[ She nods and smiles all the more brightly. This memory is very important to her... Honestly she would have been fine if her existence had ended there and then, there's no way this will ever be topped.
Buuuuut since she was allowed to keep existing, she might as well hope for the best! ]
It's always been my dream to fill the Underworld with flowers. But nothing's ever worked. [Her smile fades a bit. It's very much painful whenever she thinks about the eventual after. When this world and her world will both be saved, and she'll be back to her desolate Underworld. All she'll have left will be memories with nothing in her future.] Hopefully Tezcatlipoca's method will work...
[ ... Right, Hiyori probably has no idea what she's talking about. ]
We made a deal and he's going to teach me how flowers grow in the Underworld in his pantheon.
[ nothing's ever worked because it's the land of the dead. you'd need a very special flower to thrive down there, if one ever could. and so hiyori smiles with sympathy, wishing she could do something to help ereshkigal's dream come true as well.
but she's just a little human with no powers. only medical terms and diseases and diagnosis on the brain as far as her abilities go. martial arts moves. some archery now, too.
she can support it, like she does eresh's love. like she does eresh herself, doing her best to remind her she's not alone by spending time with her or being a comforting hand when she needs it. they can drink wine together and talk about romance and love and flowers and why those flowers mean so much to them.
tez-cat-li-poca...? aaaaah. another god! who can grow flowers in his - hiyori feels a flicker of worry. ]
[ D-Does she really give the vibes of such a naive goddess that she would take a deal that puts her in great danger? She would never! Nevermind she does in her future she just doesn't know about it yet. ]
He wanted to check in on this world's afterlife, my presence would make his ritual easier. That and he needed someone to help him in case something went wrong. [She shakes her head.] He failed and I had to carry him back to the hospital wing. [A sigh.] Nitwit.
[ They approach the flower shop and Ereshkigal looks for the keys in her bag. She hasn't realized yet she doesn't have the keys on her person (some things never change). ]
He has difficulties reckoning with the fact we're no longer gods in this world. [She looks at Hiyori with something of a worried smile.] Avoid him if you can. Unlike Yato and I, he doesn't value individual human lives very highly and takes great pleasure in fanning the flames of conflict.
[ So basically he's more like what most people expect gods to be like. ]
ok maybe. a little. that's not her fault, though! it's because she was in the underworld for so long and hiyori watches the people around her closely. too closely. after knowing ereshkigal for over half a year now, she's picked on some things. besides, she wouldn't say she's naive!! just
it's a common theme with the divine, that's all. SEE SHE WAS RIGHT TO BE CONCERNEDLKDGJD ]
So, neither of you found out anything about the Underworld?
[ seems like LILITH really is the only organization with that power. how did they get it...? is it by draining the divinity of the gods they summon? since now there's three hiyori knows of.
yato, ereshkigal, and this tezcatlipoca. beside her, hiyori's steps slow and she stares at the ground in thought as she rummages around in her bag.
nobody she'll get along with.... probably.... but ]
He must enjoy the kaiju fights.... [ AT LEAST SOMEONE IS??? ]
[ She nods at her question. It's not surprising really... Though she hopes if this world has its own goddess of death, she's taking some well needed break because she must be overworked as heck! ]
Yes, in his own way. [She marks a pause.] We are enemies in our world. He believes the future that awaits humanity to be a worse fate than their extinction, therefore he has chosen to become an enemy of humanity.
[ Ereshkigal is a firm believer in his approach being utterly stupid. When you're a disappointed parent, you don't kill your kid because they've become a criminal! You try to set them back on the right path. Sighs.
She looks increasingly panicked though. But not about that evil god. ]
[ ah. yeah. she can see why ereshkigal would be enemies with that type. someone quite positive about humanity vs someone who is quite negative would clash like that.
the divide between the near and far shore shows itself again. immortality and the curse of unending life. living long enough to see the future of humanity. among other things. the loneliness.
hiyori's left with her own thoughts on the matter. how, in her lifetime, she won't see what will become of humanity but how she wants to fight for them regardless. for herself. to be able to look at herself in the mirror. ]
... Huh? You... huh?
