-forward posture to a slightly leaning back one. "I moved here from central Massachusetts, never been out of the state though I'd love to travel some, I'm looking into getting into the U of B, if my transcript's good enough..."

She trails off and says a bit sheepishly, "I guess that's probably not the stuff you're interested in though." Amica takes a deep breath and plows on. "Bast came for me about two years ago. Saved my life too, since not long afterwards some...weird, horrible thing went after me. Came out here so what was left of my family wouldn't have red and white circles painted on 'em."

[Narinder Kapoor]

Narinder listened attentively as she spoke, his expression not any less interested in what she had to say about her "mundane" self than what she had to say in regards to her divinity. When she was finished, he nodded in an understanding sort of way, and took a sip of his soda before continuing.

"I think if such a thing had happened to me, that would have been my decision as well. I have been fortunate, and I am sorry you have had so much tribulation. At least you are not far.. perhaps you can visit them sometime? But in the meantime, who are you to say what I am or am not interested in?"

He flashed her a mischievous grin then, to show that he intended no sting from his words. With a gesture he motioned towards Sapphire, offering the same smile to the other woman. She was a confident woman, and Narinder had no fears about her feeling ignored as he focused on Amy.. after all, that's why she had arranged this meeting, and he had already expressed his gratitude to her earlier when she had phoned him. It was only a shame she hadn't much inclination to let him express it in other ways, and he'd told her so, earning him a laugh and a curt dismissal as usual.

"I have not had the luxury of getting to know you, as my dear Phaedra has. Anything you wish to share about yourself, I find interesting. Tell me, what do you hope to major in, at University of Boston? Perhaps I can introduce you to people, if you care for such things. I am well known around campus, and a student there myself."

[SalmonMax]

You mean who am I to speculate about what you are or aren't interested in, Amica mentally corrected, a little nettled. She leaned back a bit in her chair and folded her arms in an unconscious defensive gesture.

"I don't know yet, I haven't decided," she answered, a bit cagily. "Why, what's your major?"

[Narinder Kapoor]

In contrast to her hesitant manner, Nari remained open, seeming to take no insult to her sudden withdrawl. He had, perhaps, made a misstep, and he hoped to remedy the situation by assuring the girl he wasn't trying to hide anything from her. His life was an open book.. but people always wanted to believe you had a secret volume hidden somewhere. To other Scion's, this was not true for Narinder, for the only secret volume in his life was his Scion nature. And to other Scions, he was perfectly honest about himself. There were many though.. like this one, it seemed, who did not believe his intentions as pure as he intended them to be. Ah well.. he would do his best.

"I am about to graduate with my bachelor's degree in political science." The look on her face as she spoke the word "political" made him laugh, and he shook his head firmly. "Please, do not judge me.. I swear I do not wish to become a politician. I am starting work on my master's degree in the fall, for International Relations. Once upon a time.. I wanted to be an ambassador between nations, and help people see past their differences. Whether that is possible now.. or whether my life is to be consumed with this upcoming struggle.. I do not know. But for now.. these two halves of my life do not conflict, so I will continue to pursue them both, for as long as I can."

He leaned forward slightly, trying his best to convey his sincerity with his words and his expression, without seeming too intense or frightening the girl off.

"I only offer because I have many friends. I am the type who is easy to get along with, I think. So.. if there is someone, some group you wish to be introduced to, I would be happy to help you meet people, and make their acquaintance. But if that is not your desire.. then that is fine too. I did not wish to make you feel uncomfortable, or as if I were trying to force the company of others upon you, Amy."

Her name rolled off his tongue like silk.. for such a simple name, he made it sound almost exotic.

[SalmonMax]

"Oh don't worry," Amica assured him. "I didn't take it that way." She grinned her slightly lopsided grin. "You'd know if I took it that way."

"So...international relations." She studied Narinder for a moment. "Working for who? The UN? United States? Corporation? Freelance?"

[Narinder Kapoor]

Narinder shrugged a little bit at that.

