Written Wonderland

"You have worshipped me," Horu said, and a warm, inviting breeze brushed over Ramanujan, almost bringing tears of gratitude to his eyes. "Thank you."

And there seemed no other acceptable reaction except to fall to his knees. This one was much less of a bow of respect and more an inability to stand, faced with so much welcome and awe and beauty. He looked up at Horu, glowing as she was again the late morning sun, with tears in his eyes and felt like he had arrived somehow. Like the thing he had spent his entire life searching for was suddenly before him and had even sought him out, even if just for information.

No, he couldn't go to Dehaljadrun. Not unless Rutliff and Miyamoto demanded it of him. But... no, not even then. In Rutliff's speech, he had emphasized that he didn't want anyone going to the goddess who didn't actually want to be there.

The situation had fundamentally changed. Perhaps even he himself was changed. He hoped that Captain Rutliff and the commander would forgive him. But, then again, who were they in comparison to the gods?

How much more did Horu feel the same way?

Ramanujan called to mind the time he spent in Horu's temple, the humid air welcome in his lungs as he joined in the chorus of voices of the other worshippers. He thought about the ropes he had woven out of thick plant fibers until he had been good enough to make and donate a crown in Horu's honor. He thought of the light of the sun and how much he longed to gaze upon everything he could not possibly know or understand. And each of those thoughts made Dehaljadrun's memories feel a little further away. Not out of reach, no. He suspected they would always be there, ready for him. But... manageable. Gentle, even.

"Forgive me, but this war... feels like a distraction," Ramanujan said, his eyes ferocious with tears. "There's so much happening beyond us. And I don't want to presume that a mortal can help you become whole again, but..." Ramanujan took a deep breath. "I want to. Any way that I can."

He let a pause stand and nodded to himself before he spoke again.

"But, whether you'll have me or not, I'm no longer hers. I'll... need to let Captain Rutliff know."

Ansari fell to his knees, heavy with awe. Yukiko--Horu--felt brilliant and beautiful. This felt right, and she smiled.

"Forgive me," he said after a moment, his eyes filled with tears, "but this war... feels like a distraction." Gods, if that didn't feel true. "There's so much happening beyond us. And I don't want to presume that a mortal can help you become whole again, but..." Ansari took a deep breath. "I want to. Any way that I can."

Yukiko blinked in a delighted if slightly baffled surprise.

"But," he added after a pause, "whether you'll have me or not, I'm no longer hers. I'll... need to let Captain Rutliff know."

Yukiko nodded a little bit solemnly, though a gentle smile still warmed her expression. She felt a little bit sheepish, accidentally disrupting one of the volunteers for the goddess of dreams... but, at the same time, she was glad that she'd found him, given that this was how he felt. Her chest felt so gloriously warm, elated that Ansari wanted to help her. Wanted to worship her. Oh, gods, she felt egotistical, but... well, she supposed that gods... should? It still felt so strange, when she zoomed out to look at it. When she thought about telling Mizu... when she wondered how Evan would take it. But, it was like Ansari had said, wasn't it? It was all a distraction. She needed to zoom even farther out, somehow. And Ansari wanted to help her do it.

"I'll go tell Miyamoto," she said. "I've obscured this truth far too long." Then, after another somber beat, she added, "Is it all right if I ask you not to tell Rutliff about me just yet? He deserves to hear it first-hand, I think."

Maybe that was a distraction, too, but... whatever reason she was here, this strange fragmented piece of a god, it seemed important not to dismiss the life she had lead up to this moment, and Evan was no insignificant part of it. Surely the goddess of dreams wouldn't begrudge her tying up loose ends with him. Surely they'd all be just a little more free when she finally did.

Horu was glowing again as Ramanujan looked at her. Gods, she was truly a sight from down here, and Ramanujan was ever more convicted in his decision. He had wanted to find a divinity, and Dehaljadrun had found him. Going back to her felt... cowardly in some way. She had already given him everything he could possibly hope to learn from her, at least directly. Knowing there was another god in his proximity... yes, this felt right.

The god before him nodded, and he took that to mean she had accepted him.

"I'll go tell Miyamoto. I've obscured this truth for too long." And all at once, Ramanujan remembered where they were, who they were. This was a captain he was speaking to as well as a god. And she was going to tell their commander about her godhood. Gods, how Ramanujan would enjoy overhearing that conversation.

Then, Captain Fujiwara asked, "Is it all right if I ask you not to tell Rutliff about me just yet? He deserves to hear it firsthand, I think." Ramanujan nodded immediately, happy to have an easy task to begin with in her service. Although, explaining to Rutliff why Ramanujan had changed his mind might be interesting. He suspected that Rutliff would understand and would not begrudge him for it, however.

"I'll tread in your light," Ramanujan said and smiled a little, allowing himself to feel some small happiness as their conversation ended.

Ansari nodded. "I'll tread in your light," he said with a small smile. It sent a happy warm tingle through her chest, and she smiled in return.

"Thank you." She wanted to offer him more than that, though. She considered simply reciting a traditional blessing, but that seemed so... hollow, with herself standing right here. Surely there was something more tangible that she could do.

Tentatively, she stepped closer to Ansari, one hand on her chest and one gently reaching for Ansari's chest, her eyes meeting his to ask a quiet permission before making contact.

((OOC: Happy to continue assuming he gives her a nod or similar))

Horu smiled, and it was radiant, lighting Ramanujan with hope and what could only be explained as fervor.

"Thank you," she said, and the soldier smiled in return, more hopeful than he had felt even once during this wretched war. They had not one, but two gods on their side. But, more than that, Ramanujan felt like he had found purpose.

Horu then stepped close to Ramanujan, placing a hand on her own chest and reaching toward his, a question in her eyes. If she wanted his permission, she had it, certainly. He nodded twice in case that's what she needed, happy to receive the gesture or whatever else she might matter. He knew this would be the moment that his vow to her would begin to feel real.

Ansari nodded--twice, even--and Yukiko gladly pressed her palm over his chest, offering him connection from deep within her. May the Ember Goddess keep you warm. That blessing stuck out among the others in her mind, and she felt sure that she could do just that. That she could offer Ansari a warmth that would stay with him, a small ember he could fan inside of himself whenever he needed comfort or some small flame of inspiration or resolve. He had her gratitude, and she wanted him to feel it.

Ramanujan held himself proudly in offering to Horu, offering all the knowledge he had collected, all the meditation he had done, all the preparation he hadn't known would lead to exactly this moment.

And when her hand touched his chest, he heard in his mind, May the Ember Goddess keep you warm. And immediately, a rush of warmth filled his chest, a pleasant burning that flared the more the thought about it. He looked at Horu with open-eyed wonder. If she already had access to this sort of magic and power, what more would she be capable of when she felt more herself?

Once Yukiko was confident she had given Ansari what she could, she withdrew, and gave him another smile and nod. His eyes were wide and full of wonder, and a contented pride flickered in her chest, sure that she had succeeded in her offering to him. On some level, she felt giddy, like a girl who'd just impressed a boy that she liked. So silly. She couldn't help giggling softly, and she shook her head gently.

"What a strange journey this is going to be," she said with a light sigh. "I suppose we better get started."

((OOC: I'm happy to end this here. Or make any additional back-and-forths you feel called for. For now, I took the liberty of going ahead and posting in Mizu's thread to get things rolling there.))