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Noli usually did not entertain mortals unless he was also being entertained in the process.
In particular, there had been a certain exploiter Noli was fond of sharing this mutual entertainment with, but now he had gone off and had a child to care for and supposedly sworn off the chaos and destruction.
Noli couldn’t believe it.
He believed it even less when a mortal who was a little too big for his britches called upon him. Not to worship him, no, but as an attempted equal.
Noli had to see where this was going,
And so they had met
And met again
And met again.
And Noli couldn’t help but feel those familiar emotions resurfacing.
When the deal of switching vessels first happened, Noli was…used to it. There would be some strange tinge, some leftover scraps of emotions from who the vessel once was. He’d feel it when he’d look at someone who was the friend of the vessel, and he’d know there was a missed opportunity that could never be taken. Possibly not even in the afterlife, as not even Noli knew what happened to the souls of those who took The Void Star. Perhaps they were consumed, and he built himself off the little chunks they had left behind.
The first time a vessel was someone who had a partner was this vessel, the one Noli had eventually been forced into dormancy in. He could feel it right away when he slipped into it, staring at the man’s wife, knowing her husband was long gone.
It was not his emotions he had a right to stake claim to, but he could feel it all the same.
Love.
He had ignored it, and then he’d been sealed into dormancy.
The first time Noli properly took on a partner of his own was that damned exploiter. He had also gotten a shockingly big ego, and Noli was all too glad to feed that ego, watching 007n7 destroy things left right and center, both with Noli’s command and without.
And then after years and years, 007 had called it off. He had found a child and intended to raise him as his own, putting the years of exploiting behind him. He had denounced his following of Noli, and broke up with him.
Noli hated it. He hated it. He realized, then and there, that he had nearly never been denied what he wanted.
Disgusting. Disgusting. He hated it. He hated HIM.
And then that stupid, stupid other mortal had called.
When Noli first stepped out of the summoning, there was a trap he simply walked right through, staring at the man who had summoned and then attempted to contain him.
“S̸̗̀p̵̬̄e̴̛̦a̴̢̎k̵̠͑.̶͓̃” he demanded like he was staring at a mangy mutt of a dog rather than a person.
The man stepped back, eyes wide. Noli took the opportunity to look him over.
…Most of the wings were falsified, but Noli could tell what wasn’t–the gradient. There was power in this man.
This man who wore a Spawn symbol on his shirt and as an amulet on his capelet.
…Interesting.
“My name is Amarah,” the man readjusted his stance, clearing his throat, “And I believe we may have…common goals.”
Common goals?
Noli had spared him then and there, and allowed him to explain. Amarah had been running an interesting little community for a while, supposedly dedicated to Spawn.
He was messing with a loophole.
He didn’t have the people worshipping Spawn, he had them practically worshipping him. It was granting him power.
And that was amusing to Noli.
And so they would talk. The community [cult, it was a cult] would produce such a unique form of chaos, and in turn, Noli would find a way to get the group under the radar.
And as time went on, Noli felt the resurface, and suddenly the relationship was so much more.
He…didn’t know what he wanted out of it. Was this just a fall-back?
He didn’t know what Amarah wanted out of it. Was it power? Bragging rights?
Noli didn’t think he cared. He missed it. He missed having someone who would speak to him so sweetly, missed having someone who would care for his wellbeing like he was a person and not just a god to be worshipped. It was sickening. It was revolting. He didn’t care. He just wanted it and wanted more of it.
Amarah had extended an open hand of invitation. Just to poke around for a bit, to see how things were in the community first-hand. Noli had put up an illusion of a look, and stepped in, looking nothing like he normally did.
It was…a well-kept place. Those around looked with curiosity, but did not even question someone who was not officially part of their community walking with their leader. They would simply take one glance with a mild look, shrug, and go back to their tasks.
Sheep, the lot of them.
Amarah had explained that his ‘child’ [who he had openly admitted to taking under his wing after killing their parents] was being babysat, so there would be no need to worry about them, but soon enough, someone else approached.
They looked to be a young adult, slightly unkempt but nearly perfect in stance.
“Teacher Amarah,” they spoke after a moment, “My apologies for interrupting, but I wish to know if our guest will be staying for dinner. As you know, Azure and I are on table-setting duties for tonight, and I must know if I must ensure a proper seat for a guest.”
Amarah nodded, glancing at Noli, “I believe that would be up to you. Would you perhaps be willing?”
Noli hummed a little tune as he paused, but he knew the answer already.
“I do believe I would like to stay for dinner,” he spoke in a voice not his own, one from somewhere deep inside him that he would later figure out was one of those little chunks that the vessels left behind, “If you would be so kind as to set me a seat.”
The one who had asked the question nodded with a bit-too-big smile, “That would be entirely my honor…” and then they trailed off, as if asking for a name without asking for a name.
“You may call me Janus,” Noli lied through his teeth, offering out a hand that was not his own for a shake.
The other gently took his hand without an ounce of suspicion, not even thinking there was a disguise to see through, “Two Time,” they offered their own name.
“They are very dedicated to our community,” Amarah hummed, and Noli could see Two Time light up at the praise. Sheep. Sheep. Some little twisted part of him wondered just how many people this person would hurt for Amarah’s gain. It’d be so interesting to see.
Later that day, as Noli sat surrounded by people who would practically eat out of Amarah’s hand if asked, he thought of it more.
Thought more of what was happening here. What would continue to happen here. How many more people would die in the quest for Amarah’s power. How fun it would be to see the chaos go down.
Amarah was not his equal. Amarah was a funny little mortal playing god. And yet, and yet, those familiar feelings kept him wanting to come back over and over again.
Practically no one questioned ‘Janus’ on his presence, simply accepting Amarah had brought a guest that did not belong to the community. Only one shadowed-over pair of eyes ever looked at him with a hint of suspicion, and Noli simply stared with a look that said ‘Try it’ and the eyes instead turned away to focus on Two Time.
Perhaps Noli would talk to Amarah about it. Perhaps not. Perhaps he would see where it all went. It was all up in the air. It was chaos, and he reveled in it.