"It depends on the opportunities, I suppose. Both the United Nations and the United States are options that make sense. I would have to work my way up, no doubt, to that high of a position. I thought about starting off with some work in the Peace Corp, just to get some on-site experience. I am fortunate enough to not be hurting for money, perhaps I could make a difference. Of course.. those thoughts were before all this happened. Now, perhaps, it will be more dependent upon what I am called on to do for my father, or others like us."

He grinned a little at her then, and took a small sip of his drink before speaking again. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked at her.

"But I see you managed to get me talking about myself again."

[Sean Cassidy]

"As mysterious as a kitty cat, this one, isn't she Nari?" Sapphire chuckled, her husky contralto rich and smooth. She shared a look with Narinder, her gleaming blue eyes also dancing with delight. Her smile turned playfully flirtatious as she turned back to Ami.

"I like it!"

Sapphire's smile grew a little wider at Amica's slightly discomfitted expression. She finished her drink, giving Amica a moment to collect herself, then continued.

"I'd offuh to fill in the silence you guys, but both of ya know almost everything about me. Daughter to two muthahs, a dedicated lesbian," Sapphire blew Narinder a kiss and winked, "despite a very guhgeous someone's persistence, and the best exotic dansah in Boston."

She streched languorously, her hands above her head, causing her spectacular breasts to jut prominently. Noticing another customer's slack jawed stare from across the dining area, she threw him a wink. She giggle softly as he choked, spraying his drink from his nose, turning her attention back to her two God-blooded friends.

"Oooh, that's gonna burn. I also occasionally take classes at the Boston Conservatory, working slowly towards a BA in Fine Dance. You'd think the would be more impressed with a true 'professional' taking their program?" She grinned, her tone not bitter, just filled with mildly mocking amusement.

Her voice returned to it's normal caressing contralto as she turned the conversation back on Amica. "Anyway, Ams, it's your tuhn to dish, sistah. So start spillin', somethin' new." She flashed pearly teeth, her grin not commanding anything, just expressing an honest curiosity.

[SalmonMax]

"Something new, huh?" Amica mused. She glanced at Narinder, but stayed focused on Sapphire, since she was the one that asked.

"Alright, well...I work at Boston Memorial most days. It's part time, thirty a week, but it keeps me in a decent studio. I've got some savings I'm sitting on, but I'll definitely need some financial aid for the college dreams."

"And you know, as far as college goes, I really just want a degree. At this point, I don't really care what in. Plenty of better jobs than what I've got are looking for just a college graduate, you know? And I really don't want to be stuck filing my whole life."

She shrugged. "Aside from that, I did some theater in high school and it was fun. Might look into that sometime if I have time. Which these days I don't, really. Work keeps me busy most days, and night..."

Amy's face lit up in a sly, insouciant smile. "My nights are pretty busy too."

[Sean Cassidy]

"Busy nights, huh? I work nights too, maybe we should spend some together, yah?" Sapphire said, her own enticing smile mischievous.

"Seriously though, if you evah want to take up theatah again, well, I donate -'kay, Mom donates- to the Boston Conservatory, as well as occasionally attend, even if they do keep it quiet. I'm sure I could make a few calls."

[SalmonMax]

"Your real mom?" Amica asks, impressed in spite of herself. "Damn. Well, maybe later, but right now it's mostly time, you know? Rehearsals and tryouts and auditions and...all that. That'd be a big dent out of my daily 'me time' right now. Never know though. I'll keep my eyes open for open auditions."

"Course," she adds, "That'd probably mean my volunteering at the shelters would be over, at least while I was in the show."

[Narinder Kapoor]

"Well, we must all keep a balance between the gifts we give others and the gifts we give ourselves. After all, we must nourish our own souls in order to effectively nourish the souls of others. At least, that is what my stepfather likes to tell my mother, when she is working too hard."

The waitress stepped up then with a smile and their order, and laid it out in front of them. There were a few moments of silence as they pulled pieces onto plates and indulged in things like grated cheese and breadsticks. Finally they were settled, and Nari picked up where he had left off, as if his mind had never left the conversation.

