60 - A God, Sacred

Lin

One of my online friends has vented to me about suicide again.

As someone who has experienced it, ruminating on it really isn't worth it.

And whilst it is easier said than done to get out of it, I'm not sure that I have the energy to drag this person out of this one. 

As much as I want to help, I have problems of my own.

That, and the person I'm speaking to is a few thousand miles away, which means that I'd have to buy a plane ticket to get to them if I wanted to see them, and that's not the kind of thing I have the money or time for, let alone the mental capacity.

Last time I walked outside of my own front door, I had several panic attacks. I don't particularly want to do that again.

I care, but first and foremost, my body, my mind, my spirit, and everything else that comes with me, are sacred.

My sanctity of being is sacred.

And that is the first thing I must work on in order to be able to help anyone else - my own sanctity.

That is my first priority. I want to be myself again, the one who enjoys going out, who loves travelling, who takes good care of themself and their body... 

I'll get there.

I sigh, and trudge to the kitchen to make yet another bowl of ramyeon.

The more I focus on being happy, and getting out of here, the easier it will be for me.

And you will get out of here.

Ktesios!

You're probably wondering why I'm here.

For context, Ktesios is Hestia's assistant, and the God of households, as well as home, land and real estate. He also is the protector and provider for families who need him to be. He's gentle most of the time, unless you piss him off. In which case, run.

You're telling them to run?

I'm kidding, chill.

He laughs.

I am very chill, I promise.

What brings you here, then?

Rickmansworth, having been in the same facility as you, getting out of here, ya da ya da.

Same facility?

He pulls up the cuff on his right wrist to reveal a brand very similar to the one on my right wrist, but with one number difference.

Holy shit, you were next door to me.

I suppose I haven't explained what I mean by 'facility'.

Rickmansworth had me locked in a room for a long time, in one of his company owned buildings, to keep control of me and my powers.

I was essentially subject to torture for fuck knows how long (until I broke out), and I had made a point of trying to leave that whole debacle behind me.

But now that I know that someone else was involved, particularly of one of the same pantheons as me, I can't let it slide.

348? Why didn't you tell me?

Plausible deniability. It was to protect us both.

It makes sense, given that Rickmansworth has always been the sort to use decent relationships between people to exert mass amounts of torture on people.

I wish you had given me some kind of sign.

Any kind of sign that I would have given at that time would either have been misinterpreted to be someone you shouldn't have thought it was, or to be a sign of danger, neither of which I wanted you to think.

Fair point. So you want in on Rickmansworth's demise?

I do.

I also want to help you move out. The energy's stagnant here, no matter which way you put it, and you need to be able to go out again, as well as take better care of yourself. This place will not do.

The nemeton is fine, but you need your own physical space, and I'm willing to find and provide that for you, so long as I can stay alive long enough to bring down Rickmansworth along with the rest of you.

So you need an offering.

I rummage through my offerings to find a brass timepiece full of sapphire swarovski crystals. Placing it on the offering altar, I watch as it manifests into his hands.

This will be enough. Thank you.

Of course.

He ruffles my hair.

Take care, Tavi.

And you, Kte.

As his presence fades, I wrap my throw around myself, taking the warm bowl of ramyeon into my hands.

It's enough that I myself was tortured there. But one of my colleagues, friends, family?

I won't let this slide.