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[A few days after the speed dating event, and on a weekday that Taryon wasn't scheduled to work at the shop, he looks through his digital fashion collection and selects one of his nicer button-up shirts and a sleek jacket with an embroidered design on the back for their date.
He and Elan had been working on restoring an abandoned amusement park in the past few months, and while it was no Disneyland, it had a decent roller coaster and Taryon can point out exactly what he worked on. Plus, there would be no long waiting times.
He knocks on the door.] Are you ready?
He and Elan had been working on restoring an abandoned amusement park in the past few months, and while it was no Disneyland, it had a decent roller coaster and Taryon can point out exactly what he worked on. Plus, there would be no long waiting times.
He knocks on the door.] Are you ready?
[ It only takes a few moments for Tezcatlipoca to answer the door, and it’s with an easy, confident smile. He’s not dressed that differently from what he’d worn on the dating show, but to be fair, he hasn’t had much in the way of extra cash to go shopping for better fits. That’s solidly the cigarette fund, since he’d foolishly gotten a nicotine addiction by giving himself a human body… But it’s still stylish, just a little more casual to fit the casual date.
Though most notably, he’s not actually wearing his sunglasses yet, which shows his most striking feature. Tezcatlipoca’s eyes are an icy, pale blue, and it’s definitely an unusual color. Almost unnatural, but it’s just close enough to be believably possible. ]
You bet. It’s exciting that you knew a place, so ‘course I wouldn’t miss it.
[ Naturally, he pays no mind to the fact that his eyes usually surprise people. He just steps out of his room, closing the door behind himself. ]
That, and feel like we got some interesting conversations to have. The show wasn’t bad, but can’t really be as straightforward, yeah?
Though most notably, he’s not actually wearing his sunglasses yet, which shows his most striking feature. Tezcatlipoca’s eyes are an icy, pale blue, and it’s definitely an unusual color. Almost unnatural, but it’s just close enough to be believably possible. ]
You bet. It’s exciting that you knew a place, so ‘course I wouldn’t miss it.
[ Naturally, he pays no mind to the fact that his eyes usually surprise people. He just steps out of his room, closing the door behind himself. ]
That, and feel like we got some interesting conversations to have. The show wasn’t bad, but can’t really be as straightforward, yeah?
[Taryon hasn't seen many people with such icy blue eyes. His own are a gem-like mix of blue and green (which is knows for a fact is one of his features everyone notices, and he's grateful to be born so charming), and most humans he knows have irises of deep hues. Tezcatlipoca come from a land on a different plane of existence than Exandria, and those details only add more exotic flair.
It's a blessing that his date tonight looks amazing.
He shrugs.] It's nothing that exciting. After we learned of one abandoned amusement park, I had to know if there were others nearby. So, I directed a few friends of mine to help me restore this. [Elan took a leadership role, but this is a date. Taryon is supposed to make himself look more impressive.] It's just a few roller coasters and rides, it's nothing special. Unless we make it special?
[He winks - it just feels right to end that explanation with some advanced flirting techniques.]
Oh, yes, that, too. It was getting kind of tricky for a moment. It's rather difficult to talk about dragons and magic as if they were real. But I think we got some things across. So. [He folds his hands together.] What does your family do?
It's a blessing that his date tonight looks amazing.
He shrugs.] It's nothing that exciting. After we learned of one abandoned amusement park, I had to know if there were others nearby. So, I directed a few friends of mine to help me restore this. [Elan took a leadership role, but this is a date. Taryon is supposed to make himself look more impressive.] It's just a few roller coasters and rides, it's nothing special. Unless we make it special?
[He winks - it just feels right to end that explanation with some advanced flirting techniques.]
Oh, yes, that, too. It was getting kind of tricky for a moment. It's rather difficult to talk about dragons and magic as if they were real. But I think we got some things across. So. [He folds his hands together.] What does your family do?
[ His eyes light up as Taryon explains the amusement park, since simple as it may be considering who he is, he’s still genuinely excited… He’d been completely serious about wanting to ride a roller coaster, considering his love of thrill seeking. A roller coaster is the safer version of it, though it’s not like he’s overly concerned with that… But his simple excitement is just as much expressed by how he’s quick to head towards the exit, though he’ll keep pace with Taryon. ]
Nah, no bein’ humble on this one. It’s definitely special, least for me. I’m crossing something of my— Well, bucket list doesn’t seem right. But I wanted to try it, is the point.
[ He nods, and his smile cools a little, but it’s a gesture of sincerity. ]
So, thanks already. I mean that.
[ But it doesn’t last long, since he tries to stay away from being too serious. Especially with the important caveat at hand. ]
Ah, but magic and dragons is good. Makes my half easier to explain. Wasn’t lyin’ with how I explained it, but maybe just tilting the perspective a bit. The family business is teotl. Everything.
[ He laughs with an easy shrug, but there’s a mischievous tilt to his expression. ]
I’m a god. Preeminent of the “family”, even.