"You must let me know if you do get a role, I would love to come and see it. I enjoy theater very much, and would be delighted to see you in a performance, no matter how large or small the role. It is always exciting, I think, to hear the stories about what goes on backstage, and then to see the performance knowing the personalities of the actors and the work that went into it."

[SalmonMax]

Amy sat back a notch and studied Narinder again.

He likes to talk a lot. I can't tell if he's showing off, or just naturally wordy. Or both.

After a second she decided to pop a Big One and see how he reacted.

"Alright, you seem to know your way around our basic situation pretty well, and you've met more of us than me and Sapphire put together. Maybe you can shed some light on this."

"I know about Bast and Osiris and Isis and Aphrodite and Hermes and...all of them. So there's all these figures, these gods up there, down here, doing their thing. But where, Narinder, is the God of the Hebrews, the Alpha and Omega, the Trinity and so on and so forth etc etc? Not that I'm big into that, but I have to be curious, you know? Because it's the single biggest religion in the history of the world, but it seems like He's the only one who's sitting this thing out. He had like...one kid a couple thousand years ago, didn't work out so hot, now He's gunshy to try again?"

[Sean Cassidy]

As Sapphire listened to Amy ask about the Big Man Upstairs, her red lips dropped open in surprise, her deep, blue eyes swiveling from Amy to Nari.

"Amy, I nevah even thought about that, that's a wicked question. I was raised a pagan, so the thought nevah even crossed my mind." Sapphire narrowed her eyes, her lips firming into a questioning frown. "Nari, what about the Big Man? Ya'know anythin'?"

[Narinder Kapoor]

Narinder thought about it for a long moment, digesting the question.

"I must agree.. that is certainly a question with impact. I must confess that I have neither met, nor heard of, any Scions who claim loyalty to any of the Judeo-Christian faiths. I was raised a Hindu myself, so like my dear Phaedra here it had never occurred to me to ask such a thing. Perhaps because of this, this concept of many gods was easier for us to accept."

His eyes rested on Amy appreciatively, a certain sense of admiration in them for thinking of something he'd never even considered.

"But my interest is now piqued. I will keep my eyes and ears open.. and if nothing else, my father and I speak, when he has the time. If I have not discovered anything, perhaps I will question him about it the next time we meet. Whatever the response, I will be sure to let you know, Amy. After all.. it is an excellent question."

[SalmonMax]

"Why thank you," Amy replies smugly. "I have a working hypothesis too, but I won't tell you so it doesn't bias your researches."

"So! Any cool war stories? Or have you two managed to avoid the whole 'struggle to save the world' thing so far?"

[Sean Cassidy]

"I'll let you two puzzle out the mystery of the One God. I'll worry about making the girls scream his name," Sapphire said in a velvety chuckle.

"I've been pretty lucky, I guess. Mom showed up, then took off, and I haven't seen her since, nor had to deal with any of her problems. Just had to deal with the occasional mugger and armed robbers. I'd like to think I've made a difference in a few people's lives. I've found a few people jobs, and I talked two others from endin' it. Mostly, I'd like to think I just give people a good time, lettin' them have some fun in their lives."

Little did Phaedra know what Fate had in store for her, less than two months away.

[Narinder Kapoor]

Narinder chuckled slightly as Sapphire's comment, looking amused. Then he turned to Amy, addressing the question.

"I would not say I have avoided it completely.. but it is not exactly my.. strength. My Father made sure I have the means to defend myself. And I suppose additional practice would do little to hurt in case the situation ever comes up. But I have only to hear of these events, and have even known some people who have been involved. I have yet to encounter an actual altercation myself."

He smiled, and it was almost apologetic, though in a slightly ironic way.

"I am sorry. It would seem we do not have any interesting war stories to share with you, then. I suppose this make us less exciting than other gods' children, at least in that regard. What of you, Amy? Have you tangled with the spawn of Titans?"

