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Beneath the God Who Rules the World Part 4

Part 4

Ryan had immediately left the building after gathering his backpack at his desk. A look and feeling of relief had washed over the human. Not only had he not gotten fired, he had earned the favor of both Mitsuhisa, and the President of the company himself. He could at least feel safe that his job was intact for the time being. He had gotten in his car and drove immediately home. The traffic had died down, it was after the morning traffic but before the lunch hour rush. All the while thoughts kept going back to the meeting, giving the human plenty to ponder.

He had seen the Arceus pokemorph before on television, either on the news and even a short-lived reality show about his businesses. However, neither avenues held any interest to Ryan in the slightest, so he never left an impression on him before. But now, that he had met him in person, it left a whole different impression on the human. He could see how someone so imposing made it all the way to the top.

“He’s quite handsome too I’ll admit.” Ryan told himself out loud in the car, he had a habit of deliberating things to himself out loud, it helped organize and clear his thoughts. At first, he wondered if he would see Cyuss again, then remembered the invite the arceus extended to him.

“Oh yeah, the Gala,” he continued, “I certainly don’t want to turn down such an invite, but it’s such a formal occasion, and for a very high class gathering. I don’t have anything to wear that would fit.” It was a tough situation to deliberate, but he figured he could talk it out with friends or family about the situation. Until then, he pulled into the parking lot of his complex, and headed back up to his apartment room. He almost expected to see Shaun waiting for him again. He seemed really keen on wanting to mingle with the human, but he wasn’t there at this time, likely Shaun was busy at his own job. Ryan was fine with that in all honesty.

He got back to his apartment on the top floor, and locked the door behind him, setting his stuff down, he looked forward to a day all to himself. He pondered what to do. He wasn’t fully tired or hungry, and his friends and family were all busy with their affairs, so he decided to just kick his shoes off and hunker down on the couch. He laid on the side to get comfortable, he figured he’d catch up on some anime he’d been meaning to watch. He took a minute to pop some popcorn before getting comfortable and turned on the PC in front of him. As he browsed through a couple things while Netflix loaded up on the TV, he noticed a notification pop up on one of his feeds.

“Oh, a Chess tournament is coming up soon, Seattle is a lot bigger than back home, so maybe I’ll have better luck building up my rating here.” He kept note of the information, deciding to call and register on the USCF website later.

***

Back at the office, Cyuss had since returned to his office back on the top floor. He had a feeling of satisfaction of sticking it to the clowns for their pathetic attempt at a kangaroo court.

“Now for more pressing matters.” He waved his hand and flicked the phone switch at his desk from afar, dialing a specific number.

“Hello?” A female voice responded on the other end.

“This is Mr. Ark,” the deity began, “what are the preparations for the NWC Gala?”

“Things are progressing as planned sir,” she responded, “all the distinguished guests have been confirmed to arrive. Business heads, celebrities, the whole nine yards. The symphony has also been booked and informed of the playlist they’ll be performing this year.”

“I have some new additions you’ll need to take into consideration,” Cyuss began.

“I’m listening.”

“I have a new distinguished guest I’ve invited personally, you’re going to give him a king’s welcome.”

“Who is this guest?”

“A young man in my employ, I am bringing him to the Gala as my VIP. I need you to send a personalized invite to this person. You’ll also need to provide a limousine for transportation, and this young man will also require a fully tailored tuxedo.”

“Is this man important sir? That sounds like a lot for this one person.”

“I’m not paying you to ask me questions,” Cyuss responded coldly, “I’m paying you to complete these tasks, you may bill the usual department for all these expenses. Also, there is a new piece of music that I require the symphony to play for the dance. It’s relatively easy to find, a simple google search will pull up everything required to know about this piece.”

“…Very well sir,” she responded, “shall I notify your distinguished guest of the proceedings? He’ll need to be fitted for his attire.”

“Yes, I’ve sent an e-mail with all the contact information for this person. Send the invite and other details on highest priority.”

“It’ll be done sir.” And with that, the phone switched off, ending the call. Cyuss took a sip of wine from his glass, looking out the window, a popular trait he expressed in his private office. Without moving from his spot, he telepathically switched the phone again, calling his secretary.

“What can I do for you Mr. Ark?” the Tigress asked when she responded.

