Dali Loves Pani: Pride Month special

Dali Loves Pani by Vox Deruste

The Archive would like to present the first short story of its existence as an apology for the slow updates. Enjoy the rest of Pride Month with this small story. It will sate appetites before more tales from the New Age are presented.

There has to be a divine jokebook out there. All the most stupid scenarios to make people laugh. I suspect one of them would be the child of a war god being petrified by the thought of, not a battle or great beast, but by trying to figure out what to wear for a first date.

It has to be within the top ten at least. 

My name is Dali Ankshara Oni. Daughter of the god of war and thunder of the Hindu pantheon by blood. Daughter of one of the most powerful mage families by adoption. A girl very much stuck in choice paralysis by her own stupid indecision.

I lay on top of my bed. Giving a death glare at the ceiling with the same intensity as a death march. 

A suit or a dress.

I have trained to fight giants and evil beasts that could melt bone with their breath. Dragons even. And yet that question was kicking my ass worse than any monster.

“The suit is more you.” I looked at the door and saw my eldest brother. Jamil is tall, bulky, and very bald. It’s clear enough between us that I was adopted. I have the same eye makeup shared by all members of the noble class of Kemet. The heirs of the empire are remembered as Egypt. My skin is a slightly different shade of brown and my eyes are gray. “I mean no matter what, you will have the grace of an ox.” He said with a cheeky smile. 

“Not now Jamil. Or do you want to be electro-shocked?” I said as I grasped my face in frustration.

“Hey I’m just saying the point of most dates is to rip the clothes off the other so-”

I threw one of my pillows at him with the force of a bowling ball. He almost tripped on his heel but he caught it in his hand, covered in a green light construct of a humanoid crocodile, smirking still.

“Pandora is not-”

“They're a demigod of the most horny pantheon in existence, don’t pretend they have no intentions.” My cheeks felt red hot. Electricity arched from my skin. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop ribbing.” Jamil said half-heartedly. He went into my room, pillow in hand. He sat next to me on the bed. “The suit is better. Jade empire silk and weaved by craftsmen trained by Athena.” Jamil recounted as he rubbed his hand on it.

“I’m scared.” I admitted. 

“I know.” 

“Will they cancel?”

“I'll turn them into an ibex if they dare.” I chuckle at his words. “Just pick what feels best. You managed to ask them out so you got the actual hard part out of the way.” Jamil tried to reassure me. “Where are you even going by the way? You were the one to choose a location right, I want to believe you didn’t just faint halfway through asking them out.” I don’t mention that I nearly did faint. 

“We’re eating at a cafe near the pride parade today,” I said with some bravado. I was going on a date with my long-time crush while coming out at my first pride parade. 

“Oh! Boldness thunder cloud.” Jamil smiled with a sly grin. “Hakim told you, didn’t he.” 

“Yeah,” I admit with a sigh. “He found it while walking around GreekTown.

“Greek cafe?”

“Greek Cafe.” I said with slight embarrassment. It should have been a place I knew but I don’t go out to eat in Chicago that much.

“Well they are a Greek demigod so It's not that bad but make sure you make it your own,” Jamil said. “And also a bit on the nose. Why not a Puerto Rican-”

“Boricua.” I corrected. A smile plastered itself on his face.

“See! You got this; you have their annoying habits down pat.” I blush slightly. 

“So get off your awkward brown ass and kill it! You're making us war god affiliates look bad.” My brother joked. I smiled but lightly punch his arm. “Ow! By Ra, even your love taps bruise!” 

“Oh have your patron god cry a river.” I replied with some bravado. My brother smiles.

******************************************************************************************************************

I took the dress. It’s a new experience and that means a new way of doing things. Also, I like Linen. 

Only a glance at google maps was needed to find my way to the restaurant. At the corner of Greektown and at the last bridge before University Square. Not a bad spot for a place to eat. The placement meant that the smog from the overpass and nearby traffic went away from it. Geography meant that it had the perfect spot for sun and little noise pollution. A rarity in the windy city.

