Forever not so young

"Actually, I'm not sure what to expect from you, Zarda. Truthfully, kittens and rainbows might just seem to fall hand in hand with how you are. As for things going your way, I'd rather not end up dead. Or angry, since, as we've seen, that nearly lead to me dying not too long ago." Circe still wasn't too sure about this strange woman, but the more she talked to her, and the more she looked upon her, Zarda's offer was starting to become an intriguing one. Perhaps they could do with a one night stand of sorts. After all, it had been quite a while since the sorceress had had anyone share her bed, and even she had needs that couldn't be satisfied singlehandedly.

"Horny teenagers?" she asked with a chuckle. Well, maybe that explained why Circe would stay with one person so long. If the sex was good, she was unlikely to kick her bedmate out and turn them into an animal. But, upon seeing the eavesdropper, whom Circe had thought had left to give them time and space to talk, the sorceress frowned briefly. "Yes, she has quite the stunning pair of assets, and there are other things about Kai that are equally impressive. As for Lyta, magic is suppose to make anything happen overnight, but you know me well enough that I wouldn't do that sort of thing to my daughter. I should get back to her." Lyta still wore the choker that nullified her powers, but Circe was not about to leave her alone for too long. She could get into all sorts of mischief and trouble that way.

Walking back towards her home, Circe glanced over her shoulder at Zarda. "If you wish to stay, I'll have a suite made for you, unless you would prefer a different bed. And, by the way, how are you with unruly children?" she asked out of the blue, just wanting to see how the alien woman would react.

"Relaxing is difficult for me to do, particularly when my own daughter hates me and wants me dead and I have spent the last five years hiding as a lioness on my own island," Circe admitted. It was easier for her to do such a thing these days, at least. People had seen her at her weakest, so she truly had nothing of worth to hide anymore. Besides, Kai knew her better than she knew herself it seemed. She couldn't hide anything from that girl.

"Sex and war. Ares would have absolutely loved your people," Circe stated in a half serious manner. As for what Perseis had apparently done with Zarda's father, that was whom Circe assumed Xander was, she could hardly believe that. "Mother has never slept with anyone else besides Helios after they were married. She'd never do such a thing." Perseis was far more monogamous that Helios, so the fact that fruit juice changed her was a bit hard to believe. Glancing back at Zarda, Circe gave her a look as if to ask if she had ever truly been around children. The alien woman didn't seem the type to like them. But then again, Kai had said she had siblings, so anything could be possible. "Just because she can't hurt you doesn't mean that she won't try."

Hippolyta was currently occupied searching Circe's home. The laboratory had to be around here somewhere. It had taken her long enough to get the redhead out of the house to allow her a chance to find it and she certainly wasn't going to waste any time. If she found it, then there would have to be something in there that could remove the damn choker from around her neck. Going through her memories, Hippolyta could vaguely recall a doorway on the wall she was scrutinizing, a pathway leading downwards, but now there was nothing but a blank surface. No hidden doorway, or at least none she could sense.

Then the emotional memories hit the goddess; following her mother down with winding stone steps, sitting and watching her work, being entertained and learning about all her magic, and even being carried back up the stairs half asleep if the day had lasted long into the night. Recalling this things, Hippolyta sat down hard, trying to hide the tears. She never cried this much on Themyscira and now it seemed that was all she did.

Circe couldn't give a proper reply. In truth, she wasn't quite sure how to stop Lyta from hating her, which was why she let Kai be around her so much. She hoped that something would change inside of her. She was afraid that she would force her daughter further and further away, when all she wanted to do was hold her close and never let her go. "I'll need help," Circe finally said in a soft voice.

She listened quietly to Kai's story before stopping and looking at her. "Before you arrived on the island, I watched Ares die at the hands of Athena. If I were to have a child like you, none of that would happen. She would not be a monster, not that you are one yourself, Kai. None of my children are monsters. As for the fruit juice, I'll have to take your word on it." Circe also made sure not to ingest anything alien Zarda would give her, not yet at least. She wanted to get to know her better first.

