Rhea's shawl was pulled loose over her head, protecting her head from the desert heat. The world around her was thriving with woman and caused the goddess to blend perfectly in. There would be some that knew her here. Her mother used to bring her here on many occasions. This was a place where a young girl could explore and adventure while being safely surrounded by protection. She was not one of them, though. Her own race blurred the lines between two distinct races. Most just saw her as the siren blood that stood prominent in appearance. She was a pure beauty that walked with a grace and a smile that never seemed to waver, trapping all emotions behind it.

There were few women as she walked through the city who turned and gave her a small nod. They treated her like she was nothing but the mere mortal she once was. It was a comforting feeling that she had found almost impossible to feel anymore. The moment that someone found out who she was their attitude would change completely. As a young woman that had spent her whole life seeing that change, it was still enough to cause her heart to stir with wonder and curiosity. Maybe it was her own trapped world that caused her to act out in the way she did, or maybe it was the divine touch that had caused her to grow worse?

Whatever it was, the Goddess just gave a small nod in return and turned down one of the many roads towards where the bazaar stretched out. Her slow steps followed the colorful stone path until there was nothing but mosaic stretching out below her. This place reminded her so much of her Aunt, which made perfect since because of this being her homeland. The bazaar was still busy even with all of the mayhem that was occurring right outside its doors. It was partly all the strange occurrences that led the Goddess here, but she could not help but be sidetracked by everything around her.

The clothing and jewelry did nothing to impress her, but the few men that did wander around was enough to bring her interest. This was a race where the women were the strength of the city, but there was still a few single men trotting around looking at things. Some of them took notice of her because of her unique appearance, they were used to the stunning beauty of their people and it caused her to be a rebel catch. Her curls of cholate hair rested beneath her shawl but hazel eyes shined bright against her softly tanned skin. You would hardly believe that Rhea spent half her time deep underground.

There was one man that moved towards her as she situated herself a little bit off from the thriving bazaar. He turned a grin to her and began to praising her beauty. He was far kinder and sweeter than many gentlemen that tried to gain her attention. It seemed that even the men here held a different attitude towards the world around them because of this place. It was a refreshing change, but it was not her interest to have a male companion today. With her ghost smile, she talked to him softly. Her hands rested toying with the soft fabric of her purple and pink dress. She needed something, anything, to save her from this predicament.

While not directly on the coast, Sularia was still considered the northeastern port of Canelux. Its bazaar and bustling trade network meant that goods would always pass through it on their way south from settlements further north. This made it a prime location for salvage – or, at the very least, a place to restock before and after salvage operations: a prime hub.
 
The city, as a result of these qualities, meant it had a certain appeal to Natsumi. The woman had begun taking jaunts into the Nyella Ocean in pursuit of salvage, recently, and so port cities had become a fascination for her. For quite some time, she had focused on Adeluna as her berth, but the southern location of that city made it difficult when salvage operations were based in the northern sea. Sularia was a prime target on her list of expansion ports, but she would not commit to its use until she had evaluated  it in person.
 
Thus, the druid departed for a city she had never seen before. Opening a gate from Virens Forest and straight into the Sularian Bazaar perimeter – a poor decision, in retrospect –, the ice queen stepped through with business-like determination. A tan cloak hid her ears and tail from the many women around that destination, but not from the man she accidentally landed on top of.
 
"Hmm," Natsumi mumbled as she suddenly came face to face with a tanned woman of stunning beauty and chocolate curls on the other side of the portal. She could feel something absurdly cushiony under her boots at the same time, and it wasn't long before she looked down to notice the local man she had inadvertently used as a landing pad. "Sorry about that," she continued after a brief period of dumbfounded staring at this unfortunate soul. Lightly stepping off the man's back, she dusted him down with gloved hands and then helped him to his feet. He thanked her, as was proper, but that was before Natsumi stopped him on last time. Positioning her hands on his back, she exhibited swift, powerful movements that elicited audible cracks from her former footstool's back. "There," she finally continued as the man hobbled away not knowing that the discomfort he was feeling now could have been a lot worse, "now you won't be in pain tomorrow, so long as you drink water before and after sleep." Only after saying that did Natsumi finally turn back to the woman she had landed in front of, a blank look of innocence still on her face even after the incident with the man. "Apologies to you, as well, in case there was something you were discussing with that man before he became my unwilling footstool."