[ uh oh ]
It's okay! [ whether or not it is, doesn't matter. IT WILL BE OKAY. ] Um. Did you leave a window open maybe? Let's check!
[ she takes ereshkigal's hand and walks around the perimeter. ]
Worse comes to worse, Yato can teleport. Maybe he can find a way inside if we call him for help.
[ Ereshkigal follows her, but she has no hope. W-Where has she put those keys? Are they still in her room? Has she lost them somewhere? Has someone ill-intentioned stolen them from her to torment her??
There are countless possibilities! ]
N-No, I would never. [You bet she triples check everything is properly closed before leaving every single time.] I can teleport too, but that won't unlock the door...
[ She could break the door, but then that'll ring the alarm and bring the police! ]
I-I'm sorry, I was so excited to show you the shop...
wherever they are, hiyori isn't going anywhere until they find them. that's a promise. ]
... You wouldn't. [ diligent ereshkigal would NEVER. ]
Hey, don't worry about it. It, um... can be like an adventure for you and me. What if we checked on the cemetery in the meantime? Actually, if I can be honest, I didn't expect for there to be one. Everything is so high-tech now. It's a relief there are still some things I'm used to being around here and there....
[ hearing that sniff, hiyori rubs her back with a worried smile.
DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR LOVE....
hiyori follows, keeping quiet. respectful but also keeping a close eye on ereshkigal and that disappointed look on her face. she also wanted to see the new flowershop but there will be other opportunities!! it's not like she's going to disappear -
... ]
They're a bit like your children, aren't they? The souls of the departed that you look after. Or... I get that maternal feeling from you, anyway.
[ Ereshkigal shows her the path towards her office in the cemetery, but stops in her track. H-Her children? Well it's true she thinks of the souls that way. She's an Earth Mother Goddess after all, it's supposed to come naturally to her. Yet again so is Ishtar, and she's not the least bit maternal... ]
Yes. [She nods.] Human souls need someone to care for them. And I can never trust anyone else with that task. And besides...
[ She marks a pause, looking noticeably sadder. ]
... For most of human history, one out of two children would die before reaching adulthood. [It is a recent phenomenon, the very low rate of child mortality.] They're always terrified. They don't understand what's happening to them. How could they understand death when they never even had a chance to live?
[ But in spite of how sad she looked mere seconds ago, Ereshkigal is smiling. ]
I read them stories to help them fall asleep. I can't understand what they're saying, but they can understand me. When some souls have a particularly difficult time falling asleep, I take their cages with me and rest alongside them. [A pause.] And when they finally awaken, that means they are ready to move on.
[ such is the history of humans. awful, struggling, despairing and yet here they all are. still fighting giant monsters and innovating, years and years later. hiyori looks somber as well at the reminder of that bloody and terrible history they came from.
she's reminded of nora. how she was the same. a life taken too soon from her parents and everyone who might meet her. given another chance by being named a shinki.
hiyori smiles too at the story, moved by her dedication to others. a lovely and kind goddess to take care of the departed. ]
I bet you brought comfort to them when they needed it most.
... I know gods are created with one purpose in mind so of course you would be suited for it but... you still had a choice, too. You do now.
Nobody could do as good of a job caring for their souls as much as you, Ereshkigal.
[ Heh? Huh? T-That's a lot of complimenting to receive at once! That stuns the goddess. Is Hiyori trying to break her daily happiness ceiling? She doesn't even found the words to somehow refute the compliments. ]
Ah, uh... [Blinks Blinks.] T-Thank you!
[ W-Well, better head straight for her office so she can find something to totally change the discussion and take heat off her! There are a lot of clay tablets neatly piled up against the walls of the room once they arrive. Sure, she technically doesn't need them what with the implants, but it's easier for her that way. And she's not used to paper yet. ]
I-I think I have a copy of the keys here...!
