[After splitting up for a survey of the land where Masters and Servants are to do battle, they reconvene at their base of operations (if it can be called that) to swap what they've learned. Once he hears Wanderer's side of things, Sieghart throws his head back and guffaws.]
Does a human's opinion matter so much to you?
[This is an assumption, but it seems safe to assume most of the people here are humans.
Either way, his laughter is genuine. His Master is the fussy type, is he? Foolish. It'd be endearing if they weren't in the middle of a small-scale war with absurd stakes.]
A vibe is the air you carry. She must have thought yours was striking to use such abstract words.
[ ...Hmpf. To be spoken to so cavalierly by someone who's supposed to be his underling...but it wouldn't bother him so much if it weren't true. Has Sieghart figured him out already? Should he find that threatening or impressive?
Possibly both. He crosses the (very small) square footage of their apartment to look out the window. At least it has a decent view of the city?? ]
I see. My efforts to blend in so far have had...mixed results. I don't like pretending to be something or someone I'm not.
Didn't you say that you'd do whatever is necessary?
[If he's obnoxious, he'll commit to the bit, though it's just how he is. Still, there's no sense in cruelty as he watches Wanderer from behind. The view is not important.]
[ About time he asked that question, though for all he has anticipated it, and intended to ask the same, he didn't really prepare for how to actually...answer it.
The answer to that question is clearer to him than ever, but it still isn't an easy thing to confront. Who is he? ]
If you want the simple answer...I'm a wanderer, a shugenja in my homeland. I've had many names in the past, titles, all given to me by others. A less simple answer will take precious time to explain. If you need a name to use for me, you can call me Ren.
[ So had the Traveler named him, and it isn't a name he shares lightly. It's obvious in the way he says it that there's a lot of meaning tied to that particular name. ]
Ren. He turns the name over in his mind, then again, before filing it away. Of all the names and titles given to him in the past, this is the one Wanderer has chosen. Sieghart won't use it lightly for both their sakes.]
Custodian of Kounat's legacy. I've spent the last 600 years hunting down the corrupt Highlanders who destroyed their kingdom with this power.
[His tone is flat. As his sole purpose, there's nothing exciting about this for him.]
[ Six hundred years...so, he's even older than he is. Somehow, Wanderer is unsurprised to find that his companion is long-lived himself. It figures another old soul would answer his call. What else might they have in common?
But that's a dangerous thread to chase. ]
Sieghart, then. It sounds like you're no stranger to the battlefield, then. You said you're handy with a sword?
[ If he sounds dubious, it's only because he's too stubborn to sound curious. ]
I've wielded a variety of weapons over the years, but I was known as a genius swordsman in my youth.
[If Ren is dubious, he makes a sensible Master. After all, he doesn't know his Servant's capacity. Sieghart expounds, if only to rectify this in the interest of their common goal.]
I told you before. The title of warlord is bestowed unto knights with the power to break through hundreds of the enemy ranks in a short time. That was when I was mortal; I've only grown stronger since.
[Too strong. The human mind can only handle so much. He isn't so arrogant that he thinks the war will be an easy one, but he knows the extent of his power in his own dimension.]
[ If his claim is to be believed, then Sieghart is quite a force to be reckoned with, and that bodes well for their efforts. Yet for all his own ego, Wanderer isn't one to assume this war is already theirs either. He is nothing if not a skeptic. How else could he have survived this long?
In the back of his mind, he can't help but wonder what the Musou no Hitotachi would do in the hands of one like him. ]
You spoke of ending corruption, but let me ask you this: are you prepared to take an enemy's life if they stand between us an our victory? Will you cut them down even if they beg you for mercy?
[ He thinks he knows what the answer will be, but he needs to be sure. ]
[If the cold glint in his eyes isn't answer enough, he'll add this:]
The wish promised to the victor is a corruptive power. Those who twist themselves in pursuit of it . . . I'll cut them down.
[He's no fool to how that sounds. But he believes that humans are weak-minded and conceited, often seeking to justify themselves at the expense of others. His duty is to execute those who would succumb to such temptation, and that hasn't changed.]
[ Now then, isn't this interesting? Every crumb that Wanderer learns about his companion intrigues him, and for all he doesn't want to get to know him on a personal level, there's things he should know in order to make their working relationship profitable for the both of them.
That's surely the only reason why he chases this particular thread of the conversation. Turning away from the window, Wanderer observes Sieghart with open curiosity in his eyes. ]
And to the end of your own goal, to destroy corruption, you will twist yourself to seize that promise? Hah - you realize how utterly foolish that sounds, don't you?
[A corner of his lips twitches before he gives a wry smile in response.]
I do.
[The thought has crossed his mind, of course. He can give a thousand excuses, including his duty-bound position to investigate the war, but they won't change the hypocrisy of his participation. To desire is dangerous, yet he desires all the same.
