[ 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. ]
[ There are a few moments as he wears his usual sly, smug smile as she parses through this revelation. It’s not only the flowers that he’s offering, after all, but some companionship. Admittedly, he’s not sure what form that companionship might take, since he’ll have to be truly subject to Kur’s rules to figure it out, but still. He’s confident that it would work in some respect. So, he’d expected this to be a big deal that prompted a big reaction.
…He’s still surprised in the end, though. As she collapses, he stares for a moment, dumbfounded. Is that a good reaction or a bad one??? ]
Uh?
[ uh. . .]
[ Okay, no. It’s fine. He catches up with this absurd reaction after a moment. He crouches next to her and brushes some of the hair out of her face to just see if she’s, you know. Conscious. ]
[ Slowly she opens her eyes. Swirly, unfocused eyes that are staring absently into nothing. ]
H-Huh...? I didn't know you had authority over small colorful birds, Tezcoo...
[ What birds? The ones flying around her head right now, of course. There are quite a few shiny stars too. So many pretty things she's seeing! Wow, it's nearly like her perception of reality has been thrown off and her brain is scrambling to get back online.
... She may need a minute before she's able to talk normally again. In all fairness, her happiness quota for the day has been exceeded in ways it never has been before. ]
[ As much as Tezcatlipoca likes the modern world and keeping up with it, Looney Tunes logic is not included. He's all about action movies, duh!!
...Anyways. He huffs, then shakes his head. At least this is in private so there won't be any weird misconceptions happening here. Since she's seemingly fine, just dazed, he withdraws his hand, but not before giving her hair a little ruffle for good measure. Maybe she'll get offended and snap out of it. Who knows. ]
Look. I don't got much floorspace here. If you're gonna take a nap, at least do it on the bed and out of my way.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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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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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
[ H-Help? Please? ]
crying... i love her so much....
…He’s still surprised in the end, though. As she collapses, he stares for a moment, dumbfounded. Is that a good reaction or a bad one??? ]
Uh?
[ uh. . .]
[ Okay, no. It’s fine. He catches up with this absurd reaction after a moment. He crouches next to her and brushes some of the hair out of her face to just see if she’s, you know. Conscious. ]
...You good?
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H-Huh...? I didn't know you had authority over small colorful birds, Tezcoo...
[ What birds? The ones flying around her head right now, of course. There are quite a few shiny stars too. So many pretty things she's seeing! Wow, it's nearly like her perception of reality has been thrown off and her brain is scrambling to get back online.
... She may need a minute before she's able to talk normally again. In all fairness, her happiness quota for the day has been exceeded in ways it never has been before. ]
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[ As much as Tezcatlipoca likes the modern world and keeping up with it, Looney Tunes logic is not included. He's all about action movies, duh!!
...Anyways. He huffs, then shakes his head. At least this is in private so there won't be any weird misconceptions happening here. Since she's seemingly fine, just dazed, he withdraws his hand, but not before giving her hair a little ruffle for good measure. Maybe she'll get offended and snap out of it. Who knows. ]
Look. I don't got much floorspace here. If you're gonna take a nap, at least do it on the bed and out of my way.
1/2
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rip eresh
1/5
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5/5
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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)