[ And off she is to look for said keys in a corner of the room. That should give her plenty of time to put herself back together. ]
[ oooh, is there a ceiling? she likes breaking things. sometimes!!
hiyori smiles at her warmly. it's just the truth - or what she believes is the truth. what she knows of ereshkigal is that she cares very, very deeply and she's a good goddess. a hard-working goddess. hiyori tends to like those types of people the most.
noticing her awkwardness though (hehe), she'll let up on her. it's just like when she was a teen with ami and yama. teasing each other about this or that. immediately, her eyes spy the clay tablets and she wanders over curiously because she can't help herself. it's not unlike her habit to write in her journal and she grins. ]
Okaaaay. I'll wait in here!
[ and read some of these. it's not long before she calls out again. ]
[ Ereshkigal keeps on looking... W-Why aren't the keys there?! Is someone playing a prank on her? She always had a second set of keys there! Sniff. It's like fate itself is plotting to make her look uncool and pathetic in front of her friend! Meanwhile, the tablets are written in cuneiform - which may look like weird symbols at first, but Hiyori's implants should have a function to translate it if she wants.
Of course Ereshkigal doesn't know that, she's convinced no one but Godzilla even know of this old, dead language here. ]
Huh? Ah, yes. [She looks up and smiles.] I keep a detailed record of what I do.
[ Should Hiyori be truly shameless and decide to translate, it is indeed a recap of Ereshkigal's daily activities... Though at times it reads more like a personal diary than a record of her work. You wouldn't write "Today I've managed to stay five minutes all alone in a crowded park and even said hello to an old woman! I think my training is starting to pay off, but I still feel the anxiety increasing when people look my way..." in a job summary, after all. ]
I know humans use paper or digital storage nowadays... But that's more convenient to me.
[ there are a lot of people she can think of that would play a prank on her, honestly....
ereshkigal could never look uncool and pathetic in front of her, though. she KNOWS uncool and pathetic ok. even her journaling is more relatable than anything. she shouldn't read it but the ocular decides to do the translating for her automatically!! before she realizes, she's read the first line of a personal entry before quickly setting it down. it's not like her to read inner, personal thoughts. without permission.
that's yato's thing. who had read her journal once upon a time, too. it was what spurred him to -
to go after his father. and for her to chase after him. and
things get blurry after that. ]
It...! Must take a while, though. And there are so many. You're so dedicated in everything you do... [ over some time, she starts to relax again. she didn't read anything too embarrassing. just that she was in a park alone for a bit. hiyori doesn't know if she knows anybody that works as hard as ereshkigal. in everything. what can she do but want to cheer her on and praise her?? ]
I also journal. I've been doing it since I was a kid. On paper. I've been thinking of copying it all down into digital storage, though. You know, just in case it gets lost or something.
[ like her KEYS. with the tablets respectfully set aside, she starts searching a cabinet. mindful of what's inside, but being thorough. ]
Let's see. If I was Ereshkigal and had a second set of keys, where would I put them...?
[ if she were half-ayakashi, she could maybe sniff them out if they had a trace of divinity on them. hah. like a bloodhound. ]
[ Drowning yourself in work is a great way not to think too often about how much you hate yourself and your life. That and she's really never known anything else. ]
W-Well, it's important I leave a record in case something happens to me. [It's unlikely but! Leaving something to chance? Never.] Whoever succeeds me would find a solution to any possible problem in the Underworld by checking my records.
[ That and when you're lonely writing makes it feel like you're talking to someone... Even if that someone is yourself. B-But that's probably something that happens to everyone when they're isolated and alone for a long period of time! ]
I don't trust digital. Somehow technology malfunctions or breaks down around me. [It's like the sparkling: it's a fact of life that's best accepted rather than explained when it comes to her.] But I think it could be good for you. I didn't know you were a writer too, Hiyori.
