[ Truly, the irony that she’s considerably more harsh about this… But to be slightly fair, his pantheon is a bit more lax about that sort of thing anyways. It had definitely become something of a lost art by the time of the Empire’s fall, but the priests of Tenochtitlan had once known had to request that the gods descend from the Heavens, at least briefly. And, well. Clothes didn’t come with them. That’s just how it was.
She’s spared the history lesson, though, since with that stuttering “anyway”, he’s still curious why she’s here. He’ll at least treat it like he would anyone else coming to visit. He grabs the pair of chairs to make space for them to sit, even if it’s cramped in the modest quarters.
Also, as she’s mustering up her courage, it’s not like the details will be very visible for her, but she still might notice that his room is a little neater and more decorated than she might expect. The various gifts and trinkets that he’s received over his time here are all on display. This includes a small frame with a distinctly Aztec design in its artwork, but in the center is a small, dried flower that would be familiar to her. If she can see it, anyways.
He takes his seat as he motions for her to do the same if she wants, but he’s as casual as ever in contrast to her nervousness. ]
Normally, I’d offer a drink to help ya out here, but don’t think that would be helpful in your case.
[ She shrugs as she sits down, giving a quick glance around. Mhm... The decorating is more modest and sentimental than she'd have expected. No overt display of luxury and the likes. Very much not Ishtar-like. That's good.
Unfortunately, her vision is still too blurry to notice the flower. ]
I believe you would find handling my Beast self preferable to what happens when I drink.
[ ... Okay, maybe not. But surely he hasn't forgotten the masked goddess who sent him spinning and threw him into the air while laughing and sparkling during Callisto's gala. She most certainly hasn't forgotten, it'd been a lot of fun. That's why she's keeping the power of alcohol only for such occasions.
And why he should fear it, truly. ]
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
[ O-Okay. Deep breath, and: ]
I-I wanted to thank you for having rescued me from the abyss. [That's twice now he's saved her! She's nearly hoping he gets kidnapped or something next time, then she can finally flip the tables around in that regard.] And for your attempts at contacting me. That was... Surprising. But--
[ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ]
I-I appreciate it, that's what I mean!
[ Why is she getting angry when she's embarrassed and not sure what words to use? Probably the inner Rin talking. ]
[ Tezcatlipoca scoffs and nods, since she’s definitely right. Getting her to loosen up a little at the party was good, he thinks, but he should have just cut his losses and run. Getting tossed like a ball wasn’t what he expected the consequence of that to be…
Though as she takes that deep breath, the slight grimace at the memory does relax. Whatever she wants to say, it’s important and clearly takes some of her courage, so he’ll seriously listen. Besides, he’s perceptive—annoyingly so, most would say. So, he can guess what this is about. The first part, the gratitude, that’s definitely expected. That’s what he’d expect any of the Outsiders to want to say if they were in her position (Silco excluded). ]
It was surprising?
[ He does question that in the pause, but only lightly. If there was anything else he was going to add, it’s forgotten as she blurts out her appreciation in a tone that doesn’t at all match it. He may not be a tsundere wrangler, but he’s at least used to people who have sharp edges on how they express themselves. ]
—Well, I guess it would be. Part of reaching out was just my own curiosity over what the fuck had happened, but I guess I’m fickle when it comes to that god of impartiality thing too.
[ He can’t help but tease over that tone a little, though. His smile turns a little more sly to match a mischievous tone. ]
[ Kneejerk reaction immediately to his question. She can say thank you just fine, thank you very much! ]
It's not!
[ ... Okay, she's being too aggressive, she takes a deep breath once again to try and calm down. It's not his fault her emotions are a mess. The truth is she hadn't planned to say anything more. Now is about the time she should get up and leave, but that would be really in poor form. And besides, she's too curious not to try and dig in a little bit deeper. ]
I... I am simply trying to understand. It's the second time you have rescued me from a mortal predicament.
[ And he's been surprisingly kind and understanding on multiples occasions. Now she gets that from a lot of her friends, but from the man who first greeted her with a bottle to the head, that's more than a little surprising. ]
"Because it's the right thing to do" or "because I care" is the answer most humans would give when asked why. [Many gods would answer the same way, really.] From you, I would expect "to make it fair," perhaps "to further my goal" or "because I am impartial." [She shakes her head.] But no matter how I look back at those events, I can't see how it makes it fair to save me or how it is impartial. Quite at the contrary, it is very unfair and partial.