More than ever, time feels so short. To take part is a blessing and a curse in one. Will he even see the end? But he must.
There's no way he'll eat anything in his time here.]
That's why I won't complain if another Servant strikes me down.
[ This was about the answer he expected, yet it doesn't sit well with him, especially that last bit. After he had to fight so hard to reclaim his own life from his past, to hear someone so willing to throw theirs away... ]
You might be willing to accept that, but I won't. Dying on me like that...would be a grave betrayal.
[ One he isn't about to entertain. His cause might be a noble one, but no one else will be taking the fall for it but him, if it comes to it...
They'll just have to win. ]
So don't you dare even consider it, and don't make me waste my command seals on something so foolish, either.
[If he's afraid of betrayal, he chose poorly to be here—and fate was even crueler to pair them together. No matter what happens, that pain will be Ren's cross to bear. But Sieghart declines to give voice to those thoughts, lest he waste Ren's energy on immutable affairs ]
Don't worry. I'm not so irresponsible that I'd throw a fight.
[Everyone is here with an agenda. That means no one person is more inherently innocent than the other. He'll do his part while he can.]
So why don't we devise a strategy while we're here?
[ That answer will have to suffice for now, even if it's somewhat unsatisfactory. Maybe he expected betrayal from this conflict to a degree, but from his own Servant?
No, he should have expected that more than anything else. ]
...Alright. I have a proposal in mind I'd like to run by you, in that case. You should know first, however, that when I was exploring the city earlier, I encountered someone who I recognized, and who recognized that I was from the same world as her.
[ Kokomi doesn't know him, which puts him at an advantage, but even that she knows he's from Teyvat and a Vision-bearer could possess a threat. ]
[The tension lingers in the air. The conversation of life and death isn't over, but it'll have to wait for the next time they decide to discuss philosophy.
For now, his mind maps out the rough layout of the city from his own exploration, and he wonders where Ren might have had this encounter. It seems that Ren knows this woman better than she knows him. This gives them the advantage of knowledge, though it also means they've been compromised on secrecy.]
Her name is Sangonomiya Kokomi, and she is well-known around my homeland for not only being a leader of her people, but a brilliant strategist on the battlefield as well.
[ A twitch of his lips. She even led a rebellion against his mother, which makes him view her more favorably than he otherwise would. ]
She doesn't know who I am, and if she did, I doubt she'd entertain working with us. As it stands, however, for the time being, she could prove a worthwhile ally for us.
[Why the twitch? Something is funny that he doesn't see.
But this is useful information, whether or not she's willing to entertain the idea of allying with them. There's a likelihood that Kokomi will become a double-edged blade if they coordinate in the future, but Sieghart is neither a leader nor the Master at the end of the day. And exactly what did Ren do that his mere identity would be anathema?]
Her merit speaks for itself. Why would she want to ally with us, then?
[ That is a very fair question, especially considering...he didn't make any particular effort to curry favor with her. Sort of the opposite, but he isn't one to tell others what they want to hear just for their sake. Hopefully, in a way that will convince Kokomi that his proposal is an honest one.
Even if they will need to turn on one another eventually, regardless. This war can only have one victor, and none of them are deluding themselves otherwise. ]
She isn't one to operate without an army, and after the civil war, she was quick to cooperate with those who were once her enemies for the greater good. She finds strength in numbers, and as I am likely the greatest threat to her right now, she'd rather have me where she can keep an eye on me.
[Entice her with the advantage of numbers until the time comes to turn against one another. Well, at least neither party would harbor delusions about a harmonious ending. The question is, would she view an alliance as part of the greater good?]
So you'd appeal to her wariness of you as someone who knows more about her than she does you.
Which is she?
[He'd wager that she's a Master, but Ren would know better. Or that'll be something to investigate.]
[ A small shake of his head. His gut instinct tells him she'd make a fitting Master, but he already has misgivings about his own fit for the role. Who's to say fate (ha) didn't make her a Servant just to laugh at her leadership? ]
...I can't be sure. If she's a Servant, we'll just have to wait and see if she holds enough sway with her Master to convince them that our plan has merit, for now.
The Master's name is Yuki. She's the type to throw herself at a threat and seize victory with her own hands. A serpentine shikigami known as Garuda accompanies her.
[She didn't divulge her Servant's identity or class, and he hasn't figured either out yet. He'll work on it.]
I encountered the first Servant at a store. They're agitated and naïve on the surface, but they have experience in slaying others.
[And maybe a questionable grasp of life's worth. This is what makes them dangerous—and pitiable—in his eyes.]
The second was outside. She has light hair and a contrarian disposition.
[ Interesting...there are a few descriptions in there that could match individuals that Wanderer himself interacted with, though it's not enough to go off to be sure yet. Just something to keep in mind for later... ]
Noted. That's a pretty handy ability...I suppose I'll have to rely on you after all.
