As if on que, a ripple echoed through space like a drop of water in a still pool – and the first of the other Origin Deities arrived, emerging through a portal that appeared in its archway. My breath caught in my throat, and I had to swiftly envelop the Mad Scientist in a bubble of my aura to protect her from the sheer presence of the new arrival.
It was a butterfly. Giant in size, its wings seeming to be made up of primordial chaos itself, the edges fluttering like smoke with each little movement. Its eyes were a thousand different shades, each little section of the compound eyes holding a different element of creation. Each flap of its wings sent the wind to roaring through the little meeting room, its chair twisting itself to appear more as a perch as the great butterfly settled down at the table. Behind it, a flower appeared, a brilliant red rose easily as big as I was tall, pushing itself forward to rest beside the butterfly. I glanced at its flag, which depicted a stylized explosion. The hell was that supposed to mean?
“Pity,” it said, antenna twitching and attention focusing upon me. “I had hoped to be first.” I folded my hands in my lap, tilting my head to the side. Was Mr. Boxes translating, or did we simply inherently understand each other? I got the feeling it was the latter.
“Feel free to add anything you like food or drink-wise,” I said, gesturing to the table. “I am afraid I was unsure on what to expect, so I merely laid out a few of my favorite delicacies from my own universe. The butterfly hummed, its voice simultaneously rattling the room, and soothing it entirely. I could not help but frown at it, keeping my own aura close to myself and the Mad Scientist. Was it trying to bug me, pun not intended? Its aura seemed…abrasive.
“I see. So you were the one to set out the food. I admit I do not have much taste for what you set out, so…here.” With a simple twitch of its antennas, cubes of condensed elemental essences appeared upon the table.
“I would introduce myself, but I believe we should wait for the others.” The butterfly said. “It seems most prudent.” I nodded along, and though I desperately wanted to know more about the giant butterfly and its flower companion, I stayed quiet and waited for the rest to appear. I did not have to wait long.
The next was a skeleton, clad in dark black robes, its hood up. Green flames burned in its eye sockets, black smoke pouring from the spaces between its bones as it settled into its chair, a black-haired woman dressed in similarly fine black robes standing beside him, a katana at her side. Her hair was pulled up in a neat bun, and she glared about the room – until she met my eyes, at which point she paled and immediately looked away. I frowned. What was that about? A quick glance at its flag showed a circle with a straight line through it.
“Try not to lock eyes with the companions, Statera.” The Mad Scientist advised. “Your gaze tends to be…piercing.” Vague, but I accepted the advice and sat back, merely watching.
“Snacks and tea?” the next being to arrive asked. It was an inverted pyramid cast in a white metal, lined with gold and floating mid-air, a singular red light shining from the center. It slowly rotated as it settled above its chair, which morphed to look more like a stand. Behind it floated an orb of silver metal encircled by three rings of blue light that, if I looked closely, were made entirely of binary numbers. This one’s flag, at least, seemed self-explanatory with its binary numbers. Would they be a machine world, then? “We do not require such sustenance.”
“Nor do I,” I told it. “But that does not mean I cannot enjoy them all the same. Add what you wish, or do not.” The pyramid fixated its attention upon me, red light flashing once before it seemed to settle.
“We will not partake.” It said.
“Distrust does not set a good first impression,” the butterfly said.
“It is not distrust…” The pyramid began, but I was distracted from what it said by a voice beside me.
“Psst!” he said in a stage-whisper. I turned my attention to the man who appeared through the arch to my left, dressed in filthy rags with dirt smearing his face. In one hand he held a gourd, while the other tumbled a pair of dice around in his hand. His hair was an absolute mess, too, hanging nearly low enough to block his eyes – eyes that shone with a far more mischievous light. Yet, curiously, he stood behind another being; an eight-winged angel clad in gleaming silver armor, that stepped forward as if to take the chair of the origin deity. Their flag was seven lines, layered upon each other. “You got any booze?” the beggar-looking man asked.
“Do not harass the others for alcohol the moment you meet them, Reilly.” The angel said primly, adjusting her armor. Her hair was stark white, a halo of great radiance gleaming from above her head as she moved to take a seat. She reminded me of Elvira in many ways. I furrowed my brows. That…was not the aura of an origin deity. The beggar, on the other hand…
“It is quite alright. Do you prefer whiskey, wine, gin…?” I asked, procuring three different bottles from the sleeves of my robe. The beggar’s eyes lit up as he marched right over to me, his angel sighing and shaking her head.
"I don’t have a preference, but I’m feeling whiskey!” he chirped happily. I tossed him a bottle and he snagged it out of the air, uncorking it and sniffing the contents with a happy sigh.
“I must ask, though, why you are letting your plus one take a seat instead of yourself?” I asked, making the man, Reilly, freeze in place. And suddenly I was acutely aware of everyone’s attention being placed upon me, and the Mad Scientist rubbing her forehead with a sigh.
“I have my work cut out for me with this one,” she muttered to herself. “Subtlety seems foreign to them.” Before I could figure out what she meant by that, Reilly tossed his head back and laughed, marching over to take his seat from the angel woman, who was watching me curiously.
