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I spoke to the mouse.
[ It's clear more is incoming, though she needs a while to give the words (thought) voice. ]
... Back at the tree, I planned on leaving before she saw me. I figured it'd be better for both of us. [ She knows Gray would feel differently, but she also thinks Gray is a fool. ] You're the reason things didn't go to plan, but you also helped her make it out okay. So... thanks, or whatever.
[ It's clear more is incoming, though she needs a while to give the words (thought) voice. ]
... Back at the tree, I planned on leaving before she saw me. I figured it'd be better for both of us. [ She knows Gray would feel differently, but she also thinks Gray is a fool. ] You're the reason things didn't go to plan, but you also helped her make it out okay. So... thanks, or whatever.
[ Mordred... Moedred... This is not helping you beat the cute allegations (only Quetz thinks this) ]
Oh! It's no problem at all! Gray is a very sweet señorita so far as I can tell, so I was happy to do it!
[ But of course, Quetzalcoatl thinks it's very sweet that Mordred would go through the trouble of thanking her. It's polite, of course, which is more important to her than she lets on, but it speaks to a care for Gray that she can appreciate too. Plus, now knowing the smallest amount about their (semi) blood relation, it's even nicer! ]
Can I ask, though? Why did you want to leave before she saw you?
Oh! It's no problem at all! Gray is a very sweet señorita so far as I can tell, so I was happy to do it!
[ But of course, Quetzalcoatl thinks it's very sweet that Mordred would go through the trouble of thanking her. It's polite, of course, which is more important to her than she lets on, but it speaks to a care for Gray that she can appreciate too. Plus, now knowing the smallest amount about their (semi) blood relation, it's even nicer! ]
Can I ask, though? Why did you want to leave before she saw you?
[ Quetz's fanon Mordred is such an improvement over the real thing... wish we could trade.
It's frustrating that Quetzalcoatl is so Quetzalcoatl, and won't just let her say thanks and dip, but even though she meets the other woman's sunny positivity with her own wave of dour negativity, she's not quite rude enough to leave her on read. The explanation comes slowly, reluctantly, through the communion-equivalent of gritted teeth. Mordred isn't sure why she feels this way; only that she does, and that it really, really, sucks. ]
I wasn't there when she died, so I didn't have the right to face her. I even held on to her Shard for a while, 'cause I was worried the same shit might happen again, and I wouldn't be able to stop it... but that wasn't fair to her either.
[ "I couldn't protect her and I feel bad about it," but the emotionally stunted version. She sighs. ]
It's all so freakin' stupid. Of course people are gonna die in a war. Hell, I lost count of how many I killed when I was alive. I don't get why it feels different this time.
It's frustrating that Quetzalcoatl is so Quetzalcoatl, and won't just let her say thanks and dip, but even though she meets the other woman's sunny positivity with her own wave of dour negativity, she's not quite rude enough to leave her on read. The explanation comes slowly, reluctantly, through the communion-equivalent of gritted teeth. Mordred isn't sure why she feels this way; only that she does, and that it really, really, sucks. ]
I wasn't there when she died, so I didn't have the right to face her. I even held on to her Shard for a while, 'cause I was worried the same shit might happen again, and I wouldn't be able to stop it... but that wasn't fair to her either.
[ "I couldn't protect her and I feel bad about it," but the emotionally stunted version. She sighs. ]
It's all so freakin' stupid. Of course people are gonna die in a war. Hell, I lost count of how many I killed when I was alive. I don't get why it feels different this time.
[ Luckily, Quetzalcoatl is wise enough to read between the lines. There’s a warm bit of fondness that comes through, since she understands it. She had failed to protect someone herself when she’d been killed and even if it was just a random person, it sits with her. After all, they weren’t a Shard-Bearer, so that was it. But she won’t get into that, nor outwardly comment on Mordred’s explanation. There’s just understanding and acceptance of the answer. ]
Well, it is different, I think! People don’t usually get the chance to come back, for one. It’s what makes this war… Hm, more complicated, I guess? Since I think you understand. If it were normal warfare on a battlefield, then we could cut each other down without knowing our enemy. I couldn’t even begin to guess how many people I’ve killed either, after all.