[ Fairness would have been for her to die as consequence for her actions. Impartiality would have been to wait and see if anyone jumped after her. And as far as his goals are concerned, he's definitely making things harder on Daybit for the day she'll reach his Lostbelt. ]
Even applying your logic, I can't help but find your choice to be... Illogical.
[ Which is par for the course when it comes to humans and even (especially) gods. But he is quite insistent there is nothing human about him and that he is impartial. Why, he insists a lot about the need for actions to have consequences. She just doesn't understand. ]
[ The sharp response just gets Tezcatlipoca to laugh, since he knows there’s no bite to her refusal. He’s teasing and she took the bait, but that’s just a way to diffuse some of the tension here. Granted, it’s rather lopsided, since he’s much more at ease than she is, but still. It gets her to her point.
And yeah. This is basically what he expected.
It does deflate that sly smugness, and he sighs lightly at “very unfair and partial” as he reaches up to rub a hand through his hair. The tone of it says that he knows that’s the case and that she’s right, but that’s not really the answer she’s looking for. It’s the “why”, and that’s more complicated. ]
…Well, I have some wiggle room when it comes to that kind of situation. It’s a pretty broad interpretation of “impartial”, yeah, since it ain’t like I offer it to everyone, but. I was serious about it being your choice. If you’d decided to let go, I wouldn’t have saved you. That part’s perfectly aligned with what I represent. You picked the harder path, since I’m guessing even if way too many of these soft-hearted morons are forgiving you without any complaints, there’s at least a few that won’t.
[ Silco is who comes to mind immediately, but that goes without saying. He doesn’t think there would be many, but there’s at least a few who wouldn’t be able to forgive her. For her, he has to imagine that stings much more than anything else. Still, though. He doesn’t think that exactly answers her question either, since that’s just the “how”, really. ]
I guess I’ve got a bias for you.
[ It’s a simple way to put it, and deceptively so. It’s self-evident, but he’d still had to really think about it and what it meant after the fact. It’s not a bias like he has for those souls he takes under his wing as a harsh mentor. Those are people he’s trying to guide towards change, whatever that change may be. It’s a rare few that he meets and wants to change things for them because their circumstances were just unfair and maybe insurmountable. Daybit. Set. And now, Ereshkigal, he has to admit. ]
So, for better or worse, I’m with you until the end. That’s what my favor means.
[ He's right there are some who will not forgive her. Aventurine more than any other so far. Silco... Well honestly, their relationship is the same as before. They hated each other, they still do. Still, she listens to his explanation. ]
... ... ... ...
[ She stares at him through the sunglasses. Well that's a lot of words to say "I have favorites and I don't follow the rules for them." It's pretty much what he did with Daybit. She has to wonder if Ritsuka will become one such favorite someday... It's inevitable, she thinks. ]
... ... ... ...
[ The stare continues and that silence is starting to get very long and awkward. S-She's not sure what to say! She kind of wants to leave so she can put herself together and find the right thing to say, but alas she doesn't have that luxury here.
Next best thing is to ask precision about this "bias." B-But she feels like she's asked a lot today already! It's best to end it here, and maybe ask another day. Besides, unlike her he doesn't seem to be bothered one bit. She's probably just been imagining things, yes.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
She gets up and clears her throat. Maybe she should just go with a radical topic shift but that's still somewhat related, so that ]
... Do you know what Ishtar said to me when she descended into the Underworld? [A pause.] "You should just leave the Underworld and go outside."
[ To this day, she is baffled by this. Yes, go outside and frolic in the fields while Sumer succumbs to the zombie apocalypse without her to watch over the afterlife. Throw away the entire balance of the world just so she could enjoy some freedom.
That's how Ishtar lives. She does everything she wants, everything she thinks is right, with no regards for the consequences. She shakes her head. ]
Thank you. For understanding me.
[ Few people would understand why she never rebelled, why she stuck to her duties even though she hurt so much. They would call her stupid, naive, foolish... But she feels like he understands her. That's what she got from this. And she thinks she understands him better now, too. ]
[ …Look, he’s a guy that can deal with a thoughtful silence. That’s what half of the people that come to his campfire end up doing for who even knows how long. But that’s different. He’s just there to be a listening, counseling ear, so they can take as long as they want. When he’s the one that had said something sincere? He feels rather uncharacteristically uncertain.
His expression stays cool at first, but just before she figures out what to say, his leg does start bouncing a bit as he looks uncomfortable. He would have just broken the silence himself if she hadn’t beaten him there. With what, who knows. Whatever came to mind first, probably. Though he looks a little confused at first that she brings up Ishtar, he ends up scoffing in a way that’s understanding, fittingly. ]
Would be nice if it was that easy, huh? So, you’re welcome.
