Hestia (heart_h) wrote in olympian_rewind, @ 2009-07-25 00:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | children, hera, hestia, june marris, tessia sloac |
Who: Hestia and Hera
What: Comfort
Where: Hestia's house
When: BACKDATED to July 19th
Warnings: None
"Mama."
Ed and Eric were staring at their mother as she sat across from them, their little bowls of lunch empty. Now it was onto conversation. It'd started as a game, but now Hestia was using it as a distraction, for herself as well as them. They were smart. They were going to notice that Daddy wasn't around anymore for bathtimes and dinner and lullabies before bed. So far, they were doing all right. And she was glad for it as well, letting their little round faces serve as one big solid fact about her and Hades that she could never escape: even if she knew there were so, so many things that she could have done better for Hades, and she was sure in her heart that Persephone was the one he truly needed, it was all worth it to see her children.
Hestia held up a cup for Edward to see and Eric to feel.
"Cuppie!" cried Eric first, and Edward echoed him. Little copycat.
"Good! How about this?" Hestia held up a potato left over from cooking when she heard the doorbell ring. Smiling a little when she heard both boys cry out the word -- "Tatoe!" -- behind her she went to go answer it. "Hello?"
There, as promised, was Hera. She pushed her sunglasses out of the way, then took them fully from her face to tuck them away as her sister answered the door. She had only her purse with her this time, a small little clutch that matched her clothes. The normal Hera wear of a skirt and blouse, only a step more casual than what most would wear to the office. Arching an eyebrow to her sister, she took in her appearance. "[Hello sister.]"
She actually looked well. A bit of baby food, as could be expected when you're feeding two little boys. Her eyes were a little tired, her hair a little lackluster. But she wasn't quite the saddened... well, mess that she'd been when Persephone had first returned. "[Hello. Please. Come in?]"
"[Thank you.]" Smiling at her sibling, she kissed her cheek in greeting as she entered. Glancing about, she found a safe spot for her purse and set it aside. She looked at the house, using it in part to taste her sister's current state, before glancing back to her. "[I take it the twins are awake and about?]"
A squeal from the kitchen, a splat, and happy barks from Sonny probably answered better than Hestia. She sighed and shook her head. "[Well. They've learned that they can drop food from their high chair onto the floor and watch him eat it. I have to admit, they're creative in their entertainment...]" Ah well. "[Hungry, thirsty?]"
"[Some tea would be nice...]" Letting Hestia go first, she followed her into the kitchen and peered at the boys. Going up to each, she gently touched their heads before giving them a light kiss in greeting. "Hello Edward, Eric."
The twins, recognizing face and voice, stretched up slightly messy hands up to her. "Auntieauntieauntieauntieauntie." Oh yes! They could talk! Hestia almost missed the silence. They babbled at her while their mother was occupied, putting on the tea and washing her hands so she could touch the cups without them smelling of the baby-safe food the boys were eating. By the time Edward had remembered to show off his treasure of the day -- his spoon at the moment -- Hestia had set down a pair of tea cups for herself and her sister.
Hera gave the boys her quiet attention, talking back to them and showing interest in what they had to say as any good aunt would. These would not grow without knowing who she was. She had started them knowing, and would continue to do so. In one form or another. She found a seat for herself as they babble, and sat at the table as she waited for Hestia to finish with the tea.
"It's just green tea, I hope that's all right. I need to go stock up again..." Which was a rarity in the extreme. She sighed and sipped hers.
Rarity was mild. This was the near unimaginable. "Had I known that, I would have brought some for you." Hera took her own cup though and sipped it, thinking on how to bring up what they would want to discuss.
Hestia quickly shook her head. "No no! I can do it myself, I promise. I've just been... busy." ...Yeah, that was an excellent word for it. She deflated a little, looking down into her cup. Except that made it sound like some big business transaction. One love, no receipt, any change?
