Venus strode into the Shrine, the timid line of would be worshipers waited patiently for their turn to bow and grovel, and rightfully so, this Goddess had done things right. Her mortal parents recognized her for what she was and raised her to her rightful position. She also had the luck to be born in a place that readily received her. the circumstances were perfect.

But he was no worshiper, He was also a God and much as he respected the command she took, the ample worship she received, he would not wait in line like some sheep to bleat, beg and bah at her. Oh no.

No apology was spoken as Venus waded through the line of followers. No outrage was spoken even as they saw a man of his size moving quickly toward their goddess. A couple bowed deeply to him as he passed convinced another Deity had just strode by them. He was dressed in fine silks jeweled at the chest and the cut and Dress was typically designed for Marriage. His skin the color of Indra's own flesh!

Finally one man stood in front of him, the only man now between he and the Devi, he was withered and frail. his clothing simple his posture subservient. He held his palms up and spread his stance, He wasn't threatening Venus at all merely making it known that he stood in the way.

Venus looked down at the man who swallowed hard as he took in what and whom he stood in front of.

Venus finally deigned to speak. "You stand between a Deva and Devi who need to speak, i don't suggest you stand there for long, but for your bravery I will speak your name to the Mahadevi as a brave and true follower. What is your name?"


"Adarsh Singh." the old man spoke quietly and with a bit of relief as he stepped to the side.

Venus proceeded through the silks into what he would consider a lavish and lovely room. with a flair for India it could compare with his bedroom.

The stream of worshippers, followers and visitors had been growing steadily in the past few days. The slow trickle of people arriving one by one, half out of curiosity and half out of devotion, grew to be a strong and constant line, piling up gifts at her feet and taking up most of her time that was not taken up by more important matters. Even better, more and more people showed up who actually knew how to worship a goddess. Of course, they were still not quite there yet, but they were getting better.

Mahadevi sat on her throne; she told Adarsh to allow her half an hour of rest and not allow anybody in. One hand lifted a cup of tea to her mouth; the sweet scent of jasmine soothed her senses.
Perfect.

>> "You stand between a Deva and Devi who need to speak, i don't suggest you stand there for long, but for your bravery I will speak your name to the Mahadevi as a brave and true follower. What is your name?"

The teacup stopped halfway to the ruby-colored lips as the Goddess arched an eyebrow. Someone was out there demanding entrance in the voice of a god.

Except, this land had no gods. And no goddesses, but her.
Mahadevi leaned forward on her throne with mild curiosity.

Venus patted the old gentleman’s back as he passed, he was happy to see that the old man hadn’t made him take him through over his shoulder and send him away in embarrassment in front of his Goddess. He stepped through the curtain with confidence on his face and with an air about him that she would recognize as only have seeing it in the mirror. A haughty sense of self worth and entitlement. He wore it well, His physique was clearly not that of a typical mortal. He stood at six foot nine and he was muscled to a point that appeared as if his muscles had their own systems of muscles, A wild bright red tail followed him as he proceeded. He managed to make his sharp toothed smile seem charming, his deep red eyes were scandalous in the way they be held her.

Venus strode up to her throne and took a seat next to it, with ease he looked into her eyes though he was sitting one of his legs folded beneath him, he was much closer than any was allowed to get. Or so he assumed.
Venus offered his hand, hoping to take one of hers and apply a lingering kiss upon her skin. His eyes smoldered at her and he refused to speak, he would save his words, let her speak to him first. Outrage, shock, awe. He needed to know how she perceived him before he proceeded.

The Goddess arched an eyebrow. Then another.
The man who strode into the shrine as if he owned it was nothing like the previous people who came though that door. Not by a long shot. He was dressed properly, he moved with grace... and he was definitely not a human.

In this godless country, he was definitely... something.

Mahadevi held her perfect balance sitting on her throne as he took a seat next to her. One hand twitched ever so slightly; that was some nerve this man had, even for a god. She extended another hand gracefully towards him and he kissed it, his touch surprisingly warm on her skin. Whatever he was, he was very real.

The Goddess tilted her head to get a better look at him.

"Only a Deva can take a seat next to a Devi" she announced slowly in Hindi. Just because the man had the make of a god, that did not mean he was one on the inside. This was New York, after all.

" This is true," He spoke in flawless Hindi. It paid to have friends, particularly when said friend had a boyfriend with an associate who produced dragon speak gems. every language he heard would sound like flawless English in his ears and his words would be understood just as fluidly. He was now extremely pleased he had thought ahead.