“I want you to send a note to HR,” he began, “I need them to change the benefit plans for a particular employee.”

“For which employee sir?”

“Ryan Lewis, Multimedia Developer in the tech labs, he is to have his benefits plan transferred to the Executive Level benefits package, and to be put into effect immediately.”

“Ryan Lewis?” She asked, typing was heard over the speaker. “Pardon me for asking sir, but Mr. Lewis hasn’t finished the 90-day grace period yet, and on top of that, he’s in a position much too low to be considered for Executive benefits.”

“Did I ask for your opinion on the subject?” Cyuss responded, “I told you to change his benefits over, not to ask me questions. If the head of HR has a problem with it, she can see me in person.” There was a quiet sigh on the other side.

“I’ll have it done sir.”

***

A few hours passed and Ryan woke up from a stupor, still on the couch. He had somehow gone through a whole package of popcorn and ended up napping on the couch. He sat up and dusted himself off, making sure not to leave a mess everywhere.

“Last time I watch a movie like that without an English dub,” he told himself and checked the clock. It was about 1 PM. He decided to head downstairs and check the mail. In the mail room, he opened his box and sorted the mail. About 90 percent of it was ads and junk he tossed aside, a couple bills he kept. And the last letter was of a very peculiar make. It was very ornate enveloped, wrapped by a gold ribbon, and embroidered with silver lettering containing the mailing data. Also stamped was a scarlet insignia on the upper right-hand corner with the letters NWC on it. Whatever it was it was important. He opened it up and read the letter inside. It was an official invitation to the Gala Cyuss mentioned. It contained all the relevant details about where and when it was. It was going to be Saturday evening.

‘That’s not enough time to find suitable attire,’ he told himself in his head. He turned the page and found another paper inside. It was what looked like an order form. ‘Or maybe not. Am I getting a tuxedo for free? What’s going on here?’ On the paper was an order from a very high-end designer place for a custom fit Tuxedo. All Ryan had to do was go in and hand the paper over to them to get the fit. The address, number, and information regarding times were all on the paper. He checked the store hours and found it was still open another five hours.

“I got nothing else to do at the moment,” he told himself, “guess I’ll pay them a visit.”

***

Later in the afternoon, the news stations were still waiting at the entrance for a statement, as the news was preparing for their evening rounds, they grew more desperate for a statement from Cyuss. Cyuss would constantly get calls during the second half of the day, but he would respond in kind, effectively telling them to fuck off, in a courteous way of course.

“They’ve certainly grown persistent. I have no time for these petty games.” He told himself. After a while of deliberating, and pestering, he called his secretary again.

“What can I do sir?”

“Cancel all my afternoon appointments and inform the news stations I’ll be making a press statement in 15 minutes at the front.”

“Very well sir, the only thing on your schedule is the OSHA meeting at 2:30.”

“Tell them to reschedule it for the same time tomorrow.”

“Very well sir.”

He hung up and straightened up his suit and cuffs on his wrist before heading down. He rode the elevator all the way to the bottom floor, heading downstairs through the elaborate lobby. All the security personnel at the door and the people working the lobby all looked exasperated at this point, clearly tired of the harassment from the paparazzi.

Cyuss was completely unfazed at the display, casually stepping out the front door towards a setup podium to speak to the press.

***

Ryan managed to arrive at the address in question within almost an hour of driving. The business in particular was in a much more upper-class area of the city, on top of nearly getting lost not being in the area before. He parked into a parking structure and took the order paper with him. He had changed his clothes to something much more casual from what he usually work at work. He had an open red shirt jacket with a black chess t-shirt underneath and faded black jeans. He followed the path to the sidewalk and followed the directions to the business in question. He could tell he was out of place compared to who was frequenting the area, but that didn’t deter him. The human found the store in question, a luxurious black with mannequins displayed in the window showing off a tuxedo and a wedding dress to show off their wares, next to all sorts of other apparel.

The human slowly stepped inside and looked around. It wasn’t busy at this hour, but the expansive lobby was ornate matching the outside, with other elevated displays of the latest styles and high-end fashion. There were things for both genders, but there seemed to be more emphasis on fashion for men present here. Ryan watched as a well dressed and proper badger approached him, with a stern look on his face.

“Excuse me young man, if you’re looking for clothes, the Walmart thirty minutes south should be more affordable to you.”