The man took no care if the Goddess was actually listening. Maybe it was because of her normal curious gaze despite her disinterest that helped him believe that something was possible. There were times were she would love the attention this man was trying to give her but, sadly, today was not that day. Her eyes flickered behind him to search for anything to help her to get away from his advances. This moment was nothing but the calm before the storm as magic began to feel the area.

Rhea’s eyes shifted to him again trying to pinpoint where the feeling of magic was arising from. It almost felt as if it was growing right where he stood. There was not enough time for her curiosity to spread when a woman appeared before her- right on top of the man. There was a moment where a laugh almost escaped her lips as her eyes watched the scene of this girl stood before her standing on her knocked down victim.

Her hand rose up to press against her lips but she could not hide the grin that perked her lips. It could be possible that Fate had actually listened to her prayers and caused the perfect savior for her. Hazel eyes watched the hooded character but her excitement was growing quickly at the idea of something different. Her mind was racing so quickly that she had accidently tuned out everything around her. Her eyes blinked for a second when she took notice that the girl was actually speaking to her.

”Oh, it is quite alright. You were actually my savior from that poor soul.” She giggled with her words but her mind was still hoping that was what the girl had said to her. She half only heard someone about the man becoming a footstool and an apology at the beginning. There was only so much that could have come from a single sentence that ended and begun the way it had. The grin decided to permanently rest on her lips as she let her hand drop back down to her side. She was enjoying this situation a little too much, maybe.  

”That was a rather lovely entrance that you just made. I cannot admit to ever seeing that before.” Her head tilted slightly as she watched the young girl. ”I should be showing my gratitude that you saved me from that unwanted situation, but I wonder if you even meant to teleport where you did. As I said, I have never actually seen someone teleport on top of someone. I would love to see it more!” There were a lot of times where the things she said probably should have remained in her head, but she had begun to be known for her bluntness.

Admonishment had been the expectation for Natsumi after she gave her apology to the woman of beauty. Even a little chiding would have been within the realm of reason. Yet what the Ice Queen received, instead, was a compliment and unusual request. The woman she was apologizing to, apparently, wanted to know if she could land on more people: truly a testament to how bored she must have been before the commotion occurred.
 
"I assure you that that was a complete accident," Natsumi said while facing her conversation partner. She rubbed the back of her head through the hood of her cloak, getting an itch behind her ear before continuing. "I came to Sularia this time in order to evaluate it for a possible port city in my business activities. I should have teleported on the outskirts, like I normally do when visiting a new city, but I thought to make the trip slightly faster by teleporting just outside the market." Looking back toward the man who was still hobbling away, the druid finished her explanation to Rhea with a nervous laugh. "It was mistake: much to that man's misfortune."
 
The conversation paused at this point, giving the druid some time to examine the crowd. There were quite a few gawkers already gathering around, chuckling beneath veiled hands. Among them were legions of stunningly beautiful women, each drawing Natsumi's gaze. She examined their forms with her optics, lewdly lingering on their features and mentally drooling over their perfectly tanned skin. It was a good thing that none of the women realized the fox woman was actually able to them all nude at their current distance, or they might have mobbed her rather than laughing at the comedy act.
 
Because of this possibility, Natsumi decided it was best not to give them any additional reason to look too closely at their foreign visitor. She would much rather deny Rhea further entertainment than upset a mob, after all, and she finished the conversation with that in mind; all while trying to use her optics on the unknown goddess to see her naked body as well.
 
"I get the feeling they'd ask me to leave if I repeated my accident on purpose, and that's not good from a business standpoint."

There was a soft pout on Rhea’s lips when the woman commented that it was a complete accidentally. To her it would have been all the better if she had actually planned it. She reminded silent until the girl finished explaining everything that had come to her doing that. Whether it was a mistake or not, she really should have taken the compliment. It was a stunt that not many would have been able to pull off and the fact she had been so easily able to do it by mere accident made it even better. There were probably many that tried to do that kind of thing to get looks and were unable to do but she did it like it was nothing.

