Od'alko was sat on his favourite chair. 3 of his sets of arms were crossed. His left bottom most arm was resting on his chair support while Od'alko's head was resting on his right bottom most arm. All 6 million of his eyes were focused on the girl in front of him. Who was wearing the cheapest looking dress Od'alko had ever seen. The pink sparkle did only to hurt his eyes.

"I'll cut to the chase" Od'alko said. Which appears to have made the girl jump in fear.

"Your parents sold you to be my bride. They're currently on a flight to Hawaii." The girl grows sadder by every word Od'alko said.

"However. I am not the type to force companionship from others." Od'alko said as he walked closer to the girl.

"So take this" Od'alko used his top left most arm to grab a platinum card from the inside of his suit. And had it to the girl.

"What. What is this? Lord Od'alko?" The girl said with fear.

"Drop the "lord" part. And that is one of MY company's platinum cards. It connects directly to my bank. And anyone with a brain knows to not mess with you once you flash it. So have fun" Od'alko said before going back to his desk to look over his company's investments.

"Wait lord Od'a-"

"I said drop the "lord" part"

"Apologies. Od'alko. But why are you doing this for me? I know I am to be your bride but-"

"One. You're not my bride. I don't care what your parents said, I don't like forced companionships. And two, it is evident that you didn't have the easiest life. So why not let you enjoy it a bit."

"Oh I see."

"Well what are you still waiting here. Go enjoy your desires."

"Actually the thing I want c-c-Can't be filled with just money..."

"Oh? Then what else can I do to help?"

Within half an hour the pair were at a McDonald's.

"I must say." Od'alko said taking a bite from his burger. "I would not have guessed you wanted a companion to eat at this fast food establishment."

"This is like a dream" the girl said taking bites from her burger, fries, nuggets and ice cream.

"Pace yourself. The food will not disappear"

The girl looked at Od'alko's meal. "Are you sure you don't want more Mr Od'alko?"

"Oh no there's no need. I don't require much food. You however, look like your do for a second round "

The girl looked down to notice how all the food she had ordered was almost gone. "I. I didn't notice"

Od'alko chuckled to himself. "It's always good to have a healthy appetite. Wait here I'll order seconds"

As Od'alko walked away to order someore food, the girl couldn't believe how lucky she was. To get away from her parents. To meet such a kind person. And to be able to eat such good food. The girl started crying tears of joy.

Almost instantly Od'alko heard and rushed over. "Are you ok? Are you injured?"

The girl shaked her head. "No. I just can't believe how luck I am to meet you Mr Od'alko"

Od'alko signed "there there child. There's no reason to cry. After all, the night is still young. And you have a credit card to max out"

When those two drug-addled humans agreed to provide a sacrifice in exchange for having their burgeoning debts paid off, I wasn't expecting a small human in a cheap, tattered flower girl dress knocking at my door.

"I'm Jane. Daddy said you bought me, and I'm your bride now."

I am absolutely certain I made myself clear that I no longer accepted human sacrifices. My instincts told me they peddled her over to me in a bid to get rid of her to continue their debauchery. Nonetheless, I had accepted their offering for fear they would approach a less merciful god. I thought I could perhaps try my hand at parenting for the very first time in thousands of years. Some of my followers were parents; surely I could pick up some good advice and tips.

But she was here as a child bride. Did they think of me as some kind of pedophile, that I would marry rather than adopt this small girl?

Take deep breaths. Try to lower myself so I don't excessively tower over her, and hide my tentacles beneath my robes. Checked my face in the mirror to ensure I looked mostly human and comprehensible. I pushed open the doors when I was ready to talk to her.

"Hello Jane, do you want to come in first for some tea and cakes?"

She remained standing outside, twiddling her thumbs and staring at her feet.

"I'm not going to hurt you, and I'm not going to actually marry you or make you my bride. In fact, you can have this credit card and go live your life. But first, you look like you could come in for some tea. If you need anything else, just let me know."

