[ Guh, will she finally be allowed to sleep? Not that she was sleeping, how could she after what's happened? Ugh. She sighs and screams one last time in her pillow before forcing herself up.
Lo! The goddess of death opens the door... Wearing a red pajama with a yellow sheep motif. ]
... Are Godzilla and Ratio being nitwits again?
[ Ereshkigal looks very tired and her eyes are redder than usual. She's going to scream with no pillow involved if she has to deal with them again. ]
( in the sense that the constant flow of messages in their network had come to a stop.
... hmm. her nightwear get-up is actually pretty cute, but he isn't here for that. izou holds out the little violet that's starting to crumple in his grip. )
I'm here about the flower stuff. The ones you keep havin' delivered to me, where I asked them to be in the evening for the time being. Anyhow. ... I keep forgettin' about it given the odd hours, so you might as well put a stop to it until they've got a cure and shit goes back to normal. Otherwise they're just gonna sit there neglected.
[ Well that's a relief. She's not sure how she would have reacted if he'd come because of those two idiots. What's not a relief is the crumpling flower in his hand. Now that's a sad sight! How complicated is watering them once a day and getting them some sunlight?
... Right, he's a vampire. ]
I suppose they can't get any sunlight while you're in that state.
[ Godzilla going insane. Ratio's mouth inability to stay closed. Izou's inattention to flowers. Silco existing. Yato selling kisses. Tezcatlipoca somehow not being the worst person any more.
That's so depressing. Their group has really been on a downward trend since Seoul, huh? She should go back and cry in her pillow, that's the best use of her time under those circumstances really. ]
... Did you really come here in the dead of the night just to tell me that?
( said a little sheepishly, like. he can tell she isn't impressed.
but also, it's been a bit disheartening in general to be awake when most he was close to were not. simply put, izou is lonely. not that he'd ever admit it. )
What, I interrupt something? You got those red circles under your eyes.
[ Maybe not at 4 am? Normally Ereshkigal might just be able to see he's come because of loneliness, but she's too emotionally compromised for that.
And then he's pointing the red circles under her eyes. W-Why can't he pretend she's looking totally normal? Where is her pillow for her to scream into? It's not here. That means Izou gets the emotional goddess to scream right where she stands because there is only so much she can keep contained inside of her. ]
W-Well if you want to know, I was crying into a pillow because this place is full of idiots who are unable to control themselves and I'm tired of it all!!
so, what. she's not going to take the flower from him? not that he can blame her for being upset or anything, given half their group was still recovering from their last excursion overseas. )
Well, why're you the one doin' all that mediating? I saw some stuff. Y'know, up in here.
( he taps the side of his head. )
LILITH should be the one handlin' all that, just like the way they shocked me when I tried to get the jump on that Crypter's pet.
[ She goes back inside her room. Still not taking the flower from him. What, does he think she has some magical power capable of fixing wilted flowers? ]
Because Aventurine called me. [Unfortunately.] And LILITH did... When he tried killing me.
[ That's weird, she's attacked Silco before but LILITH never shocked her... Maybe because her intent wasn't murderous and she truly believes Silco to be a threat to their cause. ]
C-Close the door behind you!
[ He expects her to come in, apparently. Should he do so, her room is - predictably - filled with a lot of flowers. Her bed is undone, as she'd been trying to sleep and cry in there mere moments ago. There are a lot of plushies on it. The biggest one is of a bespectacled duck wearing a top hat... How curious.
On her nightstand, there is a particular plushie that may look vaguely somewhat familiar to any Chaldean. Should he take a closer look, Izou may come to the realization it's entirely made from bits and pieces taken from other plushies she put together to try and replicate the look of a a certain someone. The plush holds a little sign that reads "DON'T GIVE UP ♥"
he is so, so absolutely judging. judging, but only giving the doll a particularly stiff glance as he takes a heavy step inside and shuts the door with little ceremony behind him. it brings to mind that certain someone for him too in a... different way, a hard knot in the pit of his stomach stirring, as if it wants to pressure him into adding the sight of his master's plush form onto his already tangible loneliness.
but his gaze flits away just in time. it's almost been a year now.
