RE: Deity - The Breath of Creation

Yueya and I sat together on her veranda overlooking her city, a steaming cup of tea held between us as we watched the sun rise over the horizon. A billion different shades of red and gold arced across the sky in sharp lines, racing like arrows shot from a bow in their chase to catch up with the sun god himself. The mountain range below caught the light on their snow-capped peaks, white shining brilliantly as the sun continued its steady climb.

"Alala made that one," Yueya said softly, sipping at her tea as I leaned up against her, her red hair spilling over her back in waves. I hadn't noticed before, but flecks of gold were interwoven in the strands, giving it a lustrous hue. "She said the spears of light should chase after the chariot, a race to see who could reach across the sky first. I used to not like it, but it's grown on me. Curie's is far more utilitarian." I hummed, gaze tracing the tell-tale signs of Yueya's sporty self having a hand in making this sunrise, looking without really seeing.

"It is pretty," I admitted. "But you painting a sunrise yourself would have been more romantic." Yueya giggled and shook her head, adjusting her loose, red nightwear as she settled back into her chair, disturbing me a little.

"In a way I did." She mused, and I snorted out a laugh. The connection between Yueya and her other selves was one even I didn't fully understand – they were each a part of one being, yet wholly distinct, each with their own unique personalities and goals. It was…fascinating that they could be one person, yet so different from each other. We fell into a comfortable silence for a time, watching the world turn from the center of all art on the One World. Everything here was a work of art, in one way or another. Everything was worth looking at, Yueya most of all. I turned my head a little from where I was leaning up against her, looking up to meet her soft eyes. She worried her bottom lip, concern sparking in her expression for a brief moment. "What…was this?" Yueya finally asked, one hand reaching up to run along one of my horns.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "As I recall, you were the one who dragged me to your bedroom. Why are you asking me?"

"Dolt," she said with a light chuckle, the sound like tinkling bells and soothing violins. "You know why."

"…it will be what it will be." I said finally, closing my eyes, hands wringing themselves in my lap. We were origin gods. Baby origin gods, at that. After this meeting it could be millions, if not billions of years before we met again – and we had responsibilities tying us to our own universes on top of that. Over the past century and a half we'd gotten to know each other quite well, but…time and distance was a funny thing. I would love nothing more than to have something serious, but I was too old to claim to know exactly what the future would hold.

This could just be something fun, an unbinding attraction between the two of us. It could be a hint of something more. Only time would tell, and I could only hope.

"Now who's being unromantic? This was the perfect opportunity for honeyed words." Yueya teased, shifting in her seat once again. Now well and truly disturbed from my spot I sat up, flashing her a quick smile as I straightened out my own purple robes, settling in beside her on the wide red couch-like cushion we rested upon, shoulders touching.

"I am a little out of practice." I admitted, reaching up to smooth back my hair. "Watching my children run about having their little romances is one thing; actually doing it myself is another." Especially with an equal. I had almost forgotten what it was like to be on equal standing with another, prior to coming to the meeting. "But if there is one thing I truly know, it is that clear communication is an important foundation to any relationship. I like you, Yueya. Quite a bit, in case that wasn't clear. But I do have children." Yueya grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers and sipping at her teacup, nodding along with my words.

"I am jealous of you." She said. I arched an eyebrow at her, urging her to continue. The red-haired woman beamed at me, setting her teacup to the side and gesturing out to the world. "Your relationship with your creations is so close and binding – that you consider them your children is, I hope you know, adorable and endearing. In some ways I wish I had that kind of a relationship with my own world. Art is different from having a child. You have to know when to cut your losses, when something isn't working, when it is time to smash your current project and start anew or jump to a new thing. You cannot get too close to these projects, even if they are passion projects, lest you become obsessive over it and it blinds you to the truth. Lest it blinds you from your true goal."

I squeezed Yueya's hand comfortingly as she shook her head, leaning further into my side. "Do not misunderstand, I love my creations. I love my sister-selves. But our relationship is far more distant that what you have. It makes me a little jealous, is all."

"There is nothing wrong with your current standing." I said softly. I loved my children, of course, but I had sacrificed certain freedoms of my own in creating them as such, rather than creations. Freedoms I would never truly regain, so long as I thought of them as such.

