The decision has been made. LILITH Japan orders the Outsiders to mobilize to pursue the Imugi.
Given that they are in a foreign country, they are largely dependent on LILITH Korea’s resources. In response to the decision, the Korean branch provides some assistance: the Outsiders are given just enough vehicles to help transport them, essential supplies, and only a few operatives to help guide them. This is the most the Korean branch is able to give, as they must focus on relocating people and restoring peace following the attack.
LILITH announces that the Imugi is currently resting near Gangneung on the east coast and they must move quickly. The effects of Rift poisoning will grow stronger as they approach the source; a sign that they are close to a kaiju. Upon reaching the mountains just outside the city, LILITH informs them that they are right on top of its location.
However, there is no Imugi to be found. After searching the area, Outsiders will discover the source of the trace and the poisoning: eggs. They will find about twelve eggs. When they report their findings, Seokdang will curse. In their rush, they had followed the wrong trace. They didn’t track down an injured and resting Imugi—they tracked down the Imugi’s nest. So where is the Imugi?
Not long after, Outsiders will receive an update on their implants: the Imugi reappeared in Seoul. After seeing the corpse of its mate, it went berserk and attacked the city again. While many of the citizens were evacuated to nearby Incheon and remaining shelters, just as many perished, with the death toll at 168,000 and rising. LILITH’s Korean base is destroyed.
The Imugi was last seen flying north, but the Korean government prohibits the Outsiders from pursuing it again through their territory. By choosing to pursue the kaiju, the Outsiders have abandoned humanity and thus will receive no further support. They are ordered to leave the country immediately.
LILITH Japan will order them to collect as many eggs as possible and continue to the abandoned city of Gangneung, where they will arrange pick up and return to base in Tokyo.
▶ AFTERWORD.
Thanks everyone for participating in our first major Event Decision! We hope you had fun discussing what to do both ICly and OOCly.
After failing to capture the second Imugi and also failing to save a large portion of Seoul's population, characters will be shipped back to Japan. The events of the TDM will springboard from there. Feel free to use this post to thread out any aftermath threads if you would like.
All tags on this log are worth 2 points and will count towards August AC.
[ i've been alone, hiyori hears. i've had to bear anything and everything by myself. what i'm not used to is not being alone. i'm not used to not considering myself a burden because if i wasn't? surely, i wouldn't have been on my own for so long. someone would see me. notice me.
a silent cry. more heartwrenching than any wail or sob.
to spare ereshkigal seeing more tears building in her eyes, she hugs her again. more tightly, if possible. she keeps her voice low, but firm. riddled with resolve and emotion in equal measure. ]
Ereshkigal, this isn't the Underworld. [ though, right now, it comes close to the burning nightmare of hell. everything that makes up all that's ugly and all its carnage. ] You told me... you wanted to be treated like an equal. Like the rest of us.
You don't have to do anything by yourself. Not anymore. Least of all suffer silently on your own. [ gradually, her fingers curl against her back. not finding purchase but clutching all the same. she's known too many gods who quietly weather their pain in solitude. ]
If you're lonely, you can seek out company. If you're sad, I'll cry with you. If you're upset, we can beat something up in the METAVERSE. [ wriothesley showed it to her before it all went to shit. ] If you want to rest, you can use my shoulder.
[ She's crying. Hiyori may be doing her best to hide it, but she can feel it. The slight tremble in her every words, the way she's holding her so close so she won't see her features. Hiding her tears, so she won't have to feel guilty about making her cry.
She's brought her to tears.
So she tightens the embrace as well. She wants to comfort her, but from what? From being sad for her? What a silly - a wonderful - human she is. ]
I... I know...
[ She knows, but even then it changes so little. There is so much she knows. She knows she couldn't have prevented this disaster all on her own. She knows there are people here who appreciate her.
But when she's alone, there's always that doubt creeping in. What if she could have prevented this disaster? What if those people are only pretending to appreciate her? What if nothing has changed? So to hear someone else say it, Hiyori say it? It helps so much.
Finally, Ereshkigal manages to get herself mostly under control. Even then... She doesn't want to let go. It's weird, isn't it? But her presence is comforting.
