GODLY AUDIENCES - ZOE MURPHY

[divus]

Comments

[divus]

It's been working out so far...

[Fortune sounds a little troubled, though. Hm.]

Do you want to go for a walk? You could probably use some fresh air, away from the courtyard.

[requiemed]

...Yeah, it can't hurt.

[She nods.]

Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?

[divus]

Maybe the east wing? I've heard the playground there is nice... they didn't have those where I came from.

[sad.]

[requiemed]

...What kind of place are you from that they didn't have playgrounds?

[A beat.]

If you can tell me.

[divus]

[Fortune seems to be struggling to answer for a few moments, before something occurs to her.]

You're from... Earth, right? Many of the other gods are, so I learned a little bit about their history. The place I come from is... sort of like Ancient Egypt.

[requiemed]

...The entire planet is like that?

[divus]

The part where I grew up was.

[requiemed]

So it was like Ancient Egypt... How, exactly?

[divus]

The weather and the architecture... and the technology.

[Fortune's voice sounds a little nostalgic.]

It was beautiful there. I think... when it's my turn to host, I'll show all of you.

[requiemed]

[She nods to the description, but it makes her curious.]

Do you have the turns planned out in advance, or do you just volunteer when it comes up?

[divus]

We're all going to go at least once. Those of us with fewer followers... we get to go first.

[Fortune chuckles.]

I'm sure you can guess why.

[requiemed]

So... Piety's going to be next up, then?

[divus]

It's... possible. But Piety is very kind. Protecting his followers the way he did... It wouldn't surprise me if some of you were to join him tomorrow.

[requiemed]

You think it'll be you or Beauty, instead?

[divus]

I think... It's a little too soon to say.

[One of Fortune's hands is clenched into a fist.]

[requiemed]

—Oh, shit. I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry.

[divus]

It's... not your fault.

[requiemed]

Still... Let's talk about something else, okay?

[divus]

Okay...

[let's say they've walked to the playground by now. fortune's headed for one of the swings]

Did you have places like this, where you grew up?

[requiemed]

Playgrounds and parks, you mean? Yeah, we did. There’s a few around where I live.

[divus]

What was your favorite thing to do in them?

[requiemed]

[She thinks about it for a long moment.]

It wasn't quite a park, but... There was this orchard my family used to go to a few times a month. My brother and I would run around looking for four leaf clovers, or race these toy airplanes that we used to have.

[divus]

That sounds like it would have been a lot of fun...

[requiemed]

[A nod and a smile, fond and more than a little sad.]

Yeah. It was really nice, back then.

[divus]

Spending time with your family is one of the best things in the world.