[ What a bloody camaraderie. Granted, she’s very serious because part of her kill count includes the worlds that she and her pantheon had wiped clean before beginning again… But even in fighting with a sword and shield, there was never any point in learning who she was fighting, really. So, she gets it. ]
We get a chance to know each other and care. So, it’s more complicated when they die. Not just for the dying itself, but the fact that they come back too.
Well, it is different, I think! People don’t usually get the chance to come back, for one. It’s what makes this war… Hm, more complicated, I guess? Since I think you understand. If it were normal warfare on a battlefield, then we could cut each other down without knowing our enemy. I couldn’t even begin to guess how many people I’ve killed either, after all.
[ What a bloody camaraderie. Granted, she’s very serious because part of her kill count includes the worlds that she and her pantheon had wiped clean before beginning again… But even in fighting with a sword and shield, there was never any point in learning who she was fighting, really. So, she gets it. ]
We get a chance to know each other and care. So, it’s more complicated when they die. Not just for the dying itself, but the fact that they come back too.
[ mordred... ]
...Even though you came to make sure she revived properly? Even if you didn't stay, that's pretty caring!
[ just absolutely called out but with all of the cheer as if this were a compliment? it's fine mordred dw about it, quetz knows the truth!! ]
...Even though you came to make sure she revived properly? Even if you didn't stay, that's pretty caring!
[ just absolutely called out but with all of the cheer as if this were a compliment? it's fine mordred dw about it, quetz knows the truth!! ]
[ See, Mordred denies it, but she doesn't actually know enough to argue. Nobody has ever cared about her, so it's only natural that she has no concept of what it feels like to care for someone else. To her, it sounds more like Quetz is calling her weak — which is why she continues to angrily ("angrily") protest. ]
Don't be a fool, sun god. We're not even allies, much less friends. How can I care about someone that I'm going to kill?
Don't be a fool, sun god. We're not even allies, much less friends. How can I care about someone that I'm going to kill?
[ Quetzalcoatl is absolutely the wrong person to ask about this, because her opinions of caring vs. killing are,
Uh, ]
Oh, I don’t know! I think it’s possible! There are a few Zenites that I like, but I’d also cut them down when it comes to it, you know? Since they’d revive, it’s a little different!
[ It might sound like a special case for Kenos, but… No, not really. If she had more of her divinity, she’d be liable to revive the people she slayed here too. It’s sometimes necessary to kill people for a larger goal, but it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t mourn those people, in her way. Also known as: Quetzalcoatl is an outlier and should not be counted for anything. ]
I don’t know if that’d be the case for Gray, of course… But I don’t think it’s that strange to care!
Uh, ]
Oh, I don’t know! I think it’s possible! There are a few Zenites that I like, but I’d also cut them down when it comes to it, you know? Since they’d revive, it’s a little different!
[ It might sound like a special case for Kenos, but… No, not really. If she had more of her divinity, she’d be liable to revive the people she slayed here too. It’s sometimes necessary to kill people for a larger goal, but it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t mourn those people, in her way. Also known as: Quetzalcoatl is an outlier and should not be counted for anything. ]
I don’t know if that’d be the case for Gray, of course… But I don’t think it’s that strange to care!
[It takes some time for Liem to arrive at the Tree.
He does not know of it immediately when Set passes, as their bond does not connect them in any way beyond the usual; a bond of companionship, sealed by word and deed alone, strengthened by the time they spend in one another’s company. Though he goes days without speaking to the god, it is only when Hayame contacts him to ask after Set that he realizes… he has not seen him in longer than he would normally expect.
(His thirst confirms for him that this is the case. It has been some time since he last supped from the god’s veins.)
So Liem goes looking. At his shrine in the Beyond, where they had shared intimate moments in days past, and where he thinks the thread of communion between them might spark loudest. At his home in Springstar — a place that he had never before visited, and had to be told even existed. He seeks him with his body and his soul, but the god of the desert is nowhere to be found.
And so, in resignation, he eventually finds himself here: at the Tree of Life, wandering its roots in hopeful trepidation of one familiar sight. Guided unerringly by the pull of magic leading him onwards, he searches for the swelling pod of a planted shard, nestled amidst the moss and dirt at the Tree’s roots.]
