[center] [h1][color=violet][b][u]Cadien[/u][/b][/color][/h1] & [h1][color=8493ca][b][u]Neiya[/u][/b][/color][/h1] [/center] [hr] Meliorem’s throne room was different, for the God of Perfection had taken up a new hobby. A series of paintings hung on the walls. Of landscapes, of cities, of people. There was one of Carn, Evette, Alys, and Brundt standing together; Carn and Alys were smiling, while Brundt and Evette seemed dour and sullen. There was another of the warrior Dakari, standing in the heat of battle and stained with blood. A third painting was of an archer taking aim at a hydra, with a magnificent bow in his hands. There were more: a red-haired sorceress standing triumphant over fallen iskrill, a white-haired blacksmith duelling a veteran warrior while a hooded mage watched from the background, and an outnumbered warband standing against a Ketrefan army. Now, Cadien stood in the middle of the room, a canvas before him. He had almost finished his seventh painting, and he believed it was perhaps his finest one yet. But focusing would be difficult. In the midst of painting, the door to Neiya's realm rattled with ominous intent before swinging open. After a long break in visits, it seemed the Love Goddess had decided the dry spell of visits was over. The curvaceous silhouette of her most recent form appeared in the archway, and she soundlessly hovered into the halls of Meliorem, door slamming shut behind her. Gold eyes fell around the hall briefly, though her gaze quickly centered itself on Cadien. The God of Perfection smiled at her. [color=violet]“Looking as beautiful as ever, love. What brings you here?”[/color] Neiya narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, gaze shifting between the God and his easel. [color=8493ca]"Can't I simply wish to see my beloved?"[/color] she lamented, a dramatic and humoured frown on her features. Having entertained herself, she hovered closer to Cadien, a few moments of curiosity awarded to his hobby. [color=8493ca]"Perhaps I wanted your advice on a matter as well. You are the King of Mortals after all."[/color] [color=violet]“Oh rest assured, your company is never unwelcome,”[/color] Cadien assured her, raising an eyebrow. [color=violet]“What sort of advice do you seek?”[/color] Neiya pulled her hands behind her back, wings lifting in gentle flutter as she glanced about the hall in a manner most uncharacteristic. [color=8493ca]"Ah, it's on the matter of mortals. You follow their lives a lot and I was wondering how often they eat, how warm they need to be. Just general tips. Oh, is this a Neiyari?"[/color] the goddess offered, changing topic midway as she caught sight of the painting of Dakari. Her body lifted further from the ground as she carried herself in its direction. [color=violet]“It is,”[/color] Cadien nodded. [color=violet]“One of your children who I have decided to bestow my favour upon. Do you like the painting?”[/color] She cast a sideways glance towards Cadien, before looking back at the painting. Long fingers reached out to gently touch at it. [color=8493ca]"I do. It's very scenic. There are a few others that seem familiar enough to me. You truly paint a vivid picture, my love."[/color] [color=violet]“Why thank you,”[/color] Cadien grinned. [color=violet]“Why don’t you come over here and see my most recent work?”[/color] [color=8493ca]"Hm?"[/color] Neiya began with a tone that implied mellow interest at best, but still she was already halfway through the air when she uttered it, apparently fascinated enough to jump at the offer. [color=8493ca]"Is it something I've seen before?[/color] [color=violet]“You could say that,”[/color] Cadien said, as he turned the easel toward her. It was a painting of her. Not in her current form, but in her first one, hovering over an ocean with a coastline and a river in the far distance, clearly intended to resemble the time they first met. Neiya slid her hands over Cadien's shoulder and clasped on to him as she watched the painting, allowing him due time to move the easel back as she hovered beside and behind him, anchored with a gentle grip. Her first real reaction was a simple breath, the goddess stirred to silence as her now golden gaze flitted frantically over the picture. [color=8493ca]"That seems like so long ago. Oh, Cadien."[/color] she sighed with a wistful breath. [color=violet]“Such a simpler time, wasn’t it? Just the two of us. No concerns about other gods or the goings-on of mortals,”[/color] Cadien said, with a wistful tone of his own. [color=violet]“You taught me an important lesson that day.”[/color] Then he seemed almost remorseful. [color=violet]“One of my greatest regrets is that I never made it to your sanctum before the Separation. I would have liked to see it.”[/color] Neiya offered a sorrowful stare at the painting, briefly lost in memory. [color=8493ca]"It wasn't anything special; a lake I made my own. It was peaceful though, despite the visitors. I was so primitive, then. Ruled by my emotions."[/color] Cadien arched an eyebrow. [color=violet]“Primitive? Hardly. If anything, I found you to be beautiful, elegant, and calm.”[/color] He turned toward her and placed a hand on her cheek. [color=8493ca]"Tsch. You charmer."[/color] Neiya offered, turning her own gaze on him in turn. [color=8493ca]"Do you prefer me like that, then? Lost in thought and sorrow?"[/color] The goddess began to shift under his hand, her face turning softer and paler, her eyes losing their golden color as her shape turned towards that of her base form. [color=violet]“I simply don’t wish to see you dismiss who you used to be,”[/color] Cadien told her. [color=violet]“That is the woman I first fell in love with, after all.”[/color] Neiya raised a shifting hand to clasp around his, moving it down from her cheek. [color=8493ca]"Treat me well, my love, and I shall be whomever you desire. I'm still in here. I'm trying to be more than a shrinking flower, wilting in the shadows."