She doesn't want to be alone. Not now. ]
Thank you, Hiyori. [Some goddess she makes... Ah. But maybe that's her mistake. She's not a goddess here.] You have a talent to comfort people, you know?
[ the latter comment makes hiyori hiccup a laugh that hedges on a sob. she reigns it in and buries her face in ereshkigal's impossibly soft, golden hair as her eyes and throat continue to burn with heartbreak. for ereshkigal, yes, but for so so so much.
how hopeless it all seems, but how they have to - they MUST cling to hope. they have to keep fighting when the dust settles. they can't give up now. not after one mistake, no matter how big the mistake.
if everyone gave up after one failure, where would they go? who would they be?
having someone to hold onto when hiyori is moments from coming apart at the seams helps her, too. it's a comfort to her to hold and not be alone as it is for ereshkigal. dropping to her knees and gathering this goddess in her arms wasn't just for the goddess herself. nobody is infallible.
no god, no human.
doubt plagues all. doubts and what ifs and "if I did this when maybe"s. the fact is this is it. what use is there to doubt and think of what ifs and "if I did this" other than misery and more guilt?
hiyori shows no signs of letting go, either. with painstaking gentleness, she lowers herself on her hip to lean against the wall nearby. not once does she let go of her friend. ]
I'm just saying what I'm thinking. As a teenager, I learned a lesson to speak up when others are being hurt. When someone is hurting others, even if it's yourself that you're hurting.
[ Ah... It shines so brightly in her. The infinite, wonderful potential of humanity. There are billions of humans, all so small and frail. The loud and arrogant ones would call them indistinguishable, their individual existences meaningless.
How wrong they would be.
There are no two Hiyoris. There are no gods or higher beings whose will could shine stronger than hers right in this moment. Perhaps she cannot move mountains, tis true. But she can move hearts — little things so fragile yet normally so immovable. And by moving enough hearts...? That's when miracles happen. Humanity shines the brightest when hearts come together as one.
And when it happens, so much more than mere mountains can be moved. ]
I... I'm sorry I made you cry... [Ereshkigal smiles, gently and genuinely. She's not letting go either. Not yet. She is so easily embarrassed usually, prompt to panicking merely from someone being close to her. But right now it feels... right.] I promise from now on I'll only bring smiles and laughs.
[ She closes her eyes more serenely, running a hand through the other woman's hair. Protectively. Now that she's feeling a little bit better... It's her turn to be supportive! It's strange, it's always so much easier to be strong for someone else, than it is to be for yourself. And it's been all the truer ever since she was summoned in this human vessel. ]
You shine so bright, Hiyori. Please... Please never lose that spark of yours.
[ she's right about that. humanity is at its strongest when they come together, which makes all of this... all the more maddening.
afraid of hiccuping on another sob or something, hiyori shakes her head against ereshkigal for her apology. there's nothing wrong with crying. not really. it doesn't mean she's weak, not her or the goddess.
no one person, and not a god in her opinion, can only bring smiles and laughs all the time. it reminds her too much, too much, of bishamon. maybe it's a quality of those divine in golden hair.
however, it's true too that being strong for others is much easier than being strong for yourself. forgiving yourself, most of all. she all but curls a bit around the goddess and her words, wanting to argue that she's not the bright one, but not having the heart to do so. it's always been gods and goddesses that carried such a light. such a warmth.
humans can be ugly inside. they can be cruel to protect those they love. even she could, at some point. ]
Don't make a promise like that. [ so says the self-sacrificing human who also does her best not to put her burdens on others unnecessarily. ]
Sometimes, crying is a good thing. [ to prove it, she leans back and smiles weakly with her eyes rimmed red. with wet cheeks. with a sniffle. ] It's as good as smiling and laughing. You shouldn't restrain yourself like that, Ereshkigal. Not with me, please.
[ hiyori reaches up, first to wipe at her face, then at the goddess's face. ]
I knew another goddess, Bishamonten, who did exactly that for so many years. She would only ever smile for her shinki because she didn't want to trouble them. They only ever smiled for her, too. But never being able to confide in others sounds so lonely, so painful. It sounds like you're still trying to do everything by yourself.