He does not know of it immediately when Set passes, as their bond does not connect them in any way beyond the usual; a bond of companionship, sealed by word and deed alone, strengthened by the time they spend in one another’s company. Though he goes days without speaking to the god, it is only when Hayame contacts him to ask after Set that he realizes… he has not seen him in longer than he would normally expect.
(His thirst confirms for him that this is the case. It has been some time since he last supped from the god’s veins.)
So Liem goes looking. At his shrine in the Beyond, where they had shared intimate moments in days past, and where he thinks the thread of communion between them might spark loudest. At his home in Springstar — a place that he had never before visited, and had to be told even existed. He seeks him with his body and his soul, but the god of the desert is nowhere to be found.
And so, in resignation, he eventually finds himself here: at the Tree of Life, wandering its roots in hopeful trepidation of one familiar sight. Guided unerringly by the pull of magic leading him onwards, he searches for the swelling pod of a planted shard, nestled amidst the moss and dirt at the Tree’s roots.]
[ She doesn’t actually know that this cocoon is Set’s. It really only amounts to wishful thinking.
While Quetzalcoatl was a friendly, loving presence for (nearly) every Shard-Bearer, there were definitely a handful that she favored just a bit more. The reasons varied, since sometimes it was just a moment of gentle understanding that made her worry for them or maybe they were like Liem and devout enough to gods that she felt a little more responsibility. But they definitely received a bit more biased treatment, though it was through soft gestures. A little gift here, an invite to spend time with her there, but the important part was that she stayed in contact with these people more than others.
It's how she’d realized that Voryn was no longer here. She’d tried to reach out through Communion to excitedly tell him about these bells she’d found and say that she wanted to hear the music they had talked about, it he could play it. Yet it wasn’t just that there was no response. It was a message that just echoed out into nothing. Once she’d confirmed it with Cetina… Well, there was an ache, of course. She’s very human for a god, and that means she’s not free from the sorrow of losing a friend.
So, when she’d tried to reach out to Set a few days later, her reflexive response was almost panic. It’s a sharp pang where she’s immediately worried that he too is gone, but she realizes the difference as she tries to reach out again. It’s not a void, but it does feel… dark, in a way. She’s not sure what it means, but there’s only one thing she thought to do.
She’d wandered in the roots looking for—Well, she’s not completely sure what. She had a feeling that maybe she’d find a cocoon down here, since it’s not like she’s unfamiliar with dying here now. But she’d also worried, just a little bit, that she might find evidence that someone had pulled themselves out of the roots of the tree. But eventually, she only found the one cocoon.
And so, Quetzalcoatl has been down here for a while at this point. It’s boring, save for when she reaches out through Communion to find someone to chat with, but that’s okay. It feels like part of her promise to stand vigil here, and that’s all that really matters to her.
…Well. “Stand vigil”, as it turns out. By the time Liem makes his way down to find the cocoon as well, he’ll find Quetzalcoatl already there, but she’s leaned up against the cocoon with her blue cape wrapped around her tightly as a makeshift blanket. She’s sleeping while she waits, and Liem’s approach doesn’t immediately rouse her. ]
While Quetzalcoatl was a friendly, loving presence for (nearly) every Shard-Bearer, there were definitely a handful that she favored just a bit more. The reasons varied, since sometimes it was just a moment of gentle understanding that made her worry for them or maybe they were like Liem and devout enough to gods that she felt a little more responsibility. But they definitely received a bit more biased treatment, though it was through soft gestures. A little gift here, an invite to spend time with her there, but the important part was that she stayed in contact with these people more than others.
It's how she’d realized that Voryn was no longer here. She’d tried to reach out through Communion to excitedly tell him about these bells she’d found and say that she wanted to hear the music they had talked about, it he could play it. Yet it wasn’t just that there was no response. It was a message that just echoed out into nothing. Once she’d confirmed it with Cetina… Well, there was an ache, of course. She’s very human for a god, and that means she’s not free from the sorrow of losing a friend.
