The Statue of Gold

Lewis had just finished getting one of his fancier shirts on when Alshaya rushed into their room, frantically panicking.

“Daddy! I swear I didn-” she started, but was immediately interrupted with Everett barreling in the room with a black eye.

“SHE HIT ME AGAIN!” Everett said, pointing his finger at her. “I DIDN’T EVEN SAY ANYTHING THIS TIME!”

“Not true!” Alshaya fought back. “You said ‘That dress doesn’t look good.’ and I took offense to that.” She was wearing an emerald green dress that seemed to fit her fairly well. It was hard to keep up with how fast they were all growing.

“You ASKED me to tell you,” Everett shot back angrily.

“Alshaya, you’re already grounded for the first time this week. That’s another three days added to your punishment,” Lewis stated. “Everett didn’t do anything wrong this time so it’s solely on you.”

“But DAD, Llonan is going to get another girlfriend if this keeps up!” She was absolutely distraught over the thought, tears welling up in her eyes as she ran off.

“If only,” Lewis replied. “Couldn’t get that boy to look at anyone else even if I threatened him.” He knelt down and checked Everett’s eye. “She got you good. It’s a good thing we’re visiting Elysia today. Can ask Xeik to do a once over.” He tapped Everett on the head, “Go finish getting ready. They’ll be a whole separate play area for all the kids. I’m sure Raine will be watching you all.”

Everett smiled, “Oh! I like it when she watches us. She plays the BEST games!” He ran out to finish getting ready, leaving his father alone once more in the room.

Lewis stood back up and checked himself over in the mirror. He was sporting a red vest with gold embroidery in elegant swirls, and black pants. It was simple, yet effective. This whole event seemed very last minute, but apparently Lady Angela had some sort of new…thing to announce. She was very hush hush about the whole thing, wanting to keep it a massive surprise.

“How’s it coming with the others, Simone?” Lewis asked aloud.

Mone came out from the closet as she heard the commotion. “Oh no~ Llolan might have to get an actual princess,” Simone teased Lewis. “I guess we need Xeik to look at his eye later today. He can deal with it… He knows better than to provoke his sister.” She would never understand where her brutish nature came from.

Mone’s long black hair was swept into an elegant updo with various red flowers pinned in the back. The dress was a gorgeous satin and lace crimson gown that not only hugged her curves but showed off what little bust she did have. The slit came up to her high thigh.

“They were all ready the last time I checked.” She looked over to the bed where Teagan, Remy, and Damond were all in their best baby clothes all giggling at each other. They were sitting and waiting for their parents while playing with a variety of toys the parents had laid out for them.

Lewis helped Simone pick out a necklace for the dress along with earrings before helping her put them on. “And now I’m done. It’s time to gather them and go!”

After they got all the elegantly dressed kids to the party Raine swooped in and took all three babies from the Terrowin parents. “I have them. I promise!” The older kids ushered the younger kids where they would be partying.

Soon everyone including Raile, Kalina, Leliah, and the others were there. Even Darren had been invited as he chatted with Simone and Lewis in his best. Eventually, Mia and Xeik showed up just as clueless as everyone else was.

“Welcome everyone!” Angela stepped out in grand fashion. Vela was even impressed with how pretty the goddess was even if she was a notorious trouble maker. There were two tall covered statues. “I’m unveiling art today! One was done by an artist as homage to me! But the other was an anonymous donation! Without further ado… Before the party starts let me unveil them.”

Angela pulled the sheets down and underneath were two naked statues. One was of Angela which was actually normal. What got everyone else’s attention was the gold one next to her. It was a naked visage of Xeik.

Mia’s eyes filled with love as she jumped up and down clapping.

“Huh so… Xeik’s smaller than Rhenakos and Lewis,” Kalina chuckled into a glass of wine. Everyone was cracking up but Simone and Lewis. Simone was sipping wine unusually quiet but Lewis’s eyes were on her.

Xeik took one look at the giant, golden statue of his naked form, and took a deep, shaky breath. “What…the actual…fuck is this…” He looked around at the party goers. Some of them had shocked expressions, while others had amused ones. Angela seemed extremely proud of the craftsmanship that went into it. Immediately, Xeik’s eyes went to Lewis.

But Lewis’ expression wasn’t that of someone who had just pulled a prank. No, Xeik knew that expression well. It was a mixture of pride and defeat.

“I’ll never be able to top this,” Lewis stated as he stared at the giant statue. “It’s perfect in every way. The ultimate prank.” To most, he sounded like a monotone psychopath, but to those who knew him…this was the most emotion he had ever put on public display. The silver haired man pretended to wipe away tears. “Whoever did this…I concede to your masterful artistic prowess.”

But of course, Lewis already knew who it was. She was being rather quiet about this whole ordeal. In fact, this had to be the most she had ever suppressed herself. It must have taken a will of iron and steel to not break before this moment, but now she was giving it all away.

