[center][h2]Astella & I’Iro[/h2]
Starring in…
[h1]King of the Hill[/h1]

[img]https://web.archive.org/web/20091027074500/http://geocities.com/bluesky971026/barwhitejumper.gif[/img][/center]

Astella stood in front of I’Iro, a full head shorter and looking up into her face with a grin. She just stared, with no attempt to say anything whatsoever.

The other goddess stared back for a moment too, unblinking but showing a sense of curiosity. Eventually she couldn’t help but to question the situation. [code]Yes? Do you still need help with something?[/code] 

Astella nodded, paying no attention to Snowy as she jumped off her shoulder onto the ground and went to drink water. [color=salmon]”Got any plans, Iro?”[/color]

The robot goddess shook her head. [code]There is nothing in my schedule at the moment. I came to this continent seeking shelter above all and now that is secured. I had no bigger plan outside of exploring this world and understanding things that seemed strange to me. That said. There is this branch of some sort of tree-like entity that I planned to take care of as a memory from a continent long lost you see…?[/code]

The goddess searched for the branch for a moment, even the strange readings she got from it seemed to be gone from her sensors. Astella grimaced a little. [code]Ah a code 404. I must have dropped it… in the crater...[/code] she looked over at the crater-turned-lake as it continued to be filled by the geyser of water, the overflow crashing down the mountain as a continent’s worth of water returned to Galbar. The land below, once easy to see in the crispy dry air, was now hidden by massive clouds of mist formed by the massive waterfalls from Mount Divinus.

At that sight, I’Iro pouted. [code]Well. Finding it again seems quite unlikely now.[/code] she complained.

Astella sighed and rested her hands on her hips. [color=salmon]”Listen! Don’t be sad, I’ll help you look. It couldn’t have gone THAT far, right? Maybe it got stuck in between a few rocks somewhere close to here. Wanna go now?”[/color]

[code]The waterflow is forming a storm at this moment. It seems too hazardous at the moment. I can wait. It is a very unique plant not native to this continent. I will look for it myself once Nalmepror is rested. That said. Thank you for the offer. You are a very pleasant company Astella. Snowy too.[/code] she looked to the side just in time to avoid Astella’s beaming grin, to the land nearing the lake. [code]It seems we met here due to how central this area is to the continent. Perhaps we could set this mountain as a meeting place?[/code]

[color=salmon]”I like you too, Iro! And as usual, yes that sounds like a great idea. What did you have in mind, specifically? A big hotel, maybe? I know I’m [i]dying[/i] to lay on a proper bed.”[/color] The short Goddess said as she slumped over and groaned.

[code]A hotel? Well that is surely an example of a meeting place I just feel like function wise… it might miss the point. The gods we have met so far have been fairly diverse so we should accommodate for that.[/code] she turned towards the lake, observing its beauty for a moment. [code]We should also make it imperative that the fountain is protected and preserved as it is such a key feature of our survival. As such, my proposal is as follows.[/code]

Focusing her mind, she created a hologram in front of the goddess, a flickering light-constructed replica of the summit of the mountain. From there, she designed a peaceful garden around the lake and to the east of it, the side with the most land, she created a central meeting area.

Astella tapped her chin as she watched the hologram expand and become more and more complex.

[url=https://i.imgur.com/CKYKRu5.jpg]Around such an area she created all sorts of zones, from single buildings to corridors to underground tunnels[/url]. Each took a different color to represent the possible gods that could create them. [code]I believe this is the best design for peaceful coexistence within the mountain. What is your opinion on this topic?[/color]

[color=salmon]”I’m sorry I’Iro, but...”[/color] Astella took a deep breath and began tapping her foot on the ground, [color=salmon]”That… Looks absolutely amazing!!”[/color] She laughed and jumped through the hologram to grab onto I’Iro’s arm. [color=salmon]”Let’s try it out, alright? Do me a favour and make sure Namel watches Snowy. She might try to follow us even after we walk onto the water. Ready?”[/color] Astella asked, bringing her hand up as if she was about to snap her fingers.

