Chapter Text
Theseus used to be a God– Or, well,he supposed he was still one, sitting upon the ruins of a temple no one had visited in years. He thought it was a bit cruel, that humanity could turn their back on a God they once adored, but he supposed it was his punishment, for not being there when the humans needed him most, for not being there when they needed the sun in their darkest times.
Or maybe it was his fault for not begging for their forgiveness… Who was he kidding? Gods didn't beg, they created, they destroyed, even if it got them left behind, even if Theseus had to be left behind. Theseus remembered the various names he had been called, how they cast him aside as a prideful, arrogant God. He remembered how his father had offered to set the mortals straight, how he had looked at them in such anger for casting aside his son, but Theseus had begged him not to do anything, saying the mortals would come back for him one day, it was no need to be angry over a little spat.
A small part of Theseus regretted that decision, as decades, centuries, and millennia passed, his once most cherished temple in ruins, rubble scattered across the land. He was admittedly surprised he could even still reach their realm, seeing through the eyes of a defaced statue, though he couldn’t wake their lands anymore, because if he wasn’t perceived as real, why would he be able to walk with them in what they considered to be “real life”?
It was midday when Theseus had felt an odd pulling toward the mortal realm, it had been so long that he forgot how it felt– a weird pulling in his chest, if Gods could die he would assume that Lady Death had finally come and got him. Willing himself up, he closed his eyes, feeling his Godly body fade away as he immortalized in the mortal realm, peering through his statue as a pink-haired figure walked up to it. He recognized the rectangular object in the man’s hand as a phone. “Okay Phil, I think I’m here..” The pink haired figure murmured to his phone, squinting at the device then up at Theseus’ statue.
Theseus chuckled to himself at the man’s words, who names their phone ‘Phil’, in fact– who named their phones? He didn’t think mortals did that.. Theseus felt a little startled when the phone spoke back, squinting as he enhanced his hearing to be able to make out what the chipper voice was saying. “Good Okay– is there an altar? A statue?” The phone asked. Theseus watched as the man squinted at his statue before looking down, examining the broken pieces of what used to be a marble altar. “There’s a statue, I think the altar has decayed, though.” The gruff voice spoke, shifting as he pressed a button on his phone.
Theseus heard a groan from the phone before it spoke again. “Well- Okay, that's fine.. I’m sure it will still work if you set the offering..” Theseus blocked out the rest of the conversation at that word, ‘offering,’ something the God had silently been hoping for for millennia. He only pulled himself back to the mortal plane when he noticed the pink haired figure walk forward and set something down– a plush cow. He felt his heart warm a little at the gesture, shoulders relaxing as he watched the slightly nervous man get down on one knee, hands together and pressing against his forehead. A prayer?
The pink haired man hesitated “Aegletes Theseus,” He breathed out, shivers running down his back as Theseus reached out, chuckling to himself at how the mortal reacted. He hadn’t been present for a prayer in millennia- he still received some, but he never answered, he never quite felt the need to anymore. But seeing the drive of the pink-haired mortal to come all the way to his temple- it relit a fire inside of the God.
Theseus hated to admit it, but when the mortal had left, he felt a little..sad? It had been so long since he saw anyone around his temple, much less pray and leave an offering, so he felt that it was only his right to feel a little upset when the mortal left, but he did see it as a good start, a part of him hoping that he gave the mortal enough signs that said ‘I’m here I'm real!” For him to consider coming again, maybe even inviting more people over to his temple.
The sun god was quick to tell his father of the news the next day, excitedly moving in circles around the winged God of decay, hands moving in gestures as he rambled on about the pink haired man he saw, and the phone called ‘Phil’ that spoke to him. To which he had been quickly informed that the phone didn’t speak to him, but instead mortals could talk to each other with the rectangular devices, but he would still call the phone Phil until he saw proof of the alleged mortal that was actually talking to him.
Theseus didn’t miss the slight guilt in his father’s eyes when he talked about it, but he also wouldn’t say anything, being quick to go off and inform his best friend, the god of nature, about his discovery, small wings flapping behind him as he rushed off. “Tubbooo!” He called in a sing-song voice, a grin on his face as he wrapped his arm around the half-goat god, laughing as he was pushed off playfully. “You look like you won something,” Tubbo huffed out with a slight smile, shifting as he was pulled close once more. “Because I did!” Theseus spoke proudly, not missing the wary glance that Tubbo gave him.
With an offended noise, Theseus spoke again. “I didn’t win against another God-” He reasoned, a slight pout on his features, Tubbo looking visibly relieved at his words. “I have a new follower!” Theseus finished excitedly, looking proud of himself as Tubbo congratulated him. “I honestly thought the mortals got rid of all mention of you,” Tubbo admitted after Theseus pulled away, fidgeting with one of his horns. “Egh, can’t really get rid of all information about the literal Sun God,” Theseus commented, shrugging slightly as Tubbo nodded in agreement.
Theseus was delighted the next day when the pink-haired man came back, noticing a slightly taller woman behind him. A part of him wondered if that was the ‘Phil’ on the phone, but she didn’t even look like a Phil, so he quickly ruled that out. The woman looked curious as she wandered around his temple ruins, while the pink haired man stayed mostly in the altar room, eyeing his statue once more. “It’s weird, Niki,” The man murmured as ‘Niki’ walked back over, looking up at Theseus’ statue as well. “It almost feels alive.” He huffed out, face twisting slightly as Niki chuckled at him.
Pressing a hand against the pink haired man’s back, she pushed him forward slightly. “Of course it feels alive, don’t all the Gods inhabit their temples?” She mused, face dropping slightly as she looked around the ruins. “Though, I can’t imagine if I were a God, I’d ever want to come back here..” She whispered, hand falling from the man’s back as he nodded. “There’s no way he doesn’t, though. I definitely felt eyes on me.” The man murmured, shivering slightly at the mention.
Niki laughed softly at that, shaking her head. “The Internet would have a field day with that one.” She huffed out, a slight smirk on her features. “They would, wouldn't they?” The man murmured back, head still tilted up, eyes on the defaced statue.