I stayed at the edge of the sidewalk. Standing tall and trying to look over the crowds. For a few scary minutes, I thought that I was standing up. 

Just then a beautiful sight flew across the sky. I usually hate snakes, but I understood why Pandora’s pet is considered beautiful as I saw her split the clouds—pulling a chariot with my awaited date. 

Pandora Tso-Vivas. 

They who craft with light. Firstborn of Eldora, one of the most powerful magical women in the world. One of the best blacksmiths on the North American continent. 

And the person I dream of.

Not that I am, as Pandora’s cousin would say, cringe enough to say out loud. 

Pandora parked their chariot on the side of the restaurant. No one notices the ancient Greek, Hellas if your learned, chariot being pulled by a feathered serpent. Coiling on the asphalt, hissing at anyone that got too close to it. 

Pandora themselves stepped with pure confidence. Wearing a gold cloth top with jean pants. I felt overdressed in my linen dress and opal jewelry. Especially when I saw the intricately made leather necklace Pandora had. 

“If you want to see me standing in the sunbeam forever you might want to take a picture.” I felt their voice brush against my ears and I forget English for a few minutes.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting.” I say in demotic. Catching the ear of some people around me. My brother once told me the language turned into a shorthand for some amateur Satanism. 

“Are you scared?” Their melodic voice said in perfect demotic. 

“No! I mean, No…No.” I tried to prop up my own wavering confidence. “Should we- Do you want to- Are you hun-”

“-I would love to enter the cafe.” Pandora put their arm in my own. Keeping a strong stride despite the two-foot difference between us. Why can bench press a tank and yet feel like a bending reed in their hands? “I appreciate that you invited me to your home.” I regain enough mental focus to answer.

“You know the whole city is not my home right?” I brought them to the cleanest table the restaurant had. Next to a window that had the sun shining from it. “Anytime by the way. You can come by anytime.”

“Where’s the fun in that? When I can just get the visitor treatment from you.” They flashed their smile. I felt my chest compress and melt. 

“Yeah…Anytime.” I felt unease enter my mind. I suppress the urge of my feet to tap the floor. 

We get our menus and start with some drinks. Two glasses of water.

“Really holding firm to the no sugar thing?” 

“Part of a new diet and exercise regiment.” I said with slight embarrassment. I didn’t lie outright but I did about the reason. I have been out of practice for a while and… I wanted to look nice for Pandora. A stupid reason I know but I know that Pandora likes a chiseled physique. I am not blind. Foolish in some respects but not blind. “How’s your family doing?”

“Fine enough.” Pandora said flatly. “Mother is talking with the Chieftain of Hawai’i and some Inuit. Alo is doing one of his concerts in the Rez for two weeks.” 

“Your sister?”

“Same as ever.” They laughed. “Nearly gotten herself suspended from school when a boy tried to hit on her with a poem.” 

“That seems-”

“By using rhymes involving red and her skin.”

“Not harsh enough.” I corrected myself. 

“I agree on that front but sadly the principal saw her hanging the poet from the flagpole. By his underwear no less.” 

“How?”

“Effort.” Pandora said with little emotion. The conversation. It would be pointless for them to ask about my family. Their mothers worked with them for decades. Not to mention that in both the magical and mortal realms we are famous. Well, famous in the politics and people you don’t want to fight scene. 

Thankfully in no other sense. I would unleash a thunderstorm on any paparazzi that would try to break up this date. 

“Your amour still up to snuff? Keep maintenance up?” I thank the god’s that they asked another question I can answer. 

“Oh, yeah it’s amazing. Hakim managed to enchant it so it appears whenever I need it.”

“That probably-”

“-Makes it so there can’t be that many enchantments.” Any item or clothing can only have so much enchantment. According to my brother, instant armor was all he could add to it before it structural integrity falls apart…in his words. It will collapse on itself and vomit out magic like an onion ring, ice cream, wasabi binge. The image alone scared me to believe him. 