Nah, no bein’ humble on this one. It’s definitely special, least for me. I’m crossing something of my— Well, bucket list doesn’t seem right. But I wanted to try it, is the point.
[ He nods, and his smile cools a little, but it’s a gesture of sincerity. ]
So, thanks already. I mean that.
[ But it doesn’t last long, since he tries to stay away from being too serious. Especially with the important caveat at hand. ]
Ah, but magic and dragons is good. Makes my half easier to explain. Wasn’t lyin’ with how I explained it, but maybe just tilting the perspective a bit. The family business is teotl. Everything.
[ He laughs with an easy shrug, but there’s a mischievous tilt to his expression. ]
I’m a god. Preeminent of the “family”, even.
[They approach the elevator, and Taryon pauses after he hits the down button.]
A what? You're a god? [He turns around quickly to look Tezcatlipoca up and down. Sure, he looks stunning, but anyone could be like that.] I would think...
[Wait. Ereshkigal is a god, and she looked like an ordinary girl until she started throwing tables at Taryon. Tezca could be hiding his abilities, and just like Ereshkigal, the technology that brought him here would hide his divine features. No glowing halos, no constant flowers popping under his feet, that sort of thing.]
Well, alright. That explains the secrecy. And how difficult it is to get into dating. [He tilts his head to the side.] So what exactly are you a god of?
[The elevator arrives, and the two begin their journey to the city. The park is a train ride away from the base, but it's not a complex route - Taryon has figured out the Tokyo Metro timetables quickly in the past few months.]
A what? You're a god? [He turns around quickly to look Tezcatlipoca up and down. Sure, he looks stunning, but anyone could be like that.] I would think...
[Wait. Ereshkigal is a god, and she looked like an ordinary girl until she started throwing tables at Taryon. Tezca could be hiding his abilities, and just like Ereshkigal, the technology that brought him here would hide his divine features. No glowing halos, no constant flowers popping under his feet, that sort of thing.]
Well, alright. That explains the secrecy. And how difficult it is to get into dating. [He tilts his head to the side.] So what exactly are you a god of?
[The elevator arrives, and the two begin their journey to the city. The park is a train ride away from the base, but it's not a complex route - Taryon has figured out the Tokyo Metro timetables quickly in the past few months.]
[ He looks amused by the one over, since he can guess what Taryon is thinking here, and it’s fair. It’s not exactly what people picture when they imagine divinity, and to be fair, that’s intentional. ]
What? Not impressive? [ He’s teasing, since he follows up immediately: ] Nah, I’m fuckin’ with ya. Supposed to be. This look is… relaxed from the usual, we’ll say. Makes it easier to hang out.
[ He’s still awfully casual about it, but as they head down the elevator, he does glance out to look at the scenery going by. ]
It’s a big list. But the main ones? The night, obsidian, jaguars. Magecraft, providence, beauty. [ He does look back at Taryon for that last one with a coy smile, but ends it with something odder. ] Conflict, primarily.
[ And once they’re outside, he pops on the sunglasses. They’re not his usual shades, since he’s opted for the more stylish round frames, but he still just likes to have them. Having pale eyes also means you’re sensitive to the sun… ]
What? Not impressive? [ He’s teasing, since he follows up immediately: ] Nah, I’m fuckin’ with ya. Supposed to be. This look is… relaxed from the usual, we’ll say. Makes it easier to hang out.
[ He’s still awfully casual about it, but as they head down the elevator, he does glance out to look at the scenery going by. ]
It’s a big list. But the main ones? The night, obsidian, jaguars. Magecraft, providence, beauty. [ He does look back at Taryon for that last one with a coy smile, but ends it with something odder. ] Conflict, primarily.
[ And once they’re outside, he pops on the sunglasses. They’re not his usual shades, since he’s opted for the more stylish round frames, but he still just likes to have them. Having pale eyes also means you’re sensitive to the sun… ]
Ah— [He glances away briefly, but he's assured that he hasn't insulted Tezcatlipoca.] Well, that makes sense. You don't want to make it obvious who you are until your reveal your true form at the most dramatic opportunity. Not that you aren't impressive now, just, well, like any other guy. Who knows how to dress.
[All those myths about gods and kings disguising themselves to mingle amongst the common people don't dwell on how unimpressive they look while in cognito. We'll, at least this guy remains as stunning as he would as a god.]
That's a big domain. ["Obsidian" doesn't sound like a thing people would worship, judging by the religions of Exandria. People use symbols to worship gods, but even disregarding that, Tezcatlipoca covers a lot.] Are you the only one covering the night? Or are you saying someone else is helping you there?
[He crosses his arms and leans closer, smiling in response to the coy smirk.] I hope this doesn't mean there's someone more beautiful handling your work.
[...No comment on the last part. Is he dating a war god? Should he be worried? Does he mean "conflict" as in chaos or something more noble?]
[All those myths about gods and kings disguising themselves to mingle amongst the common people don't dwell on how unimpressive they look while in cognito. We'll, at least this guy remains as stunning as he would as a god.]
