#( 10/10 reference JJSDSK )

[erabundus]

❝  ...  ❞    speaking  from  experience  —  ?  yes,  he  supposes  he  is.  though  ren  finds  himself  HESITATING  to  give  a  direct  confirmation  either  way.  (  despite  knowing  full  well  he's  been  all  but  figured  out.  )  it  was  foolish  of  him  to  say  anything  —  he  puts  forth  a  great  deal  of  effort  to  maintain  the  façade  of  an  ordinary  person.  ordinary  as  the  ever  so  eccentric  wanderer  can  possibly  be,  at  least.  he's  reticent  to  share  even  the  smallest  scraps  of  INFORMATION  about  himself  as  a  rule,  yet  that  goes  doubly  so  for  any  matters  concerning  what  he  truly  is.  his  true  nature,  his  existence  as  a  nigh-indestructible  puppet  —  they  are  all  qualities  that  make  him  a  particularly  tantalizing  well  of  information  for  minds  rife  with  curiosity  and  ill-intent  to  dip  into.

he doesn't know this person. no more than what mere RUMORS would tell him. however, that lack of knowledge, that wildcard status makes ren all the more reluctant to trust. unfortunately, he's showed too much of his hand to retain the luxury of his own ambiguity.

❝  ...  i  don't.  ❞      the  admittance  spills  from  his  lips,  soft  yet  simmering  with  emotions  ren  doesn't  care  to  parse.      ❝  i'll  continue  to  exist  as  long  as  there  remains  a  world  to  EXIST  IN.  ❞      immortality.  stasis.  eternity.  all  were  qualities  etched  into  him  by  design.  he  can't  die;  his  mind  will  never  bend  or  break,  no  matter  how  many  eons  weigh  upon  it.  even  as  the  gods  themselves  begin  to  erode  away,  the  wanderer  will  remain  —  a  lone  figure,  walking  the  spider  silk-thin  line  between  mortal  and  divinity.      ❝  it's  not  something  that  can  be  copied  or  shared.  ❞    not  easily,  though  he  takes  care  to  leave  that  part  out.      ❝  but  even  if  it  were,  i  wouldn't  want  it  to  spread.  it's  more  like  a  CURSE  than  a  BLESSING.  ❞

❛ is that so ? ❜

contemplates in silence for a brief moment . surely the other is talking about the doctor's QUEST for immortality , no ? true , the path for LONGEVITY is one that is far less travelled on , but he is persistent . after all , he's come THIS far already . ( surely not many know of that side of him though ) . a spring of life that has been tapped into for DECADES - if not more . has seen plenty that not many have yet to witness , yet .... he still carries a humble air around him about it . dares not to unveil the TRUTH about anything - not yet - but also holds his tongue back . there is no reason for him to ADMIT anything .

if the other believes it is a road not worthy , then so be it .

❛ speaking from experience , are we ? ❜

baizhu has long since found that age does not determine wisdom. though it may be a key factor into it at times , he has seen plenty of creatures that have lived LONGER than him make folly mistakes . alas , when all of that is said & done , the doctor does believe in one thing : no matter how OLD one is , anybody can decide how they want to live their life . no matter what the circumstances had been at the beginning . one simply has to try . & make do with what they have been given  - for better or for worse . 

❛ something tells me you weren't given that choice before . but tell me ... do you have a choice now ? ❜