They were handed a small pile of watermelon cubes on disposable plastic plates. They weren't as fresh as the ones Williams had cut that afternoon, but as Igor had said, their plump flesh looked just as beautiful under the light, so whether they tasted good or not didn't matter much.
Now, a man and a god walked side by side under the streetlights, avoiding the crowded and happy crowds. Colorful fireworks still blared behind them, but the clamorous atmosphere was far away. Azathoth had a strange expression on his face, and he rubbed his fingertips against his lips.
"Forgive my offense," Igor said.
The god ignored him. He struggled with this unfamiliar territory, something he had never considered before: "What? A partner? Love? Sex?" His mind was filled with a jumble of knowledge his master had previously dismissed as irretrievable garbage. Humanity's concept of love was far too complex for an evil god, just beginning to try to survive as a member of this species, to grasp immediately.
But some things are more obvious.
"I never thought I would be a homosexual..." Azathoth muttered to himself. It was not so much that he was surprised by his sexual orientation, but rather that he realized until this moment: Oh, I am a man now, and my possible lover may also be a man.
Wait, is this the relationship between Igor and Him?
Why?
He focused his attention on observing every part of the human body, and had to admit that this was indeed the type he liked.
But I used to think I didn’t like humans—or rather, I didn’t like any intelligent creatures?
Look at Arthur. I never wanted to have a follower like this again. He always becomes incredibly greedy under endless gratification, even making requests that would surprise even the gods. Not yesterday, not today, and not in the future. Let this universe fend for itself, Azathoth thought twelve hours ago. He just wanted to lie down somewhere quiet and get a good night's sleep...
Then Igor appeared, and the human fell before His eyes, having hitherto made no tentative requests.
This usually means they have a larger agenda. The evil god tightened his tentacles in the shadows, having to pay some attention to keeping them from getting tangled, since his control had noticeably decreased since he took on his human shell. What does Igor want from me? Oh, right, he wants a romantic relationship with me. Or perhaps he and a certain version of me were already in a relationship at some point.
The god was inconspicuously stunned for a moment.
Until Igor said uncertainly: "Although... well, I remember you said that our biological genders are slightly different?"
Azathoth looked at the human beings who had become his followers without him knowing when.
"You are not a woman."
Igor was silent.
Igor had to bring up the issue they had discussed before: "In my opinion, humans have six genders."
**
After a brief scientific introduction.
Azathoth: "You said you could have children?"
Igor was a little helpless: "In theory, yes, but the pregnancy rate of Beta is not high..."
"..." The god remained silent. He wouldn't admit that his first reaction was that a pornographic story fabricated by humans online could actually become reality... No, wait, wasn't this "my" fault? Because at some point, I stumbled upon such content, and inadvertently, in my dream, I twisted the course of human evolution in a direction not even God could predict.
And I have a more intimate relationship with him.
Azathoth's face twisted beneath his hood as he imagined a swarm of tiny tentacle monsters swarming toward him. He found it increasingly difficult to comprehend how this could have happened, yet at the same time, he was inevitably drawn to Igor, like some addictive scent of humans. He looked at Igor's semi-long gray hair, his handsome profile, and the graceful, powerful gait he adopted, like the ambling of a wild beast. He felt as if he were witnessing an eagle—or some other male bird—stretching its wings confidently to attract its destined mate.
I have a great eye.
After a few seconds, He had to admit it.
At this time, they saw a photo of Sabrina Guevera on a newsstand covered with old newspapers. She was standing with her lover in high spirits, with an exquisite engagement ring on her middle finger.
Igor then remembered to ask something else: "Saberina, I mean, why is this lady here?"
His question was rambling, but Azathoth immediately understood what he meant and replied, "She is an outsider."
"What's the meaning?"
Azathoth raised a hand and stroked his chin, laughing hoarsely. He looked like an undead creature from a fantasy story. His dark, lightless eyes fixed on Igor, and he smiled. "So you didn't know. I thought you came here because I had 'exiled' you."
"...I don't understand." Igor paused, "Isn't this 'Earth'?"
"It's a fragment of my, how should I describe it? A shadow of Earth that appeared in a dream." Azathoth said, "This is of course Earth, but in your timeline, Earth is no longer suitable for human habitation. Everything happening now is 'the past.' I 'cut' this part off and turned it into an isolated prison."