[ And an archer too if what Yato told her in the future is true! They'll have to work on divine arrows for her... ]
Eh...? [If she was Ereshkigal? She sees what she's trying to do, but:] D-Don't try to imagine what it's like being me too much, the human mind isn't meant to withstand that!
[ I mean yeah but DAMN. some habits are good. working hard is one. other habits? not so good. hating yourself and your life.
an anxious look crosses her face when she brings up something happening to her. does... she not get reincarnated like ebisu did?
and she is ALSO not wrong about writing to yourself when you're lonely. but!! but she's not lonely as much anymore, right? being alone is fine, even hiyori has her moments where she wants some solitude and has to keep yato from following her to the bathroom or something. LET HER PEE IN PEACE.
after what she read about going to the park, she wonders. gods are so lonely if they don't have those irreplaceable someones. kofuku was able to find daikoku. bishamon, though with her troubles, always has kazuma. yato and yukine. ]
It does? That has to be frustrating. ... Um. O - okay, I see your point. [ ACCEPTING IT. if she doesn't mind, who is hiyori to change that? everyone needs a little familiar in their lives when so much has changed. ]
Calling me a writer is too ambitious for the little notes and stickers I put in my notebook. [ bashful, she toys with the ends of her hair.
archer is ambitious as heck, too but she's DETERMINED to make her late grandmother proud. that mirror ereshkigal gave her for Christmas will come in very handy on their trip to Kagoshima. slowly, she closes the cabinet door she was searching. ]
... What? [ it wasn't so serious but now? that's a concerning thing to SAY. ] I was - it's a bit too late for that, actually. I've tried to put myself in your shoes a lot of times.
[ What the heck, Yato!!! The day her hypothetical (non-existent) lover follows her to the bathroom is the day they get sent flying across all of Neo Tokyo by the most violent slap to have ever slapped!
But Hiyori is totally hard, it's.... Very hard without her special someone. Sniff. It's okay, someday surely. Probably. Maybe. Pretending it'll happen helps. ]
Ehehe, it sounds super cute when you word it like that.
[ She would be curious to see what her journal is like, but she won't ask. She knows she'd be so embarrassed if someone read her clay tablets!
She sighs and sits down on a chair in defeat. No key. Hiyori's answer though is more than surprising. ]
[ even if they want to spend more time with her!! (yeah, even then)
it'll happen!!! it happened for yato it can for SURE happen for ereshkigal!?
another embarrassed twirl of her hair and shy smile. m-maybe it is cute? she thinks ereshkigal documenting her life in clay tablets is pretty cute, too. they're similar in ways she didn't expect but it makes sense. she works pretty hard, too. gets really into whatever hobbies or habits she picks up. ]
Hmm. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes is just something humans do sometimes when they care about someone.
[ It's something humans do? W-Well, she supposes at times she's tried imagined what it is her precious little grape feels like... Or what being Ishtar must be like. But she'll never ever admit to that!! ]
You did...
[ She's not sure why this is so surprising. It's not that novel of a concept. She looks down for a moment... ]
It's a weird feeling. I guess... People never tried to understand me before. [A pause.] Death is evil. That's what mankind and even gods has always thought. [She smiles at her.] T-Thank you.
[ It-It may definitely sound silly to say thank you for something like that, but it's a really big deal to her! ]
[ she'd never assume what gods do but she wouldn't be surprised if ereshkigal DID admit it. ]
Death isn't evil.
[ with a complicated smile on her face as she says it, thinking of patients and families. thinking of every single person who might've lost someone. ]
It's true that it's a harsh lesson to learn, but... it's a part of life. I think it's more like nobody enjoys saying goodbye. I wouldn't. I don't...
[ ereshkigal might not be human but she has feelings and thoughts, too. like any other person. she rules one of the most difficult to accept facts about living. ]
But, I don't know... after meeting you and hearing how much you care about the souls that come to your Underworld, I feel... a bit better. They're in a good place. It's bittersweet.
