[Edel PRP] Worth Dying For (Alice/Harmodius)

[Meepfur]

In some ways, her conversation with Arden hadn't helped; while she'd been hesitant before, she was conflicted now. Before, it wouldn't have been too hard to leave, but he'd brought up a good point...guilted her, almost, into considering this host business a little more seriously. It was cliche, but appropriate in this circumstance - some things were worth dying for.

Of course, that hinged on whether or not this particular thing was real. Which was why Alice was stalking around the grounds of the Pantheon, looking for the guy in charge. Shyamaath trailed along behind her, which she found a little disconcerting, but she couldn't complain. The aoide was tentatively on her good side for the moment, having gotten her some new clothes.

"You don't have to look for him youself, Alice," the demoness insisted - again. "I can find him, and then come and get you, and present you properly..."

"That would just take longer," Alice grumbled, shaking her head.

[Edelsteine]

When he was present on the grounds, it was generally easy to find Creation, whether by following the distinct glass-like chime of his wings, or via the glimmers of shifting colour that oainted the environment in his wake - rainbow light reflected from the various artificial sources set about the Pantheon grounds. For now the clues led to the North, and the Eldest stood at the 'edge' of the complex. His gaze was outward at the ruin that was being reclaimed by vegetation like a time lapse film.

[Meepfur]

Shyamaath sighed, doing her best to hide her frustration. It was good that the woman was stubborn, but - "There, see? There he is."

Alice didn't need her to point him out; he didn't exactly blend in. He was awfully tall. And white. And...rainbow-y. He'd been described to her, but it was something else to see such a person in person. It was impressive, but at the same time...really? It was a little much. But then again, what else would Creation look like? She couldn't exactly imagine something better. Still. It was going to take more than cool - okay, amazing - wings and a really tall guy to convince her!

Not that she wasn't going to be nice, considering it might also all be true. Of course, she didn't exactly know how to introduce herself to a god, either, and she was far from being silver-tongued. So she settled for a polite, "Hello."

Behind her, the horned aoide looked ready to facepalm.

[Edelsteine]

Harmodius looked over at the girl, not sudden as though he'd been startled, but neither did he seem as though he had been expecting visitors. His expression was one of interest, someone presented with a new and wonderful puzzle to admire for its complexity and skill, whether they solved it or not.
" Most heartfelt greetings..." He considered a moment, weighing responses. Her name was writ on her plain enough, but considering the challenge in her bearing, it may do more harm then good to call her by it until it was offered.

"Your bearing is one of purpose, likewise coming to such a spot where there are no others save myself. How might I render you service, young one?"

It did no good to ignore other parties present.
"Shyamaath, fair blessings on you as well."

[Meepfur]

He had such a formal way of speaking, though she supposed it made sense. You know, gods and all. Alice was awkwardly silent for a moment, trying to decide what to say and how - anything she'd thought of ahead of time had rudely flown from her mind. Fortunately, her new 'friend' filled the silence for her for a moment.

"Thank you, Lord. I hope that you are well." Shyamaath bowed deeply, flipping her pigtails back out of the way as she straightened. This was not her meeting, however, and so she bowed out like a good little aoide. "I'll be near, if you need me."

At least the stubborn guard was someone else's problem for awhile! Rio was so much easier.

"Ah..." Alice tugged the ends of her blindfold, something of an unconscious habit. Might as well cut to the chase; what else was she going to do, try to make small talk with a rainbow maybe-god mystery guy? "She wants me to be, hm, one of your...hosts."

[Edelsteine]

" Shyamaath does? or some other she?" He smiled, paying the nervous energy no mind. "Many are the desires of the hearts of mortal and immortal alike, for mixed in each is Will and Perseverance. Just the same, what is your will?"


"Of my own volistion...if someone is already calling the ordeal being a ...'host', they no doubt consider us extradimensional entities of cosmic power that are based around a symbiotic or parasitic physiology. Which...."

"I would argue is not the case."

"But that negative connotation has followed that very wording before, and not with affection or interest. "

[Meepfur]

"Shyamaath," she answered, looking in the direction the demoness had gone for a moment. The next question she didn't answer straight away, as he continued on, and went from sounding formal to sounding like he was reading from a dictionary. A weird, conspiracy theory sort of dictionary. "My will...that depends, I guess."

On a lot of things. Alice shrugged. "If that's not the case, then what is?"

[Edelsteine]

"The claims of who is questioned feign consequence. What do you believe.?"

"In that alone lies the answers to many questions you would pose to me."

Harmodius offered her a seat, where previously there had been none but themselves but now stood marble benches for each. " If you wish to weigh my words to the nicety of your heart, then know from my own mouth that we are the True Gods, bearers of the names and powers that inspire the stories of cultures and worlds without count. Without ending until that Final Hour which has not come. All but the Twin Crown perished long ago, dissolved into the ether in pain and suffering, and despair. They were one by one regathered, their lives rekindled, and their great powers are reborn."

[Meepfur]

...hmm. Nice little trick, the insta-seating. She sat gingerly, as someone uncertain as to whether or not a rickety chair would hold their weight. She listened to his answer, which was more or less what she'd already learned was supposedly going on. Just phrased more fancily.

