[After that long silence, he finally lets out a quiet, tired huff, almost but not quite a laugh.]
...You're really much smarter than I am. But I suppose that's why I'm a martial god, isn't it? [He solves problems with his instinct, not his brain. The thought gets a smile out of him, though it's still more self-deprecating than anything, shoulders sagging as he gives in to...whatever it is he's feeling now.
He's giving in to her headpat, that's it.]
I've learned myself how strong humanity is, over the years--how brave, and how kind, and how cruel they can be. And I do try to help them when I can, even if it doesn't amount to much in the long run. But I don't...know if I'm strong enough to do that. To believe in myself.
[He closes his eyes again, a long, tired sigh, the sigh of someone who's been holding in his worries for 800 years.]
2/3
...You're really much smarter than I am. But I suppose that's why I'm a martial god, isn't it? [He solves problems with his instinct, not his brain. The thought gets a smile out of him, though it's still more self-deprecating than anything, shoulders sagging as he gives in to...whatever it is he's feeling now.
He's giving in to her headpat, that's it.]
I've learned myself how strong humanity is, over the years--how brave, and how kind, and how cruel they can be. And I do try to help them when I can, even if it doesn't amount to much in the long run. But I don't...know if I'm strong enough to do that. To believe in myself.
[He closes his eyes again, a long, tired sigh, the sigh of someone who's been holding in his worries for 800 years.]