[ It's a concession he is reluctant to make, even if they are, of course, a team. It would take him much longer on his own to sniff out who the various Masters and Servants around here are, Kokomi aside. ]
[ It isn't often that Wanderer chooses to sleep...but when he does, it's because he's passed enough time in his life that sometimes it's convenient to just speed things up. Yes, that's all there is to it - a means to an end.
Regardless of his reasoning, he lets himself drift off into sleep that is typically dreamless. After all, what does a puppet have to dream about? Tonight, however, there seems to be...plenty, as he finds himself within a place that is all too familiar to him, yet one he was in no hurry to return to. ]
Tch...even when I'm resolved to move on, this place still clings to me.
[ He's thinking aloud, not yet realizing he isn't alone. ]
[All it takes is a moment of closed eyes. Sieghart doesn't mean to sleep, but it's as if he's sucked into the unfamiliar dimension once his vision darkens with night. He feels the air shift, opens his eyes, and sighs softly a ways behind Ren.]
It looks like I fell asleep. . . . Is this your memory?
[Call it a Servant's intuition. Even at a second glance, this place is unfamiliar to him. And he's well-traveled as far as Aernas is concerned.]
[ ...If he's surprised, Wanderer doesn't let it show on his face as he turns back towards Sieghart for only a moment. Hm...so not only is he dreaming, but he's going to have company for this encounter.
Well, he's already relived his own memories once in the presence of others. If he must do it again, so be it. ]
...Yes. My first home, in a sense. Will you come inside?
[ This is a good thing, he tells himself. Sieghart can learn about him without him having to explain his past. It's...a good thing. ]
[Not many would so willingly welcome even loved ones into the abode of their memories, no matter how idyllic. Sieghart considers the implications of Ren's offer before he moves forward, closing the gap between them.]
[ Can't have second thoughts if he doesn't allow himself the space to! And the sooner they get this over with, the better. Without a second glance, he heads through the sliding door of the pavilion, leading Sieghart inside, until they reach the garden, and some familiar scenes begin to play out. Nahida's narration is even there for convenience, as if this dream is not just replaying the original events as they happened, but the moments where Wanderer reexperienced them for the first time.
He could have done without experiencing this for a second time, let alone a third...but it's important. Necessary. He will never flinch away from his past, and the path that it set him on. The memory stops playing out at about 1:48:45, leaving them a moment, as if the dreamscape itself expects them to do something with this newly-shared information. ]
...If you have any questions, you may as well ask them now.
[The pavilion is exquisite. Sieghart may not be from Inazuma, but he's seen enough in his lifetime to know good craftsmanship when he sees it. Most of all, the garden has a quiet air about it.
Too quiet, in fact. The faceless voice quickly fills the lifeless void, pushing against the atmospheric inertia. Then he hears footsteps, and a burly man enters the scene, only to soon vanish thereafter.
"In the original version of events" . . . ?
Sieghart almost answers that he has none in the way of questions. But the dreamscape seems to be waiting for change, and it would be best, he supposes as he glances at Ren, to make sense of what he can while he can.]
...The Raiden Shogun, ruler of Inazuma. And...my mother. My creator.
[ He had already alluded to his nature before, and even if he didn't explain further at the time, it wasn't due to any desire to obfuscate the truth. He isn't ashamed of what he is. He won't hide it, or pretend to be something he isn't.
Still...there's a note of weariness to his voice, at having to tell this story again, for baring his scars for a near stranger to see. ]
I was meant to act as her puppet, while she cowered in her Plane of Euthymia, but she deemed me the flawed one and cast me aside. Here, in this beautiful, exquisite prison, until I was found by humans by chance. Hah - they treated me far better than she could have ever dreamed, and they pray to her as their god...
[Mother. Creator. God. Just from that, he can see why humans would have treated Ren more warmly.]
If you were so flawed, why didn't she dispose of you from the beginning?
[This is an awful lot of trouble to go through for a puppet. A way for the Raiden Shogun to feel better about what she did? Either way, it's small wonder that Ren gave such a complicated answer for the question of who he is. Exactly what was his flaw in the eyes of divinity?]
Something about letting me "follow my own path". That was her excuse, anyway. Frankly, I think she just didn't want to admit her own failure by destroying me outright.
[ There's a rather detached note in his voice as he explains this, as if he is talking about something else, a simple trinket or invention, and not himself. Not someone with a long-lived life full of bitter memories. Even after she cut his strings, there was already someone waiting to swoop in and tie them up once more. ]
She wanted another puppet, one devoid of emotion. That isn't what she got when she created me.
