He'd known there was a kind heart beneath her absent-minded mechanic exterior, but he hadn't realized there was a philosopher as well. He listened as she recalled words of wisdom from a different world, words that resonated across space and time, and he smiled ruefully as she so deftly put into perspective a conversation he'd once had with his mate over the difference between 'wants' and 'needs.' He had bowed to his lover's opinion then - he usually did, still smitten with the blond hunter even after more than a year together - but Libbs voiced what he had wanted to say with a simple economy of speech that had him bowing his head to her deeply in respectful acknowledgment.
"You didn't tell me you were a sage as well as an engineer," he murmured, teasing only slightly as he looked up again, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Continue like that and I'll be able to retire and hand the reins of my Guild over to you before the season ends. Thank you, Libbs. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that." It felt too often as though he was superfluous, mocked more then respected for what he tried to do, his accomplishments lost beneath the avalanche of failures that seemed to follow him. The kind words and support from someone who looked at it from outside the social bubble they had in many ways recreated around their world was a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of sunlight in a stormy sea.
He cleared his throat, composing himself once more after the unexpected wash of emotions, but when he spoke again he sat a little straighter in his chair, and his blue eyes shone a little clearer as he watched her. "Well, we talked a little about them before when you first arrived. You're most likely to run into Frey, Safrin, or Ludo. Frey is a god of pleasure and, ah... things of a more carnal nature," he said delicately. "Offerings of fruit, cream, or things that bring you physical pleasure tend to appeal to them, from what I've heard from others." He'd only seen Frey once, after all, and that was at a wedding.
"Safrin is..." he hesitated a moment, considering his fraught interactions with her, but hurried on. "A goddess of life and stars. Things of beauty appeal to her, especially things that celebrate her beauty - art or songs or poetry in her honor, or items in her theme of stars and moon and night. Praise her, compliment her, and she'll be more likely to look favorably on you." He bit back what else came to the tip of his tongue, looking troubled for a moment before he moved on.
"Ludo is a god of souls and the afterlife, leading the deceased to their final rest. It's a playful god, prone to mischief and pranks. It likes games, toys, or things that hold special memories or meaning to you. Lantern themed things tend to go over well, and it is very fond of cats and catbirds- like Isuma," he said with a chuckle, tickling the gryphlets paws where she was trying to make biscuits on the tabletop.
"I don't know that the Voice cares much for offerings, but her shrines tend to be made of black material and include metal, glass, or wires. If you avoid them, you'll be less likely to attract her notice. I don't think she cares much what you bring her, so long as you're willing to Ascend and join the ranks of her 'children.'" He frowned slightly at that, giving a slight shake of his head before his rueful smile returned.
"Of course, the old gods will also try and get you to Attune, and will be more than happy to help with that. Being able to shapeshift into an animal of this world is... well. It is a great gift, and a great freedom," he added, the look in his eyes softening for a moment as he considered his own shapes.
"You didn't tell me you were a sage as well as an engineer," he murmured, teasing only slightly as he looked up again, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Continue like that and I'll be able to retire and hand the reins of my Guild over to you before the season ends. Thank you, Libbs. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that." It felt too often as though he was superfluous, mocked more then respected for what he tried to do, his accomplishments lost beneath the avalanche of failures that seemed to follow him. The kind words and support from someone who looked at it from outside the social bubble they had in many ways recreated around their world was a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of sunlight in a stormy sea.
He cleared his throat, composing himself once more after the unexpected wash of emotions, but when he spoke again he sat a little straighter in his chair, and his blue eyes shone a little clearer as he watched her. "Well, we talked a little about them before when you first arrived. You're most likely to run into Frey, Safrin, or Ludo. Frey is a god of pleasure and, ah... things of a more carnal nature," he said delicately. "Offerings of fruit, cream, or things that bring you physical pleasure tend to appeal to them, from what I've heard from others." He'd only seen Frey once, after all, and that was at a wedding.
"Safrin is..." he hesitated a moment, considering his fraught interactions with her, but hurried on. "A goddess of life and stars. Things of beauty appeal to her, especially things that celebrate her beauty - art or songs or poetry in her honor, or items in her theme of stars and moon and night. Praise her, compliment her, and she'll be more likely to look favorably on you." He bit back what else came to the tip of his tongue, looking troubled for a moment before he moved on.
"Ludo is a god of souls and the afterlife, leading the deceased to their final rest. It's a playful god, prone to mischief and pranks. It likes games, toys, or things that hold special memories or meaning to you. Lantern themed things tend to go over well, and it is very fond of cats and catbirds- like Isuma," he said with a chuckle, tickling the gryphlets paws where she was trying to make biscuits on the tabletop.
"I don't know that the Voice cares much for offerings, but her shrines tend to be made of black material and include metal, glass, or wires. If you avoid them, you'll be less likely to attract her notice. I don't think she cares much what you bring her, so long as you're willing to Ascend and join the ranks of her 'children.'" He frowned slightly at that, giving a slight shake of his head before his rueful smile returned.
"Of course, the old gods will also try and get you to Attune, and will be more than happy to help with that. Being able to shapeshift into an animal of this world is... well. It is a great gift, and a great freedom," he added, the look in his eyes softening for a moment as he considered his own shapes.