“I’m sorry?” The human responded in confusion, looking up at the taller badger.

“Such manner, clearly public school educated. What I am insinuating is that I doubt you can afford any of our wares in this establishment.”

“You think so?” Ryan retorted, he clearly wasn’t amused being talked down to like that.

“I know so, I can tell by the drab you call clothes you’re wearing. Now, I suggest you head off now, so our time is no longer wasted.”

“Well…” Ryan was a bit thrown off guard by the badger’s forwardness. “Isn’t this ‘The Gallantry’ shop for high class wears?”

“Yes it is, good to see public school still teaches reading skills. What of it?”

“Well, I got this in the mail today, and it said to come here and hand it to you.” The human held up the order form in question and the badger snatched it from his hand. He took a minute to read the contents, as if he was meticulously analyzing each and every word. Then he froze, and his demeanor completely changed. His facial expression went from stuffy to a sheer look of horror, you’d swear he ran over his own pet or something.

“OH My Goodness!” He pulled out a handkerchief and wipes his face and eyes under his glasses. “You’re the special guest?”

“I beg your pardon?” The human asked, even more confused now.

“O-o-oh my goodness, please forgive me, I didn’t realize we were expecting you. Please pardon my rudeness.”

“Umm.. So..?” The human began, a little surprised by the sudden change of tone.

“Yes yes,” The badger regained his composure, “You’re here to get a tuxedo for the Gala correct?” The human nodded. “Come this way please.”

The human followed the badger pensively. Hopefully this wouldn’t take too long for the human. He was taken near the back of the store, where there were a few other employees waiting, all equally well dressed fitting the décor. Another employee, a well-dressed squirrel greeted the human.

“Good afternoon sir, is this the one?” He faced the badger and he nodded.

“He is indeed,” the badger replied. “We had best get him fitted as soon as possible.”

“Understood, nice to meet you um, what is your name?”

“It’s Ryan,” the human replied.

“Understood, we’ll need to get you fitted and your measurements taken so your tuxedo fits comfortably.”

“I see. I’ve never had a tailor-made suit before.”

“Then this will be a treat for you,” the badger nodded, “please stand on the raised platform if you would.” The human nodded and did as told, there was a raised TV playing in the corner, likely to entertain other guests while they waited, currently playing on it was a news station. Ryan looked at it as the squirrel and a few other employees got straight to work. Ryan was unfamiliar with the process, so simply followed their directions and let them handle all the details.

“So, if I may ask, what caused you to be invited to this event?” The badger asked inquisitively.

“Well,” Ryan began, “It’s hard to say. I helped his company out with a major project and I think he’s just inviting me to say thanks.”

“Somehow I doubt it.” The badger started, “he’s going well out of his way to treat you out of simple gratitude. But who am I to question his judgment.”

“It’s that strange?” The human asked.

“To be fair, would you question his judgment?”

“Probably not.”

“Exactly, nobody questions Lord- ahem, I mean Mr. Ark’s judgment.” The human was a bit confused, but didn’t question further.

“Speaking of which,” another employee, a horse interjected, “Mr. Ark is making a press statement right now.”

“Turn the volume up,” The badger commanded, Ryan and the others stopped and focused on the screen.

“We now bring you live at the NWC headquarters, where President and CEO Cyuss Ark will be making a statement about the recent data link.” There was a bit of silence as the camera feed cut to Cyuss, facing the cameras in his intimidating form, placing his hands on the podium. He began to speak.

“This matter regarding the data link has already been brought to my attention. While it is a serious matter, the issue behind this controversy has already been resolved, even before the matter went viral. As such, the company has already made its resolution and therefore no further action is needed. As is already stated, a patch was released by a talented employee that rounds out the issue. As such, there is nothing left for you to cover. Now I suggest you all leave, for I will make no other statements.”

It ended about as quick as it began, the camera cut as Cyuss turned and headed back into the building. The press tried to ask more questions, but he ignored them, letting security handle them from that point on.

“I think I understand what you mean,” Ryan stated, “he has a presence that just commands authority.”

“Indeed, he does,” the badger followed up, “As I think I understand where your invitation came from. He was talking about you there wasn’t he?”

“Um, yeah he was.”

