(no subject)

[wheatencrown]

It hasn't been an easy summer, many people in Europe are struggling and Demeter and Kore have been trying to coax the land to help.

They can only do so much because governments and economics have a way of making it harder to accomplish enough. When Milliways appears instead of the farm she was visiting, she smiles and sets her basket on the counter in exchange for some wine.

Then takes her glass outside to see how Milliways is growing before sitting down on the patio to relax for a time.

Comments

[crabbycustomer]

There's a muffled bang.


A few moments later, a door at the back of the forge opens, and a puffy cloud of grey and black smoke gusts out. From out of the smoke, coughing and cursing, a figure emerges, also grey and black, also blurry around the edges.

[wheatencrown]

Demeter stands up and hurries over, "Are you hurt?"

[crabbycustomer]

Karkat squints at her; not just because of the smoke, but also because it's damn bright out here for his nocturnal vision. "YEAH IT'S JUST ANOTHER STEP IN THE DEVIOUS MINUET OF A VAST AND WIDE-RANGING CONSPIRACY."

He coughs alarmingly, great whoops, but as soon as he can breath he just keeps talking. "APPARENTLY ALL INANIMATE OBJECTS AND SIMPLE MACHINES HAVE SWORN AN INVIOLABLE OATH TO THWART AND FUCK ME OVER AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY."

[wheatencrown]

"Did you anger Hephaestion? He always enjoys those sorts of curses."

[crabbycustomer]

Karkat's head jerks to give her a sharp look, equal parts confusion and truculence, but then the ceagar drops. "THIS IS THE GREEK THING, RIGHT? YOU'RE GREEK?"

[wheatencrown]

"Yes, my name's Demeter. I'll take that as a no then, which is good, my family causes too much trouble."

[crabbycustomer]

"DEMETER."

Karkat's black lips move as he runs through the list he can remember. His own Denizen, of course, and then--

Typheus, Cetus, Echidna, Haephestus, Hemera, Nyx, Yaldaboath, Abraxas...

"THERE'S LIKE THREE MORE I DON'T REMEMBER RIGHT NOW," he says, frowning. "BUT I DON'T THINK SO."

[chameno_koritsi]

Down by some of the bushes, the yipping of a puppy can be heard; quickly followed by a girls laughter.

[wheatencrown]

She smiles and looks towards the yipping, the laughter isn't one she recognizes.

[chameno_koritsi]

Thalia catches motion out of the corner of her eye but not in enough time for Demeter to miss her playing with a brown puppy barely old enough to be away from her mother. Thalia sits up, alarmed and the puppy succeeds in stealing the branch of rosemary she had been holding.

"Lady Demeter," she says, standing to offer proper respect.

[wheatencrown]

When Thalia comes into view, Demeter's smile grows, "Hello, Thalia. You have a beautiful puppy."

[chameno_koritsi]

"It is good to see you," she says with a smile as she bends to retrieve the puppy. She manages this without turning her back to Demeter which takes some work. "I think I'm going to call her Buck. She 'Hi' Buck. This is Lady Demeter and deserves respect."

The puppy yips again before trying to gnaw on Thalia's fingers.

[wheatencrown]

"Buck's a good name. How are you doing, Thalia?" She leans down to offer Buck a sniff of her fingers.

[cook_the_rude]

Not far away, on the beach, there are two men cooking at an open fire. One of them, Demeter knows; the other, she hasn't met yet.

They look at her, talking quietly among themselves.

[wheatencrown]

She raises her glass in greeting to them as she continues to watch the shifting sky, it will be Autumn soon.

[cook_the_rude]

They both raise their glasses as well; and then the stranger gets up, picks up a bottle from the cooler, and walks towards Demeter.

"Good afternoon," he says when he is in easy earshot. He's in shirtsleeves and wearing canvas shoes, but with the air of somebody who dresses more formally, as a rule, and considers lack of tie as 'dressing down'.

[wheatencrown]

When he nears, she nods to him, "Hello."

[cook_the_rude]

"Excuse me for barging in on you like that," the man says. "But my friend Angus Urquhart tells me you are the goddess Demeter, and I found I couldn't curb my curiosity. May I offer you some more wine?"

[wheatencrown]

She laughs as she's sitting on a patio in the back of Milliways,

"I wouldn't use that phrase since you're not interrupting anything and no, thank you. I still have some in my glass."

[street_sparrow]

"Lady Demeter?" Gavroche looks up and smiles at her, although there's something a little strained about it. "It's been a long time."

[wheatencrown]

At his voice, she looks at him and it takes her a moment, "Gavroche, yes, it has. How are you doing?"

[street_sparrow]

"Oh, fine, fine." He pauses, thinking, then continues. "But there's something maybe you could help me with."

[wheatencrown]

"I'll do whatever I can. Join me, would you like some wine?"

[street_sparrow]

"I wouldn't say no to a glass." He sits down beside her. "Have you heard anything about a man called Javert?"

[wheatencrown]

She pulls another glass from her sleeve and pours him some wine, "No, I haven't but then I haven't been here for a while."