In the Baking Needs aisle of an ordinary, mundane grocery store, an extraordinary exchange was taking place.
Although most mortals couldn't perceive it, two siblings were discussing the finer points of the human condition, and the debate would have been heated even if the siblings hadn't been beings of flame.
"A grateful gift from her masters?" the Red Flame said. "And a benevolent brother ... who also happens to experience success in the midst of a plague? You're far too generous with these humans! You can't just bury them in gold and β and ..." she looked around, "... icing sugar!"
"And how, exactly, does giving the girl a shameful craving to suck her brother's penis improve her fate or advance our goals?"
"Brother, you haven't studied humans like I have," the Red Flame said. "They were made in our image, but they were sculpted from dirt. They may look like gods, but they're really just beasts, ruled by their instincts and their urges."
"That's no reason for me to be callous," said the Blue Flame. "We have the ability to improve their lot and bring them a little piece of Heaven."
"If you intend to change the earth into the sky with the consent of the worms, then you're going to be here for a very long time."
"'Worms'? I didn't realize that you hated these creature so much."
"I don't hate them! In the time that it's taken for you to bargain with one human, I've saved the lives of two."
"More shameful desires, sister?" the Blue Flame said. "I hope not. You're far too creative to be so repetitive."
"Brother, listen to me: focus on the important ones, let them make their petitions, provide the fates that fulfill OUR needs and THEIR desires ... and move on!"
With that, she disappeared.
"'Saved the lives of two', you say?" the Blue Flame thought. He scanned the weave of the supermarket, followed the strands of fate into the recent past, and spotted the humans that his sister had altered. "Clara and Michael, eh? I believe I'll ask them whether they feel 'saved'."
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
MICHAEL
Michael slowly sauntered through the selection of salty snacks, his handbasket already stuffed with six liters of soft drink.
Which pairs better with a No Name cola, he thought β barbecue or sour cream and onion potato chips?
Suddenly, there was a redheaded girl standing right next to him β indeed, he'd never seen a girl with redder hair. She was brilliantly beautiful and probably right around his age, and he tried to discreetly assess her chest to see if she was the complete package.
She took a deep breath, making him wonder if he hadn't been discreet enough ... and then she actually spoke to him. "Introduce yourself and your plight," she said, waving her hand at him.
Ordinarily, he might have been shy around such a heavenly creature, but he found himself compelled to be honest with the Red Girl. "Oh, hi!" he said. "I've never seen you around here before. My name's Michael."
She snorted in either contempt, amusement, or both.
"Uh, what's funny?" he said.
"It's just comical to hear you say that name aloud," she said. "I know your namesake, and there's very little resemblance."
"Seriously β you know my grandpa?" he said. "Did you meet him before he moved to Phoenix, or ...?"
"Let's get back to talking about you," she said. "Why are you here?"
"Because I needed some things, and I have nowhere else to be," he said. "Don't get me wrong: I work at the warehouse that supplies this store, so it's not like I don't have a job or anything. Actually, we've been super busy lately. They even gave us an extra dollar per hour to account for the increased volume, and probably to thank us for just coming to work while there's this Chinese virus going around."
"Shouldn't you be concerned about contracting the disease and spreading it to others of your kind?"