[ Granted, it’s not the same circumstances between them. Part of that bias comes from the fact that he truly does find her situation unfair and lamentable, after all. Tezcatlipoca has always had the kind of freedom that she could only dream of. Even his Underworld was only one facet of himself, one place he could manifest. With creative interpretations of the rules, he could go nearly anywhere he wanted and do anything he wanted.
Yet, he wasn’t as capricious as Quetzalcoatl. He was hard to understand, yes, but steadfast and responsible in his principles. That was what was necessary when you’re so entwined with destiny.
Tezcatlipoca stands too like he’s going to let her out, and that’s part of it. But, hey. This seems like as good a time as any to mention it. ]
—And I think I figured out a way to get flowers in your Underworld, by the way. Taking that little trip gave me the last piece I needed to figure it out. You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it, though.
[ It feels good to be understood. She gets the feeling most people would side with Ishtar, without realizing the consequences. Or thinking there may be some way to cheat the rules that would avoid any consequences.
... A-And well, technically there is a way to cheat the rules. Have a Beast incinerate humanity in seven different singularities across time and space, have humans in one of those singularities summon Ishtar in a human body to defend them, and then have her be taken along for the ride because they're each other's half.
But honestly, who could have ever predicted such an unlikely chain of event? Just about as unlikely as Tezcatlipoca talking to her about Underworld flowers. ]
Y-You have?
[ She turns back and looks at him with surprise. Love it or hate it? ]
What is it?
[ Is he going to tell her the flowers require cannibalism or organ sacrifice? She certainly hope not! She can't ever do the former and she cannot cripple herself and her ability to defend the Underworld for something so selfish as having flowers. ]
[ Tezcatlipoca laughs, since that amount of surprise on its own is already pretty funny. He hasn’t even gotten to his grand reveal, which makes him think she’s going to flip. Like he said. Love it or hate it, and he truly doesn’t know where she’ll fall on that scale. ]
I come be your roomie down there.
[ He’s purposefully casual, since on one hand, he thinks she’ll overreact to it... But on the other, after giving just a little pause for her being flabbergasted, he clarifies: ]
Well, only part of me, of course, but that’s no big. Dividing my soul up into parts is more straightforward than you’d think. [ This is not what she’s going to be concerned about, and he knows it… ] I can give you that part of me. That Authority. Tossing a foreign god’s power into the mix will really throw the rules that you can't break for a loop.
[ It seems like he’s being far too casual and flippant for offering something so significant, but that’s Tezcatlipoca for you. He shies away from sincerity, but he’s still a god of his word, even if it’s something as impossible as bringing flowers to a barren Underworld. ]
[ Divide his soul up and become her roomie...? That's unusual. She wonders if he'd get along with Dumuzid. Not that the sheep is there often, sometimes she forgets he's supposed to spend six months a year down there. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ Truly, the irony that she’s considerably more harsh about this… But to be slightly fair, his pantheon is a bit more lax about that sort of thing anyways. It had definitely become something of a lost art by the time of the Empire’s fall, but the priests of Tenochtitlan had once known had to request that the gods descend from the Heavens, at least briefly. And, well. Clothes didn’t come with them. That’s just how it was.
She’s spared the history lesson, though, since with that stuttering “anyway”, he’s still curious why she’s here. He’ll at least treat it like he would anyone else coming to visit. He grabs the pair of chairs to make space for them to sit, even if it’s cramped in the modest quarters.
Also, as she’s mustering up her courage, it’s not like the details will be very visible for her, but she still might notice that his room is a little neater and more decorated than she might expect. The various gifts and trinkets that he’s received over his time here are all on display. This includes a small frame with a distinctly Aztec design in its artwork, but in the center is a small, dried flower that would be familiar to her. If she can see it, anyways.
He takes his seat as he motions for her to do the same if she wants, but he’s as casual as ever in contrast to her nervousness. ]
Normally, I’d offer a drink to help ya out here, but don’t think that would be helpful in your case.
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Unfortunately, her vision is still too blurry to notice the flower. ]
I believe you would find handling my Beast self preferable to what happens when I drink.
[ ... Okay, maybe not. But surely he hasn't forgotten the masked goddess who sent him spinning and threw him into the air while laughing and sparkling during Callisto's gala. She most certainly hasn't forgotten, it'd been a lot of fun. That's why she's keeping the power of alcohol only for such occasions.