It seemed as if this would all be round two of unwanted visitors, Circe thought as she saw the Enchantress appear with her lackey, the Executioner. Though the apologetic look from Kai was unexpected, the sorceress took it in stride. "Leave now, Asgardian, before I turn your attack dog into something cute and fluffy." Amora simply glared at Circe in response. "Do not give me that. You come to my island unwelcomed, with a man, and if it is any indication, you have some ill will against a blood relative of mine. Either you leave now, or we can discuss this properly, without the axe wielding lunatic."

Not about to be treated this way, Amora raised her hand as if to strike out with her own magic when an unseen force hit her from behind, causing her to stumble. Acting quickly, Skurge caught his mistress who looked momentarily stunned and surprised. The look on her face was one of unsuredness, but it quickly disappeared. "I am fine. Let go of me." Ever the faithful servant, Skurge obeyed, allowing Amora to regain her footing. "Leave. Go back to Asgard. I have things to discuss with the witch." Skurge began to protest to which Amora whirled and backhanded him across the face. "Are you deaf? Do as I say. She is not as powerful as she thinks. A little white flower bears proof of that. Now go. I'll be along once this is done." With a flick of the wrist, Amora's hulking bodyguard was gone, leaving the enchantress alone and bearing a wicked looking smile as her eyes landed on Kai. In an instant, she was in front of the redhead, cupping her face and kissing her full on the lips. "Hi, duckweed," she whispered softly, using a nickname that Kai knew far too well. "I'm glad you're safe."

Circe's thank you to Zarda was barely audible, but it was there. As for what Kai said in regard to any future children she might have with the alien woman, Circe looked unaffected by the statement. "Kai, all gods are mutants in a way. Whether I have sex with aliens, that doesn't really matter all that much. My brothers were mortal, my sister is not. My grandparents have anatomy that is not present on any human body, yet their children and grandchildren are fairly normal looking. Why do you think I care about what or how my child would look like?" Of course saying something and actually being witness to it were two different things, but Circe would not care how her children looked. As for the fruit juice, again, the goddess would make sure not to drink anything offered by an alien. Not without examining it first.

The look of shock on Kai’s face was adorable. It wasn’t very often that Amora could surprise her wife, and though this was a risky endeavor, it was well worth it. “How? A simple mind transference. And before you start to worry, my body is safe. I had my hands bound and my mouth gagged. I am locked in a cell with Nem and Ty watching me and your sisters are watching the children. This was the best I could do on such short notice. Believe me, I was very close to simply coming through the portal myself,” she admitted, looking a little sheepishly before glancing down at her younger body. In a low voice, though she was certain Zarda could still hear it, she whispered, “We confronted each other, but stayed on our respective sides. I forgot how sharp my tongue used to be. Among other things, she…. She called me a fat, old hag.” Those words were exactly what would have provoked her. True, Amora had aged slightly over the few thousand years, but the difference was barely noticeable. There had been an age difference when their relationship began, but now not so much. As for the weight? This younger Amora was a slender thing, built like a dancer, while Kai’s wife was curved more like a pin-up model, and with her height, the Asgardian looked positively stunning. But weight had been a touchy subject during Amora’s first pregnancy, leaving the enchantress crying at the smallest perceived slight, whether real or imagined, or at anything that didn’t fit right. Shopping for maternity clothes had been a process that she did not enjoy. Granted, it was better than her raging and throwing things, but it had taken her a while after her daughter was born to feel comfortable with her body once more, even if it had improved certain assets.

Amora smiled a little at Zarda’s question. “It is a nickname Kai earned when she was first trying to gain my attention. She tried her hand at being a water nymph once and the river plants did not cooperate.” She would say no more on the subject, not wanting to upset or embarrass Kai any further. Turning her attention back to her wife, her smile faltered. “I’m trying my best to bring you home, but if you want me here with you, I will come, no questions asked or needed. I don’t want you to feel forgotten or unloved.”