So, when she’d tried to reach out to Set a few days later, her reflexive response was almost panic. It’s a sharp pang where she’s immediately worried that he too is gone, but she realizes the difference as she tries to reach out again. It’s not a void, but it does feel… dark, in a way. She’s not sure what it means, but there’s only one thing she thought to do.
She’d wandered in the roots looking for—Well, she’s not completely sure what. She had a feeling that maybe she’d find a cocoon down here, since it’s not like she’s unfamiliar with dying here now. But she’d also worried, just a little bit, that she might find evidence that someone had pulled themselves out of the roots of the tree. But eventually, she only found the one cocoon.
And so, Quetzalcoatl has been down here for a while at this point. It’s boring, save for when she reaches out through Communion to find someone to chat with, but that’s okay. It feels like part of her promise to stand vigil here, and that’s all that really matters to her.
…Well. “Stand vigil”, as it turns out. By the time Liem makes his way down to find the cocoon as well, he’ll find Quetzalcoatl already there, but she’s leaned up against the cocoon with her blue cape wrapped around her tightly as a makeshift blanket. She’s sleeping while she waits, and Liem’s approach doesn’t immediately rouse her. ]
[Once he’s teleported to the Tree of Life, locating Set’s shard is a simple task. Following the tug of magic that manifests in answer to his spell, he descends to the tree’s base and traverses the roots until he finds the familiar shape of a growing cocoon — this time that of a friend, the pod immature and unbroken. The sight fills him with a melancholy sort of relief; though he doesn’t know how Set came to be dissipated, at least his shard is already safe in the Tree’s embrace, regenerating in its cocoon of greenery.
He is also relieved, and surprised, to catch sight of Quetzalcoatl leaning up against the rounded shape, apparently fast asleep.
Had she been the one to return his shard to the Tree? Would she be able to tell him what had happened to him? He is a little loath to disturb her, peaceful as she looks — but she must have been waiting here in solitude for some time to have fallen asleep like this, and he thinks perhaps she would welcome the company.]
Ma’am? Quetzalcoatl?
[He crosses the distance to Set’s cocoon and crouches next to it, regarding Quetzalcoatl soberly.]
How long have you been here?
He is also relieved, and surprised, to catch sight of Quetzalcoatl leaning up against the rounded shape, apparently fast asleep.
Had she been the one to return his shard to the Tree? Would she be able to tell him what had happened to him? He is a little loath to disturb her, peaceful as she looks — but she must have been waiting here in solitude for some time to have fallen asleep like this, and he thinks perhaps she would welcome the company.]
Ma’am? Quetzalcoatl?
[He crosses the distance to Set’s cocoon and crouches next to it, regarding Quetzalcoatl soberly.]
How long have you been here?
[ When Liem speaks, Quetzalcoatl is at least quick to stir. She doesn’t seem startled as she wakes up (her sense of danger is a little, uh, lacking), but she is quickly surprised as her gaze focuses as she rouses. ]
Oh— Liem?
[ She says his name lightly, but it’s also interrupted at the very end by a yawn. She probably could have kept sleeping down here for a long time, honestly. It may not be comfortable, but since sleep is an okay way to regenerate mana, she’s essentially always ready for a nap… She stretches a little after the yawn, and it comes with a thoughtful noise. ]
Mmm… I don’t know? A while! A few hours for certain, yes. [ She really hasn’t been keeping track at all, though it’s largely because it didn’t particularly matter to her. ] Ey, what are you doing down here, though?
Oh— Liem?
[ She says his name lightly, but it’s also interrupted at the very end by a yawn. She probably could have kept sleeping down here for a long time, honestly. It may not be comfortable, but since sleep is an okay way to regenerate mana, she’s essentially always ready for a nap… She stretches a little after the yawn, and it comes with a thoughtful noise. ]
Mmm… I don’t know? A while! A few hours for certain, yes. [ She really hasn’t been keeping track at all, though it’s largely because it didn’t particularly matter to her. ] Ey, what are you doing down here, though?
[Liem isn’t sure how he feels about Quetz’s lack of nervousness about napping in a place as publicly accessible as the Tree of Life. Sure, she is a goddess — but he recalls that she was one of the people in Meridian to get dissipated during the earlier portion of the Blight outbreak. And here she is next to Set’s cocoon, where his regenerating body is tucked snugly away. Clearly even the Divinities among Meridian’s number are not immune from danger, if the circumstances swing the right way.