"I enjoy bringing you a variety of teas, since I know how much you enjoy them," Hera remarked calmly, arching an eyebrow to her sister as she read her reaction. "Why don't you find something for the boys to do for awhile so we can talk."
"Yes." The older sister stood and, after cleaning off their sticky faces and hands, put them down into the playpen. Heavy with food, they hit the pillows and blankets like a rock. Hestia sat back down into her seat and fussed over the stickiness left over on her fingers, saying, "Thank you for coming."
Ignoring the fretting and possible stickiness, Hera reached out and took her sister's hand in her own. "[It is what sisters do.]" She smiled briefly, then arched an eyebrow as she sipped her tea. "[Tell me what has happened.]"
Hestia let out a small, almost amused laugh. "[How much time do you have?]" she asked.
"[All the time that you need,]" she answered honestly, and with a small shrug. Like a true sister, she was there to hear all her sister's woes.
That was alot of time... With a sigh, Hestia put the tea aside, leaning onto the table with her elbows so her hands could support her face. "[Hades was unhappy after Persephone. She remarried, you know all that...]" She paused, considering telling the real truth. No. The only person who could divulge that was Persephone. She had a right, and responsibility, to do that when she was ready. "[But she left him and told Hades she wanted him back. He was living with me, but not even sleeping in the same bed. He was, as he told me, 'torn between two worlds'...]"
She fiddled with crumbs on the tablecloth as she spoke. It was always easier to speak with Hera on these matters, the words that she never could have said to her brother or niece came easily and calmly. "[So I gave him the chance to leave. If he can still desire her after all this, after he came back to me when she left him... I don't know what I could have done to do better. I was trying my best, but recently all it's done is make him unhappy. And I do want him to be happy. But he needs someone with a stronger will and greater understanding then I guess I'm capable of. Someone who doesn't need to put her own happiness on his shoulders to help him.]" The goddess shrugged and wiped a finger at the corner of her eye. "[He's gone. And he's not coming back this time.]"
Hera watched, and listened, hearing and seeing things that Hestia most likely did not realize her sister was guessing about her. About what chance Hades was given to leave, and how unhappy he truly was with her. Hera had her guesses, and she would go to Hades to see how true or false those were. But Hestia was not asking for advice or guidance... not yet. Standing, the goddess of marriage walked to her sister, and wrapped her arms around her in a firm hug.
At first Hestia froze. Her sister was not one for hugs. But after a moment, she slowly melted into it, embracing her sister with all her strength. And even given who she was, that was an impressive amount. She buried her face in her taller sibling's shoulder, letting out a muffled sniffle but no more.
"Shhh," Hera calmed, holding her sister close and smoothing back her hair. Had she known her sister's hesitation, she would have been forced to decide between annoyance and amusement. Why did none think that she could not be calming and soothing? Everything merely had its place and time. She continued to hold Hestia, whispering soft words and welcoming her to cry or speak as she needed.
Hestia didn't cry or sob or say anything, though. She desperately needed the hug, though, and remained attached to her little sister like a leech until she finally pulled away. Her face was red again and wet, so she took a moment to wipe a napkin at her eyes. "Sorry, sorry," she said compulsively, looking at the little wet stain she'd left on Hera's nice shirt.
"It is fine," she promised, stepping back once more to her own seat, ignoring the water mark. It hardly mattered. It would dry in time.
Hestia sat back down and stared at her hands in her lap. "[It's for the best,]" she murmured. It'd become a mantra, if not a comforting one.
"[You do not sound as though you believe that,]" Hera remarked softly, arching her eyebrow as she sipped her cooling tea.
"[I do. I just wish I didn't.]" Hestia sighed and picked up her own tea, swirling it around in the cup a little but having no real desire to drink it. "[I wanted him to stay. But it would have solved nothing. He wanted both. Persephone was willing to do it. But... But I don't want a relationship like that.]"
