They're cuddlers, really

[onthewind]

Raezenoth has just won a war. Well, he'd actually won it a while ago, but now is when things have settled and the divine borders have become a bit more set in stone. The leftovers of that annoying nature god are cleared away to become part of another god's domain - desert, mostly, Rae was the victor here. The new denizens of Rae's domain either get to leave for another place, or adjust to the tough but fair life of their new god.

Idania has admittedly gone a bit stir crazy. She spent so much time in Rae's land, defending him or going to show off how great Rae can be that she's pretty much only seen desert for the last - what, year or so?

It's time for a change of pace. She checks with Rae, he agrees that she can get some time to herself, and then she packs her things. It's time to fly somewhere new, to a place she hasn't seen before with people she's never met. She expects to go far enough away that people won't know the name 'Raezenoth,' so she doesn't pack light. She expects to be doing a lot of sleeping outdoors, floating comfortably in the air where no one can touch her.

She's flying at full speed for about five days in a random direction before she lands for anything more than bathroom breaks and some occasional jogging to stay limber. When she does, she recognizes absolutely nothing about anything around her. Good. This is definitely far away and unrecognizable enough for her tastes. She checks her supplies - yeah, definitely enough to last for her to explore this place properly.

While she was flying, she stayed away from the domains of gods, not wanting any sort of trouble or drama associated with them. Now, though, she's going to explore the first nice one she sees. Another day of walking, later, and she comes across a place that's obviously a domain.

Sometimes gods directly address her when she enters, but not always. Only one way to find out. She heads inside without fear, to explore the temple and village nearby.

Comments

[onthewind]

"Ooooo. Yes! Yes I do, that sounds fun! They won't mind a random wandering acolyte showing up randomly by wandering?"

[pythbox]

"Nah, don't worry, I'll tell 'em you're coming," he says.

[onthewind]

"Aww! Thanks! Sure, then, which way is it? I'll fly right over."

[pythbox]

"This way," he says, and causes the nearest tree to point a branch in the right direction.

[onthewind]

"Thanks!"

Then, she flies in the direction the branch is pointing.

[hisowninvention]

Soon she will see a village! And in the village, she will see a person who turns and waves at her almost as soon as she's visible! He is quite tall and very pretty and not wearing a shirt. Or shoes.

[onthewind]

Ooo, pretty tall shoeless man. Idania smiles and waves back. She lands and walks over to the village.

"Hello!" she says brightly.

[hisowninvention]

"Hi," says the pretty tall shoeless man. His voice is still divinely panlingual, not to mention likely familiar, even though it now has a single concrete direction. "The wandering acolyte has arrived, everybody!"

The villagers are generally pleased to greet her. They offer her food. The pretty tall shoeless man also has some food. Everyone seems to treat him more like a friendly neighbour than like the god he in fact is.

[onthewind]

Well isn't that adorable. Idania finds nothing fundamentally strange about treating a god like a friendly neighbor, aside from the logical conclusion that it's not a thing that happens often. After all, she plays board games with her god. Why shouldn't these people treat theirs like a neighbor?

She thanks them for the food, nibbles on it, and is generally pleased to greet them, right back! She is a friendly wandering acolyte.

"Thanks for telling them about me!" she says brightly, when greeting the villagers is out of the way. "Everybody is really nice here, it's adorable."

[hisowninvention]

"You're welcome! I know," he says.

A little girl, maybe six or seven, comes running up and hugs his leg. He laughs and scoops her up and spins her around and puts her down again, and she skips gleefully away.

[onthewind]

"Awwwww," pronounces Idania. "Awwwwww! I'm going to die from cute overdose, it will be tragic but I will die happy."

[hisowninvention]

"Not on my watch you won't! I will snuggle you better," he promises.

[onthewind]

"Pfffff. Okay, now that's just asking for me to find a way to get grievously injured, that's irresponsible of you. Snuggles to make me better!"

[hisowninvention]

"Really and truly," he says. "I wanted a power that was primarily for automatic self-healing but could be made to work on other people too, and that's how it fell out - it needs lots of skin contact and some time. So I snuggle people better. Also one of the reasons I have more solo acolytes than Eala, because it's very good healing, and hers just speak all languages - useful to have, but not that useful to have a lot of."

[onthewind]

"That is hilariously adorable. Snuggles. Snuggles for all, and the world will be healed."

[hisowninvention]

"That's the idea!" he agrees, beaming.

[onthewind]

"It's a good one. I'm guessing that's why the shirtlessness?"

[hisowninvention]

"Pretty much. That and, I mean, why not?"

[onthewind]

Idania giggles. "Not complaining! Shirtless people, totally a thing that should happen everywhere, all the time."

[hisowninvention]

"Definitely," Vio agrees. "That and snuggles. I love snuggles."

[onthewind]

"I'm getting that feeling, definitely. You should be more obvious about it, though, it's very subtle, other, less perceptive people might miss it."

[hisowninvention]

"And that would be a tragedy," he says. "Somebody might want to snuggle me and mistakenly think I'd mind!"

[onthewind]

"I think you should wear a sign. 'Snuggle me whenever, I love snuggles' or something. In bright pink."

[hisowninvention]

Viokai cracks up.

"I think that's a brilliant idea!" he giggles.

[onthewind]

Idania giggles, too. "Yup! Or a tattoo - big flowery letters, right on your chest. That way you don't have to worry about the sign chafing."