she who is great

[sideways]

Title: She Who Is Great
AO3: Link
Rating: G
Series: Moon Knight (MCU) (Layla El-Faouly, Taweret)
Wordcount: 326
Summary: Layla is going into this Avatar thing with her eyes open.
Remarks: Realised I'd forgotten to cross-post this drabble from earlier this year. I like it when gods are... discomfiting. Even (especially) the 'nice' ones.

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Taweret is warm in the way of an electric fire: ample brightness and all the right sounds and feelings, but there is never not an awareness that some vital spark is missing. The goddess is friendly, enthusiastic, encouraging of questions and indulgent of requests - and her delight in human culture rings with the same disconnected pleasure as a collector turning foreign treasures over in their hands.

Layla can admit that with her standards as low as Khonshu had set them, it would have been relief enough to find a benefactor who sees in her something more than a guided missile. She is not ungrateful for the warmth, or the indulgence.

"It's just the nature of things, I suppose." In the dreams where they speak, the sands rushing past hold no danger; Layla sips her tea balanced comfortably on the side railings, watching Taweret steer. “To change, adapt, grow... You humans have always been so good at it. Blink of an eye and whoops! Suddenly you're everywhere, doing all sorts of wonderful things, all by yourselves.” The goddess pats the barge's helm fondly. “I like to think we've even learned a little from your example, those of us who've been paying attention.”

"You don't miss it?" Layla can't help but ask. "I mean - the great divine kingdoms of Egypt. Being worshipped by millions of people. You wouldn't go back to all that?"

Taweret tilts her massive head thoughtfully, rounded ears flicking. There is a sweetness to her face, bright eyes and lips curved in an eternal smile. The same sweet face is worn by her counterparts, the lumbering denizens of Nile and Ruzizi, held in greater fear and respect by the local populaces than lions or crocodiles.

"Well," she says mildly. "I can't say it wouldn't be nice."

They'll do good things together, Layla thinks. It will be a valuable partnership. She even believes she just might enjoy herself.

She will not mistake Taweret for a friend.

Comments

[kaffy_r]

Oh, thank you for writing this - it hits just the right tone, especially the comment about hippos, who are, after all, much more scarier than rhinos or similarly feared large animals.

[sideways]

Haha, thanks for reading it! Honestly, the MCU made Taweret so harmlessly quirky-friendly and the whole time it's like... that's a HIPPO, lads. There's a reason she was a goddess of protection.

[kaffy_r]

Yep - they look cute and they are dangerous; just like a lot of gods, frankly.