[ She's right. That's a - frankly - foolish promises. There can't ever be happiness in the world and by forcing herself to smile, that just makes things worse for herself eventually.
She smiles when Hiyori wipes her tears and listen to her story about that other goddess. She's never heard of her before, unsurprisingly so given how limited her knowledge of other pantheons is, but she can see the similarities. ]
We gods have difficulties changing... It's not in our nature to grow and learn. We are supposed to come into existence as perfect beings.
[ Mortals often call gods "stubborn" or "unflinching," but the truth is... That that's just how they are made. The sun is not supposed to change, the wind is not supposed to change. And what is a god, if not an aspect of nature given sentience?
But some amongst them are fortunate. The gods who spend a lot of time around humans and are influenced by them. In her pantheon, there are two such gods. Her sister, Ishtar. The Goddess of Love, War Fertility, she who spends so much time with mortals. And then there is her. The Goddess of Death whose entire existence has been spent caring for human souls. ]
Yet none are more imperfect than gods.
[ And if Hiyori disagrees, she'll bring Ishtar's numerous flaws to the table to make her point...! She closes her eyes for now though, curious about one thing: ]
[ there is one thing on her mind with ereshkigal's revelation.
yato's desire to grow and change, to go against his very nature and find a better path makes him... all the more extraordinary. and if anybody could do that, too, with her desire to be treated equally among humanity? ereshkigal can, too.
it's not the first time gods have been likened to nature. they are just that. mountains, the ocean, lightning, war, death itself. nature with human faces.
and yet.
they shed tears. they show joy. she's seen them wear anger and shame, too. they are sometimes petty and jealous and absolutely ridiculous. there is just one thing, one doubt that won't stop weighing her mind: do they love?
she looks up, surprised at her admittance. that gods are imperfect. had she been told such a thing without knowing them as personally as she does now, she would disagree. right now, in the wake of a smoldering city and failure, it's oddly comforting to her. that they're all imperfect beings, prone to mistakes. if a god believes they are perfect, they will not change.
gods that see themselves as imperfect, that want to change, are capable of it. ]
I'm... not sure. I haven't talked to her for a long time. I hope so. [ hiyori thinks back to her sobbing like a child with kazuma in her arms. ] She has someone she trusts to remind her that she doesn't always have to, though. Someone who has been with her for a long time and wants the best for her. [ hiyori pauses. ]
I'm sure there's someone like that out there for you, too, Ereshkigal.
[ Ah. So companionship helped her get better... Sometimes, dreams do come true. Though Hiyori's mention of there being someone like that for her somewhere takes her aback. ]
I...
[ Could there really be someone like this out there for her? The first thought that comes to mind is her precious Ritsuka, of course. But that's not meant to be. She knows it, much as she hates it. Ritsuka got hundreds of Servants and she loves them all. Would she choose one of them, and would she choose her if she did?
Of course not. Her feelings will forever be one-sided and she's made her peace with that. Or so she likes to believe, at least.
Someone else then, someone here, perhaps...? Ereshkigal isn't blind to how so many romances have bloomed amongst outsiders. It's beautiful and yet, it would be a lie to pretend she's not the slightest bit envious. She hasn't formed such a bond with anyone, not even close. Is it because in spite of everything, she still thinks about Ritsuka so much and she has subconsciously closed herself off? Or is she just that unlovable...? ]
[ ... No. She can't entertain those negative thoughts. Not after Hiyori put so much effort into comforting her, after she put so much faith in her future. It may be hard to her to believe it is in her future— But it's not hard to believe Hiyori. Not when she sounds so convinced, not when she sounds so optimist. ]
I'll introduce them to you, if I ever find them. [She smiles, more genuinely and sweetly. Even if it doesn't come true, it is a nice thought. A nice thing to believe in. One she did believe in once, before time wore her down.
But that time when all had become hopeless is behind her. All thanks to people like Hiyori.] So long as you introduce me to yours, of course.