She convinced me to promise never to try to pawn her off again. Apparently, it wasn't the first time her parents tried to sell her, but I was the first blockhead to actually agree and let her live with me. I feel for her, my own father had disowned me too, eons ago. I would take this chance to be a better father than my old man.

My followers were very insistent that I was to find her kind, loving, and may I emphasize, HUMAN adoptive parents. They said an eldritch god could not fully understand what it means to love another. I think they're right, I've only tried dating on Tinder recently, and the tenets of romance and love mostly elude me still. But I'll do my best for her.

Jane was determined to stay by my side, and I was equally adamant about signing the adoption papers to be her father.

They relented when I told them, unlike human parents, she will never fear outliving me. I can always be there every step of the way in her life. I could do everything in my power to ensure she lives a naturally long and fulfilling human life.

It's not that hard, I think. A human lifespan to me is what a mayfly is to humans. Brief, fleeting, but possibly impactful.

But most of all, barely anyone would try to hurt or mess with her under my watch. Not even a god of death could claim her before her time, I would fight Death to keep her on this earth until she was of a ripe old age for a human.

CW: child bride, grooming, childhood SA.

A shove in her back sent Mary sprawling to the floor, her white dress catching under her knees and ripping slightly at the seam. "She's all yours, Lord Padasophilanors." The words were spoken with no emotion.

Mary stared at Padasophilanors' feet, shaking with fear, as her parents walked out the door, closing and locking it behind them. She knew the car was already packed - she'd helped to pack it. Her parents said they were going on a business trip, and she knew what that meant - she was to be left with someone who would hurt her, and if she ever told, her parents would kill her.

This time, though, things felt different. For one, she'd never been put in a white dress before. For another, this man, this Pada-something, looked - just a little wrong. He had two arms, two legs, pants, a shirt, all that kind of thing, but the shirt pulled weirdly across his chest, like there was something on his back, and one of the legs of his pants twitched occasionally, as though something like a snake moved along the back.

For a time, neither of them moved or spoke. Mary listened as two car doors slammed, and then the familiar sound of her parents' car driving away. She tried not to cry. Crying made some of them mad.

"Your parents sold you to be my bride." The man finally spoke, and his voice sounded wrong too, hollow and echoing in a way Mary had never heard anyone sound before. It was actually quite pretty, and for a moment she was distracted from the actual words. Then the meaning came to her, and she stiffened. "I accepted, knowing that if I didn't they would offer you to another of the Old Ones, but I will not force you. Here, have this, and live as you wish."

Mary looked up as his hand moved towards her and shrank back instinctively. It took her some time to realize that he wasn't reaching for her, and that he held what looked like a credit card in his hand.

"Um, Lord Pada- Padis,"

"Just call me Paddy."

"Lord Paddy, um, I'm 13. I'm not allowed to live on my own."

"Wait, what?" He sounded genuinely confused. "I mean, yes, usually women live with their parents until they get married, but plenty of women live on their own these days."

"Y-you have t-to b-be eight-teen t-to live on your own." Mary hated how much her voice shook with fear. "I st-till have t-to go t-to school and have a guardian."

"Huh." Lord Paddy sat back in the chair and looked like he was about to get lost in thought. Mary took the chance to really look him over, then flinched when his eyes suddenly flashed to her. "Right, you still have clothes here?"

Mary nodded uncertainly.

"Go get changed into something you're actually comfortable in. I need to think for a minute."

Mary nodded and tried to move, but her dress ripped more, threatening to fall off of her.

"Here." Suddenly, large, strong hands picked her up, and she froze in terror, but Lord Paddy just put her on her feet and let her go, retreating back to the chair and dropping his chin into his hand, one finger tapping his lips. "Oh, I may call someone, maybe several someones over. They will not harm you."

Something about his voice wormed its way into Mary's body, relaxing her just slightly. She didn't know why, but she was starting to trust that he truly wouldn't hurt her.

As Mary went through her wardrobe, looking for something that felt comfortable to wear, she heard the front door open and close twice, and the sound of soft voices in intense conversation. Eventually, she heard Lord Paddy's voice at the bottom of the stairs.

"Mary, Sally is going to come up and make sure you're okay."

