Audience - Euphausia

[holyspirits]

Comments

[holyspirits]

[ there's a huff ]

Yeah, you could say that.

[trifocal]

... If I may ask, is an angel something you are born as, or something you become?

[holyspirits]

Guardian angel is a job title. [ helpfully specifying ] Other than that... Both, I think. Depends on the world. In our case, none of us were born angels.

[trifocal]

I see! Was there a ritual performed, for you to ascend to this position, then?

[holyspirits]

Uh. I said yes and shook God's hands? We didn't write up a contract or anything.

[trifocal]

Oh... wow. That is much simpler than our way.

[holyspirits]

You have a way to become an angel? Or do you mean the... priestess ritual thing?

[ they are trying not to sound too dubious at magic talk. trying. ]

[trifocal]

A way that our dead may ascend to become guardian deities. It's not just for priestesses. We try to do it for everyone, so that they may watch over their loved ones.

[holyspirits]

Huh. People always used to say our loved ones were watching over us after death, but there wasn't a ritual involved. I don't know if I'd have believed it more if there had been one.

[ there's a pause ]

How does it work?

[trifocal]

When our loved ones die, we bring their bodies to the Orbwise Path to offer to the serpents that dwell there. They are holy beasts, and those whose flesh is consumed by them will have their spirit ascend.

[holyspirits]

You feed them to a snake?

[trifocal]

[ she nods. yes. ]

[holyspirits]

And it ... works?

[ sound less dubious of ye old snake rituals, gams ]

[trifocal]

Surely, it does.

[holyspirits]

I can't say I've ever seen something like that. Feeding your dead loved ones to snakes. Unless you really, really like mice. [ a beat ] Would they do it with you, too, if you stay dead?

[trifocal]

I hope so. [ sadly. ] I died in a foreign land, so they would need to send my body back to the islands by ship...

[holyspirits]

You must've been pretty far. [ cargo body to snake food... ] Does that mean you guys don't usually travel out of your islands?

[trifocal]

Yes. We have a fairly isolated community. The seas are very dangerous, with humans roaming about, and the people of the mainland are not the most welcoming.

[holyspirits]

Is there a deeper reason for that, or is it just because you're not human?

[ with the implication that that is just how humans behave when things are Different ]

[trifocal]

Hm?

[ she's a little confused at the question. ]

Oh, because I am mustari? Yes, that's part of it... On the mainland, there are some tribes that are favoured, and some that are... not. Our faith is condemned by the dominant religion of the land, so we are often distrusted, if not outright shunned.

[holyspirits]

Of course it's a religion thing.

[ it is maybe weird for an angel to sound ROLLS EYES about religion. ]

[trifocal]

Do you dislike religion?

[holyspirits]

I don't dislike it. But I wasn't really raised with it, and people use it as an excuse to do harm too often for my taste.

[trifocal]

I can't quite argue that... I know that it has been, and that there are some who use faith as a way to blind themselves to what's in front of them... though I, of course, still believe there is great value in our teachings and practices.

[ She wouldn't still be a priestess, otherwise. ]

I am a little surprised to hear that from one who also serves a god, however.

[holyspirits]

I wasn't trying to argue there's no value to religion at all.

[ they are a little placating as they realize that does sound rude as hell ]

And besides, God and religion aren't necessarily tied together. [ there's an odd undertone there ]