They were now in the shadows of an abandoned overpass and a dilapidated stone wall. The warm light only illuminated the backs of their feet; anything above that was swallowed up by the thick darkness. Igor could see the red, yellow, and dark green paintings painted on the cement wall behind Azathoth. People had airbrushed out the shape of a robot, then crossed it out with a large, blood-red cross. There were also scattered advertisements and paragraphs of text Igor couldn't understand.
"I am His past," the god said softly, "a shadow He casually cast down to watch over this world that shouldn't exist for me. If you're a new prisoner, you can also call me the warden."
Igor did not refute his identity: "Arthur was imprisoned?"
"Are you talking about that bug?" Azathoth nodded. "I and I both hope he can behave. Time is meaningless here anyway. Sooner or later, he will understand his situation."
The human didn't respond immediately.
Azathoth smiled as he smoothed his long hair and tucked it behind his ears. "But you probably aren't here to see him. Then it can only be the woman in the photo. She just came here two days ago. Once an outsider soul appears, this world will fill the gaps on its own, relying on certain characteristics of the outsider to determine their identity."
"Hmm, is her name Sabrina Guevera? She's the head of a large family now. What does she do in real life?"
Igor wanted to ask why Azathoth himself didn't know.
But he still answered the question: "Queen, President, Prime Minister, Archon... Different systems have different titles, I think you should understand."
Azathoth: "What about you?"
Igor smiled and said, "Wanted criminal."
"Oh, what a coincidence." The god blinked rapidly. "It seems that I do like you, Igor. Even though I've only known you for one afternoon... It's really strange." He muttered softly, "Are the effects of hormones so obvious?"
After a brief pause, He continued with the main topic, "This woman must have been brought in by Arthur. He has a very close connection with his people. Even though he is imprisoned by me now, that kind of implicit communication cannot be completely severed. And he really knows me well." Speaking of this topic, Azathoth's face flashed with boredom. "He knows how I will treat him, and he also knows how to find some fun in his imprisonment."
In any case, Arthur is definitely not as well-behaved and cute as he looks.
Azathoth didn't want to do anything to him, but isn't it normal to be put in jail for doing something wrong?
Moreover, this prisoner even always wants to do some tricks under the warden's nose.
"I can send you and Sabrina Guevera out."
"And what are you going to do?"
"What should I do?" Azathoth felt puzzled again. "I am in the dream, I am outside the dream, you will see me eventually."
Igor hesitated for a moment.
This is totally wrong.
He couldn't... couldn't say such words.
But before reason could stop him, his vocal cords vibrated and uttered a sound: "Don't you want to go home and take a look?"
They stared at each other in the darkness.
"Excuse me for being blunt." The human slowly and respectfully uttered a bunch of blasphemous words, "Even though you have locked yourself up here—"
"--I don't."
"Well, I guess you put some of your memories here, like a little kid hiding under the covers and not looking out."
Azathoth looked at him angrily: "Is that how you talk to 'me'?"
"You can punish me as you please, after I've finished speaking," the human said calmly. "Warden, you shouldn't have locked yourself up at least."
He raised a hand and placed it on Azathoth's shoulder before asking, "Is it okay?"
The gods acquiesced.
The human removed His hood, placed their warm fingers on His collar, and untied the intricate ornaments one by one. "You should be walking on the ground, not gazing at us from afar in the starry sky."
The outer robe fell to the asphalt road, and Azathoth's stiff fingers moved, and they appeared in a clean, warm room with a large bed in the middle and flickering candles on both sides. Igor had a vague smile on his face. One hand was still on Azathoth's shoulder, and the other hand nimbly unbuttoned his shirt.
"They will be afraid." Azathoth's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible. "No one wants to see me. Fear breeds hatred in them, greed breeds desire, and inequality fills them with jealousy."
"Then you will love me alone." Igor's voice, unsteady due to panting, was like a devil's whisper to seduce a human. They fell on the bed in a hug, becoming inseparable. "When I possess you all to myself, the hatred, fear, and jealousy of every person and creature will be directed towards me... You will have a sweet dream, I promise you."
You are so arrogant.
The god looked at the one in his arms and accused him in his heart.
How dare you say such things? How dare you, a tiny human being, make a promise to God?
“I wouldn’t see such a ridiculous scene even in my dreams,” he thought dazedly. “And this precisely meant that everything happening before my eyes was real.”
Or if this is a dream... then let this dream continue forever.
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