Standing before one of the portals leading into the Goddess of Life's realm, Cymbel took a deep breath. It was the first time he would be seeing a god, other than Shiloh. But Shiloh was different; they had known each other before her ascension and she hadn't changed much after she achieved godhood. When she had returned from a 'mandatory conference', he learned she had met with the other gods of the Conclave. Parvporans weren't particularly religious, but he had read a few volumes of subject matter regarding them. She had come back very stressed and said she didn't want to see anyone for a while, which he understood was her way of saying the meeting had been very awkward and uncomfortable. He himself hardly believed her when she had revealed her new status as a deity to him, and they both were on the same page when it came to dealing with this very unusual situation. But as much as he knew she wanted to stay holed up on Antikythera, Shiloh would have to socially interact with the other Conclave members sooner or later.

Shiloh's rather unorthodox upbringing meant she had almost no experience dealing with visiting others outside of friends and her immediate family. Visiting someone else in their own home was completely unheard of, especially strangers. Back in Feeorin, visitation of other fey noble houses was something that happened often. It wasn't very pleasant, but he at least knew the basics. One positive thing was the person whom they would be paying a visit to was the welcoming type, which took a great deal of pressure off right at the beginning. He and Shiloh brainstormed over what gifts to bring as to make a suitable first impression. However at the end of the day, they only had religious literature to go off on so they settled on making things they hoped the Mother would like. The rest of the staff of Antikythera were given a week-long holiday from their duties as the deity began working on the gifts she planned to send. She often worked long hours into the night, without rest or sleep. Finally she had produced three items which she considered acceptable to give a god.

The first was a curious little contraption in the shape of a sphere. The outer casing was made of electrum alloy with panels of frosted glass etched with idyllic scenes of nature. The top would open its lid to reveal a compartment where one could pour the distilled essences of flowers and perfumes. The liquid poured would then be heated through a series of pipes and smaller mechanisms, eventually vented through the top of the closed device as scented vapor. The second gift was a wind-up music box which when the key was turned, would open like a blossoming lotus to reveal a delicate winged fairy inside. A few mysterious cylinders with perforations were installed within the music box which allowed music to play while the fairy danced. The pieces for this one were incredibly small and intricate, and Shiloh had fallen with her face on the workbench a few times while working on it. And last but not least, a floral centerpiece composed of various fruits and flowers–all imitations made painstakingly from resin and painted to where they were nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. The pieces had been soaked in distilled essential oils to enhance the imitation even further. Hopefully nobody would actually try to take a bite out of them.

Once they were completed, he tried to persuade her to come give them to the goddess in person. Shiloh staunchly refused, stating she didn't feel comfortable in other people's homes. But he did sway her a bit, as she opted to send one of the other automatons with him in her stead. The armored myrmidon spearman followed behind Cymbel as they entered the portal, carrying the gifts meant for the Artisan of Life. They traversed the realm, stopping every so often to gaze at beauty of Angela's realm. It was so different compared to Antikythera. The former was larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside, but the Awakening Gardens were simply massive. Soon they reached a tall flight of jade steps, and they began the climb. It was an arduous ascent, but as he continued further Cymbel though he saw the silhouette of two children in the darkness. He first thought it was a trick of the light, and carried on. But then he heard the sound of their laughter, and watched them play hide and seek. There were two boys, one with dark hair and one with a head of silvery-white. As quickly as they had appeared, so did they vanish. Confused as to what the vision he had witness meant, the fey was left standing on the steps for a while. The myrmidon then approached, and pulled him from his thoughts. Looking up at the faceless, armored visage he sighed. "…Oh, forgive me. Shall we continue on?"

A seemingly endless mirror, crystal caverns, dense jungles, and farmland as far as the eye could see–these and much more did they witness along their journey through the Mother's realm to the center of it all. Finally, the great canopy of the tree housing the temple was seen at last, and they crossed the bridge to the Crestere Palace. Inside, they were standing within a grand mansion. The sound of the myrmidon's heels clacking against the stone floor broke the silence as they looked for someone who could bring them to see Angela.

She was still getting used to the whole 'deity' thing and all that came with it, one of them being thrust into a select group of individuals granted with immortality and great power. There was no point in denying it now, as godhood wasn't something you could push off onto someone else if you didn't want it. Returning from her first meeting with the other members of the Conclave, she felt drained emotionally and physically. All save for one were absolute strangers, and Shiloh did not like interacting with people she didn't know well for extended periods of time. Cymbel then reminded her of the inevitable 'courtesy call' she would have to give to the others sooner or later. At the moment there were only two people whom she felt comfortable enough to pay a visit, so she might as well start with the least threatening personality-wise to get her feet wet. By the end of the Conclave meeting she had remembered her first encounter with Lady Death, and learned her name wasn't 'Angela'. The goddess of life and the Reaper were apparently very friendly with each other, which would explain a few things.

