[ That sounds like the most difficult choice one could be tasked with. It's cruel to force one to take it - even if they're a god. She doesn't want to imagine what state of panic she would have been in, should she have been there in his stead. If the death of their worlds had come naturally... Then she would have probably sided with those accepting the natural order of things to create the next step in life. It would have required lots of thinking for her, to be sure.
She looks down at their hands when he put his over hers, and listens. Atonement... Is this even possible, when the sins accumulated by their kind keep growing, generation after generation, era after era?
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ]
... There is too much to atone for.
[ She withdraws her hand so she can finish the bouquet. Perhaps she is too lenient on human. But if so, then he is too harsh. There must be a just middle-ground between their approaches, she supposes. ]
Besides... One can't truly atone when they believe themselves to be irredeemable.
[ It's a sentiment shared by many humans... And by Set about himself, if she's right. Maybe not. She's better at reading the dead than she is at reading the humans. ]
I once so thought of myself... I still do, when I am alone with nothing but my thoughts and eternity as company. It is only when the voices of others reach my ears that I am reminded that mine needs not be an irredeemable existence. [She looks up at him and smile - bit sadly - before handing him over the finished bouquet.] Hopefully I will not be the only voice here to remind you.
It is an unfortunate truth that because they are so short-lived, humans inherit the sins of their forefathers. And they must atone for an ever-increasing mountain of matters. The only actual duty I have to humanity is to defeat an invading foe.
[ Some do try to apologize for sins they had nothing to do with. Some add to the heap, preferring freedom from responsibility out of ignorance or spite. Set carries his own sins, and will do so alone and in perpetuem, until the order of existence itself deems him properly apologetic and allows him to return home. Allows him to reunite with his family, at the very least to say goodbye. He takes that duty very seriously, even if his mouth speaks vitriol and venom into the world around him; doing what is right, and hating every minute is, after all, his right.
He leans on the counter a little, to watch the way she builds the bouquet until it is completed. Until she offers it to him, and speaks words that are still similar to what Quetzalcoatl had said to him; the way she had urged him not to hate humans, to not kill the kinder parts of him she had seen. Accepting the flowers, he holds them in his palms, fingers wrapped around the stems so very gently.
It's obvious, by the way his brow softens that — well, he likes the gift. He's never been able to not openly appreciate a kind gesture, wearing that quiet awe in his eyes while he touches a petal between fingers. ]
Ereshkigal, what happens to you, if humanity dies? If there are no more humans, do you believe you will you cease to exist?
[ Maybe humans should let of of their forefather's sins and walk on their own path. Attempting to repay an ever-growing debt will only impede their development. The best they can hope for is to learn from the past to forge a future where those mistakes are not repeated - let alone expanded.
His question takes her aback though. She tilts her head, pondering for a moment. ]
Hopefully.
[ She's not sure she'd be able to maintain her existence, with no humans left to remember her. And even if she found a way... She wouldn't want to. Life is only meaningful when death exists to end it, eventually. ]
I was the last goddess to fade away from the human world when the Age of Gods ended... And I will be last when humanity dies. [The thought of dying does not scare her. That's the natural way of things. But the thought of remaining alone in a world where all life is gone? That terrifies her.] If my existence does not end then... I believe I will have to extinguish it myself.
[ Hopefully it will not come to that... But if it does, she knows how to do it. She's known for a long time, because the thought has been so tempting. When existence is nothing but pain and all hope is gone, any who live will unavoidably develop such thoughts. Even gods. Why, Nergal's shadow had pushed her into finally doing it, but she'd been saved by Ritsuka...
She looks a bit sad as she reminisces about that - but only for a second. She immediately smiles back brightly at him. ]
[ And with her admission of hope, the softness in his eyes darkens and shutters. A slack, poisonous thing overtakes him immediately — disappointment, revulsion, that kneejerk mulishness of a consummate rebel. Something inside of him shivers and aches, a deep-seated terror at being forgotten. At nonexistence before the order of the world commands it of him. Humanity is not his be-all-end-all, and he bares sharp teeth subconsciously.
An animal, posing against a threat. ]
At least that confirms it.
[ Confirms what? ]
Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl. You. Humanity has enslaved you to their existence, and you have forgotten your duty to the world as a whole. They call you "Servant", and you... do you think it praise? A sign of camaradarie?
