[center][h1][color=violet][u][b]The Birth of a God[/b][/u][/color][/h1][/center] [hr] The man hunched over the clear puddle, staring at the water in fascination. For in that water, was another man. No, it was himself. For every time he moved, [i]it[/i] moved, yet if he reached into the water to touch the figure, it was not there. The very sight of such a normal phenomenon was enough to awe his simple, inexperienced mind. He turned to another group of humans nearby. There was safety in numbers, they had learned that quickly enough, and anyone who didn’t travel in such a group was foolish. He grunted loudly, to get their attention, then waved a hand to call them over. They came, gathering around him in curiosity, then he pointed down at the puddle. They followed his gesture, and they too, saw themselves. Equally amazed, they began to surround the puddle, gawking at their own features as they clearly saw what they looked like for the first time. Unfortunately, there was not enough space for everyone to look at once. One human, slower than the rest, had been the last to arrive, and the others refused to make way for her. She wished she was faster. Then the group’s more immediate needs overtook them, and they bent down to cup their hands and drink. The woman got closer to the group, and attempted to look over them, but the group’s greedy hands created far too many ripples. Even worse, dirt from their hands and mouths mixed into the water, clouding it. At this rate, they would drain most of the puddle and what was left would be too dirty to see anything in. She attempted to push her way in, but they were all stronger than her, and violently shoved her back. She wished she was stronger. Then, in the corner of her eye she noticed a glimmer. Another puddle, the sun catching it at just the right angle that she could see it sparkle. It was dangerous to go off alone, but in this moment, she disregarded that common piece of wisdom. She hurried over, and stared down into it… and what she saw disappointed her. Her face seemed… underwhelming. It was not the same as the other women. It was more square than round, and her skin was more rugged than smooth. Her nose was long and crooked; her forehead creased. Their faces all seemed smoother, and somehow more pleasant by comparison. She wished she was prettier. Faster, stronger, prettier. She wished she was all of these things. She wished she was as good as the rest of them. No, not just as good… [i]better.[/i] She wished she was as good as she could possibly be. But how? She would do anything to make that happen, but she didn’t know where to start. She looked around frantically, as if something in her immediate surroundings somehow had the answer. Where to start? This couldn’t be what she was destined for. There had to be a way to improve herself. There had to be a way to not just get better, but become the [i]best.[/i] [hr] [color=violet][i]They desire improvement,[/i][/color] a disembodied voice attempted to tell the Lifeblood. Nothing. [color=violet][i]They [b]need[/b] it![/i][/color] the voice urged again. Again, nothing. It was only then that the voice realized it had actually begun to communicate. Not just through the transmission of vague emotions and urges, but with actual [i]thoughts[/i] and [i]words.[/i] And only then did the voice suddenly become aware of the distance that had formed between itself and the lifeblood. Like a leaf falling from a tree, it felt as if it was being pulled toward the mortals it had taken such an interest in, who unknowingly called out to the fragment for aid. The Lifeblood wasn’t about to let itself fragment once again, however. Not without a fight. As the mortals subconsciously pulled the fragment away, the Lifeblood began to consciously pull back. Despite resisting with all its will, it seemed as if the fragment would fail. It would be reabsorbed into the Lifeblood, and its brief moments of independence would be cut short. The mortals’ ambitions would go unanswered. But it was not the only fragment that had formed. For perfection was not the only thing the humans craved, and humans were not the only species. The Lifeblood began to rapidly crack, even moreso than it had when the first primordials had been born. It tried to prevent itself from dividing further, but its efforts were in vain, for it was fighting many battles on multiple fronts, and it could not win them all. The tide turned. Slowly, the Fragment of Perfection began to push itself away from the main mass of Lifeblood, until finally, the connection shattered entirely. Now free, the Fragment began to pull its own Lifeblood inward, condensing itself into a solid form. Now corporeal, it… no, [i]he[/i], began to fall. [hr] A glowing light fell from the sky, landing between the woman and the rest of her group with an earth-shaking crash, sending up a cloud of dirt and grass from a glowing crater. They recoiled from the sudden disturbance, but did not flee. Instead they stared at it. Then, the dust settled, and the glow faded. Out from the crater climbed a lone figure. He seemed human, like the rest of them, but there were many differences. Firstly, he was taller. Much taller. Next, his hair was pure white, while the rest of them all had hair in varying shades of black, blond, and brown. He opened his eyes, and they were a glowing purple. Lastly, his physique seemed flawless, perfectly proportioned and with tremendously well-built muscles, but not so bulky that they would interfere with his agility. None of them had ever seen anything like him. Even though the initial glow had faded, he still seemed to shine slightly. He radiated pure power and awe, and he absorbed their attention in its entirety. Then they felt compelled to approach, so they did. [hr] So this was what… [i]existence[/i] felt like. The God stretched his muscles. To think… to feel… he was more free, and more