“I’ve already told you, we’re not having this conversation”, the god answered firmly, but with a smile.
“But why! There’s nothing wrong with it, everyone does it!”
“I think you are well aware, that neither ones like you nor ones like me can be counted as everyone”, the god rolled his eyes.
The ghost lightly nudged his friend.
“Don’t be so stubborn, you fuddy-buddy!And it’s not like I don’t know you and your antics and what you are capable of, especially when you are dru...”
“Stop, stop, stop! No need to remind me about that awful incident, I still can’t look into some gods’ eyes.”
The ghost grinned wide, his eyes shining with mirth.
“If you think I will ever be able to forget that glorious evening, even after all these decades, then you don’t know me at all!”
“You’d better not use such loud words, for that sight had little of glory and decency in it.” The god hid his face in his palms, voice muffled and clearly embarrassed.
“You know I tend to not remember it, moreover speak of it!” There was only chuckling in response. The god was sincerely ashamed of his behaviour that day a long time ago. But this friend has always liked to playfully pick on him, so he doesn’t even consider getting annoyed or angry any more. Moreover, that incident had positively no connection with the question asked. So the god went on.
“Honestly, I don’t get your obsession with this topic. It’s not that it will change anything”, the god sighed and lowered himself in the chair, hands out of his face.
“You’re right, It won’t”, the ghost paused and a flicker of confusion crossed his companion’s face. Then he continued.
“But It will ease my curiosity for sure! I’ve never seen you at festivals or other big celebrations dancing, and I just wonder why. It clearly has nothing to do with your godly teachings or trainings, right?”
The god hummed in confirmation.
“See? That boring things only discourage drinking, gambling, and a bunch of other things, what in my humble opinion is just ridiculous, but there is nothing about abstinence in regard of dancing!”
The god whined silently.
It all was true, there were no rules that forbade dancing, but still!
The ghost pulled his body closer, mouth slightly agape and ears listening carefully. His senses were telling him that his friend’s resistance after so many centuries of him asking this question finally was weakening.
After some time the god started speaking again.
“It’s not that gods are not allowed to dance or dancing is considered as some sort of transgression, or we are severely punished for it. It’s just that, that”, the god stopped abruptly and raised his head, revealing flushed cheeks, that contrasted with his white robes, his whole body seeming small and fragile.
The ghost subconsciously held his breath.
“It’s just that I can’t.”
After admitting it in such a small voice the god reached for his tea, downed the cup and hid his face again. The ghost was left dumbfounded.
“What. What do you mean you can’t?” He inquired.
“You can’t as in your constitution doesn’t allow you?” The god shook his head lightly.
“You can’t as in your gods consider dancing disgraceful?” The god shook his head again.
“You can’t as in you don’t have time for this?”
The god snapped then.
“I can’t as in I have never learned how to!”
The ghost was speechless for a moment, something that happened once in a century with him. But then he did even more uncharacteristic thing.
“Would you like me to teach you?” he gently asked his friend.
“Stop playing with me, ghost”, the god chided quietly, looking at him with eyes on the verge of tears, being even more ashamed than when that incident with drinking was brought up.
“I’m not”, followed quiet response.
“You know I’ll never mock you for such a thing. Let me try.”
The ghost was being honest. He never wanted the god to feel uncomfortable around him, for he treasured their uncommon friendship very much. So he tried again.
“Come on, my friend. I’ll teach you and then we’ll visit that summer festival and dance till our human bodies can’t move any more. And then we’ll dance in our true forms, together again.”
The god was silent, but each second the tension in his body was slightly decreasing. He rubbed his eyes, like a child after being comforted for something gravely important, something like a ripped dress of his favourite doll, and looked straight into the ghost’s eyes.
“Then teach.”
An attempt of interview of the god by the ghost.
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