That's a big domain. ["Obsidian" doesn't sound like a thing people would worship, judging by the religions of Exandria. People use symbols to worship gods, but even disregarding that, Tezcatlipoca covers a lot.] Are you the only one covering the night? Or are you saying someone else is helping you there?
[He crosses his arms and leans closer, smiling in response to the coy smirk.] I hope this doesn't mean there's someone more beautiful handling your work.
[...No comment on the last part. Is he dating a war god? Should he be worried? Does he mean "conflict" as in chaos or something more noble?]
[ He’s pleased at the compliment for his style, since that’s the mildest of sore points. Sometimes, you get insulted by another god who is also an aspect of yourself and you take it especially personally. Or, just him. So, it shows with an appreciative smile before he gets into the technicalities, but he keeps the same kind of casual air about it that he’d had talking about what seemed to be a more mundane job on the dating show. ]
And that’s only a few of. I got a big fuckin’ list, so I never get into all of ‘em.
[ Plus, some of them are highly caveated, since their pantheon is rather unique compared to others of their world, much less those of others, he figures. He’s also a god of death, after all, but that’s not unusual for them. A degree of fatalism was part of the culture, so all the gods held a sliver of it. It’s easier to explain that kind of division through something like the night. ]
But, nah, there’s a few of us that cover the night. There’s a lot to the night, yeah? Metztli has the moon, the Centzonmimixcoah have the stars or the Northern sky, et cetera. I’m more the general darkness. That which isn’t seen, since that’s my general vibe too.
[ …He does notice that Tayron doesn’t mention the conflict part of the deal. He’s not sensitive about the idea that his “work” would be disliked, but it’s more worth noting that Taryon seems to step around it. He’ll just see where it goes, like everything else. It makes it easy to lean back, giving Taryon’s shoulder a playful bump in return. ]
I’m definitely the looker of the family, though. [ He laughs as he rights himself, then half shrugs off his light jacket to expose his shoulders and the simple, geometric tattoos around his upper arm and shoulders, but that’s just because it’s still hot as fuck. He’s dedicated to style, but when his body is solidly human, he can’t just cheat and ignore the weather. ] And the most social. I dig hanging out with people. Figure that’s obvious, though.
And that’s only a few of. I got a big fuckin’ list, so I never get into all of ‘em.
[ Plus, some of them are highly caveated, since their pantheon is rather unique compared to others of their world, much less those of others, he figures. He’s also a god of death, after all, but that’s not unusual for them. A degree of fatalism was part of the culture, so all the gods held a sliver of it. It’s easier to explain that kind of division through something like the night. ]
But, nah, there’s a few of us that cover the night. There’s a lot to the night, yeah? Metztli has the moon, the Centzonmimixcoah have the stars or the Northern sky, et cetera. I’m more the general darkness. That which isn’t seen, since that’s my general vibe too.
[ …He does notice that Tayron doesn’t mention the conflict part of the deal. He’s not sensitive about the idea that his “work” would be disliked, but it’s more worth noting that Taryon seems to step around it. He’ll just see where it goes, like everything else. It makes it easy to lean back, giving Taryon’s shoulder a playful bump in return. ]
I’m definitely the looker of the family, though. [ He laughs as he rights himself, then half shrugs off his light jacket to expose his shoulders and the simple, geometric tattoos around his upper arm and shoulders, but that’s just because it’s still hot as fuck. He’s dedicated to style, but when his body is solidly human, he can’t just cheat and ignore the weather. ] And the most social. I dig hanging out with people. Figure that’s obvious, though.
[Taryon Darrington, famously bad at names, will forget any of the other gods Teczatlipoca will mention. He had to look over his contacts list and repeat his date's name over and over to commit it to memory. Without some sort of studying device, the best he will recall is "night god" and "stars god". Hopefully, the brief flicker of panic in his eyes will go unnoticed as this important piece of lore is laid out.
Darkness...how should he go about using that while they flirt? If it was the night in general, Taryon could go through every poetic line about the moonlight or the quiet outdoors, but darkness? That's good for intimate activities, but the inability to see each other isn't useful in most situations.] That's a shame, that you must be so beautiful but stay in the domain of darkness. I hope no one in your family was so jealous that they made sure that people wouldn't see you?
[If they were talking about combat...that would benefit greatly from obfuscation. That may be what it's intended for, why LILITH brought Tezcatlipoca here.]
So, you like talking with people? Your worshippers, or does it work differently where you're from and you can just hang out on the mortal plane? Because you said that you're really busy, but I don't know if it's because all of those prayers [or wars], or there's more to being a god that I thought.
[He leans in, just an inch.] I want to know what you couldn't say back there.
Darkness...how should he go about using that while they flirt? If it was the night in general, Taryon could go through every poetic line about the moonlight or the quiet outdoors, but darkness? That's good for intimate activities, but the inability to see each other isn't useful in most situations.] That's a shame, that you must be so beautiful but stay in the domain of darkness. I hope no one in your family was so jealous that they made sure that people wouldn't see you?
[If they were talking about combat...that would benefit greatly from obfuscation. That may be what it's intended for, why LILITH brought Tezcatlipoca here.]
