His smile was sad, but there were wounds in his eyes, deep and unhealing as he looked away. "I asked for forgiveness," he said softly. "Instead she offered me... power. Temptation. I suppose... I failed the test, greedy as I was. I wanted to earn her forgiveness and through that her blessing. But... that's all it was. A... game to her, I suppose." She'd never any intention of sharing her knowledge with him, he knew that now. She had only waited for his mortality to exert itself and then she had pounced, a cat toying with a mouse.
Evie's kind company was a soft balm on a memory he had yet to share with anyone else, and he was grateful for her presence, this woman with whom he traded secrets in stolen moments.
He tilted his head in silent understanding of her bitterness, though his most recent divine interaction had left him wondering if it wouldn't have been better if Safrin had never answered. He winced in sympathy at hearing of the Voice's casual cruelty - again, always some new trespass against the people of the Grounds, it seemed - and grimaced at the thought of Evie going to the electric goddess.
"Without it I might never have angered Safrin so deeply," he admitted wryly. "But then again, she has never liked me, so perhaps it is just as well that I have one good thing to balance out the hate of two goddesses." He tilted his head at her, considering, then drew a deep breath. "If there is something you can think of, that you'd like to ask from Ludo, I could go with her? It might be more inclined to come if we prayed together," he suggested, uncharacteristically tentative. "As a healer I know it might not be your first choice but... well. Think on it. Let me know after LongNight."
Evie's kind company was a soft balm on a memory he had yet to share with anyone else, and he was grateful for her presence, this woman with whom he traded secrets in stolen moments.
He tilted his head in silent understanding of her bitterness, though his most recent divine interaction had left him wondering if it wouldn't have been better if Safrin had never answered. He winced in sympathy at hearing of the Voice's casual cruelty - again, always some new trespass against the people of the Grounds, it seemed - and grimaced at the thought of Evie going to the electric goddess.
"Without it I might never have angered Safrin so deeply," he admitted wryly. "But then again, she has never liked me, so perhaps it is just as well that I have one good thing to balance out the hate of two goddesses." He tilted his head at her, considering, then drew a deep breath. "If there is something you can think of, that you'd like to ask from Ludo, I could go with her? It might be more inclined to come if we prayed together," he suggested, uncharacteristically tentative. "As a healer I know it might not be your first choice but... well. Think on it. Let me know after LongNight."