Once again I’Iro was surprised by the suddenness of Astella’s approach. She wondered if she would need to create an algorithm to deduce when the goddess would grab her away like that, though she couldn’t think of any mathematical method to properly predict that. [code]Ah! Oh… Uhm. Sure. Let us. Go? Yes. Nalmepror? Ne Aque Noun Snouu.[/code]  after sorting that out she turned to her fellow goddess and also readied her finger, aiming to snap them in unison to perform the first step in the construction of the meeting hall.

[color=salmon]”And… Go!”[/color] 

The two of them snapped their fingers at the same time, and suddenly they were standing in the middle of the location that had been a hologram just a few seconds ago. Everything, down to the smallest detail, seemed as if it actually had been there for hundreds of years. The wind changed, the sky wasn’t as saturated with mist, there was light, there were an abundance of plants… It was just like the hologram but alive and tangible. 

Astella chuckled quietly and shook her head, [color=salmon]”We didn’t have to actually snap our fingers, but I thought it’d be cooler if we did. This isn’t the real thing, by the way. We haven’t built anything yet. It’s just an illusion, so that we can experience the place first hand and figure out all the smaller details before starting the actual building. We wouldn’t want to spend years building and landscaping just to end up with empty, massive floors inside every structure, you know.”[/color] She explained, let go of I’Iro’s arm and walked over to the nearest structure. It was the central one that I’Iro had shown her in the hologram. She ran her hands against the smooth stone, cringing a little as the moss on top of it stuck to her fingers. [color=salmon]”What do you think?”[/color]

I’Iro smiled at Astella. [code]It is very impressive that you can create environments like this from within your own mind. Such levels of mental consistency are extremely rare and I doubt even the gods can create environments out of thought like you can. When I first noticed your domain as a goddess was over illusions I feared we might have had trouble communicating however it seems that it is quite the opposite.[/code] she was not as much of a fast observer as her fellow goddess was, she took a moment to observe the whole environment in all of its details. [code]It is quite amazing. This feels like it will work as the central zone. The meeting ground of gods.[/code]

Astella grinned proudly with a slight tint to her cheeks. [color=salmon]”Thank you! Yeah, in terms of looks, it does work as a meeting spot for gods. I think we should plan for future expansions too, as well as separate structures and sectors meant to house different gods’ staff. Embassies, if you will. Dibs on mine being a cool tower! Yours can be next door, maybe like… A very shiny pyramid? With lots of lights. There could even be a giant platform on its side for Namel to land on.”[/color]

[code]A pyramid? Hmm. It's a possible shape. For my area I was not thinking anything overly complex as I would prefer if nobody felt intimidated or lessened by my architectural choice.[/code] 

[color=salmon]”Oooh, I didn’t know my friend was this humble.”[/color] Astella remarked with a smirk, but quickly shrugged [color=salmon]“Well, other than that, we just need to make sure we know what goes where inside the central zone’s big structure.”[/color]

And so the two of them got to work at properly designing the different floors and areas within the central structure. I’Iro would often suggest simple things. Maps. A fountain. Perhaps a wall of information so they could always come to the most logical decisions as not every god was built in with an impeccable database such as her. While Astella took the duties of making everything comfortable and easy to navigate, as well as making everything look as pretty as possible. She wasn’t very good at picking the right furniture or plants, though, but she did her best. 

In the end, they had spent a good chunk of time in the illusion. So long, in fact, that at a certain point Astella had even forgotten that the place wasn’t really there. 

So, when the two had come to an agreement about the way they’d construct the soon-to-be Divine Meeting Spot, Astella cozied up to I’Iro and snapped her fingers again. In the blink of an eye, what had once been a complete reality now became nothing more than a ghostly landscape overlaid on top of reality. It was intangible and barely visible, but it served perfectly as a guide.

They, of course, were standing on top of the Lake, having walked onto it without realizing during their time in the Illusion.

