[ 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}
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[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?
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[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.