"I don't know what I believe." Alice shrugged. "I mean, you have to admit it all sounds kinda farfetched."

[Edelsteine]

He paused, saying nothing for a long moment, blinking.

"It......does?"

After all that had happened, that was not a response he would have expected from any source. Her race was not a fast-germinating one, to explain an ignorance of the events that had nearly undone All. " If you had such an opinion of such explanations, what were you hoping for from me? "

A series of trials and proofs? That would fit some childish fairytale, melodramatic and foolishness...man's self-importance in the face of judging his own gods. As though the unicorns asked leave to exist, or cared if man thought they did or not. Though it was, in some ways different for the gods. Was it that unbelief alone that had so long ago unhinged them all? Though he could not discount with disdain so easily as his other aspect could. That whole line of reasoning was Destruction.
" That was brazen." It was an aside to himself, " No, you needn't justify yourself to me, and are welcome to your ideas.....I am called Harmodius, aspect of Creation and Destruction. Such as much as it matters, I am the Twin Crown, Father to all, and within all, and at your service if you have need. "

[Meepfur]

He was actually surprised, wasn't he? Alice observed his reaction with great interest. She believed the whole End-of-the-World thing, having lived through it, and didn't have any issue with the idea of gods, but when someone claimed to be one...that merited some amount of investigation, not immediate acceptance.

Then his tone changed, and he questioned her - then chided himself and withdrew the question? Odd. So these 'Creation' and 'Destruction' parts, they were separate to some extent? Like multiple personalities or something?

The woman decided to answer him anyway. "Well, I can't decide just from stories, so I wanted to meet you. After all, someone is asking me to die - more than die. I'd like to know it's for something that's true."

[Edelsteine]

"If someone asks for you to die for something, you needn't agree. In fact, unless you feel called to such a service, I would suggest against it. It has been, in the past, that the proper jewels came into the possession of those they called through ill-gotten means. There have even been hosts wholly unwilling and tricked to the service, but the call was true enough. "

"Not all gods are good, or even out to help the mortal races. There are gods that represent the darker, less moral aspects of society, nature and of mortal hearts. "

"We do exist. If you have been about this complex, you have known others in various states of the shift. Men and women, aoide that served the gods long ago, ageless immortal kindred...all of these have at times become the bearer and spark to rekindle one of the True Gods. the magic is simple in a way...as we once brought life forth from ourselves to give it to our creations, so one life and destiny is paid to rekindle our own. As I made the pearls and bones with the Empress long ago, or as was made the Amulet of the Consort. The magic is old and based in the True Speech, the Language of Naming."

He closed, then opened his hand again, so that in it lay three stones of surpassing quality and unknown material. "So it is with these, yet unawakened. "


He closed his hand again, the jewels vanishing into Elsewhere, or Hammerspace, or some other mortal conventional equivalent. Were Universe, in his youthful trouble, yet alive, he would have suggested something uncouth. Creation sighed.

" If you wish to argue of the power of the True Gods, or the necessity of their existence compared to when they didn't, you are welcome and would probably find philosophical partnership with Gianfar of Knowledge. The existence of a Crown at all was never in his preferred states of government. There is some validity to the idea that we are unwanted or unneeded, but not on all planets or in all cultures, or even all times. We exist in all of these, which tends to break most contrary arguments."

[Meepfur]

Alice listened attentively, without interrupting, to what was said. On a certain level, it was fascinating, and sparked small questions on things unknown - pearls and bones, Empress, Amulet of the Consort. But they were trivial, and not for now. Rather, they were for Shyamaath later. Instead she was quiet, processing the information supplied as well as gathered from how he said things, his manner and his presence.

It was a self-conscious silence; she was aware of it, but had nothing to fill it with until she was finished thinking, sorting out the matter in her mind.

"Say I do feel called," she said finally, a half-admission that she was considering letting herself believe. "What happens if I don't do it? To me. To...the goddess."

[Edelsteine]

A good question, not oft asked.

"The call goes out to those most suited, most in possession of some trait that was missing from the deity. Something that crippled their association and service to what Is. If that call is not answered, for a while it will go stronger. It will never wholly go away until the chosen dies, and their threads in the loom of fate wrote full in tapestry and left behind. Only then will there be a shudder and silence and the Call will seek for the next suitable...likely not as fitted. It would change the rebirth, the development of the deity, threatening worse that they should not have the needed feature to see them more seemly."

[Meepfur]

Alice nodded, worrying at her bottom lip. That would be problematic, wouldn't it? If the most-suited decided to ignore the Call, there was no telling how long they might live after - years, decades, even centuries perhaps. The deity's rebirth would be delayed indefinitely. In some cases, such selfishness might be warranted, commendable, say if one were to deny a malicious god...not that, from what she gathered, they were likely to have the courtesy to ask. Hmm.

So she was the most suitable for this goddess, apparently. It was a bit of a strange thought, that out of everyone everywhere, she was ideal. A little flattering, a little worrisome.

"If I do accept...how long will I have?"