Agathe's hand left her side and moved up to gently brush against
Sasha's cheek. "I swear to any and all gods listening, that I will
be kind to you until I draw my last breath." She smiled slightly,
but then blushed a bit and pulled her hand back realizing her hand
was close to her snakes, and she didn't want Sasha to feel badly if
they happened to bite her.
Sasha leaned into her hand, stunned at her verbal promise. Smiling
back, she said, "As will I." She nearly cried out in loss at Agathe
pulling her hand away. She quite enjoyed the warmth and comfort she
got from the gesture. She had lost herself in the woman's milky
eyes.
Agathe had felt the added pressure from Sasha leaning into her
hand, and to say she was surprised would be an understatement. Add
onto that Sasha's comment, and she stood there blinking dumbly for
a moment in silence before she spoke up again. "Do you think you'd
be comfortable with a, I think a hig? It's something I had heard
that friends do... But I was eavesdropping and the conversation
wasn't about me..." The blush had spread across her face and her
almost stutter showed her nervousness.
"A hug? I would be very happy with a hug. When you wrap your arms
around someone in a comforting way. I don't know if friends do it
or not. I have hugged my mom and grandma. And gott the hawk
equivalent from Shaye," Sasha said, inching a but closer.
"I would like to give you one, as a friend. Even if friends don't
do it, they should." Agathe smile slightly as she opened her arms a
little, unsure if she should let Sasha move into it or if she
should be the one to move.
"Oh, I agree! Hugs are awesome," Sasha said, moving forward to meet
Agathe in a hug. She could see and guide them if need be. Her arms
wrapped around Agathe's sides and she was happy to note her snakes
were being good. Until they decided to join in. "Uh oh...I think my
snakes are going to nuzzle you," Sasha managed to hurry and get out
the warning before one of them brushed against Agathe, nuzzling her
cheek almost like a cat brushing against someone's leg.
Agathe's smile broadened as she hugged the gorgon. She heard the
warning and as she felt the first rub against her cheek she
giggled. "Aww, even if I can't understand you, and even if you
can't understand me, I hope you guys and girls know that I like you
too." She wasn't entirely sure where she should put her head since
she didn't want to bump into any of them without them being ready,
so she kept it where it was.
The snakes rubbed against her before settling down and just resting
against the girls. Sasha smiled, sighing happily into the hug.
"This is nice. Thank you for suggesting it."
Agathe was very happy that they hadn't bitten her, and so far
seemed to have taken quite a liking, or at least a tolerance of
her. "I'm glad I did too," She gently adjusted her grip on the hug
so that her hands rested between her shoulder blades, so it was
polite and respectful of both her and her snakes.
Sasha pulled back so she didn't make the hug weird but she held
onto Agathe's hands, squeezing them lightly. "Dinner should be
ready soon. Should we set up a bed for you in the meantime?"
As she felt Sasha let go, Agathe did as well. She did like holding
Sasha's hand though, it made her feel safe. "I was wondering where
I'd be sleeping... Wherever you put me will be fine, just don't
give me your bed. I couldn't do that, and besides, it sounds
weird." She chuckled, not intending to sleep with her, but she
didn't want Sasha giving up her bed to her.
Sasha giggled, nodding. "I didn't intend to. I was going to offer
you a spate room. The priestess' used to use them when my great
grandmother lived here. But all have left. You could have any one
you want. Would you like a bigger room or a smaller one?"
Agathe nodded and chuckled, relieved that she wouldn't be stealing
Sasha's bed. "Smaller would be better. That way I have less to
memorize and bump into." Her smile fell slightly and she cocked her
head to one side. "Why did the priestess' leave?"
"I thought that was the case but didn't want to assume. And they
left because they either sided with Athena and she took them with
her after changing my great grandmother, or they were my grear
grandmothers unwitting first victims, or they simply left her, not
sure what to do for her...all I know is that grandma never met
anyone else but her mother here. So great grandma went through
childbirth alone. I have no idea what I would do if a god showed up
here. If it was Athena or Poseidon, I would...well, I think it
would be considered a really good thing if I made it out of the
encounter without being struck dead or further cursed. There would
be yelling and insults thrown. For what they did to my family
before me and for my descendants. Never mind me. What they have
done to my line is what makes me see red most. How the event was
handled makes me want to...to...well, bite them is tbe only thing
that comes to mind. Maybe it is the snake instinct kicking in. As
far as I know my bite would be harmless. I have no venom," Sasha
shrugged, leading the way towards a room she had in mind. It was
just off the kitchen meaning when they kept the fire going on cold
nights, Agathe should be plenty warm.
"If it was either of those two, they'd end up covered in bird poo."
Agathe was hoping the comment would cheer her up a bit. "I intend
to befriend all of the birds on the island, along any other animal
we don't plan to eat." She was silently memorizing where she was
stepping, and how many steps she was taking as Sasha led her
around.
Sasha laughed at that mental image. "They wouldn't be too happy
over that. But if they were to hurt those lovely bird friends, they
will be in for it. Thank you for your help. It means so, so much."
"My help? I don't know who you're talking to, but you're the one
who's been helping me." Agathe chuckled, happy to have made her
smile. She planned to ask what was in the room once they got there,
and then she wanted to spend a few moments exploring the room with
her hands.
"Yes you. You have allowed me to meet Shaye and just been a
positive outlook to life," she said, opening the door to the room
she had in mind. "Here we are. There is a door on the left that
leads to a bathing room and bathroom. But I tend to use the pool
outside during the day to bath. The water can be drained and filled
easier then bringing buckets up to this room."
Agathe didn't plan on arguing that point very much. "I likely won't
be bathing much, but if I did I wouldn't want to use a whole lot of
water. I don't know how to swim, so at least to begin with, uh, if
you'd be nearby, I'd really appreciate it..." That was a bit of an
odd request, and she wouldn't be surprised if Sasha said no, but,
well, it still sounded weird, and the blush on her face very
plainly showed her embarrassment about it.
"Oh! I see, that is a really big concern...well, I don't mind
staying nearby if you need me too. But perhaps I can try to teach
you to swim, or at least, how to stay afloat so you don't need to
worry about it? As a safety precautions, knowing how to swim would
be a good idea here on the island. And for baths in the meantime,
there is washcloths and jugs you can use. I wouldn't want to make
you feel uncomfortable while you bathed. I have had a time or two
when people burst in in me. Those are the creepiest...the looks in
their eyes..." Sasha shuddered, rubbing her arms. "Moving them out
of their is a lot of work. But I don't want to break the
statues...it feels too much like murder. If someday, someone can
unfreeze them, I want that to happen. Of course, the assassins
should be thrown in some place where they can't attack people
again."