This was entirely too awkward for Dan’s tastes.  He was sitting there in his house while Abyzou ran around cooking and grabbing things, being followed around by the older Lamia.  He was done with attempting to help Abyzou, she was wanting to do this alone. Not that he blamed her it was not everyday you got a surprise visit from your mother that you had not seen in almost 500 years.

“Whatever happened to that nice god you were married to?”  her mother asked before lowering her voice and taking a glance at the Dan and looking back at Abyzou.  “Zouzou, I have to ask, as your mother, why are you here?”  she glanced around the small apartment that was behind the store.

“Mother.”  Aby stopped moving, the pan she was currently holding in her hands quivering along with the rest of her body. “I would appreciate it if you never mentioned him again.”  her mother looked at her, somewhat in shock but more so in worry. “He, cheated on me, we aren't together anymore.” she said softly.  “This is my husband, His name is Dan.”  if her mother had any color in her skin Dan was sure he would have seen it drain from her.  As it was however she just froze and looked at her daughter wide eyed.

“Yo-you wha?”  her mother sunk a few inches lower towards the ground, it was almost like all the air and deflated into nothingness. “Bu-”  she looked over at him. “He’s not even a god!”  she exclaimed.  

“It does not matter mother, he is the man I choose.”  Aby said firmly, placing the pan down on the stove.  “My decision is final, and we have already shared blood.”  she blushed slightly.  “Add this to the fact that I can stay here with him and Amani and I cannot be any happier.”  she smiled at her mother, it was an honest smile that radiated the warmth of happiness.

“And what of you? Amani, you are her friend talk her out of this folly.”  she said turning to amani who was at the moment tidying up the loft.  Amani looked up from the blanket she was folding and looked over at Abyzou’s mother.

“Sorry Madam Aryo, that would be incredibly hypocritical of me, seeing as he is also my husband.” she smiled at her.

“Not you to...”  she said, and she looked around the room, her eyes coming to rest on Batet and Sara, who were currently on the futon.  “Don't tell me...”

“I am,”  Sara raised her hand, answering before the woman even asked.  

“I’m not,”  Bastet answered, to which Aryo looked slightly relieved. “Not unless you are considered by proxy.”  she said, putting one finger on her chin in a cute manner.  “In which case I would be, by proxy seeing as I am her wife.”  she said as she wrapped her arms around Sara’s neck and pulled her into a close hug.

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“All of you, to this mortal?”  she said.  “Even you Bastet?”

“By proxy.”  she nodded happily.

“But how, and why?”

“Because it is Dan.”  Abyzou answered softly, she smiled and lifted up her mother. “You’ll understand once you get to know him,”  she looked at her mother. “And he is a Demigod, not a mortal.”

“Yeah, it would seem as though I am the only mortal here.” Sara laughed. “I don't know weather to be proud or upset by that.”

“What?”  Amani said crinkling her brow. “You're not a mortal, well not anymore at least.” she said looking at the other woman. “You have been in contact with magic and divinity for far too long to simply be human.” she looked at the shocked Sara and smiled apologetically. “I'm sorry I thought you knew.”

“I cannot accept this, he-”  She pointed a venomous finger at Dan, who was up to this point staying out of it, seeing as it was an issue between women and he doubted very much he could help. “This, this, man Demigod whatever he is the first murderer to snuff out a person across all existences, do you know how many billions he has killed?  Trillions? Numbers that even god’s cant count! And they are all dead, all because of this-this murderer.”

“I know mother,”  Abyzou said, “I helped him make the blade, I also helped him use it.”  she said softly, her mother’s eyes widened in horror. “We all did.”  she said,  and Aryo looked around the room at each of the people present.

“I- I, can't beleve- do you under- why?” She gasped as she shrunk back away from her daughter, what kind of monster had this man made her daughter become? Murder on this scale made mass genocide look small, and all of them were acting like it was nothing. “You understand nothing, I have been tasked with bringing this murderer back with me, he is to be tried and punished in accordance to his sins...” Amani, Bastet and Sara all moved to stand in front of Dan, each with a hard look on there faces.

“Mother, please.”  Abyzou said, her large golden eyes pleading with her mother.

“Aby it's fine.” Dan said, standing up he walked past Amani and the rest of them and walked up to Aryo. “You are correct I have to pay for the sins I have committed.” Aryo looked at him, and nodded slightly, reaching her hand out to grab ahold of him.

“So melodramatic.”  said a voice, and for the second time in that day they all looked over and there was none other than Ashy herself. “I would not recommend touching him.”  she said as she hopped down from the counter and walked over the the fridge and opened it,  before routing around and making a small noise as she found a plate full of leftover cookies. “Perfect,”  she said with a smile as she took a  great big bite out of the cold chocolate chip cookie. “Why is mortal cooking so damn good? It has to be the flaws in it, the slightly burnt bottoms, the impure ingredients.”

“I did my best with them...” Sara said softly, this cause Ashy to turn around and look over at her.

“And you did a damn good job.”  she said before stuffing her face with another cookie. “How is it going Aryo?” she said through a mouthful of cookies.

“Asherah,” Aryo spoke with surprise before bowing towards the other goddess. “Your majesty I apologize for not noticing your presence.” she said practically bending completely in half as her face almost scrapped the floor.

“There is no need for that,”  Ashy said. Her golden four pupil eyes shone in the dim light of the shop. “We are here, not up in the courts.”  she laughed, taking another note of her purloined cookie. “But I will say it again, you really don't want to try and take him, it would be quite embarrassing for me...” she said and waived her hand, and the tattoo like mark on Dan’s arm glowed gold, catching everyone's eyes.

“Tha- That's your family seal!” Aryo cried out in shock.

“Yes, and if you were to drag off a member of my family, it would be, hmm, hard for me to save face would it not?”  Asherah said with a coy smile. “So, you need to bring him back, and I need to not lose face by not allowing you to take him, hmm, we seem to be at an impasse, what do we do now hmm?” she smiled slightly and rested her elbows on the counter and rested her chin in her hands, awaiting the other goddesses answer…