Well. He’s no threat, so there isn’t any reason to get put out about it. He blinks, glances at the humped growth that she’s been leaning against.]
I came to find him.
[Set, he means. He assumes that she knows whose cocoon she was napping next to. Having found what he was looking for, Liem approaches until he can kneel down in the moss next to the pod, noting how thick and lush the greenery seems to be around it. There’s no sense at all of the person sleeping within; he hopes Set is having good dreams.]
Were you the one who planted him here?
Well. He’s no threat, so there isn’t any reason to get put out about it. He blinks, glances at the humped growth that she’s been leaning against.]
I came to find him.
[Set, he means. He assumes that she knows whose cocoon she was napping next to. Having found what he was looking for, Liem approaches until he can kneel down in the moss next to the pod, noting how thick and lush the greenery seems to be around it. There’s no sense at all of the person sleeping within; he hopes Set is having good dreams.]
Were you the one who planted him here?
[ Her surprise turns to a difficult expression as she looks to the cocoon, but she shakes her head. ]
No. I—
[ She pauses, since it’s not like Liem was clear who “him” was. Someone else that Liem knows could have died, so that would mean this one cocoon wasn’t Set. The thought gets her to sigh a little, and she places a hand against it. ]
Well, I don’t know who’s in here, to be honest. I was hoping it was Set.
[ She draws her hand away as she looks back to Liem, and though she’s smiling, there’s also an apology written into the expression. ]
I hope that’s who you came looking for too, sí?
No. I—
[ She pauses, since it’s not like Liem was clear who “him” was. Someone else that Liem knows could have died, so that would mean this one cocoon wasn’t Set. The thought gets her to sigh a little, and she places a hand against it. ]
Well, I don’t know who’s in here, to be honest. I was hoping it was Set.
[ She draws her hand away as she looks back to Liem, and though she’s smiling, there’s also an apology written into the expression. ]
I hope that’s who you came looking for too, sí?
[Liem's brows lift in surprise at her admission — then furrow ever so slightly, as he realizes what it means. If Quetzalcoatl didn't even know whose cocoon she was resting against, then she must be as lost as him on the matter of how exactly Set even came to be here.
And yet, she knew enough to be aware that he had vanished, and to come looking for him. It gives Liem a little comfort to find someone already here, watching over him, even though — once again — Set hadn't extended a request for such consideration.]
It is. And I've found him; his shard is here.
[He pats the curved side of the pod welling up from the ground, confidence mingling with melancholy in his tone. How had someone like Set managed to end up here, at a time when the blight was finally receding? Even though he expects Quetzalcoatl to be just as in the dark as he is, he can't help but ask anyway.]
Do you know what happened to him?
And yet, she knew enough to be aware that he had vanished, and to come looking for him. It gives Liem a little comfort to find someone already here, watching over him, even though — once again — Set hadn't extended a request for such consideration.]
It is. And I've found him; his shard is here.
[He pats the curved side of the pod welling up from the ground, confidence mingling with melancholy in his tone. How had someone like Set managed to end up here, at a time when the blight was finally receding? Even though he expects Quetzalcoatl to be just as in the dark as he is, he can't help but ask anyway.]
Do you know what happened to him?
[ She’s surprised again when Liem confirms so confidently that it’s Set’s Shard inside, but it’s a deep relief. Quetzalcoatl brings a hand to her chest in a gesture of it, and immediately, her eyes well up and spill over with tears. ]
Gracias a Dios... I’m so glad he is here. If this was just someone else…
[ Well, she would be crying anyways. So, even if she’s confused at how he ended up here, she’s still crying because she’s glad that he’s at least still here. It would feel especially tragic for Set to just be truly gone right after he had shared his heart with her. She can be a little happy to know that it wasn’t something as sad as that.