I'd like that. [ hiyori returns the smile, all but clinging to this warmth in her chest. ereshkigal is a compassionate and lovely goddess. she understand the social anxiety now, too. but she doesn't think ereshkigal will have trouble if she opens her heart to the right person. anybody would be lucky to have her affections. realizing you've found them is the hard part.
until then, any support is important. finding friends and people you trust is important. love comes in all shapes and sizes. they're all in this together. humans and gods and whoever else. they should be building each other up, not dragging down. definitely not by punishing a group of people who are clearly here to do nothing but help.
they took down one imugi. did that amount to nothing, too?
the slightly darker turn her thoughts have gone are reeling back and it's enough to bring life back into her face. around her wet cheeks, most especially. ]
M-mine? [ someone she trusts. someone who wants the best for her.
I want to make you happy, Hiyori. ] A-aaah, y-yeah. If I ever... find him. THEM, I MEAN. [ ......... do gods really love? sits at the tip of her tongue but. not the time.
[ Ereshkigal wants to say something, but she stops herself. Yato has talked to her about a very special human he cares for very much. The way he spoke - even if he'd tried to hide it - there's no denying how true and pure his feelings for this human are. And why, he's told her the name of that human:
Hiyori.
So she just smiles. She won't say anything, that's their story. Tempting as it would be to just say "but he's here and he loves you, go and confess to each other now," she really has no right. LILITH drew them both here, even beyond their world there is something connecting them. They will find their love, and it's meant to be an experience of their own making. ]
You will.
[ She smiles serenely, absolutely confident for once.
Prove to this old goddess how radiant the power of love is! ]
[ ... well, it is nice to see confidence in ereshkigal. though it's at the expense of her awkwardness with romance. with her sounding so sure, she wonders if she knows something hiyori doesn't. like her, however, she stops herself from saying anything.
the truly depressing thing is that had ereshkigal said just that, hiyori would agree. with a stipulation.
exhaustion finally beats its figurative hammer over her head. or maybe it's because she's realized how comfortable she is leaned against the wall and close to another person. they are as the goddess of death wanted them to be. not goddess and mortal. equals. ereshkigal and hiyori.
when she was a teenager, when her soul slipped away, she fell asleep in random places. usually, yama and ami were there to either carry her to the infirmary or keep an eye on her until she woke up. the urge to rest her eyes for a while isn't her soul wanting to slip out. it's at rest in the company of a good soul. her body simply wants to follow. ]
'eshki... [ hiyori murmurs, leaning a bit more heavily into the wall behind them. ] Would it be okay if I used your shoulder for a bit?
[ Ah. She must be really exhausted. She's been strong to help a friend in need feel better, but now she's just about reached her limit.
Well, now that Ereshkigal does feel better, that just means it's her turn to be strong for her! That's what friends do, right? They lean on each other when they need to, so that neither collapse. It's one of those things that make humans so resilient, so wonderful. And besides...
It's her role. Unlike those things that are all so new to her, this? It's nothing new. Ereshkigal is the one who cares for the souls of those who need rest. And she's pretty good at it! W-Well, she's not used to doing it with souls who yet live - let alone with friends. But there's a first time for everything, right? ]
Mhm. [She nods and then move an arm behind Hiyori to hold her closely and safely. She wishes her body wasn't that cold... But she can use the tiny bit of mana she has to generate some warmth. Just so her friend can feel comfortable and sleep well.] Rest well. I'll watch over you.
[ aren't they all exhausted? who isn't running on fumes after it all? at the first sign of a hint of sanctuary or something more familiar her body teeters into shutting down. to protect itself when the shock wears off.
there are so many lost souls today. hiyori silently prays for them. for the survivors, too. for the struggles and hardships they are sure to face. that they stay strong. keep fighting. don't give up. please. ]
Thank you...
[ releasing a long breath after ereshkigal's promise, she puts her head on her shoulder. wherever those souls go, she hopes it's a place that's as warm and protected by an entity as worthy as this goddess. one who tries so hard for others. who is lonely, too, just like another god she met.