She was so obvious, that even Xeik could tell. “Simone.” His eyes met hers, and he shook his head. “I can’t believe it…how…why!? HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT I LOOK LIKE!?”

The moment that Xeik’s eyes locked with Simone she let out a few laughs finally and had to stop herself to clear some tears. “…I can’t give away my sources.”

“So this is why you need the contact information for the artist who did Lewis,” Darren put his hand under his chin. “Lewis must be so proud of you.”

Mone once more avoided Xeik’s eyes so he couldn’t drill into her for who gave her the drawing of his naked form… But if he thought hard enough there was only one person who would do this to him.

Lewis was still staring up at the statue. The pride he was feeling for his wife was insurmountable.

“Stop laughing,” Xeik spat out at Lewis. “I know you’re doing it internally.”

“I have to find a way to overcome this mountain,” Lewis stated, ignoring Xeik. “There has to be a way…”

“AND FOR THE RECORD, I’M A GROWER, KALINA!” Xeik yelled as he realized that the entire night would be jokes about this statue and what it represented. All he could do was hope that Angela would be willing to take it down.

Of course, he already knew the answer to that. For as long as Xeik remained champion (and likely even after that), the statue would likely never come down. It would take a miracle. Simone would sleep with Rhenakos before that would ever happen.

“Angela…” Xeik paused. “Wait…” His eyes lit up, and he looked towards his Goddess. “WAIT! IT WAS YOU!?”

Simone was chuckling. “This has to be the best thing I’ve ever achieved as a prank on my own.”

“It’s certainly going to be hard for to Lewis to overcome this one…” Darren was still laughing.

The group was still laughing up a storm. “This is one hell of a prank Simone…” Simone gave them all a bow.

“I’m keeping this in my temple forever. Next to my own statue!” Angela clasped her hands together before Xeik confronted her. “Oh. That old thing? Simone has had a naked drawing of you for years. She asked for it for her book. She has one of Rhenakos too. And Raile.”

“My book resources… You’re spoiling it all.” Simone pouted.

This time Rhenakos was on the offensive, joining Xeik. “Wait, you have naked pictures of all of us!? Since when? And why!?” Even Raile seemed a little concerned, though he had a feeling that Leilah and Kalina didn’t much mind. It was the demon hunter who pressed on. “It’s only fair that I-….we get to see you naked too, then!”

Xeik glanced over at Rhenakos, “…she’s…regularly naked. And doesn’t care about it. What are you even trying to-”

“This isn’t fair! You have so much to hold against us!” Rhenakos huffed. “Maybe for selling my secrets to Simone, you could give me a favor. Like freezing over-”

“NOPE!” Xeik slammed his hands over Rhenakos’ mouth. “I am NOT repeating what I said the other night. Not at all!”

Coming of Age

Mone was trying to help Everett get dressed. He was complaining that his pants weren’t reaching all the way. No matter what Mone tried to do he had just gotten too tall. The twelve-year-old boy was almost Lewis’s height now and Mone was actually looking up at him now. It was breaking her heart in all sorts of ways.


“I’m going to go get Lucas’s old clothes… He was lanky too.” Simone brought him some of Lucas’s old pants and rolled the bottom of the pants once Everett was changed. “There you go. That should give you some room to grow some more too.” She ruffled his hair.

“Hey, ma?” Everett looked down at her.

“Yes, baby?”

“I’m taller than you now.”

The words hit her like a ton of bricks and she cut the resonance. When Lewis found her she was in the corner of the room crying her eyes out over Everett’s old baby clothes.

Lewis had just gotten back from tending the grapes, and was headed up the stairs when he felt the resonance cut. It didn’t take long to find her, and he was immediately holding her as she bawled over the now too small clothes for Everett. It was a fact of life that both of them struggled with; their babies were growing up, and they weren't going to stop for anything.

“There, there,” Lewis said as ran his hands through Simone’s hair, comforting her. “It’s just a fact of life. It’s something we have to acknowledge and understand. Everett is gonna grow, and soon he may even choose to leave the house. We have to support him in every way possible if that’s what he wants.” He hushed her sobs with comforting words. “We can go shopping later and get him some more clothes. He’ll need them…and remember, we have to support him no matter what…”

Simone was immediately in her husband’s chest as he held her. “My poor baby is getting so big. Those VICIOUS little redheaded devils are going to marry him soon.” Of course, Simone would be worried about that. She treated them nicely but those girls were the devils and they knew it. They were good to Everett though so she couldn’t really complain.

Once she was done crying she cleared her eyes. “Yeah, shopping for Everett sounds good… but…” She looked up at Lewis. “We have to go have some corsets made for Alshaya. I meant to tell you the other day but I was overcome with grief at how old our babies have gotten. She is getting too old not to have them and now and the boys have started to notice.”