And why he should fear it, truly. ]
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
[ O-Okay. Deep breath, and: ]
I-I wanted to thank you for having rescued me from the abyss. [That's twice now he's saved her! She's nearly hoping he gets kidnapped or something next time, then she can finally flip the tables around in that regard.] And for your attempts at contacting me. That was... Surprising. But--
[ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ]
I-I appreciate it, that's what I mean!
[ Why is she getting angry when she's embarrassed and not sure what words to use? Probably the inner Rin talking. ]
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Though as she takes that deep breath, the slight grimace at the memory does relax. Whatever she wants to say, it’s important and clearly takes some of her courage, so he’ll seriously listen. Besides, he’s perceptive—annoyingly so, most would say. So, he can guess what this is about. The first part, the gratitude, that’s definitely expected. That’s what he’d expect any of the Outsiders to want to say if they were in her position (Silco excluded). ]
It was surprising?
[ He does question that in the pause, but only lightly. If there was anything else he was going to add, it’s forgotten as she blurts out her appreciation in a tone that doesn’t at all match it. He may not be a tsundere wrangler, but he’s at least used to people who have sharp edges on how they express themselves. ]
—Well, I guess it would be. Part of reaching out was just my own curiosity over what the fuck had happened, but I guess I’m fickle when it comes to that god of impartiality thing too.
[ He can’t help but tease over that tone a little, though. His smile turns a little more sly to match a mischievous tone. ]
What, is sayin’ “thank you” to me that bad?
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It's not!
[ ... Okay, she's being too aggressive, she takes a deep breath once again to try and calm down. It's not his fault her emotions are a mess. The truth is she hadn't planned to say anything more. Now is about the time she should get up and leave, but that would be really in poor form. And besides, she's too curious not to try and dig in a little bit deeper. ]
I... I am simply trying to understand. It's the second time you have rescued me from a mortal predicament.
[ And he's been surprisingly kind and understanding on multiples occasions. Now she gets that from a lot of her friends, but from the man who first greeted her with a bottle to the head, that's more than a little surprising. ]
"Because it's the right thing to do" or "because I care" is the answer most humans would give when asked why. [Many gods would answer the same way, really.] From you, I would expect "to make it fair," perhaps "to further my goal" or "because I am impartial." [She shakes her head.] But no matter how I look back at those events, I can't see how it makes it fair to save me or how it is impartial. Quite at the contrary, it is very unfair and partial.
[ Fairness would have been for her to die as consequence for her actions. Impartiality would have been to wait and see if anyone jumped after her. And as far as his goals are concerned, he's definitely making things harder on Daybit for the day she'll reach his Lostbelt. ]
Even applying your logic, I can't help but find your choice to be... Illogical.
[ Which is par for the course when it comes to humans and even (especially) gods. But he is quite insistent there is nothing human about him and that he is impartial. Why, he insists a lot about the need for actions to have consequences. She just doesn't understand. ]
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And yeah. This is basically what he expected.
It does deflate that sly smugness, and he sighs lightly at “very unfair and partial” as he reaches up to rub a hand through his hair. The tone of it says that he knows that’s the case and that she’s right, but that’s not really the answer she’s looking for. It’s the “why”, and that’s more complicated. ]
…Well, I have some wiggle room when it comes to that kind of situation. It’s a pretty broad interpretation of “impartial”, yeah, since it ain’t like I offer it to everyone, but. I was serious about it being your choice. If you’d decided to let go, I wouldn’t have saved you. That part’s perfectly aligned with what I represent. You picked the harder path, since I’m guessing even if way too many of these soft-hearted morons are forgiving you without any complaints, there’s at least a few that won’t.
[ Silco is who comes to mind immediately, but that goes without saying. He doesn’t think there would be many, but there’s at least a few who wouldn’t be able to forgive her. For her, he has to imagine that stings much more than anything else. Still, though. He doesn’t think that exactly answers her question either, since that’s just the “how”, really. ]
I guess I’ve got a bias for you.
[ It’s a simple way to put it, and deceptively so. It’s self-evident, but he’d still had to really think about it and what it meant after the fact. It’s not a bias like he has for those souls he takes under his wing as a harsh mentor. Those are people he’s trying to guide towards change, whatever that change may be. It’s a rare few that he meets and wants to change things for them because their circumstances were just unfair and maybe insurmountable. Daybit. Set. And now, Ereshkigal, he has to admit. ]
So, for better or worse, I’m with you until the end. That’s what my favor means.
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... ... ... ...
[ She stares at him through the sunglasses. Well that's a lot of words to say "I have favorites and I don't follow the rules for them." It's pretty much what he did with Daybit. She has to wonder if Ritsuka will become one such favorite someday... It's inevitable, she thinks. ]
... ... ... ...