“I see,” The badger continued, “then I owe you an apology. I haven’t been giving you the treatment you deserved from the start. Anyone who helps him like that is a friend of mine.”

“It’s quite alright sir.”

“Mr. Bennett if you please,” he shook the human’s hand, and soon helped the other employees finish the fitting.

***

Later that night, Cyuss arrived home in his usual fashion, and was greeted by Mewus when he got home.

“How was your day big guy?” He asked, as he helped the deity out of his suit like normal.

“It was eventful as always,” Cyuss retorted.

“Yeah I saw the press release earlier, you certainly told them.”

“Indeed, before I relax though, I need to get a few more details about the Gala sorted.” He snapped his finger and called out a name, “Walter!” Near the top of the foyer stairs, a dark portal appeared on the floor, and up rose a red demon, with a face semi skeletal like, and dressed like a formal butler. He like Cyuss was also very well built, and the suit did nothing to hide his stature. He gave a bow.

“Good evening my Lord,” he began, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“How are the preparations for the Gala?”

“The Gala is moving forward as schedule with no issues or delays,” he said in a cavalier deep voice, “The changes you communicated this morning have all been put into effect without much hiccup.”

“Will Ryan Lewis be attending the event?”

“Yes sir. I saw him being fitted in his new attire for the event as planned. Bartholomew Bennett didn’t recognize him at first but he soon wised up to what was going on.”

“Good,” Cyuss continued, “I want everything to be perfect.”

“As you will, so shall it be done.” Walter continued. Cyuss walked up the stairs and headed down a hallway, walking side by side with the demon. “If I may sir, what is it you see in this boy. He’s just an ordinary human from my observations.”

“It’s hard to say,” Cyuss says, “One of the few things I’m not omniscient to. There is a certain quality about him that intrigues me so, and it has led to other desires.”

“Desires my lord?”

“Yes, similar to the ones you mortals experience when following your imperatives.”

“I see, you have feelings for him, How fascinating.”

“Do you take issue with them.”

“Of course not, you have the right to do and feel however you want my lord. But your fascination has also become my own, and I would like to know more about him.”

“If you wish, you may watch him as well. But you will watch from afar and will keep your presence a secret.”

“As you wish my lord.” Walter bowed and Mewus teleported in.

“Awe come on now Lordy lord, you can be more honest than that.”

“What do you mean?” Cyuss demanded.

“Even demon face here knows what’s up, you want him to be there for Ryan like a guardian demon. Isn’t that right?” Cyuss stopped, and refused to say anything further.

“The underlying reasons matter not to me my lord.” Walter bowed, “I’ll carry out your orders however you see fit. Do you require anything else sire?”

“No, that will be all Walter, return to your regular duties.” Walter nodded and stepped backwards, into another conjured portal and disappeared.

“Well, things got a little more interesting.” Mewus said.

“Not really,” Cyuss replied, “Walter was going to meet Ryan soon anyway.”

“What do you mean big guy?” Mewus asked curiously, and Cyuss looked at him and gave a small smirk.

“You’ll see.”

***

The rest of the week went by fast, and soon before anyone knew it, Saturday had arrived, the day of the gala. Ryan was up early that morning, both to chat with friends and family about the event, as well as his nervousness. Everyone reassured him it was going to be alright and to just act natural, especially from his mother.

As he was catching up on more anime in anticipation of the event, his doorbell rang and he answered it. It was a personalized courier delivering his Tuxedo that was fitted for. He thanked the courier and gave him a small tip in appreciation. He went to the bathroom and pulled the tux out carefully and marveled at it. It was a beautiful silken black, that reflected off the light showing its rich texture. Inside the box was also a cold box, containing a delicate red rose, to be worn on the lapel.

“I should probably start getting ready now.” Ryan decided, and quickly hopped into the shower. He took the time to properly clean up, shave cleanly, and slowly dress in his new getup. He felt a bit stuffy in such high-class wear, but it fit him perfectly, just as Mr. Bennet assured him it would. Soon after he got a phone call from the lady running the front counter below.

“Hello?” Ryan answered.

“Hello, Mr. Lewis? I’m here to let you know your ride is ready.”

“My ride?” he was confused.

“Yeah, there’s a limousine here to pick you up, something about a Gala.”

“Really, a Limo? I’ll be down shortly.” The human hung up and made sure he had everything, before hurrying down stairs. He passed by Shaun, who gave him a wave, but seemed a bit saddened when the human ignored him in his haste.

