((I WAS IN THE SHOWER WHEN THE ALARM TO UPDATE WENT OFF I'M SORRY I'M LAT

The goddess reached into a portal of her own, making to grab three polished stone mugs, setting one on the vine curled around her so that it would shift around and reach Error, letting Reaper take the second.

Ignoring the vine offering him tea, Error stood up.
"No, no, no, how are you both some singular deity? You don't just name-drop like that and then move on!"
"We're not." Reaper stated, sipping the drink. "We're still talking about this. It'd be unfair not to, obviously."

Tension fading slightly, Error glared at him as the god of death stared back, slurping loudly. Eventually Reaper snorted, gasping as he spewed the drink out of the cup.
"Nononono- ah dang it." He watched the golden brown liquid drip onto the dead leaves beneath him, the plant somehow rejuvenating from the drink.
"The hell..?" Error stared as Reaper looked on impassively, holding the mug away.

"'Kay. Nevermind the tea I guess." He sighed before regarding the bewildered glitch.
"You remember how she explained how deities might split themselves up to experience.. existing?"
"And you just happen to know where you came from unlike the Twins." Error deadpanned.
"I mean, we do now. It happened after we arrived here, just like your strings finally became yours. Samsara reduced themself to live and that formed our universe and now that we're in Alagaësia, we know who we once were. Samsara was close to Emotion, Error. But now Emotion is healing into a physical form and we're never going to be Samsara again. We're just the split pieces that are happier being what we are now, even in light of what we now remember."

Error slowly crossed his arms, suspicious.
"When were you even going to tell Geno about this?" He asked cautiously.
Reaper looked away, stressed.
"I'm not even sure how I'd start, if I'll be honest." He admitted quietly, staring up through the pines at the sky above.

Error slumped, understanding. "Oh." He muttered.
Then he frowned. "Was there a deity for-" "Oh you and Ink? Nah, that's something Fate decided to fuck over when it was originally managed by Balance." Reaper snorted, waving his drink. "Don't worry, you're not also part of a forgotten deity."

He sighed, falling back into his beanbag and finally taking the drink, staring at it for a moment.
"What the hell even is this?"
"Tea I brewed." Life explained with an amused smile.
Error gave her a look, glancing at the re-alived fern.
"Did ya put a lot of healing into it? It's inedible for me then."

She winced slightly, sipping hers. "Think of it as a brief experiment. Though again, I should have warned you of that as well."
"Fuck, is it habitual for you to forget other's permission for things?"
Life bit her lip.
"Yes." Reaper stated drily. "It's been ongoing for a few centuries."
Skull falling back, Error sighed. "Of course."

After a moment, he glanced at the mug clasped between his phalanges. "If you know I react badly to healing magic, what were you trying to achieve here?"
"I was curious if your rejection of healing magic stemmed from Fate's hold over you. I wanted to see if it may have become inert since arriving here. You have not tried to test as much, that I can see." She spoke, waving her hand to the side.

Error stared at her from his nearly flattened position on the beanbag, then to the mug in his hand. After a moment, he shrugged.
"Eh, fuck it." He lifted his arm stiffly and simply poured it's contents onto his face from two feet above, Life gasping and stiffening at the sight. Reaper automatically guffawed before restraining himself to snickers, spilling more of his own drink in the process.

Error let his arm fall back down and dropped the mug, soaking in the hot liquid as it seeped into the cloth. Everyone was silent, waiting for a reaction before he finally sucked in air between his teeth, glitches slowly increasing.
"You might be onto something; it's not nearly as bad as usual." He noted, still not moving.

Then he weakly waved his arm, using blue magic to fly it back into his hand. "Get me more, I'm curious for real now."
With a faintly amused snort, Life took it with the vine and brought it back to herself, opening a portal and reaching in with the cup for a moment, then pulling her arms out and returning it.
Error sat up just enough to try it, squinting at the sweet-tart flavor before pausing, waiting.

He then coughed and gave it back to the waiting vine. "Stings, but I'm not throwing up." He noted thoughtfully, leaning back and staring at the sunlight through the trees above.
"Are you going to wash off the tea you just dumped on your face?" Reaper asked.
Error waved him off. "It'll dissolve soon enough. I give it an hour. Maybe two."
Both gods nodded in understanding then.

"At least there is a notable improvement from before." Life pointed out with a pleasant smile.
"Apparently." Error agreed, thinking.
After a moment, he waved a phalange at her without sitting up. "How many deities are there really?"