Quetzalcoatl doesn’t even reach up to wipe away the tears, seemingly having no embarrassment whatsoever at feeling and expressing such strong emotions. She just shakes her head. ]
No, I don’t. The last time I saw him was when we were doing a match at the Coliseum the other day! He even won. He was his usual self about it too! [ translation: insufferable ]
Gracias a Dios... I’m so glad he is here. If this was just someone else…
[ Well, she would be crying anyways. So, even if she’s confused at how he ended up here, she’s still crying because she’s glad that he’s at least still here. It would feel especially tragic for Set to just be truly gone right after he had shared his heart with her. She can be a little happy to know that it wasn’t something as sad as that.
Quetzalcoatl doesn’t even reach up to wipe away the tears, seemingly having no embarrassment whatsoever at feeling and expressing such strong emotions. She just shakes her head. ]
No, I don’t. The last time I saw him was when we were doing a match at the Coliseum the other day! He even won. He was his usual self about it too! [ translation: insufferable ]
[Despite Quetz’s decidedly emotive and admittedly tender-hearted personality, Liem is still a little taken aback to see that, when he confirms that it really is Set’s shard nestled inside this cocoon — tears well up in her eyes and she begins to cry. Had she been holding back those tears back all the time that she’d been waiting here, or had she been crying here, alone, before she’d fallen asleep next to the cocoon of this dissipated person that she’d hoped was Set?
But she doesn’t acknowledge it, so he pretends that he hasn’t noticed anything at all.]
I haven’t seen him in closer to a week, [he admits.
How often has Set been the one to seek him out with some bit of news, some question, some aggressive offer of aid? The only time recently that he’d sought Set out intentionally was at the end of the Mnemosyno Sending, when he’d gone to see the god preside over that final ritual of passing and had instead found him in the grip of something far more strange and upsetting.]
It was when I was still with Zenith. He has seemed a little strange of late, but still… I do not know how he could have ended up here.
But she doesn’t acknowledge it, so he pretends that he hasn’t noticed anything at all.]
I haven’t seen him in closer to a week, [he admits.
How often has Set been the one to seek him out with some bit of news, some question, some aggressive offer of aid? The only time recently that he’d sought Set out intentionally was at the end of the Mnemosyno Sending, when he’d gone to see the god preside over that final ritual of passing and had instead found him in the grip of something far more strange and upsetting.]
It was when I was still with Zenith. He has seemed a little strange of late, but still… I do not know how he could have ended up here.
[ She nods a little as she listens, and now a little more conscious of the tears, she leans her head down a little so that her poncho will reach up to wipe at her face. It’s not enough to avoid flashing him a little, but just like the tears themselves, this goes completely without acknowledgement… Yet again, Quetzalcoatl is here to dispel any illusions that all gods are like. Smart. ]
Mm, he was having a hard time recently, but that’s why I was worried about him! He does his tipo duro thing, but…
Mm, he was having a hard time recently, but that’s why I was worried about him! He does his tipo duro thing, but…
[ Then what Liem says catches up with her, and her teary smile quickly turns perplexed. Unsurprisingly… She has missed A Certain Memo. ]
¿Qué?
[ You can almost see the wheels turning in her head, because she’d probably seen Liem around Alenroux at the time, doing his usual Liem thing. She’d be even more confused if she’d knew he still turned in his report… to Cetina. ]
You were with Zenith?
¿Qué?
[ You can almost see the wheels turning in her head, because she’d probably seen Liem around Alenroux at the time, doing his usual Liem thing. She’d be even more confused if she’d knew he still turned in his report… to Cetina. ]
You were with Zenith?
[When Liem sees Quetz grasp the edge of her poncho and lift it to her face, his eyes dart hastily up to look somewhere north of her head — but he isn't quite quick enough with his realization to avoid catching an eyeful of divine tit. A faint, dusty-violet flush touches the delicate planes of his cheeks as he continues steadfastly to stare off into the Tree's depths, keeping his gaze there until the poncho has been dropped back in place.
Clearly, he was wrong to simply pretend nothing was the matter. Even as he returns his gaze to Quetz's puzzled face, pale fingers slide up to his breast pocket so he can retrieve his handkerchief and offer it wordlessly to her. Just in case of further tears.]
I was.
[He's a little surprised that this is news to her. Admittedly he hadn't been terribly public about it, and he'd continued to spend time in both Springstar and Alenroux, but Hayame, Claude, and Set had all known of his defection. He had thought that at least one of them might have made the knowledge more public.]