[ That's... That's so nice to hear. It's the second time today Eresh finds herself on the verge of tears thanks to Hiyori! Sniff. She's such a good and wonderful friend. Both she and Yato are, they're the sweetest. She loves them so much (platonically, probably).
The urge to go and hug her is there, but she'll resist! That'd be unsightly right now. ]
[ She shakes her head. Perhaps she wouldn't be branded as a "chaotic evil" being. Perhaps her job would be less overwhelming as the souls would find peace more easily. ]
Death is always sad. But also necessary. [Okay nearly always. Nobody's sad when the one dying is the evil emperor in a fantasy story.] W-Well, I still would rather people live long and happy lives. [A pause.] That's why you're not allowed to die until you're a great-grandmother!
[ hugs aren't unsightly. hug her, dammit. or she'll do it.
it'd be crazy to hear that ereshkigal is a CHAOTIC EVIL being. chaotic, maybe? not evil. not at all.
it's necessary. it's unfair. it's sad. no matter how much someone tries to smile through it. maybe SOMEONE is sad when the evil emperorer is dying?? depends on the character arc. ]
Pfft - I've heard that before. [ a beat from hiyori as she considers. ereshkigal knows about her half-dying. ]
... A little late, though. I did die, but I was brought back to life...
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Buuuuut since she was allowed to keep existing, she might as well hope for the best! ]
It's always been my dream to fill the Underworld with flowers. But nothing's ever worked. [Her smile fades a bit. It's very much painful whenever she thinks about the eventual after. When this world and her world will both be saved, and she'll be back to her desolate Underworld. All she'll have left will be memories with nothing in her future.] Hopefully Tezcatlipoca's method will work...
[ ... Right, Hiyori probably has no idea what she's talking about. ]
We made a deal and he's going to teach me how flowers grow in the Underworld in his pantheon.
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but she's just a little human with no powers. only medical terms and diseases and diagnosis on the brain as far as her abilities go. martial arts moves. some archery now, too.
she can support it, like she does eresh's love. like she does eresh herself, doing her best to remind her she's not alone by spending time with her or being a comforting hand when she needs it. they can drink wine together and talk about romance and love and flowers and why those flowers mean so much to them.
tez-cat-li-poca...? aaaaah. another god! who can grow flowers in his - hiyori feels a flicker of worry. ]
A deal? What was your end of the deal?
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Nevermind she does in her future she just doesn't know about it yet.]He wanted to check in on this world's afterlife, my presence would make his ritual easier. That and he needed someone to help him in case something went wrong. [She shakes her head.] He failed and I had to carry him back to the hospital wing. [A sigh.] Nitwit.
[ They approach the flower shop and Ereshkigal looks for the keys in her bag. She hasn't realized yet she doesn't have the keys on her person (some things never change). ]
He has difficulties reckoning with the fact we're no longer gods in this world. [She looks at Hiyori with something of a worried smile.] Avoid him if you can. Unlike Yato and I, he doesn't value individual human lives very highly and takes great pleasure in fanning the flames of conflict.
[ So basically he's more like what most people expect gods to be like. ]
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ok maybe. a little. that's not her fault, though! it's because she was in the underworld for so long and hiyori watches the people around her closely. too closely. after knowing ereshkigal for over half a year now, she's picked on some things. besides, she wouldn't say she's naive!! just
it's a common theme with the divine, that's all.
SEE SHE WAS RIGHT TO BE CONCERNEDLKDGJD]So, neither of you found out anything about the Underworld?
[ seems like LILITH really is the only organization with that power. how did they get it...? is it by draining the divinity of the gods they summon? since now there's three hiyori knows of.
yato, ereshkigal, and this tezcatlipoca. beside her, hiyori's steps slow and she stares at the ground in thought as she rummages around in her bag.
nobody she'll get along with.... probably.... but ]
He must enjoy the kaiju fights.... [ AT LEAST SOMEONE IS??? ]
Does he at least value humanity as a whole?
