Nhet, was the other beings name, the laughing god, the god with no face. Nhet had brought her to a godly gathering, introducing her to the delights of their company. It had been a transformative experience, full of tricky games that, as the god of luck she excelled at, to the frustration of her peers, she remained silent in her glee in their ire, a subtle smile all that she let herself express. This was her domain, now, she would rise among gods, she thought, with arrogance. She was a sore loser, she knew, but it was lucky then, that she so often won.
Many gods preferred solitude, according to Nhet, but Ketsuri found she reveled in being the center of attention. Perhaps it was her need for light, company as opposed to dark isolation, her long loneliness as a statue. Either way she was loath to leave when the gathering subsided. She had followed Nhet back to her haunt, the woods where she had first encountered the other being. Nhet seemed a bit bewildered by the attention, but didn’t drive her away, for which Ketsuri was grateful. The god seed in her body seemed most alive when surrounded by other gods.
They traveled together for a long while, Nhet tending to her home. It was strange, watching Nhet work. Her entire body was an instrument, mimicking the sounds of laughter of the animals around her in a way that was incomprehensible to Ketsuri, her entire body shaking, convulsing, slightly grotesque with the hilarity she parodied, tweaking the laugh until she was entirely satisfied, before returning it to its original creator.
The eeriness of seeing another creature laugh emptily, voicelessly, while Nhet worked prompted a deep feeling of unease, sending shivers up Ketsuri’s spine. ‘What is the purpose of your work?’ She asked, once, knowing it was a rude question, but unable to help herself. She would be greatly offended if another being asked her about her work as a luck god, but she and Nhet were close enough for her to hopefully not to take too much offense.
Nhet paused, her chipmunk’s laughter petering out. ‘Laughter is a universal language, and there aren't many of those. Even the way beings express emotion varies, their expressions, the way the muscles of their faces contract, but laughter transcends.’ She murmured, her voice still shaking a little from her bout of squeaking chuckles in the chipmunk’s voice, returning to her work diligently. Ketsuri considered her answer. It was true, there were some emotions that seemed consistent across species, their expression could vary widely, but laughter… ‘Do you work to create a universal language, then? In order to allow all beings some means of communicating?’ She asked, trying to understand the greater picture, the meaning of it all. Nhet turned to her, the chipmunk scurrying away, its voice returned. ‘A universal language, yes, communication is important. But more than that, it is something that connects us all, an energy that is put out into the world around us, something that will linger in the world long after the mortal beings that created it have passed on. It is a form of eternity. And as a god, that mortals can create an eternity intrigues me. I want to understand it, all of it.’ She turned away once more, seeking her next target.
Was her luck similar, Ketsuri wondered. Luck was a form of energy as well, something that all beings had, to some degree. And when their luck ran out, they often died. Would a being with too much luck be eternal? The idea that mortals would gain immortality offended her, she would make sure no being gained that much luck, she resolved. But unlike laughter, luck seemed a more lonely energy, disruptive, rather than connective. Beings with luck often drew the ire of those around them, their envy. Even her own, at times.
Were all gods’ talents based in energy? Perhaps she would ask at the next god gathering. Hm. What would it mean to take luck from a god? Would it be more potent? Would removing all their luck result in their death as well? It seemed a risky thing to explore. And one that would earn her no friends. She would rather not drive away the beings that set her god seed at ease. It was excruciating to be without their presence, now that she had found them. She would abstain, for now.