The human stepped outside and found a large limo waiting at the front entrance. The driver stepped forward and greeted him.

“Are you Mr. Ryan Lewis?” He was very well dressed, a red demon with a skeletal like face.

“Yes?”

“I’m your driver for the evening. Shall we get going to the main event?”

“Sure, thank you very much.”

“It is my pleasure,” he held the door open for the human and he stepped inside, getting comfortable inside as the driver moved to the driver seat and started the vehicle. He admired the lustrous inside, he felt like he was better than he was financially, almost like he was a celebrity.

“Are you nervous about the Gala sir?” The driver asked casually as he drove.

“A little bit,” the human answered shyly.

“Don’t worry yourself about it, I’m sure you’ll have a great time, everybody does.”

“Really, are you sure?”

“Definitely sir, this is not the first Gala I’ve served at. Just relax and have a good time.”

“Thanks, I’ll try.” Ryan relaxed a bit and enjoyed the ride there.

***

Meanwhile back at the castle, Cyuss was fully dressed in his formal tuxedo, somehow more illustrious than the suits he normally wears. The black clearly contrasted the white and grey on his body. His lapel rested a white rose. He looked himself in the mirror as he adjusted the cuffs on his arms. Mewus overlooked him, also in a tux on his own, to help blend in more easily.

“Looking studly as ever my lord,” Mewus began with a giggle.

“Enough of that Mewus,” Cyuss began, “Let us make sure everything goes well.”

“You’re a little more worried than you should be, just treat it like the thousands of other events you’ve attended.”

“I don’t why I’m like this,” Cyuss began, “I guess I just want it to go well more than any other event. Like it holds more importance.”

“Trust me, he’ll love it, especially when you unveil your new surprise.”

“Perhaps. Any word from Walter?”

“He’s picked up Ryan on time, they’re on their way there now.”

“Then so shall we,” Cyuss stated and made his way towards the entrance of the castle.

***

Ryan got to the event with no problem. There were a number of people there, all of presumably high status. The press was there to cover the event, but none of them were anywhere other than the entrance, and none of them were interested that the human was there. The controversy had died down quickly, just as Cyuss had predicted. The entire building, featuring a large foyer where the focus of the Gala took place was reserved just for this event. Ryan had to be careful not to get lost.

People of all kinds were walking around, socializing, listening to classical music being played by an orchestra stationed in the corner. The atmosphere was delightful, but the human was a bit bored. No one really noticed him, nor did they much care. To be fair, he wasn’t sure how well he’d handle a conversation.

‘I guess I could at least check out the food here,’ he thought to himself, and moved to the more open dining area, where a large row of tables hosting food and servers of all kinds greeted him. It would be hard for anyone to not find anything they wouldn’t like. Ryan looked around, seeing the pig from the other day gorging his mouth on several plates. He shook his head, hoping to avoid the figurehead who gave him such trouble and grabbed a plate, dishing himself some food. It was then he heard a voice.

“Hey, Ryan, over here.” He turned and saw Matsuhisa approaching him, finally a familiar face.

“Mr. Aotsuki,” Ryan greeted and shook his paw when he approached, “good to see you again.”

“Likewise Mr. Lewis,” The wolf replied, “you look quite stunning in that tuxedo. Did Mr. Ark buy that for you?”

“How did you know?”

“It’s not hard to guess, it’s a very expensive brand, something beyond your capabilities to pay for without going into excessive debt.”

“That is true.”

“How are you liking it so far?”

“Well.. the food is nice at least.”

“I understand, I’m not too keen on events like this myself, but it’s a great way to network and get your name out there, especially when you’re trying to get somewhere.” The wolf explained, grabbing a plate himself.

“Just about everyone who matters is here, from most any industry as well. Take him for example, I’m sure you’ll recognize him.” He points towards a crowd and the human looked carefully.

“Is that Tetsuya Nomura?” he asked, “wow, he looks even younger in person.”

“Indeed, a lot of people come here, just for a chance to talk to Mr. Ark, although for most it’s about enjoying the food and getting drunk, the latter which I can appreciate.”

“Yeah I suppose so.”

“Anyway, I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you to enjoy the food. If you ever want to meet someone in particular, let me know. I think you have what it takes to become big.”