[color=salmon]”Aaaand… There we go. All ready to start. Though, um, I admit I don’t really know where to start. Did you have any plans as for how to actually go about building this thing?”[/color]

I’Iro nodded, of course she had some sort of plan to deal with the situation. [code]Yes I do have a small plan. But we will need to set up a way for other gods to help as I am still just getting used to my divine abilities and you seem to be the same. The great advantage here is that your illusion gives the perfect amount of information for automated work and as gods we can create a supply of materials with ease. So. I believe I can create workers who upon being given your illusion will work to make it into a reality.[/code]

The dream goddess had to think about how she would create a medium to supply such information, soon she came up with an idea. In her hand she formed a scroll, but not a simple parchment, it was a black scroll made of some sort of shiny synthetic material. [code]May I touch your forehead for a moment? I believe with me as the intermediary I can transfer and transcribe the information of the illusion to this scroll.[/code]

[color=salmon]”Sure, I’m always ready to have people mess around with the things in my head. I wouldn’t be a good Illusionist if I wasn’t.”[/color] Astella winked and made sure her hair was swept back while tilting her head up slightly.

[code]What a peculiar predisposition. Nevertheless let us start this process.[/code] with a gentle touch I’Iro rested one hand on her friend’s forehead while the other held the scroll. Astella felt the machine goddess’ touch go from its typical cold to an increasing warmth as her eyes started to shine. A “whiteness” or shine would overtake the typical darkness she saw with her eyes closed, I’Iro meanwhile seemed to be unmoving outside of her fingers, which slowly unfurled the scroll between them. [code]And done. This was surprisingly clean to perform. I was unsure if this would be the result or if something unpleasant could have happened.[/code] she explained casually.

Astella blinked a few times and shook her head, smiling nervously after I’Iro explained the possibility of things going wrong.

With the information in hand, she wrapped the scroll again and placed it in a copper cylinder she had created. [code]Inform me. Do you think you can keep this illusion somewhat permanently in this area? Furthermore. Could we erect some sort of… guidestone? Something our fellow divines could gaze upon and understand our project in this area?[/code]

[color=salmon]”For sure, I could create an item that embeds the full illusion into other people’s minds once they touch it. This transparent overlay we’ve got going on right now will not be visible to anyone whose souls I haven’t touched, though. I imagine that’s what your scroll is for, right? They read it like a blueprint and then they can see the ghostly overlay?”[/color] Astella scrunched up her nose.

[code]It is a blueprint. Correct. It is however in a language compatible with machine thought.[/code] to exemplify what she meant, I’Iro gently walked over the water towards the shore, where she created [url=https://i.imgur.com/0pRShNy.jpg]a small spider shaped synthetic creature.[/url] in which she placed a copy of the copper cylinder she had created. With another touch on the robot worker, the goddess filled its material and resources needs so it could start working on the project assigned. [code]My idea is to make more of these, and allow the gods to supply them with materials as needed for the project.[/code]

[color=salmon]”Huh. Efficient! Let me take care of my bit, then.”[/color] Astella said with an enthusiastic nod before walking onto the shore and creating an unassuming stone pedestal, upon which was an equally unassuming, pageless, leather-bound book. On the cover of the book was a simple set of instructions, embossed in what looked like silver. 

[i]Open this pageless book in order to experience a projection of what the Divine City’s Central Plaza will look like after construction is finished. The projection will involve all 5 human senses and feature a realistic weather model and day/night cycle.

Close the book gently and slowly in order to dismiss the projection and return your perception of this area to normality.

Please provide construction materials to I’Iro’s spider constructs in order to ensure a speedy construction process. Thank you.

-Astella & I’Iro, 
Founders of Divine Friends Incorporated.[/i]

[hider=Summary]
Immediately after the unclogging of the world spring, I’Iro and Astella start to have a casual conversation. 
They note that the mountain became a meeting spot for the gods and as such plan to actually make it into a proper meeting ground via the long-term construction project of transforming the area around the lake into a calm garden and building the foundations of a location where all gods can construct their embassy in whatever form they wish (within reason)
Astella visualizes the location in an illusion, I’Iro turns that illusion into data and prints it out so it can be given to robot spider workers. Astella erects a pillar containing a book which shares the illusion and explains how other gods can help with the construction of the divine city.

Also I’Iro lost her fire tree sapling to the water torrents :(
[/hider]