IC INBOX ( KENOS ).

[redsoil]

█ To Commune with Set is to stand barefoot in an endless, scorching desert. The sun illuminates all, scalding the shadows themselves out from underneath whomever enters his dominion; the arch of gentle, distant, waves of sand mask the precarious chasms, towering dunes akin to mountains. The sense of vastness, timelessness, is of particular notice, lending itself to the alien, eldritch quality of his mind. There is a dark storm in the distance, and you know intimately that this divine being is far from benign. You cannot bargain with a force of nature. You can only survive it. COMPATIBLE WITH: Exalt, Iconoclast REPELLED BY: Advocate

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[redsoil]

[ The soft affection ( not quite meant for a human ) is immediately met with the parting of Set's mind, the ambient atmosphere of his mental space coiling around and around and around Tezcatlipoca's own. Perhaps he is predisposed to be affectionate because this god is like him, perhaps because some part of him — sorry Tezca — is still Quetzalcoatl. Enough of the root of her, that he finds it easy to fall into the other's space and bask in it. To want to connect with him, but for who he is rather than who Set is deeply, infinitely missing. ]

Egypt of my time has no human leaders. Gods rule — my sister is currently God Supreme, who sits the throne of the heavens and of men. I do not see humans as having the capacity to rule themselves, though history I have yet to live indicates they do just that.

[ Ew. He scoffs a little, resolute in his dismissal of mortal ability in the way that only a god like him could be. ]

Her will to survive any outcome of this war, actually. Rudbeckia is anything but passive in that desire, using everything at her disposal to ensure she does. Including me, in my full capacity as a god.

[fursuit]

[ That gives him a good indication of when Set is from, at least generally speaking. He might not be the same Set that would have existed in his world, but he assumes it for the sake of simplicity. That would firmly put him in the Age of Gods, and long, long ago for gods to still meddle with humanity that much. Hell, he wonders if that would have still been the Fourth Sun of the Aztecs…?

But the rude dismissal gets him to respond by reaching out to ruffle Set’s hair annoyingly. This is the true older brother move. ]

Yeah, that won’t last forever. And when humans do come to rule, they’ll fuck it all up, eventually. That’s why I try and make ‘em strong. It takes a strong will rule, but it takes a stronger one for ‘em to be harsh and even cruel when it’s necessary. If they can’t, well…

[ He withdraws his hand, and there’s a twinge of sadness that Set likely will find familiar. Quetzalcoatl felt a deep, yearning kind of sadness when she talked about the fate of her dearly beloved Azteca, and there’s a kernel of it in Tezcatlipoca’s feelings too. It’s much more muted, however. After all— ]

That’s the “eventually” part of it. Mortal rulers means mortal civilizations.

[ He’s a nihilist compared to Quetzalcoatl’s bright optimism, ultimately. It might have been a lamentable fate, but it was fate nonetheless. All things are destined to die, even things that are more vague like a civilization.

But it’s not something he dwells on at all. It’s already long dead, so whatever mourning he’d do is long past too. ]

As for Rudbeckia, I get it. I got a fondness for people that strive to survive above all else. [ He nods in understanding, and there’s indeed a warmth that implies it without words being needed. These are souls under Tezcatlipoca’s domain. However. ] You can’t spoil her, though. Usin’ you is practically cheating.

[redsoil]

[ Some part of him feels a little vindicated, to hear that the humans will fuck it up. That mortal rulers means mortal civilizations; it's why he cannot trust in whatever Zenith wants to build. Doubly-so, because Yima will have a hand in it. Part of him is a little more contented that Tezcatlipoca and he had worked out their deal, though. Seeing the nihilist on the opposing side was not only reassuring, it was encouraging — all he wanted, despite the way he went about it, was for everyone to give it their all. He wanted them to prove they meant to fight tooth-and-nail for what they wanted, putting in the time and labor to make it real.

Still, the pain that the other god feels... Set wonders if one day he will feel it. He dreads that sort of feeling, the same mourning that he'd felt in Quetzalcoatl's soul. ]

She serves me, in return. [ This is an important thing, for him. Acknowledgement. ] As a priestess, she represents my divinity among the common people.

[fursuit]

[ He’s happy to let the topic go, since it’s a gloomy one. Even a fatalist like him doesn’t really love thinking about the ends of things. It’s much more interesting (and fun) to give Set a bit of a hard time about the strange match he sees here. ]

I mean, it’s not like I don’t get it. Having priests and priestesses, hell yeah, but someone that doesn’t want to participate in a war? I dunno…

[ He clicks his tongue a little as if he’s offering a criticism, but it’s toothless at its heart. Set can do what he wants and it doesn’t mean anything to Tezcatlipoca, practically speaking. ]

C’mon, let me at least offer her a Trial or somethin’. I won’t kill her, promise.

[redsoil]

She isn't a warrior, Tezcatlipoca. Not one inch of her soul would ever belong to you.

[ Set was a guardian deity once, though. It's in that capacity that he shelters Ruby. ]

I suppose you can, although you will incur my direct involvement no matter what. We have a deal, she and I. And I will be cross with you, if you mess with her. And that includes name dropping her to your team!

[fursuit]

…Warriors souls don’t, technically. I just favor ‘em. But they’re not destined for my afterlife.

[ There’s a feeling of… something at that, but it’s hard to place, even for Set. It’s a faint melancholy, but there’s something more to it, however brief it might be before he moves on. ]

My souls are those who struggle to survive, those who faced trials in life. Doesn’t matter whether they overcame ‘em or not. It’s just the fact they had to, and it’s why I grant them my paradise.

[ It’s a simple explanation, but there’s a lot in there. Just like how there’s a nuance in the main domains that each of them represents, there’s nuance in how they express their protection too. But. Since Tezcatlipoca is pretty sure his afterlife duties are on hold at the moment, he doesn’t linger on the topic. ]

Consider the warning heard. [ He will be ignoring it. ♥ ] …And you didn’t ask for my opinion, but I’m giving it anyways. You can’t protect her forever. You’d best make some peace with that sooner rather than later.

[ It could sound like a threat, but that’s not the tone or feeling with it. This is advice offered gently, at least for Tezcatlipoca. Favoring a mortal that much will always be a double-edged sword. ]