So, you like talking with people? Your worshippers, or does it work differently where you're from and you can just hang out on the mortal plane? Because you said that you're really busy, but I don't know if it's because all of those prayers [or wars], or there's more to being a god that I thought.
[He leans in, just an inch.] I want to know what you couldn't say back there.
Ha, nah, we’ve got our share of family drama, but doesn’t tend to go like that, at least. The domains we represent have been solid since before humanity existed. No need to be jealous over what’s unchangeable fate.
[ Though, to be fair, that’s definitely unusual, based on stories from other pantheons he’s heard about… The Greeks seemed especially dramatic, so he kind of hopes he can meet one of them in person eventually, but that also seems unlikely as of late. But family drama, that’s not interesting.
The other part is a better topic of conversation, though he laughs, because it’s not exactly a date topic. Not that it’ll stop him, though. Considering this is a date, it probably works as good “filtering” in the sense that the gloomy conversation topics are just part of Tezcatlipoca’s whole “deal”. ]
Probably more than you think, honestly. It’s not hard for me to be in multiple places at once, generally. That’s the convenience of omnipotence.
[ Which is fine, but. As he continues, he closes his eyes briefly in a serene smile. ]
Like I said, I talk to people who’ve had a rough time of it. That’s cuz I’m the person they meet when they die. Doesn’t matter if they worship me or not. I’m the god of those who struggle to survive, so I welcome ‘em to a peaceful paradise once it’s all done.
[ But he opens his eyes again to look back at Taryon, but that serene smile is just a little mischievous, since he really can't stay overly serious for long. So, he jokes playfully. ]
So, yeah, hell of a lot I couldn't just say straightforwardly! I get the need for the civvie gig, but sheesh, get us all together, and 'course we wanna chat about the real shit.
[ Though, to be fair, that’s definitely unusual, based on stories from other pantheons he’s heard about… The Greeks seemed especially dramatic, so he kind of hopes he can meet one of them in person eventually, but that also seems unlikely as of late. But family drama, that’s not interesting.
The other part is a better topic of conversation, though he laughs, because it’s not exactly a date topic. Not that it’ll stop him, though. Considering this is a date, it probably works as good “filtering” in the sense that the gloomy conversation topics are just part of Tezcatlipoca’s whole “deal”. ]
Probably more than you think, honestly. It’s not hard for me to be in multiple places at once, generally. That’s the convenience of omnipotence.
[ Which is fine, but. As he continues, he closes his eyes briefly in a serene smile. ]
Like I said, I talk to people who’ve had a rough time of it. That’s cuz I’m the person they meet when they die. Doesn’t matter if they worship me or not. I’m the god of those who struggle to survive, so I welcome ‘em to a peaceful paradise once it’s all done.
[ But he opens his eyes again to look back at Taryon, but that serene smile is just a little mischievous, since he really can't stay overly serious for long. So, he jokes playfully. ]
So, yeah, hell of a lot I couldn't just say straightforwardly! I get the need for the civvie gig, but sheesh, get us all together, and 'course we wanna chat about the real shit.
That's...rather poetic. There's bound to be dead people when there's wars, even if thise wars really shouldn't be a thing in the first place. Well, I guess thats just what mortals do. [Ereshkigal may be a goddess of death, but this sounds more familiar to his world's pantheon. No one really knows what happens to your soul when you die other than that the gods are looking after you, but there is not one specific god that rules the underworld. Unless you go to Hell, then you have the devils and their schemes to deal with.] That sounds a lot like what the Raven Queen does back home. Not that I personally met her, but she's the one that ferries every soul to the afterlife. My friend is one of her champions, and he said that death is one thing that comes equally to everyone, so there's just her.
[He says it casually, like it's just another quirk of life. Walking with high-level heroes has normalized things like resurrection rituals, traveling to other planes of existence, and talking with gods.]
So, you have to decide who gets which person? I'm certain that lessens the work load, but what if someone's praying to you and another death god? [He watches Tezca expectantly. With them nearing the train station, Taryon doesn't have to pay much attention to where they are walking, and the fact that he can talk with a god — like Vax talks with the Raven Queen, or how Pike can commune with Sarenrae, or Vex gets vibes from Pelor — is the opportunity of a liftime.]
[He says it casually, like it's just another quirk of life. Walking with high-level heroes has normalized things like resurrection rituals, traveling to other planes of existence, and talking with gods.]
So, you have to decide who gets which person? I'm certain that lessens the work load, but what if someone's praying to you and another death god? [He watches Tezca expectantly. With them nearing the train station, Taryon doesn't have to pay much attention to where they are walking, and the fact that he can talk with a god — like Vax talks with the Raven Queen, or how Pike can commune with Sarenrae, or Vex gets vibes from Pelor — is the opportunity of a liftime.]
