Poem: "Rebound Relations"
Dec. 20th, 2015 03:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the June 2, 2015 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from kelkyag and rowyn. It also fills the "unwelcome guest" square in my 5-18-15 card for the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
origfic_bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by EdorFaus. It belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis.
"Rebound Relations"
Shaeth thought that his old life
was over and done with, except that
bits of it kept washing up in his new life
when he least expected it.
He stared at the evil cultist
passed out on the temple threshold
and wondered what to do.
Trobby gave a sharp whistle.
"Drunk transport!" he called
to Prell and Denore, who
trotted over to shift the man
to a pallet inside the temple.
Trobby patted over him
in the health check that
Abredin the Herb Goddess
had taught to them.
"He's not in good shape,"
the priest reported then,
looking anxiously at his god.
Shaeth sighed and crouched down
to apply the overdose spell that
he and Abredin had developed.
"You don't sound happy," Trobby said.
"I'm not," Shaeth said.
Just having the man around
stirred up old temptations
better left to rot, and it was
certain to cause problems
with some of his new followers,
who found Shaeth's old activities
more alarming than not. He had
no idea how to solve any of that.
"Why not?" Trobby asked.
Belfegar chose that moment to wake,
looking up at Shaeth with a smile.
"My Lord and Master," he said.
"Your humble servant is here
to follow you once more."
"That's why," Shaeth said.
"You know him?" Prell said,
her eyes widening.
"... from before?" Denore squeaked,
clutching his sketchbook.
"I'm afraid so," Shaeth said.
All of his former followers
made him uncomfortable now.
He turned to Belfegar.
"You've wasted your time
coming here. I am no longer
the God of Evil. Now I am
just the God of Drunks."
"I follow you," Belfegar insisted.
"I will follow you wherever you go
and whatever you do. So if you are now
the God of Drunks, then I am here
to follow where that leads."
Well, he always did have a tendency
to get plastered while everyone else
was busy looting and burning.
"You really don't have to," Shaeth said.
"I must," said Belfegar.
"I am your follower."
Shaeth had left the Sphere of Evil
to solve his growing sense of boredom
and futility, only to wind up in charge
of a whole new set of responsibilities, and
just when he started to get a handle on that,
it opened the door for people from his past
to come back and pester him again.
Shaeth began to wonder if it was possible
to have a rebound relationship
with the same person.
"If you must, you must,"
Shaeth said grudgingly.
Unwisely Belfegar tried to get up,
and then put his head in his hands,
groaning, "But perhaps later,
after the hangover wears off."
Shaeth reached out and
applied the hangover cure.
"Oh, that is your best spell ever,"
Belfegar said with heartfelt appreciation.
The reverence washed down
the old familiar path between them,
familiar in flow but different in flavor.
Well, maybe this wouldn't be a complete disaster.
* * *
Notes:
It's natural for people to move in and out of your life. Just think about whether it's a good idea to let them back in.
Rebound relationships are challenging. Understand how to avoid them, and how to cope if you have one.
kelkyag and rowyn. It also fills the "unwelcome guest" square in my 5-18-15 card for the origfic_bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by EdorFaus. It belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis."Rebound Relations"
Shaeth thought that his old life
was over and done with, except that
bits of it kept washing up in his new life
when he least expected it.
He stared at the evil cultist
passed out on the temple threshold
and wondered what to do.
Trobby gave a sharp whistle.
"Drunk transport!" he called
to Prell and Denore, who
trotted over to shift the man
to a pallet inside the temple.
Trobby patted over him
in the health check that
Abredin the Herb Goddess
had taught to them.
"He's not in good shape,"
the priest reported then,
looking anxiously at his god.
Shaeth sighed and crouched down
to apply the overdose spell that
he and Abredin had developed.
"You don't sound happy," Trobby said.
"I'm not," Shaeth said.
Just having the man around
stirred up old temptations
better left to rot, and it was
certain to cause problems
with some of his new followers,
who found Shaeth's old activities
more alarming than not. He had
no idea how to solve any of that.
"Why not?" Trobby asked.
Belfegar chose that moment to wake,
looking up at Shaeth with a smile.
"My Lord and Master," he said.
"Your humble servant is here
to follow you once more."
"That's why," Shaeth said.
"You know him?" Prell said,
her eyes widening.
"... from before?" Denore squeaked,
clutching his sketchbook.
"I'm afraid so," Shaeth said.
All of his former followers
made him uncomfortable now.
He turned to Belfegar.
"You've wasted your time
coming here. I am no longer
the God of Evil. Now I am
just the God of Drunks."
"I follow you," Belfegar insisted.
"I will follow you wherever you go
and whatever you do. So if you are now
the God of Drunks, then I am here
to follow where that leads."
Well, he always did have a tendency
to get plastered while everyone else
was busy looting and burning.
"You really don't have to," Shaeth said.
"I must," said Belfegar.
"I am your follower."
Shaeth had left the Sphere of Evil
to solve his growing sense of boredom
and futility, only to wind up in charge
of a whole new set of responsibilities, and
just when he started to get a handle on that,
it opened the door for people from his past
to come back and pester him again.
Shaeth began to wonder if it was possible
to have a rebound relationship
with the same person.
"If you must, you must,"
Shaeth said grudgingly.
Unwisely Belfegar tried to get up,
and then put his head in his hands,
groaning, "But perhaps later,
after the hangover wears off."
Shaeth reached out and
applied the hangover cure.
"Oh, that is your best spell ever,"
Belfegar said with heartfelt appreciation.
The reverence washed down
the old familiar path between them,
familiar in flow but different in flavor.
Well, maybe this wouldn't be a complete disaster.
* * *
Notes:
It's natural for people to move in and out of your life. Just think about whether it's a good idea to let them back in.
Rebound relationships are challenging. Understand how to avoid them, and how to cope if you have one.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-12-21 09:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-12-21 03:44 pm (UTC)>>Shaeth began to wonder if it was possible
to have a rebound relationship
with the same person.<<
BAHAHAHAHA. #mortalProblems?
This could be fun.
Yay!
Date: 2015-12-21 07:18 pm (UTC)I'm gald you like it.
>>Shaeth began to wonder if it was possible
to have a rebound relationship
with the same person.
BAHAHAHAHA. #mortalProblems? <<
It really is one of those things particular to switching divine spheres of influence. But it could happen in a mortal context if you ran one company, switched to another, and someone followed you thinking you're the Best Boss Ever. It's awkward though.
>> This could be fun. <<
Feel free to prompt for more!
Re: Yay!
Date: 2015-12-22 04:17 pm (UTC)Re: Yay!
Date: 2015-12-22 10:37 pm (UTC)