“Thanks Mr. Aotsuki,” the human replied.

“Call me Matsuhisa, be sure to take it easy now.” The wolf turned and left just like that, it was just that kind of event, with so many big names there, someone in his position had to be more social with someone more important than him. The human found a spot less crowded and began to eat, the meal tasted simply divine, and wasn’t lacking for substance either. As he ate, a waiter came by with glasses of wine and handed one to the human. He thanked him, and despite not being a big fan of alcohol, didn’t want to besmirch any good graces, besides, everyone else was doing it.

Meanwhile, Cyuss was going through the opposite problem the human was. Whereas Ryan wasn’t having much luck finding people to talk to, Cyuss was bombarded with guest after guest wishing to discuss one thing or another. While Cyuss remained professional, he kept looking around, trying to find the one he was really interested in.

A couple of the people was Gloria, one of the executives he chewed out earlier in the week, and his secretary, who seemed to cling onto him more than he’d like. Even her compliments of his looks went unrequited.

‘Having fun big guy?’ Mewus asked him via communication to his head.

‘Of course not, this has been rather dull so far. I’d rather get on to the main event.’

‘You shouldn’t have to wait long, check near the dance floor.’ Cyuss turned to the open area in particular. There was a collection of couples paired up, dancing to the lively music currently playing. He looked past them, and near a pillar in the outer part of the ballroom he saw the human. He was standing, watching the dancers and other people while sipping his single glass of wine. Cyuss smiled and began walking past the group trying to talk to him. They seemed a bit surprised if not miffed that he blew them off. Others also tried to approach, but he brushed them aside as he walked toward the human, giving a signal to the maestro. The music began to cut short slowly, as Ryan saw Cyuss approaching and straightened up.

“Um, Hi Mr. Ark,” the human began.

“Good evening Mr. Lewis, you look rather dashing tonight.” Cyuss replied, giving a friendly bow. Ryan returned the favor.

“Thanks, you um, look quite handsome yourself.” Cyuss couldn’t help but smile a bit from the compliment.

“Would you care to dance with me?” Cyuss asked, being quite forward with the human.

“You want me to dance with you?” Ryan asked, his cheeks flushing red.

“Yes. Do you accept?”

“Well I um,” Ryan seemed a little hesitant.

“Is there a problem?” Cyuss asked. Ryan took a deep breath, and calmly replied.

“I can’t dance.”

“I see, perhaps this will make it easier for you.” He waved his hand, signaling to the Maestro to start the next piece of music. There was a moment of silence as the focus shifted, and soon a familiar piece of music began to play, a soft beginning to a familiar ballroom waltz.

“Is this, the Waltz of the Moon?” Ryan asked, instantly recognizing it.

“Correct, from Final Fantasy VIII. A personal favorite of yours I hear.” Cyuss responded, and offered the human his hand. Ryan blushed, quickly putting the pieces together and set the now empty glass of wine aside, and took the deity’s hand. Cyuss guided the human to the center of the ballroom, surrounded by other dancers who recognized the song, along with the dance that went with it. What made them unique was they were the only male on male duo on the dance floor, drawing much attention to them.

Ryan continued to hold Cyuss’s hand, and placed his other hand on his shoulder. Cyuss was nearly a foot and a half taller than the human, making it a little hard for him. Cyuss placed his other hand on his waist and began to guide the human to the music. Ryan played it extra careful, making sure not to bump into anyone, but he memorized the cutscene from the game this song played at to a tee, and was able to follow the god’s directions. Cyuss was a natural at anything he set himself to do, but he made sure to study and practice this dance in particular to make it special.

Soon the two gelled well, and became much more confident during the second half, holding each other’s hands as they matched their feet together, spun inverted, matched their feet twice more, then let go and revolved around each other, backs facing each other like the moon revolved around the earth, and met their hands once more. Cyuss spun Ryan into him, then outward, before pulling him inwards again. They repeated this motion one more time, before they met in the classic pose of the Waltz once more. This was met with cheers from the audience watching them, as well as from other dancers. This kind of embarrassed Ryan, but Cyuss was used to such attention.

Soon the song ended and resumed to other classical tunes to fervor the dancer’s spirits more.

“Did you enjoy that Mr. Lewis?” Cyuss asked.

