synflux | ( closed ) life like the unplumbed sea;

[ All the little lights suddenly flare up and explode like fireworks, the darkness dissipating with Ereshkigal being left in the center of it all, arm thrown dramatically to the side.

... S-She is sparkling, too. Please do not mind that. ]

Ereshkigal, the Goddess of Death!

[ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

T-That was cool, right? She felt very good doing it at the very least, she hopes he'll approve! ]

[ If there's one thing Elysium's good at, it's… going along with the bit! So, Ereshkigal disappears. That's cool. She told him to give her a moment, so he'll give her the moment! She doesn't seem the type to just stand someone up given her apparent consideration for their teammates, so he'll just stand around with a hand on his hip in the interim, eyes curiously trained in the direction she'd disappeared.

If anyone shows up, if anyone asks, maybe they can just say they're filming and not to think of the special effects going on too deeply. Anyway.

Waiting… ]

[ … Waiting… ]

[ …and then, there she is!! Or, well, not quite. There's the cue she's about to show up. If nothing else? He looks visibly impressed by the effort, hands clasping in front of him in genuine awe once she does make her appearance.

Damn.

If only his Arts could be half as dramatic. Then maybe, whenever he saw fit to introduce himself as Iberia's #1 Hottie, he could make it at least twice as bad as it already is. A wind blowing where it shouldn't be, tousling his longer strands of hair? Flecks of water and rays of sunlight highlighting key features that need to be brought to attention? He will mind the sparkling very much, because, hello? He'd like to sparkle too.

But she finishes with flair—and his dreams are neither here nor there…. A round of applause, first things first. If more gods and goddesses were like her and Yato based on what he does know of her so far… maybe he wouldn't mind them as much as he does! ]

Pfff—hahah! Now that's how you make an impression! I should be taking notes from you on introductions. [ A tilt of his head followed by a bow. ] Pleased to meet you formally, Miss Ereshkigal. For a Goddess of Death, you're certainly lively.

[ Aaah, he appreciates it! Ehehe, she still got it! Maybe if she goes back to rehearing her introduction regularly and introduce a few new touches involving flowers and Christmas decorations... Yes yes, the ultimate divine introduction is within reach! Ishtar will be absolutely put to shame if she ever sees it.

And the sparkles continues. She does that whenever she's particularly happy, and yet somehow she is absolutely unaware of it. It's best not to question it. Some things can not be explained through logic and reason. ]

Well, I am a gloomy and dark goddess most of the time-- [Clearly.] But I have been making efforts to change it a bit!

[ It's good that this is his first (real) impression. It would be a catastrophe had he caught her while she's crying or panicking or completely losing it over the stress of social interactions! ]

It's a pleasure meeting you, Elysium. [He appreciates her theatrics, that must mean he's a good person. Mostly.] I think we will be able to do wonderful work for Christmas together!

[ An intrusive thought, perhaps… but he can't help but wonder what would happen if he were to bat a hand through one of the sparkles? If they're freely floating in the air, that is. Will they disappear like smoke? Are they tangible?

… Just once. Just this one time, he's going to follow through by giving the one furthest away from her an experimental poke. Hm. Would he… would he be able to grab one for himself?! ]

Change always starts with an earnest desire. Heheh. [ … shortly after his detour of a science experiment. ahem. ] Ever consider introducing yourself as a goddess striving to be bright and lively rather than prefacing it the way you have? The language we use for ourselves goes a long way when it comes to our self-perception. In some cultures, death is considered a sweet and warm embrace.

[ He'd kind of like to think of it that way, too. As much of a biased perspective it is coming from someone who'd decided to name himself 'Elysium,' that's neither here nor there…… ]

Anyway, let's see. We've got mistletoe, tinsel. [ A tap tap tap of his chin in consideration. ] Think we might be able to get our hands on a tree that reaches the ceiling?

[ What an inquisitive and brave soul. Nobody has ever tried to resolve the U.S.P. (Unexplained Sparkling Phenomenon) before! When he reaches to poke at one of those sparkles, his fingers goes right through it as. It remains floating as if he hadn't done anything.