Mary backed away from the door, ending up pressed against the wall next to her bed as she heard someone coming up the stairs. As soon as she saw the shadow in the doorway, she started to apologize. "I'm s-sorry, I'm sorry, imsorryimsorryimsorry."

"Oh, shhhhhhh." The woman in the doorway, Sally, crouched down, and her voice was so full of kindness and sadness, that it shocked Mary out of her apologies. "It's okay, child, come here." Sally's arms were open, hands beckoning, and Mary didn't understand why, but she moved forwards , almost in a trance, until she was just within reach of Sally. There, she stopped, and Sally waited, patient, making shushing sounds, until Mary closed the gap and leaned into her. Only then did Sally's arms close around her, comforting rather than smothering.

"I think," Sally said after Mary had cried herself out, "that we should just pick something quickly, and then go get you new clothes."

Mary pulled back a bit, wiping her eyes, noticing absently that Sally released her as soon as she started to move. "Can we really?" She asked, not yet ready to believe fully in these new people.

"We really can." Sally smiled, and reached over to dig through Mary's drawer, quickly finding and pulling out a pair of jeans that Mary's father hated, a t-shirt with a unicorn on it that Mary kind of liked and thus tried to not wear, and a sweatshirt to go over it all.

Sally left the room while Mary changed, and didn't seem to mind when Mary held onto her shirt as they walked downstairs.

"We're going shopping." Sally called into the living room, where Lord Paddy and another man were still talking. "We'll bring everything back here, wash it, then ceremonially burn all of her old stuff."

"In that case, come here for a second, child." Lord Paddy knelt on the floor, and Sally gave Mary a very gentle nudge towards him.

Still hesitant, Mary approached, flinching as Lord Paddy reached for her.

"Look into my eyes." He said gently.

Heart beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, Mary looked into his eyes, flinching when his hands touched her temples, but his touch was gentle, and in an instant she found her body and mind calming down, almost relaxing. It was as though he was sucking her fears out of her.

When Lord Paddy let her go, Mary walked back to Sally, not worried about turning her back on the two men in the room.

"We'll be back." Sally called, and led Mary to a car parked in front of the house.

They drove to the nearest department store, and Sally led Mary straight to the children's section, then paused.

"We can get girl's clothes if you'd like, or we can get boy's clothes, or a mix. Whatever will make you most comfortable." Sally smiled encouragingly. "We can also come back for more things later."

Mary looked at Sally for a moment, then headed for the boy's section. She hesitated at first, but whenever she showed interest in something, Sally grabbed a few different sizes of it for her to try on, and soon they had a rather large stack of clothes to take to the changing room.

Through the entire shopping expedition, Sally let Mary take the lead. She didn't try to go into the changing room with Mary, or tell her what things to try on, or hurry her, or in any way pressure her. Instead, she sat back and watched, noticing little cues that Mary didn't even realize she was sending.

It was Sally who noticed that Mary was getting overstimulated, and she suggested they get what they'd picked so far, and come back another day.

They ended up getting two packs each of socks and underwear, five pairs of pants, eight shirts, two jackets, two pairs of shoes, and some detergent that Mary didn't recognize, and when Mary heard the total price her eyes widened in fear. Seeming to sense it, Sally rested her hand on Mary's shoulder and knelt next to her.

"It's okay, Mary. Paddy's paying for all this, and he can certainly afford it."

Mary took a deep breath, nodded, and tried to relax.

Back at her house, Mary was surprised to see it almost empty. Sally tossed all her new clothes in the washer with some of the new detergent while the man who had been there when they'd left gave Mary a plate of hot mini pizza bagels and a glass of juice, and settled her in the window seat.

The child cowering before me was barely 12.

I sighed, knowing fully well that this was neither the first nor the last time.

And they call me the eldritch horror.

I change to a human form and make myself smaller, until I am almost as small as the child.

Almost.

“Do not be afraid, child” I say: “I accepted your parents offer only so that you may remain safe. If I had not answered, they’d have progressively moved down the ladder until they were selling you to their supplier for their next fix.”

