Deities’ World: Archimedes and Hades

[k_a_webb]

Based on the prompt ‘How do they deal with worship and expectations from their devotees?’ from livejournal user ysabetwordsmith.

Archimedes had learnt how to cope with the expectations of his people, and even the different ways he could be worshipped, but it wasn’t until he actually started his time as a Winter deity that he understood how difficult it really was. He could hear all the wishes of the people who had chosen him as their deity, some of them much stronger than the others, and he couldn’t help wondering whether tossing a coin would make the decisions he had to make easier. Sighing, he leant his head on the table.

“It’s never going to be easy,” Hades said. Archimedes could feel his father’s eyes on him. “Whatever decision you make someone is going to be disappointed.”

Without lifting his head Archimedes replied, “I know that, Father. I just don’t know what decision to make right now and I think there might be a sacrificial cult starting up in my name.”

“It happens.”

“How can you be so calm about it?”

“I’ve been a deity for many millenia and after so long nothing can really surprise me with mortals. They have interesting ideas about what deities need to be given in order to get their wishes granted.”

Archimedes lifted his head from the table, rubbed it so his mother wouldn’t complain about the head print he’d left, and looked at Hades. “I just don’t get why they would think that sacrificing anything would get me to do what they want.”

“You’re a new deity and no one’s quite sure what to expect from you yet. People will choose different ways of getting your attention and it’s up to you which ones you want to encourage. That doesn’t mean that the others will stop, but you know what’s important to you and I think you know what sort of worship it is you want, so focus on those people rather than the ones who see you as a means to an end.”

Nodding, Archimedes smiled at Hades. “Thank you for helping, Father. There are people that I’ve felt a real connection with but I worry that I’m making the wrong choice by following that connection.”

Hades looked at him for a long moment. “In the end you’re going to have to focus on that connection. It is that feeling you need to understand more than anything else. With the growing pagan tradition on Earth I’m being called on more and even now I still have to focus on whether I get that connection with the person that’s calling me. If there’s no connection then I try to give the person a gentle nudge in the right direction. Of course mortals are stubborn and some won’t let go of their belief that it’s me they need, but mostly it works out.”

“What should I do about the sacrificial cult?”

“Ignore them if you don’t want to be a sacrificial deity. It’s the easiest thing to do, but don’t think they’re going to disappear if you do. In some cases they might just act as though you’re talking to them and make decisions based on that belief so it might come to be that you’re seen as something that you’re not. Those people who truly want to connect with you will see past the reputation to who you really are.”

Originally posted at dreamwidth.org as kajones_writing.

Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.