... whatever. she's got plenty of other servants to keep her safe. anyway. this room is girly as hell, but it's nothing compared to the inside of march's, so. he'll live. )
Called you out just to attack you? Don't they know you're a bonafide goddess 'a death and all that?
[ It's true. The power levels of March's room are off the chart. It would take her a thousand years if she were to try and match March's room, and even then, she would fail. But that's okay, she's happy enough with what she has. ]
I meant Godzilla attacked me.
[ So much for the two of them being friend... She sits on the edge of her bed and grabs the nearest blanket, wrapping it around her. She's not crying! Even if she really wants to right now.
There's a chair next to a really big and old mirror (the Mirror from the Underworld is the one thing she has from home), he can sit there. Or he can try to move the big Scrooge plush to sit on the bed. ]
H-He's made it clear he wants those children dead. And all humans, for that matter... [Stupid! What's gotten into him?] I'm starting to wonder if he may just be as dangerous as Tezcatlipoca and Set...
( izou is absolutely Not sitting on her bed. no way.
they haven't reached that level of... friendship, and might never given his high-rank awkwardness and partiality when it comes to sticking to his old ways, but being here at the moment is something at least.
... he wonders if it's cool to toss the violet he's been holding in the trash, but. maybe not in front of ereshkigal. and not while she's so riled up. he'll grip the top of the chair and angle it more towards here when plopping down for discussion, a leg crossed up over his knee. )
Well. This ain't the first time we've been up against a calamity of humanity, yeah? If worst comes to worst, I bet LILITH will just order us to off him. Set and Tezcatlipoca included, if they end up turnin' against us. Though...
( a lick of the lip. )
I get what you mean by them bein' dangerous, but something feels off. Like, Set... made it sound like I'm doin' some good. So he can't be all that bad.
[ ... T-That's it? Someone gives him a compliment and Izou thinks they're a good person? H-He's like a puppy who loves you so long as you give him a treat!! Sure she loves compliments too, but not so much that she'll lower her guard just because someone's praised her! ]
Set is... Strange. [Honestly she thinks he's the least likely of the three to become a threat... It's best not to focus too much on him with Izou.] Tezcatlipoca is the real threat.
[ Even though she has a newfound appreciation for him, she can't forget that he's involved with that "Daybit" guy and the Lostbelts. If he has his way, her precious little grape will die. Her gaze turns to the Ritsuka plush for a moment... Before turning back to Izou. ]
... B-But I have a plan to deal with him, should it come to that.
[ She looks at Izou intently. She should share it with him, she thinks. So long as Tezca doesn't give Izou headpats and call him a good boy, that should be safe. ]
[ ... She hesitates for a moment, but ere long she gets up and kneels by her bed, picking something from under it. She then hands it over to Izou before going back to her nest on the bed.
If he reads it, it details her plan to kill Tezca and Silco. As far Silco is concerned, he's just human so that's easy. For Tezcatlipoca it's more complicated. The first step is to contaminate him with a disease to weaken his human body. Either from her authority over disease, either from one of those laboratory they have. The second step involves using Quetzalcoatl and sun-related things to further weaken him before engaging in battle as they're - she thinks - his conceptual weakness. There's her own authority over the sun, otherwise she recommends at least fighting him in daylight and bringing Quetzalcoatl imagery. ]
Please eat the tablet after you're done memorizing by heart what's written on it.
[ She would rather nobody else read this scheme of her. ]
is way more intricate than he expected it to be, izou squinting as he pours over the contents as best he can. quetzalcoatl? that crazy goddess who could carry someone 'round their waist and toss them over backwards? the seventh singularity was one of the few he didn't attend, and so he's only heard stories, but— )
... Wait a sec. Why the hell's that Silco guy on here? Guy's got a lust for power and all, I can tell, but. Who doesn't wanna be strong?
( he turns the tablet 'round trying to scroll for more details on that point. )
[ There is a long moment of silence after Izou asks this question. ]
... He has killed Quetzalcoatl.