“Fair, convenience is… an innovation.”

“Still mad that Rio replaced the phone you made for her with the latest Apple one.”

“I made art and she replaced it with overhyped garbage wrapped in plagiarized, monopolized corporatized crap.” I could feel the bitterness in their voice. 

“To be fair….you made her a flip phone.”

“One that can call paranormal creatures and spirits if they're nearby.” We both looked at each other for a moment. Less from my usual reason for praising their beauty. More of a ‘Com’on dude’ face. “Touch screens are hard to work with. They kept breaking.” They admitted with a truly rare sight of them actually being bashful. “I am surprised that you didn’t cancel.” I raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t hear? There are some rumors floating around that you laid down an Atalanta gambit.” 

“At-what Gambit?” They sounded familiar to me. “Isn’t that the name of a hero from Hellas?”

“One of the only female ones. Atalanta, a blessed hunter that was raised by bears, laid the killing blow on a monster sent by Artemis herself, and engineered the most elaborate no to potential romantic suitors in the classical world.” 

“Which was?”

“Beat her in a competition and you get her hand in marriage,” Pandora said frankly. My eyes became wide.

“Wait! You thought! That I!” 

“I see.” Pandora made a twitch motion with their hand and shield unfurled from the wrists. “Glad I didn’t have to use this. I rather not wreck that lovely face.” Pandora said with a cheeky smirk. I blush heavily. 

Then it changed to a frown when I realized the obvious. 

“So if you thought that…” I sigh. “How many second sons and Desperate demigods are going to show-”

“Dali Oni!” Shouted a bombastic voice. Pandora rolled their eyes as they looked out the window. 

“Know this one?”

“Name’s Caden of Corinth. Descendant of the family that gave the world Medea.” A crowd started to form near the restaurant. I got a good look at the man shouting. 

20-something, blond hair with brown eyes. Wearing a tuxedo complete with a top hat. Not bad looking but my preference is sitting next to me. 

“Dali Oni! Hear the words of descendent of the mighty family of Corinth!” Despite the bravado, the man was shaking and sweating. 

I listened to the crowd’s reactions. Normal mortals can’t see magic, they see what makes sense to them, which is probably why I hear them asking questions about why a stage magician trying to steal me from non-binary cosplayers. The polite ones are saying that at least. Others use…outdated terms.

“Okay, why is the crackpot trying to steal the fruit’s girl?” An older man from the crowd asked.

“Nothing to see here folks. Go about your day it's a freakshow trying to stop a date.” Pandora started to speak to the crowd while I confronted Caden. 

“I’ll Look I don’t know if you notice but I clearly chose my company and I am less than interested in a fail-son from a nearly dead dynasty.” I want nothing to do with this man. I don’t care how mean ill look. I know there is a more diplomatic way to handle but I don’t care right now. 

“You would take the misbegotten he-she over a proper-” I smack the troll of a man with my backhand. 

“Asshat.” The bastard skipped on the ground and slammed against a wall. 

“Haven’t heard that comment for a while.” Pandora said dryly. 

“Should I nudge him toward the medical district? At the speed of a rocket against their concrete walls.” I felt anger and rage build within me. The attempt to win me through battle was annoying enough but insulting Pandora in front of me should count as a hazard to one’s health. 

“Whatever you think is best. I would rather not waste any memory on him.” 

“Rocket it is.” I sensed the divine blood from the man. Not the royal part, royal blood is not divine. I smelled his demigod hood. Like grease on a street burger. Luckily it meant he can take more punishment than a normal person. 

With the speed of a lightning bolt, I ran toward the Medical district. Where all the med schools in Chicago are concentrated. I ran all the way to the one with the most med students on staff, the one my brother studied at. In seconds, I was through the door. At the reception. Tossed the young man near the ICU. Finally running all the way back to Pandora. 