The child remains silent, but two fat tears come out of her eyes.

Should have probably left that last part out. Oops!

I walk upto the girl and pat her hair in a vaguely human gesture: “There, there. You are safe now.”

“Within my realm, you can go wherever you want, do whatever you want. You have full access to my library, the knowledge of universe is at your disposal.

If you want to learn a specific skillset, a tutor will be provided for you.”

I scratch my head. What else do 12 year olds require?

Of course!

I speak again: “I think you should also have friends. I will see to it that you go to the best school in the realm. Veromir?”

The arch demon was only pretending to not pay attention. At the mention of his name, he swiftly transformed into a young man wearing a crisp white suit and appeared in front of me:

“Yes Allfather?”

“You will be the girl’s father. You will take her to her school and bring her back, and you will accompany her whenever she wants to roam around in the human world.”

A curt nod, then Veromir transforms again. This time to a middle aged man. I can see he has the attire of a minor lord, important enough to get his way but minor enough to be noticed by the people who might realise something is amiss.

Smart chap.

I frown, then remember.

“One more thing” I say, and produce a pouch.

“This is a magic purse” I declare: “Whenever you want to purchase something, put your hand inside and it will provide the exact change.”

“ If you need anything else, just call my name and ask, and it will be provided for. I am omnipotent and omniscient, so I will instantly know what you are asking for.”

“Do not think of me as a God, think of me as a guardian that you now have.”

The child has stopped crying by now. She gives me the smallest of nods, then turns around and leaves.

I whistle again, and the Archangel Galadriel appears before me. He bows down, wordlessly.

“Keep her safe” I say: “Watch over her 24/7”

Galadriel gives me briefest of nods, then disappears.

I was busy designing a new world when the girl walks in.

“Ah, Eleanor” I say, not unkindly: “What brings you here?”

The girl stands, hesitating. She is 14 now. Veromir tells me her education is coming along well.

“Speak, child” I assure her: “there is nothing I will not grant you.”

Very softly, almost in a whisper, the girl says “Allfather Xy’xy’kul, Veromir tells me that my parents are planning to sell my baby brother.”

She says nothing else.

I get up.

“Let’s get this sorted.”

An apocalyptic storm descends upon the town, as I storm to Eleanor’s parents. For this, I have chosen a form that horrifies humans and almost drives them insane.

Almost.

“You dare?” I thunder: “You dare to put my consort’s siblings for sale like some salted fish?

Eleanor’s parents fall to the ground, prostrating themselves and begging for forgiveness.

“For this blasphemy, I claim all your remaining children. There will be no recompense.”

“Further, any future child you may have will automatically come to me.”

On our way back, accompanied by a new gaggle of children (Eleanor’s many siblings), Eleanor softly whispers “Thank you, Allfather Xy’xy’kul”

“Anytime, child.”

More in a bit.

(I have never posted here but frankly I adore this plot and feel like the other submissions were a bit...off. so here goes. ahem)

I always liked my privacy. Ever since I was first brought into this world of chaos and confusion, humans scrambling about with their fleeting little lives, their horses and buggies-wait no, their, blast what do they call them? Cars! Yes their cars and bills and so many things to do. I take short trips to certain locals of interest here and there, but never committed to staying. One of the perks of being so old and secretive is not having to deal with, ugh, cults. Honestly I have no idea how my brother deals with it. The ancient one who sleeps, hah, he barely catches a wink with all that noise.

But one day I heard a whisper, just the faintest voice in the back of my skull.

"Please, take her to be your bride almighty Shighoran, please, bless us with your wisdom in exchange for our only daughter".

what in the thirteen circles? I think to myself. It has been an awfully long time since I had heard what they call a prayer, I thought I kept my name away from text or memory. "Ah well, it is a rather slow week, may as well humor them" I say aloud. "Let's see who 'she' is".

With a cloud of black, scentless smoke I began to assume a smaller version of my true form. They went to the trouble of summoning me after all, may as well give them what the asked for. As the two humans shrank back in a not-so-small bit of fear, I flexed my spiked appendages, and wiggled my tentacles in order to form a single question in what the humans call English. "WHY HAVE YOU SUMMONED ME MORTALS?"