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Yes, in his own way. [She marks a pause.] We are enemies in our world. He believes the future that awaits humanity to be a worse fate than their extinction, therefore he has chosen to become an enemy of humanity.
[ Ereshkigal is a firm believer in his approach being utterly stupid. When you're a disappointed parent, you don't kill your kid because they've become a criminal! You try to set them back on the right path. Sighs.
She looks increasingly panicked though. But not about that evil god. ]
I-I don't have the keys...?
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the divide between the near and far shore shows itself again. immortality and the curse of unending life. living long enough to see the future of humanity. among other things. the loneliness.
hiyori's left with her own thoughts on the matter. how, in her lifetime, she won't see what will become of humanity but how she wants to fight for them regardless. for herself. to be able to look at herself in the mirror. ]
... Huh? You... huh?
[ uh oh ]
It's okay! [ whether or not it is, doesn't matter. IT WILL BE OKAY. ] Um. Did you leave a window open maybe? Let's check!
[ she takes ereshkigal's hand and walks around the perimeter. ]
Worse comes to worse, Yato can teleport. Maybe he can find a way inside if we call him for help.
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There are countless possibilities! ]
N-No, I would never. [You bet she triples check everything is properly closed before leaving every single time.] I can teleport too, but that won't unlock the door...
[ She could break the door, but then that'll ring the alarm and bring the police! ]
I-I'm sorry, I was so excited to show you the shop...
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wherever they are, hiyori isn't going anywhere until they find them. that's a promise. ]
... You wouldn't. [ diligent ereshkigal would NEVER. ]
Hey, don't worry about it. It, um... can be like an adventure for you and me. What if we checked on the cemetery in the meantime? Actually, if I can be honest, I didn't expect for there to be one. Everything is so high-tech now. It's a relief there are still some things I'm used to being around here and there....
[ yato keeps her sane.
and insane. ]
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Delusional.]R-Right...
[ She nods and takes her towards the cemetery, still looking more than a little bit confused and disappointed. ]
I wouldn't have agreed to help this world if they didn't respect the dead.
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DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR LOVE....
hiyori follows, keeping quiet. respectful but also keeping a close eye on ereshkigal and that disappointed look on her face. she also wanted to see the new flowershop but there will be other opportunities!! it's not like she's going to disappear -
... ]
They're a bit like your children, aren't they? The souls of the departed that you look after. Or... I get that maternal feeling from you, anyway.
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Yes. [She nods.] Human souls need someone to care for them. And I can never trust anyone else with that task. And besides...
[ She marks a pause, looking noticeably sadder. ]
... For most of human history, one out of two children would die before reaching adulthood. [It is a recent phenomenon, the very low rate of child mortality.] They're always terrified. They don't understand what's happening to them. How could they understand death when they never even had a chance to live?
[ But in spite of how sad she looked mere seconds ago, Ereshkigal is smiling. ]
I read them stories to help them fall asleep. I can't understand what they're saying, but they can understand me. When some souls have a particularly difficult time falling asleep, I take their cages with me and rest alongside them. [A pause.] And when they finally awaken, that means they are ready to move on.
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she's reminded of nora. how she was the same. a life taken too soon from her parents and everyone who might meet her. given another chance by being named a shinki.
hiyori smiles too at the story, moved by her dedication to others. a lovely and kind goddess to take care of the departed. ]
I bet you brought comfort to them when they needed it most.
... I know gods are created with one purpose in mind so of course you would be suited for it but... you still had a choice, too. You do now.
Nobody could do as good of a job caring for their souls as much as you, Ereshkigal.
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Ah, uh... [Blinks Blinks.] T-Thank you!