She hummed at the question, pausing for her tea. "I'm not sure." She admitted. "There are many, but an exact number has never been distinct, and it changes as smaller deities come and others split themselves into pieces. Nevertheless, they are tied to the Multiverse." She fell into a painful silence.
"I do not think many will be able to cross over to Alagaësia without finding a way." She whispered mournfully.

"But we've sensed a few already." Reaper pointed out brightly. "Where, we aren't sure, but we've sensed their presence here. It's likely they're asleep. Crossing over would compress them down into a pinpoint and that would knock plenty of them the hell out. I know it did me."
"It knocks everyone out, regardless of what they are." Error explained. "Monster, god, probably humans too. Pretty sure even the Dog was knocked out by it."

"Oh yeah, Toby's been around." Reaper recalled the strange white dog thoughtfully.
As if summoned by the name, they could hear the dog bark somewhere in the forest. Reaper snorted. "Strange little guy."
"Understatement." Error scoffed, daring to take another sip and cough again. "How long has Seraphim been lurking, anyway? I just noticed him."

Something rustled beyond the living wall past the gap left by the rampaging pegasus with a note of alarm as Life chuckled. "He is still a god in his own right, he deserves to know some things. Even if he feels he must be underhanded about it. He has been listening for a while."
"Took ya long enough to notice." Reaper teased.
Error slung his cup at him, tea sloshing out and barely caught in time by the god's magic as he cackled.

Seraphim finally edged around the corner of the wood, glaring at Error as his cover was obviously blown.
"So what are you really?" He asked upfront, blackened arms crossed over his bare ribcage. Error stared at his thick ribs for a moment, but quickly turned away as the other almost caught him looking.

"Well we're gods. That's old news. What made you think any differently?" Reaper asked.
"Well I imagine he's confused over the fact that you apparently used to be a singular deity centuries ago. But that deity split up and now you're gods. Wait, what does that make Grim?" Error sat up, legitimately curious.

Reaper looked away. "He's himself. Cool as ever."
"Did he form on his own?" Error asked.
Reaper leaned his skull to either side by way of answer. "It doesn't make him any less." He defended.
Error leaned on his fist. "I never said he was lesser, only curious."
Reaper hummed.

There was a pause, Seraphim standing there awkwardly as the others just quietly accepted his presence. Then Error snorted and dramatically rolled his skull to face him.
"So Seraphim. Since you're here, not minding anyone's business, have you ever felt a connection to anything in particular? Maybe you like being colorful? Maybe you like wings. What do the Souls have to say?" He was mildly mocking in tone.

The young god shifted uncomfortably, perturbed. "What are you getting at?"
He waved at the other two, simply watching as Reaper finally floated his cup back to him.
"I'm Destruction, Reaper's death, and Life is just herself. You made yourself a god, so what are you connected to? All gods are something."
"Error." Life quietly admonished.

"What?" He leaned over to look at her as a hummingbird flew in to land in her paws.
"He has yet to find himself. He is young, and it may take him a century to discover who he is and even longer to fully grow into his role." She explained while gently tapping the tiny avian's head.

Error huffed, glancing between the puzzled Seraphim and the other two before questioning. "How familiar are you with Seven Soul gods anyway? A bit rare, aren't they?"
"They are." She agreed.
"And so they ought to be different, right?" Error added.
"You are correct."

He pointed to Seraphim, the other stepping back and holding his bladed tail in front of him defensively. "Then since he's already a mature adult as a monster, wouldn't that affect things?"
She looked up, amusement crinkling the corners of her eyes. "The human Souls are still children, Error. They are not mature."
"They can't ever grow up though." Seraphim mumbled, confused by the conversation.
Error waved at him. "Exactly."

"Oh no, they very much can." She chuckled softly. "Before they were unable, yes, but you are now one body." She addressed him slightly. "And a still rather underdeveloped one at that. You have many indications of a godling. The many limbs you are unable to yet put away, the separated segments are trademark of indecisiveness. In your case, you are full of Souls and minds. In time, you will become closer and unified. It is natural to be confused." She gave Seraphim a kind smile.

The wings of the young god tucked in closer, intimidated and confused as the floating Blaster sank down behind his skull.
"So because I'm a god, I'm just supposed to fill some kind of purpose?" He questioned defensively, tail swinging around to the other side.

"It's not that you're just supposed to, it's just who you are. You ascended yourself and that results in becoming a part of existence. As such, you have an inherent duty to it. Though at the moment you're still in development, so you can relax." Reaper explained with a wave.

