Not So Simply Divine (Open)

Unlike many who’d come from Northaven, Elyna actually believed in the gods. Or, rather she prayed to one specific deity: a warrior goddess who protected women who couldn’t protect themselves and watched over other female fighters with benevolence. However, even then she’d never really, truly believed in it. It gave her comfort to imagine a higher power than herself watching over her, but she’d never expected the Goddess to actually show up. Then, they’d come here where deities were, if not commonplace, something that actually existed, beings that could be seen, heard, spoken to (albiet carefully). While apparently they could be capricious—although really, anyone with power could punish those beneath them—Elyna suddenly felt a fire kindled within her, something she hadn’t felt in a long time: passion for something other than her own survival. If there was a chance, however small, that she could actual commune with the divine, with her Goddess, then she had to take her. So, heedless of the danger—she could face it, and had probably faced worse—she strode into the temple and made her way to what had been identified as the shrine. While she wouldn’t kneel, not even to a god, she would pray. ”Goddess, hear my plea.” Or at least she would do her version of a prayer. It had to be enough; if the Goddess wasn’t listening, or worse, didn’t exist, she wouldn’t waste her time here further. However, even if the Goddess wasn't listening, she knew for a fact that other deities did exist, or at least, something powerful did. So maybe if they deigned to answer they could point her in the right direction. elyna Improving upon perfection

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted The lights went out entirely. But that was fine. Elyna didn't require luminescence to see. Like a curtain opening before the young Ascended, the darkness seemed to grow a velvety luster as it was parted. Starlight shimmered from within as if unseen galaxies whirred beyond this unseen veil, from within which Safrin emerged. Her smile was radiant, her beauty unequivocal, the hardness of her stare piercing. She was femininity incarnate. Though such as it was, that meant more than just round edges and fertile flesh. It meant strength and fortitude, an iron will and an elastic mind. With eyes of an unnatural (and nearly indescribable hue), Safrin stared down at Elyna, her mouth quirking as what meager omniscience she had told her that the fact the woman was standing rather than kneeling was intentional, rather than ignorant. The corners of Safrin's lips twitched. "You have been heard. " Safrin responded, though her lips never once moved. Even so, her voice resounded through the room. "But why do you call? We are not your gods, and you are not of this world. " Safrin's patience was thin at the best of times. Still, for now her interest was captured.

Well fuck. In her heart of hearts, Elyna hadn’t really expected anyone or anything to show up. She was a believer, sure, but only to a point: she believed more in the concept of her personal deity than the actual existence of it. Imagining there was a Goddess that watched over women was one thing. Having the lights go out and then a beautiful and otherworldly woman appearing before her was another thing entirely. That wasn’t all there was to her of course—Elyna was the last person to be fooled or distracted by a pretty face, since she knew her own was a distraction from the warrior she was—but as first impressions went, it was impressive. Still, instinctively Elyna found herself shifting into a defensive posture. She probably couldn't hurt a god, but if this being proved dangerous in some way, Elyna would at least want to go down fighting. There was an indescribable quality to this being; it possessed strength and knowledge (if not necessarily wisdom), the kind that was rare. Maybe it was simply the aspect of divinity it possessed but Elyna, normally not shy to speak her mind, was temporarily silenced by the vision and power before her. Whatever lingering doubts she might’ve had about the existence of the gods of this world was banished by the surety of this goddess’ presence. It was an undeniable as the sun and the moon and the stars, the seasons changing and the tides rising and falling. Of course, the warrior woman didn’t remain silent for long: like a cockroach, it was hard to keep her down for long. As soon as the Goddess spoke, Elyna was released from the spell that had seemed to hold her in its grips. Throttling down her first instinct to be aggressive and snarky—even she, undiplomatic as she was, figured this wasn’t the time or place for that—the soldier thought furiously as to the best response she could give. Idly, she realized she was hearing the words even though the being wasn’t opening her lips (telepathy?), but then she figured it was a distaction and firmly put it aside. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a wordsmith, so she settled on a slightly less angry sounding version of the first statement that came to mind. ”The hell do you mean we’re not part of this world? We’re here now aren’t we? And something or someone brought us here. So I want to know what or who, and more importantly why?” Her words still carried that edge they always did; speaking politely, even to a goddess, simply wasn’t in her wheelhouse. If she was smote for her insolence, so be it. Elyna would rather go down as herself than simper and kowtow like some housewife. If this deity was worth her salt, she’d know there was no real offense intended, simply the lack of manners of the low-born and damaged woman that Elyna was. The warrior had chosen the path of bettering her physical form over her mind. If that doomed her now, it was too late to change her fate. Maybe this goddess didn't know anything about the fate of the Northaveners, but Elyna figured even a little knowledge would put her on the path of getting to the bottom of this mystery. She didn't like secrets—not even supposedly benevolent ones—and disliked intrigue even more, and this affair stank of both. The sooner she dragged the truth into the light of day (metaphorically speaking, since it weakened her immeasurably) the better. elyna Improving upon perfection