[ Was it too cruel even for her to destroy something that could think and feel? Or was she simply too cowardly to do so? He doesn't have the answers, and he never will. ]
[He doesn't know anything about the Raiden Shogun as a person to take a stance. People are one thing; divinity is another. But it's suspect that she abandoned a project in a place ordinary humans can reach if she meant to conceal her failure.
Not that he'll say so. What good will that do?
Ren is emotional. Sieghart can gather that much. That's what to which he'll turn his attention, and not some god who's only here as a haunting ghost.]
That place you were taken to . . . Is that the home of your wish?
[ He shouldn't be reluctant to admit it, when Sieghart has already put two and two together, yet they approach his vulnerable core, a place inside himself that he could have gone this entire war without acknowledging. Maybe Wanderer isn't about to hide his past, but is there any benefit to Sieghart seeing this part of him?
Still, he won't turn away. ]
Tatarasuna. It was my home...a place where I was treated just like everyone else. [ "Like a human", is what he doesn't say. ] It was never meant to last, though. I was betrayed...by someone who later was a colleague. He led me to believe I was betrayed by those who had taken me in, and -- [ A sharp shake of his head. ] Well. You can piece the rest together.
[It doesn't take a genius to fill in the vague blanks. There's so much about Ren that's human. Even this attachment to a homeland is more human than divine. After all, what is a civilization to a god than a mere droplet in the vast pool of time?
A pool that would drive even the best of mortals mad. And then there's Ren, carrying betrayals that would sooner destroy than heal him.
Was that the original version?]
I can.
[It's a fragmented finish at best, but enough to demonstrate Ren's love for the people and place that took him in. Sieghart's main goal is to understand, not pry. He turns away to walk through what part of the pavilion he can, and he proceeds with downcast eyes once his back is turned to Ren, tone softening just barely enough to be audible.]
You're more human than divine. Your mind has suffered for it.
[ Something in those words prods at his deepest recesses - where a heart would be, if he had one. But that's the problem, isn't it? Or so he's always believed. ]
Don't. Don't call me human. I'm not--
[ Like them. Not as foolish, as selfish, as tenderhearted. Not as kind, or cruel. Yet his words die on his tongue, because Sieghart is an impartial crowd, and observant to boot. He's already glimpsed more of Ren's true nature than most do. What does his stubborn refusal do other than waste their time?
Instead, he grasps his fists at his side, gaze flashing cold as he shoots Sieghart a glare. ]
So? What about you? Do you consider yourself closer to divinity? By now, you should understand what I think of the gods.
[ The Pavilion around them ripples, dissipating into a formless mist, though the two of them remain in this empty space. ]
[Sieghart doesn't see the glare, but he can feel it—hear it, even, in those words. He understands the desire not to accept humanity well enough. Still, the question almost sets him off to laugh again, if mirthlessly.
How fitting, that they should be Master and Servant.
The air around them shifts, taking on a lifeless turn as the light dims. A temple forms beneath their feet in the middle of the cloudy void, and traces of something unseen to the naked eye cross the otherwise empty space as if on a pilgrimage to the other side.
Sieghart disappears after a blink. After all, he can't exist in two places in his own memory, which begins with a thought: I'm tired of this.
You feel them more than you see them. All around you in this crossroad are the souls of the departed. Some are bound for the afterlife; others, someplace where their souls will be sequestered from the universe of life. Be that as it may, you're very much alive with a bone-deep weariness that numbs your body—irritatingly so.
"It's been a long time since I became a Highlander. Everyone dreams of becoming immortal once in their life . . . but, as someone who's lived for a long time, there aren't always good sides to immortality."
At the last word, an otherworldly entity gathers into existence at the center of the temple. He's you—rather, the trace of another you who can be said to reflect your soul—and his eyes shine a cold scarlet as he returns your lethargy with seeming indifference.
"Humans are meant to be mortal," he says. "Defying fate slowly erodes one away. Who can guarantee that a Highlander, blessed with the blood of the gods, will not fall to madness?"
"Absolute power absolutely corrupts," you reply, reciting the mantra that has sustained you for nearly 700 years. "For the Highlanders' honor . . . No, so that I don't become a monster . . . I have exterminated corrupt Highlanders from time immemorial."
"Looking at you," says your reflection, sizing you up from a distance, "you're not that far from your own downfall."
He's right. You can feel the divine blood that courses through your body threatening to overtake your mind, gnawed away by the passage of time far beyond your natural years. How much of you is actually left? If you were to look at yourself, you'd see a husk before a man. Still, your anger flares at the reminder of your weariness.
"Ah . . . maybe. But not today." You glower. "I don't like that arrogant look on your face."
You didn't come here to trade useless words with your echo. So you raise your spear in one hand and your sword in the other, then charge at your alternate self, who meets you halfway with his divine blade drawn, thereby initiating the trial in this realm between life and death.