[ Upon finally breaking the silence, Ereshkigal sounds colder and more serious than she ever has before. ]
Upon hearing of my friendship with her, he decided to contact me to gloat about it. [It takes a particular kind of man to kill a goddess and then brag about it to her friends. A suicidal and dangerous kind of man.] And so he will die the moment he becomes a threat to our mission.
[ She doesn't consider herself to be a particularly vengeful goddess. But that doesn't mean she's going to overlook his crimes and his (successful) attempt at getting under her skin. She tolerates his presence because he serves a purpose in their quest to help this world. The moment he no longer serves this purpose, his life is forfeit. ]
( a conflicted something twists in izou's chest. maybe... maybe he had just been bluffing in the presence of a goddess. not that izou got bragging about an achievement that didn't rightfully belong to him—had he slain a god, he would've crowed about it 'till the sun came down. and that's where it really sinks in, that an asshole like silco had to be telling the truth.
izou's shoulders sag slightly, but not for quetzacoatl. )
... Whoever he killed in the past, or in whatever timeline, don't matter much now... and especially not to me. But I get it. You're out for blood 'cause it's like kin, yeah?
( izou taps the side of the tablet, knowing this won't be what she wants to hear. )
If we start executin' everyone for their past deeds, then I'm gonna be on the chopping block eventually, too. For all I know, some family out here's the ancestor of someone I hunted down. So. I'm not gonna worry about all that. I don't regret a bit of it, and I bet he don't either.
[ ... Is he trying to take his defense? Maybe not outwardly, but he's clearly calling for her to let bygones be bygones. ]
Had it remained in the past, I might agree. But he unearthed it to bring it to me and see how I would react.
[ What a loathsome little man. If whoever he killed in the past doesn't matter, then why bring it up? Why try to get a rise out of her? ]
I do not believe you would gloat to me about having killed a friend of mine, Izou. Nor would you antagonize me whenever you encounter me to see how far you can get before I retaliate. [Both things he's done, thank you very much.] He declared himself to be Tezcatlipoca's acolyte. Together with the murder of Quetzalcoatl - Tezcatlipoca's detested sister and an ally of Chaldea - what do you suppose he would do should LILITH's implants ever fail? Should he encounter Fujimaru?
[ If Izou is going to play devil's advocate, then she shall confront him with the reality of what he is defending. ]
( bringing up his master like that. he's visibly affected, brow furrowing and lips forming a thin line.
when she puts it like that... he,
he can't exactly say she's wrong, and everyone knew the enemy of your ally was your enemy. but he's seen the fragility of this silco guy. witnessed his fragile knife technique and the way those wolves had torn him open like a can. could a guy like that really be such a threat? a sort of wrench being thrown into that gears that make humanity turn, let alone endanger folks on another plane somewhere in chaldea?
but then she mentions tezcatlipoca again. )
A... Acolyte? The hell's that mean? Y'mean he's like, ... a follower?
[ Finally the gravity of the situation got to him. Obviously, Silco looks like nothing much. But they both know humans who are seemingly meaningless are those capable of accomplishing the greatest miracles...
... Or the greatest disasters. ]
I believe so.
[ The irony that one who claims to loathe gods so much would crawl at the feet of another. ]
I do not expect you to antagonize and hate him. [It'd be nice if he did, she's not sure how he doesn't.] But remember he is not and will never be a friend.
[ He's an enemy and he will have to be killed someday. Of this, she has no doubt. That is until Ritsuka somehow summons him as a Servant, even if he's just a human that wouldn't be the first time Ritsuka summons people who aren't meant to be Servants... But she prefers not to think about that. ]
( as if izou had many friends to begin with. but she's made her point.
honesty for an apology, then. )
I'll keep an eye on him at least. We sorta run into each other... occasionally.
( in odd places and odder situations, silco's advice scraping at the inside of his skull like a knife.
izou scratches the scruff on his chin. )
Tezcatlipoca, though. He just does whatever the hell he wants. It goes without sayin' that I'm geared to contest him depending, but. I can't read a single thing about him. One minute he's tauntin' me about a future I don't know, and the next he's buddying up to me to have a smoke. Then again... I figure that's how gods are 'sposed to act. Y'know. Fickle.