[ Cradling the bouquet in one arm now ( possessive of it; defensive and protective and covetous of his gift ), his free hand snaps across the counter to gather her jaw between his fingers. Brow heavy and mouth drawn in displeasure, though it has a focus beyond her. A hatefulness grows within him, rather than finds itself softened and transformed toward forgiveness.
He will never love humans, for what they have done to his magnificent kindred is beyond forgiving. ]
To yield yourself to humanity's time is... cruelty of the highest calibre, Ereshkigal. You cannot ignore your duty to the world just because you like them more.
[ His grasp is not rough, though. There is a firmness to it, but he strokes a thumb over her jaw with an almost absentmindedness. The severity in his expression intensifies, as he rakes his gaze over her; as he thinks of Quetzalcoatl, killed by a human. A human he is fond of, but will not forgive for it. ]
As life that came before them needed you, so will what comes after them. You will always be essential to more than just humans.
[ W-Wow! That's not something she'd expected at all. She'd invited him to try and help him become his better self, and now he's turned this around completely. Not entirely unexpected, but still surprising! More importantly, there's the way he's holding her jaw!! T-That's the kind of thing you would expect when there is romantic tension between the characters in a human novel.
... I-Is there romantic tension between them? Hopefully not! There's no way she would betray Quetzalcoatl by dating her boyfriend after her death!! There would be nothing more shameful and undignified than that. Ishtar would absolutely do it, but thankfully she's the better sister here.
(Also who told him of the whole Master/Servant thing? She would reassure him that she absolutely refuses to be called a Servant, but there is far more pressing, isn't there?) ]
... Set.
[ Past the initial shock and surprise, Ereshkigal manages to remain surprisingly calm and composed. She'd expected things could go wrong with him and had prepared to it. That and she feels very strongly about this topic. It resonates deeply with her, it is not her first time considering such thought. So she gazes back straight into his eyes, unflinching. ]
Human thoughts dictate our existences. [Without them, her essence would return to being a thoughtless aspect of nature. Does he not know that...? Now that she thinks about it, he may come from a reality where the fundamental laws of existence are different - like with Ryoji and Yato. Though he knew Quetzalcoatl, they did meet in a world not unlike this one.] Fear not, the concept of Death shall remain beyond the passing of my sentient self. If the new prime species wills it, perhaps a new me shall even rise.
[ It's not unlike reincarnation for humans, in a way. But she doubts there will be a new prime species after human... And if there is, it may be a species born from humanity, such as AIs. They would have no concept of death. In such a world... She would be an enemy, for death would be a sin they have rejected.
She's not sure she would want that. ]
And though it may be selfish... I, too, wish to know death. [She slowly moves her hand, bringing her fingers to wrap around his, to try and delicately pull them away from her chin.] There is no one in the Underworld. It is a cold, desolate and lonely land. The souls sleep in warm little cages crafted for them, but the one who watches over them? She does not sleep. She can never leave, for she is bound to her realm. She used to have dreams and hopes, but she now understands none of those things she longs for will ever come true. All she can do is conduct her duties, and pretend her dreams will become reality - to ease the pain.
Her only relief is knowing one day - it will end.
[ She still holds his hand and smiles at him. It may sound sad - and her fate has made her feel miserable for thousand upon thousand of years. But she wouldn't change a thing even if she could. Because all of it led to this day, and she's proud of her work. But should it continue for a small eternity, as Set suggests...? ]
And you would have me remain, caring for species after species, for all eternity? [She shakes her head.] I did not think you that cruel, Set.
[ Wanting to help make someone better is not any more "right" than wanting someone to become worse! ]
They do not dictate mine. Where I hail from, the concepts of life and death are unrelated to the will of humanity.
[ And he bares his teeth. Like her, he feels just as strongly about his stance — and does not plan to be swayed from it.
Nothing that she says is attractive to him; wishing to know an end? It will come in time, but to long for it was not right of an endless being. Did Osiris long for death, in his own way? ( Would Anubis? He hates that idea more than anything; that his precious child could one day become inquisitive about ending his existence, and join Ereshkigal in such perverted thoughts. That consideration is the one that drives him insane more than anything. He will never lose his child, never. ) ]
I do not find it cruel. We will return to the origins of our existence one day, after all. But to yearn for it? To find your life lacking enough that you are miserable in it? That is not the way a god should live. We do not live for our own desires, but for the will of the world. How could you have come to stray so far from it?