“The restaurant kicked us out.” Pandora said as soon as I slowed down to normal speed. 

“Why?” 

“Apparently we started a fight that broke their windows.” Pandora pointed behind themselves to the nearby store and cafes. All their windows were broken or cracked. I remember again that while mortals can’t see magic, they see instead what makes the most amount of sense to them. 

“Keep your gang shit out of Greek Town!” An angry mad said, punctuated by closing the door on Pandora and me. Breaking what little glass was on his door by slamming it. 

I facepalm. Wordlessly turning to Pandora.

“Sorry. I forgot to suppress the sonic boom.” I felt nothing but embarrassment as we walked away. Wandering up Greek Town, hiding my face so no one tries to tie me to their own broken windows. 

“To be fair I may have increased the local temperature by a couple of degrees on accident as well.” Pandora poked my side with their elbow. “I heard good things about a Boricua place near the beach.” Pandora put on a smile for me. I weakly smile back. 

“I think I know the route for that. It's past some touristy stuff but…it should be fun.” I tried to chuckle but it came out like a snort. I tried to hide my face again but I felt their hand on my cheek. Slowly readjusting me until I was staring right at them. 

“I despise tourists with a passion but, I think I’ll allow myself to be- Look out!” I was dazzled by the slight glow of their eyes, which is why I got surprised by the sucker punch.

I held my ground, slightly still distracted by Pandora. I grabbed the hand that punched me and leveraged my own strength to torque the arm back. A bit too roughly I realized when I saw I broke the arm.

“Ahhh!” The man screamed out. Older than the last one, I think mid and late 20’s. Swarthy skinned and curly hair. 

“Oh joy.” Pandora said as if their spirits left their body with those words. “It's one of the princes of the Tawantin Suyu.” Pandora explained as the young man wailed out in pain.

“Oh yes, the….” My mind drew a blank. 

“The Inca.”

“Oh right, the Inca….” I grew suspicious and pickpocketed his wallet. While he had a trench coat on, under that he wore what seemed to be a hand-woven tunic poncho combo with gold adornments and jewels inlaid into it. My father’s traditional priestly attire is less gaudy. They are made from literal gold and divine plants. 

“How dare you! I would grace your family line with the seed of a proper man and this how you treat me you cu-” I grab his throat.

“Moreno doesn’t have a treaty that prevents me from hurting them right?” I looked at Pandora with pleading eyes. Moreno is the organization our parents collaborate on. Basically, a political entity that represents some native groups and Kemetic/African groups. 

I’m really hoping that the Inca don’t have a special You don’t get to punch our princes when they're being dicks treaty.

“Sadly attempts to broker ties have fallen threw several times.” Pandora said with a look of disgust at the Ican Prince. He looked at Pandora. Despite the pain in his arm and me choking him, clicked his tongue and whistled. 

“Perhaps after I win this-Ack!- Gambit. You can be-Agh!- the second wife” I didn’t give Pandora the chance to answer. I launched him over traffic, over the park beyond my sight. Hopefully into Lake Michigan. 

“I was going to say he could stick his marriage offer into his urethra you know.” Pandora said with a touch of annoyance on their tongue. What did I do wrong?

We walked past Crown Fountain, the tall black screen thing in Millenium Park. Near where the bean is. The giant silver one. I never got the appeal of it and given that Pandora walked past it they didn’t either. 

I follow behind them, keeping pace but not side by side. I basically forked over control of where we were going to them. I didn’t have the confidence, I tried to fake and I was scared about how many wackos were going to go after me. 

And they did, by the gods they did. 

I fought off a Celtic druid. A son of the eastern dragon king. And three separate sons of Zeus at the same time. Even Pandora punched in the dick no less than two werewolves, a demigod son of a Roman god, and punched the penises of all three of those children of Zeus. All while going the speed of light. All while we were waiting for ice cream. 

We never got the ice scream. 