" And why shouldn't it be so. I would normally demand seating worthy of me, but the warmth of your presence renders the comfort of a throne inept. I've come to call upon you. Not to worship, but know one another. It is rare, to find another of our kind in this land. " he hadn't released her hand, this time he kissed the tips of her fingers when he was done speaking, he ever so gently turned her palm up and bestowed the lightest of kisses on each.

>>" This is true. And why shouldn't it be so. I would normally demand seating worthy of me, but the warmth of your presence renders the comfort of a throne inept. I've come to call upon you. Not to worship, but know one another. It is rare, to find another of our kind in this land. "

Perfectly painted eyes widened ever so slightly. The man did not only speak her language, but he spoke it fluently and with the ease and eloquence of someone born in her native land.

Kisses were bestowed upon her fingers, and the Goddess allowed him, although she was not entirely sure why. It took her a few seconds to speak.

"I am Mahadevi, the All-Goddess, Devi made flesh for the joy of the world, the Eight Hands of Charity and Destiny, the One Who Dances the Dance of Life."

Dark eyes turned towards the man.

"And who are you?"

"Madana, Deva of love, in solid form once more." the statement tread on blasphemy. "Perhaps Kamadeva taste better on your tongue." Venus stated between kisses as his lips found their way to her palm . "Ananga and Atanu don't quite fit well at the moment my lady." All of this stated with playful whimsy of a starstruck lover.

"It would be a pleasure to spend more time with you.but I don't wish to interupt you more than you care to be."

Venus allowed himself a better look at Mahadevi, she had a nice form under all of those arms. but then of course she would, He simply wondered if he might see more of it, before the day was over, and thus he had spent days on end researching and respecting kamadeva, before he came here, a lot of incarnations and forms took place in Hinduism, He thought he just might pull it off, paticular when plying his silver tongue against a young mutant girl made to fill the roll of goddess and nothing else to his knowledge, would she not ache for a taste of the world around her? If he could he would free her from these elegant bonds ad introduce her to NYC proper.

But First...his lips found a wrist.

"Madana, Deva of love, in solid form once more. Perhaps Kamadeva taste better on your tongue. Ananga and Atanu don't quite fit well at the moment my lady. It would be a pleasure to spend more time with you.but I don't wish to interupt you more than you care to be."

The Goddess' eyes narrowed. Kamadeva? She had never met another divinty in the flesh, but she did know everything about them, everything a goddess made flesh can learn in her long years of worship and training...
... and she had never seen Kamadeva like this before.

But that introduction said a whole lot about why he was still kissing her hand.

"Adarsh" she called out "The Goddess wishes to retire to entertain a guest. Kindly send everyone home, and bring us refreshments."

The old man, lingering at the door, bowed and left the room to take care of her orders. Mahadevi turned back to Kamadeva and contemplated him for a few moments before she spoke.

"What brings you to this land?"

As Mahdevi’s eyes narrowed Venus’s head tilted downward but his eyes stayed on her in a look of pure mischief. “I have chosen this vessel for my own, he was inclined to pure and open handed love from the moment I found him, so I made him mine. I know, I know, it isn’t typical to take an avatar in such a way, but they are building them builder and better these days and childhood is such a bother.”

He smiled. “ Ah, Adarsh, he is most Loyal, he stood in my way when no one else dared, in an effort to protect you.”

Venus preened as the Mahadevi looked him over, ensuring every button was in place. ‘”What else, but you my lady? You are here in this land sitting on your throne, like a well guarded secret, are you happy? In love? Free?” He looked to her sincerely awaiting her answer.

“I have come to ensure you have these things.” Venus was almost believeing his tail himself, why shouldn’t he be Kamadeva? He certainly embodied his ideals.

>> “I have chosen this vessel for my own, he was inclined to pure and open handed love from the moment I found him, so I made him mine. I know, I know, it isn’t typical to take an avatar in such a way, but they are building them builder and better these days and childhood is such a bother.”

The Goddess arched an eyebrow. Did Kamadeva just take over a mortal's body as a vessel? She, as someone who had been born a goddess, had never contemplated that option before, or known any gods made flesh who had appeared that way. She knew the old stories though, and that was good enough.

He proceeded to answer her question.

>>”What else, but you my lady? You are here in this land sitting on your throne, like a well guarded secret, are you happy? In love? Free? I have come to ensure you have these things.”