"What do you even mean duty? It just sounds like constant work for no reason at all." He pointed out, nodding at Reaper in indication.
The god of death scoffed. "Well it all hinges on you. I'm me. My business there. Though if I'd have to hazard a guess, I don't think what you'd do would involve constant work. Me, I'm both lazy and a workaholic. Not always a fun mix, heh. But you..." He trailed, staring thoughtfully at the young god as his eyelights slowly ignited in his sockets.

He finally directed a phalange at Seraphim. "Looking at your core values, your life and the Souls, I'd say.. well, your magic screams with a sense of Justice sometimes, but the Soul behind that is also a considerably strong one, and that's already a Soul Deity, so.. hm."

Unnerved, Seraphim's tail curled in front of him, and the action had Reaper's lights flashing and him backing away. "Wasp-like." He muttered thoughtfully, glancing at Life who was slowly standing, also noticing something that both Seraphim nor Error could see.
"On second thought, your upper wings are quite similar to a gryphon." She said softly.

The wings pulled back even tighter, Reaper's eyelights glowing brighter as he studied the unusual toothy Blaster struggling to hide. "And it looks like that tried to become weaselly, didn't it? Just sprouted too many teeth."
"You are more familiar with skulls than I." Life admitted.

"What the hell are you two going on about here?" Error finally demanded, both mildly concerned and unsettled by their behavior.
"Karma." The two gods spoke simultaneously.
"What do you mean?" Seraphim questioned, visibly anxious.
"Aftós pou tsimpáei." She smiled before turning to hide it.

Walking over to the tallest one, she reached her paw up. "Would you allow me?" She asked, Seraphim backing up in paranoia.
"What're you doing?" He questioned tensely, half crouching.
"I want to be sure, is all. Will you let me see?"
"See what?" His eyelights flicked between her and her paw in his face.
"If you carry what we believe you might. You have the traits. You have the signs. We want to be sure."
"Okay what are you seeing?"
She gave him a look, indicating her paw.

Frustrated and confused, Seraphim squeezed his sockets shut. "Fine, whatever, if it'll stop ya from acting that off already." He muttered nervously, the paw landing on his skull as the eyes on his wings widened and stared.

After a moment, Life's eyes lit up and she gasped, free paw flying to her face as she whispered something low enough that Error couldn't make it out, but Seraphim almost immediately flinched backwards, collapsing backwards in a heap as he suddenly clutched his skull in alarm, eyelights suddenly glinting raspberry.

"What the- the hell did you just do to me?" He cried out from the ground, his multiple wings splayed out with wide eyes, hovering Blaster writhing in the air as if in pain.
"Oh dear, I did not think you would feel pain." She muttered, stepping back.

"No I'm not- wh- h-" He gripping his skull as Error heard the faint whine of the Souls screaming, the cries being of fear and confusion, screeching blended with shouted arguments as their whispering voices reached him.

Reaper drifted close to him, causing Error to flinch at his invaded space.
"If you were wondering what other deities were like, then you might be about to witness one." The god explained in a low murmur.
"The fuck does that mean, Reaper." Error questioned, glancing between the writhing god and death.

"It means." Reaper explained. "That it seems that Karma had chosen Seraphim as a vessel secretly and Life just woke him up."
"There's a deity called Karma?" Error demanded, bewildered.
"Yep."

He turned to stare at Seraphim in slight sympathy and curiosity, mostly just looking on in concern at the disturbing situation. The young god groaned, screwing his eyesockets shut from whatever was assailing him, all his wings shuddering. A strange, reddish purple colored flame flared from his jaws, and Error suddenly noticed what felt like something enormous opening up beside him, centered solely on the underdeveloped god a few feet away. Error took a step back, recognizing it.
It felt even more like Fate than Gûntera did, and it had enough power to match.

The panic and confusion suddenly died down, and Seraphim was still. He was frozen in place, all eyes, all sockets wide and unmoving, gazing into the distance. A long minute later and then he went slack, giving a faint nod.

And then just as suddenly as the entire process had begun, he tensed up and his eyelights abruptly changed from white to a pinkish purple and adjusted into a deeper raspberry color, sitting up stiffly as they began to resemble an eagle's eyes. Error took a step back, his Soul speeding up as he realized all the eyes now resembled the same burning lights instead of the colored heart shapes. Only the Blaster was different, it's empty socket lit up as both lights blazed in rainbow, looking terrified as the very much not Seraphim anymore slowly stood.

A voice then emanated from him, not quite spoken or thought, simply appearing from him, regal, prideful, and a little higher in pitch than Seraphim was.
"Life. I see you are eager to see me yet again."