The two who had summoned me were on their knees at the edge of the glyphs, and they swallowed as they gathered courage to face me. "We-we humbly offer our only daughter to you. We wish to learn the secrets of the old ways! Please, teach us and have our child as a bride to do as you see fit with!"

Upon their request one of my hundreds of eyes turned to the corner they had just gestured at, and there sat a small, shaking human. A...blast this infernal tongue...a girl? No more than her adolescent years. The cogs in my vast and ancient mind began to turn as I realized what they meant. I stayed silent for a few moments, a plan coming to mind.

"VERY WELL. AWAIT HERE AS I ENSURE SHE SURVIVES THE TRIP". With that echoing command, I point a finger at the small quivering one and phase us both back to my lair, a cabin, only a mile or two outside of the city she currently lived in. Upon arrival, my spikes were gone, tentacles retracted into a short but bushy beard, my only eyes blue and twinkling.

The girl looked up with me, almost unspeakable fear in her gaze regardless of my form, but she did not run. Rather brave for her age I must say. Applying my powers of elder speech, and having a human voice to match, I gently reach out a hand to help her stand. "Fear not. This may be a false form, but the elders are unable to lie". As I say this she hesitates a moment, but grabs my hand and brings herself to her feet.

"Listen, I haven't the smallest idea why or how those humans found my name, but I am not like the other gods. I do not care for betrothal or companionship, but I am not malevolent". The child seemed unsure so I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, trying to simplify my intent.

"What I mean to say is, you are not my bride. You are not my prisoner. If you want, you may live here, with me. I will watch over you, and anything your heart desires, you may have. I know some pretty big people in the world of the old ones, I can pull a favor here or there", I say with a wink. For the first time, the girl spoke.

"I-I wouldn't mind some different clothes. Maybe some food?". Her voice was small and soft, but I was right about her being brave. I chuckle and hold my hand flat in front of her. Instead of the black smoke, a gorgeous dazzle of light began to form into something I knew humans covet, something certainly impossible for her previous guardians to acquire. A credit card, with a limit so large no human could live to see the end of zeroes.

"This is yours. Until you feel safe, I will accompany you when you wish to buy things. When you can take care of it yourself, you may use it as you please. I may not be a fully fledged God, but knowing who my older brother is...let us say no one will question you", I say with another wink and what was-perhaps-not the best impression of a human chuckle, pointing to the tentacles face on the back of the card.

"No one can harm you so long as you possess this. Not your caregivers, and not other dieties". "B-but, why are you being so nice to me Mr...?". "Call me Shiggy", I say, "I like to keep my name out of the history books, much less tedious than being constantly hounded haha". My laugh is getting better I must admit. "Now, there is plenty of food in my kitchen, and a change of clothes in the room I just added, which is yours by the way". I slap my forehead in a joking fashion, "How rude, I didn't even ask your name! What is it, little one?".

"It's-it's Ally Mr. Shiggy".

"Allie, how lovely", I say with a warm smile. "Anyways, I do have one thing to do so please, eat up, make yourself at home, and I shall return shortly".

"Y...you're going to see my parents again aren't you? Please don't change your mind", she squeaks out, tears forming in her eyes.

"I wouldn't dream of it little one", I assure her, "I'm simply giving them the reward they sought, a deal is a deal after all!" With one last smile I vanish into a puff of smoke, and reappear where I was summoned, in human form.

"Lord Shighoran, is that you? Did you accept pur sacrifice?".

Mortals. So pathetic. So easily corrupted. I smile, but something about the points of my teeth seems to have thrown them off. "indeed, it is I. Now then, you wished to have knowledge of the old ones, yes?".

"Please, yes, we beg of you to share it with us!".

"OH very well. The first thing you shall learn from me, the eater of dreams, sibling of the one who sleeps in the dark, ALMIGHTY BRINGER OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE" (my brother would get a kick out of my theatrics I must say) "IS..."...