[ She goes back to her normal self as the topic shifts to Tezcatlipoca, and sighs. Yes, that sounds just like him alright. Even if she appreciates him just a bit more than before, she can't deny the way he goes from being friendly (sweet??) to insufferable and obnoxious is downright infuriating. ]
I know what you're talking about... This is infuriating.
[ N-Not all gods are like that though! Look at her! And forget mere seconds prior, she was super strict and cold about him having to eventually murder his friend Silco. ]
[ How vile! Doesn't Izou know smoking is addictive and poisonous? Is that a ploy by Tezcatlipoca to weaken the enemy?! H-He tried this with her already, what an absolute villain!! ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Lo! The goddess of death opens the door... Wearing a red pajama with a yellow sheep motif. ]
... Are Godzilla and Ratio being nitwits again?
[ Ereshkigal looks very tired and her eyes are redder than usual. She's going to scream with no pillow involved if she has to deal with them again. ]
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( in the sense that the constant flow of messages in their network had come to a stop.
... hmm. her nightwear get-up is actually pretty cute, but he isn't here for that. izou holds out the little violet that's starting to crumple in his grip. )
I'm here about the flower stuff. The ones you keep havin' delivered to me, where I asked them to be in the evening for the time being. Anyhow. ... I keep forgettin' about it given the odd hours, so you might as well put a stop to it until they've got a cure and shit goes back to normal. Otherwise they're just gonna sit there neglected.
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... Right, he's a vampire. ]
I suppose they can't get any sunlight while you're in that state.
[ Godzilla going insane. Ratio's mouth inability to stay closed. Izou's inattention to flowers. Silco existing. Yato selling kisses. Tezcatlipoca somehow not being the worst person any more.
That's so depressing. Their group has really been on a downward trend since Seoul, huh? She should go back and cry in her pillow, that's the best use of her time under those circumstances really. ]
... Did you really come here in the dead of the night just to tell me that?
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( said a little sheepishly, like. he can tell she isn't impressed.
but also, it's been a bit disheartening in general to be awake when most he was close to were not. simply put, izou is lonely. not that he'd ever admit it. )
What, I interrupt something? You got those red circles under your eyes.
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And then he's pointing the red circles under her eyes. W-Why can't he pretend she's looking totally normal? Where is her pillow for her to scream into? It's not here. That means Izou gets the emotional goddess to scream right where she stands because there is only so much she can keep contained inside of her. ]
W-Well if you want to know, I was crying into a pillow because this place is full of idiots who are unable to control themselves and I'm tired of it all!!
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so, what. she's not going to take the flower from him? not that he can blame her for being upset or anything, given half their group was still recovering from their last excursion overseas. )
Well, why're you the one doin' all that mediating? I saw some stuff. Y'know, up in here.
( he taps the side of his head. )
LILITH should be the one handlin' all that, just like the way they shocked me when I tried to get the jump on that Crypter's pet.
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Because Aventurine called me. [Unfortunately.] And LILITH did... When he tried killing me.
[ That's weird, she's attacked Silco before but LILITH never shocked her... Maybe because her intent wasn't murderous and she truly believes Silco to be a threat to their cause. ]
C-Close the door behind you!
[ He expects her to come in, apparently. Should he do so, her room is - predictably - filled with a lot of flowers. Her bed is undone, as she'd been trying to sleep and cry in there mere moments ago. There are a lot of plushies on it. The biggest one is of a bespectacled duck wearing a top hat... How curious.
On her nightstand, there is a particular plushie that may look vaguely somewhat familiar to any Chaldean. Should he take a closer look, Izou may come to the realization it's entirely made from bits and pieces taken from other plushies she put together to try and replicate the look of a a certain someone. The plush holds a little sign that reads "DON'T GIVE UP ♥"
... Please don't judge her. ]
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he is so, so absolutely judging. judging, but only giving the doll a particularly stiff glance as he takes a heavy step inside and shuts the door with little ceremony behind him. it brings to mind that certain someone for him too in a... different way, a hard knot in the pit of his stomach stirring, as if it wants to pressure him into adding the sight of his master's plush form onto his already tangible loneliness.
but his gaze flits away just in time. it's almost been a year now.
