{"id":2504,"date":"2023-05-06T12:49:21","date_gmt":"2023-05-06T19:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2504"},"modified":"2023-05-06T12:49:21","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T19:49:21","slug":"according-to-the-god-of-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2023\/05\/06\/according-to-the-god-of-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"According to the God of Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write about a god desperately trying to get their chosen hero to follow the path they set out for them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou finally chose a hero?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cYes, see? There she goes now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA human?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cWhat? Why is that even a question?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you want an unpredictable hero\u2026I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cI\u2019ve lined up everything in her life to lead her to only one conclusion. She will take up the mantle of my chosen one and bring about my age.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you say so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cDon\u2019t be a jerk. You had your age with the dwarves. Our sister had her time with the elves. Cousin had her season with the dark elves. It\u2019s my turn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure. You know, you could\u2019ve picked a troll, an orc\u2026hell, even a fae is easier to control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cShush. She\u2019s getting ready to make the first choice that will put her on the path I\u2019ve laid out for her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, she\u2019s praying. Let\u2019s listen in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~ \u201cGods, I know Mom keeps pushing for me to study Political Science and follow in her footsteps, but the more she does, the less I want to. I have three options and that\u2019s only one of them. If only I had a sign.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cPerfect. I\u2019ll just part this cloud, a ray of light falling right\u2026there<\/em>. See, piece of cake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~ \u201cOkay, even for the gods that\u2019s a little too on the nose. I won\u2019t be bullied into a course of study. Forget poli-sci. Law school or engineering\u2026? Math\u2026nah. Law it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHa ha! Not going your way? This is rich!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cThat\u2019s okay\u2026I can\u2026I can work with that. It\u2019s just a minor tweak to the plan, but I can still get her where I need her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see, second-favorite sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cSecond favorite? Wow, that\u2019s low, seeing how your only other sister literally<\/em> banished you and held you in chains for a thousand years until I fought to free you. But what should I expect from my second-favorite brother?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m your only<\/em>\u2026touch\u00e9. Well played, sister, well played.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cHere we go. I put the man I knew would most appeal to her where I needed him\u2026and they met. He\u2019ll get her involved in politics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you sure about that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cAbsolutely. I can see her desire eroding her mistrust. I still don\u2019t understand why she doesn\u2019t trust anyone<\/em>, but oh well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe because everyone in her life seems to be pushing her in a direction in which she doesn\u2019t feel called?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cLook, look! She\u2019s joining him for a political rally. I\u2019ll drop some dopamine and serotonin and she\u2019ll\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? She\u2019ll what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cShe\u2026she just slapped him and joined the protesters. No! She\u2019s never going to get where I need her from that side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, sister, you crack me up! You just had<\/em> to pick a human champion, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cBut\u2026why would she go against everything she was brought up to believe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was brought up in the beliefs that you thought would turn her in your chosen direction?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut did she ever believe it, or was it just\u2026the default?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cI thought she truly believed it. No. This is just a phase\u2026a rebellious streak. She\u2019ll grow out of it and come around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure. Keep telling yourself that. By the way, seems like that rush of brain chemicals got her interested in the woman leading the protest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cShe\u2019s interested in a woman?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid you even study your hero after you chose her? Have you studied humans at all?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cNo, I get it\u2026it just goes against\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything she\u2019s been raised to believe. Right. You know less about humans than I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cOh, wait\u2026this is a generational thing, isn\u2019t it? Okay, I can make some changes, but I\u2019ll still get her where I need her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou think so?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cYou\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of your followers are Brown Party. What makes you think a Yellow Party leader will be what you need?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cI don\u2019t care about their politics, I just need a hero in power that can take on my avatar and present me to the masses. That human is the one that has been designed to do just that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust because she can<\/em> take on your avatar, doesn\u2019t mean she will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cShe is genetically predisposed to leadership. I just need to make sure she sees that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you doing now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cThere, see? One little nudge and her new girlfriend is begging her to speak at the protests, to take a leadership role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHeh. Good luck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cDo you think I\u2019m stupid? I know what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, really? Looks like she just broke up with her girlfriend. You shouldn\u2019t have made her push.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cGah! That\u2019s fine, it\u2019s fine, I\u2014I\u2019ll map out a whole new plan for her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSister, please\u2026stop! I can\u2019t keep laughing this much!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cFine. I\u2019ll let her finish her schooling before I intervene again. Fast forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWow, she\u2019s just\u2026three girlfriends, two boyfriends\u2026and none of them ever managed to get close. You really messed her up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cI did not<\/em>. She\u2019ll never be happy until she gives in and follows the plan that\u2019s laid out in her DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you say so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cLet\u2019s see where she\u2019s applying to work. Yes, either of these two firms will groom her to a political career. They will both make an offer, and she can decide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOoh, another prayer. She hasn\u2019t done that in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~ \u201cGods, I know you like to meddle, just stop, please. Let me accomplish this on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOops. You might\u2019ve just messed up, sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cNonsense. She doesn\u2019t have any way to know who I\u2019ve influenced or haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s read the offers, and now she\u2019s going through the rejects pile again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cNo, you silly woman. They rejected you on their own. Just take one of the offers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not listening. Look, she\u2019s gone to one of the places that rejected her and asked for an appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cWhy did that one reject her? Her protest involvement? Something else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMoney, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cWait, what is she doing now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think she just volunteered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cSo\u2026she\u2019s just going to work for them for free?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cI can still make this work. It may take a little longer to get her into politics, but a background as a volunteer will look good to the other humans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t think getting into politics will be an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cWhy, brother, are you coming around?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot at all. I am<\/em> trying not to laugh at you, though. Maybe we should listen to her prayers for the Day of Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~ \u201cGods, thank you for another year, and for the hardships I\u2019ve endured, and thank you for finally butting out and letting me make my own way. Now, I prepare myself to help launch a new political party\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cSee?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShh!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~ \u201c\u2026the Blue Party, devoted to the separation of church and state. Gods, priests, and avatars have their place in the temples, but not in the ruling of nations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2014I\u2019m\u2026trying\u2026not\u2026to\u2026laugh\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cShut up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf she gets into power and accepts your avatar, you\u2019ll become the god of hypocrites.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cI am the God of Plans! I am Planning; I am Order! This is outrageous! I\u2014I can still save this\u2026maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so sister.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cIs it too late to pick a new hero? Maybe a troll?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou had your chance, now it\u2019s our cousin\u2019s turn again. And after watching you, she\u2019s already chosen a human, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \u201cBut why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe is<\/em> the God of Chaos; this way, she figures she can just sit back and let it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

prompt: Write about a god desperately trying to get their chosen hero to follow the path they set out for them. available at Reedsy \u201cYou finally chose a hero?\u201d – \u201cYes, see? There she goes …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[215,216,210,209],"class_list":["post-2504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-comedy","tag-fantasy","tag-fiction","tag-short-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pxT7i-Eo","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2504"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2505,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504\/revisions\/2505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}