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted There was understanding why someone was the way that they were— —and then there was caring about it. Safrin was nothing if not fickle, a trait she hardly tried to hide. One of the benefits of being an incredibly powerful being was not having to justify that power or be in a position to defend it. With the wave of her hand she might snuff Elyna out, but it was not her place to make sure the Ascended was in a position to know that. No. It was not Safrin's place to do anything that she didn't want to do. Lips painted a darkened ruby red parted in a small smile, revealing just the slivers of teeth beneath that were anything but the flattened rectangles possessed by the majority of those that roamed this world. Instead they were fang-like icicle-shapes. Pushing her lips back together once more, Safrin lifted her chin ever so slightly, blinking slowly as her expansive mind filtered through possible probabilities of this encounter. Safrin's expression was one of power tempered by patience. Elyna had her attention for now, and while the woman's insolence was mildly irritating, for now it was undeserving of her considerable wrath. " Many questions. " Safrin noted, her voice once again booming through the space despite the lack of movement from her lips. "Perhaps one of mine first." Starlight sparkled around the woman as she strode closer to Elyna, her movements so precise and dictated by her muscles that she appeared to glide. "Why is it you think you deserve answers to your questions? " Safrin posed, her eyes blinking slowly as her head subtly tilted to one side. The tone of her question was without challenge, but genuinely seemed to aim at what justification the Ascended thought she believed that she, an outsider to this world, was in any position to demand or garner information from a god.

As the goddess strode forward, Elyna felt her eyes narrow. Though the starlight sparkled in the air—and power practically radiated off the being—the soldier wasn’t cowed. Honestly, if this was to be a fight, she didn’t know if she possessed the capacity to walk away from it. Long ago she’d resolved never to run or bow to the powerful. Even if she felt afraid (as anyone would, when confronted by the divine) Elyna refused to let her fear control her. She was her own master, now more than ever since the only people she had to listen to was gone. Her independent streak might be seen as abrasive by some, but Elyna felt very differently about it. Indeed, to her it was a sign of her freedom: she was constrained by nothing and no one, especially petty norms and conventions that were just designed to take people’s power and voice away. It was a radical thought, and she didn’t think of it in such grandiose terms. All she knew was that a lot of people were dumb, and a lot of the things, customs and traditions and whatnot, were even dumber and they could be ignored freely so long as she was willing to face the consequences. Seeing as few people challenged her on that—and fewer still were strong enough to force the issue—she felt pretty good about her life philosophy. Objectively she knew there were individuals and things powerful to bring her to heel. But rallying against those forces until she’d won or they killed her, or she grew powerful enough herself to safely ignore them was the only way she knew how to survive and thrive. Of course, all of that percolated in her subconscious. All she did visibly when the goddess came towards her was narrow her eyes, no longer all that impressed, even when the being showed her own fangs. As someone who routinely tried to intimidate people by baring her teeth—it was a favorite scare tactic of Elyna’s—it didn’t do much. Neither did the goddess’ questions. Indeed, Elyna crossed her arms and barely kept herself from glaring at such a ridiculous request. If this deity didn’t start dishing soon, Elyna might lose the little composure she was holding onto. Because the truth of the matter was, this encounter was so far from anything she could comprehend that she was relying upon her core and falling back on her instincts to guide her. And those instincts weren’t well suited to philosophic considerations of why she was and wasn’t deserving: indeed, even under the best of circumstances Elyna wouldn’t have been able to go back and forth with a goddess. So instead, she just spoke the first thing that came to mind that wasn’t entirely inflammatory. ”As I said, something brought us here for a reason, so presumably something thought we were worth the effort." That was obvious, but what wasn't obvious was why this was like pulling teeth. Maybe seeking answers here was the wrong course of action, but Elyna didn't see a better way. Nor was she shy about telling the goddess that. "Seems to me that if someone needs us for something they should, oh, I don’t know, fucking tell us or give us a sign." There was one other indicator Elyna felt fairly confident about. "Besides, you showed up, didn’t you? And you didn’t have to, I assume, which tells me I have some value to you.” It was Elyna’s turn to bare her teeth; she wasn’t sure about anything related to gods, or religion, or anything in this realm, but she knew herself and she wasn’t going to back down. ”Plus, I don’t see anyone else lining up to pray at your altar, do you? Probably because my people know jack shit about religion, and without someone to explain it to us I don’t see that changing any time soon. Hard to pray to gods we don't know and who don't make themselves known to us.” If the goddess took offense, so be it. Elyna wanted answers and she wanted them now. Then she actually grinned, a fierce, savage and proud expression; insolent she might be, but she also knew her worth. ”Also, I’m fucking awesome. I’m stronger and faster and smarter than most, and I’m getting better every day.” It wasn’t hubris if it was true. elyna Improving upon perfection