They waited, holding their breath. These miserable two who would sacrifice their own flesh and blood, so excited to learn secrets only we possess. Willing to give up one who they should have sworn to protect, given their lives for if need be. These two were begging for my secrets, and so I shall share.

"Human skin makes for the most excellent book covers. And I have two novels that need rebound".

Edited to make the ending a smidgen more clear.

- "YOU" - I see her pupils getting smaller, and her hands trembling. Sigh - I have to tone down my voice... again - "You..." - she seems calmer now. Good - "... do not be afraid" - I almost laugh - where did I see this written? Ah, on their bible. Always after some incomprehensible entity talks with them - "I meant you no harm. And you won't be my bride - just take this credit card, and live as you wish" - she seems... almost... upset?

- "Please, Ominous One... why are you in this form? Why downgrade Your Majesty into this crude, stupid, rotten form of humans?" - I... don't understand. Of all possible scenarios I could predict, this one never crossed my mind.

- "You don't understand!" - I say, and her pupils get smaller again. But somehow she seems... happy?

- "More, please! Oh, sorry for my prepotency, Infinite One... but... can you show me... your True Form?" - Sigh... of all things, I got the crazy one.

- "Your mind can't hold twenty percent of my true form. You seem to be already at your limit, and I am only at one percent of what I am. See if you can handle... ten percent" - Immediately, she falls into the ground, on her knees. Maybe it was too much... but I can see. Her mind is not broken yet. In fact, she seems... almost satisfied? How?

Her face moves up, and she's looking at me - With this form, I made humans cut their own eyes in fear, when I still couldn't understand the effect I made on poor mortals. And this... girl...

- "I can't.... express in words, not in words that You, Worldmaker, deserve, how fortunate I am to see... a fragment of what You are..." - yep, she's crazy - "I always loved things that I could not understand. People hit me... they've thrown... things... on me... called me a witch..." - her eyes don't produce tears. But I can see. I don't see people, I feel them in such a way mortals can't dare to understand. I can see everything that people are - their feelings, thoughts, they past, future, present, and alternate realities, timelines. That's why people loose their minds when they see us - their bodies try to understand past, present, future, in infinite timelines and realities all at the same time and at the same reality.

What I see... is beyond words. In all possible realities without me, she is.... I can't say what happens with her, not in a way you people can understand. Your feeble minds will probably break even if I tell a fraction of a fraction on what happens with her in some of the most mild realities... my body boils with anger, with an anger that I never felt in a long, long time... not only they did send their daughter to any deity willing to accept, knowing full well that this would be a fate million times worse than death, but they also... wanted favors in return?

- "Let's do this, then" - I say - "Let's go on a date, with twenty-five percent of my true form. If you can handle that, we can go up from there!" - She is delighted. And I am about to have some fun on the human world...

You know, it's been a while since someone gave me a child.

I used to have orphanages across the continent, my temples were second chances for children from homes destroyed by war. There were parents, unable to care for the children due to circumstances they could not control, offering their children a safe place.

So somehow I was mixed up with a different entity.I've never met the deity in question, we come and we go, take on new faces and names. I don't know who they were before they took on the mantle, or they even existed.

I'm content to be irrelevant, less orphans is a good thing, less people needing my temples. One of the recent wars had them evacuated, and they were simply never inhabitated again.

A family turned up, lighting candles on my alters, overnight meals. Flowers, lovely flowers, a feast, a celebration. I walked among them, the family large enough that they could mistake a stranger for a distant relative.

It wasn't until they brought the child out to walk down the path of petals to my statue, I realized this was a wedding.

Cultures come and go, scriptures lost in time. But a wedding remained the same. The extra extravagance may have been to lighten the mood, to overshadow the idea that they were offering up a young child.

Perhaps it was a mistake, and I have an ego befitting a God. Maybe this was not about me, and this ceremony was one to promise the girl to another family to a boy no present, or that this girl was ill, and they were celebrating a wedding that would never occur.

But she was instructed to place a wreath of flowers around the statues neck, one that matcher her own, and to sit at the feet of my statue.