For a few weeks, at least. I was… forcibly recruited during the Oracle trial, and only returned some few days past.
Clearly, he was wrong to simply pretend nothing was the matter. Even as he returns his gaze to Quetz's puzzled face, pale fingers slide up to his breast pocket so he can retrieve his handkerchief and offer it wordlessly to her. Just in case of further tears.]
I was.
[He's a little surprised that this is news to her. Admittedly he hadn't been terribly public about it, and he'd continued to spend time in both Springstar and Alenroux, but Hayame, Claude, and Set had all known of his defection. He had thought that at least one of them might have made the knowledge more public.]
For a few weeks, at least. I was… forcibly recruited during the Oracle trial, and only returned some few days past.
[ Of course she misses his reaction at first, what with wiping away the tears, but when she looks up and sees the handkerchief offered… Well, first, she’s briefly confused, because no, really, she’s okay now! It’s just overwhelming to know that Set is indeed okay! But seeing the little flush on his cheeks a moment later— ]
Oh— Oh, Liem, you’re so sweet.
[ She laughs a little as she takes the square of fabric gratefully, and her comment is both at his blush and the fact that he offered. What a gentleman! She does at least use it to dab a little bit more at her face, but her expression quickly grows more serious as he explains. ]
Really? Forcibly? [ Considering the stress she puts on that word, the danger level for this mystery person may be rising… ] Ey, who did that?
Oh— Oh, Liem, you’re so sweet.
[ She laughs a little as she takes the square of fabric gratefully, and her comment is both at his blush and the fact that he offered. What a gentleman! She does at least use it to dab a little bit more at her face, but her expression quickly grows more serious as he explains. ]
Really? Forcibly? [ Considering the stress she puts on that word, the danger level for this mystery person may be rising… ] Ey, who did that?
[Liem allows himself to feel relief that Quetz accepts his offer of handkerchief, even if the immediate need for it has passed. Now that they have determined that this cocoon belongs to Set, it looks like both of them are intending to remain here for a while. Perhaps he can head off a second flashing incident this way, if she ends up tearing up again when Set actually emerges.
(He can’t remember the last time anyone called him “sweet.” Fortunately he’s already flustered enough from accidentally catching a glimpse of her chest that he doesn’t react visibly beyond a slight twitch of his mouth.)]
Well… Sebastian Michaelis made an attempt at it.
[He doesn’t hesitate to name the people involved; other Meris should know what they’re capable of, for good or for ill.
Bracing a hand against the pod’s side, he rearranges his legs below him so he can sit next to it, instead of kneeling. The thick moss provides a surprisingly comfortable cushion.]
I rebuffed him, but… I isolated myself more than I should have, during that period. John — not Mister Sims, but the other John — took it upon himself to, ah, convince me.
(He can’t remember the last time anyone called him “sweet.” Fortunately he’s already flustered enough from accidentally catching a glimpse of her chest that he doesn’t react visibly beyond a slight twitch of his mouth.)]
Well… Sebastian Michaelis made an attempt at it.
[He doesn’t hesitate to name the people involved; other Meris should know what they’re capable of, for good or for ill.
Bracing a hand against the pod’s side, he rearranges his legs below him so he can sit next to it, instead of kneeling. The thick moss provides a surprisingly comfortable cushion.]
I rebuffed him, but… I isolated myself more than I should have, during that period. John — not Mister Sims, but the other John — took it upon himself to, ah, convince me.
[ Sebastian who, ]
[ Quetzalcoatl frowns more deeply as Liem explains, clearly unhappy with this news. She knows of Sebastian thanks to the information Set had shared and thus his relation to Silco, most importantly. From that alone, she doesn’t exactly think well of him, so that opinion is only getting soured more. Little does she know that Silco is going for the the pvp angle…
But the eventual culprit does end up earning more of her ire. Like everyone else, she’d innately understood that they could “influence” others with the energy of Meridian or Zenith, but it wasn’t something she’d considered at all. It’s not surprising that others had done it, but it is… disappointing. She hopes for the best of people, and at times like now, she’s disappointed. ]
Mm… I hate to hear that, you know. Not because of you, of course, but I hate that people even decided to do that.