... are all gods lonely, she wonders. whether minor or all-powerful. as long as they have a person just for them.
she makes one more small prayer. this time, to her god of fortune. for ereshkigal to find her someone, too. ]
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synflux2024-08-22 04:03 am
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a silent cry. more heartwrenching than any wail or sob.
to spare ereshkigal seeing more tears building in her eyes, she hugs her again. more tightly, if possible. she keeps her voice low, but firm. riddled with resolve and emotion in equal measure. ]
Ereshkigal, this isn't the Underworld. [ though, right now, it comes close to the burning nightmare of hell. everything that makes up all that's ugly and all its carnage. ] You told me... you wanted to be treated like an equal. Like the rest of us.
You don't have to do anything by yourself. Not anymore. Least of all suffer silently on your own. [ gradually, her fingers curl against her back. not finding purchase but clutching all the same. she's known too many gods who quietly weather their pain in solitude. ]
If you're lonely, you can seek out company. If you're sad, I'll cry with you. If you're upset, we can beat something up in the METAVERSE. [ wriothesley showed it to her before it all went to shit. ] If you want to rest, you can use my shoulder.
no subject
She's brought her to tears.
So she tightens the embrace as well. She wants to comfort her, but from what? From being sad for her? What a silly - a wonderful - human she is. ]
I... I know...
[ She knows, but even then it changes so little. There is so much she knows. She knows she couldn't have prevented this disaster all on her own. She knows there are people here who appreciate her.
But when she's alone, there's always that doubt creeping in. What if she could have prevented this disaster? What if those people are only pretending to appreciate her? What if nothing has changed? So to hear someone else say it, Hiyori say it? It helps so much.
Finally, Ereshkigal manages to get herself mostly under control. Even then... She doesn't want to let go. It's weird, isn't it? But her presence is comforting.
She doesn't want to be alone. Not now. ]
Thank you, Hiyori. [Some goddess she makes... Ah. But maybe that's her mistake. She's not a goddess here.] You have a talent to comfort people, you know?
no subject
how hopeless it all seems, but how they have to - they MUST cling to hope. they have to keep fighting when the dust settles. they can't give up now. not after one mistake, no matter how big the mistake.
if everyone gave up after one failure, where would they go? who would they be?
having someone to hold onto when hiyori is moments from coming apart at the seams helps her, too. it's a comfort to her to hold and not be alone as it is for ereshkigal. dropping to her knees and gathering this goddess in her arms wasn't just for the goddess herself. nobody is infallible.
no god, no human.
doubt plagues all. doubts and what ifs and "if I did this when maybe"s. the fact is this is it. what use is there to doubt and think of what ifs and "if I did this" other than misery and more guilt?
hiyori shows no signs of letting go, either. with painstaking gentleness, she lowers herself on her hip to lean against the wall nearby. not once does she let go of her friend. ]
I'm just saying what I'm thinking. As a teenager, I learned a lesson to speak up when others are being hurt. When someone is hurting others, even if it's yourself that you're hurting.
no subject
How wrong they would be.
There are no two Hiyoris. There are no gods or higher beings whose will could shine stronger than hers right in this moment. Perhaps she cannot move mountains, tis true. But she can move hearts — little things so fragile yet normally so immovable. And by moving enough hearts...? That's when miracles happen. Humanity shines the brightest when hearts come together as one.
And when it happens, so much more than mere mountains can be moved. ]
I... I'm sorry I made you cry... [Ereshkigal smiles, gently and genuinely. She's not letting go either. Not yet. She is so easily embarrassed usually, prompt to panicking merely from someone being close to her. But right now it feels... right.] I promise from now on I'll only bring smiles and laughs.