[ He doesn’t totally agree about wars not being necessary, but he keeps that to himself for now. It’s not out of any hesitance on his part, since he has no problem staking his claim on the difficult facets of life, but that’s just not where the conversation is heading. After all, it’s a bit good to hear that this isn’t exactly a new concept for him. Makes things easier, since there’s no need to explain half of the world’s mysteries like would be the case for his world. ]
Nope. The process is a little vague because where a soul ends up is kinda up to them, in a sense. Not consciously or anything, but the soul just ends up where it’s supposed to be. Sometimes that’s meeting me in Mictlampa at my campfire, sometimes I’m sure it’d be going to hang out with Ereshkigal. I usually have a good sense of it when I meet someone, but I’ve also got more insight into shit than most gods.
[ He shrugs casually, and it probably is a bit funny, because he talks about it with the cadence that anyone else would talk about work. There’s no special gravity to it, but he’s not so casual as to be dismissive. He takes his duties as a god quite seriously, but he also includes things like this in those duties. Tezcatlipoca simply wasn’t a god that kept people at arm’s length, generally speaking. ]
—Well, that’s how it works where I’m from, anyways. Don’t know a Raven Queen, so sounds like your world has a pantheon totally separate from the ones in mine.
[ Something that clearly doesn’t bother him, but that’s actually the same kind of insight. Parallel or separate worlds were nothing new to him even before coming here. ]
A champion of a god, though, that’s interesting. [ He guesses that could be a word to describe Daybit, since “Master” never sat right with him, but “priest” still feels the best. ] That common where you’re from?
Nope. The process is a little vague because where a soul ends up is kinda up to them, in a sense. Not consciously or anything, but the soul just ends up where it’s supposed to be. Sometimes that’s meeting me in Mictlampa at my campfire, sometimes I’m sure it’d be going to hang out with Ereshkigal. I usually have a good sense of it when I meet someone, but I’ve also got more insight into shit than most gods.
[ He shrugs casually, and it probably is a bit funny, because he talks about it with the cadence that anyone else would talk about work. There’s no special gravity to it, but he’s not so casual as to be dismissive. He takes his duties as a god quite seriously, but he also includes things like this in those duties. Tezcatlipoca simply wasn’t a god that kept people at arm’s length, generally speaking. ]
—Well, that’s how it works where I’m from, anyways. Don’t know a Raven Queen, so sounds like your world has a pantheon totally separate from the ones in mine.
[ Something that clearly doesn’t bother him, but that’s actually the same kind of insight. Parallel or separate worlds were nothing new to him even before coming here. ]
A champion of a god, though, that’s interesting. [ He guesses that could be a word to describe Daybit, since “Master” never sat right with him, but “priest” still feels the best. ] That common where you’re from?
[Taryon hums, then bobs his head to the side as he must accept that there's some mysterious process that determines where each soul ends up. He's no cleric, so how can he say that it's more straightforward in his own world?] Are you saying that you and Ereshkigal are from the same world? It would- well, it wouldn't explain a lot, but it's starting to sound like you work together.
[He likes Tezcatlipoca more than Eresh, although that has more to do with her throwing at table at Taryon when he was just trying to make polite conversation. Even if their date doesn't wind up being a big success, Tezca isn't scaring Taryon from asking too many questions at the risk of starting a fight.]
Not really. There've only been a few for each god in the history of the world, and my friend ended up obtaining that position. [He pauses. It may not be wise to explain how he begged the Raven Queen to take his life in exchange for his sister's, only for him to end up with the position. Taryon sometimes wonders if past champions of the goddess of death had been pushed to such desperate measures.] So now, he's basically her emissary on the mortal plane while she's up in the divine plane. From what I've seen, he's really fast and deadly in battle, but from the outside you'd never tell he's some important guy.
[He likes Tezcatlipoca more than Eresh, although that has more to do with her throwing at table at Taryon when he was just trying to make polite conversation. Even if their date doesn't wind up being a big success, Tezca isn't scaring Taryon from asking too many questions at the risk of starting a fight.]
Not really. There've only been a few for each god in the history of the world, and my friend ended up obtaining that position. [He pauses. It may not be wise to explain how he begged the Raven Queen to take his life in exchange for his sister's, only for him to end up with the position. Taryon sometimes wonders if past champions of the goddess of death had been pushed to such desperate measures.] So now, he's basically her emissary on the mortal plane while she's up in the divine plane. From what I've seen, he's really fast and deadly in battle, but from the outside you'd never tell he's some important guy.
Yep. Her and Izou both. Not that Izou’s a god, feel like I should say, but we’re definitely all from the same world.
[ He could explain that further, but honestly, there’s a lot to explain, and Tezcatlipoca isn’t totally inclined to do so. It suits him better if Ereshkigal or Izou are the ones that take up that task, especially since he can only assume they’re both talking to people they know here about his presence. So far as they’re concerned, he’s a dangerous threat, after all. And if someone hears about that? Suits him just fine.
Besides. All of the complicated mess that is Servants and Lostbelts, it doesn’t matter here, so far as he’s concerned. Instead, he makes a thoughtful noise, since by that definition, yeah, Daybit probably is… But Izcalli would be just as much, if not moreso. It amounts to a professional interest of how gods between worlds conduct their business, but it’s still interesting. ]
That’s the way to do it, I figure. Make your special little guy too obviously special to other people and it causes all kinds of problems. For them, for you, all kinda shit.
