253 - A God, Clement

Lin

My sleep cycle has yet again become a questionable situation.

Though due to the heat, I am grateful for it.

After yesterday's excursion, Mann has been full of old spirits doing a load of spiritual cleansing and rehoming, among other things.

It's beginning to feel much more welcoming here, somehow.

We're at Manny's house in Balley Chashtal now.

Honestly, I'm glad to see so many of my family's faces again.

Yet what makes me even happier is that this has become not just a Celtic gathering, but a gathering of a whole plethora of European pantheons.

Everybody wanted to celebrate Midsummer - and so a very large amount of people got invited, including my Greek side of the family.

Our entire situation is absolute chaos.

Luckily for us, Manny's house is huge, so it's easy to have your own personal space when you need or want it, and it also makes for a decrease in the likelihood of accidents.

Sniffing the air, I realise that someone's cooking keftedes.

Betting on it now: we're having a multicultural buffet.

Padding into the kitchen, I see Danú, Grammi, Adephagia and my Maman conversing over what they're making. Some people, who I recognise as some of the Slavic Gods, dart in and out, helping to make and serve everything as well.

Can I ask exactly how many we invited?

They all turn, and my Maman immediately pulls me into an embrace that makes everyone in the room smile.

Ma môr! Do you feel able to help today, or do you feel you may need more time to recover?

I smile.

I fear there's only so much I can help with, given what happened at Alïvi, but I'll see what I can do.

As Maman releases me, Danú takes my hands in hers.

We heard what happened. Take it easy, ceart go leor?

Ceart go leor. 

What's on the menu?

Adephagia grins.

Keftedes, moussaka, dolmades... There's quite a lot. We have ekmek as well.

She laughs at my enthusiastic response.

There's more where that came from. It sounds like there will be colcannon, too.

When I start dancing again, she giggles.

Take a look at the ingredients. Maybe you'll have an idea that we overlooked.

As I pore over everything that's been brought over, I note the ingredients for pieroghis, pizza, breton fish stew, galettes... There's so much here. They must have invited the Etrsucans and some of the Germanic tribes as well. I wouldn't put it past them to have invited the Illyrians, Dalmatians and Thracians as well. I can see the Dacian ingredients laid out, too.

Turning to a table I haven't yet seen, which seems to have some Aegean ingredients on it, I notice some tears of Chios, otherwise known as mastic, sitting on the counter.

I wonder...

Swivelling to tap Adephagia on the shoulder, I point to the mastic.

Is that being used?

She raises an eyebrow.

I believe your cousins intend to use it to make Greek Delight that's usually only available in Chios, but if you ask them, I'm sure they'll allow you to use some.

I nod, searching for Deipneos, Matton and Keraon, who I find pretty quickly. They squeeze me into a four way hug, which ends with us all laughing, before I posit using some of their mastic.

I have an idea for a drink.

They exchange looks, and Keraon fishes out a spare ziploc bag of mastic, handing it to me with a grin.

I figured someone might want it.

Ευχαριστώ.

He smiles.

Παρακαλώ. Let us know if you need anything else.

I nod, putting the mastic down alongside some mountain pine syrup, mint leaves, lemon juice and a bottle of Ouzo. 

This needs one more thing.

Just as I think on what sweetener I should use, Aristaeos' table walks into my field of vision, setting itself down next to me. Aristaeos follows it to me, perplexed. For a minute, we both laugh, before composing ourselves.

I just thought I needed some honey. I didn't expect that you'd brought your sentient table!

He chuckles, tapping the table, which makes a burbling sound, which I sense is probably in pleasure, in response.

Ναι, this little guy wanted to join in. There are a few provincial honeys here, if you want them.

He hands me ones that hail from Armenia and Scythia all the way to Greenland, and I stare at him in shock.

Are you sure?

I have a ridiculous amount of honey from how many bees I keep. Think nothing of it, Medi.

I grin.

Ευχαριστώ. I'll make sure that it tastes good!

I'm sure you will!

I take spoonfuls of each honey to put into the mixture of mastic, pine syrup, mint leaves and lemon juice, before pouring a generous amount of Ouzo over the top, and turning the blender to the highest setting for a minute.

Filling glasses with ice, I begin to serve the drink, with sprigs of mint on top once they're full. Everyone - and I mean everyone - is getting one, simply out of curiosity that I made a drink. And a cocktail, of all things!

This drink is probably one of the most healing things I've ever made: lemon juice for cleansing, for the Mediterranean, and for brighter days ahead; honey from all of Aristaeos' provinces, to connect everyone on a soul level in both diversity and unity, and to help soothe and heal ancestral wounds; the mastic, or Chios' tears, are for emotional release, as well as emotional wellbeing, and connections to the Aegean and the sea; the pine syrup is for cleansing, grounding and connection to the land; and the Ouzo is for relaxation, protection, good fortune and connections to the sky and stars on the rest of the Sim, as Ouzo is made with anise. 

We all raise a toast, and I feel Terrence pull me over to him gently, snaking an arm around my waist as we both hold our own drinks.

To unity! To our Head God! And to freedom!