"Accept my daughter as your bride, she is pure." The father said, and said nothing more for her. She was no older then 7. "I ask in exchange for wealth, befitting of the family of the god of prosperity."

There were many temples that littered the countryside, of gods of war and blood and worse. To offer and demand payment was something this family would have been smited for.

I waited, to see if this was just a ceremony. That they were not serious. I waited an hour as the families celebrations turned to restlessness.

"She's not a good enough bride." Someone said. "This was a waste of time."

There was a light of fear in the little girls eyes.

Some orphans that came to my temples were covered in bruises, praying for me to take them, as being an orphan was better then having parents. She looked up at my statue. It had lost an arm some time ago- a teenager had hooked their arm with mind and pretended to dance, and when they swung they broke the stone.

I could see her begging with her eyes, that I was real- because a husband might treat her better then her family.

"I accept your offer." I said, with turning heads. I had been an adult man moments prior. No one noticed when I changed forms to something a little smaller. I walked across the petals. Before they could ask me who I was, I motioned for the wreath around the statues neck to unwind, and pulled them to my own, they grew wild, growing into a cloak draping my back.

I did not have to kneel to meet her eyes, as my new form was that of a boy, just a little older then her. There was only curiosity in her eyes.

"What is your name?"

"Her name is-"

"I did not ask you." I spoke coldy, he bowed deep and walked backwards. I wish he tripped on a loose stone.

"Teveni." She said, so quiet a mortal would have trouble hearing her.

"Did you want to choose a new name?"

I would wait a few years, before asking. Names came with a weight to them and some kept their names, the only thing left that tied them to lost families, a gift they would carry until they died.

Some shed them. In this instance, I asked as Teveni ment "gift," in this context, it made me want to do like my fellow gods and smite the wedding guests.

"I don't know." She said, and shrugged like a child would being asked what they wanted for dinner.

"You can figure it out later." I said. "For now, I'll call you Teveni."

I pulled a loose stone from the ground. Her father rose after I stood, I suspected he wanted details on his payment, and was to scared to ask. This thing called itself my family. Part of my wished to remove the guests, to take the girl. But I had accepted an exchange.

I held my hand out. He extended his hands. I dropped the stone into his palm. He frowned, before checking himself to not seem disappointed.

"Plant this at your home on a fullmoon. The next morning with bring you wealth for generations, so long as you care for it."

He bowed once again, and I extinguished the candles, and opened the temple doors, a clear sign for them to leave.

When they were gone, I began to clean. The empty dishes they had left, and lit the candles once more so Teveni was not in the dark.

"Woah...."

She may not have seen magic before, I put on more of a show, she was in awe.

"Now, I want to make a few things clear." I said, sitting next to her. "Bed time is 8pm, always wipe your shoes at the doors and don't climb over the upstairs rafters, you might hurt yourself falling."

"Do I call you "husband"?"

"No, nah uh."

"Papa said to do what ever you said, even if I didn't like it, cause wives listen to husbands."

Maybe I should have gone the smiting option.

"I'll explain this better when you're older. Technically you're my wife, I accepted you in exchange for wealth, but you're not to do any wifely duties." I didn't know how much was explained to her about this. I used to watch kids play make belive, I saw marriages and divorces and marriages again as they played make believe. "I accepted you, to get you away from your family."

"They're mean."

"I thought so." I said. "I'm a God of nurture."

"Not nature?"

"No, nurture as is to help grow." I hoped she could understand what I meant, all kids had different ways of learning and retaining information. "A child is still growing, like a plant, so I have domain over both."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Be yourself, play in the mud, collect frogs, keep asking questions about the world." It was a strange question for me, kids naturally just wanted to be kids.

"What can I call you?"

I hadn't had a name in a while. I pondered for a moment, looking up at my statue. "Stump."

"Why?"

"Cause I got a stump." I said, the joke going over her head.

"So a stump means no arm?"

"Stump means a lack of something that used to be there." I said. "Like a tree stump."

"Oh! I get it now." She clapped her hands, and I missed questions, I missed classes, I missed watching people grow.