[ He waves a hand lightly like he’s dismissing the trouble of it, then nods ]
So, what about you? Got anything juicy that you couldn’t say on TV? [ Which, considering easy talk of gods and their champions now: ] That dream of adventuring maybe not so much a dream?
[ He could explain that further, but honestly, there’s a lot to explain, and Tezcatlipoca isn’t totally inclined to do so. It suits him better if Ereshkigal or Izou are the ones that take up that task, especially since he can only assume they’re both talking to people they know here about his presence. So far as they’re concerned, he’s a dangerous threat, after all. And if someone hears about that? Suits him just fine.
Besides. All of the complicated mess that is Servants and Lostbelts, it doesn’t matter here, so far as he’s concerned. Instead, he makes a thoughtful noise, since by that definition, yeah, Daybit probably is… But Izcalli would be just as much, if not moreso. It amounts to a professional interest of how gods between worlds conduct their business, but it’s still interesting. ]
That’s the way to do it, I figure. Make your special little guy too obviously special to other people and it causes all kinds of problems. For them, for you, all kinda shit.
[ He waves a hand lightly like he’s dismissing the trouble of it, then nods ]
So, what about you? Got anything juicy that you couldn’t say on TV? [ Which, considering easy talk of gods and their champions now: ] That dream of adventuring maybe not so much a dream?
Me? Well. [He straightens up.] I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to be an adventurer fighting all sorts of beasties. And I did learn a lot once I joined a team. It's just that I couldn't say that it's a widespread job in my world or that I fought a Kraken and demons.
[Despite the vast differences in technology and history, the similarities between Exandria and Earth made it easier when Tary's cover story stumbled: there was a disastrous calamity many years ago, the world is full of humans, and monsters roamed the wilds while professionals hunted them down. Magic is replaced by nanotech and cybernetic enhancements.]
But everything else is true. I grew up in a small city. I left for the wider world, and I learned how to fight. The details are different, but overall, I was telling the truth.
[Despite the vast differences in technology and history, the similarities between Exandria and Earth made it easier when Tary's cover story stumbled: there was a disastrous calamity many years ago, the world is full of humans, and monsters roamed the wilds while professionals hunted them down. Magic is replaced by nanotech and cybernetic enhancements.]
But everything else is true. I grew up in a small city. I left for the wider world, and I learned how to fight. The details are different, but overall, I was telling the truth.
[ There we go. Tezcatlipoca grins a little when Taryon admits that the stories weren’t exactly stories, since that’s essentially what he’d been hoping. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with a pretty average human living a normal life, but as has been made clear, he’s personally a thrill seeker. He’d likely just get a bit bored in the company of a normal guy, though it wouldn’t be anything personal. ]
Oh, hell yeah. No wonder you got picked for this gig then, huh? Dunno so much about demons, but kraken, that’s basically a kaiju, yeah?
[ Plus. That puts Taryon squarely in Tezcatlipoca’s interest, so far as his godly duties go. If he’s someone that learned to fight, then the god who favors warriors above all else would naturally be interested. ]
You got an adventure that was particularly juicy? Big odds, bigger monsters, that kinda deal. Love that shit.
Oh, hell yeah. No wonder you got picked for this gig then, huh? Dunno so much about demons, but kraken, that’s basically a kaiju, yeah?
[ Plus. That puts Taryon squarely in Tezcatlipoca’s interest, so far as his godly duties go. If he’s someone that learned to fight, then the god who favors warriors above all else would naturally be interested. ]
You got an adventure that was particularly juicy? Big odds, bigger monsters, that kinda deal. Love that shit.
You know, you're not wrong there. But I'm hoping we don't run into that here. [With only 6 people fighting a massive beast, the battle nearly turned into a catastrophe. Taryon can only hope that having dozens of fighters here will lead to a better outcome.]
You mean bigger than traveling to the bottom of the ocean to fight a monster? Or bigger than traversing through the second layer of Hell to take down a specific demon? Well, I don't know what you find juicy, but we did get arrested down there and rescued from their torture prison before barely escaping with our lives. How's that for an adventure?
You mean bigger than traveling to the bottom of the ocean to fight a monster? Or bigger than traversing through the second layer of Hell to take down a specific demon? Well, I don't know what you find juicy, but we did get arrested down there and rescued from their torture prison before barely escaping with our lives. How's that for an adventure?
Ha— Nah, don’t get me wrong, those all sound like great ones. Was more if you had a particular favorite.
[ It’s a good set of stories as they make their way to the park, he thinks. He’s a thrillseeker, as is surely obvious, so even in partial mention, he seems interested in and pleased by the stories. Plus. It just helps with that unique feeing of fondness he has for people that face the impossible. Though, clearly, “impossible” might be a strong word for it, since if he’s to be believed, he’s faced down a few and he’s still here. ]
Escaping a torture prison, that’s a pretty good one, though. [ He nods approvingly ] A grand battlefield’s just always gonna be my bias, but that still sounds great. Maybe not a great time, but I appreciate the high stakes.
