vineleaves | Closed: We got some gods in the house tonight

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Closed: We got some gods in the house tonight

You'd think, given they have such a limited amount of space to walk exist in, Dionysus would run into Xie Lian more than he does. Heck, back when Xie Lian first arrived and Dionysus was actively trying to find him to deliver an apology basket it was a struggle enough. So when he's out in his garden one day and manages to see Xie Lian walk by he waves to him.

"Hi honey!" he calls. "How're you today?"

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Dionysus shrugs. “Well — I already pray to my brother sometimes, if there’s something urgent I need to tell him and he’s not around, I don’t see what harm there is in me occasionally praying to you if I need a little extra luck with something. Best case scenario it works, worst case scenario you’re no worse off than you are now, right?”

"I... suppose?" Xie Lian is more interested in the idea of gods praying to one another, though. "You and your brother don't have private heavenly communications arrays?"

“…What?”

"Ah. I had noticed there was not connection to array here, but I thought it a specific feature of this place." Xie Lian tucks his head behind his ear. "The gods of my world can speak through a sort of... spiritual messaging system. There is the general heavenly communications array, where everyone speaks publicly amongst the gods of the Upper Court, and then you can also give individual gods—and those with high spiritual power who have not ascended—your personal password, which allows you to communicate one one one."

"...Damn, you've got your own built in phones?" He's a little jealous. "Ah, so, if someone prays to you, do you hear it through that? Or is it different? Or you don't hear it at all?"

"Prayers arrive in other ways. Missives, usually—scrolls that manifest with the requests on them, that are delivered to our palaces. Sometimes dreams—though dreams can be dangerous, as they go both ways."

"...Huh." He pauses. "So if someone here prays to you does a scroll still show up?"

"I'm not sure," admits Xie Lian. "Hanguang-jun has left me a few offerings, but they have never come with a request."

"Oh, he has?" Dionysus says, a little surprised, but not in a bad way or anything. "That's very sweet of him."

Xie Lian nods. "I think it's more out of friendship than any real faith. He seemed concerned at the idea that without any believers at all I would cease to exist."

Dionysus blinks. "Sorry, you -- what?"

Xie Lian blinks at him. "Cease to exist is a little dramatic—I would be returned to the cycle of reincarnation. Without belief, gods fade away. I assumed that was why you've cultivated such loyal, ah. Followers, here."

"What? I -- no, Claudius just needed a new god, his last one was shit -- so you're only immortal as long as people keep believing in you? That's -- well, I suppose at least you get reincarnated, but -- wait, you said followers, plural? It's just Claudius."

"Ah--I was referring to Sagramore and Grantaire?"

"Oh! They're not -- they're not my -- they don't -- they're not my followers, they're my lovers."

"Well. Yes," says Xie Lian. "I had assumed--both?" There is something troubling in the idea that worship and love cannot coexist.

"Oh, ah, I don't think either of them are looking for any gods to worship, me or otherwise."

"Perhaps not recruits for your luck experiment, then."

"Probably not, no. Sorry."

"Ah—I was making a joke, I wouldn't—" Xie Lian waves a hand, embarrassed.

"Oh! Right! Sorry." He pauses, thinking for a moment, before he says, "I might tell Apollo about it though, if you're okay with that. He's the god of the Sun, so if he joins in that's probably a big help, I think."

"Ah... yes, you may tell him. I have no real objection to people here knowing I'm a god, so long as it doesn't lead to them having any expectations of me."

"Because you... lack powers now?"

"That is part of the reason. But even when I was at the height of my power, the needs of the people far outstripped them."

"I know how that feels, when you have people asking for help but you're unable to give it for whatever reason. Worst feeling in the world. But, I figure, I have to at least try, y'know?"

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scrap_collector - 2025-05-03 17:41 (UTC) - Expand

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