”It is no matter if it was on accident or not. It was a fabulous entrance. I would say if you are wishing to teleport into the town without the fear of landing on someone, I would aim your target towards one of the roofs. I would suggest a taller one so that you do not bring as much attention to yourself. Especially, if you are not wishing to land on people. It an easy feat if you place more focus on where you wish to land. I know it can be difficult when you are first trying. It took me a long time to get a hang of teleportation but not a lot of areas are really new to me anymore.”

Rhea had a moment of worry, maybe she gave too much information away with her advice, but she quickly forgot about it as she watched the strangers gave drift around them. Her head tilted towards one side softly when her eyes stopped on Rhea’s once more. There was something in her gaze a twinkle of something in her eyes that made her curious what the woman was actually doing. She could feel the desires of the girl drip from her like she was drooling. It appeared the girl loved being able to see women nude and now was thinking the very same of Rhea.

The thought did not bother Rhea. She could think, stare, or even look at her nude and it would be no bother. She had a beautiful body that she did not mind showing off. She had better curves than her mother, but nothing like her Aunt Angela. There were a few scars on her softly tanned skin, which was something you would not suspect of a woman who looked more fragile than she did strong. When people did see her holding any of her actual weapons, she could easily make them shocked beyond belief. There was a reason she was choice to for strength as well as love. There was far more to her than the mage appearance. Between her Aunt and uncle, she had been taught magic as well as most weapons. Her favorite was still the fan because it was easier to twist spells with it.

“You have quite lovely eyes, dear stranger!” There was a glimmer in her eyes that almost showed that Rhea knew something was up. She could not tell what it was exactly but something gave her that gut feeling. The woman would not be able to read her aura as anything other than a normal mage, so she help no fear for what the woman may found through her fancy eyes. ”Hmm, it seems I have forgotten to introduce myself to you. You may call me Rhea. And what is the name of my savior? I should know at least that before I start pulling you around this beautiful city.”

Voyeurism was one of the Ice Queen's weaknesses, but not to the point of downfall. It was true that she enjoyed observing nude women to admire their figures; but her desires for their flesh were always secondary to survival. Rhea was a prime example of that fact, because, while Natsumi could see beneath the woman's clothes, the sword scars she possessed painted a curious picture. Anomalies lay in the way she talked, in the way she moved. It was enough to cause the druid's normal infatuation to yield in the name of caution.
 
Rather than continuing to look at the unknown goddess, Natsumi shut off her optics and listened to the advice being given her. Her gaze drifted up to the mentioned rooftops whilst the lecture was going on, a clear indication that she was weighing the merit of the words contained within. However, she eventually seemed disinterested when spotting some song birds on those very tiles.
 
"Doing so would transfer the risk of being squashed from humans to those birds," she said while returning her gaze to the woman in front of her, "and the weight of a fully grown woman would kill them unlike humans. Given that I care more for the avian creatures of this world than the ones who see fit to put them in cages, I'll probably stick to the ground and simply provide future entertainment."
 
Natsumi meant no disrespect to her guest with that comment. She was just speaking the truth on how she felt toward others. Yes, women of the humanoid variety were pleasing to her eyes, but that did not mean she loved them as one would in romance or familial relations. A person could be the prettiest goddess in the world and still be the cruelest individual you ever met. Natsumi had learned this lesson well, and had never forgotten it in her interactions since then.
 
That was not to say she thought the lovely vixen in front of her was evil. In fact, the young druid was not sure what to think of this particular creature that defied normalcy. She had a guess when hearing her name and paying close attention to Rhea's actions – particularly the way she spoke about her experience and her sly comment hinting at recognition of Natsumi's optics – but she could do nothing to actually prove the accusation she was about to make.
 
 "Rhea," she asked while thinking of the divinity registry she had examined after her encounter with Chae? "Well, if my hunch is correct based on what I've seen thus far, I ask that you withhold any curses during the tour you wish to take me on." It would have seemed a normal request coming from any mortal to an immortal – provided that was, indeed, what Rhea was – but it was particularly special for Natsumi. She removed her hood to make that point, showing her pale facade and fox ears: the former being a 'gift' from the deity's sister in power. "My name is Natsumi Yamauchi, and, as someone who took an interest in knowing the name and profile of every deity after being cursed by one, I have a sneaking suspicion that you mean to say you are Rhea, Goddess of Love and Strength. I can't prove that, but I definitely get the feeling that you're not your average mortal."