Being the more experienced in formal social situations out of both of them, Cymbel suggested that they bring a few special gifts when they went to say hello. It was a good idea, but neither of them knew what a god might want or find acceptable as a gift. Come to think of it, did the gods ever have wants for anything? As all-powerful beings surely material goods weren't worth much. Either way, they didn't have any other options so gifts it was. It was then Shiloh realized she probably chose the one deity where she had almost no ideas for. Having domain over life itself, how was she supposed to give Angela something totally unique? Bringing a bouquet or a basket of food wasn't exactly 'good enough' from her perspective. No, she had to give something that the goddess couldn't easily make herself. Asking the staff in Antikythera, she collected ideas until she decided what she wanted to build. She would bring three gifts–not one, not two–three. It was not too much where it seemed overwhelming, but wouldn't make it seem like she was being stingy either.

Giving the staff a week off, she spent that time working non-stop. One of the perks of being a deity, she discovered, was that certain needs such as sleep and eating were greatly diminished. She did black out a couple of times when making her second present, but other than that it was a marathon. Although she had told Cymbel that she didn't want to go, she felt bad making him go all by himself. Instead of sending Diomedes like intended, she swapped places and used a potion to grant her the myrmidon's appearance instead. Knowing that Cymbel would be embarrassed if he found out she had second thoughts and had come along, she didn't say a single word while they traversed the Awakening Gardens to the Crestere Palace. She also knew he wouldn't be able to carry the gifts himself, so by this way she could make the trip easier on him. Entering the temple proper, she surveyed the Matron's decor. It was very luxurious but vibrant, and she was satisfied that her gifts would match the elder goddess's interior design.

Angela knew that the two had entered her realm. It wasn’t a matter of when anymore that she would get to know this new goddess on a level that she couldn’t grasp when in the Conclave. She turned from her spot in one of the many rooms that were ever expansive and always growing. She would let them make their way to the temple on their own. It was customary at least in her old age that a god experience all around had to offer. The only one she didn’t do as such was Dalanesca and that was because she knew her so well. That and she didn’t like pain at all… Even for a goddess such a thing was a bother.

Still… There was so much to do before they arrived. She had to make gifts since she had sensed they had brought their own. Lady of Luck and Storms would be in luck herself. Creating art in life and earth was her specialty. If it wasn’t the whole of Revaliir might have been in trouble. The goddess worked alone but that didn’t mean that the two of them went into the palace with meeting someone.

Her twins Lark, who looked so much like Drae his father, and Poppy, who had her mother’s bouncing red hair, were there fighting in the entry way. Lark had black hair and gray eyes. While his sister had the same gray eyes. They were just a little over five now and just as mischievous apart as they were together. “You take that back before I make you take it back Lark!” Poppy’s voice boomed as she flung herself at her brother.

Lark let out an almost animal-like cry as his sister pulled at his hair. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you two…” It was their older sister Iva who was a young woman with red curls and brown eyes. “You don’t want to know what Mother will do to you for acting like animals in front of guests.” She put her hands on her hips and flashed a smile at the two. “She’ll be right with you… Sorry about these two… They aren’t tame.” That was the best way to put it.

“SHUT UP IVA,” the twins roared back at their older sister. It made Iva jump a bit as her smile turned into a frown.

“TAKE IT BACK,” Poppy yelled once again as Lark began to have the upper hand throwing his sister off. He jumped back on her and started with the hair pulling.

“NEVER!” Lark yelled back as he grasped his sister’s pretty red hair in his hands and gave it a few good pulls.

Someone cleared their throat in the room and the twins hesitated for a moment before continuing. The room dimmed just a bit and it began to shake as the twins were thrown off of one another. Vines reached down and took them both by the leg. There Angela stood in a ravishing deep green gown. She crossed her arms as the twins swung over to her and hit their heads together. “OW MOMMA THAT HURT,” they yelled as they were in sync more than ever.

“I turn my back on you two for no more than five minutes to complete an offering for our guests… Our guests that you two decided to greet with bouts of hostility.” Her fingers tapped on her arm impatiently. “Well? What is it that made you decide to be so rude to our new and important guests…. Spit it out you two… I know Poppy has a big mouth but I know Lark can speak too.” Her voice was stern as the twins struggled in the vines for a moment.