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted The notion of being brought here momentarily caused Safrin's expression to harden, but quickly the smoothness of her features reasserted themselves and she merely blinked the statement away. Brought? Well. Wasn't that an interesting thought for this little bug to have. As Elyna continued, Safrin's expression grew visibly bored. And given just how mask-like her features could be, clearly this allowance was intentional. Ely's argument relied on one crucial premise: if they had been brought here. And if they had, sure, perhaps that being owed an explanation. But Safrin was not that being nor did she feel compelled to help update Ely's reasoning. The bug seemed fairly confident as it was. Let her have her misunderstandings. Safrin didn't care. Vaue? Safrin exhaled. "Your value comes in your utility." The goddess said tersely. Even bugs could have their uses. This one however was rapidly failing to hold the goddess's interest though. The mention of the lack of worshippers made Safrin's pale eyes glow with a cold fire for a moment as a dangerously smooth smile curved her lips. "You have been here for all of a week now? You'll forgive me for not taking your observations seriously." Had being trapped in this bubble weakened Safrin's hold of the minds of mortals? Perhaps. Had it eliminated it? Oh far from it. Raising a brow at Ely's latest bit of self aggrandizement, Safrin regarded her for a moment. Yes...stronger and faster. And she indeed had an idea as to why. And it wasn't one that she liked. "Are you now." Safrin asked flatly, as the star shine and midnight that had flooded them was disastrously disrupted by nearly blinding sun-rays. Warmth and light poured from inside the ceiling as if the sun itself had been transported just above them. "Tell me more about just how strong you are." Safrin snarled, her voice sweet and her expression even sweeter, even as the sun's rays would be doing their worst to the Ascended's body.

