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Who: Zeno & you
What: Story time!
When: May 13, 2016
Where: out and about
Warnings: N/A as of now.

You know what all gods have in common? At least in Zeno's experience.

[Zeno is carrying an armful of brightly-colored fruit, and looking for people to bother. Not bother. He's looking for information, and he thinks he'll get more out of them if he happens to talking directly, face-to-face, than those instant letters the objects do.

So he's caught up with you, and pressed some of this delicious fruit into your hands.]

All gods have stories told about them, over and over again, so that all the details are fuzzy and incomplete but amazingly, all the important things stay the same. Zeno's favorite is about this one god, who decided he wanted to be human. Zeno will tell it, then you tell a story about a god!

[He deliberately muddies the details on some of these characters-- no dragons, no dragon blood, no powers. He doesn't want Shin-ah and Jae-Ha to recognize themselves if they hear this.]

It all went splendidly for a little while, but then he was getting chased by all these people, you know? For some reason, they didn't like him. So he ran and he ran, with an angry mob right behind, sometimes he lost them and sometimes they were gaining on him, but all of a sudden, a warrior appeared.

The warrior lashed back, and with his help, the god felt like he could fight back, too. So he grasped his sword, and together, they got themselves enough time and enough space to get away for a little while.

[Here, have more fruit. He's starting to get into the rhythm of this story.]

The warrior hated to see the god outnumbered, you see. It was unfair. But the god was amazed, he said "You put your own body between them and me. If there's a way I can repay you, please, please tell it to me."

The warrior thought for a long time, before saying, "Justice for you and for all, that's all I could wish for." And he bade the god farewell, and the god continued on.

But the god was so tired! So he only got a little way further before he collapsed. When he awoke, a lord was tucking the bedsheets more closely around him. The lord was about to offer him refreshment, when one of his own servants came in to admonish him-- he hadn't slept at all! And spent his entire night tending to the god's bedside.

The lord hated to see the god broken down on the road, you see. It was unfair. But the god was amazed, he said "You gave up your bed for me. If there's a way I can repay you, please, please tell it to me."

The lord thought for a long time, before saying, "Comfort for you and for all, that's all I could wish for." And he bade the god farewell, and the god continued on.

But it wasn't long before the god was tired again. His home was far away now that he'd been chased so far, and he didn't have time to sleep again. He needed to get back soon, but the pain he was in was so plain for all to see, that a wanderer stopped alongside him, and insisted the god get up onto his horse.

The wanderer hated to see the god struggling, you see. It was unfair. But the god was amazed, he said "You gave up your seat on this horse for me. If there's a way I can repay you, please, please tell it to me."

[This story is taking a lot out of him. He pauses to take a bite of his own fruit, and savors the taste a moment before continuing. The story has fallen into its pattern now, it's not like his listener is in suspense.]

The wanderer thought for a long time, before saying "Freedom for you and for all, that's all I could wish for." And he bade the god farewell, and the god continued on.

The god had covered some distance now, but still he was weak and weary, nearing collapse yet again.

[This is the part of the story Zeno knows best, and a few more details spill out, but he restrains himself to the legend's rhythm even so.]

His stomach was growling terribly! So terribly that an oracle heard it, and approached him. The oracle was taking a big cart of freshly-harvested fruits and vegetables to market, but he wouldn't let the god have them. Instead, he gave the god his own rations of dried fish and dumplings, because others were counting on him to sell the fruits and vegetables for their livelihood.

Still, the oracle hated to see the god starving. It was unfair. But the god was amazed, he said "You gave up your own food for me. If there's a way I can repay you, please, please tell it to me."

The oracle thought for a long time, before saying "Happiness for you and for all, that's all I could wish for." And he bade the god farewell, and the god continued on, thinking much about these humans he chose to live among.