[ He tried, once. To usurp the throne, to destroy his brother — god of life, god of death. None of it worked in his favor.
He tugs his hand away from her, frowning and not — not furious, but not happy either. There's no making him better, that's not the way he was made; all that he is and will and could be already is within him. Humans are the individuals who were made with the ability to change themselves and make their own paths. He didn't envy them ( no, really!! ), but neither did he not want things that they created. Like familial lineage. :) ]
— I know my place. The flowers are lovely, though. Thank you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
She looks down at their hands when he put his over hers, and listens. Atonement... Is this even possible, when the sins accumulated by their kind keep growing, generation after generation, era after era?
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ]
... There is too much to atone for.
[ She withdraws her hand so she can finish the bouquet. Perhaps she is too lenient on human. But if so, then he is too harsh. There must be a just middle-ground between their approaches, she supposes. ]
Besides... One can't truly atone when they believe themselves to be irredeemable.
[ It's a sentiment shared by many humans... And by Set about himself, if she's right. Maybe not. She's better at reading the dead than she is at reading the humans. ]
I once so thought of myself... I still do, when I am alone with nothing but my thoughts and eternity as company. It is only when the voices of others reach my ears that I am reminded that mine needs not be an irredeemable existence. [She looks up at him and smile - bit sadly - before handing him over the finished bouquet.] Hopefully I will not be the only voice here to remind you.
no subject
[ Some do try to apologize for sins they had nothing to do with. Some add to the heap, preferring freedom from responsibility out of ignorance or spite. Set carries his own sins, and will do so alone and in perpetuem, until the order of existence itself deems him properly apologetic and allows him to return home. Allows him to reunite with his family, at the very least to say goodbye. He takes that duty very seriously, even if his mouth speaks vitriol and venom into the world around him; doing what is right, and hating every minute is, after all, his right.
He leans on the counter a little, to watch the way she builds the bouquet until it is completed. Until she offers it to him, and speaks words that are still similar to what Quetzalcoatl had said to him; the way she had urged him not to hate humans, to not kill the kinder parts of him she had seen. Accepting the flowers, he holds them in his palms, fingers wrapped around the stems so very gently.
It's obvious, by the way his brow softens that — well, he likes the gift. He's never been able to not openly appreciate a kind gesture, wearing that quiet awe in his eyes while he touches a petal between fingers. ]
Ereshkigal, what happens to you, if humanity dies? If there are no more humans, do you believe you will you cease to exist?
no subject
His question takes her aback though. She tilts her head, pondering for a moment. ]
Hopefully.
[ She's not sure she'd be able to maintain her existence, with no humans left to remember her. And even if she found a way... She wouldn't want to. Life is only meaningful when death exists to end it, eventually. ]
I was the last goddess to fade away from the human world when the Age of Gods ended... And I will be last when humanity dies. [The thought of dying does not scare her. That's the natural way of things. But the thought of remaining alone in a world where all life is gone? That terrifies her.] If my existence does not end then... I believe I will have to extinguish it myself.
[ Hopefully it will not come to that... But if it does, she knows how to do it. She's known for a long time, because the thought has been so tempting. When existence is nothing but pain and all hope is gone, any who live will unavoidably develop such thoughts. Even gods. Why, Nergal's shadow had pushed her into finally doing it, but she'd been saved by Ritsuka...
She looks a bit sad as she reminisces about that - but only for a second. She immediately smiles back brightly at him. ]
It is the way of all things to end. Even gods.
no subject
An animal, posing against a threat. ]
At least that confirms it.
[ Confirms what? ]
Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl. You. Humanity has enslaved you to their existence, and you have forgotten your duty to the world as a whole. They call you "Servant", and you... do you think it praise? A sign of camaradarie?
[ Cradling the bouquet in one arm now ( possessive of it; defensive and protective and covetous of his gift ), his free hand snaps across the counter to gather her jaw between his fingers. Brow heavy and mouth drawn in displeasure, though it has a focus beyond her. A hatefulness grows within him, rather than finds itself softened and transformed toward forgiveness.