... whatever. she's got plenty of other servants to keep her safe. anyway. this room is girly as hell, but it's nothing compared to the inside of march's, so. he'll live. )
Called you out just to attack you? Don't they know you're a bonafide goddess 'a death and all that?
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I meant Godzilla attacked me.
[ So much for the two of them being friend... She sits on the edge of her bed and grabs the nearest blanket, wrapping it around her. She's not crying! Even if she really wants to right now.
There's a chair next to a really big and old mirror (the Mirror from the Underworld is the one thing she has from home), he can sit there. Or he can try to move the big Scrooge plush to sit on the bed. ]
H-He's made it clear he wants those children dead. And all humans, for that matter... [Stupid! What's gotten into him?] I'm starting to wonder if he may just be as dangerous as Tezcatlipoca and Set...
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they haven't reached that level of... friendship, and might never given his high-rank awkwardness and partiality when it comes to sticking to his old ways, but being here at the moment is something at least.
... he wonders if it's cool to toss the violet he's been holding in the trash, but. maybe not in front of ereshkigal. and not while she's so riled up. he'll grip the top of the chair and angle it more towards here when plopping down for discussion, a leg crossed up over his knee. )
Well. This ain't the first time we've been up against a calamity of humanity, yeah? If worst comes to worst, I bet LILITH will just order us to off him. Set and Tezcatlipoca included, if they end up turnin' against us. Though...
( a lick of the lip. )
I get what you mean by them bein' dangerous, but something feels off. Like, Set... made it sound like I'm doin' some good. So he can't be all that bad.
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Set is... Strange. [Honestly she thinks he's the least likely of the three to become a threat... It's best not to focus too much on him with Izou.] Tezcatlipoca is the real threat.
[ Even though she has a newfound appreciation for him, she can't forget that he's involved with that "Daybit" guy and the Lostbelts. If he has his way, her precious little grape will die. Her gaze turns to the Ritsuka plush for a moment... Before turning back to Izou. ]
... B-But I have a plan to deal with him, should it come to that.
[ She looks at Izou intently. She should share it with him, she thinks. So long as Tezca doesn't give Izou headpats and call him a good boy, that should be safe. ]
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( he exhales through his nose, arms folded across his chest. )
So. What's this plan 'a yours? It involved something that isn't just trying to lop his head off?
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If he reads it, it details her plan to kill Tezca and Silco. As far Silco is concerned, he's just human so that's easy. For Tezcatlipoca it's more complicated. The first step is to contaminate him with a disease to weaken his human body. Either from her authority over disease, either from one of those laboratory they have. The second step involves using Quetzalcoatl and sun-related things to further weaken him before engaging in battle as they're - she thinks - his conceptual weakness. There's her own authority over the sun, otherwise she recommends at least fighting him in daylight and bringing Quetzalcoatl imagery. ]
Please eat the tablet after you're done memorizing by heart what's written on it.
[ She would rather nobody else read this scheme of her. ]
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is way more intricate than he expected it to be, izou squinting as he pours over the contents as best he can. quetzalcoatl? that crazy goddess who could carry someone 'round their waist and toss them over backwards? the seventh singularity was one of the few he didn't attend, and so he's only heard stories, but— )
... Wait a sec. Why the hell's that Silco guy on here? Guy's got a lust for power and all, I can tell, but. Who doesn't wanna be strong?
( he turns the tablet 'round trying to scroll for more details on that point. )
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... He has killed Quetzalcoatl.
[ Upon finally breaking the silence, Ereshkigal sounds colder and more serious than she ever has before. ]
Upon hearing of my friendship with her, he decided to contact me to gloat about it. [It takes a particular kind of man to kill a goddess and then brag about it to her friends. A suicidal and dangerous kind of man.] And so he will die the moment he becomes a threat to our mission.