“If what gods look like is merely a gamble, you should be grateful that you don’t take after your great-grandparents. I doubt you’d like bull horns or wings on your head,” Circe commented, not exactly enjoying her daughter schooling her on genetics. She could have insinuated something about Zarda’s lineage, since she was an alien and they tended to be rather different biologically even if they appeared different, but the sorceress was not about to get on the woman’s bad side again. But the news that her child was more powerful than her made Circe feel rather similar to what Cronus must have experienced. Not that she would kill her own flesh and blood, but she did not enjoy being the least powerful while in her own domain. "Fully grown and you're still learning about your powers?"

Zarda’s snort earned her a quick and sharp glare from Amora. She was most definitely one to laugh at appearances. The enchantress recalled how, before she had met Circe, and even for a short time thereafter, Zarda was obsessed with her looks and her age. Something had happened to change that, of course, since the woman had become far more relaxed and laid back about appearances nowadays. Looking back at her wife, Amora held her close and quietly thought for a few minutes. “I hate how you leave it up to me to decide things. I wish you were still that damn impulsive little brat teenager who always demanded her way and was not happy until she got it,” she finally stated. Why this was a hard decision, Amora did not know. She had nothing truly tying her to the other world and, perhaps by working from this side of the portal, and with Kai’s mother and sister on the other, they would be able to solve the problem that much faster. But that would mean dealing with this world’s Amora, as she doubted they’d be allowed to work side by side, not after what Kai did to her bedroom and enforcer.

“What would I care about Superman here? You think I don’t know how to beguile men? Convince them I mean no harm and will do nothing to stand in the way of their dreams of global conquest? You’ve seen how I’ve flattered men before, making grand gestures and promises that leave them so enamored to point that I have to nothing I promised. I am not worried about him. I am worried about you,” she sighed. “Whether I stay or go, this Amora will need to be handled. How do you plan on doing that? And no, I’m not about to share this body while playing dimensional leapfrog, if I do stay.”

Well, Circe certainly hadn't expected Zarda to be a giant lizard, but then again it somehow seemed a natural thing. And yes, she did glance at the alien woman, her eyes glowing slightly as she took in her aura, something she should have done in the beginning as the amount of power Zarda held would have easily spoken volumes and avoided most, if not all, of this violence. There was an overlay around her body, not much larger than her physical form, but the head shape and tail most definitely spoke to her reptilian nature. Turning her attention to Kai, Circe noted that she shared a similar aura form, perhaps not quite as pronounced, but she was a lizard as well. And though she knew it was rude, Circe couldn't help but glance at Amora as well, and what she saw was quite unexpected. Two auras were laid over her physical body; one from the younger and one from the older, the latter begin a bit more visible due to the spell. It was also larger, far more larger than anything an Asgardian should have. The younger aura was also noticeably big, but less defined and weaker. Circe knew better than to ask. Blinking, she let the magic dissipate. "I'm not entirely sure I want to know what either of you can do. Not right now at least. But you all have rather.. interesting auras."

Amora stumbled a little as the island shook, not quite expecting her wife to literally become that damn teenager again. "All right, all right, I'll do as the little brat princess requests," she responded. "But, as much fun as you are having looking like this, I expect to see my wife when I return." As for the threat to the other enchantress, Amora frowned. "At this age, she has not accepted that part of her yet. It's weak, not at all like me. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought of herself as a pure Asgardian, Kai. Just even mentioning it in the briefest of manners would have her shut up and be frightened. I'll be back as soon as I can, beautiful." The kiss she gave her wife was a long and deep one, as if she were reluctant to leave her even though the absence would be brief. Eventually, the enchantress slump against Kai for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and looking startled, delivering a firm slap to her face.