"I know. But even we gods cannot help how we feel sometimes." At this I had nothing to say, for it was the truth. Emotion was emotion, no matter if you were a god or a mortal. And the same could be said for passion. Yueya stirred beside me, unfolding her legs from where she had them curled up beneath her to stand and stretch, letting go of my hand in the process. With a snap of her fingers her red nightwear transformed into a modest green dress, tastefully embroidered with golden thread. "But! I do believe we've delayed long enough. Our incarnations are starting to wrap up their explanations, everyone's starting to get ready to go back to the meeting room, Alala is getting bored of talking, and Curie…"

Yueya paused, eyes narrowing. I stretched and stood beside her, looking in the same direction as her. There, far in the distance, at the very edge of my divine sense I could feel Yueya's other self running through a vast golden plain. And leading her along was my rambunctious grandchild, her tails thrashing as she ran, cackling madly as she rode a bolt of lightning like a skateboard.

"…is Curie playing tag with your granddaughter?" Yueya asked. I nodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and smiling to myself as I watched Kei play with the goddess of science. Yueya twisted her body to look at me, expression one of pure exasperation. "I have never seen Curie play tag before. Or any games, really. Ever. What the hell have you been doing to your children, to make them as remarkable as they are?" she all but demanded. I set my hands on my hips and grinned at her, winking.

"I do believe the answer to that is next on the docket. But it would be far better to show you, than just tell you."

***

Reilly was satisfied with the result of their trip to the One World. It was immensely interesting to see a world that focused primarily on physical growth rather than anything else, and finding out Yueya was actually three people? Fascinating stuff.

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He took a swig of his drink, a rum-like beverage brewed by a small fishing village at the very edge of what Alala called a "small pond," that was, in fact, larger than any of Reilly's own oceans. The people there were amphibious, almost frog-like, with brightly colored skin and jewelry of shells and colorful stones that spoke a croaking language that took Reilly a full second to decipher. Thankfully they had graciously accepted his payment of a chunk of gold in return for a few barrels of rum, all of which he'd stored away in a little pocket dimension he kept with him. Specifically for occasions like that.

But, more importantly, he focused his attention on the quiet arrival of Statera and Yueya's true bodies, the incarnations they had left behind fading away with barely a whisper. Were this anything less than a gathering of origin deities and Reilly doubted anyone would have noticed their leaving and quiet arrival…but he did. The slight blush on Statera's cheeks. The closeness of the two. The slight dishevelment of their clothes…ok, he may have been imagining that last part, but he still noticed those barely imperceptible changes.

And, judging by the way Shin tilted his head to the side, the green fire in the skeleton's eye sockets flickering and boney fingers linking themselves together was any indication, he was not the only one.

"I thank you all for your time and contributions," Curie, the science goddess, said as her own true body appeared beside Alala, who crossed her muscular arms and smirked. Kei, Statera's fox-like granddaughter, snuck around the outside of the group to regroup with Statera…the same as Reilly, who casually moved around to get behind Statera and Yueya. "Shin, I greatly appreciate your efforts in helping us to streamline the reincarnation process. Using the center of the world as a true afterlife instead of a highway of souls was an idea that we had, but were unsure of how to implement until you provided your insights."

"It was nothing of consequence." Shin said, sounding, dare Reilly say, shy.

"Emperor, we will discuss any further trade between our universes once such an option becomes available to us. As of now, it is time to wrap this tour up. Yueya will guide you back to the meeting room." Alala said formally, nodding her head. On cue, Yueya stepped forward, gracefully sliding up to the front of the group and clapping her hands together. Reilly pouted as she began leading the way to the meeting room, having missed his opportunity to tease both of them.

Ah, well. One would do.

"So," Reilly drawled, sauntering up beside Statera and slinging an arm over the god's shoulders. They arched one eyebrow at him, green eyes boring into his as they began to move, lips drawing into a thin line as they beheld his expression. "How'd the private meeting between you two go? Did you enjoy yourselves? Have a bit of fun?" That was about as delicately as he cared to put it, and he wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis. Statera rolled their eyes, fixing their gaze forward.

"A lady never kisses and tells, and a gentleman does not discuss such things." They sniffed, tilting their head upward. Reilly cackled at the confirmation, shaking Statera with his arm.

"Whatcha laughin' at?" Kei asked, jumping in front of them and walking backwards, ears twitching curiously and head cocked to the side. Reilly's grin grew wider.

"Oh nothing much, just that Statera and Yueya there snuck off together –" Statera cut him off by shoving a hand in his face, a frown tugging at their lips.

