[center] [h1][color=violet][b][u]Cadien[/u][/b][/color][/h1] & [h1][color=8493ca][b][u]Neiya[/u][/b][/color][/h1] [/center] [hr] Neiya had drifted for what felt like a paradoxical eternity and a few moments all at once. Beyond the blur at the sides of her vision she registered the sun moving to set, the moons lifting in the sky, as tree and branch and cliff all skirted past beside and underneath her. Her work with the mortals - with her channeled sanctuary - had left her drained and tired, and though the emotions never stopped streaming in, the roar of roiling mortal feelings had become manageable and dulled in its own way. It gave her room to contemplate. To focus better on individual emotions, and their sources. Perhaps one day she would be able to square the storm away in the back of her mind - but until then it colored her every thought as it passed by. So too did the landscape shift beneath her hovering feet. Cliffs, grass and trees became sparser until finally a vast expanse opened up, replacing the dense greenery with vibrant and inviting yellows, sun faded and speckled with flowers. It was an ocean on land, Neiya thought to herself as her mind wandered from her woes, offering brief respite in comparing this majestic prairie to the ocean that had enraptured her so on first sight. Hesitant for a time, Neiya eventually continued her journey adrift above the tall grass. She thought she had seen all the world had to offer. How much was there beyond the mountains? Beyond the limits of her previously-thought unlimited perception? New animals - proud bison grazing the massive fields, and massive beasts circling in the sky far above. The novelty occupied her mind for a time, as she set about exploring this endless golden brown expanse. Humans had spread to this land also, and she offered them no more than a passing sight to be in awe of. When the initial rapture wore off, the melting pot of emotions began to stir and boil once more. She could sense the allure of the beautiful ocean once more, taste its’ scent in the air. In an effort to escape the returning flood of her internal struggle, she made further west over the prairie, eager to reunite with the blue. It didn’t take her long to reach the coast, where yellow turned white, and finally that deep blue that she had left behind to return to Toraan. She closed her eyes, content to listen to the crashing waves for a time, letting them lull her to a delusion of calm. She drifted out a small distance, ready to succumb to an eternity of crashing waves and turbulent thought. The ocean was not the only thing she could sense, however. A divine presence was nearing her location. Off in the distance a familiar figure approached, walking across the water. Cadien. He had noticed her too, and was now hurrying his way toward her, carrying on with his melodramatic leaps through the air. Neiya released a sharp sigh as her eyes confirmed what she had felt at first, and for a moment she felt herself fidget, almost impatient. She cleared her throat as she batted her thoughts away, and patiently hovered in place above the water as she awaited his approach with a serene look on her features. He landed just a few feet away, and came to a stop. [color=violet]“Neiya,”[/color] he greeted her with a pleasant smile. [color=violet]“I did not expect to meet you out here. How are you doing?”[/color] The question seemed harder for her to answer than it would be for most. A flash of a frown ran over her thinning lips, before she did her best to remain approachable. [color=8493ca]“Appreciating the ocean, as ever,”[/color] she responded in a soft murmur. [color=8493ca]“You look-... You look well, Cadien. As I remember you. I am glad I did not tarnish you permanently.”[/color] Cadien furrowed his brow. [color=violet]“Tarnish?”[/color] he asked, visibly confused. [color=violet]“In what way?”[/color] Then his eyes widened slightly in realization. [color=violet]“Oh. The memories. No… I wouldn’t call that tarnishing.”[/color] That seemed to wash the frown away, as Neiya parted her lips to breathe a gentle sigh of relief. [color=8493ca]“You understand, then. I’m glad.”[/color] The goddess moved closer towards Cadien, lifting her hand almost as if on cue. She blinked, catching herself in the motion, and slowly rolled her fingers into a fist and retracted her arm. What was wrong with her? What was this need to touch all she saw experience emotion? [color=8493ca]“I-... I have had much time to think since last we met. The world was very confusing, then. It still is, but I am prepared, now.”[/color] [color=violet]“That’s good to hear,”[/color] Cadien nodded. [color=violet]“I’ve done some thinking as well. What conclusions have you reached?”