Time skips. Your persona walks off a fatal stab to the chest that closes within seconds. This doesn't surprise you, seeing as the blood of the gods runs through both of you. But you do scoff.
"Losing humanity leads to corruption? Don't make me laugh. You can't call yourself human from the moment you become immortal. I am a Highlander . . . an existence outside the laws of nature." Anathema to order. An undying curse, doomed to destruct all you seek to protect. So long as you are, you will distort the fabric of existence. "Only those who can surrender their humanity won't fall."
"Do you really think you've given up on your original human self?"
"Tsk." Your anger flares again. If nothing else, you've always been quick to tap into your fury. "If that were possible, this wouldn't be so difficult. That's why I'm still enduring to this day."
Every day is a battle. You dig your heel into the heart of your humanity, stamping out your desires before greed can bloom and expedite your corruption. All you're left with is resentment, and that festering rage crowds out everything else. The air around you shifts, then crackles with the anger that wells from within you before exploding outward—and your blades cross again.
And then there's nothing. The temple remains, but the echoes fade away, as does the memory, returning Ren to his place beside Sieghart.]
[ As the memory plays out, and he witnesses something that is no doubt as personal as what Sieghart had seen of his past, he can't help but be struck by just how familiar this feels...and yet how starkly unfamiliar it is at the same time. They really do have an awful lot in common, don't they?
And yet the canyons that separate them are so very vast. He shouldn't attempt to bridge them with understanding - he knows how this ends. He know how this ends.
As they settle back into the original places, still surrounded by the temple of Sieghart's memory, Wanderer's expression remains pointed downward, unwilling to make the eye contact that could be misconstrued as anything looking like empathy. ]
You truly are the embodiment of an immortal, aren't you?
[ He doesn't clarify whether that's a good or bad thing in his eyes, because he isn't sure yet where he falls. ]
[Sieghart huffs. A recent memory like this is just another day for him. For Ren to be a witness is just a convenient shortcut when there's little to hide.]
But if I weren't, I'd be more beast than man right now.
[If he accepts his humanity, he'll lose his mind. It's as simple as that. Then the Highlanders will run rampant, and Ren will find himself saddled with a worthless Servant.]
[ What a strange thing to ask. Why should it matter whether it aggravates him or not? Though maybe the only reason Ren has to question Sieghart's response at all is because he doesn't want to reflect on it himself. Does it aggravate him? ]
Heh. Don't try to delude me into believing you care what I think.
[ Why would he? Why would he? ]
Maybe you aren't so different from the gods that lord over their subjects on Teyvat. They too believe their ideals to be worth upholding, no matter the cost. Why is it up to you to excise corruption from your world, anyway?
[ That's just how it is with immortals, isn't it? They always step too far - not that he has room to talk. ]
[Delude? No. Candor just happens to be more conducive to a productive relationship than deception. But if Ren doesn't want to think about it, Sieghart won't ask twice.]
I can't change humanity.
[That's far beyond his pay grade. He won't pursue something that isn't his to change, even if he'll cut down anyone who seeks to abuse power.]
But Kounat's legacy is a seed of corruption. As its custodian, my job is to ensure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands . . . and I've yet to meet someone whose hands are right for it.
[ Of course, he thinks. Of course he would be partnered with someone who thinks he can guide humanity...or at least, protect it from itself. The irony isn't lost on Wanderer, how Sieghart can be seen as a mirror to himself. Had his ascension taken form, would he have become a similar kind of custodian?
His divine aim wasn't to rule, after all. To be respected, to be needed, yes. But he didn't want power for its sake alone. ]
How truly arrogant...you know, that alone makes you far more human than you might want to admit.
[ Maybe neither of them are as far from humanity as they want to be. ]
[The words tumble out like a quiet sigh. More than anything, he's weary. As the years go by, he finds himself drawn more and more to that which he's rejected for centuries, all while knowing that it's nothing but poison to his existence. That growing desire is why life is so hard.
But Ren doesn't have to be sucked into that mess. The air around them begins to shift again as Sieghart looks aside.]
Forget everything I said. It has nothing to do with our pact.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Week 0 - Sixteen (16) questionable apartments later . . .
Does a human's opinion matter so much to you?
[This is an assumption, but it seems safe to assume most of the people here are humans.
Either way, his laughter is genuine. His Master is the fussy type, is he? Foolish. It'd be endearing if they weren't in the middle of a small-scale war with absurd stakes.]
A vibe is the air you carry. She must have thought yours was striking to use such abstract words.
no subject
Possibly both. He crosses the (very small) square footage of their apartment to look out the window. At least it has a decent view of the city?? ]
I see. My efforts to blend in so far have had...mixed results. I don't like pretending to be something or someone I'm not.
[ Not anymore. ]
Your vibes are really obnoxious sometimes...
no subject
[If he's obnoxious, he'll commit to the bit, though it's just how he is. Still, there's no sense in cruelty as he watches Wanderer from behind. The view is not important.]