“Lark said that I couldn’t go with Daddy to Iria because he was going! That’s not fair! So I told him to take it back with my fists!” Poppy sounded hurt emotionally as she swung at Lark.

“She’s not allowed to come. It’s a boy day. Daddy said so!” Lark growled back at her as he tried to get at her.

Sighing Angela let the twins hit their heads again. “Now Poppy… You know that Daddy, Rohan, and Lark are having a special day… right? They are having a boy day… What are you?” Her voice was becoming more gentle as the lighting came back into the hall way and the shaking stopped.

“A girl,” the redhead answered stubbornly. Poppy crossed her arms and Lark stuck his tongue out at her.

“Lark that’s not nice.” Angela grabbed his tongue and he let out a howl as she let it go. “Don’t tease your sister. I do believe that if you ask your daddy he would be more than happy to have a daughter day with you Pops.” She gave a smile to the little girl. “Just you and Daddy… How does that sound?”

Poppy sniffled a bit and nodded. “Promise?”

“Well I can’t promise anything for your daddy but I bet he couldn’t turn down a pretty please… Why don’t you go bother him?” She let Poppy down gently and dusted her off as she took off to find Drae at his temple. “Now Lark… You know better.” She had her hands firmly on her hips. “You can’t treat your sister like that. You only got one twin… She is your best friend.” Angela offered a smile. “Make sure to apologize to her alright?”

Lark was stubborn as he got let down and brushed himself off. “She doesn’t have to hit so hard.”

“Well, you hit her just as hard Lark… You can’t just expect her to back down when you start a fight with her.” Angela chuckled as she ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head. “Go get ready for your trip and please say your sorry to Poppy when you see her.” Lark gave her a stubborn look but finally nodded and left them be. “I am sorry about that… They are at a terrible age where they seem to think their fists do more problem solving than words do… Thank you Iva for at least making sure they didn’t kill themselves.” Iva nodded and wandered away from the group as well.

“I was hoping I could offer you the best entrance and hospitality… but my twins seemed to have thrown that plan into the fire.” She rubbed her neck a bit. “It is good to see you Shiloh and your friend would be?” She looked over the male with interest. “We can talk in my throne room… I have fruit trees, wine, and a nice sitting place in there. This should be an informal visit after all… We gods should be on each other’s sides. We spend so much time with each other more than most realize. It is good to have allies even if you don’t get their principles or don’t always agree with their actions.”

Taking them through the stained glass doors of her throne room she led them through the fruit trees and found a nice sunken in couch that circled the entire area that was situated around a fireplace of sorts. There were stairs leading in on two of the four sides. She sat down and snapped her fingers as a bottle of wine and glasses appeared. “Has godhood kept you busy? Do you need any explaining? Any help or insight? This role that we fill is often times confusing and many don’t understand why we must do it. Sometimes people rise to godhood without understanding the weight of the world they now carry.” She popped the cork and poured the wine into glasses.

After a moment she waited and waved her hand at the glass for Shiloh. “Your body cannot handle alcohol? You might need a new way to be friends with Dal.” Giving her a humorous smile she changed it to juice with a wave of her hand. “All the same… Enjoy. It’s just juice now. From the trees here in the temple.”

Seeing the little ones fighting was quite a surprise for him. He hadn't expected it in the slightest, and soon the goddess herself appeared. "Oh, these are your children? They're very lively. I'm sure there's never a dull moment with them close by." Cymbel gave a polite nod to the older daughter out of the three. It would appear what he had heard of the goddess had been true: the very atmosphere around her exuded with warmth. When she addressed him and the myrmidon he gave a sheepish smile, before freezing up. Wait, why did she mention Shiloh just now? Then could that mean… He looked to the armored automaton to his side in shock. "Shiloh?…How? I thought you said you weren't coming?" The tall armored figure was silent, turning its head to the side to avoid his gaze.

That awkwardness was broken by the Mother's invitation to come with her to a more private place where they could talk. Regaining his composure from that unexpected surprise, he took the offer. "Yes, thank you." The stiff silence between him and Shiloh, whose disguise had been seen through by Angela, continued while they followed through the beautifully crafted halls. They arrived at what appeared to be a private garden with seats prepared for entertaining smaller groups of guests. He and Shiloh seated themselves beneath the trees, in bloom or ripe with fruit of all kinds. Carefully setting down the gifts before the goddess, he would be lying if he said he wasn't anxious. Even though he was the more experienced one out of the both of them for these kinds of situations, it had hard to suppress his nervousness.