"[So you believe you will be happier without him, then with sharing him.]" Interesting. She wondered how long that would actually last. Stubborn as the family was, it could take a few years. "[It will take time for you to fully accept what has happened then.]"
"[I believe he'll be happier,]" the elder corrected. "[If I had done what I had wanted? Persephone wouldn't have stood for it. Hades wouldn't have wanted to do it, not truly, though he says the decision was ours. This is just... easier for everyone.]" Well, almost everyone, obviously. "[I do just need time...]"
"[You are saying two different things, even if you don't know it.]" She finished off the tea and pushed the cup aside. The trick would to not try and be to much of advisor, and continue to remain only the sister. "[Have you made any plans for the future?]"
Hestia blinked at her statement but was distracted by the question momentarily. "[We talked about the custody of the children. We're going to share time, like before, with them still living with me. We'll figure out what we'll do, come preschool and such. Past that, nothing, really. He moved out yesterday.]"
"[And that is it? Nothing more than brief meeting for the children to be exchanged?]" she questioned, keeping her tone mild as she talked.
Hestia nodded. "[He didn't say he wanted anything more. And it seems hypocritical for me to tell him to go be with her, but then ask him to reserve time for me, doesn't it?]"
"[Then what do you plan to do for yourself?]" She had a plan in mind. Or rather, a single thought. She was not sure yet if it was a good idea or a bad one.
"..." The hearth goddess sat there, considering. "[I don't know,]" she finally sighed. "[Keep working. Raise my sons. But other than that? I cannot think of anything I particularly desire or need.]"
"[That hardly sounds like much of a plan when you will need to fill in a few pieces...]" Good plan, bad plan? That was hardly a choice. She knew it was a bad plan. It would end horribly and disastrously, and for all of that, it seemed like the perfectly sisterly move to make. "[Will he watch the children still during the day?]" It would be difficult to have them in the bakery.
"[Oh yes. They come back home when he's done, and he can have them on Saturdays. It splits the time pretty evenly. He can also come over and visit, if he likes,]" Hestia said. "[We're being civil about it.]"
"[I would expect nothing less,]" she remarked before stopping herself. She needed to focus if she wasn't going to try to fix everything. "[So that means that your Saturdays are free. Interesting trade.]"
Hestia looked up from circling her finger around the rim of her cup. "[Why interesting?]" she asked with a blink.
Hera shrugged. "[I suppose that it will suit both of you best. Does he merely keep them Friday evening, or does he pick them up again on Saturday?]"
"[He picks them up,]" Hestia corrected, "[on Saturday morning. But he's always free to come visit or ask for more time, if he wants it...]" Why was Hera picking up on that? It seemed like idle conversation. But, she knew the former queen; Hera was a planner and a plotter. "[I want them to still know that he's going to be around for them, that he hasn't abandoned them.]"
"[I hardly doubt that will be a difficulty if he is seeing them near daily.]" It didn't seem the most time economical arrangement to her. Let him have them all of Friday, switch on Saturday, and then she would have all of Sunday with them before switching them to him on Monday again. But that may have simply been Hera's thought on such a thing.
Well it had been decided on a very emotional day. But things would work out. Hestia let out a sigh and set her cup down. "[Sorry, I'm poor company.]"
Hera shook her head slightly. "[Do not be sorry. You are not poor company.]" She reached to her sister's hand and took it. "[You will be fine.]"
Hestia had to giggle a little. "[We've done this sort of thing before, haven't we?]" she pointed out, referring to the first time he had left.
"[Would you rather do something different?]" she questioned, arching her eyebrow.
"[Not that I can think of? Or at least, I don't know what I can do,]" Hestia pondered almost musingly.
"[You could always find someone to watch the children and go out on a night of madness, indulging in the tradition most call 'a girl's night out', if you felt so inclined.]" Was she serious, or teasing? It was difficult to say.
