Work Text:
In the beginning, there were Gods. They were cruel, and driven, and wished only to ruin the lives of the people they watched over in the way that only Gods can. Then, two had the misfortune of falling in love with those they had once wronged.
To fall in love as a God is an incredibly difficult feat. As a… being… of unfathomable power, their incredible abilities come with absolute corruption. To be a God is to wish for nothing and admire no one, for they are consumed by thoughts of their own talents and merits. But slowly, so slowly, over a period of time too long to comprehend, two beings that were present at the creation of the universe, unyielding and uncaring for eons, started to care for what should have been a few inconsequential, fleeting existences that had literally nothing of worth or interest to anyone of importance.
The rest of the Gods, in their surprise and disgust, manage to decide on something for once, and Banished the ones they deemed Blasphemers, casting them from the skies, their home, where they could never return.
The Banished fell for three days, and each day, they were less like the Gods they used to be and more like something more… palatable… to the mortals on Earth. Each day, their powers, once unparalleled, faded just enough to be noticed by the ones who once wielded and idolized them. Each day, the thoughts of needless self-preservation that had plagued them for as long as they had existed faded. Each day, they became more human.
Eventually, the fallen Gods, now shadows of their former selves, shimmering masses of what little potential they had left, landed on a small island known to mortals as Hawai’i. They seeped into the ground, unsure of what to do next and unable to create a corporeal form, and watched, and waited, and gradually, Rules were set based on their observations.
One, the more logical (and predisposed to being an asshole) of the two, took an interest in how the people of Hawai’i worked. To place such meaning in an imaginary item, to base their whole lives around it, forcing themselves to undergo unnecessary physical and mental labour just so they can exchange imaginary items for objects that would be better if they stayed in the creator’s imagination… to deprive themselves of the joys they hold dear so they can give themselves the short-term gratification that will eventually drain their minds of any true emotion… to build emotionless constructs that appeal to irrelevant outsiders, only to have them torn down moments later in favour of newer, more emotionless shrines to things they either created themselves or do not wish to evoke a reaction from… this dedication to things that seemed meaningless to what was once an all-powerful being intrigued the former God, and she began to watch over the people of Hawai’i during weekdays.
The other, the more relaxed (and weak, the other Gods would whisper when she used to be one of them), was fascinated by how the people of Hawai’i played. They struggled through five days of the week, yet still managed to flourish in what little they had of their time. They relaxed after a hard day of work with people by… engaging with other people, mostly, which was perplexing. They also created works of beautiful, incredible art… so other people could engage with it, and most of their cultural holidays involved engaging with other people in various ways as well. But that isn’t to say the engagement was dull. Somehow, these people managed to work together time and time again to create objects and experiences that were worth more than the sum of their parts, an achievement that the Gods were too busy distracted by themselves to work towards. This persistence against odds that they by and large stacked against themselves fascinated her, and she gradually began to preside over Hawai’i’s people during weekends.
Over time, these former Gods became newer deities, content to remain hidden from their subjects so they could watch from afar, waxing and waning in opposing cycles every week. They remained apart every day but Friday, the last weekday and first day of the weekend, a time where people both worked the hardest and enjoyed themselves the most, where both deities could overcome their differences for a day and revel in watching people at the peak of their activity. They were all each other had, and it was only a matter of time before they fell in love.
This was a joyous period, full of both work and play. These two deities, still unused to feelings of any kind, radiated the full spectrum of emotions, from deepest grief to highest elation, and these waves of pure emotion sprouted from the ground, every plant known to man (and a few that weren’t) smothering the ground, to the delight of the people above them, who resolved to work even harder and party even more, pleasing the deities in turn.
The cycle continued for many years, but as the lovebirds settled into their new routine, Problems arose, for the Gods had Noticed them, and they were Not Pleased.
These Blasphemers, these Heathens, had gone against everything the Gods held dear (themselves), and had somehow found a way to embrace their punishment by bringing joy to others, of all things!
This Would Not Do.
So, in the late afternoon of the last Friday that Hawai’i would ever have, the Gods took the work-obsessed deity away from Hawai’i and her love, and offered her a Deal.
The Deal itself, as well as the events that followed its proposal, are unknown to all but a few Gods who we do not know and cannot ask. But the aftermath is known by all.
A new God was formed, encased in a Coin of what could be silver, wearing a blindfold that keeps her from seeing the one person she loves.
Time in Hawai’i stopped, forever trapped in one late afternoon on either a Friday or the Friday, depending on who you ask.
And Our Lady of Perpetual Fridays, a spirit of Good Fun and Just Trying Our Best, was formed from a shimmering pool of multicolored tears. She sits now, waiting for something only she knows about to happen, hoping the Gods will mistake patience and quiet for kindness and mercy.
Once, Hawai’i was ruled by two Ladies, and time flowed. Today, it is ruled by one, and the day is always Friday.