[ She closes her eyes more serenely, running a hand through the other woman's hair. Protectively. Now that she's feeling a little bit better... It's her turn to be supportive! It's strange, it's always so much easier to be strong for someone else, than it is to be for yourself. And it's been all the truer ever since she was summoned in this human vessel. ]
You shine so bright, Hiyori. Please... Please never lose that spark of yours.
no subject
afraid of hiccuping on another sob or something, hiyori shakes her head against ereshkigal for her apology. there's nothing wrong with crying. not really. it doesn't mean she's weak, not her or the goddess.
no one person, and not a god in her opinion, can only bring smiles and laughs all the time. it reminds her too much, too much, of bishamon. maybe it's a quality of those divine in golden hair.
however, it's true too that being strong for others is much easier than being strong for yourself. forgiving yourself, most of all. she all but curls a bit around the goddess and her words, wanting to argue that she's not the bright one, but not having the heart to do so. it's always been gods and goddesses that carried such a light. such a warmth.
humans can be ugly inside. they can be cruel to protect those they love. even she could, at some point. ]
Don't make a promise like that. [ so says the self-sacrificing human who also does her best not to put her burdens on others unnecessarily. ]
Sometimes, crying is a good thing. [ to prove it, she leans back and smiles weakly with her eyes rimmed red. with wet cheeks. with a sniffle. ] It's as good as smiling and laughing. You shouldn't restrain yourself like that, Ereshkigal. Not with me, please.
[ hiyori reaches up, first to wipe at her face, then at the goddess's face. ]
I knew another goddess, Bishamonten, who did exactly that for so many years. She would only ever smile for her shinki because she didn't want to trouble them. They only ever smiled for her, too. But never being able to confide in others sounds so lonely, so painful. It sounds like you're still trying to do everything by yourself.
You don't have to.
no subject
She smiles when Hiyori wipes her tears and listen to her story about that other goddess. She's never heard of her before, unsurprisingly so given how limited her knowledge of other pantheons is, but she can see the similarities. ]
We gods have difficulties changing... It's not in our nature to grow and learn. We are supposed to come into existence as perfect beings.
[ Mortals often call gods "stubborn" or "unflinching," but the truth is... That that's just how they are made. The sun is not supposed to change, the wind is not supposed to change. And what is a god, if not an aspect of nature given sentience?
But some amongst them are fortunate. The gods who spend a lot of time around humans and are influenced by them. In her pantheon, there are two such gods. Her sister, Ishtar. The Goddess of Love, War Fertility, she who spends so much time with mortals. And then there is her. The Goddess of Death whose entire existence has been spent caring for human souls. ]
Yet none are more imperfect than gods.
[ And if Hiyori disagrees, she'll bring Ishtar's numerous flaws to the table to make her point...! She closes her eyes for now though, curious about one thing: ]
... Has Bishamonten learned not to smile?
no subject
yato's desire to grow and change, to go against his very nature and find a better path makes him... all the more extraordinary. and if anybody could do that, too, with her desire to be treated equally among humanity? ereshkigal can, too.
it's not the first time gods have been likened to nature. they are just that. mountains, the ocean, lightning, war, death itself. nature with human faces.
and yet.
they shed tears. they show joy. she's seen them wear anger and shame, too. they are sometimes petty and jealous and absolutely ridiculous. there is just one thing, one doubt that won't stop weighing her mind: do they love?
she looks up, surprised at her admittance. that gods are imperfect. had she been told such a thing without knowing them as personally as she does now, she would disagree. right now, in the wake of a smoldering city and failure, it's oddly comforting to her. that they're all imperfect beings, prone to mistakes. if a god believes they are perfect, they will not change.
gods that see themselves as imperfect, that want to change, are capable of it. ]
I'm... not sure. I haven't talked to her for a long time. I hope so. [ hiyori thinks back to her sobbing like a child with kazuma in her arms. ] She has someone she trusts to remind her that she doesn't always have to, though. Someone who has been with her for a long time and wants the best for her. [ hiyori pauses. ]
I'm sure there's someone like that out there for you, too, Ereshkigal.
1/2
I...
[ Could there really be someone like this out there for her? The first thought that comes to mind is her precious Ritsuka, of course. But that's not meant to be. She knows it, much as she hates it. Ritsuka got hundreds of Servants and she loves them all. Would she choose one of them, and would she choose her if she did?
Of course not. Her feelings will forever be one-sided and she's made her peace with that. Or so she likes to believe, at least.