"That is quite enough of that, Reilly. You don't need to be saying that in front of my granddaughter, thank you very much." Reilly just laughed, watching Kei's expression shift from one thing to another as she rapidly put two and two together. The poor girl wore her thoughts on her sleeve, and he could name each and every instance and moment of realization as her gaze flicked from Statera to Yueya. First there was surprise, followed by mischief at the idea of teasing Statera, and then, finally, she seemed to remember their relation to each other and switched to full blown disgust.

"Ew! Gross!" she cried, clamping her hands over her ears and shooting forward, practically leaping through the portal to the meeting room ahead of Yueya. Curie watched her go, brows furrowed, and Reilly's grin widened further as he took another swig of rum.

"Was that really necessary?" Statera sighed.

"Yes. That's what you get for leaving us all behind to have your own fun." Reilly teased. Statera groaned, pressing their forefinger and thumb against the bridge of their nose as they reached the portal. And Reilly, for a moment, hesitated. They were grown adults, and could make their own decisions. He had no right to comment on Statera and Yueya, not that he even wanted to or had any thoughts on the matter, however, he did feel the need to say something about Kei. "Kei is a brilliant girl." He said.

"She is." Statera agreed.

"Nearly as perceptive as you, though in a different way." Reilly added. "More chaotic. I assume you were watching during the rot incident?"

"No, but Curie made sure to tell me about it." Statera said with a frown. "I intend to have a talk with her about her recklessness."

"If so, you're not hearing me." Reilly said. "I was there, and I was watching. She is nearly as perceptive as you. There was no recklessness involved." This, finally, gave Statera true pause as they turned to fully face Reilly, brows furrowed and hands folded into the sleeves of their robe. Reilly patted them on the shoulder and took another drink, watching Statera's expression closely. There was no change there, and, disappointed, he turned away. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. It's your turn now, yeah?" And with that, he stepped through the portal and into the meeting room.

Nearly everyone was getting up and stretching, chatter filling the room while Kei bounded from deity to deity in an attempt to distract herself. Reilly stepped to the side to allow Statera entry, sauntering over to his own chair.

"I believe," Statera's voice boomed through the meeting room, effectively silencing all conversation as they gracefully walked around the table. "That we will be visiting my Four Realms next. Who wishes to go?"

Reilly's hand shot up. So did Yueya's, Shins, the Emperor's…

And nearly everyone else who had hands. Even the Dragon rose from her seat, wings stretching. Statera's eyebrows rose, though in Reilly's opinion it shouldn't have been surprising that everyone wanted to go. The god of luck craned his neck to look at MR-10 and Sylphina, both of whom had risen from their seats as if to go. Reilly pulled a pair of dice from his pocket, toying with them and waiting for Statera to tell the two they couldn't go, that it wouldn't be beneficial, and was surprised when they didn't.

"Fitting all of you should be easy enough," Statera muttered, rubbing their chin. Reilly looked down at his dice, frowning. Was it really just bad luck that was keeping him from guessing right, right now? "Right, let's get on with it then! Follow me!" And with that, they jumped into their portal, followed immediately after by Kei.

Excitement thrummed through Reilly's veins as he followed the others through the portal, juggling his dice in one hand. He hoped he wouldn't be let down, but what kind of a world was capable of producing so many high-powered beings? Statera had shown them, what, seven or so of their children? And none were slouches – in fact, he dared to say that each one, individually, was equal in power if not stronger than the most powerful being in his own universe below himself!

He opened his eyes wide and stretched his senses to the limit, eager to absorb as much information as possible in the brief time they had here.

The second thing he noticed was how small it was, especially when compared to the One World.

The first thing he registered was pain.

"My eyes!" he cried, shielding his face from the raw power and light that radiated throughout every inch of Statera's realm. It dwarfed anything he'd ever seen by sheer concentration, and sent him stumbling backward, senses withdrawing so he could better adjust to what he was seeing.

It was like having a sun shoved directly into his face, after knowing a lifetime of darkness.

"Damnation, Statera. What in the Overgod's name is with your Realms?" The Emperor cursed as Reilly shook himself, muttering curses under his breath and peeking out from between his fingers, squinting at Statera Luotian as they floated before them. Framed in the light of a Sun burning with more raw energy than any normal sun had any right to, the God of Balance spread their arms wide, features shadowed by the light.

"I welcome you, friends, to the Four Realms."