Alright, so this goddess wasn’t reacting the way Elyna had hoped. No problem: the soldier was nothing if not persistent and when she put her mind to something, she usually succeeded in the end. It might require a lot of blood and sweat—well, back when she’d been subjected to such—and tears, along with everything else she had in her, but she would do it. Or she would die trying. Utility, huh? So same old, same old basically. Different types of power, from a different source, same shitty systems. No one had value unless they could do something for others. Well, at least the goddess was being honest about it, which was better than most; while Elyna could respect the being for that, that didn’t mean the soldier was going to give the goddess any points. No, Elyna hadn’t seen anything here but a deity out of touch with reality who had a dumb mask-like face who probably just liked to push people around. As someone who refused to be a victim, that made Elyna angrier than she’d been in a long time. Finally, she managed to provoke a reaction in the being: as the goddess’ eyes blazed and then she mocked the warrior woman, Elyna felt a fierce satisfaction course through her. Seemed she’d struck a nerve. Time to see what happened when she kept hitting it. There was no surer sign that the warrior was getting somewhere than annoyance in those around her. It was reckless (maybe fatally so) but it was better than that lack of expression that had been there before. So when Elyna next spoke, it was with an even more defiant tone. ”Fresh eyes see clearest. And what mine tell me is that this place was unused for a long time before we came here.” The fact that this temple had been all but abandoned when the Northaveners had stumbled upon it wasn't something the goddess could deny. While Elyna hadn’t participated in the clean up effort herself, she’d seen the state of the temple when they came to unlock the infirmary. It had been in a sorry state—and still was, in a lot of ways, since they had only just started to rebuild—which told her that this place of worship had lost its luster to the people who’d been in this bubble. Before Elyna could respond to the being’s next statement, she was nearly blinded by a sudden light. At the same time, an unforgettable sensation struck her. When the sun’s rays—though how that could be, given they were in an enclosed space and the sun wasn’t anywhere near here—flooded into the room Elyna predictably staggered. Indeed, she almost fell like the last time she’d been foolish enough to expose herself to the sun. Just because she didn’t immediately burst into flames anymore didn’t mean it was a pleasant experience. Indeed, with each passing moment, the light further sapped her strength and she visibly sagged. But while her physical strength waned, her willpower remained unbroken. Gritting her teeth, she glared up at the deity defiantly. She might bow when forced to before a superior force, it was true, but she’d never break. So, when she managed to grit out a few words, though her voice was strained, it was still strong. ”I could tell you, but I’d rather show you how valuable I can be.” Slowly, at a glacial pace, she straightened up from her hunched over position, standing as tall and firm as she could manage under the circumstances. It wasn’t great, but it was something. Indeed, she probably couldn’t maintain this for more than a few moments before she collapsed fully. That meant they were crucial. ”And the best way for me to do that, to prove that I’m useful to you, is for you to give me a challenge to prove my worth. And if I succeed, maybe I can tell people about you. If I fail, you were right all along.” People were always saying show don’t tell. And while Elyna wasn’t smart, she did possess a certain base cunning. Plus, this goddess really was a bully. Elyna didn’t back away from bullies, or from a fight, no matter how hopeless. That didn’t mean she didn’t have at least some self-preservation instincts. ”But if you strike me down in a fit of pique, none of that will happen and you'll be forgotten again.” There wasn’t anything the soldier could do (yet) to combat the goddess. That meant she had to convince, which she had never been particularly good at. Maybe she’d get lucky though. One thing was clear: this wasn’t the Goddess Elyna was looking for, not by a long shot. elyna Improving upon perfection

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted Instead of provocation, Elyna's words only made the goddess laugh. "How little you know." She mused, raising a brow. That this was not the only shrine nor way of calling to the goddess was something perhaps Elyna would learn in time. As it was now, Safrin was not inclined to offer that knowledge with her attention dwindling away as it was. If Elyna didn't want to play the goddess's game that was fine. It wasn't for Safrin to coax a response from the mortal. Ely's baggage was her own to bear. Safrin didn't need her. Especially not an ascended. As Ely straightened under the duress of the sun, the goddess allowed her head to further tilt as her eyes narrowed. The ascended was toying with the line between merely being overly confident and speaking the truth. Her words were not wrong, but the goddess couldn't decide if the woman's motivations were. The ascended had a chip on her shoulder, that was clear to see. The question was whether that chip had revealed anything interesting inside. Of course she had tried to rally against what she likely saw as some show of force. Really, the goddess was just proving a point about the horrific creations that the ascended were. Strong and fast and yet brought to heel by the sunlight? What a perfectly stupid system. With a sigh the starlight resumed, perhaps seeming all the darker for the flare of brilliance that had previously surrounded them. Raising a hand to her cheek, Safrin tapped her fingers thoughtfully for a moment. "You make many assumptions, little one. I said your utility was what interests me. I did not ask for a show of strength, it was you who suggested such. I did not ask for my name to be panhandled by you, nor for there to be lines of people seeking out this place." Her voice was now shockingly gentle even as the warrior before her bristled. She could feel the misunderstanding and misinterpretation wafting off of Elyna in waves. A more kind deity might have taken lengths to assuage the woman of this. But of course Safrin was not a kind deity. She was an inherently selfish one, and as it was, Ely seemed to have nothing but naive willpower and inflammatory words on offer. "A fit of pique?" Safrin chuckled and shook her head condescendingly. To a bug dropping a glass of water and creating a flood might indeed seem rash, but in this case Safrin was merely proving a point. "No, no. Just reminding you if your limitations in the face of such brazen declarations of your abilities."