[SalmonMax]

Amica nodded, her eyes widening. "Oh yeah. Just once, directly. It was bad news. I mean, I'm still pretty green in a straight up fight. I think it would've had me if I hadn't had help. So these days I try to do my fighting in less direct ways."

[Narinder Kapoor]

"Well, then it is indeed a good thing you had help. Otherwise we would not be enjoying your company today, and that would be most terrible."

He smiled at her again then, with full charm. The three continued to talk and banter as sodas were refilled and pizza slowly disappeared. Finally, with food consumed, conversations had, and the bill paid (which Narinder managed before the other women could say a word), the three of them stood outside the pizza place, getting ready to go their separate ways.

"My dear Phaedra.. it was so good, to get to see you again. Please, we must do it more often. And Amy.. it was so nice, to finally meet you. I have done my very best, so that you would find me as charming and delightful as I have found you. I hope in this I have been a success, so that it will not be the last time we speak?"

His lips curved at the corners in a sexy smile then, though she could definitely hear a hint of playfulness in his voice. It was as if he was walking a fine line between teasing and flirting, and it was just enough to make her want to laugh and blush at the same time.

[Sean Cassidy]

While the three of them were saying their good-byes, Phaedra took a look at her cellphone, noting the text message. "Well girls, I gotta jet. I got an early date with Illie before I go on stage tonight. How 'bout next time, you chose the place Amy? Nari can chose where we're going on our third group date. We might even get lucky, yah?" Phaedra's red succulent lips bent into a dazzling, teasingly tempting smile at the looks from the other two.

"Really though, Ams, we gotta meet more often outside of the sheltahs, 'kay? And if you ever need help, give me a shout," Phaedra chuckled. "I intend on calling on you." She gave Amy a brief, firm embrace as only she could; it was somehow the platonic hug shared between girlfriends, but also promised so much... more.

Phaedra turned from Amy and gave Narinder a similar embrace, though if anything, it lingered even longer. "You're my best guyfriend Nari, and you're right, we really should do this more often," Phaedra said, her husky contralto a caress. Her large, sapphire eyes stared directly into Narinder's dark gaze, a hand sliding up his back, a mischievous quirk coming to her full lips.

Suddenly, she tilted her head and pulled his lips to her own, giving him a long, slow kiss. It was not the first time Phaedra had given him a kiss on the mouth, but never one with such playful passion. It was hard to remember that she was supposedly purely a lover of women.

"There now, Nari, that wasn't a promise, only a promise of a possible possibility," Phaedra said, releasing the kiss, her rogueish grin still in full force. "Either way, I don't think it'll be a long time before you call again, yah?"

She gave a sexy giggle at the look on his face, then turned to head for her car. Her sinuous stride was enticing, her high heels emphasizing the sway of her hips. Her companions weren't the only ones who found it difficult to look away from her incredibly alluring contours.

"Toodles," Phaedra said over her shoulder, waving the fingers of one hand at them, the other twirling her carkeys with abandon.

[SalmonMax]

Amica coughed and managed a wry smile.

"Given that I have no chance of beating that exit," she tells Narinder, "I think I'm just gonna do a little dance on the far side of the stage until the big hook drags me off."

She gives Narinder's hand a shake.

"Nice meeting you. I'll keep you in the rolodex in case I need to send a message to anyone else like us I know. Which in this case means Sapphire, so don't sit by the phone waiting or anything." Her smile morphs to a grin. "Anyway, thanks for lunch. My treat next time. Seeya."

She hooked her thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans and turned to head off to her parking spot around the corner.

[Narinder Kapoor]

Narinder for once had managed not to keep his cool enough to hide the slightly stunned look on his face at Phaedra's kiss, but as she meandered off with her wave, he chuckled slightly, and turned back to Amica, smiling warmly and nodding at her farewell.

"Feel free to call anytime.. your company was lovely, Amy."

He watched her round the corner before stepping to the motorcycle on the curb. He grabbed the helmet and pulled it on as he straddled the bike, and then gave the engine a quick rev before pulling out onto the street and off towards the next encounter Fate had in store.