“Good eye! To think my disguise was seen through so casually.” Reilly cackled, lounging in his chair – which transformed to look incredibly rickety yet simultaneously comfortable – and kicking his feet up on the table. With a wave of his hand a litany of other delicacies appeared on the table, including a small fountain of wine.
“I did not even notice.” The pyramid said.
“Notice what?” Another new voice asked, resonating with the crackle of thunder. A stag appeared through one of the portals, followed by a centaur dressed in furs. The stag’s fur was trim and glossy, shimmering as it strutted proudly to its seat; a giant cushion. Multicolored gems gleamed in its antlers, moss hanging from the bones, as it settled down onto the cushion. Its flag depicted a five-pointed star.
“My new friend here saw through my disguise at a glance. Ruined a perfectly good prank.” Reilly drawled, taking a swig of the whiskey I’d given him. He groaned in appreciation, peering into the flask, then shooting me a look and a smile. “And if that’s the kind of whiskey you keep on your person, we are going to be good friends.” I chuckled a little.
“Statera,” the Mad Scientist said, tugging on my sleeve. I turned to her with a small smile and a raised eyebrow. Her expression was pained, but not because she was in the presence of so many powerful beings. “You must be more careful with your words. You may see this as a friendly meeting, but I guarantee you not all do. Be careful with what information you reveal; be it about others, or yourself, even if accidentally.” I opened my mouth to object, that I had been careful, but stopped myself.
I hadn’t even noticed Reilly’s disguise, and as I turned my attention back to the slowly assembling deities, I realized she was right. The skeleton had been quiet this entire time, simply observing, turning its eye sockets toward me occasionally. The butterfly and pyramid discussed something in hushed tones, tension filling the air between the two. And the stag chatted with Reilly. Everyone was tense. No one touched the food I had laid out. I reached out and grabbed a chocolate, popping it into my mouth and chewing slowly. This was supposed to be a collaborative effort, in my opinion, a friendly competition, but it was still a meeting between strangers.
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“Oooh, food!” A new, melodic voice echoed out. The owner stepped through the portal to my right, and my breath was stolen from my throat. She was an elf, dressed in a modest red dress embroidered with gold flowers. Her fiery red hair was done up in an intricate bun, flowers blooming within it, while her brilliant, sapphire blue eyes locked onto the table. Her lips pulled into a smile as she smelled the food; the kind of smile men would go to war for. My mouth went dry – but I managed to pull myself out of the reverie as she sat down, immediately reaching for a slice of roasted meat, popping it into her mouth. She moan in delight, and even that seemed beautiful. “Delicious.” She said, and I shook myself.
Beautiful was too simple a word to describe the woman. Her mere presence was magnetic.
Behind her another elf stood dressed in a modest purple habit, hood pulled up over her head, silver eyes shining like stars in the night. She met my gaze unflinchingly, and I smiled at the two, glancing up at their flag. It depicted a single, large circle.
“Try some wine,” Reilly urged. The beautiful woman beamed at him and summoned a glass chalice – it took a bit of effort for me to look away, toward the other newcomer who had appeared during the commotion. She drew everyone’s attention just by appearing. I noted mentally, putting a hand over the Mad Scientist’s eyes. She, too, had been stunned, and I wrapped her tighter in my aura to protect her.
The other newcomer was a bird. Not just any bird, however, as it perched itself upon the back of its chair. It was maybe the size of me, with four great black wings that, when it stretched them out, seemed to contain entire worlds beneath them. Each feather twisted and turned like nebulas, its eyes burning with the light of suns and supernovas – its beak clacked at me as it bowed its head slightly in greeting. Behind it floated a literal sun, pulsing with life and intelligence. Their flag was a series of stars, connected by strings.
A single flap of the bird’s wings had a few brownie-like desserts appearing on the table. Curious, I snagged one, taking a big bite.
It tasted of nebulas and wormholes, of radiation and light, of comets and moons. How are those even flavors? I popped the rest of the brownie into my mouth and raised a hand to the bird, who snagged a few candied nuts with its beak.
“Oho, we are having a feast? Allow me to add to the festivities! This is a meeting between gods, of course we should celebrate!” This time the speaker’s voice demanded attention and respect, loud and bombastic without being overly so. He did not so much as step through his archway as emerge from it; his skin a gleaming gold color, six muscular arms emerging from his torso, a gem-heavy crown fixated atop his head. A rich red and purple cape fell from his shoulders, armor of a fine silver fitted perfectly to his muscular body. His eyes were the color of obsidian, and his chair morphed into a throne made of solid diamond as he sat at it, snapping his fingers imperiously.
Food fit for a king appeared upon the table, which expanded to hold all the delicacies that were appear. An entire roasted cow, fruit and meat pies, whole fish, and goblets of a dark brown liquor appeared upon the table, nearly overwhelming my senses with the cacophony of smells. His flag was a crown.
Behind the man a jester appeared. His skin was as white as porcelain, fine furs covering parts of his multicolored clothes. The jester appeared bored, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking up at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes.