[ She frowns a little more as her expression sours in a way that’s uncharacteristic for her. She’s definitely considering doing… something about it. But what? That’s the part that’s hard when it comes to conflicts in Kenos. ]
Are you mad at him for it?
[ Quetzalcoatl frowns more deeply as Liem explains, clearly unhappy with this news. She knows of Sebastian thanks to the information Set had shared and thus his relation to Silco, most importantly. From that alone, she doesn’t exactly think well of him, so that opinion is only getting soured more. Little does she know that Silco is going for the the pvp angle…
But the eventual culprit does end up earning more of her ire. Like everyone else, she’d innately understood that they could “influence” others with the energy of Meridian or Zenith, but it wasn’t something she’d considered at all. It’s not surprising that others had done it, but it is… disappointing. She hopes for the best of people, and at times like now, she’s disappointed. ]
Mm… I hate to hear that, you know. Not because of you, of course, but I hate that people even decided to do that.
[ She frowns a little more as her expression sours in a way that’s uncharacteristic for her. She’s definitely considering doing… something about it. But what? That’s the part that’s hard when it comes to conflicts in Kenos. ]
Are you mad at him for it?
[Converting people to Meridian by force had never been something that Liem had considered either, when they were all beneath the Tree. It had seemed unclean to him, to resort to such methods in order to claim victory. What did it say about those who were willing to rob others of their own agency in order to get their way? What did it say about the cause they fought for? During that interminable period in the Oracle chamber, with Zenith whispering in his ear, he hadn't felt confident enough in his own righteousness to assert his will over others.
He'd talked to them, instead. To look for trade partners. To try to understand other people's points of view, and to try to persuade them to see his. But despair had weighed too heavily on him; he couldn't claw his way back into the light.]
Well…
[He glances up, thoughtful, at the immense body of the tree above their heads. Is he mad? At John? The question hadn't even occurred to him until now.]
A little, I suppose. I think it's more accurate to say I've formed an uncharitable opinion of his character, now.
[He can't really be too angry. He was the one who ultimately let himself be swayed, after all. That was why Hayame was angry with him, when he left.]
I don't think it was personal. We'd never even spoken before that interaction. He was probably just looking for someone vulnerable to convert.
He'd talked to them, instead. To look for trade partners. To try to understand other people's points of view, and to try to persuade them to see his. But despair had weighed too heavily on him; he couldn't claw his way back into the light.]
Well…
[He glances up, thoughtful, at the immense body of the tree above their heads. Is he mad? At John? The question hadn't even occurred to him until now.]
A little, I suppose. I think it's more accurate to say I've formed an uncharitable opinion of his character, now.
[He can't really be too angry. He was the one who ultimately let himself be swayed, after all. That was why Hayame was angry with him, when he left.]
I don't think it was personal. We'd never even spoken before that interaction. He was probably just looking for someone vulnerable to convert.
A little… [ She grumbles it out as she repeats it, then gives Liem a pointed, but small poke to his shoulder. ] Then I’ll be mad for you, yes! It’s not the worst thing to do to someone, sure, but it’s still not good! It’s… I don’t know! It feels like taking advantage of someone and for bad reasons! Not to mention that it’s totally dishonorable!
[ She huffs, clearly impassioned by the matter, but it’s partially because Liem is a special case among people she knows. While Liem may not worship her directly, she took it seriously that he was a man of faith and to a god with some similar domains to her own. She really does consider him like something of a follower-in-law… And with that, you get her unique brand of divine protection. It’s less magical than it is physical in this case, though. ]
Ay, next time I see him, I’m going to put him in a super cavernaria!
[ She huffs, clearly impassioned by the matter, but it’s partially because Liem is a special case among people she knows. While Liem may not worship her directly, she took it seriously that he was a man of faith and to a god with some similar domains to her own. She really does consider him like something of a follower-in-law… And with that, you get her unique brand of divine protection. It’s less magical than it is physical in this case, though. ]
Ay, next time I see him, I’m going to put him in a super cavernaria!
Edited 2023-07-11 23:07 (UTC)
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