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 Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 5:59 pm
Khuluma was in fact a god, and a very opinionated one at that. You had to be with how often he spoke, and he was one to be very confidence in most of his opinions. Standing on all fours, firmly planted, he could leek out enough information to suggest that she was not all she had shown herself to be. Empathy was her specialty, which probably meant her domain. If he was wrong, well, he had wings. Flying away like a raving lunatic wasn’t becoming, but it would at least keep him from the awkward revelation that he was talking to a mortal he had assumed was a god by the slipperiness of interpretation. Deciding to take the chance and because he felt that meeting a goddess was very important, he shook off his own invisibility to show off his magnificent (in his opinion) wings. This confirmed him for what he was.
“I didn’t know. So you are the goddess of Empathy? I’m the god of Rhetoric. That means I know how to speak very well.” It was a proud little clarification and he shook with it, but he had to wait and see if Kia was actually Empathy or just a mortal who felt she had that trait as her best skill.
“I do not think Empathy is pathetic. Empathy means to place yourself in someone else’s paw prints, yes? Such a stance means you learn about the people around you, and they feel touched that you think of where they are coming from. Such a connection makes strong ties, and not only do the people around you feel as if they are being considered, they consider your feelings in turn. A trade for a trade. If a large group feels this, having sympathy and kindness for each other, they become a strong unit that seeks to protect each other and wish the least amount of misery for them. That is a strong thing to have and a group that looks out for each other has many eyes to look out against danger.” Khuluma often tried to think how bad it was for others, even though his scope of understanding was sometimes limited. He did try when he could think to remember. He also knew the importance of groups being tied together from living in Palahala's herd. Life had taught him these things, and he used these experiences.
His words were strong as he continued. “Your brother did something bad to this family, and you feel bad for it, but I’m sure you are not the only one. There are other people in your family that probably also feel bad for what has happened, and if they are Empathetic, they must just feel as bad as you do and as angry as you do. You are tied together in that experience and in that, you all can come together, learn, and become stronger. You know who your brother is now, and you are all prepared if he comes again!” He said this his a strong voice that came from a small cub’s throat, and he projected his words nicely as he stood firm.
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:50 pm
Khuluma's strength flowed through Kia, and as he released his wings, she grinned. The lucky cub had wings! For once she thought she had met a fellow god without them. "Those are some impressive wings, and I'll admit I don't have any... but yes, Empathy is my domain. Which, on a side-note, is probably why I don't have wings... the better to empathize with mortals--but that's a different matter. Your domain quite suits you; you speak with the utmost eloquence.
"I did not mean to insult my domain, on the contrary I regard with it the utmost respect, and it did tie my mortal family together... but that's exactly why my brother so easily destroyed it. His domain, fittingly enough, stands opposite mine: Apathy. Dismissing the bonds I encouraged produced the downfall of the civilization. The rest of my family--adopted, obviously, as they were all mortal--had no idea it was he who was responsible, they assumed I had abandoned them or something similar, I suppose. Like I said, not even I knew until recently.” The lioness sighed. It should have been obvious, but he had acted cautiously and with the utmost care to remain undetected.
"I must point out, though, that I must consciously influence people to empathize with me (if they don't do it by their own nature), yet I automatically feel other's wins and woes... It is something I cannot help from what I can tell. The strength of others vitalizes me, yet their shortcomings are my downfall. You can imagine then, the stress that nearby death puts on me. I made a comment earlier, about how I hope your brother returns with food, but that was only situational. Honestly, I can't hunt unless I do so in the company of a strong personality, otherwise my mindset settles too close to that of my prey, and killing it would kill part of myself."
The goddess spoke matter-of-factly, unmoved by her own emotions, and merely reflecting on the meaning of those of the past. In an existence fueled by the feelings of others, a set of rules naturally emerged dictating what she was and was not able to do. Hunting, trusting herself in situations with dangerous lions, stubbornly sticking to one belief. Such practices simply did not compute with her domain and resulting lifestyle. She had to remain open-minded and avoid danger; it wasn't simply a matter of safety, but rather a matter of necessity. She hoped that the cub experienced similar restrictions, and that it was more related to being a god than to any individual domain, so she asked, "Does your domain limit you in any ways?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:25 am
Apathy. He had to remember the name for the future. To meet the brother of Empathy, who had destroyed the strong bonds of her family to kill them and ruin a great deal of happiness was not someone he felt he could like. Disregarding others was something Khuluma could not do. He had to consider other people else he could not speak to them. It was part of how he addressed other creatures, and if he did not know where they came from or how they felt about certain things, he was setting himself up for having them shut their ears to him. Empathy was something that he also had, but to meet the Goddess made him aware of how much of a burden a domain could place you in. She seemed forever pulled by the whims of others emotions, and the fact that emotions were constant and every changing, she must go through terrible lows and quick highs. It must be overwhelming, or so Khuluma thought.
When asked, he had to consider his own domain. “I…really don’t have any powers yet. I’m still learning who I am and what it means to be a god. I have met many Gods and Goddesses, but not enough mortals to know if it changes. I do know that….I get very sad and I feel uneasy when I am alone. If I have no one to talk to, I don’t feel as if I’m all there.” It had been something he felt when he was in the God Haven, alone and waiting for company. “..it feels very cold.” Like the snow and ice that he first awoke to, and noticing he was all alone. “I also get very angry when someone does not explain themselves and refuses to talk, or even listen.” he met a few Gods who shrugged him off, not even bothering to hear him talk. It was as if he was being shut out, and he knew it was part of his fault for not judging the other appropriately and being good in his delivery. There was only so much he could do. “My domain, isn’t as big as yours. It only means that I know how to speak well, and how to make a point. If no one listens, if I’m misunderstood, or if I fail, it’s only my fault.” He didn’t know if that was a limit or, but he did not have powers like other gods. He did not control the rain, protect animal herds, or influence predators. He was just a speaker who needed others to listen. “I do talk a lot sometimes. Sometimes I could go on for a long time that I forget the time of day or how tired I am. I also don’t like it when someone runs around in circles when they speak, or say very little. I believe these are limiters, though I do not know if you would see them that way. I might find out more when I grow up.”
He didn’t want to think that his powers had a downfall, but now that he talked about it, he started to see that he did. Khuluma needs others. The little god had felt he was a strong god who was good on his own, but he saw now that his good health and power was not his at all. It was from all the other gods and goddess he met, and all of them he had talked to. Khuluma was solely dependent on the existence of others to hear him.
He gave a little short intake of surprise. “I never thought I was limited.”
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