The rumors of the slightly eccentric nature of the Goddess were not complete lies. Her mother had been very soft spoken, but she had been gifted with the mind of her father with her mother’s darker habits. Her aunt had always to her that she was gifted with her mother’s beauty but her father’s deadly touch.  It was a horrible combination, no matter how you dared to look at it.  Her smile never wavered as she listened to the other woman’s idea of why landing on the buildings would be worse. She enjoyed the idea that she was being careful of the birds because it was more likely she would murder one with her bottom compared to what she had done to the forgotten man.

”Hmm, true true. What a smart brain you have there.” There was a twinkle in her eye as she giggled at the thought of the future entertainment. In her mind, she had begun to wonder how it would work to be able to make it happen on person. There was a lot that a deity could do, but she did not think she could use her powers to that much of certainty to cause her teleport to locate on a person unless she was close enough to see them. It was an act she was interested in trying one day. She was wondering who would be the best target to just teleport onto.

Her thoughts were finally pulled away once again as the other began to speak out again in response to the rest that Rhea said. Her smile seemed to quickly disappear when the girl mentioned her position. It turned into a frown for a moment as she brought her hand up to her head. She almost made a look of sheepishness before letting out a laugh. She had said she could not prove it but with the way she acted it was clear she was quite certain there was more to her than met the eye.

”Oh you wound me! I did not think I would be caught so quickly.” The frown said for a moment longer before she began to laugh more and actually gave a polite bow towards the woman she now knew was named Natsumi. ”You have caught me red-handed, Natsumi. Yes, I am the one who whispers of love and dangles strength. I should have no need for curses. It would take quite a lot to cause a fit of rage in such a way. I would never do it without a good reason and I am sure you would not be one to give me one.”

Her head tilted for a moment and she began to really look her over. There was a strange magic to her that she had not taken notice to before. It had the clear signature of one of her brethren but she never paid enough attention to them to know for sure. She was not noisy like that, it would take far too much effort for her in the long run to keep track of every deity’s mark. She only truly recognized her aunt’s.

”I am assuming one of my brethren beat me to the mark. You do not have to worry about what I may do, but I am sorry to say I would be no help for the curse that you have. Most of our curses may only be removed by our own hands. We are very fickle that way, you see!” The smile had gone back to adorning her lips but her eyes remained neutral as she watched her. She held slight fear towards what the girl would want now that she knew who she was. Rhea could have tried to play it off like she was not the Goddess Rhea but she found no fun in that.

Having grown up in an environment that told her she was never good enough, Natsumi was not used to compliments. Insults were what she expected: derogatory terms of varying lewdness or ire. She'd been derided by people that she helped simply because she did so as part of a job, because, apparently, altruism was an end all goal. Even her appearance caused others to say she was an abomination of a human, so she was, understandably, surprised when Rhea genuinely complimented her.
 
"Rarely am I called smart because of my mindfulness toward animals," the Ice Queen responded with early memories at the forefront of her thoughts. "Thank you for choosing to be different." Rhea's identity was revealed past this point. It was interesting for Natsumi to watch the goddess's dramatic admission, but, out of self-preservation, she remained virtually emotionless until the woman was finished.
 
"That's alright," the alabaster fox girl said while keeping eye contact with her company.  "I can imagine many would wish for a curse to be removed, but I, honestly, don't mind mine. Rather than a nuisance, I try to think of it as a trophy that Chae has created to document her temper tantrum. I get cold easily and get coughs on occasion, but those are things I can live with. I just don't want you to do any worse." Pulling her hood back up, Natsumi thought on the source of her secondary curse, shaking her head whilst noting how much like blackmail the transaction had been. She tried not give Chae the pleasure of her anger, but her next words betrayed her true feelings. "Though, in the absence of a cure, I wouldn't be averse to you sending Chae into orbit with a single punch, if you're willing. Just a thought."
 
There was a point at which Natsumi came to dislike the amount of attention she was getting, and that point was now. She wanted to move on, away from the stares; yet was also inclined to keep Rhea around as a deterrent for unwanted suitors. As such, she motioned to her left for the exotic goddess to follow, and then started walking in an expectant stride. "At any rate, would you mind showing me around the city? Perhaps some good shop fronts or restaurants that you know of? Maybe even some landmarks? That is if you're not busy, of course."