He will never love humans, for what they have done to his magnificent kindred is beyond forgiving. ]
To yield yourself to humanity's time is... cruelty of the highest calibre, Ereshkigal. You cannot ignore your duty to the world just because you like them more.
[ His grasp is not rough, though. There is a firmness to it, but he strokes a thumb over her jaw with an almost absentmindedness. The severity in his expression intensifies, as he rakes his gaze over her; as he thinks of Quetzalcoatl, killed by a human. A human he is fond of, but will not forgive for it. ]
As life that came before them needed you, so will what comes after them. You will always be essential to more than just humans.
no subject
... I-Is there romantic tension between them? Hopefully not! There's no way she would betray Quetzalcoatl by dating her boyfriend after her death!! There would be nothing more shameful and undignified than that. Ishtar would absolutely do it, but thankfully she's the better sister here.
(Also who told him of the whole Master/Servant thing? She would reassure him that she absolutely refuses to be called a Servant, but there is far more pressing, isn't there?) ]
... Set.
[ Past the initial shock and surprise, Ereshkigal manages to remain surprisingly calm and composed. She'd expected things could go wrong with him and had prepared to it. That and she feels very strongly about this topic. It resonates deeply with her, it is not her first time considering such thought. So she gazes back straight into his eyes, unflinching. ]
Human thoughts dictate our existences. [Without them, her essence would return to being a thoughtless aspect of nature. Does he not know that...? Now that she thinks about it, he may come from a reality where the fundamental laws of existence are different - like with Ryoji and Yato. Though he knew Quetzalcoatl, they did meet in a world not unlike this one.] Fear not, the concept of Death shall remain beyond the passing of my sentient self. If the new prime species wills it, perhaps a new me shall even rise.
[ It's not unlike reincarnation for humans, in a way. But she doubts there will be a new prime species after human... And if there is, it may be a species born from humanity, such as AIs. They would have no concept of death. In such a world... She would be an enemy, for death would be a sin they have rejected.
She's not sure she would want that. ]
And though it may be selfish... I, too, wish to know death. [She slowly moves her hand, bringing her fingers to wrap around his, to try and delicately pull them away from her chin.] There is no one in the Underworld. It is a cold, desolate and lonely land. The souls sleep in warm little cages crafted for them, but the one who watches over them? She does not sleep. She can never leave, for she is bound to her realm. She used to have dreams and hopes, but she now understands none of those things she longs for will ever come true. All she can do is conduct her duties, and pretend her dreams will become reality - to ease the pain.
Her only relief is knowing one day - it will end.
[ She still holds his hand and smiles at him. It may sound sad - and her fate has made her feel miserable for thousand upon thousand of years. But she wouldn't change a thing even if she could. Because all of it led to this day, and she's proud of her work. But should it continue for a small eternity, as Set suggests...? ]
And you would have me remain, caring for species after species, for all eternity? [She shakes her head.] I did not think you that cruel, Set.
AA MAYBE WE CAN 🎀 THIS ONE NOW
They do not dictate mine. Where I hail from, the concepts of life and death are unrelated to the will of humanity.
[ And he bares his teeth. Like her, he feels just as strongly about his stance — and does not plan to be swayed from it.
Nothing that she says is attractive to him; wishing to know an end? It will come in time, but to long for it was not right of an endless being. Did Osiris long for death, in his own way? ( Would Anubis? He hates that idea more than anything; that his precious child could one day become inquisitive about ending his existence, and join Ereshkigal in such perverted thoughts. That consideration is the one that drives him insane more than anything. He will never lose his child, never. ) ]
I do not find it cruel. We will return to the origins of our existence one day, after all. But to yearn for it? To find your life lacking enough that you are miserable in it? That is not the way a god should live. We do not live for our own desires, but for the will of the world. How could you have come to stray so far from it?
[ He tried, once. To usurp the throne, to destroy his brother — god of life, god of death. None of it worked in his favor.
He tugs his hand away from her, frowning and not — not furious, but not happy either. There's no making him better, that's not the way he was made; all that he is and will and could be already is within him. Humans are the individuals who were made with the ability to change themselves and make their own paths. He didn't envy them ( no, really!! ), but neither did he not want things that they created. Like familial lineage. :) ]
— I know my place. The flowers are lovely, though. Thank you.