[God Quest] The Rice Dance

phoebe Can anybody find me somebody to love Phoebe’s eyes widened in awe as the air whirled around her and at the petals that seemed to appear as she walked. Still she heard her name in the breeze, curious as to why it was there. But as her brown eyes lifted to look at Emmett, drawn by his voice, her gaze fell on a familiar sight. As Frey appeared and stepped forward, their hand settling on Emmett’s shoulder, she found a few things had changed. First, for the first time in encountering this deity that she wasn’t immediately overcome with terror. The adoration she recognized and despite likely being Frey’s influence she felt was also genuine. Frey had sent her out to find someone to be with (okay, have sex with but she had also come to learn in the process that a casual fling just wasn’t her thing and that wasn’t something to be ashamed of, but recognized) and in so doing put her in touch with the side of her self that had been repressed and uncomfortable. In so doing, she felt she was more a whole person than she was before. Why would she not feel some true adoration for the deity that pushed her to be more? Secondly, the warmth she felt blossoming in her core now was recognizable for what it was, not something to fear… and it led to her third observation, that Frey looked…different. Before, Frey had been male to her eye sex-wise, but very amorphous in the rest of their form. The occasional wisp of dark hair, a muscled arm or torso, but otherwise they had always been an ever shifting, almost glowing male-being with no other distinguishable permanent features. Even now their form shifted yet seemed more set – looking surprisingly similar to Emmett as they did so. A far more refined version of Emmett but the features she found attractive now were Emmett’s because of her emotion for him, and so that was what the deity now reflected. And while this all took a very long time to write and read, it all passed through her mind in a matter of seconds. Their timing was impeccable, and Phoebe did laugh a little at the irony of it. ”Hello, Frey. I’m sorry I didn’t bring you a present, I didn’t realize you had called me.” she said with a  warm smile and respectful head nod. The calling had been hardly a whisper, yet so insistent she hadn’t even paused to consider its consequences. Not very smart Phoebe, but here she was all the same, having come when called without delay. She glanced over at Emmett when Frey noted he was an interesting choice. Like a story, the midwife and the farm boy…it was a little cliché she supposed. And what sort of story, Frey wanted to know? It was hard for her to say, but she considered Emmett quietly before answering. Perhaps it was Frey’s influence, but as she looked at Emmett she was struggling to remember the difficulties the days since Long Night had brought; her struggle to balance her wants and needs as a romantic partner with her logical reasoning of what he was going through. Instead her mind rested on the time before everything went wrong. The butterflies, the racing hearts, the affection, the sudden heat...all of it. Yes, things had been hard (or not hard depending on what was being referenced) but it was all built on something more, something deeper than just a passing fancy. "I...I don't know yet." she said, looked back at Frey. "But I hope it is one that continues to get better as the pages turn."