“Quite the group of people we have here! I admit to being excited to understand each of you further, and hope to promote good will between our respective Universes.” The king-man said, nodding to each origin deity in turn. He paused upon seeing the beautiful elf, gracing her with a beaming smile, but well and truly froze upon meeting my eyes. “…what beautiful eyes you have.” He said, expression neutral.
“Uh, thanks. Thank you for the food, it smells divine,” I said, unsure how to take that. The king-man nodded to me respectfully, reclining in his diamond throne.
“…gaudy.” Reilly muttered, taking a sip of the new liquor before him. He smacked his lips appreciatively. “But decent taste in alcohol.”
The next to appear did so quietly. Almost slipping by unnoticed as it appeared in its chair. It was a simple ball of light, neither bright nor dim, prismatic beams shooting off of it occasionally. Its plus one was a monster that was far more visually interesting. The faceless, six-legged beast was covered in grey feathers, claws on its limbs tapping the ground impatiently as it twisted its faceless head back and forth, observing without eyes. Wings of crystal floated above the creature’s back, reflecting the ball of light’s, well, light. Their flag showed a flower.
“We should not dirty the Great One’s demesne. It is not our place.” The ball of light intoned. With a single flash the space before its chair was cleaned, food and drink vanishing in an instant. Following suit, the pyramid similarly made its place clean as well.
“If we were not allowed to, the Overgod would have stopped us by now.” The stag pointed out, shaking its head. “Besides, are we not encouraged to mingle a bit here?”
“Hey,” the beautiful elf said, pulling my attention away from the stag and light ball’s conversation. She was leaned over in her chair, extending a hand to me. “I’m Yueya Oshun. Nice to meet you.”
“Statera Luotian,” I said, leaning over as well to shake her hand. Her skin was flawless and smooth – for the first time, I became aware of the few callouses I had built up on my own hands. I was far from ugly no matter what form I took, be it male or female, but compared to this woman I might as well be disfigured.
“We girls gotta stick together.” She teased, winking at me. I blinked and looked down at myself, noticing that I was, in fact, in my woman form at the moment. Before I could say anything else, however, something stopped me. Or, more accurately, someone.
“I see the party started without me.” A shiver ran down my spine at this voice, and I slowly turned to look at them.
Fangs that shone in the light. Scales that gleamed with all the colors of primordial chaos. Orange eyes that burned with passion and anger, and large, leathery wings that stretched out menacingly, fire and brimstone burning beneath them. The dragon loomed over its section of the table, every inch of its aura clashing against my own in a shower of proverbial sparks. I narrowed my eyes at the lone being, without any companion, as it lay at its spot at the table, its flag fluttering in a non-existent breeze. It depicted a cracked egg.
“Mm. I prefer my food living.” The dragon said, turning its head away from the feast laid out before it. I bristled but managed to control myself, taking a deep breath and reigning in my aura. This reaction was unbecoming of me, like a child unable to control their emotions, though I still sat up straight and squared my shoulders.
“Interesting change,” Reilly noted, looking directly at me. This time I didn’t have to look down at myself to know what he was talking about; I had shifted forms again, and I knew it. With conscious effort I shifted back to my androgynous form, forcibly relaxing myself. The dragon bared its fangs at me, a low rumble echoing from its throat, but did nothing more, merely looking about the room with apparent disinterest.
No one else seemed to have as visceral a reaction to the dragon as I did, from a quick glance about the room. Though some regarded others just as warily; the butterfly and inverted pyramid, for one, their auras carefully shielded against each other. Perhaps, then, it was not the dragon itself that was an issue, but rather something of our natures? I steadied myself, withdrawing my aura from the dragon’s and forcibly relaxing myself further, not willing to play that game.
The dragon, for one, shot me a look that could be mistaken for disappointment, before returning its attention to the ceiling.
Weren’t we waiting on one more?
“That will be all.” Mr. Boxes said. A quick glance about the room showed most of the others seeming to read something in the air – though in the case of the truly featureless beings, such as the inverted pyramid or ball of light, it was hard to tell. “Due to the nature of the twelfth deity’s creation story, they are unable to attend. Nor have any proper representatives appeared within their universe yet. For now, I will give you all some time to meet and greet one another, after which a proper discussion and break-down of everyone’s respective powers, universes, and advancements will be presented. Any questions?”
I chewed my lip a little, considering what Mr. Boxes had said about the twelfth deity. Could they be, perhaps, asleep? Or had the creation of their universe cost them their life, and as such there was no origin deity to attend this meeting? Theorizing would get me nowhere, however, especially as the others glanced about, shifting in their seats. The Mad Scientist tugged my sleeve as I stood.
“Remember. It is a good idea to mingle, but do not surrender information without receiving something in return.” She told me.
“I understand.” I told her, patting her head. “You may do as you like. Either follow me, or mingle with the other plus ones. Both will be beneficial for you, I believe,” I told her, locking eyes with a few of the attending deities.
Well. I suppose it was time for introductions, then.