Then who are you?
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The answer to that question is clearer to him than ever, but it still isn't an easy thing to confront. Who is he? ]
If you want the simple answer...I'm a wanderer, a shugenja in my homeland. I've had many names in the past, titles, all given to me by others. A less simple answer will take precious time to explain. If you need a name to use for me, you can call me Ren.
[ So had the Traveler named him, and it isn't a name he shares lightly. It's obvious in the way he says it that there's a lot of meaning tied to that particular name. ]
And? Yourself?
no subject
Ren. He turns the name over in his mind, then again, before filing it away. Of all the names and titles given to him in the past, this is the one Wanderer has chosen. Sieghart won't use it lightly for both their sakes.]
Custodian of Kounat's legacy. I've spent the last 600 years hunting down the corrupt Highlanders who destroyed their kingdom with this power.
[His tone is flat. As his sole purpose, there's nothing exciting about this for him.]
If you're going to use a name, call me Sieghart.
no subject
But that's a dangerous thread to chase. ]
Sieghart, then. It sounds like you're no stranger to the battlefield, then. You said you're handy with a sword?
[ If he sounds dubious, it's only because he's too stubborn to sound curious. ]
no subject
[If Ren is dubious, he makes a sensible Master. After all, he doesn't know his Servant's capacity. Sieghart expounds, if only to rectify this in the interest of their common goal.]
I told you before. The title of warlord is bestowed unto knights with the power to break through hundreds of the enemy ranks in a short time. That was when I was mortal; I've only grown stronger since.
[Too strong. The human mind can only handle so much. He isn't so arrogant that he thinks the war will be an easy one, but he knows the extent of his power in his own dimension.]
no subject
In the back of his mind, he can't help but wonder what the Musou no Hitotachi would do in the hands of one like him. ]
You spoke of ending corruption, but let me ask you this: are you prepared to take an enemy's life if they stand between us an our victory? Will you cut them down even if they beg you for mercy?
[ He thinks he knows what the answer will be, but he needs to be sure. ]
no subject
[If the cold glint in his eyes isn't answer enough, he'll add this:]
The wish promised to the victor is a corruptive power. Those who twist themselves in pursuit of it . . . I'll cut them down.
[He's no fool to how that sounds. But he believes that humans are weak-minded and conceited, often seeking to justify themselves at the expense of others. His duty is to execute those who would succumb to such temptation, and that hasn't changed.]
no subject
That's surely the only reason why he chases this particular thread of the conversation. Turning away from the window, Wanderer observes Sieghart with open curiosity in his eyes. ]
And to the end of your own goal, to destroy corruption, you will twist yourself to seize that promise? Hah - you realize how utterly foolish that sounds, don't you?
no subject
I do.
[The thought has crossed his mind, of course. He can give a thousand excuses, including his duty-bound position to investigate the war, but they won't change the hypocrisy of his participation. To desire is dangerous, yet he desires all the same.
More than ever, time feels so short. To take part is a blessing and a curse in one. Will he even see the end? But he must.
There's no way he'll eat anything in his time here.]
That's why I won't complain if another Servant strikes me down.
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You might be willing to accept that, but I won't. Dying on me like that...would be a grave betrayal.
[ One he isn't about to entertain. His cause might be a noble one, but no one else will be taking the fall for it but him, if it comes to it...
They'll just have to win. ]
So don't you dare even consider it, and don't make me waste my command seals on something so foolish, either.
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Don't worry. I'm not so irresponsible that I'd throw a fight.
[Everyone is here with an agenda. That means no one person is more inherently innocent than the other. He'll do his part while he can.]
So why don't we devise a strategy while we're here?
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No, he should have expected that more than anything else. ]
...Alright. I have a proposal in mind I'd like to run by you, in that case. You should know first, however, that when I was exploring the city earlier, I encountered someone who I recognized, and who recognized that I was from the same world as her.
[ Kokomi doesn't know him, which puts him at an advantage, but even that she knows he's from Teyvat and a Vision-bearer could possess a threat. ]
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For now, his mind maps out the rough layout of the city from his own exploration, and he wonders where Ren might have had this encounter. It seems that Ren knows this woman better than she knows him. This gives them the advantage of knowledge, though it also means they've been compromised on secrecy.]
And? Does your proposal concern her?
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Her name is Sangonomiya Kokomi, and she is well-known around my homeland for not only being a leader of her people, but a brilliant strategist on the battlefield as well.
[ A twitch of his lips. She even led a rebellion against his mother, which makes him view her more favorably than he otherwise would. ]
She doesn't know who I am, and if she did, I doubt she'd entertain working with us. As it stands, however, for the time being, she could prove a worthwhile ally for us.