“Yeah,” Ryan replied, “Thanks for that.”

“Of course. Would you, like to head to the upper balcony? It’s private up there, it’ll give us a chance to talk, away from prying eyes.”

“Yeah, alright.” Ryan replied, letting go of Cyuss’s hand, and followed him as he led the way away from the crowd and up a set of stairs.

It wasn’t long before they were up to a much higher floor, past a set of doors, and into a smaller foyer, surrounded by statues resembling ancient architecture, and open doors to the balcony providing a luxurious look of the rest of Seattle and beyond.

“Wow,” Ryan looked at in fascination.

“This is one of the reasons I like using this venue for such an event,” Cyuss explained, “there is a lot of history on display here.”

“Indeed,” Ryan agreed, “It’s like they’re trying to tell a story, but in a way beyond my understanding.”

“Is it something you want to understand?” Cyuss asked.

“I don’t know,” Ryan answered, “Perhaps I’m just not capable of understanding the mysteries of the world.”

“Most people would disagree, they would try to fill in the gaps of their knowledge with pure speculation.” Cyuss explained, looking at a statue representing divinity with the human.

“Maybe such understanding brings people comfort,” Ryan followed up, “perhaps it’s why some people choose to believe in gods.”

“What about you?” Cyuss asked, looking down at the human, “Do you believe in a higher power?”

“What do you mean?” Ryan asked.

“Do you think that somehow, even if it couldn’t be explained, that there is something greater than yourself?”

“That’s, kind of specific,” Ryan mentioned, “I guess it’s possible, but I wouldn’t know.”

“I see,” Cyuss asked, “let me change the question. If you were to find that there was a god, would you worship them?” Ryan didn’t answer, he headed out to the balcony, overlooking the city as he pondered that question.

“Perhaps, but only if they proved they were worthy of such worship.”

“Oh?” Cyuss asked in fascination.

“I mean, I feel like they’d have to earn that kind of feedback by how they acted and treated others.”

“So, you believe a god has to earn worship and that they’re not entitled to it?”

“Sounds strange doesn’t it? I know some people would count that as heresy.” Ryan replied.

“I think it’s a fascinating answer.” Cyuss said.

“Really?” Ryan asked, looking up at the arceus morph standing next to him.

“Part of being on the top is understanding what people on the bottom think and experience. That means being able to question what goes on at the top without fear of retribution. When I watched you fix the patch for that game earlier, despite what other figureheads said, it should be to what lengths you were willing to go through for what you believed in.”

“You think so?” Ryan asked, with which Cyuss nodded. “Thanks, that means a lot to me.”

“Of course,” Cyuss nodded again. “I have to admit, I didn’t have much fun tonight at first, until we had our dance together.”

“Really?” Ryan asked, blushing again.

“I did. Does that bother you?”

“No,” Ryan shook his head, “I felt the same way actually.”

“You did?” Cyuss asked.

“Yeah, I felt completely out of place until you came up to me. You helped me feel like I belonged there. Something no one else did. Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome,” Cyuss nodded, it was time to move to the next step. “Would you perhaps, like to get together again sometime?”

“Really?”

“If you would like to. Whatever you would enjoy doing together.”

“Wow,” Ryan replied, “that sounds almost like a date.”

“Would it bother you if it was?”

“Well, no,” Ryan blushed but smiled, “I would love to go out with you sometime Mr. Ark.”

“Please, call me Cyuss,” the god remarked.

“Alright, Cyuss,” Ryan smiled, “I would like to spend more time with you if possible.”

“Very well Ryan,” Cyuss said, “I look forward to it.” The two continued to converse well into the night. Soon as it hit midnight, Cyuss offered to take Ryan back to his home in his limo, which he accepted. When they arrived at the front lot of Ryan’s complex, he unfastened his belt and opened the door.

“Oh yeah,” Ryan remembered something, and pulled out a piece of paper, writing down something and handing it to Cyuss. “Thanks again for tonight Cyuss. I’ll see you later.” The two kept their hands together until Ryan let go, leaving the paper in the deity’s hand. The two waved goodbyes as the human quietly headed back into the complex. The door shut and Cyuss opened up the piece of paper, revealing a phone number, Ryan’s cell number to be more precise. He couldn’t help but smile again. The night had gone exactly as he had planned.