The older sister laughed at the immediate mental image of the two of them and Demeter in sleeping bags with popcorn and bad movies. Hee! But, "[A night of madness? You forget who you're talking to...]" Though, she considered how much she had enjoyed the dinner she spent with Poseidon... but that had been different.
"[We could make our own version of it. I doubt we would fit in well with many of the clubs. Perhaps a nice bar, with plenty of man eager to please and dance, and spoil. You can flirt and let them think that they may have a chance. The more intoxicated you become, perhaps the more wild you will feel.]" Slightly shifted from the normal girl's night out, but it would be far more likely to not back fire.
Hestia blushed as red as open flame, though her face fell a little. "[Plenty of men? Wild? You're more optimistic than I ever imagined.]"
"[Perhaps. But you seem in need of something that is not on your normal path. One night in your immortal life spent differently will not be the end of you. Leave the children in care of another and take an evening for only yourself.]" If it was said with confidence and purpose -- something Hera was skilled at doing -- the proposition sounded far more likely to succeed.
An evening for herself? Hades' words of her being selfish suddenly flashed in her mind and she felt guilty for considering the idea. How could she leave her sons to go on about the town? What did it say if she told him to go and then went out like a... a celebration.
But... a small part of her did want it. To just break the mold a little, and distract herself from her woes. "[I did hear about a quiet bar,]" she murmured, fingering the edge of her lip a little in pensive thought, "[at work. I've been curious about it for a while.]"
"[A quiet bar is for the end of the evening, not the start.]" Marriage studied hearth for a moment, considering and wondering how well this would work. "[Do you wish to do this?]"
Well. Hestia thought on it hard, opening her mouth a few times but then reconsidering. Sonny waited at her feet, staring up at her almost as expectantly as her sister."[... I do need a night away,]" decided Hestia. "[I mean, just to... I guess escape for a while. Maybe it'll help me get back to a normal life if I get a jump start. Yes, I'd like to do it.]"
"[Then call someone to watch the boys for you for the evening, and began to get ready to go out for the night,]" Hera directed as she pushed herself to her feet. She gathered the cups and took them to the sink, rinsing them out briefly.
"[Now? Now!]" Hestia stood as well, watching her sister with a bit of shock. Gosh, that was quick! "[Oh, I guess Hades wouldn't mind. I'll go call him.]"
"[I would recommend someone else.]" She stated it calmly, without any hint of explanation. Really, did she wish to say to him why she was needing a baby sitter? And so shortly after he had moved out? She considered offering Zeus, but she intended to call him when they needed someone other than a taxi to drive them home.
Pausing in her movements to the phone, Hestia mulled over that. "[But he may be offended that he was not the first person I asked,]" she pointed out.
Hera turned to look at her. "[And what will he do if he is?]"
... She did have a point. Hestia considered her other options for babysitter. "[Maybe Melpomene would not mind... she likes the boys,]" she said as she picked up her phone.
"[A sound choice.]" As Hestia began to make her phone calls, Hera slipped out through the door to make one of her own. Zeus would need to know that she would be out for a bit, and to be prepared to answer her call when she made it, though it would most likely be a number of hours.
Hestia stayed in the kitchen, calling the muse and was pleased when her niece confirmed she would do it. She hung up and went looking for her sister -- after taking a moment to pick up Eric, he was in a suddenly clingy phase, resulting in the word "Up!" every time she passed -- with a bit of a smile. This could be fun. No. No, it would be fun. Because she wanted it to be. So, it would be.
Hera returned inside and went to find her sister, reaching to touch the now alone Edward and seeing if he was interested in his own share of affection. "[Go and get ready. I trust you were able to get Melpomene to come and pick them up?]"
"[Yes, she'll be arriving shortly.]" After a pause, Hestia stepped forward, hugging her sister tightly. "[Thank you.]"
Careful of the boy in her sister's arms, she returned the hug. "[This is what sisters are for.]"
Summary: Hestia is still a bit down in the dumps, so Hera offers to help distract her with a night on the town.