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But this is useful information, whether or not she's willing to entertain the idea of allying with them. There's a likelihood that Kokomi will become a double-edged blade if they coordinate in the future, but Sieghart is neither a leader nor the Master at the end of the day. And exactly what did Ren do that his mere identity would be anathema?]
Her merit speaks for itself. Why would she want to ally with us, then?
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Even if they will need to turn on one another eventually, regardless. This war can only have one victor, and none of them are deluding themselves otherwise. ]
She isn't one to operate without an army, and after the civil war, she was quick to cooperate with those who were once her enemies for the greater good. She finds strength in numbers, and as I am likely the greatest threat to her right now, she'd rather have me where she can keep an eye on me.
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So you'd appeal to her wariness of you as someone who knows more about her than she does you.
Which is she?
[He'd wager that she's a Master, but Ren would know better. Or that'll be something to investigate.]
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...I can't be sure. If she's a Servant, we'll just have to wait and see if she holds enough sway with her Master to convince them that our plan has merit, for now.
[ Short term allegiance for long term gains. ]
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He nods once. They have the approximate plan, then. The rest is up to the pitch and Kokomi's response.]
Speaking of Masters, there was one by a wall in the city. She wasn't accompanied by a Servant, though there were two between a street and a store.
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Were you able to get a look at any of them?
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[She didn't divulge her Servant's identity or class, and he hasn't figured either out yet. He'll work on it.]
I encountered the first Servant at a store. They're agitated and naïve on the surface, but they have experience in slaying others.
[And maybe a questionable grasp of life's worth. This is what makes them dangerous—and pitiable—in his eyes.]
The second was outside. She has light hair and a contrarian disposition.
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Noted. That's a pretty handy ability...I suppose I'll have to rely on you after all.
[ It's a concession he is reluctant to make, even if they are, of course, a team. It would take him much longer on his own to sniff out who the various Masters and Servants around here are, Kokomi aside. ]
Week 1 - Memshare fun!!!
Regardless of his reasoning, he lets himself drift off into sleep that is typically dreamless. After all, what does a puppet have to dream about? Tonight, however, there seems to be...plenty, as he finds himself within a place that is all too familiar to him, yet one he was in no hurry to return to. ]
Tch...even when I'm resolved to move on, this place still clings to me.
[ He's thinking aloud, not yet realizing he isn't alone. ]
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It looks like I fell asleep. . . . Is this your memory?
[Call it a Servant's intuition. Even at a second glance, this place is unfamiliar to him. And he's well-traveled as far as Aernas is concerned.]
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Well, he's already relived his own memories once in the presence of others. If he must do it again, so be it. ]
...Yes. My first home, in a sense. Will you come inside?
[ This is a good thing, he tells himself. Sieghart can learn about him without him having to explain his past. It's...a good thing. ]
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Lead the way.
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He could have done without experiencing this for a second time, let alone a third...but it's important. Necessary. He will never flinch away from his past, and the path that it set him on. The memory stops playing out at about 1:48:45, leaving them a moment, as if the dreamscape itself expects them to do something with this newly-shared information. ]
...If you have any questions, you may as well ask them now.
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Too quiet, in fact. The faceless voice quickly fills the lifeless void, pushing against the atmospheric inertia. Then he hears footsteps, and a burly man enters the scene, only to soon vanish thereafter.
"In the original version of events" . . . ?
Sieghart almost answers that he has none in the way of questions. But the dreamscape seems to be waiting for change, and it would be best, he supposes as he glances at Ren, to make sense of what he can while he can.]
Who is the Electro Archon?
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[ He had already alluded to his nature before, and even if he didn't explain further at the time, it wasn't due to any desire to obfuscate the truth. He isn't ashamed of what he is. He won't hide it, or pretend to be something he isn't.
Still...there's a note of weariness to his voice, at having to tell this story again, for baring his scars for a near stranger to see. ]
I was meant to act as her puppet, while she cowered in her Plane of Euthymia, but she deemed me the flawed one and cast me aside. Here, in this beautiful, exquisite prison, until I was found by humans by chance. Hah - they treated me far better than she could have ever dreamed, and they pray to her as their god...
[ But he's not bitter about it or anything. ]
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If you were so flawed, why didn't she dispose of you from the beginning?
[This is an awful lot of trouble to go through for a puppet. A way for the Raiden Shogun to feel better about what she did? Either way, it's small wonder that Ren gave such a complicated answer for the question of who he is. Exactly what was his flaw in the eyes of divinity?]
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[ There's a rather detached note in his voice as he explains this, as if he is talking about something else, a simple trinket or invention, and not himself. Not someone with a long-lived life full of bitter memories. Even after she cut his strings, there was already someone waiting to swoop in and tie them up once more. ]
She wanted another puppet, one devoid of emotion. That isn't what she got when she created me.