[ The stare continues and that silence is starting to get very long and awkward. S-She's not sure what to say! She kind of wants to leave so she can put herself together and find the right thing to say, but alas she doesn't have that luxury here.
Next best thing is to ask precision about this "bias." B-But she feels like she's asked a lot today already! It's best to end it here, and maybe ask another day. Besides, unlike her he doesn't seem to be bothered one bit. She's probably just been imagining things, yes.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
She gets up and clears her throat. Maybe she should just go with a radical topic shift but that's still somewhat related, so that ]
... Do you know what Ishtar said to me when she descended into the Underworld? [A pause.] "You should just leave the Underworld and go outside."
[ To this day, she is baffled by this. Yes, go outside and frolic in the fields while Sumer succumbs to the zombie apocalypse without her to watch over the afterlife. Throw away the entire balance of the world just so she could enjoy some freedom.
That's how Ishtar lives. She does everything she wants, everything she thinks is right, with no regards for the consequences. She shakes her head. ]
Thank you. For understanding me.
[ Few people would understand why she never rebelled, why she stuck to her duties even though she hurt so much. They would call her stupid, naive, foolish... But she feels like he understands her. That's what she got from this. And she thinks she understands him better now, too. ]
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His expression stays cool at first, but just before she figures out what to say, his leg does start bouncing a bit as he looks uncomfortable. He would have just broken the silence himself if she hadn’t beaten him there. With what, who knows. Whatever came to mind first, probably. Though he looks a little confused at first that she brings up Ishtar, he ends up scoffing in a way that’s understanding, fittingly. ]
Would be nice if it was that easy, huh? So, you’re welcome.
[ Granted, it’s not the same circumstances between them. Part of that bias comes from the fact that he truly does find her situation unfair and lamentable, after all. Tezcatlipoca has always had the kind of freedom that she could only dream of. Even his Underworld was only one facet of himself, one place he could manifest. With creative interpretations of the rules, he could go nearly anywhere he wanted and do anything he wanted.
Yet, he wasn’t as capricious as Quetzalcoatl. He was hard to understand, yes, but steadfast and responsible in his principles. That was what was necessary when you’re so entwined with destiny.
Tezcatlipoca stands too like he’s going to let her out, and that’s part of it. But, hey. This seems like as good a time as any to mention it. ]
—And I think I figured out a way to get flowers in your Underworld, by the way. Taking that little trip gave me the last piece I needed to figure it out. You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it, though.
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... A-And well, technically there is a way to cheat the rules. Have a Beast incinerate humanity in seven different singularities across time and space, have humans in one of those singularities summon Ishtar in a human body to defend them, and then have her be taken along for the ride because they're each other's half.
But honestly, who could have ever predicted such an unlikely chain of event? Just about as unlikely as Tezcatlipoca talking to her about Underworld flowers. ]
Y-You have?
[ She turns back and looks at him with surprise. Love it or hate it? ]
What is it?
[ Is he going to tell her the flowers require cannibalism or organ sacrifice? She certainly hope not! She can't ever do the former and she cannot cripple herself and her ability to defend the Underworld for something so selfish as having flowers. ]
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I come be your roomie down there.
[ He’s purposefully casual, since on one hand, he thinks she’ll overreact to it... But on the other, after giving just a little pause for her being flabbergasted, he clarifies: ]
Well, only part of me, of course, but that’s no big. Dividing my soul up into parts is more straightforward than you’d think. [ This is not what she’s going to be concerned about, and he knows it… ] I can give you that part of me. That Authority. Tossing a foreign god’s power into the mix will really throw the rules that you can't break for a loop.
[ It seems like he’s being far too casual and flippant for offering something so significant, but that’s Tezcatlipoca for you. He shies away from sincerity, but he’s still a god of his word, even if it’s something as impossible as bringing flowers to a barren Underworld. ]
1/17 (i'm really sorry i swear)
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?? ? ?
? ??
? ?? ?
? ? ?? ??
?? ]
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??? ? ? ???
?? ???
??
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?? ? ?? ]
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Does that mean he...
He actually...
He... ]
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That's... Too much... ]
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Like a ragdoll, Ereshkigal falls quite pathetically to the ground. ]
17/17
crying... i love her so much....
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1/2
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rip eresh
1/5
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5/5
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1/2
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1/2
MY INTERNET WENT OUT TRYING TO POST PART 2 LMF
tis fate
not here....... but also kinda here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (next door)