The man who manned the station said they were out and by then the police showed up. Luckily by that point, people started to see us as being attacked. When we answered the police questions, the man selling ice cream suddenly had more to give when a straight couple came along. 

I grumbled but kept it to myself.

Pandora noticed me grumbling. 

“I think the contenders are calming down.” Pandora laid a hand on my shoulder and things felt right again. The sky was becoming reddish. We were walking down the beach and while the first stand closed as soon as we got near it, we found a man with Piragua, Puerto Rican shaved ice. Get some if you can find it. 

Pandora taking lime while I got pineapple.

“I think that was the longest amount of time we got today without any fights.”

“Shame really you making ass-kicking look.”

“You were missing the blushing mess from earlier were you?” I said with cheeks redder than tomatoes. 

“No, I swear by the Zemi.” The mischievous grin returned. 

“I’m just glad you're smiling despite everything.” I gave a weak smile. I grabbed a bit of sand. “I don’t know who put a notice about this stupid gambit but I’m going to wring their neck.” I crushed the sand in my hand until I felt it becomes hard and sharp. “The strength to make sand into glass and I can barely take a person I like on a date.”

“Dali, can you do something for me?” Pandora changed the subject quickly. 

“Alright?” They gave me their Piragua and I held them both in my hands. Pandora walked us close to a light. 

“Close your eyes.” Pandora asked of me. I gave a skeptical look. “It's not what you’re thinking about perv.”

“I am not a perv?!” I protested too much.

“Okay, Okay. Just do this one thing. It will be worth it.” Pandora’s smile gleamed as I noticed the change. Pandora is a bi-gendered being but the gender performance changes depending on the sun and moonlight. More male-presenting, an adam’s apple, deeper voice, and wider chest during the day. Feminine, softer voice, sharper eyes, and rounded hips at night. As sunset was coming down, Pandora started to shift to a more femme shape. 

“Just close my eyes.”

“Just close them.” They assured me as they clasped my hand in theirs. Despite their small frame and height, I felt a strong support in their hands. Like they could hold the whole world in a moment's notice. Strong but small hands. 

I close my eyes. 

I didn’t quite know what to expect. A kiss? A hug? A present? My mind raced as I felt fingers trace my cheeks and flow toward the back of my head. I kept my eyes closed and waited for a signal or some indication. My anticipation grew as suddenly as I felt my body change. From a solidness to a certain kind of fluidity. I felt it sometimes when I called upon the speed of lighting. The sensation of the body when you become one with an element. The feeling of leaving the material body and becoming a part of the universe around you for a short time, before reforming the body. A state of living, to dying, to living again.

It's one of the few times I understood part of Hindu upbringing. Life and death, all leading to a rebirth of some kind. One I felt always when using my speed and one I felt again as I began to feel solid once more. Wind blowing across my face, the whistling, the coolness calming my mind.

“You can open them up again.” Pandora said softly against my ear. As the coolness on my skin clashed with the heat rising in my cheeks and ears. 

I open my eyes. Stunned. 

We were floating above the sears tower. Okay, the name is technically the Willis Tower but no one calls it that. 

We were floating above the building. Pandora took advantage of a light beam from the skyline while my abilities automatically made me float. The clouds spin around the tower. A serene sight as the rosy glow of sunset covered the city. But I saw at the edge of the sun a chariot pulling it.

“I may have called in a favor from a half-sibling.” Pandora said. I strained my eyes and saw a woman, probably a goddess pulling the reins of fiery horses. With rose fingers. 

“Rose fingered dawn?” 

“Eos, one of my half sister’s.” Pandora said with a slight smile. They extended an arm with a prim and proper pose. All the confidence and silent power of a god from old age. A silver aura of flame around them with bright silver in their pupils. “The restaurant was lovely, The Piragua were delicious, and,” I let them hold my hand in theirs. “And showed, I want to say, half of the most eligible bachelor’s in North and South America where they can stick their collective egos.” Pandora laughed. “Or do I need to survive a few rounds against you myself?” 