[ Was it too cruel even for her to destroy something that could think and feel? Or was she simply too cowardly to do so? He doesn't have the answers, and he never will. ]
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Not that he'll say so. What good will that do?
Ren is emotional. Sieghart can gather that much. That's what to which he'll turn his attention, and not some god who's only here as a haunting ghost.]
That place you were taken to . . . Is that the home of your wish?
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[ He shouldn't be reluctant to admit it, when Sieghart has already put two and two together, yet they approach his vulnerable core, a place inside himself that he could have gone this entire war without acknowledging. Maybe Wanderer isn't about to hide his past, but is there any benefit to Sieghart seeing this part of him?
Still, he won't turn away. ]
Tatarasuna. It was my home...a place where I was treated just like everyone else. [ "Like a human", is what he doesn't say. ] It was never meant to last, though. I was betrayed...by someone who later was a colleague. He led me to believe I was betrayed by those who had taken me in, and -- [ A sharp shake of his head. ] Well. You can piece the rest together.
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A pool that would drive even the best of mortals mad. And then there's Ren, carrying betrayals that would sooner destroy than heal him.
Was that the original version?]
I can.
[It's a fragmented finish at best, but enough to demonstrate Ren's love for the people and place that took him in. Sieghart's main goal is to understand, not pry. He turns away to walk through what part of the pavilion he can, and he proceeds with downcast eyes once his back is turned to Ren, tone softening just barely enough to be audible.]
You're more human than divine. Your mind has suffered for it.
[What a torturous existence.]
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Don't. Don't call me human. I'm not--
[ Like them. Not as foolish, as selfish, as tenderhearted. Not as kind, or cruel. Yet his words die on his tongue, because Sieghart is an impartial crowd, and observant to boot. He's already glimpsed more of Ren's true nature than most do. What does his stubborn refusal do other than waste their time?
Instead, he grasps his fists at his side, gaze flashing cold as he shoots Sieghart a glare. ]
So? What about you? Do you consider yourself closer to divinity? By now, you should understand what I think of the gods.
[ The Pavilion around them ripples, dissipating into a formless mist, though the two of them remain in this empty space. ]
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How fitting, that they should be Master and Servant.
The air around them shifts, taking on a lifeless turn as the light dims. A temple forms beneath their feet in the middle of the cloudy void, and traces of something unseen to the naked eye cross the otherwise empty space as if on a pilgrimage to the other side.
Sieghart disappears after a blink. After all, he can't exist in two places in his own memory, which begins with a thought: I'm tired of this.
And then there's nothing. The temple remains, but the echoes fade away, as does the memory, returning Ren to his place beside Sieghart.]
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And yet the canyons that separate them are so very vast. He shouldn't attempt to bridge them with understanding - he knows how this ends. He know how this ends.
As they settle back into the original places, still surrounded by the temple of Sieghart's memory, Wanderer's expression remains pointed downward, unwilling to make the eye contact that could be misconstrued as anything looking like empathy. ]
You truly are the embodiment of an immortal, aren't you?
[ He doesn't clarify whether that's a good or bad thing in his eyes, because he isn't sure yet where he falls. ]
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[Sieghart huffs. A recent memory like this is just another day for him. For Ren to be a witness is just a convenient shortcut when there's little to hide.]
But if I weren't, I'd be more beast than man right now.
[If he accepts his humanity, he'll lose his mind. It's as simple as that. Then the Highlanders will run rampant, and Ren will find himself saddled with a worthless Servant.]
Does it aggravate you?
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Heh. Don't try to delude me into believing you care what I think.
[ Why would he? Why would he? ]
Maybe you aren't so different from the gods that lord over their subjects on Teyvat. They too believe their ideals to be worth upholding, no matter the cost. Why is it up to you to excise corruption from your world, anyway?
[ That's just how it is with immortals, isn't it? They always step too far - not that he has room to talk. ]
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I can't change humanity.
[That's far beyond his pay grade. He won't pursue something that isn't his to change, even if he'll cut down anyone who seeks to abuse power.]
But Kounat's legacy is a seed of corruption. As its custodian, my job is to ensure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands . . . and I've yet to meet someone whose hands are right for it.
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His divine aim wasn't to rule, after all. To be respected, to be needed, yes. But he didn't want power for its sake alone. ]
How truly arrogant...you know, that alone makes you far more human than you might want to admit.
[ Maybe neither of them are as far from humanity as they want to be. ]
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[The words tumble out like a quiet sigh. More than anything, he's weary. As the years go by, he finds himself drawn more and more to that which he's rejected for centuries, all while knowing that it's nothing but poison to his existence. That growing desire is why life is so hard.
But Ren doesn't have to be sucked into that mess. The air around them begins to shift again as Sieghart looks aside.]
Forget everything I said. It has nothing to do with our pact.