"Thank you for inviting us into your personal quarters, Goddess Angela. Shiloh and I both present to you these gifts brought from Antikythera." He began, motioning to the three parcels. "Shiloh was unsure on what would be suitable, and she spent several sleepless nights thinking of what to make. Though the abilities entrusted to her as a deity differ greatly from the other gods, she sincerely hopes that they will be of use to you." Shiloh was sitting stiffly, still in her automaton disguise. Leaning forward to give a nod, she placed her right hand over her heart as she did so. He could understand why she might have been hesitant initially. She herself had admitted to him that she did not have a silver tongue. As odd as her appearance may be, it was a way for her to make this experience less uncomfortable. 

The Mother seemed to be full of surprises. She even was aware of Shiloh's intolerance, something very few people knew. In general she'd dodge the question and give some offhand excuse, but typically they wouldn't know it wasn't because she had taken a vow of temperance. Though Cymbel wondered how Angela had come to know of this. Shiloh was a very private person, and she wouldn't divulge such things unless she held a certain level of trust for whom she entrusted this information to. That put his heart at ease. Her mark of trust was a rare and invaluable thing, and he was happy to be one of the fortunate few to possess it.

She had been hoping no one would point it out, but as expected she couldn't fool another deity–especially someone who'd been in the position longer than her entire family line's collective lifespan. The cat was out of the bag, and now he knew that she had changed her mind and came along without telling him. Shiloh was expecting Cymbel to be upset, but he was more shocked than anything else. She didn't mean to mislead him, and she felt bad. It would be easy to misunderstand her intentions; who could blame him? Communication wasn't something she was good at. "Shiloh? …How? I thought you said you weren't coming?" Uneasily she looked away as he was trying to process it all. She was already feeling guilty for leaving him out of the loop, and she couldn't look him in the eyes. Not when him looking at her that way. It was a good thing she had picked Diomedes' form to emulate with that potion, or else there was no hope in hiding her embarrassment. 

Silently, she followed on to Angela's throne room. She brought them to a nice private garden with a table and seats ready for visitors. Carrying the gifts she had made helped hide her nervous energy that was building up ever since her plans on coming in under concealment had fallen through. There was no point in keeping up the charade, but not having her facial expressions out for the world to see made her feel a little less vulnerable. Cymbel was anxious too, but as expected, he handled introductions well. He always felt like he wasn't as talented or skilled in comparison to everyone else, but she knew he was much more capable than he gave himself credit for. She'd told him several times that confidence and bravado were not the same thing, and that just because somebody was the loudest didn't mean they were the best person for the job.

With Cymbel's introductory speech over, it was now her turn to speak up. "So about the gifts…I wasn't sure what you'd like so I thought I should make something you could use. In the boxes here is a machine that diffuses fragrances by heating up essential oils, a music box that plays several different songs, and an imitation centerpiece." The mechanical distorted voice paused, and she added. "You probably don't want to hear me ramble on about technical stuff, so I included a pamphlet of written instructions on how to use the first two with them."

Taking the glass, she held it in her hands as the goddess noted her 'issue' with alcohol. "So you've noticed. Apparently turning it down made it that obvious… If I could I would have at least taken a mouthful, but then that would've ruined the entire meeting." Writhing on the floor retching her guts out until all of it was out of her system was not how she wanted to make a first impression. Ever since she and Cymbel had been seeing each other, she had been extremely careful not to have any accidents. When informing him she had used less…vivid terms to describe her problem, and if he ever saw what happened when she did drink it–he'd probably think she was dying from poison.

Remembering she hadn't exactly introduced him formally, she cleared her throat and motioned to the fey. "This is Cymbel, he's a good friend of mine. We first met while trying to gain acceptance into a training hall run by a former horitshi in Nisshoki, and things sort of went from there. Hey, didn't you say you wanted to improve yourself as a healer? I heard she has several clerics in her clergy, so you could ask her to give you a few courses." Her sudden suggestion made his face redden and his silver hair made it stand out even more. "W-well I–but it'd be rude to impose–" Seeing his embarrassment, she then realized she had just put him on the spot. "Oh…sorry. I probably should've asked later." 

Changing the subject, she went back to what she was saying before. "After that meeting, I thought I should come and say hello. I've heard that you and Dalanesca were both deities as long as everyone can remember, and I wanted to pay my respects. And…well I wanted to see the 'real' Angela for myself. I'm not from around here, but you probably knew that already. I never thought that I'd meet the Reaper first thing after falling into this world." It was still chilling how she had a close encounter with Death without knowing it until much, much later.