A cake! It was truly preposterous. To think such a simple treat was worthy of a goddess!

Venus hugged the Tupperware dish close to her chest as she reentered her domain. As always, her trusty doorfairy was there to greet her.

"Evening Miss. How was the human realm?"

Venus smiled at the portly old woman. She'd been serving the goddess for as long as she could remember, not as an object of desire like so many of her peers, but as a faithful confidant and guard.

"Still as wretched as ever, Primrose. Though they do have a few acceptable individuals."

"Very few, I take it. What's that, Miss? Garbage?"

She fluttered up to inspect the container cradled in the goddess' arms.

"Hardly. Call up catering, have them prepare a table and utensils for me."

The frumpy fairy gave a quick salute.

"Very good, Miss."

A gift from the humans. It was such a strange concept. A yearly sense of charity and goodwill. It was such a novel idea that a bizarre thought popped into Venus's head.

"Primrose, wait."

"Yes Miss?"

"Have them set up in the punishment chambers. Bring three sets of cutlery and my portable scrying pool."

The loyal fairy paused.

"To the punishment chambers, Miss?"

"Yes Primrose, and could you fetch me some parchment, I wish to send a letter."

Fragile, crystalline green wings fluttered as Primrose set off. She had never questioned Venus before, but the goddess was in a particularly strange mood. A pair of fairies hovered over to her, one passing her master some blank scroll and a quill, the other offering his back as a desk. Venus penned some sweet nothings and double entendres, with the promise of meeting later.

"Take this to the Underworld, see that it arrives in lord Pluto's hands."

Watching the frantic fairies vanish, Venus turned her attention to her prize. It was not exactly what one would call well made. The layers were uneven, and cream spilled out through the messy icing. Still, it held more meaning than Zoey or her girlfriend had planned. A God's power was fueled by mortal faith. A large gathering with unwavering belief in a deity could grant unimaginable power. Venus had seen many minor gods come and go, their followers and governed attributes lost to the flow of time. A simple cake may not have seemed like a lot, but what it represented gave Venus more energy than she'd felt since the fall of Rome. Sure, plenty of species believed in love as a concept, and that kept her amongst the major players in Sky Garden, but few still believed in the goddess herself.

A trio of young fairies approached her nervously, signalling her preparations were complete. They escorted her through the idyllic gardens to a small, unassuming wooden door. It took a surprising amount of heft for the three of them to open it, swinging wildly inside on its smooth hinges. Venus left them outside, not wanting any unnecessary disruptions. A well worn stone staircase spiralled down into the darkness, a known test of courage for even the bravest of fairies. The goddess followed it without hesitation.

The dimly lit wall eventually turned to complete black, with only the steps being visible, lit from an unseen source. Slowly, pinpricks of light began to appear. Tiny and distant where there should've been solid walls. As Venus descended the view changed completely. The pinpricks of light grew in number, grouped in patterns and surrounded by clouds of soft purple, orange, green, and every other colour imaginable. The hard stone under her feet had transformed into floating panels of patterned glass, spiralling down in the beauty of space. It was breathtaking. Venus had chosen the view as a small mercy to those few unlucky enough to be her prisoner.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she found herself at the edge of a massive glass circle. Very few would ever get to see her punishment chamber, but those that did would never leave. Only two figures occupied the open room, both suspended in the air on the far side of the disk. Venus's sandals clacked loudly on the hard surface as she strode over to her captives. The pair glared at her as she approached through teary, angry eyes.

"So, finally come to gloat, have you?"

"We knew it was coming sooner or later. Come on then, laugh, taunt us, but know that once we get out, we're throwing you right in here to suffer this humiliation."

Both Nymphojinn gnashed their teeth at her. She could hardly blame them really. As soon as they were securely in her grasp, she'd had them stripped and sentenced to one hundred year of pleasure-torture. Even as they hovered before her, the bright balls of white light at their crotches and nipples continued to buzz and vibrate. Venus was not a malicious god though, the torture served a purpose other than just her own entertainment. The magical beings' lust was out of control, and would be until they finished their century long period. Until they could be set free without destroying a planet again, she had no choice but to keep them out of trouble.

"Yes, it truly is a pleasure to see you two again, Moxie, Jewn."