[ She doesn't consider herself to be a particularly vengeful goddess. But that doesn't mean she's going to overlook his crimes and his (successful) attempt at getting under her skin. She tolerates his presence because he serves a purpose in their quest to help this world. The moment he no longer serves this purpose, his life is forfeit. ]
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( a conflicted something twists in izou's chest. maybe... maybe he had just been bluffing in the presence of a goddess. not that izou got bragging about an achievement that didn't rightfully belong to him—had he slain a god, he would've crowed about it 'till the sun came down. and that's where it really sinks in, that an asshole like silco had to be telling the truth.
izou's shoulders sag slightly, but not for quetzacoatl. )
... Whoever he killed in the past, or in whatever timeline, don't matter much now... and especially not to me. But I get it. You're out for blood 'cause it's like kin, yeah?
( izou taps the side of the tablet, knowing this won't be what she wants to hear. )
If we start executin' everyone for their past deeds, then I'm gonna be on the chopping block eventually, too. For all I know, some family out here's the ancestor of someone I hunted down. So. I'm not gonna worry about all that. I don't regret a bit of it, and I bet he don't either.
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Had it remained in the past, I might agree. But he unearthed it to bring it to me and see how I would react.
[ What a loathsome little man. If whoever he killed in the past doesn't matter, then why bring it up? Why try to get a rise out of her? ]
I do not believe you would gloat to me about having killed a friend of mine, Izou. Nor would you antagonize me whenever you encounter me to see how far you can get before I retaliate. [Both things he's done, thank you very much.] He declared himself to be Tezcatlipoca's acolyte. Together with the murder of Quetzalcoatl - Tezcatlipoca's detested sister and an ally of Chaldea - what do you suppose he would do should LILITH's implants ever fail? Should he encounter Fujimaru?
[ If Izou is going to play devil's advocate, then she shall confront him with the reality of what he is defending. ]
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( bringing up his master like that. he's visibly affected, brow furrowing and lips forming a thin line.
when she puts it like that... he,
he can't exactly say she's wrong, and everyone knew the enemy of your ally was your enemy. but he's seen the fragility of this silco guy. witnessed his fragile knife technique and the way those wolves had torn him open like a can. could a guy like that really be such a threat? a sort of wrench being thrown into that gears that make humanity turn, let alone endanger folks on another plane somewhere in chaldea?
but then she mentions tezcatlipoca again. )
A... Acolyte? The hell's that mean? Y'mean he's like, ... a follower?
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... Or the greatest disasters. ]
I believe so.
[ The irony that one who claims to loathe gods so much would crawl at the feet of another. ]
I do not expect you to antagonize and hate him. [It'd be nice if he did, she's not sure how he doesn't.] But remember he is not and will never be a friend.
[ He's an enemy and he will have to be killed someday. Of this, she has no doubt. That is until Ritsuka somehow summons him as a Servant, even if he's just a human that wouldn't be the first time Ritsuka summons people who aren't meant to be Servants... But she prefers not to think about that. ]
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honesty for an apology, then. )
I'll keep an eye on him at least. We sorta run into each other... occasionally.
( in odd places and odder situations, silco's advice scraping at the inside of his skull like a knife.
izou scratches the scruff on his chin. )
Tezcatlipoca, though. He just does whatever the hell he wants. It goes without sayin' that I'm geared to contest him depending, but. I can't read a single thing about him. One minute he's tauntin' me about a future I don't know, and the next he's buddying up to me to have a smoke. Then again... I figure that's how gods are 'sposed to act. Y'know. Fickle.
( not to say anything about ereshkigal BUT. )
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I know what you're talking about... This is infuriating.
[ N-Not all gods are like that though! Look at her! And forget mere seconds prior, she was super strict and cold about him having to eventually murder his friend Silco. ]
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H-He got you smoking?!?
[ How vile! Doesn't Izou know smoking is addictive and poisonous? Is that a ploy by Tezcatlipoca to weaken the enemy?! H-He tried this with her already, what an absolute villain!! ]
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It's an addictive poison...! Now that you have a human body, you can't just do anything you want.
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( the hell? what's she jumping him for? wasn't this a strategy meeting or whatever?
there's a deep crease of his brow. )
Which, by the way, I'm not gonna eat. Just delete this crap.
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