Later, when the mob caught up with him, the other gods saw and were angry, and they demanded the right to destroy the humans. But the god begged them not to, he'd grown to love them so. He thought about the kindnesses shown to him by the four men he met while running, and for that reason, he believed all humans were worth protecting, and he was ever and always proud to be one.

[Zeno takes another bite of fruit, before finishing up.]

Anyway, it's Zeno's favorite god story, and it's more interesting than the ones about Zeno and the time Zeno couldn't make the object send the right message to someone. [He holds up his phone as an illustration of "object."] What's your favorite? Is it about a god you know here? Or a god you've only heard of? Or maybe you and another god did something really cool!

[Mostly, he's hoping someone will come up with a story about Amaterasu, sooner or later! But even if they don't, he's interested to listen to people talk about themselves, gods they knew, or gods they worshiped back home. There's no waste of time here.]

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Just to hear that said puts Zeno's mind at ease. If it was obvious that the lady had brought it upon herself even to her fellow gods, Zeno might have to think long and hard about what to do.

[Mm, but some slight must have prompted it, some seed from which the malice sprung-- no matter how illogical or counterintuitive. Zeno is actually prepared to assume it to be such.]

Anything that might be said in her favor is welcome, and anything the opposite of that, too. Zeno seeks the truth, but will settle for a balanced portrait if necessary.

Edited 2016-11-13 06:30 (UTC)

[ And there's a smile there. At least Zeno's willing to hear both sides of Amaterasu. So give her a moment to sit and think, looking up at the sky a moment before she decides on which legend to tell him. Best settle for the most famous one. ]

Amaterasu is the first daughter of Izanagi and Izanami. They had created both the Far and Near Shore, from the mountains to the sea to the sky. After they created the land, they wished to create life. Out of this wish was born Amaterasu. Such was her beauty that she was placed in the sky for all to see. She had two other siblings: Tsukiyomi and Susano'o. Tsukiyomi held the moon while Susano'o the sea.

[ There's a slight frown there though. Tsukiyomi and Susano'o... two gods who were "replaced". Even though Susano'o had been... disposed of... Tsukiyomi still remained. But back to the story. ]

Susano'o was a jealous, cruel god. Such was his jealousy toward Amaterasu that he killed one of her attendants and attacked her directly. This caused her to flee and seek refuse in a cave within the mountain. Without her light, the world began to suffer. The chill caused plants to wither and die. The darkness summoned demons to wreck havoc amongst the humans.

[ Pausing to look at her hands as they rested on her lap. There's a slow inspection of the fruit that Zeno has brought as "tribute" for his tale. ]

Seeing the world in such a state, those of the Far Shore assembled outside the cave and attempted to lure Amaterasu out once more. It was Uzume, the goddess of laughter, who created a plan to hang jewels from trees and place a giant mirror facing the entrance to the cave. She urged everyone to dance, to celebrate. Spurned by her curiosity, Amaterasu emerged from the cave and caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Before she could retreat back inside, the entrance to the cave was sealed.

[ A small smile at last, turning back to Zeno. ]

The company of the other gods cheered her and once again, her light shone upon the world. As the demons were banished to the underworld, so was Susano'o with them.

[Zeno sucks the juice from an orange slice, but listens intently. He compares Amaterasu, almost against his will, to Yona. While the precise motives of the current king who'd murdered her father and driven her out of the castle remained obscure to him, the image of a terrified princess fleeing danger touches him.

Yona, of course, rallied. Amaterasu did as well, but the difference appears to be in the degree of passivity. Yona was not encouraged to become the heroine of her story by the people surrounding her, while Amaterasu was.]

A goddess of light, who keeps the plants growing happy and healthy... hung in the center of the sky... The lady is the sun, is that correct?

[ There's a nod at that question even as she looks up at the sky. It's funny how one's position seems to be a day to day thing that you never really think about it too often after a while. ]

As Tsukiyomi is the god of the moon, so is Amaterasu the goddess of the sun.