[/color] [color=8493ca]“...Sorrow and pain,”[/color] Neiya began, and guiltily glanced towards the sea beneath her feet before continuing. [color=8493ca]“The things I showed you. They do not need to be the end. Mortals may not be able to recover who they were, who they loved, but they can still improve their lives. Learn, grow, and maybe even find some peace. Maybe we can too.”[/color] Cadien’s smile returned, warmer and brighter. [color=violet]“It seems we are of the same mind, then. Improvement is always worth striving for.”[/color] She hummed a soft agreement, looking away from Cadien and his infectious smile. [color=8493ca]“As the God of Perfection, naturally you would say that,”[/color] she eventually agreed out loud, in as jovial a tone as she could muster. She cringed internally at what must’ve sounded like sarcasm. [color=8493ca]“...but I agree. There is beauty in seeking betterment. In learning from what ails you. And mortals have many aspirations to ail them.”[/color] [color=violet]“Yes. Exactly,”[/color] Cadien nodded eagerly. [color=violet]“And now that you’ve learned this, can I ask if you’ve done anything about it?”[/color] Neiya brought herself to nod back. [color=8493ca]“I have. Or at least… I’ve tried. I made a place of peace, of rest, where the great river joins the mountain.”[/color] She thought briefly, glancing back to Cadien. [color=8493ca]“And I gave two mortals mastery of their shared pain. I can’t do much-... nothing great like the ocean, or your humans.”[/color] She resisted the urge to clutch her torso as her internal doubt grew in her stomach. [color=violet]“Still, that seems like a fine start,”[/color] Cadien said. [color=violet]“Though I think you underestimate yourself. Hmm… perhaps we might work on something together?”[/color] Another breath of hesitation. [color=8493ca]“...Together?”[/color] Neiya offered a small nod. [color=8493ca]“I’d like that. I’m not sure I can match Perfection, though.”[/color] [color=violet]“Sometimes I’m not even sure [i]I[/i] can match perfection,”[/color] Cadien said, his smile dimming slightly, before returning. [color=violet]“Whatever we make can always be improved later on, though.”[/color] Neiya found herself flexing her fingers, watching Cadien with building anticipation. [color=8493ca]“That’s true,”[/color] she breathed quietly, almost to herself, before looking out over the ocean, and turning to face the land. [color=8493ca]“But what would we do? ...How?”[/color] [color=violet]“The world can always use new life,”[/color] Cadien pointed out. [color=violet]“We could make something beautiful, and intelligent. Similar to the humans. And since you’re so fond of the ocean…”[/color] [color=8493ca]“Life?”[/color] The suggestion seemed to rock Neiya to her core, and her eyes widened as she considered the growing number of possibilities. Similar to humans. Her fondness for the ocean. [color=8493ca]“Something-... a mortal that can cherish it as much…”[/color] she cleared her throat as she realized she had looked back at Cadien with something akin to muted glee. [color=8493ca]“...as much as I do? I like that. Everyone should be able to enjoy this beautiful expanse. How does it work? I’ve only made things that had no life. Parts of my own essence.”[/color] [color=violet]“It’s not too different, really,”[/color] the God said. [color=violet]“Imagine what you want to create. What it looks like. What qualities and abilities it will possess. What it will need to survive. Then focus your power and make it a reality.”[/color] Neiya watched him in anxious thought, slowly turning back to watch the coastline and the expansive beaches and the sand. She closed her eyes and lifted her hand towards the ground in the distance, trying to follow Cadien’s instructions. Within, self-doubt roiled and lashed at her imagination. What if she couldn’t imagine something that would please him? All she had ever made were simple things. Shapes. Still, she did her best to focus her creative energies, and her thoughts. Her only reference for mortals were humans - perhaps they should resemble them. But humans were built for land, and unsuited for the whipping waters. She tried to imagine all the ocean life she had observed in her time, and tried to conjure the features that made them different from humans. That made them suited to the water. She grasped at what she could in her mind, and the wet sand in the distance began to twist and assemble into shifting piles of matter. She was doing it, slowly, and unfocused. Then Cadien stepped beside her, placed a hand on her shoulder, and added his power to her own. [color=violet]“You’re doing fine, just keep your focus,”[/color] he whispered to her. She faltered for just a moment, shocked by his touch, but soon stabilized and kept to her thoughts. His power and hers together made her feel the shaping sand take form, and rise to a height comparable to that of the humans