[ He almost asks for the whole tale, but something else occurs to him first that’s a little more important. It also fits the idea that this is a date, on his side of things, anyways. ]
Well, gotta ask, then. Those kinda situations, where you at? Warrior, strategist, that kinda thing.
[ It’s a good set of stories as they make their way to the park, he thinks. He’s a thrillseeker, as is surely obvious, so even in partial mention, he seems interested in and pleased by the stories. Plus. It just helps with that unique feeing of fondness he has for people that face the impossible. Though, clearly, “impossible” might be a strong word for it, since if he’s to be believed, he’s faced down a few and he’s still here. ]
Escaping a torture prison, that’s a pretty good one, though. [ He nods approvingly ] A grand battlefield’s just always gonna be my bias, but that still sounds great. Maybe not a great time, but I appreciate the high stakes.
[ He almost asks for the whole tale, but something else occurs to him first that’s a little more important. It also fits the idea that this is a date, on his side of things, anyways. ]
Well, gotta ask, then. Those kinda situations, where you at? Warrior, strategist, that kinda thing.
I have had over a year of thrilling adventures and supernational suspense, Tezca. I can't select one adventure as my favorite. [Unless he excludes the ones where he nearly died or had a miserable time, then the selection would be easier.] Although, seeing that you're one of the gods of death, I did see my friends successfully bring another back from the dead by pleading with the Raven Queen. It's a beautiful ceremony. Everyone gathers in a temple, they pour their hearst out in an emotional display of love...
[Or they slap the corpse and yell at him for dying.]
And then he came back to life like nothing. It's exciting in its own way. [Although it's may be more exciting to a mortal than to a god. Taryon concludes that he should move onto a different adventure.]
We had a wonderful time in the platinum mines, fighting off beasties and corrupted angels. I'm not much of a brute fighter, but we all do a bit of strategizing. I'm the prep guy. [He holds up a fist, then a metal, customized coin pokes out between his fingers.] I set up a few spells for my comrades to use in their time of greatest need, and that way, I can save their lives while doing my own fighting elsewhere.
[Or they slap the corpse and yell at him for dying.]
And then he came back to life like nothing. It's exciting in its own way. [Although it's may be more exciting to a mortal than to a god. Taryon concludes that he should move onto a different adventure.]
We had a wonderful time in the platinum mines, fighting off beasties and corrupted angels. I'm not much of a brute fighter, but we all do a bit of strategizing. I'm the prep guy. [He holds up a fist, then a metal, customized coin pokes out between his fingers.] I set up a few spells for my comrades to use in their time of greatest need, and that way, I can save their lives while doing my own fighting elsewhere.
[ Since they live next door, one night (lateish) there's the sound of crashing — swearing. Silco doesn't swear, and normally he's either absent or silent as a neighbor. Normally, the only indication that he's around is if Tezca catches a whiff through the ventilation system of Silco's horrible cigars.
Something must have gone seriously off the rails, if he's making a ruckus like this. ]
Something must have gone seriously off the rails, if he's making a ruckus like this. ]
[ See, the thing about Tezcatlipoca as he exists now is that while he may possess power that's difficult to truly fathom, it's still shoved into a perfectly human body with perfectly human needs. So, while he's a night owl because of his natural proclivities, he still needs to sleep, same as anyone.
The noise makes him roll over in his bed with a groan, and he folds the pillow over his head. His first instinct is a solid "that's not my fucking business", since Tezcatlipoca had spent as much time in his Kowloon apartment as he could stomach, which also meant overhearing things like this not infrequently. The difference now is just that he knew this neighbor better.
...Was invested. He guesses. Having been woken up, he's wondering if he should rescind that favor.
It's not immediate, since he does mull over whether to ignore it or not, but a message eventually gets sent. ]
what's all that fucking noise for
[ He's not getting out of bed if it's something stupid, basically, ]
The noise makes him roll over in his bed with a groan, and he folds the pillow over his head. His first instinct is a solid "that's not my fucking business", since Tezcatlipoca had spent as much time in his Kowloon apartment as he could stomach, which also meant overhearing things like this not infrequently. The difference now is just that he knew this neighbor better.
...Was invested. He guesses. Having been woken up, he's wondering if he should rescind that favor.
It's not immediate, since he does mull over whether to ignore it or not, but a message eventually gets sent. ]
what's all that fucking noise for
[ He's not getting out of bed if it's something stupid, basically, ]
[ Another 'thunk' from something being tossed aside, but at least whatever it was didn't break.
It's the last one for a bit. ]
I asked LILITH a question.
[ A part of him had somewhat hoped that... at the end of the day, he would be returned to Kenos. To his fight there. To taking care of it all and burning it down. But he heard enough from Tezca and Set to understand that it would not be the case. That he would be returning to Zaun when he was done, likely to the moment he'd held his daughter in his arms again.