Alright, so Elyna was totally wrong and this goddess was totally right. Obviously, because mere mortals—although Elyna wasn’t strictly a mortal—couldn’t ever know anything or make a good point. Maybe it was true, but the warrior doubted it. Indeed, it seemed she wasn’t the only one here struggling with misguided pride.  If she hadn’t been so weakened from the sunlight, the warrior would’ve snorted; if this goddess was so high and mighty and didn’t need Elyna, the being was sure spending a whole lot of time and energy on someone who was apparently so useless. As the sunlight disappeared and the starlight came back, Elyna stood tall. While it took a few moments to compose herself (and to listen to the goddess’ statements before responding) she liked to think she recovered well from the ordeal. She certainly wouldn’t show that the lingering effects of the light continued to sap her energy. Still, it didn’t matter: in one way the goddess’ little display had been effective, in that it had shown Elyna that messing around here further was ill-advised. While she wasn’t cowed, she was going to at least try to fight smarter, not harder. If that meant living to come back and challenge this being on more equal terms at a later date, so be it. A fire had been lit inside the soldier—added to the blaze of passion already within her—and she was fully committed to learning all she could about this goddess. Maybe then she could beat her at her own game. For now, it seemed, she’d have to play. ”Alright, so I’m limited and know nothing.” This time, Elyna’s voice had lost its aggressive edge, though it still came out as rather gruff. It helped that the goddess had also dropped a bit of the challenge. Now that they had each other’s measure (at least in part), the soldier She narrowed her eyes again, considering the being’s statements fully. ”Yet you still say my utility interests you. If that’s the case, what can I do for you?” Maybe there was a way to salvage this, if Elyna was willing to demean herself slightly. If it meant she came out of this encounter with something to show for it, she was willing to eat a little bit of crow. ”Surely there’s some task that’s beneath your dignity that I can handle for you.” Elyna didn’t make the mistake of saying anything so foolish like there were probably places this goddess couldn’t do, miracles even she couldn’t perform. She was a quick learner that way. Plus, the deity had been pretty clear. Still, everyone and everything had their limits, when they were self-imposed or not. Elyna was counting on it. elyna Improving upon perfection

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted Spending a lot of time and energy? Ha. It had been seconds and an infinitesimally small amount of power. If this was what Elyna thought the Goddess's attention and power felt like, she was so poorly mistaken. What a rude awakening that would be, if she ever had the chance to find out. Looking as though she was going to roll her eyes, Safrin merely drew in an extended breath. ...and know nothing. How sulky. The corners of her mouth twitched downwards. Beneath her dignity? That was either a stab at Safrin's apparent ego or some attempt to make it seem as though Elyna was now willing to serve in some sense. Neither of which interested Safrin. Were she one of her counterparts she might make the hostile woman engage with someone sexually or perhaps reenact some painful memory. Safrin was not nearly so vulgar or insipid. "Do you really view yourself as a tool like this always?" Safrin asked curiously, tilting her head slightly. She could read Elyna's mind of course, but it was the way in which the woman wanted to answer which would be truly telling. "You speak of your strength and speed and now offer yourself to complete some task. Is that all you are? A body that does things?" The ascended probably wouldn't know of the larger question Safrin was indeed asking. Given that this woman had been fouled by the self-perported New Gods, Safrin did in fact think Elyna nothing more than some fleshy robot. And so far, she wasn't being proved wrong.