"Hey kid?" I said. "To nurture, is to protect. I protect kids, so they can grow. No one is going to hurt you in our home."

It felt like eons since I had said that. I spoke it to every child that called these walls their refuge.

They stood on a cliff, together soon to be one. A car pulled away and drove off with a loud roar.

"Your parents sold you to be my bride. I accepted, knowing that if I didn’t, they will just try another deity, but I will not force this on you. Have this credit card and live as you wish. If you want something else instead, just ask" said the Elder God donned in a human skin that did not fit them.

It pulled out a credit card from what seemed to be thin air.

It would wrinkle and bend in small ways that seemed more akin to how a jacket moves than clothes, flesh turned into a gaudy accessory. A vestigial garb pulled out events such as this one.

The girl saw this and looked up at him with a face that surprised the creature in front of her.

It was one of absolute disgust and hatred, there was no cognitive repulsion at trying to understand such a creature even behind its "mask". No, she saw every fold, every wrinkle formed an irregularity who shoved itself back into the shape of a primate. She could see all that and not spew the contents of her stomach up while not being able to hold her resentment, a virtoil that surpassed one simply betrayed by those who raised her. Yes, this was sheer hatred trapped in what seemed to be a petite young woman's body yet…

It seemed actionable, it was hatred that could only survive by becoming reality.

"You aren't a God." she said as she manifested that hatred as an ephemeral blade, a thing that looked like a blurry polaroid of a sword ripped from its film prison.

"What do you think you'r…what are you? Who are you" the God said.

She ran at it, it cast off the skin it wore becoming a thing with no properly defined dimensions and garbed in a robe that devoured light. There was a mask but it folded into itself, though it could have been described as a folded up protein turned into a mask and such a description would be close.

A better description for it would be simply something wrong.

She swang at the divinity in front of her with almost perfect ineptitude, her form so bad that many wannabe devotees of the Sword would have uproared in jealous frustration.

However, the girl's physiology obeyed what she demanded of it. The creature in front of her now realizes why her parents seemed so terrified and distant.

It dodges her slashes but the girl keeps bending her body to new limits, her spine now undulating and her muscles making a small ceaseless squeal. Her bones cracked into pieces smaller than a nail, fusing into its muscular and nervous neighbors.

The god would dodge her flurry of jabs and slashes by going behind her, readying an attack of its own but she'd 360'd her body. With a force equal to the god's she'd repelled that attack.

"How." stuttered the creature.

"...you're not a real God or Prince of The Dark. I've seen them, the real Gods. They don't need to say it, they aren't kind because they don't understand kindness. What you are is an insult, a person pretending to be something more" she said as she spat a yellowish bile with flakes of red.

The False God paused and looked at her, its form merging with its human one. A monsterous combination of a broken human and a false god being formed. Some composed of an enormous amount of joints, complex forces bound by flesh and a mind beyond all that.

It slobbered as it ran towards the girl, however it did not do so linearly afterall it was the God of The Space Between. So instead it ran towards the girl as she was driven here, to the cliff, as her false parents sweated in terror.

The creature, bigger than a normal human and no bigger than elephant that seemed to be an ever-changing gradient of man to elephant, shocked the hell out of them all aside from the girl.

She jumped out the car and resumed their fight, she kept a more human form this time.

Running and sprinting at the creature with no sign of even needing to use her more "inhuman" aspects.

Though she did slash at the creature with superhuman levels of strength. It seemed as though each attack was building on top of each other, a damage even a "god" couldn't merely ignore.

The vantablack striped creature wearing a giant bone-white ivory mask screamed in agony, it no longer properly could move. It was stuck mostly in this past state of reality, and partially in the state between the future and past. Its ichor leaked into the gaps of the road below it, both real and theoretical.

The girl stabbed and left her sword in the soon-to-be carcass of a false god. She walked back to the car her fake parents resided in and told them to continue driving to the cliff.

Her future self enjoyed the realization that she didn't have to deal with that thing a second time, though what she got out of killing it made this time around a lot easier.

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

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