He'd gotten the idea in his head that he would rain fire and revenge down on Piltover for it. He'd go to war over it.
Now it seems like he'd been fighting over nothing. Hellbent on revenge over false pretenses. ]
About what is waiting for me.
It's the last one for a bit. ]
I asked LILITH a question.
[ A part of him had somewhat hoped that... at the end of the day, he would be returned to Kenos. To his fight there. To taking care of it all and burning it down. But he heard enough from Tezca and Set to understand that it would not be the case. That he would be returning to Zaun when he was done, likely to the moment he'd held his daughter in his arms again.
He'd gotten the idea in his head that he would rain fire and revenge down on Piltover for it. He'd go to war over it.
Now it seems like he'd been fighting over nothing. Hellbent on revenge over false pretenses. ]
About what is waiting for me.
[ Tezcatlipoca flips back onto his back at the first response, just staring through the text up towards the ceiling. He sighs and reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose, because he does have to take a moment to consider how to approach this even before the slight clarification comes.
Silco embodies his primary domain perfectly. No matter what the man does, he's conflict. Hell, he's conflict personified even more than the god himself, because Tezcatlipoca has other duties he cares about too. That's the problem for Silco. Conflict is a difficult burden to carry as your sole focus. Whatever he's throwing a tantrum about, it's surely a lesson in that respect.
...Even so. Getting the confirmation with the second message makes Tezcatlipoca sigh and lazily shift off the bed. He grabs his loungewear pants and pulls them on, but nothing else. He doesn't exactly care about being under-dressed, since it's Silco's fault for waking him up in the first place. He grabs his cigarettes and lighter, since he expects he might want them, but otherwise shuffles outside and taps his fist on the door for Silco to let him in.
He's never confirmed it, but paranoid fucker that Silco is? He's just assuming it's locked. No need to even try and open it. ]
Silco embodies his primary domain perfectly. No matter what the man does, he's conflict. Hell, he's conflict personified even more than the god himself, because Tezcatlipoca has other duties he cares about too. That's the problem for Silco. Conflict is a difficult burden to carry as your sole focus. Whatever he's throwing a tantrum about, it's surely a lesson in that respect.
...Even so. Getting the confirmation with the second message makes Tezcatlipoca sigh and lazily shift off the bed. He grabs his loungewear pants and pulls them on, but nothing else. He doesn't exactly care about being under-dressed, since it's Silco's fault for waking him up in the first place. He grabs his cigarettes and lighter, since he expects he might want them, but otherwise shuffles outside and taps his fist on the door for Silco to let him in.
He's never confirmed it, but paranoid fucker that Silco is? He's just assuming it's locked. No need to even try and open it. ]
[ Of course it's locked! Tezca is 100% correct that the man never sleeps without something beneath his pillow, his door locked, and with his unblinking eye facing the door.
Maybe he should invest in therapy? Nah.
When the door opens, Tezca is greeted with a rare sight. Silco is disheveled, which in of itself is probably a sign that something is wrong. Hair askew, no makeup, he's wheezing, practically, but as soon as he saw it wasn't an enemy (hopefully) his tight pinched expression relaxed somewhat.
His lips twitched, but he didn't bar entry. ]
I didn't think you slept. Don't tell me I woke you.
[ Not that he, uh. Cares much. And he's mostly deflecting. ]
Maybe he should invest in therapy? Nah.
When the door opens, Tezca is greeted with a rare sight. Silco is disheveled, which in of itself is probably a sign that something is wrong. Hair askew, no makeup, he's wheezing, practically, but as soon as he saw it wasn't an enemy (hopefully) his tight pinched expression relaxed somewhat.
His lips twitched, but he didn't bar entry. ]
I didn't think you slept. Don't tell me I woke you.
[ Not that he, uh. Cares much. And he's mostly deflecting. ]
[ ...So, not good news, then. He figured as much, considering the noise, but just seeing Silco not so put together is honestly a better show of it. However, if Tezcatlipoca is concerned in any way, that's not what he expresses. ]
Yeah, I sleep, asshole. It's why I'm real fuckin' thrilled about your revelation here.
[ He huffs and pushes past Silco and let himself into his room. It's not out of being nosy, but he's letting himself in to have a place to sit. He's not going to have this conversation while he's in the hall. ]
What, you think I wanted that apartment in Kowloon just for fun?
[ He does know Silco well enough to not get to it immediately, at least. He'll ease into the conversation, since if he's too blunt about it, he'll withdraw. And in Silco's case? That likely means more fits later. ]
Yeah, I sleep, asshole. It's why I'm real fuckin' thrilled about your revelation here.
[ He huffs and pushes past Silco and let himself into his room. It's not out of being nosy, but he's letting himself in to have a place to sit. He's not going to have this conversation while he's in the hall. ]
What, you think I wanted that apartment in Kowloon just for fun?
[ He does know Silco well enough to not get to it immediately, at least. He'll ease into the conversation, since if he's too blunt about it, he'll withdraw. And in Silco's case? That likely means more fits later. ]
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