She nodded as the many eyes snapped to Error with a predatory focus. He impulsively locked up, glitches buzzing loudly in the silence.
"The Touched One." The deity stated simply, skull tilting freakishly to the side as a hand reached out from a strange angle.
Error stumbled backwards, flinching and hissing as he bumped into Reaper. "Ge+ +hë £ū¢[{ āw⥠£røm m€."

He regarded his hand blankly, blinking before he frowned and let it fall.
"That would be my own mistake. I am unaccustomed to this form. My preferences are often.. more quadrupedal." He nodded in a birdlike jerk, jaw clicking against the vestigial pair beneath.

Error couldn't help but glance back up at the Blaster to see it staring at him with a frantic look of desperation in it's eyelights, trembling in place. He got the feeling that either Seraphim or his Souls or even both were conscious and trapped within it as the foreign entity had full control of everything else. The thought alone was terrifying to him.
"Wh@t [)îd yøū dö tõ $êræ₱hïm?" He asked, struggling to control the glitches and failing.

Karma, it seemed it was called, blinked at him again. "You are afraid of me."
Error found that he could tense up even more.
"Mä¥ßê Ì ãm. $ø whåt‽" He spat, shoulders hunched as he reached for his strings.

The deity took a step back. "I mean you no harm, Touched One. I would not dare even if I so desired to. I understand you are free of Fate. We are both free of that egomaniacal one. They will receive their comeuppance when our old home falls; it is through their own doing that it will be so. Do you not feel joy that Fate will soon be torn asunder into oblivion after what they had done to you? To our home?"

"Karma, you must calm yourself. You are going to stress the godling and you are already stressing Error." Life warned.
Nodding again, Karma reluctantly eased, studying Seraphim's hand.
"Yes, I am unaccustomed to this. Last I had a Voice it was a gryphon of Justice's blessing. I have never touched a god before. I am glad I chose one now. I might have never survived that terribly constricting Void."
"It's quite the squeeze." Reaper agreed amiably.

"Speaking of Justice, what became of him? I feel his presence but it is weak. Is that how we feel before we are awakened here? Wherever this land is- it is atrocious! So many misdeeds I feel unaccounted for-" "Karma." Reaper warned.
"All the balances here are screwed up. This world lacks your kind entirely and the native caretakers give us a bad name for just plain ignoring their responsibilities. I don't know how they do it."

Those eagle eyes zeroed in on the god of death, giving Error the chance to back away.
"Are you quite certain?"
"We met one personally while Limbo- I think you've heard of him- has been regularly contacting their pantheon."
"For how long?"
"Töø loπg." Error snapped, incensed by the memory of the immature god.

The anger then drained as the deity focused on him again.
"The situation is dire indeed." He stated, gazing at the anxious glitch.
"Most regrettably." Life agreed before Reaper continued. "We've been forced to help clean up the messes left behind with the mortals who have all gone to war; unfortunately our counterparts are here and have sided with the one causing the most damage so far all in the name of sowing discord. Worse, we feel that Madness is here somewhere, likely fueling most of this."

"Of course it'd be Madness. Only ever related to a single good thing at a time, aren't they." Karma scowled, the look slightly off on Seraphim's face before regarding Error thoughtfully.
"A shame they could never be better."
"The hell do you mean?" Error questioned, finding his fear fading.

Karma blinked at him in surprise.
"Oh! You are still learning to be free of Fate, yes, you wouldn't know. Madness has chosen to be the patron of the strange creature formed of your magic, Fate, an undying mortal-" "Fresh? Are you tâl[{iπg about Fresh?" Error interrupted, voice glitching briefly.
Karma hesitated in confusion before Life quietly answered.
"He is talking about Fresh, yes."

A wave of code roiled around him as he impulsively felt a sense of a looming threat near his son before he forced it down.
"What does that m€äπ."
"It simply means Madness has blessed him and likes him. It is good, Error." Life assured him.
"You care for that one?" Karma asked.
"Yes, he's my son. He's not a parasite anymore."

Recoiling in surprise, Karma interrogated. "You mean you gifted him your Soul?"
"I'm where he came from, aren't I?"
"Ah, I had not known you were aware. We have not met often enough, Touched One."
"Okay why do you call me that? It sounds- just wrong. And two, I've never met you before."

Karma then laughed, leaning back as they crowed- he saw now that the other was very much like a hawk or an eagle- and then smiled, though it was not the friendliest of smiles.
"But we have met before! Many times have you come and paid many tyrants what was owed to them, yes. A thousand thousand wicked Souls you've cleansed, leaving their victims to pass on in often relief. Between the two of us, I cannot say who has seen you more; myself or Justice. Perhaps he, for you have made yourself his harbinger."