[Zeno can't help shading his eyes and glancing upward. It is a powerful, powerful thing, the sun. The Fire Tribe sings a song about his god eating it. It also deepens the connection between Yona and Amaterasu in his mind-- Yona, whose birth was heralded by a red star shining in the sky. Yona told him he was like sunlight to her, but...]

That makes it so complicated, Zeno can't tell if they're against the lady, then, or the sun itself. But if it was the second, that would be silly, because they need the sun in the sky, too.

[Too old to be trying to figure things out.]

Her brother of the sea, he doesn't cause trouble anymore, does he? No one remains who would fight for him?

Susano'o... it's funny you should ask me that.

[ Again as she frowns slightly, leaning back as she recalls the incident all too well. ]

Around April 19, nearly a month ago, he did happen to cause trouble. He had been... [ And ou can see the hesitation she has in using this word. ] replaced... by a newcomer. This Susano'o had summoned ayakashi in an attempt to rebel. Of course, he and his ayakashi were defeated. Heaven took custody of him and we haven't heard from him since.

I can only assume he was made to reincarnate and his current incarnation has been behaving himself.

[Tell him again about how strange it is to see someone you knew and loved replaced by someone entirely different, yet have to believe that this truly is the same person. For him, it's also a reincarnation, but... This is an entirely new level of empathy he's feeling, suddenly, for the gods of this land.]

Zeno fears any statement beginning with "assume." Was this rebellion directed specifically at his sister?

Did you know the goddess reincarnated into Zeno? Hebe?

[He asks, because he wants to know if anyone forced her to reincarnate. And why.]

No. This was something he chose to do on his own. If it was rebelling against heaven because he believed them responsible for bringing all these others here, he never did say. I don't believe he rebelled against Amaterasu because of her being Amaterasu.

It just simply was what he was.

[ She can only say assumed. Heaven never did tell her what they did with that Susano'o but as far as she was concerned, they never heard from Sho Minamimoto again. But there's a shake of her head at his second question. ]

I'm afraid I'd never met her. She isn't a goddess native to Japan or anywhere I've been. It isn't common for gods from other nations to appear here, much less take up residence without a significant following.

It's fitting. Zeno never heard of this 'Japan' before, so it makes sense for Zeno to be foreign to it in all ways.

[At this point, he's not even going to ask if she's heard of Kouka. The total lack of recognition he's received so far isn't encouraging.]

If being turned into the sea-god for him was anything like being the youth-goddess for Zeno, he had no memory of any sibling rivalry. Absolutely no sense of that self. It's only the word of these gods that tells Zeno this is true.

[That, and the "...oh, that makes sense" reaction to being told he was a god of eternal youth.]

[ Well that's surprising... someone who's never heard of Japan. So whoever's responsible and their ability reaches past this world... ]

This country is Japan. It's where you've been taken.

[ There's a breath though and a soft hum. ]

Then we can also assume Susano'o... or this recent incarnation of Susano'o was merely acting on his own volition rather than riding on that sibling rivalry. Then it's likely he isn't our culprit. Not that Susano'o or the one previous.

Zeno is from Kouka Kingdom. It sits on a peninsula, surrounded by Kai Empire to the north and the kingdoms of Sei and Xing to the south. The god of the story was our first king.

So far, no one Zeno mentions it to has heard of Kouka.

[Japan had certainly been hospitable to him thus far, with so many amazing things he'd never even imagined could be possible, but a certain... he wasn't sure homesickness was the right word, but the lack of familiarity struck him sometimes. The distance from everything he knew, cherished, and despised...]

The one previous? You mean, the sea-god of the legend, right?

I wonder how the sunshine lady took her brother's fall. She would be excused for a lack of feeling, maybe.

Kouka... may exist in a world that isn't this one.

[ Poor Zeno... so far from home. She's lived longer than any of these new gods and not even she's heard of the place.

