Snippet #2644432

"Darn." Klethi clicked her tongue. "Count yourself lucky, Fenris; there are occupants plenty of this room who would not take being accused of mortality so well."
"You sound displeased," Fenris observed, nervously wringing his hands together.
"Well. It may have been fun to watch divine anger being dispensed for so pointless an offense. But take heart; I'll never show ire to your many opinions. They're amusing."
"You're patronizing me."
"No. Just glad, and reminded once again, what fun it is to have you party to these meetings. Unfortunately this particular one has lost my interest." She rose again. "Goddess Edna, I do apologize for what fright I may have given you reason to express. When the time comes, if us gods do seek loftier offices, I'll remember your objections favorably. The other, less polite rejections I might not reward with such difference. Valoel, it was nice to make your acquaintance. Say goodbye, Fenris."
"We're leaving?"
"You sound disappointed. Would you rather I left you here, to fumble through even more embarrassing introductions with your new friend? It is better to leave now, and reserve some air of mystery before she's correctly deduced your status as a fool."
"The MacSweets?"
"You've served your purposes, and for that they shall be rewarded." Thrust into a situation from which he had no guarantee of survival, and still he thought about others before himself. He certainly must have been a fool.
"Will we be returning to Aerth?"
"If that is what you wish, though I could deposit you somewhere else. I will be making rounds pursuing what gods found interest in my schemes, however juvenile, many of which inhabit realms your mortal shell would be most uncomfortable in. Unless you'd like to see what Vescteseg does with your kin."
"Aerth would be preferable."
"...shame. I was hoping you'd find your courage. Their realms are boring, and worse, lonely. Perhaps I'll find a braver companion. Or Simon, wherever he's off to."
"He's probably still trying to balance the taxes for Aerth."
Klethi laughed and the preposterity of the endeavor. Balancing taxes for a city that saw thirteen civil wars a week and was invaded by demons every-other weekend? What an odd population her city housed. "He'd be quite busy, then. Perhaps you should seek him out, debate theology as you both so love to do."
"I don't love to debate it," Fenris defended, with his brows returned to the butted, upset state.
"I only tease. Besides: Simon talks circles around even myself. I understand not why he subjects himself to such a menial living in Aerth when he could be philosopher-king of any number of nations. Unlike your own, his skill sets are actually useful outside of my direct service. You're a nice person, Fenris, but that doesn't win you any friends. No friends that matter, at least."
Fenris offered a goodbye to Valoel. Klethi tried to interrupt the conversation again to share her own parting words, not that it would have been easy to get the room's attention again or that she particularly cared if she was missed.