But something does happen. While it doesn't move, having his hand go through it feels like putting it under a direct ray of sunlight, one that shines upon the cold world after a long night.

Meanwhile, Ereshkigal is evidently unaware of the sparkles even though he's clearly proven they have an existence that affects reality when you touch them... What could it mean? What is the secret behind the sparkling? Alas, the results of his little experiment have brought forth far more new questions than it has answered!

Regardless, the sparkling dissipate the moment she answers him. ]

I have considered it but I feel it might be dishonest... If I introduce myself as what I aim to be rather than what I am, the person I'm talking to may feel deceived.

[ It's a conundrum. ]

A tall tree should be possible, yes. If not, we'll have the possibility to use projections to make up for it. If only Santa Claus was here...

[ She's a friend, she could make all of those decoration appear with a snap. A shame, really. ]

[ Wow. Really takes him back to basking under the sun back in Okinawa… those days were nice while they lasted, even if recent events have tinged those memories with a bittersweet feeling that'll recede with time.

As for the logistics, the how matters less to him than the what—especially when his world's magic system is practically built on the power of imagination. Still, he can't help but feel mildly disappointed when the warmth slips from his hand, letting out a small huff in response. ]

Is it deceptive…? I feel like the disclaimer that it's a work-in-progress is enough of a heads-up; it's only dishonest if you aren't actually making an effort to change. But at the end of the day, it's all up to you. Complicated stuff!

[ … He'd know a thing or two about old habits dying hard. Anyhooooo… ]

… Mm. Looks like there's a store that stocks plastic ones if we want to check it out? [ from a cursory search with his oculars. but the mention of a name has him flicking his gaze over in curiosity. ] And I'm assuming that's a friend of yours. The actual god of Christmas?

[ Mhm... So she should also put in her introduction a disclaimer that it's a work in progress...? She's not sure about that. She feels like people are going to judge her hard over this! Besides her intro is long enough as is. But she really does want to change though. ]

I-I suppose... I may have to think about it.

[ Regardless, she nods at the mention of the plastic one and heads that way. She'd rather have a real one, but a plastic one will do for now. ]

Not quite. Santa Claus was a heroic spirit with questionable tastes in clothing and riding a sheep as her reindeer. [That? Is just the tip of the iceberg of the absolute madness that is the Fate/ universe.] Unconventional perhaps, but she fulfilled her duties to the perfection.

[ Turns out the sparkling may just be the most logical and reasonable thing to have ever happened there by comparison. ]

[ me gingerly putting a hand on your shoulder don't worry a thing re: fate/ ridiculousness… i get you……

that description does seem to ping something in him, though! ]

And let me guess, by 'questionable tastes in clothing,' you mean she'd wear bright red, crossing endless snowy tundras to deliver life-saving supplies and fulfill people's simple, heartfelt wishes?

[ leaving this store and turning the corner to enter another. they'll end up having to go all the way to the back for this one, but before they do he will get distracted by the many aisles of ornaments…… ]

It's always been interesting how cultures could be so similar across different worlds; I had no idea the same applied to figures. Where I come from, we have someone called the Icefield Messenger, with Christmas, verbatim, created to honour them. Their name and gender? Completely unknown. But I wonder if it's possible for that to have been your friend. Isn't it fun? Thinking about how this might tie into the idea of alternate selves.

[ … following that, he's going to hold out this ornament, looking surprisingly. thoughtful. can they talk about it next. can they. ]

[ The Icefield Messenger..? There does seem to be a commonality between them. Their name and gender being unknown makes sense if she's the one she's familiar with. Every year a new heroic or divine spirit is chosen, after all. ]

This is quite possible. I imagine she had a lot of work after she left the Underworld... [A pause.] Though while she did indeed wear bright red clothes, what concerned me most was... How lacking those clothes were.

[ It can't be convenient to cross snowy tundras while wearing so little in the way of clothes. She'd put even Ishtar to shame, which is an exploit in itself.

Thankfully, what he holds out catches her attention so she can't think too much about her sister. ]

W-What is this unsightly horror?

[ It is so damn ugly, why is this in a Christmas store?!? ]

( closed ) life like the unplumbed sea;

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