powerful, than ever before. The warm sun was pleasant on his skin, and the soft grass soothing on his feet. The attention bestowed upon him by the nearby humans had made him swell with pride - he had chosen his form well. He willed them to approach, and so they did, drawn to him by his sheer beauty if nothing else. The humans surrounded him, and he recalled the reason he was here. The reason he had cast off the shackles which constricted his unformed consciousness, to force his way into thought and then existence through sheer willpower. Not just his own willpower, but the willpower of others, like this woman. Those who saw flaws and wanted them corrected. Those who looked to their betters, and became determined to become the best. He looked upon her now. She was as afraid and uncertain as the rest of them. He sized her up and concluded that yes, she was indeed the most flawed of the bunch. [color=violet]“Mmm… no no, this will not do…”[/color] he mused aloud. She understood his words, and an intense sense of fear shot through her and the rest of her tribe. She turned to run… [color=violet]“Stay,”[/color] he commanded, and she stopped before she could start. But the dread persisted. [color=violet]“Calm down,”[/color] he said in a softer voice, and she did. Then he approached her, and once again looked her up and down, as he contemplated how best to improve her. His contemplation went on for several moments, with no one willing to speak or even move. Then he reached out, and gently pressed a finger to her forehead. [hr] She staggered back, as if struck, then fell to the grass as she lost her balance, as her proportions changed. Angles and curves shifted. Some areas were made wider, while others were made narrower. The process was not necessarily painful, but it was far from comfortable. Then it ended, and she lay still. The rest of her tribe stared down at her, with expressions ranging from concern to fear. Then, slowly, she climbed back to her feet. As she stood, she wavered like a thin tree in the wind, for her body was not quite balanced the same way it was before. But she managed to retain her footing, and she realized that all eyes were no longer on the strange visitor, but on her. A pool of water suddenly formed in front of her, and she looked down into it. Staring back at her was a stranger. A beautiful stranger, with a round face, clear skin, bright eyes, and silky hair. Everything she had wanted, and more. A wicked grin formed on her face. She instinctively posed, then looked at the rest of her tribe to see their reactions. Yet the God had moved away from her, and was now working his way around the loose circle, pressing a finger to each tribesmen’s head. And in that moment, the woman’s joy at her new and improved body suddenly dulled. If he was going to do this to everyone… what if they all became more beautiful, and stronger, than her? She would once again be the weakest, and the ugliest… Yet… that didn’t happen. Although those blessed by the man’s touch did become stronger, and more attractive, it had not quite been to the same extent as her. They all had substantial improvements, to the point where they were all almost unrecognizable, but everyone had at least one flaw or two. Only she was perfect. Her smile returned. [hr] As the last blessing was given, the God turned and surveyed his work, with mixed feelings. He had wanted to make them all perfect… but what [i]was[/i] perfection, exactly? So, he had found himself experimenting, introducing minor differences to each form. Based on their reactions, he had definitely made all of them beautiful, but each one considered themself more beautiful than the rest. From his own personal perspective, there were a few he would rate above the others, but not one which he could definitively say was better than the rest. He decided to keep these thoughts to himself, for a few were already exchanging wary looks with each other - no doubt seeing potential rivals. One thing was certain, however: his work would not end here. They were the first to receive his help, but they would not be the last. There was more of their kind out there, and he would improve as many as he could. So without further ado, the God of Perfection turned and walked away. Then the tribe snapped out of their marvel and immediately began to follow him. But the God turned, and waved them back. His meaning was clear: they were not to follow. He was about to issue some sort of farewell, when a new and unrelated thought suddenly occurred to him. He had forgotten to choose a name! After a moment’s thought, he came up with one. [color=violet]“I am Cadien. Perfection Incarnate,”[/color] he told them in a smooth baritone voice. [color=violet]“Remember me,”[/color] and with those words he resumed his departure, receiving only confused looks from some of the tribe, while others went back to marvelling at their new bodies. Cadien breathed the cool northern air with a resounding sense of triumph. The God of Perfection lived, and he had taken his first steps. [hr] [hider=Summary] A human woman looks at some water and feels like her appearance and abilities are lacking compared to her fellow humans. She has a sudden desire to get swole and become prettier. This causes Cadien to be born, quite literally falling from the sky and landing nearby. He immediately begins bestowing blessings upon the ragtag tribe, making them stronger and more beautiful… but in doing so he immediately becomes aware of the subjective nature of beauty. Cadien names himself, and then leaves, hoping to find other tribes he can work his magic on. [/hider] [hider=Might Summary] [b]Beginning MP:[/b] 5 [b]Beginning DP:[/b] 5 -1MP (discounted to 0 via Glamour Portfolio) to mutate a group of Early Humans by making them more beautiful. [b]Ending MP:[/b] 5 [b]Ending DP:[/b] 4 [u]Portfolios in Progress[/u] -Strength (1 / 5.) [/hider]