of Toraan. Their features too were similar, limited by her experiences on Galbar, yet narrower cheeks and in hues that ranged from humanity’s tan to a paleness reminiscent of the water. Some grew out of the water itself, seeming to grow legs to stumble onto the beach, while others confusedly stumbled into the water and immersed themselves, shifting their lower bodies into something coiling like a fishtail. Neiya opened her eyes as she felt her first creative stint finishing, to watch the creation. Her shock was immediate. Not unlike herself, these dualistic creatures had horns sprouting from their heads. Many in the same pattern, just beside or on the forehead, but there were variations. Mutations. [color=violet]“Excellent!”[/color] Cadien said, squeezing her shoulder slightly. [color=violet]“Well done! They look magnificent.”[/color] A warmth Neiya usually only felt in flashes lingered on her cheeks and in her torso, the initial shame and shock at her creation wiped away by his words. [color=8493ca]“You think so?”[/color] she asked hesitantly, watching them move on the beach and in the water. A few of them had already seemed to master their dual nature, their bodies shifting and twisting at considerable effort to adapt to either the beachside or the water. Neiya was in awe. Had she really had a hand in this? With new appreciation, she marvelled over the depths of her own mind’s ability to create - with Cadien’s aid. They were beautiful. Marvellous. When she ignored the horns - and the memory of her own reflection they inspired - they were very captivating. [color=8493ca]“I love them.”[/color] Neiya murmured over her breath. Cadien released his grip on her right shoulder, but rather than pull away, he stepped in closer. He placed his arm around her upper back and rested his hand on her other shoulder. Neiya did not seem to mind, captivated by their joint creation and stilled to calm by his presence. She leaned against him ever so slightly in her idle hover, a gentle tilt of weight and humble affection. She could already feel the tug of their creations’ nascent emotions, proof that if nothing else they were a creation beyond that of mere beasts. [color=8493ca]“...Thank you.”[/color] She offered demurely. They stayed like that for some time, watching their newly created species experience its first moments of life. Once again they seemed to lose track of how long it lasted, but nothing could last forever, and eventually it was time to pull away. Cadien looked like he wanted to say something, but seemed at a loss for words. Neiya stole the moment from him in his hesitation, lifting her hand to touch at his cheek as she had done in the past. This time, either through control or compassion, no onslaught of emotion followed. A gentle gesture, further enshrined as she spoke. [color=8493ca]“I am not sure they will need improvement, but perhaps we should keep an eye on them together, from time to time.”[/color] Cadien nodded. [color=violet]“Indeed. A new species can always use a guide. Besides, I won’t object to spending more time with you.”[/color] That seemed to coax a lighter crease from the edges of her lips. Neiya ran her thumb against the handsome god’s cheek for a moment before lowering her hand. [color=8493ca]“I want to see where else the coast stretches. Then I will return to the highlands. I will wait for you there, Cadien.”[/color] [color=violet]“Then I look forward to our next meeting,”[/color] he smiled. [hr] [hider=Post Summary] Neiya drifts a bit until she finds the Plains of Sol. She keeps wandering until she once again ends up near the ocean. Cadien happens to be walking by and the two meet. They talk about their previous conversation, some recent revelations the two of them both had, and then about Neiya’s recent creations. Cadien expresses his approval because most of what she is saying seems to more or less fall in line with his own beliefs. Anyway, Neiya expresses her uncertainty at her ability to create things, so Cadien suggests they make something together. They create the merfolk. A highly attractive bipedal race that look a lot like humans, only they have horns upon their head and they can make their legs shapeshift into tails so that they may swim in water. They also have other abilities, which will be explained once the wiki article is up. Neiya and Cadien are both awed by their new creation, and they have another tender moment. Eventually it comes time to part ways, but the two agree to meet again. [/hider] [hider=Might Summary] [u]Cadien[/u] [b]Beginning MP:[/b] 2 [b]Beginning DP:[/b] 4 -1MP toward creating the Merrelli (merfolk.) [b]Ending MP:[/b] 1 [b]Ending DP:[/b] 4 [u]Neiya[/u] [b]Beginning MP:[/b] 2 [b]Beginning DP:[/b] 0 -1MP toward creating the Merrelli (merfolk.) [b]Ending MP:[/b] 1 [b]Ending DP:[/b] 0 [/hider]