[open]

[ofinspiration]

Would someone like to tell me why my friend and I found ourselves with surprise tattoos? I'm fairly certain they weren't there before we returned to Liminal Space - mine would have been... noticable.

Second question: how do I get rid of it? They're pretty, I'll give you that, and points for appropriate symbolism on her, at least... but I do have an aesthetic to maintain.

Comments

[howexciting]

I did not expect the Fool to choose me, either. We did not know the Trumps took physical forms, then.

... your friend is named Persephone? As in, the queen of the underworld and goddess of vegetation and maidenhood? That is almost a little too apt.

[And celestial knowledge has also come in useful. Huh.]

[ofinspiration]

No, she is Persephone.

[ It's sharp and defensive, the bristling almost audible. Question that she's really Lucifer, and she'll shrug it off with a smirk and a wry comment. Question the identity of her friends, and she's ready to fight. ]

...though I don't know about maidenhood. You'd have to ask her about that.

[howexciting]

... what do you mean, "she is Persephone"?

[There are about a million questions after that, but he's holding back for now.]

[ofinspiration]

[ There's a long moment of silence before Luci answers. She's going to need several more cigarettes to deal with this conversation. Explaining herself is getting old, fast. ]

I mean she is a goddess. I am a god. We were called and we ascended and we always have been. We inspire.

If I explain it much more than that, it takes all the magic out of it and it just gets depressing. No one needs that.

[howexciting]

You mean to tell me that the Trumps can... can kidnap gods?

[He's going to be sick. Now it's his turn to take a long moment of silence.]

... may I ask which god?

[ofinspiration]

Apparently, they can.

I'm the morning star. The lightbringer. The great dragon. Accuser, destroyer, deceiver, adversary...

[ He seems clever. Let's see how many names she can run through before he guesses. ]

[howexciting]

[He knows the instant 'morning star' is mentioned. There's this mental undercurrent of knowing that flows seamlessly into their connection, though he says nothing for a long while.]

Then forgive my impertinence, Signore. Or would you prefer Signora?

[ofinspiration]

Signora, if you don't mind.

But don't apologize. I can't always promise an answer you'll like... but questioning is what the devil's for.

[howexciting]

Very well, Signora.

The last god-like being I questioned ended up marking me with a tattoo, so I would prefer to think upon my questions first.

[ofinspiration]

Smart man.

I'll be here if you get curious again. It's not like I'm going anywhere...

[howexciting]

I have found "smart" to be an extremely relative term, of late.

[... well, if he has to deal with the Devil, he might as well play nice. She'll be less inclined to kill him that way.]

If your tattoo ever does anything... strange, like lead you somewhere, please let me know. And I will always be at your service, should you have need of me.

[ofinspiration]

...I appreciate it.

What was your name, again? [ She's perfectly aware he never gave it. ]

[howexciting]

Forgive my manners, Signora. I am Leonardo.

not here

[thornsofmalkav]

[OH MY FUCKING GOD OF COURSE SATAN KIDNAPPED HER BUNNYFLY.]

[oftoomuchfaith]

Exactly what it says on the tin, shockingly enough.

Though I'm pretty sure I'm more about the queen-of-the-underworld part than the spring-and-maidens part.

[howexciting]

[Pardon him for a moment, he's a touch busy panicking over the Trumps kidnapping gods to Liminal Space]

I... I see. M-my sincerest apologies for my impertinence, Signora.

[oftoomuchfaith]

[ she mostly sounds amused ] It's all right. It's... sort of a new development. We're not so much the gods who've been around since the dawn of time as we're... destined incarnations of them?

It's kind of confusing to try to explain to people whose worlds don't have the Recurrence. And more than a little depressing if you think too much about it.

[howexciting]

If I may be so bold, Signora... may I ask how many of you there are? Are all pantheons represented?

It makes some sense. The Catholic tradition holds a second coming of Jesus. Is it anything like that?

[oftoomuchfaith]

Not quite, though I'm sure Luci would find that amusing.

[ she pauses to consider how to explain without getting too wordy ]

So basically for all of recorded history, every 90 years there's this thing called the Recurrence. Um, it's... Basically 12 young people awaken as gods, to inspire humanity, and die after two years. Usually there isn't overlap between pantheons. Not these days, anyway, and the gods don't remember previous times they've showed up. It can be any sorts of religions, though Jesus has yet to make an appearance, I'm not sure he's even part of it.

And in return for the two-year deadline, we get to be adored. Remembered. Something more special than just another fucked up teenager.

[ofinspiration]

What did I just say about taking the magic out of things?

[howexciting]

[... heeeeeeeeeeeee is just going to back up out of this conversation for the moment so that he doesn't invoke any wrath from any deity, OK? OK. He'll just be quietly listening. Don't mind him.]

[oftoomuchfaith]

I have no idea, I wasn't paying attention because I think you just want an excuse to fuck with people's heads.

[ She sounds fond and amused, though, not condescending or angry. ]

Anyway, we're teenagers who ended up being bloody gods, I'm pretty sure there's nothing I could say that would take the magic out of that.

partially private

[ofinspiration]

Oh, I don't need an excuse for that...

[ You're still ruining her fun. Why couldn't she end up here with Ammy? Or Inanna, even. They'd play along with her...

She pauses, and when she responds, it's privately. ]

You don't think knowing we're also a bunch of sad British kids with mental illnesses and nasty drug habits ruins it for people, a bit? It does. Just look at Cassandra. Her problem is that that's all she sees.

partially private

[oftoomuchfaith]

Yeah, but you like having one. Now, shoo! I was having such a nice chat with this guy, and you fuckin scared him off!

[ she pauses, and then sighs mentally, and privately ]

Luci, I'm still a fucked up British kid half the time, who probably doesn't have a drug habit mostly because my parents were too nosy.

[ a little pause ]

I'd rather be up front about it than have people expecting us to actually work miracles. All that'll do is disappoint them at best, or make them really pissed off at worst. I don't know about you, but I did a lot of reading about the past pantheons, and when people expected actual real miracles in times of trouble or unrest, it really didn't end well most of the time.

Besides, we don't even know if we can affect anyone here like you could at home.

permaprivate

[ofinspiration]

When does it ever end well? Besides, I haven't lied...

I'm just saying, a little mystery's good for them. And us. They start losing that sense of awe, that's when the machine guns come out. [ Remember, Laura? The machine guns? Luci sure does. ]

...you know, we could answer that last question pretty easily.