What's a God to a non-believer?

[houmaprotector]

There are some parts of the woods, especially lately, that have been overgrown and - to be frank - dangerous. When certain people have gone deep into the woods, to some of the more serious hiking paths, they've found them overgrown with crazy plants and vines. The entire place has repelled people and Alec hasn't been seen.

He's been thinking. Thinking about Metropolis, thinking about how he almost killed people. Thinking about how he probably did. Then thinking about that mugger and that...that hero doing their job.

He was a monster. He is a monster and the green of his world is far more encouraging in those pursuits. The Avatar needs no one.

It's the Nexus's green, it's web of life, that's intervened, bringing him out of his impassible woods and trails, pulling him towards civilization. Inch by inch. Mile by mile. It'd be hard to see him however, he's keeping to the shadows. Hiding in the woods nearest to those concerned before an unnatural, inhuman voice speaks.

"What keeps you human when you don't have to be?"

Superman gave him an answer, but it's far easier for him. He can be normal.

He has control.

Trying to get at him is pretty impossible, currently. There's a massive tangle of vines and creepers and trees. He could be anywhere. Be any one of them. Tread cautiously.

He is a monster after all.

Comments

[bookbrawler]

"Well, we had to deal with Apep, the god of Chaos, it was a pretty big deal and we only barely won without the world plunging into literal chaos and evil." A pause. "He also summoned Anubis at one point, which ended up nearly gettin' us all killed with werewolves. So yeah. Pretty bad."

A shrug, which might look dismissive, but his voice betrays the fact that despite the victory, he's still not comfortable with how it was achieved.

"We almost lost one of our Librarians tryin' to defeat Apep. Me and the others...we used magic to turn him from a god into a mortal human being."

[houmaprotector]

Hmngh.

The god of the green, the plant elemental, the man known as Alec Holland stares at his big green hands before nodding slowly, "I am sorry for your friend."

Any friend of the green's friends- His red eyes close and he shakes his head for a moment, "Those are things I am also capable of. Not that I want to do it, I just- know it. Power's a fickle stupid thing."

He sighs and the air fills with oxygen and the flowers brighten, "Don't ever become a God Jacob. If you can help it."

[bookbrawler]

Jacob nods, his brows furrowed, the appreciation in his face. At least they made it in time, if they'd been a few minutes--seconds slower, it would have been over.

"...sounds terrifyin', if I'm bein' honest."

And Jacob was not used to being honest, not even to himself, though he'd been becoming more comfortable with it ever since he became a Librarian.

"And I think that makes tryin' to hold onto your humanity worth it, y'know? Apep and...and others like him, they had no frame of reference for mortality, no empathy, no...anything."

Despite everything, he smirks. "I'll do my best not to."

[houmaprotector]

Hearing about beings with no frame of reference for morality or empathy is exactly the reason why he has struggled against the idea of being a monster. Of giving into his darker natures. Not even as the swamp thing - simply as a being having seen what Parliaments unchecked - avatars unchecked could do.

"I've known avatars like that." Anton Arcane. He has a deep faith that Abigail would never walk Arcane's path.

"When you have absolute power, absolute authority it is very hard to see why you should bother with humanity. My knowledge stretches...a millennia if I dig deeply enough. Not just to me, but to the green itself...Yet the green..."

He pauses, "There was an Avatar...I'll speak to him again if I can find him in the green and ask if he would have his story told - he was a samurai warrior. When I was first...changed he impressed upon me the importance of this as a calling but to give myself a code of honor and conduct. Loosely translated I think the way he phrased it was "It's a job, not a way of life."

"I try...to hold onto that."

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, "You are wise Jacob Stone, friend of the green. Should godhood happen, since I know better then a lot of people that destiny is a fickle...fickle creature - remember that it's a job. Not a calling. What people don't reckon with is how much absolute power...strips from you."

He pauses and looks a little desperate, "...I'm honestly looking forward to sharing some of this knowledge with another human."

And the parliament, and his green, can sit on a thorn about it.

[bookbrawler]

"And that's also why we...why Librarians do what we do. Why we protect magical artifacts. An ambitious person gets ahold of one certain artifact and--and that's it, it's goodbye, world-as-we-knew-it."

There's a look of awe that he can't help--he would love to hear from a samurai? But he sobers because what Alec says hits him deep.

It's a job, not a way of life.

"It's...I think that's somethin' I needed to hear." He clears his throat. "Bein' a Librarian takes over your life. You can't have normal relationships, old friends fall away cause you're too busy and you can't tell 'em about why you haven't been home in six months because you were trying to recover a cursed Medusa-related statue."