This time, Elyna did snort: that was a stupid question, and she was going to respond to it as such. This goddess was giving off a whole lot of mixed signals and the soldier was getting tired of dancing to its tune. No wonder people didn’t pray more often, if these encounters were always so maddening. ”Of course not. Of course I’m not a tool. I’m a person, just like everyone else, with wants, and needs, and desires, just like everyone else. I might not have the same ones as other people, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have them.” Her voice was laced with a bitterness that surprised even her. Too many people looked at her and made assumptions about who she was and what she did and didn’t want. So much so that she’d put up this tough facade—which was true in many ways—to try and break free of the stereotypes people had associated with her. Before her transformation, people had seen her pretty face and lithe limbs and thought that’s all she was. Then, once she’d been reborn, they’d viewed her as a creepy monster; at times, she had leaned into that, because it kept people away and she was a loner. But it wasn’t quite true, and conforming to people’s conceptions and expectations of her had left her feeling quite empty inside. But what did she want? She thought she had an idea: freedom. True freedom. Not to be fettered by her limitations or the limitations others imposed upon her. Beyond that, freedom from pain, and hurt, and heartache. Not just for herself, but for everyone else who deserved that. Not everyone did—she knew some people were monsters and rotten to the core, maybe herself included—but many did, and few achieved that. Those few were the powerful, those who didn’t answer to anyone but themselves. That’s why she sought power, not so she could wield it over others, but so she could protect them. Even if it meant sacrificing herself to do it. But no, she wasn’t just a body that did things. ”I spoke of my speed and my strength because you brought up utility, so it seemed the only thing you cared about was power and how useful I might be to you. However I am so much more than that. I want to explore. I want to protect. I want to uncover mysteries and understand them so that others will not fear them. I want to be happy and at peace. And more than anything else, I yearn to be free.” She craved it, even, with a fervor that mirrored that of a drowning man gasping for air. ”But I wasn’t allowed to be free, unless I fought for it. So I did, in every way I could and in every way I knew how. And now I won’t let anyone take that away from me if I can help it. I’d rather die than lose it.” Elyna’s tone had grown defiant again, but it wasn’t directed at the goddess this time. No, this was for those spectres that haunted her, those figures in her life that had abused her. But she’d battled her ghosts and emerged victorious; in the same way, she would battle whoever tried to oppress her in the future. Gazing at the deity with a fierce confidence, no longer even slightly daunted by the being’s presence or powers—Elyna had reminded herself of just who she was—the soldier asked the question that had been lingering on her mind for a while now. ”Why are you here? Or still here, rather. Why did you answer my call?” Technically that was two questions, but they boiled down to the same thing in the end. The goddess would probably ignore that question, like she’d ignored all the others; however, nothing about this made any sense to Elyna, and she hated that feeling. elyna Improving upon perfection

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted "And yet you only give as an offering qualities you possess in a functional capacity. Speed. Strength, etc. " Safrin retorted with a gentle shrug. Despite the verbal hackles which felt like they were being raised, the goddess had grown more complacent. Defensiveness was tedious. "You didn't mention your passions or desires, presumably because you didn't think they were as useful or what I wanted to hear about." Again the being shrugged her shoulders, the star shine of the gown she wore readjusting itself in waves against her body. "Which says a lot about you." With a silvery bell-like laughter, the goddess gently folded her arms. "A word of advice little one: do not try and peer into the minds of beings so much vaster than you. Honesty will serve you far better than trying to parse out what we do or do not want to hear." As Elyna continued, the goddess listened with dwindling patience. Yes, yes. Ely was strong of body and spirit and mind and soul and everything else. How perfectly wonderful that she'd triumphed over such adversity. Yawn. "Why, because I thought you might be interesting." Safrin chuckled with a wink. "You are right that I needn't be here; that I needn't have answered your call at all. "

