“Mistress.” Laverna knew the Daimakaicho was upon her. She could run and hide, but she would be forced to hide for longer than she would like.
Hild nodded and sat down at the table. The trendy New York cafe catered to the movers and shakers of the financial industry. “A cozy temple you have set up here. Much more affluent than that little cave you had in Rome.”
Laverna nodded as she sipped her wine. “I am the Goddess of Thieves not just dumb thieves.”
Hild gave her a polite laugh. While drama of a bank heist at gun point did get the adrenaline pumping the banker running a Ponzi scheme was still a thief. “My congratulations then. The auditors have managed to discover you have covered every angle once again. You even managed to fence the soul two hours before my Inquisitors could properly point the finger at you.”
Laverna raised her glass and tipped it towards Hild. She took a small sip of the deep red wine. “Thank you, Mistress.”
“Just one question.” Hild asked after the mortal waiter had come and gone.
The raven haired beauty nodded as she at a bit of food from her plate. Her eyes lingered on the crowed room rather than Hild. She watched the comings and going within her temple carefully. “Yes?”
Hild's eyes bore down on her host. She made a gambit to get a reaction. “Did you know Rothgan would rape the woman and girl?”
“He is a corrupted fertility god.” Laverna showed no interest in the revelation. “Their kind think with one of two things. He must be getting pretty slow to have only managed two women before Saotome was resurrected. Didn't Tendo have three daughters?”
The Mistress of Hell nodded. She wondered just what a thief could do with two pure souls. Hild watched as her host kept her cool and didn't seem to care now that her job was done. Hild knew better, there was a game being played here and she could smell it. Greed was the vice that kept the world on edge, and thieves were the ones that poured the gasoline onto the fires of hell. The irony was that the Goddess of Thieves seemed to be immune to that vice. “You offer your followers little protection. Genma lost his family jewels you know.”
“Thieves know the risks very well. They can only hope that justice is swift when it catches them. A true thief will pray that justice finds them before vengeance. Such things happen when you steal from a demon without a plan.” Laverna leaned in and whispered, “We both know Genma is a beast. You'll have him soon enough.”
“No, I think Ranma's death broke him.” Hild pretended to lament for a moment. “There may be nothing left inside that shell of a man.”
“A pity, he had a certain flair you don't find very often these days.” Laverna offered a smile and thanks to the waiter as he came and went. “I really was looking forward to stealing him from you.”
“It's the lights for him.” Hild sipped her own wine. “There is little hell can do to a broken man. Let Enma sort it out. Have him work off his debts through reincarnation.”
A mischievous smile crossed Laverna's face. “Perhaps he needs a Goddess to save him.”
Hild offered a small polite laugh. “If you did not hide it so well your cruelty would be legendary.”
“I have never stolen that which has been truly needed. I have only stolen that which has been truly in need. I do not give into petty vices.” The thieving Goddess sat back and smiled. “And that is why you find me so dangerous.”
Once more Hild nodded. She commanded a horde demons and knew each one's petty vices by heart. With thoes vices she played them like an orchestra. She knew there was little she could do the Goddess without invoking the doublet system. The professional etiquette would dictate Hild to pursue the contractor rather than Laverna. Even Hild had used the dark Goddess's services on a few occasions. She could do even less given the nature of her actions. Two children born under a dark mark greatly out weighed the value of one soul of dubious karma. Until this little drama played out there was little she wanted to do. Once it was known Akane was the mother of Genma's child sorrow would flow. The strife the two children would create had the potential to destroy the happiness of all involved with the Saotome's engagements. Unraveling this plot was something to be savored so she sat back slowly and so she indulged in her host's food and wine.
Ranma nervously sat between Urd and Skuld as they waited for the previews to begin. A nearly a month had passed since her soul had been shoved face first into that bowl of magic. While she freely admitted to being a bit stir crazy confined in the temple, sitting in a dark crowded room didn't seem like a good idea. However, both goddesses wanted to see a movie. Since neither could be trusted to hold the popcorn bowl so she was elected the neutral party. Belldandy made a comment about rather looking at Keichii for the evening, then banished her from the temple for the to see a movie. Thus, she sat between two siblings sharing a bowl of popcorn in a dark movie theater acting as the great peace keeper. Her eyes darted back and forth into the shadows as she kept catching glimpse of something.
Skuld flippantly reminded her. “Ignore the goblins. I got a mark four Skuld bomb if they get too close.”
“Yes, you should pay much more attention to the collateral damage.” Urd teased as she grabbed more pop-corn. “A mark four will take out what five, six blocks?”
The resurrected girl slumped into her seat. “Look this is a bad idea. I'm still training up and what if they get close.”
“Kid your soul is as completely melded with that body. They couldn't pry you out if they wanted to.” Urd flicked an poorly popped kernel at the nearest soul snatcher. “Little beasts are just too stupid to go home.”
The shadowy apparition hissed as the kernel infused with divine energy burned its skin. Skuld giggled a bit as the winged monkey like creature tried to put out the divine fire slowly consuming its wing. Ranma watched with a bit of horror as the creature caught fire and fell into one of its pack mates. The two monkeys hissed and screamed as the purifying flames spread across them. The stupid creatures ran wildly around the room catching one another on fire.
Skuld laughed hysterically as she watched the simple creatures flail about. The mortal audience had no idea what was going on. She kicked the back of the chair in front of her. The patron sat up and turned around. “Excuse me Miss.”
Ranma looked at Skuld, the man and then the flaming monkeys running around the theater. Her foot tapped the back of the chair two more times.“Hey kid!”
Skuld slowly stopped laughing for a moment. Her eyes narrowed as if she was going to do something brash. A monkey clinging to the ceiling fell through the air as the divine fire ate away his arm. In the seat between Skuld and the other patron the shadow creature began to flail about. Skulds laughing renewed as she watched the hellspawn. “Stupid monkey.”
Ranma quickly piped up. “My little sister is just really excited about Super Monkey Robots.” She pointed at the preview as it began to play. The man gave her a disgusted look as a the screen show a man and a woman sharing a romantic kiss.
The other patron grumbled and sat up. He moved several seats over. The matinee showing was rather empty. He didn't want to fight over this. Skuld's laughter died down as the last gremlin dissolved in the holy fire.
Urd looked at Ranma and laughed. “So she's your little sister now?”
Ranma groaned as the remark left Urd's lips. That woman had a way with words that she hated.
“Big sister! Can we get some ice cream!” Skuld looked at least three years younger than she should. She tugged on Ranma's shirt sleeve.
Ranme rubbed her face. Those two could really play it up some times. She gestured to the man sitting a few seats over. “Trying to not get in a fight here!”
“But, big sister!” Skuld whimpered playing up the puppy dog eyes. “Don't you love your little sister?”
Ranma's eye twitched as she gripped the pop corn container tightly.
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(Posted Fri, 09 Sep 2011 06:57)
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