meltryllis.

[oathic]

Comments

[sadiskick]

Like the flower. All my sisters are named for flowers.

[ She makes a displeased face. ]

Not here, I can't, but in essence, that's what I should be able to do.

[oathic]

Ah, right. You mentioned before that you wanted your abilities back... You have sisters, though? Are they goddesses like you?

[this might be foolish. meltryllis is already aware of what he's here for. and if his suspicions are correct, she will not—cannot?—transform while others are awake, lest there be witnesses.

pragmatically speaking, he should kill her now. but if agni, famous and mocked among the gods for his sense of honour, would fight fairly even against his mortal enemies, meltryllis should be given no less.

until she transforms and the monster plaguing her heart reveals itself, then she is still, in a sense, the girl who doesn't deserve this fate.]

[sadiskick]

[ Meltryllis doesn't know for sure why he approached her, but she suspects. It really is a wonder that he doesn't attack her now, if she's right. It'd be the smartest way to go about it with all her powers gone until the clock strikes midnight, the hour that signifies her beauty is gone. ]

Yes. We've all been given various powers, but my capabilities are the best.

[ There's no mistaking her pride, her self-assurance. It's because her pride is so high that what happened to her last week stings. It'd be one thing if she absorbed the monster, but sometimes, it feels like the other way around, and that gives her feelings she doesn't want to admit to.

(It's fear.) ]

[oathic]

[melt ): ]

Impressive! I can see why you'd be so annoyed about losing them, in that case.

[well, not that he can't relate.]

Does that have anything to do with why you hate humans? There are many gods where I'm from who don't care for them either...

[sadiskick]

[ Meltryllis is still a terrible person even if she may be tragic. If it were a kill in her own form, of her purest will, she'd have no regrets about it. Killing has never weighed on her conscious that way. ]

We're viewed as monsters by humans, as beings they should attack and kill to advance in their war for a wish.

[ She accepts being a monster in their eyes because she can be monstrous, but it's also why she doesn't think she and humans can reach an understanding. There have only ever been a few that changed her mind, and that handful does not absolve the rest of humankind. ]

[oathic]

In their war for a wish...?

[sadiskick]

[ She waves a sleeve like it's sort of complicated to explain. ]

It depends on the circumstances, but there's usually some device like a grail or a supercomputer that has the power to grant any wish if you kill enough for it. Human mages summon powerful spirits to fight for them.

[ Well, if he's here to kill her, does he need to know that she's a taboo spirit that shouldn't have been created and born? It's fine. ]

[oathic]

[ara, desperately swerving from explaining fate]

... Having any wish granted is an incentive many would fight for, it's true. So you're one of those spirits, or...?

[sadiskick]

[ yea

Meltryllis laughs, something not quite bittersweet. ]

I am now. I wasn't before.

[ ... ]

If you're after my life tonight, why do you want to know about me?

[ There's no use pretending anymore, she figures. ]

[oathic]

[he scratches the back of his neck.]

Is wanting to get to know someone so unusual?

[sadiskick]

Yes.

[ It's something she understands only in specific circumstances. She smiles at him, an almost lazy stretch of her lips. ]

If it's not, why don't you tell me about yourself?

[oathic]

... Why not? [he smiles.] My real name's Agni, for one. Babo Kim's just an alias I usually use when passing as a human.

[sadiskick]

[ Oh. This is almost funny. If it weren't for where they were and why, she'd be entirely amused.

Meltryllis grins. ]

The god of fire, in the flesh? Should I feel honored?

[oathic]

[he blinks.]

I'm surprised you know the name. [she's certainly not from his universe, after all.] But even if I thought you should, you wouldn't, right?

[so, probably for the better that agni hardly cares about being held in esteem.]

[sadiskick]

Even if you aren't a god from my world, there is a god with your name.

[ Funny how the streams cross. ]

It's usually suicide to reveal this, but one of us is going to die tonight.

[ For some Servants, they think it's honorable to reveal True Names, if the other does. She doesn't really care for that, but tonight isn't about choices.

After all, if she had a choice, it wouldn't be him. It wouldn't have been Nia. And... it wouldn't have even been Asch, if it weren't for a different monster's urges. If she had a choice, she'd remain herself. ]

I was created with the essence of three different goddesses: Artermis, Sarasvati, and the Leviathan.

[ He should be honored she revealed that she's going to turn into a knock off version of what she's made of. ]

[oathic]

[... he feels a little bad because that was clearly supposed to be a dramatic reveal, but none of those names mean anything to him.]

Oh. Cool. You weren't kidding when you said you were powerful, huh?

[sadiskick]

[ He should feel bad not at all. If there's no recognition, then it's the same as not revealing, and she's also fine with that.

She sighs, and a conflicted emotion crosses her face. ]

... I won't die easily either way.

[ Even if she doesn't want to live like this, her instinct is always to fight. ]

[oathic]

... I wasn't expecting you to.

[tick tock, tick tock. is there a clock in the room? who knows, because we don't even know which room they're locked in now, but either way, agni keeps track of the passing time in the back of his mind.]

To be honest, I'd rather talk this out than fight... but I guess negotiating's off the table?

[sadiskick]

[ If there's a free room with a clock in it, we're going for it. The reminder of time makes her smile bittersweet. ]

If this could be solved by talking, I would have done that days ago. I'd rather so many other things happen now, but we can't all have what we want.

[ She sighs, and there's a small pang in her heart. ]

Why don't you tell me about why you want to pass as a human in whatever we time we have left before you make an attempt on my life?

[ That's about as much negotiating she has left in her. Usually, she'd be the type to go for the kill and make the first move, as aggressive as she is, but something is holding her back. ]

[oathic]

[he doesn't entirely know why she's letting him delay this either. then again, it benefits her, he supposes.]

Well, habit, partly. After the Cataclysm, we were forbidden from revealing ourselves to the populace again... though I went ahead and broke that rule, so I guess it doesn't matter.

[agni isn't great at following the rules, for better or for worse.]

But it makes things simpler, you know? Humans can get kind of weird about it, like I'm going to throw them into Hell if they disrespect me or whatever.

[sadiskick]

[ Perhaps she's feeling existentially tired because she's tied to a 14 year old who perpetually feels that way. Perhaps it's the effect of being tied to people who do feel sleepy. But in the end, she wants to be cool-headed even if her heart isn't.

She smiles slightly. Breaking rules... changing rules... it's something she can relate to. ]

Humans are stupid that way. Why would gods attack them for every little thing?

[ In the scope of things, it wouldn't be worth it. ]

[oathic]

Well, most only know us through rumours... so it's easy to be intimidated by what you don't know well, especially if there's a power gap. I've got the reputation as quite a cold-hearted and merciless god, you know.

[as he chills here, chatting with his target...

though perhaps the fact that he's here to kill her at all makes it not so implausible.]

[sadiskick]

[ Intimidated by what you don't know...

That could be true for anyone even if not everyone will admit it. That includes herself, which she also won't admit. ]

For what reason are you here? Is it out of mercy? Duty? Arrogance?

[oathic]

Well... a little of all of the above, I guess?

[sadiskick]

[ She's not sure if she's annoyed by this or not. No, she is a little annoyed by it. ]

She opens her mouth and then closes it. ]

... There are a few things I wish I could say but can't. [ She sighs. ] Is there anything more you want to ask me before we do this?

[ She can feel her time winding down. Why is it always time that's against her? ]