Error leaned back, suspicious and confused. "What does that mean?"
Karma only grinned, Life replying instead.
"You often bring Justice to those that have escaped his grasp when you destroyed universes. As I have heard, you are quite known for this."
Error averted his gaze, wondering just how much he had been constantly observed by one deity or another.

Karma was leaning in closer, peering at him with that semi-predatory smile.
"Justice was so eager to offer himself to you to Voice him, but there was always Fate, Fate, Fate in the way, poisoning you and your magic. Fate would have shattered him the moment he approached. They've done so to many others on far less." The delighted purr deepened into a growl as he stood straight again, seething.
"You are not the only one who awaits their downfall."

Error glanced between Karma and Life, unsure.
"Voice?"
"Basically let a deity inhabit you." Reaper summarized. "Mutually beneficial, but I doubt you'd ever be comfortable with that. I personally think you're too powerful for that to be safe."
Recoiling in disgust, Error hugged himself.
"[)âmπ right I wouldn't." He shuddered audibly, glitches warping it.

Karma tsked. "A bit of a shame, but understandable. He chose another already; I believe a mortal. I do not know, I took this one too suddenly."
"Why?" Reaper asked, looking put off. "Did you not even ask him? He almost seemed in agony."
Now the deity looked down in shame.
"..I did not." He admitted in a reserved tone.
Reaper then backed away in alarm, Error instinctively following.
"Why?" The god questioned.

"I was afraid." Karma winced after he said it, glancing at Error.
"No one can take the place of Destruction without you, and Fate's favourite toy of naivety is too active to hope to find another before all worlds fall, and I was afraid of the Void." He explained with a jerky wave. Error abruptly realized that the four lower wings on the other had at some point vanished and it had gone entirely unnoticed as the deity continued.

"In the light of this understanding, I had to find a vessel that would carry me across. It was simply coincidental that he was then drawn into this world so suddenly. I wish I had taken the time to obtain permission, but I feared dissolution too greatly."

Error scrutinized the other for a long moment, then felt his intense fear breaking. He understood fear of the end. He'd seen it in others, faced it himself for millennia, often being the one to bring about absolute devastation to universes. He couldn't fear Karma knowing the other was just as afraid as any mortal could be in the face of oblivion.

He awkwardly crossed his arms.
"Look, you.. freak me out. And as much as I don't like Seraphim, he's just a prick like me. He doesn't deserve to be controlled without his consent, so will you let him go? Maybe work out something with him, I don't care, this is all just weird to look at." He held up a stiff arm and gestured with his hand.

Karma shifted in place, an amused smirk growing for a moment. "But he has chosen to be unconscious for this conversation. Of course I would not be so unjust as to control another against their will. Unless you wish him to collapse before you or have a number of youths to converse with instead."

"Why didn't you put them to sleep too? They're obviously terrified!" Error scoffed, glancing back at the hovering Blaster that refused to look away.
Karma tilted his skull at him.
"They refused the option." He explained simply.
"I will not force an option upon others. I am of consequences, not tyranny."
Ah, therein lies Karma's cruelty.

Error guiltily looked away from the expression on that lone Blaster, understanding that the fear and confusion was an experience they naively chose for themselves. Life maintained an impassioned face behind him, but her left eye twitched as Reaper looked on with sorrow and nothing more.

Flaring the now single set of feathered wings, Karma regarded them all with a lack of concern, instead smiling casually and glancing curiously at their surroundings. "What is this world?" He asked, turning. "What is the reason behind the rampant state of disrepair?"

"That is a longer conversation I am sure you would appreciate sharing with Seraphim himself." Life responded, clasping her paws. Karma paused, then bobbed his skull in agreement. "Yes, yes, that would be most fulfilling. Sapient vessels are still new to my personal experience." He muttered thoughtfully before beginning to walk away. Error jolted as he realized the other was now walking on digitigrade legs when Seraphim had previously only had heavy clawed feet.

The wall of trees and bushes all began to unwind and return to their natural forms to allow the possessed god to pass. Error spun on Life.
"You're just going to let him go??"
"Yes." She stated flatly, not facing him. "I do not have the power even if I wanted to. Karma has his less than admirable moments, but I will not pit myself against him when I am guilty of much worse."

Error grimaced, both frustrated but unable to argue as he cast after the departing deity in distress.
"Damnit." He hissed, face now set in a scowl.