[ W-Well, better head straight for her office so she can find something to totally change the discussion and take heat off her! There are a lot of clay tablets neatly piled up against the walls of the room once they arrive. Sure, she technically doesn't need them what with the implants, but it's easier for her that way. And she's not used to paper yet. ]
I-I think I have a copy of the keys here...!
[ And off she is to look for said keys in a corner of the room. That should give her plenty of time to put herself back together. ]
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hiyori smiles at her warmly. it's just the truth - or what she believes is the truth. what she knows of ereshkigal is that she cares very, very deeply and she's a good goddess. a hard-working goddess. hiyori tends to like those types of people the most.
noticing her awkwardness though (hehe), she'll let up on her. it's just like when she was a teen with ami and yama. teasing each other about this or that. immediately, her eyes spy the clay tablets and she wanders over curiously because she can't help herself. it's not unlike her habit to write in her journal and she grins. ]
Okaaaay. I'll wait in here!
[ and read some of these. it's not long before she calls out again. ]
Hey! Did you engrave these?
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Of course Ereshkigal doesn't know that, she's convinced no one but Godzilla even know of this old, dead language here. ]
Huh? Ah, yes. [She looks up and smiles.] I keep a detailed record of what I do.
[ Should Hiyori be truly shameless and decide to translate, it is indeed a recap of Ereshkigal's daily activities... Though at times it reads more like a personal diary than a record of her work. You wouldn't write "Today I've managed to stay five minutes all alone in a crowded park and even said hello to an old woman! I think my training is starting to pay off, but I still feel the anxiety increasing when people look my way..." in a job summary, after all. ]
I know humans use paper or digital storage nowadays... But that's more convenient to me.
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ereshkigal could never look uncool and pathetic in front of her, though. she KNOWS uncool and pathetic ok. even her journaling is more relatable than anything. she shouldn't read it but the ocular decides to do the translating for her automatically!! before she realizes, she's read the first line of a personal entry before quickly setting it down. it's not like her to read inner, personal thoughts. without permission.
that's yato's thing. who had read her journal once upon a time, too. it was what spurred him to -
to go after his father. and for her to chase after him. and
things get blurry after that. ]
It...! Must take a while, though. And there are so many. You're so dedicated in everything you do... [ over some time, she starts to relax again. she didn't read anything too embarrassing. just that she was in a park alone for a bit. hiyori doesn't know if she knows anybody that works as hard as ereshkigal. in everything. what can she do but want to cheer her on and praise her?? ]
I also journal. I've been doing it since I was a kid. On paper. I've been thinking of copying it all down into digital storage, though. You know, just in case it gets lost or something.
[ like her KEYS. with the tablets respectfully set aside, she starts searching a cabinet. mindful of what's inside, but being thorough. ]
Let's see. If I was Ereshkigal and had a second set of keys, where would I put them...?
[ if she were half-ayakashi, she could maybe sniff them out if they had a trace of divinity on them. hah. like a bloodhound. ]
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W-Well, it's important I leave a record in case something happens to me. [It's unlikely but! Leaving something to chance? Never.] Whoever succeeds me would find a solution to any possible problem in the Underworld by checking my records.
[ That and when you're lonely writing makes it feel like you're talking to someone... Even if that someone is yourself. B-But that's probably something that happens to everyone when they're isolated and alone for a long period of time! ]
I don't trust digital. Somehow technology malfunctions or breaks down around me. [It's like the sparkling: it's a fact of life that's best accepted rather than explained when it comes to her.] But I think it could be good for you. I didn't know you were a writer too, Hiyori.
[ And an archer too if what Yato told her in the future is true! They'll have to work on divine arrows for her... ]
Eh...? [If she was Ereshkigal? She sees what she's trying to do, but:] D-Don't try to imagine what it's like being me too much, the human mind isn't meant to withstand that!