I felt embarrassment and excitement mixed into a nervous stew. I felt my mind going a mile a minute. The memories I had of Pandora started to flash before me all at once. 

When we met six years ago when their mother first started Moreno.

When I first showed them and their sister around Chicago a few years ago.

The times I helped manage their social media when they first got started a year ago.

A few weeks ago, when I managed to get the courage to ask them out.

“I forfeit.” I said with as little thought as possible. “I forfeit the gambit to you.” Pandora was stunned and confused for the first time since I met them. They always had a air of control and power no matter what untill now. For the first time, I can answer what the dumbfounded face of Pandora is. Stunned with a slightly twitching eyebrow.

“You do know that forfeiting is basically saying-”

“Yeah.” I remember enough from the story. As in I took a look at the summary of it online when Pandora was not looking. Atlanta would marry the person that could beat her. Me forfeiting is admitting defeat. Essentially…I’m asking Pandora to marry me.

Pandora stared for a minute. Looked in thought for half a minute and then started to laugh for several seconds. 

“Wha-wha-what so funny?” Fear crept into my mind. 

“Sorry-Sorry.” they said through unrestrained laughter. “It's just for a few seconds I considered taking that deal. But I think we need to be, at least a bit slower than that.” They joked and I rubbed my shoulder in embarrassment. They put a hand under my chin. “But I am not against a long, long engagement.” My ears perked again. “Now I didn’t get an answer to a question I didn’t get to ask.” I squirmed slightly. “May I have a dance?”

They extended their arm again with open hands and wide smiles. 

I smiled and took the hand. 

“Sorry about my two left feet. A demigod daughter of the lord of storms, war, and rainbows. Sadly no dancing mixed in there” I try to play off the awkwardness. 

“Just keep your eyes on me and follow my lead.”

“If it means being with you, then I’ll follow you straight to any hell or battlefield.” 

“I'll try to exploit that then.” Pandora laughed. I joined them as we slowly danced above the city in a near-perfect serenity. No one bursting on in to fight. No weird awkwardness, or even judgmental people trying to undermine our happiness. 

Just bliss as I held Pandora close to my chest. Letting them hear my heartbeat. I caught a glimpse of their feather serpent circling around us keeping the clouds away. It was one of the few times I was glad a snake was nearby. 

I thank the gods for hearing my prayers.

****************************************************************************************************************

As I walked back to my room, still twirling and spinning from the dancing, I notice my brother Jamil waiting there.

“Sooo, how did it go?” He asked with a coy smile. “I can see that you at least seem to be…walking on air.” I looked below my feet and I realized I never stopped floating. I let myself drop to the floor.

“It may or may not have been enjoyable.” I crossed my arms. “But I don’t appreciate the ‘help’ you gave.”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

“Yeah, because I somehow managed to send out a rumor to the magical community that I want to marry a person who can kick my ass.” I waved to him. It was not hard to guess who told people. Hakim is too smart for it. Martin is not popular with the greater magical community and if our parents were against Pandora, they are not subtle people they would go after them. 

“Did you get a dance, kiss, or other things?”

“Gross and no.” I closed the door. I reopened it slightly. “It was a dance and a kiss on the cheek when they dropped me off.” 

Jamil had a hearty laugh before I tossed one of my training spears at him. In a panic, he transformed into a crocodile and ran off. Doing the reptilian version of a laugh the whole time. 

I locked my door behind me, taking a breath. Making sure that no magical item or spell was in my room, spying on me. 

I flopped onto my bed after a tiring day. Aches in my muscles, and extended use of my magic. Sweat drying on my skin. And the thought going through my mind was that it was all worth it. I stared at my phone and the new wallpaper. A selfie of me and Pandora floating above the sears tower, clouds swirling all around us with the biggest smiles on our faces. 

I look forward to a long, long engagement. Letting my eyes close and drift into a calming sleep.