This goddess might be a little crazy: Elyna was a bit insane herself, so she recognized the signs of it in others. Maybe it was too much to hope that the deities would be better than actual people, but so far all Elyna could see was that this one, at least, was just more powerful. And absolute power corrupts absolutely, or so they said. Still, now that it seemed the immediate danger had passed and they’d fought, Elyna felt a lot calmer. She always felt better after an altercation of any kind. Or at least she felt like the fastest way to get through this was to keep as much a lid as she could on her temper and just respond in as reasonable a manner as she could muster. ”I gave you what I personally think my best qualities are. And I didn’t see a way in which my wants, needs, and desires could be useful to you. I still don’t. Perhaps you could enlighten me? I would appreciate it, so I don’t make the same mistakes twice.” Elyna always strove for improvement; she definitely wasn’t expecting the deity to answer, after being ignored this whole time, but it was always worth a shot. Alright, this deity wanted honesty, well, Elyna could do honesty. Brutal honesty, maybe, but honesty all the same. ”Fine. In that case, your communication and listening skills could use some work. You say the way I responded says a lot about me, but maybe it says just as much about how you presented yourself to me and how you said what you said. If you want people to react in ways that are more pleasing to you, then you have to explain a bit of who and what you are and what you value, not just hope we’ll stumble upon it.” Because of Elyna’s assumptions and the goddess’ alien nature, they’d just apparently misunderstood each other entirely; while Elyna was partially to blame for that, it wasn’t like the deity wasn’t also at fault. In fact, looking back on it, Elyna didn’t regret her choices. Say what you would about the soldier, but she rarely looked back, always moving nearly inexorably forward. ”I admit I made some assumptions, but you didn’t exactly come out and say what you wanted from me either. Instead, you challenged me, and when I answer in a way that displeased you, you tortured me, which did not make me inclined to be reasonable. Besides, me and my people have no idea about the gods and are terrified of you and what you can do, so you’ll have to forgive our ignorance, since we have no one to teach us about you. Moreover, I didn’t call upon you, but a different goddess entirely.” So this being should get off her high horse. Elyna was tired of being jerked around; if the deity smote her, whatever. Better than having to listen to this drivel a second longer. Actually, it seemed neither of them cared much for the other. ”If I bore you so much and you don’t have to be here, then go. I would have loved some answers, but since you don’t inclined to give them to me and it appears I don’t know the proper ways to ask or procedures or whatever, why waste any more of either of our time?” This was probably insolent—and was probably yet another mistake—but Elyna had never been a particularly patient person. And this goddess was definitely trying the warrior's patience. But the being had asked for honesty and Elyna had delivered, so if the goddess got mad now, that would be pretty fucking hypocritical. elyna Improving upon perfection

Safrin the devil is not as black as he is painted Being lectured by a mortal? Oh no, no, no. As Elyna spoke, it only reinforced what the goddess already believed to be true about her. Elyna was blunt as any instrument, and thus not particularly sharp. Assumptions were boring, lectures were boring, and Elyna was boring. Could she elaborate? Sure. Would she? Why? That was one of the first questions she'd asked Elyna, and though the woman had provided all sorts of answers, Safrin hadn't really hard any that interested her. "Because your wants, needs, and desires are the interesting parts of you, little one." Safrin said with a dismissive shrug. Strength? Speed? Hah. Safrin could snap her fingers and give Ely those traits in spades. But the human bits of mortals were the interesting bits. Maybe she'd been foolish herself for thinking she'd find any trace of humanity in an Ascended. As the lecture continued, Safrin yawned shaking her head. "No darling that's where you're wrong. I need nothing from you and am not obligated to you in any way. I owe you no further explanation. It is you who has the questions simmering in your mind and I who has the answers. You can be as displeasing as you like little one, but you'll find nothing of what you seek in me then." "She who you seek does not exist here." Safrin corrected with a slight narrowing of her eyes. "All you have is us, darling." The deity purred, dropping her hands to her sides. As Elyna continued in what was probably meant to be some misguided attempt at trying to force her hand, or position Ely's bad behaviour as some how more excusable because Safrin hadn't done what the mortal had expected, the goddess merely sniffed. "Enough with the dramatics and the anger and this whole routine. Even your language betrays you. A please would have done wonders little one. Perhaps you'll remember your manners next time. This charade may work among your kind, but you'll find it holds no water with me or mine." Safrin rather liked doling out information as it was. Did the information usually suit her purposes? Why of course it did. Even so, there was much she might have told the little bug if only she'd tried honey before the spear. Why waist anymore of their time? Indeed. "As you say." With a sound like the flapping of drapes, Safrin was gone and the room was restored to its previous soft ambiance.