Carnachias: Family Dinner

The dark goddess bursts into the room. "Mo-mmy, I'm ho-ome!" In the center was a dining table, with four of the five seats occupied.

Next to the empty seat on the right, a very pregnant-looking woman with brown shoulder-length hair sat. "Matria, I see you got out of bed today." Across from Carnachias' intended seat was a redhead with angelic wings and hearts instead of pupils, with a bow and arrow leaning against her chair as she leans forward into the table. "Cupid, looking lovesick as ever." On Cupid's left was the grey void in space that never appeared to have any skin, but was still person-like in shape. "Rimorr, dead as always." She took her intended chair and dragged it to the foot of the table, sitting down and propping her feet up on the corner.

"Eros, that's hardly the way to greet your sisters." The matron of the group stands, easily twice the height of anyone else here. Her strawberry blond hair shifts and nearly bounces, her elegant dress draping down her form. Ramel.

"Wow, deadnaming. Great way to get me on your side, Mom. And my 'sisters'? Last I checked, you all disowned me...what? Twenty-five, thirty thousand years ago?" She grabs an apple slice from her pre-prepared plate and loudly bites it. "Now, I don't want to be here, and none of you want me here, except maybe Rimorr. How about we get on to why you invited me in the first place?"

A smirk flickered onto Ramel's face as she breathed and sat back down. "I think you'll be far more interested in being here after I say that I've offered your 'champion' priesthood."

Carnachias stops mid-bite as silence fills the room for several seconds. "I guess you're right, for once..." She swings her feet under the table and brings the provided plate of food closer to her. "I'm listening, Mother."

"Wonderful. I take it you're aware how things should go should he accept?"

The dark god nearly breaks her chalice with how tight she grips it. "I take it you're aware of just how much you're about to get on my nerves."

Matria folds her hands together over her belly, speaking in a motherly tone. "Yes, but we thought this might be a chance to make amends."

Rimorr speaks up in a myriad of voices, some male, some female, some even monstrous, hands still on her lap. "W̵͖͂e̶̳͝ ̶̣̎r̷͍̋è̷̼c̴̼͂o̸̫̐g̵̗̀ṉ̶̔i̴̩̔z̷̬̐e̸̊ͅ ̴̟̈́t̶̠̄h̷̥͋a̷͙͆t̴͕̀ ̶̣̈́t̴̺̚h̸͕̏e̴̪͒ ̴̦̒L̵̀ͅi̵͚̚g̸̗̀h̴̺̅t̷̜̆ ̸̙͐h̴͎̚ä̷̖́s̷͆ͅ ̵͚̍t̸̜́i̴͔̐p̶̪͊p̷̬̌ẹ̵̋d̶̹̆ ̵̣͠t̴̩͠h̷̥̉ê̴̺ ̵̥͝s̷͚̈́c̷̞͆a̶͉̒l̶̦̑è̸̦s̵̛̤ ̶̜̔i̸̲͗n̸̖͋ ̸̗̈ȃ̵͇ṇ̷͛ ̶͓͝ǔ̸̻n̴͖̾ņ̶͝a̵̟̿ṱ̸̑ú̴͚r̷̠͗å̵̟l̵͙̔ ̷͙͝w̵̹͋a̸̝͑y̵͍̿.̸̧̆"

Even Cupid begrudgingly contributes, leaning back with her arms crossed. "We're not going to convert to the Dark, but even we feel the need to do something."

Ramel brings their speech to a close. "We may not agree on everything - on most things - but know this: so long as Dusk stays true to himself, romance, family..." She lowers her head, giving Carnachias a knowing look. "...and lust, he will have the full support of our family, and we will ensure each of our priests are well aware of his acceptance."

Carnachias follows along, looking at each of them inquisitively as she thinks things through. "What's the play here? Sure, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, but this seems to good to be true. Did Rai put you up to this?"

"He didn't." Matria starts. "Remember, sister: monsters can love. Dusk has begun to prove that even races thought to be without hearts can love just the same.

"Where do you think he even got his core from?" Cupid points at herself with her thumb.

"A̵̧̓n̶̫̑d̴͙͐ ̴͍̔e̸̪̎v̷̻͘ë̷̙n̶̢͝ ̴͕̀í̴̜f̵̬̑ ̵̞͋į̷̿t̶̝͘ ̸̠̉h̴̼̑a̵̟͠ś̷̭ ̸̣͝g̴̘͛o̷͍͝ń̷̪e̷̺͋ ̴̻͋ṃ̶̛u̵̼̐c̴̪͆h̶̑ͅ ̸̓ͅû̵͜n̴͓̚ų̵̀s̶̤̈́e̶̞̒d̷̼͠,̵̨͒ ̶̯͝h̸̝̕i̸̖̊s̸͔̚ ̵̨̆c̵͖͝ä̵̬p̷̟̌ȃ̵̬b̴̰̎i̴̩͌l̵̮̿i̷̳̚ẗ̶́͜y̶̟̕ ̷̩̋ṫ̷̢o̷̞͝ ̴͚͌s̴̛͍w̸̽ͅḁ̴͐ẙ̴̩ ̶̫̍o̵̹̾t̵͕̏h̴̝͊è̶̘r̵͕͠s̷̫͒ ̸̲̏i̷̫̿n̸̫̓t̴̪͑õ̸̯ ̴̖̕ǎ̷̹c̵͙͗c̵͓̈́e̴̙͗p̴̡̚ť̶̝i̶̡̓n̴̻͒g̷̟̍ ̷̿͜h̵͔̕i̵̲̓m̷̛͇ ̷̤̆a̴̯͐s̶̹̚ ̸͚̓â̶̖ ̷̙̂m̶͉̈ȏ̸̧ň̸̮s̵̯̅t̸̯͐r̶̼̎o̷͇̔s̸̱̆i̶͉͗t̶̹͐y̷̡̐,̵̲̒ ̵͉͝ǐ̴̠s̶̠͆ ̶̇ͅȍ̴̬û̸͍r̶̪͂ ̵̳̎w̶͖̆ȍ̸̭r̶̞̈́k̷̖̃ ̷̳̄ă̴̩s̴̫̓ ̷̟͊w̵͖̄è̵̱l̴̨̚l̵̛͇."

"That was just a taste of what we - as a family - can provide." Ramel shifts in her seat. "My offer for priesthood may seem to just be from myself, but is actually from this whole family. And if you would be willing, that can include you, too...Carnachias."

Carnachias blinks. This is...a lot. "I can't accept with out at least talking to Mel. She's my sister too, you know."

Matria nods. "We understand. Our offer may not extend to her, but we are willing to...overlook her..." She struggles to find the right word.

"Edginess?" Carn smirks slightly. "She takes some getting used to, but with my dad dead and you all..." She lets the implication hang.

"She was the only family you had left..." The pregnant woman sighs, forcing a smile. "Unfortunately a bit ironic..."

The dark god chuckles. "You're telling me." She exhales, before reaching out her hands to both Cupid and Matria, who look at her confusedly. "Wait, do you not say grace anymore?"

The group giggles - even Rimorr, despite how weird it always sounds - before everyone takes each others' hands. "Daughters, even if it's just for tonight, it warms my heart to see you all together again. Carnachias, welcome home." Ramel smiles a soft, motherly smile.

Now let's see just how far they're willing to stray from the light...