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an anxious look crosses her face when she brings up something happening to her. does... she not get reincarnated like ebisu did?
and she is ALSO not wrong about writing to yourself when you're lonely. but!! but she's not lonely as much anymore, right? being alone is fine, even hiyori has her moments where she wants some solitude and has to keep yato from following her to the bathroom or something. LET HER PEE IN PEACE.
after what she read about going to the park, she wonders. gods are so lonely if they don't have those irreplaceable someones. kofuku was able to find daikoku. bishamon, though with her troubles, always has kazuma. yato and yukine. ]
It does? That has to be frustrating. ... Um. O - okay, I see your point. [ ACCEPTING IT. if she doesn't mind, who is hiyori to change that? everyone needs a little familiar in their lives when so much has changed. ]
Calling me a writer is too ambitious for the little notes and stickers I put in my notebook. [ bashful, she toys with the ends of her hair.
archer is ambitious as heck, too but she's DETERMINED to make her late grandmother proud. that mirror ereshkigal gave her for Christmas will come in very handy on their trip to Kagoshima. slowly, she closes the cabinet door she was searching. ]
... What? [ it wasn't so serious but now? that's a concerning thing to SAY. ] I was - it's a bit too late for that, actually. I've tried to put myself in your shoes a lot of times.
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But Hiyori is totally hard, it's.... Very hard without her special someone. Sniff. It's okay, someday surely. Probably. Maybe.
Pretending it'll happen helps.]Ehehe, it sounds super cute when you word it like that.
[ She would be curious to see what her journal is like, but she won't ask. She knows she'd be so embarrassed if someone read her clay tablets!
She sighs and sits down on a chair in defeat. No key. Hiyori's answer though is more than surprising. ]
Y-You have? But why?
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it'll happen!!! it happened for yato it can for SURE happen for ereshkigal!?
another embarrassed twirl of her hair and shy smile. m-maybe it is cute? she thinks ereshkigal documenting her life in clay tablets is pretty cute, too. they're similar in ways she didn't expect but it makes sense. she works pretty hard, too. gets really into whatever hobbies or habits she picks up. ]
Hmm. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes is just something humans do sometimes when they care about someone.
I wanted to try to understand you a bit better.
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You did...
[ She's not sure why this is so surprising. It's not that novel of a concept. She looks down for a moment... ]
It's a weird feeling. I guess... People never tried to understand me before. [A pause.] Death is evil. That's what mankind and even gods has always thought. [She smiles at her.] T-Thank you.
[ It-It may definitely sound silly to say thank you for something like that, but it's a really big deal to her! ]
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Death isn't evil.
[ with a complicated smile on her face as she says it, thinking of patients and families. thinking of every single person who might've lost someone. ]
It's true that it's a harsh lesson to learn, but... it's a part of life. I think it's more like nobody enjoys saying goodbye. I wouldn't. I don't...
[ ereshkigal might not be human but she has feelings and thoughts, too. like any other person. she rules one of the most difficult to accept facts about living. ]
But, I don't know... after meeting you and hearing how much you care about the souls that come to your Underworld, I feel... a bit better. They're in a good place. It's bittersweet.
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The urge to go and hug her is there, but she'll resist! That'd be unsightly right now. ]
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[ She shakes her head. Perhaps she wouldn't be branded as a "chaotic evil" being. Perhaps her job would be less overwhelming as the souls would find peace more easily. ]
Death is always sad. But also necessary. [Okay nearly always. Nobody's sad when the one dying is the evil emperor in a fantasy story.] W-Well, I still would rather people live long and happy lives. [A pause.] That's why you're not allowed to die until you're a great-grandmother!
[ No dying early under her watch! ]
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it'd be crazy to hear that ereshkigal is a CHAOTIC EVIL being. chaotic, maybe? not evil. not at all.
it's necessary. it's unfair. it's sad. no matter how much someone tries to smile through it. maybe SOMEONE is sad when the evil emperorer is dying?? depends on the character arc. ]
Pfft - I've heard that before. [ a beat from hiyori as she considers. ereshkigal knows about her half-dying. ]
... A little late, though. I did die, but I was brought back to life...
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