Private Father's Workshop

[Eloise Dinn]

"I'll do it," she said eagerly, taking the spray and cloth from him. "Ooh, your skin is all red. It looks itchy. Do I spray you or the cloth?"

She did as he bid, sterilizing and wrapping the tattoo. Then, once it was all done, she grinned and jumped up and down in excitement. She had done it! "We need to show Mom and Marcus and everybody!" Eloise insisted, running over to open the door and racing down the hallway.

She couldn't find Rhiannon in her bedroom, so she kept going. Servants bowed as she passed them on her way to the throne room of the Sky Temple, where she burst through the doors. "Mom!"

Rhi sat on the throne. She was certainly dressed for the part of the Sky Goddess, wearing a gown of sky blue silk with an electrum crown in her blonde hair like the rays of a golden sun radiating out from behind her head. Marcus sat beside her, looking like a little prince in his finery, and Starlin was there too, albeit in-utero. The massive room was chock full of natives—the Apsara guarding Rhiannon, pilgrims paying tribute and seeking blessings, and a few representatives there in a more official capacity to report and ask for things. That was to say nothing about the gifts they brought, which included strange and exotic animals brought in from distant lands. It was noisy and crowded in there, smelling of musk and herbs and spices.

Yet Rhiannon immediately turned her attention toward Eloise and Arcturus, and everyone stopped what they were doing to drop to their knees before the two arriving deities, lowering their heads to the floor in reverence.

"Excuse me," Eloise said, carefully stepping over the prostrate bodies as she made her way up to the throne. "Mom, I gave Daddy a tattoo!"

"You what?" Rhi blinked, turning to Arcturus for confirmation. Marcus just giggled, having foreseen all this in his dreams.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Guiding Eloise through the cleaning process, they soon had the open wound tackled and were heading out through the halls in search of, well, everyone according to his girl. Along the way he thumbed a pebble from inside the pouch and his day-old outfit was swiftly switched out in a swirling of smoke. Something far more regal now lay upon his skin, dark blacks, deep blues, and golden flecks, like the night sky.​

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Eloise reached the throne room ahead of him, after all she was running, and when the doors were thrown open even he could hear the din on the other side. The room was packed, though it felt much less crowded when everyone was bowing lowly as they were. He followed Eloise until he caught up then scooped her up to more easily move past the final few people.​

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Then he plopped her down alongside Marcus.​

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"It's true" he said, extending his wrist to show the wrapping. "You'll have to wait to see it 'til it's a little less... fresh."​

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Leaning in, Arcturus gave his beloved a deep kiss... Then frowned.​

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"Can we have them stand back up now?" he inquired of the crowd who were still groveling.​

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Eloise Dinn ​

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Rhi’s eyes were quickly drawn to Arc’s elegantly clad form. “Nice outfit,” she complimented with a smirk.

Eloise was scooped up by her father and then plopped down next to her brother. She giggled as Arc showed her mother the bandaged tattoo. “I can’t believe you let her do that,” Rhi said, though she was more amused than shocked. “You did a good job, didn’t you Ellie?”

“I did the best job,” Eloise replied confidently. “I even colored it in.”

“Oh wow, you really are the best tattoo artist there ever was.” Rhi kissed Eloise on the cheek, then playfully blew a raspberry against her neck. “I’ll have to get a tattoo from you, too. How about after your new baby brother is born, hm?”

Eloise giggled again, her laughter trickling off into nothing as she watched her parents share a kiss. She was past the age where she found such expressions of affection icky—if anything, she was glad to see that her parents loved each other. Not every kid could say the same.

"Can we have them stand back up now?"

“Oh. Yeah.” Rhi clapped her hands, and the people rose to their feet again. “I know you must be tired, Arc. You’re welcome to stay here with us and watch the show. Or just say the word and I’ll dismiss them and come to bed with you.” Nothing of particular importance was going on that day, just a lot of receiving offerings to Inakhos and tributes and prayers.

Arcturus Dinn​