Someone else then, someone here, perhaps...? Ereshkigal isn't blind to how so many romances have bloomed amongst outsiders. It's beautiful and yet, it would be a lie to pretend she's not the slightest bit envious. She hasn't formed such a bond with anyone, not even close. Is it because in spite of everything, she still thinks about Ritsuka so much and she has subconsciously closed herself off? Or is she just that unlovable...? ]
no subject
I'll introduce them to you, if I ever find them. [She smiles, more genuinely and sweetly. Even if it doesn't come true, it is a nice thought. A nice thing to believe in. One she did believe in once, before time wore her down.
But that time when all had become hopeless is behind her. All thanks to people like Hiyori.] So long as you introduce me to yours, of course.
no subject
grabs her face you are lovablE ERESHKIGAL]I'd like that. [ hiyori returns the smile, all but clinging to this warmth in her chest. ereshkigal is a compassionate and lovely goddess. she understand the social anxiety now, too. but she doesn't think ereshkigal will have trouble if she opens her heart to the right person. anybody would be lucky to have her affections. realizing you've found them is the hard part.
until then, any support is important. finding friends and people you trust is important. love comes in all shapes and sizes. they're all in this together. humans and gods and whoever else. they should be building each other up, not dragging down. definitely not by punishing a group of people who are clearly here to do nothing but help.
they took down one imugi. did that amount to nothing, too?
the slightly darker turn her thoughts have gone are reeling back and it's enough to bring life back into her face. around her wet cheeks, most especially. ]
M-mine? [ someone she trusts. someone who wants the best for her.
I want to make you happy, Hiyori. ] A-aaah, y-yeah. If I ever... find him. THEM, I MEAN. [ ......... do gods really love? sits at the tip of her tongue but. not the time.
maybe later. ]
no subject
Hiyori.
So she just smiles. She won't say anything, that's their story. Tempting as it would be to just say "but he's here and he loves you, go and confess to each other now," she really has no right. LILITH drew them both here, even beyond their world there is something connecting them. They will find their love, and it's meant to be an experience of their own making. ]
You will.
[ She smiles serenely, absolutely confident for once.
Prove to this old goddess how radiant the power of love is! ]
no subject
the truly depressing thing is that had ereshkigal said just that, hiyori would agree. with a stipulation.
exhaustion finally beats its figurative hammer over her head. or maybe it's because she's realized how comfortable she is leaned against the wall and close to another person. they are as the goddess of death wanted them to be. not goddess and mortal. equals. ereshkigal and hiyori.
when she was a teenager, when her soul slipped away, she fell asleep in random places. usually, yama and ami were there to either carry her to the infirmary or keep an eye on her until she woke up. the urge to rest her eyes for a while isn't her soul wanting to slip out. it's at rest in the company of a good soul. her body simply wants to follow. ]
'eshki... [ hiyori murmurs, leaning a bit more heavily into the wall behind them. ] Would it be okay if I used your shoulder for a bit?
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Well, now that Ereshkigal does feel better, that just means it's her turn to be strong for her! That's what friends do, right? They lean on each other when they need to, so that neither collapse. It's one of those things that make humans so resilient, so wonderful. And besides...
It's her role. Unlike those things that are all so new to her, this? It's nothing new. Ereshkigal is the one who cares for the souls of those who need rest. And she's pretty good at it! W-Well, she's not used to doing it with souls who yet live - let alone with friends. But there's a first time for everything, right? ]
Mhm. [She nods and then move an arm behind Hiyori to hold her closely and safely. She wishes her body wasn't that cold... But she can use the tiny bit of mana she has to generate some warmth. Just so her friend can feel comfortable and sleep well.] Rest well. I'll watch over you.
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there are so many lost souls today. hiyori silently prays for them. for the survivors, too. for the struggles and hardships they are sure to face. that they stay strong. keep fighting. don't give up. please. ]
Thank you...
[ releasing a long breath after ereshkigal's promise, she puts her head on her shoulder. wherever those souls go, she hopes it's a place that's as warm and protected by an entity as worthy as this goddess. one who tries so hard for others. who is lonely, too, just like another god she met.
... are all gods lonely, she wonders. whether minor or all-powerful. as long as they have a person just for them.
she makes one more small prayer. this time, to her god of fortune. for ereshkigal to find her someone, too. ]