[/color] [color=violet]“You [i]are[/i] more than that. You always were,”[/color] he assured her, before leaning in for a kiss. Neiya pushed her own lips to his, her form rippling gently as her skin turned pale and her form changed entirely to the forlorn, horned goddess of the past. She broke the kiss soon after, raising a languid finger to gesture at the painting. [color=8493ca]"Do I look like you remember?"[/color] The God nodded, bringing a hand up to brush at a strand of her hair. [color=8493ca]"Then keep painting. You have your model for as long as you need it."[/color] she continued, and drew a finger gently under his chin. And with those words, Cadien raised his brush and went back to his task. [color=violet]“Perhaps you should try your hand at this?”[/color] he asked as he began putting the finishing touches on it. Neiya released a quiet scoff, solemnly dismissive of the idea - even though she had watched Cadien's technique with intent. [color=8493ca]"I have never been much good with the creative. I only ever recreate, I feel. And even then...[/color] she sighed softly, and patted his shoulder. [color=violet]“You judge yourself far too harshly, my dear. What of our Merelli? We created those together, and they are beautiful, are they not?”[/color] A hint of a shadow of a smile played on her features, and she was forced to agree with an elegant nod. [color=8493ca]"You had a great hand in that, I think. I only change what is already there. The Neiyari, for example. Though I do enjoy how they developed…"[/color] [color=violet]“It occurs to me that we don’t work together nearly as often as we should,”[/color] Cadien went on. [color=violet]“The Merelli are the only thing we’ve done together. That ought to change, I think.”[/color] That seemed to catch the goddess' attention enough for her to reaffirm her vigil of Cadien, tilting her head slowly. [color=8493ca]"I agree, beloved, though I took the liberty of aiding your ah, cute offspring."[/color] [color=violet]“Oh yes, I have been meaning to mention that,”[/color] he nodded. [color=violet]“Thank you for giving them your aid. That cloak seems to be serving Carn well, even if it did create a rift between him and Gibbou’s avatar - though I suppose that’s her fault for being so uncompromising. And your followers did agree to aid Brundt, so you have my gratitude for that as well.”[/color] [color=8493ca]"Oh, they did? That's marvelous,"[/color] Neiya intoned softly, bobbing her head briefly in a simple nod. [color=8493ca]"Mortals can be so fickle, I was worried I wouldn't be able to please you after our… talk about the city. Actually, on the matter of mortals. How often do they need to eat?"[/color] [color=violet]“Well, that depends on the mortal,”[/color] Cadien said. [color=violet]“Why?”[/color] Neiya ran a hand up to stroke a finger along her lowest horn, humming softly. [color=8493ca]"Ah, nothing special. A few mortals wandered into my realm and I want to make certain they do not suffer at random."[/color] [color=violet]“Hm. Well, humans and merelli should typically eat two or three times a day. Some can survive on one meal, but in time that will take its toll. I still don’t know which mortals you’re dealing with, though. Perhaps we should go there after I finish, and you can show me?”[/color] [color=8493ca]"That's a wonderful idea, my love. I don't think they're human. But you can see for yourself later."[/color] Neiya nodded quickly and lifted her hand to wave away the matter now that it had been resolved. [color=8493ca]"Did you have any particular ideas of what you wanted to do together?"[/color] [color=violet]“No particular idea right now,”[/color] Cadien admitted. [color=violet]“Perhaps an order of warriors, that vanquishes evil in our names? Or maybe we could have our avatars work together to either teach or gift the mortals something? Or... perhaps we could just destroy some iskrill together? Hm. Do you have any ideas?”[/color] [color=8493ca]"Iskrill… where are those again?"[/color] Neiya asked with a ponderous expression. Cadien frowned at that. [color=violet]“Yamat’s abominations. I told you about them, long ago. Do you not remember? They’ve been slaughtering human and merelli alike.”[/color] Neiya touched at her own cheek. [color=8493ca]"Oh, those. In the Highlands, no? Aveira is around that area. I could send her to cut a swathe through those abominations without much issue. We could make it our shared activity, if you want to put some of your mortals in or some such."[/color] The God thought for a moment. [color=violet]“My own avatar is in the area. Perhaps they might work together? Mayhaps they’ll get along as well as we do,”[/color] he smirked. [color=8493ca]"Perish the thought,"[/color] the Love Goddess retorted with dry wit of her own, lips pursed ever so slightly. [color=8493ca]"I don't think Aveira was doing anything important anyway. But, ah, more importantly; how do you get this blue here?"[/color] Neiya drew her hand forward to point at the mixture of blue hues in the painting before her, overcome with a fickle thought after all. Cadien smiled. [color=violet]“Well, one benefit of being a god is that I can simply conjure whatever colour or shade I wish into existence. But, if I were a lowly mortal…”[/color] he waved a hand and conjured forth a table with jars of paint on it, [color=violet]“...I would have to do this…”[/color] [hr] [hider=Summary] Cadien is painting. He has painted a ton of cool pics of his favorite mortals, and he's working on finishing a new masterful project when the old ball and chain (though they're not actually married) Neiya enters with the same fanfare as usual. She wants advice on mortal care, but gets distracted by one of Cadien's paintings; the [i]Dakari the Neiyari, Collector's Edition.[/i] They get to talking about cute couple stuff like musing about the old days and planning activities together. #CoupleGoals Neiya gets to ask about mortals and reveals she has some newly acquired models in her realm, but no manual. Cadien, being a good boyfriend, promises to look at the practical stuff and help her out. Then he teaches her how to paint without divine aid. [/hider] [hider=MP/DP] Hah, you looked, but found nothing! [/hider]