That was a very poetic question... and at the same time, very confusing. Happy? How could she not be happy?

"How can I not be free? I am the All-Goddess. No one can keep me prisoner." she pointed out, looking at him, searching to see what he meant "And how can I not be happy, with so many people worshipping the Goddess in me?... And how could I be without love, if I can have as many lovers as I wish for?"

“How can you be free from this one room? You aren’t a prisoner, but, Do you decide on a whim, where to be? Happiness from others is a fine gift, but true happiness is from within,” A large red finger moved toward her chest until it lightly touched her collar bone. Instead of retracting his finger to move his hand away somehow the rest of him moved closer.

“ Ah, physical love is glorious.” The finger that brushed her collarbone traveled down her torso between her bosom and near her stomach, it then moved to her side, movements like a snake slowly, slyly, smoothly but always boldly. “loved can be called forth, but the best kind is given freely, And while I assure you no man can lay eyes on you and not want to give his love freely, Is it true love? Love that warms you on cold nights alone? Is it the kind that your heart aches for when you have tasted it and it is gone? Is it the kind that you fall asleep and wake to?” his other hand found her knee and his tail had managed to playfully take one of her wrists hostage.

>>“How can you be free from this one room? You aren’t a prisoner, but, Do you decide on a whim, where to be? Happiness from others is a fine gift, but true happiness is from within,”

She listened to his words; there was something utterly mesmerizing in the way he talked, and the way his finger traveled along her skin. She felt like a snake watching the charmer, unable to hear the words, but captured by the movements.

>>“ Ah, physical love is glorious. Loved can be called forth, but the best kind is given freely, And while I assure you no man can lay eyes on you and not want to give his love freely, Is it true love? Love that warms you on cold nights alone? Is it the kind that your heart aches for when you have tasted it and it is gone? Is it the kind that you fall asleep and wake to?”

She had to lick her lips first, to be able to answer. There were so many questions, even if he did not expect an answer to all of them. She shivered as his hands and.... tail?... traveled along her skin.

"Mortals are not capable of loving a goddess" she answered, still staring into his eyes "They love, and then they are set free, to live the life they are destined to live. No lover can be equal to a devi, for their love is not divine."

Her eyes finally left his, traveling to his hands and tail.

"If you were mortal, Kamadeva, I would have your hands for this."

He watched her lips moisten as her tongue slid across them, he watched as goosebumps appeared upon her flesh.

“Oh, I know the trouble with Mortal love, Sweet, Glorious Mahadevi, I know it all too well.”
His eyes erupted into burning desire.

“What then shall you take, Seeing as I am not?” He would of course ask permission, to ravage her, he was never one to take without permission even of fruit that was divine. His hand ran up her leg and to her hip expertly catching the fabric as it went. The hand at her waist gripped the silks wrapped around her roughly daring her to give in. A tug would see her needing a change of clothing.

>>“Oh, I know the trouble with Mortal love, Sweet, Glorious Mahadevi, I know it all too well.”

She had never felt theat burning before. Was that his special power? The power of the God of Love? It was entirely possible, although it was getting harder for her to follow rational trains of thought. His hands were getting bolder.

Every time Mahadevi chose a lover, it was always her choice. Her call. But right now, for the first time in her life, she felt something new. She felt like she was... the prey.

>>"What then shall you take, Seeing as I am not?"

She looked at him for a long time. Somewhere on the far end of the hall a tiny sound registered: the shuffle of feet away, and the tiny click of a door being locked from the outside.
Done.

Instead of (or maybe as) an answer, seven hands moved at once. Two braced her against the arms of her throne for balance; two reached to wound themselves into his hair. Two were grabbing the front of his splendid attire, and one tore the heavy crown from her head.

The eighth one was still held by the tail. She would leave it, for now.

He would have to thank Ardash again sometime as the man knew how to be discrete, he hadn’t even heard the man set the drinks on a table by the door and leave, he did however note that, the lock signaled the goddess that she could go wild.

Simultaneously, ten hands and a tail moved all of them having the same plan in mind. His hands would have to do their best to keep up, Fabric was ripped free from her, He had a practiced hand at destroying seams.
His heart pounded in his chest, there was something particularly invigorating about infiltrating a temple and partaking in its Goddess. And what a goddess she was.

- The earth shook, the heaven’s sang, the lights faded to black -