Fangs were bared as the pair hissed at her. The blue skinned devil must've forgotten her place, as she thought it was wise to spit at Venus's feet.

"Soon, we will be free. Then we will cru ..."

Jewn quickly shut her mouth as Venus seized her by the mouth, squishing her lips into a pout with slightly more force than was necessary.

"Listen here, you two. My apostle brought you both down. A single human and her partner. Do you really think you stand a chance against me? Right here, right now?"

The pair went quiet as she relinquished her grip. With a wave of her hand, the torture devices stopped their activity, fading away.

"I am here with an offer. Would you both be willing to listen?"

Despite the anger and hatred in their eyes, they both nodded.

"Good. Now, this time of the year, the humans celebrate comradery and family. In the spirit of their compassion, I am willing to give you a single day's reprisal from your bondage. Does this interest you?"

The pair shared a quizzical look. Such an offer was most unlike the haughty, arrogant goddess they knew. It was the pink skinned Moxie who raised her question in response.

"Why would we trust you?"

A clever girl. After all the years, maybe she was finally starting to use her head. Venus just gave a shrug.

"Honestly, you have no reason not to. If you'd like, we can just continue as usual…."

They both launched into pleas for the negotiations to continue.

"Why would you offer this?"

Ahh Jewn, always the more rational one.

"Simple. For the next hundred years you know I have to keep you here, but I'm willing to let you have one day a year off. You'll still be confined to this room, of course, but other than that we can do as you please."

Their ear pricked up at the hidden clause in the contract.

"Wait, 'WE'?"

"Yes Moxie. Despite your efforts these last ten centuries, I still can't bring myself to hate you. Even I would like a day catching up with my sisters after all."

It was an enticing offer. Venus didn't rush them. She knew her older siblings despised her acting above them. They had ever since the day Aphrodite had picked her as the successor to her throne instead of one of them.

"Okay."

Moxie didn't quite give the same verbal agreement as her sister, but she nodded without meeting Venus's eyes. A wave of the goddess's hand banished their invisible shackles, dropping the pair unceremoniously on the floor. Venus offered them both a hand up, which Jewn readily accepted but Moxie ignored.

"Robes!"

At Venus's command a pair of plain white sheets descended from the sky, wrapping her naked siblings up and covering their modesty. They weren't anything as fancy as Venus's own, but after two months of nudity the pair weren't complaining.

"So what would you have us do? A tea party? Sex? Or do you intend to just leave us idle for the day?"

Moxie was barely hiding her resentment for her younger sister. She pulled the robe from one of her shoulders, letting a single breast hang out while both of her sisters remained fully covered. She'd always been a rowdy one.

"As I said, you are free to do as you wish within the confines of this room. Though my apostle did bake me a cake. I will be enjoying it over here, should you wish to join me."

Turning her back on the pair, Venus made her way to the waiting table. She half expected an attack from behind, but instead she found Jewn trotting along at her side. She'd always gotten along better with the soft spoken blue haired girl, as opposed to her brash older twin. She pulled out the chair for Venus before taking her own seat. The prickly pink haired porcupine stared daggers at the pair as Venus cut two large slices from the messy treat.

"Apologies Jewn dear, but by her own admission, my apostle is not the greatest cook. Still, she poured plenty of energy into it."

"That's no problem. Thank you, Thiea."

That was a name she hadn't heard in a long time. Only one other person aside from her sisters ever used her real name. The pair sat and nibbled as Venus poured some tea. With a huff, Moxie joined the table, holding out her plate for some cake.

"Would you look at that Thiea, she can be civil."

The pink pest punched her twin on the shoulder.

"So this is it? A tea party?"

With a smirk Venus brought up a large shallow basin. Her portable window into the mortal realm.

"Actually, I thought we could spy on the humans for a little while. Did I tell you two I have a daughter now? I'll show you your niece and grandniece…."

A rasping burst signalled Moxie spitting her tea out.

"You have a daughter!?"

"Oh how sweet! Who's the father?"

"I bet it's that mopey Pluto guy. You always had a thing for him…."

It may not have been the most ideal family reunion, but Venus found herself laughing alongside her sisters. Maybe in a century they could keep the casual conversation going…