Scene 1: The Encounter
[Setting: Outside a dimly lit strip club. Neon signs buzz faintly against the night sky, casting pink and blue hues over the cracked pavement. Candi, in her off-duty hoodie and sneakers, sits on the curb smoking a cigarette, her hair tied back casually. She exhales a long plume of smoke, watching the streetlights flicker. Innu, God of Innuendo, appears, striding with confidence, her every movement laced with suggestion. Her cigarette pack, as always, shifts brands as she pulls one out, lights it, and leans against the wall near Candi.]
Innu (grinning):
“Funny how we meet here, isn’t it? Or maybe not so funny, depending on your sense of humor.”
Candi (without looking up):
“Let me guess—you’re here to tell me some grand tale about love, loss, and… whatever it is you gods get off on.”
Innu (mock offended, blowing a perfect smoke ring):
“Get off on? Darling, I’m the God of Innuendo, not cliché. Although…” (she smirks) “…I do enjoy a good double entendre.”
[Candi rolls her eyes but doesn’t move away. Innu takes that as an invitation.]
Scene 2: The Tale Begins
Innu:
“There was a man once—call him Luca. He owned a vineyard. Gorgeous place, sprawling hills, vines as far as the eye could see. But Luca, he didn’t drink wine. Thought it dulled the senses, made things too predictable.”
[Candi glances at her cigarette, then at Innu.]
Candi (dryly):
“Sounds like a real charmer.”
Innu (nodding, her tone laced with amusement):
“Oh, he was. But Luca had a problem: every season, he’d hire this farmhand—let’s call her Mara. She’d show up, work the fields, and leave at harvest. No strings attached. Except…” (Innu’s grin widens) “…she always left something behind.”
[Candi raises an eyebrow, curious despite herself.]
Candi:
“Like what?”
Innu:
“A scarf on a fence post. A glove near the cellar. Once, an earring on his pillow. Little things. Hints. Implications.” (she pauses for effect) “And every time, Luca would find them, hold them, and do absolutely nothing. Never asked her to stay, never followed her. Just waited for the next season.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
[Candi exhales sharply, her interest masked by feigned disinterest.]
Candi:
“So, what happened? Did he ever pull his head out of his ass?”
Innu (laughing softly):
“Oh, no. Mara stopped coming one year. Found another vineyard, or maybe just got tired of waiting for him to grow a spine. Luca kept her scarf, though. Wore it every winter. And every winter, he wondered what might’ve been.”
[The silence stretches between them, heavy with unspoken meaning.]
Scene 3: Missed Opportunities
Candi (breaking the silence):
“Let me guess—the moral is, don’t be like Luca.”
Innu (smirking, leaning closer):
“Maybe. Or maybe the moral is, some people are more comfortable holding onto what could’ve been than chasing what could be. Safer that way. No risk. No reward.”
Candi (quietly):
“Sounds pathetic.”
Innu (tilting her head, her voice softening):
“Or human.”
[Candi doesn’t respond, flicking ash off her cigarette. Innu’s grin fades slightly, her gaze lingering on Candi longer than necessary.]
Scene 4: The Goddess of Implications
[The door to the strip club swings open with a creak, and out steps Imri, the Goddess of Implications. Her presence is subtle yet undeniable, her otherworldly cigarette pack flickering in and out of existence like a mirage. She lights a cigarette with a lighter that doesn’t seem to produce flame, and strolls over.]
Imri (smiling faintly):
“Interesting place for a rendezvous.”
Innu (leaning back, her smirk returning):
“And here I thought you only worked in subtext, Imri. Joining us in the flesh for once?”
Imri (exhaling smoke that doesn’t quite exist):
“Flesh is an implication, like everything else. Though…” (she eyes Candi with interest) “…this one seems to carry more weight than most.”
[Candi stiffens slightly under Imri’s gaze, looking between the two gods.]
Candi:
“Do you two just show up and mess with people for fun?”
Imri (smirking):
“Not for fun. For nuance.”
Innu (chuckling):
“And sometimes, for both.”
Scene 5: Layers of Meaning
[Imri sits beside Candi, her cigarette never quite burning down. She gestures toward the street, where a lone streetlight flickers on and off.]
Imri:
“Do you see that light? It’s steady most nights. But tonight, it flickers. Not broken—just hesitant. Uncertain.” (she glances at Candi) “Remind you of anyone?”
[Candi scowls, stubbing out her cigarette.]
Candi:
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Another metaphor.”
Innu (grinning):
“Oh, darling, life’s just one big metaphor. And you’re smack in the middle of a very interesting one.”
[The gods exchange a glance, something unspoken passing between them. Imri stands, brushing imaginary ash from her coat.]
Imri:
“Every missed opportunity is an implication, Candi. A whisper of what might have been. The question is, what will you do with the next one?”
[She vanishes into the night, her presence lingering like the aftertaste of a bittersweet wine.]
Scene 6: The Parting Shot
[Innu watches Imri leave, then turns back to Candi, her tone light but her eyes serious.]
Innu:
“Between you and me, I think she likes you.”
[Candi snorts, shaking her head.]
Candi:
“Yeah, well, I’m not exactly in the market for divine complications.”
Innu (smirking):
“Funny thing about complications—they’re rarely optional.”
[She flicks her cigarette into the street, the ember winking out like a dying star. Without another word, she strolls off, leaving Candi alone under the flickering light.]
[Candi sighs, pulling her hoodie tighter around her shoulders as she watches the light steady itself. For now.]
[End Scene]
[retcon:1]