"I think you're pretty damn wise yourself." He'd known quite a few people who could have used that reality check. To realize what absolute power really did. He doesn't want to think about something as wild as actual godhood befalling him, but one of his biggest fears was being cursed with magic, being unable to escape it, having that unknown, unpredictable power and not being able to outrun it. The remnants of the magic tattoo on his arm still bother him, they should have disappeared when he'd used it against Apep and the fact that it didn't was terrifying. Was there still magic there? But no matter how much he doesn't want magic, it keeps finding him--like with the forest, becoming their translator.

"Absolute power isn't anythin' I want. Any power isn't anythin' I want. But it happens, sometimes." Like with Cassie. But she embraced her gifts. "We end up using magic because there's no choice. Sometimes I'm the only one who can read a scroll for a spell because it's written in ancient Sanskrit or somethin'. Librarians do get corrupted, the last guy before our predecessor did. Turned evil." He falls silent a moment. "Job hazard. It's why we have a Guardian. She protects our souls. And does a pretty kickass job of it, too."

But he's so ready to hear this knowledge. "Me too--I mean, the opposite, learning about it. Happy to help." It's a real grin, brimming with the excitement of just learning. Especially something that he'd never have the chance to, back home.

[houmaprotector]

By way of response Alec holds out a hand and a root begins to extend from it. It turns into a tree, a beautiful flowering tree in miniature. Staring at it, he pulls it from his palm with a shrug and plants it in the ground.

"...I needed to hear about that fear." He exhales oxygen and nods, "Being a part of the green means swimming in it. It's a part of me, I couldn't outrun it. These powers. Having friends like this is...what I needed. People who I can lean on so that I can swim in it and remember why I need to not dive deep."

Not yet at any rate. One day he will pass into the green. The thought terrifies him, joining the parliament, rooting.

"Yes. Come back. Bring books and I'll gather histories. It'll be a good excuse to get to know the people involved in all of this."

He spreads his hands wide to embrace the green world at large.

"also know this Jacob Stone. Doing this for me...If you find yourself struggling here or in danger, come to any woods or forest and it will defend you."

His motivation is partially selfish. This man is offering him companionship and friendship. He is offering him books and humanity. That can't be taken away. The other half is genuine. He can't do much by way of repaying him beyond knocking on doors in the green and hoping for stories worth sharing.

'It doesn't involve you doing anything." he gestured, "No magic. They simply...see you as a friend. As do I."

"...Thank you."

[bookbrawler]

That's a certainly a...unique response, and Jacob watches the small tree for a moment, absolutely fascinated. He might be afraid of using magic, distrustful of people using it in general, but it still remains a source of wonder for him. Maybe he needs to see things like this more often than just bad guy after bad guy taking advantage of artifacts, re-enforcing his cynicism.

"...I have a friend that has gifts too. I'm afraid for her sometimes, and she just--she just loves magic, y'know? Got us into trouble a few times. Got us outta trouble, too. But I wanna help her, it's a part of her and...friends do help."

He nods, already mentally planning a list of what else to bring. But what Alec says next is surprising, and his face softens as he stammers, appreciative of the gesture.

"That's--that's real nice of you, I mean--thanks." A great smile. All of it, the gift of the forest to defend him, and making a new friend. He's truly eager to learn more about the new stories, and that's a gift in and of itself.

"It's nothin'. Don't really have a chance to make new friends much, either. So really, thank you."

[houmaprotector]

"...Have faith in your friend but don't be afraid to do what you've done for me." he nods, "It can be lonely to have a connection to power like this."

He pauses, "Once a week Mr. Stone? Jacob? I always used to go to the movies on Tuesday. That would be a good day to meet...perhaps?"

[bookbrawler]

"Yeah...I'm working on it." Needing to trust her more, trust people more in general...definitely still working on it. "I never really thought about how lonely it can be..."

He grins, nodding enthusiastically. "Jacob's fine. And Tuesday's fine. I'll bring along the books. And a couple of cold ones...you can't drink beer, can you? Just asking."

[houmaprotector]

"No." Sadly. He was never much of a drinker but Barley is a bit of a conversationalist, "But don't let that stop you. I'll have water and sunlight and you can drink and listen."

Then. Sincerely, "I'm looking forward to it."

[bookbrawler]

"Hey, whatever you enjoy, man. Sounds like a plan."

Jacob finally gets up with a grin, and jerks a thumb over a shoulder to indicate the path he'd come from.

"I gotta get back, but I'll see you then, okay? Me too. Lookin' forward to the books and beer and water and sunlight."