Attempting Humility

Phoebe listened quietly, trying her best to withhold judgement until he said his piece. But his piece never came. Excuses came. Things like this used to work. I needed something to do. It's the goddess's fault because she spurned me blah blah blah blah blargh. She sipped her tea and closed her eyes, allowing the burn of the hot liquid on the back of her throat distract her momentarily to keep from losing her cool. This man was without a doubt one of the most idiotic, plainly stupid, undeserving, sorry excuses for a human being she had ever met. The only thing that could possibly make him worse was if he went out actively trying to do harm to others. "I come to you, signora, because sometimes an enemy gives better advice than a friend. How would you have my church formed?" Oh it was advice he wanted? Well, she could give plenty of that. "Fine. I will give you advice but you won't like it." she said, pausing a moment to collect her thoughts, staring into her tea as if the leaves at the bottom might give her guidance. "First of all, stop thinking of the deities as if you have some right to call on them and have them appear and give you attention whenever you want on demand. It is selfish and asinine to consider it a possibility. They are deities and you are nothing but a trivial, irritating little nothing in the vastness of their dimension." she said in a clipped, almost chiding tone. "A goddess cannot spurn you. She isn't your wife or lover or whore or even your friend. She is a goddess and she is not obligated to bend to your whim or fancy. And to think you've some right to her attentions when you have gone out in search of other goddesses? When lack of attention is all it takes to shake your faith? Why would she appear before you? Do you even know what the dynamic is between this Golden Goddess and Safrin? Have you considered for even a moment that perhaps the problem is not the goddess, but you, Bastien?" Phoebe's lips pursed and she glared out a window for a moment. She could not fathom having the gall to act as Bastien did, even if she were a bolder person. When she had summoned Frey to the shrine accidentally, she had felt guilty, and yet here stood a man who seemed to think he deserved face time with divine beings. "Stop calling it a church. You aren't interested in worshipping any one deity, your are interested in indulgence. Frey's interests perhaps fall most in-line with your own desires but frankly you have shown a complete and utter lack of respect for the divine and their power over you and those who follow you. As you are, you do not possess the self-discipline or self-reflective qualities of a good leader when such stakes are at play." Phoebe looked back at Bastien. He was like a child with matches with these deities. "Form it as a brothel instead, or some other house of indulgence where you might ensure the safety of those who come to indulge in whatever it is the wish to indulge in. That is what I would recommend you do." Phoebe said and shrugged a little. "Be mad if you wish, but you have proven time and time again you've no interest in claiming your responsibility or changing your ways to be a better person. If you aren't interested in growth as a person and trying to correct your errors, you've no business in dealing with the divine." Phoebe shine like gold, buzz like a bee, oh you make me smile