But she feels you so... her hand moves to lightly pat his a moment. ]

I did meant the Susano'o of legend. Though yes, she certainly would be excused. As for how she felt... she did issue an apology in his stead after he had been dealt with. She felt responsible for him nontheless.

A world that isn't this one.

[He repeats it slowly, mostly to hear how it sounds. The smile that briefly creeps across his face isn't... bitter, or even sad, but resigned. The quiet hope that these gods, who gave him a chance to reunite with his little brothers after their deaths, might offer him a similar chance with others from his past... it was so remote that he hadn't even entirely realized he was hoping until now, at least not before Seiryuu brought up the prospect the other day. But if this was a different world and a different heaven from the one they'd gone to, well.

That the gods here also defaulted to warmth and touch as a gesture of comfort, though, that makes him feel a little less far from home, a little less alien and foreign. His smile eases back into its normal cheeriness. This strange life of his seems only to get stranger, and it's all of a sudden different...]

Maybe others felt she was responsible for him, too? It's unfair and doesn't make sense, but that's true of a lot of rebellions in the long run, in Zeno's experience.

But your ladyship is so patient to tell Zeno all of these things!

[ Thankfully, Zeno had chanced upon a rather maternal god of war. Good luck getting that sort of comfort from someone like say... Fuujin for instance.

Though she does shake her head, smiling back at him. ]

It's the least I could do. We were tasked to help you acclimate to arriving here and if I'm capable of answering any questions you may have -- especially about this world you've been brought to, I'm more than happy to.

Tasked by the sun lady?

[Once he's gotten a proper euphemism together... well, they know who they're talking about.]

Zeno is afraid that the truly important questions are unanswerable, even by the gods. [Because if the gods really had all the answers, Hiryuu would not have descended, and Ouryuu, Seiryuu, Hakuryuu, and Ryokuryuu would not have bestowed their blood unto the humans.]

Where did phones come from?

[Swerve!]

At the beginning, yes. But I've begun to do it purely to help any newcomers.

[ She can't help but chuckle at that. It's all true. Gods aren't as infallible as most mortals think they are. Things really are different from the other side. ]

The phones we have? They were created by humans. I believe Amaterasu thought it would be best for us to have a method of communication most would be familiar with.

Because we're all hopeless?

[He laughs a little. The gods here are different... well, different from Ouryuu. Definitely more like Hiryuu.]

Zeno is definitely not of this world, then. Zeno would be familiar with letters, but they're much slower.

She thinks a lot about others, does she? [He's feeling a lot better about this place, now. He'll want more sources, but... until that's viable...]

I wouldn't say all of you are hopeless. You only require guidance in our ways.

[ She does smile back at him. There's never been a god she'd call hopeless, after all. ]

Amaterasu is trying quite hard, if you wanted my opinion. I think she's just as confused as the rest of us are.

[ Her smile does turn a little sad at that though. How many of these newbies knew how dire it was that Amaterasu was a child, she didn't know but now that she'd seen Ammy for herself... it was clear she was as much a victim as they were. ]

It still must be very tiring, having to do it all over again every... what is it, a couple of weeks?

[This is the longest a born-that-way, still-that-way god has ever spoken with him, after all. Certainly the only time one has answered his questions.]

You gods are more human than you think, then!

[The change to her smile is noted.] I wonder if it's due to her confusion that those people are against her. Confusion is easily confused for weakness.

It can be... but many are willing to figure things out for themselves.

[ Thankfully they seem to be pretty quick on the uptake, too... or even she'd go a little insane trying to make sure they don't die.

Her expression is thoughtful to say the least. ]

Perhaps... or it could be the lack of information that's making others suspicious. Being told next to nothing can start to take its toll the longer it takes to get any questions answers.

That's a good point. [Not everyone's had to learn to wait like he has.]

But as your ladyship said, many are willing to figure it out for themselves. No doubt that some of them are already working on that, as well.

In a way, it's what Zeno is doing.

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