Edwin
*Vanos glances down at the burn-scarred bark of its birthbranch with fascination, watching in awe as the treeflesh reforms. In moments, it is as though Vanos has never been there, its presence erased from the world completely.* 

*Perhaps such thoughts are too heavy moments after its foray into existence, but the thought of something that can be destroyed forever or perhaps cannot be destroyed at all fills Vanos with... What is this feeling, now that it pauses to consider? Revulsion, perhaps, but also a sense of excitement. Something to understand, to learn from, to conquer.* 

*In a moment of pure impulse, Vanos' hand alights with white-hot flame as it presses against the branch, searing a proof of itself into the bark, at least for the moment. Whether or not the mark lasts is unimportant. Every fire must go out eventually. The act of lighting it is what matters.*
Elizabeth
The newborn God of Destruction's attempt at damaging the Great Tree did not go unnoticed. From behind him came a presence, one that spoke of unfettered intent. The stars that surrounded the Upper Branches of Gaia seemed to blink out, before fading back into existence even brighter than before. An aura of utter calm sputtered into existence. Faint. Weakened, perhaps. Yet present all the same. Unborn gods, in fruit of all shapes, sizes and forms surrounded Vanos. Their presence seemed cloying, almost. Attempting to suffocate him with their sheer presence in response to his attempt at harming the Great Mother.

It was at that very moment that a hole in space appeared. A burning line of fire that expanded outwards into the shape of a triangle, through which stepped a man clad in a silver cloak. Three, pearlescent eyes squinted against the brightness of Vanos's flame as he attempted to damage the branch. There was a sense of repressed outrage as the three-eyed man hobbled from the rift. He was missing an arm, and half of his ribcage was exposed to the open air, half-revealing his pulsating, grey heart.

The realms of the gods, spread out across the four cardinal directions, glimmered faintly in the distance. He had once thought of them as unnecessary, dangerous, even. But even he had come to realise that for the most part, they served as a place of rest. The few wandering gods he'd met had always seemed troubled. Not that he himself had not experienced such trouble.

His battle with his brother was over, and as such he allowed parts of himself to split off once more. So too was part of his being fractured, and allowed to return to its post, guarding the World Tree against attack, and waiting for the births of new gods.

Truth be told, Vanos's attempt at wounding Gaia irked him. It was like a newborn serpent with no control over its venom biting at the first thing it sees. Destructive, impulsive, and reckless. Swallowing his own vitriol towards this careless act and reasoning that in comparison to him Vanos was a child, Pureman spoke, choosing his words carefully.

"That is no way to treat your Mother, Child of Gaia."
Edwin
*Vanos turns to face the the source of the voice, though a part of it realizes that the gesture is an affectation; its awareness of the world around it extends far beyond seeing. Still, old habits (how can it have habits?) die hard.* "Hello there, stranger," *It replies lightly, willing its hand back to flesh and raising it languidly in greeting.* "I apologize if I've disturbed you. I'm simply trying to get my bearings on who, and what, I am. Are you a fellow child? Shall I call you sibling?"

*Taking the stranger in, Vanos cannot help but smile at the beauty of such a broken form. It can only wonder what glorious event might have harmed it so. Or perhaps this is just the natural state of this being, fascinating as that possibility is. Of all the virtues Vanos may possess, restraint and tact are not ones that makes themselves apparent, and so it asks,* "Why do you allow yourself to be so ruined, if you truly are my sibling?"
Elizabeth
He looked his sibling up and down, taking in their appearance. An odd thing, tall with black hair that turned to smoke at the tips, with skin of a similar ashen grey to his own. His steely gaze softened momentarily. The question had reminded him that this being was simply uninformed. Though that wasn't to say he did not find it rude, to address one's elder in such a casual manner. Pureman lazily picked some charcoal from his ruined torso, dislodging it from between his ribs. The blackened flesh crumbled away with relative ease, turning to dust between his fingers, with that dust shortly evaporating into white smoke.

"A fellow child I am indeed. You may call me Pureman, for that describes what I am."

Pureman's temper flared the moment the word 'ruined' passed Vanos's lips. In an instant, his ruined flesh knitted itself back together, charred remains sloughing off like a snake's shed skin. It took a few seconds, but he regrew his arm. Truth be told, he didn't have much divinity left for such things after his battle with his brother. Regenerating flesh is a costly move, and he felt himself grow ever more tired with each expenditure of power. This was only *One* Fragment of himself, and it was already taking up too much energy. He sighed, taking a deep breath to cool off.

"Ah. You should see the other sibling."
Edwin
"I'm sure that would be wonderful," *Vanos replies, entirely seriously. It takes a step closer to examine Pureman's reforming flesh, watching it with a curious expression for a long moment before remembering its place in the conversation.*

"Ah, yes, names. Mine is Vanos, I believe. It seems correct to me, at least." *There's a note of hesitation in its voice when talking about its name. It feels with a deep certainty that Vanos is its true name, but that certainty itself seems suspect to it. How much of itself can it really call its own, with so much of its knowledge and sensibilities seeming to come to it fully formed? It doubts it will find any sense of resolution to such issues here, and so turns to more pressing questions.*

"What brings you here, Pureman, and where am I to go once I leave?"
Elizabeth
"Vanos. A... Fitting name. As for why I am here-" Pureman's spiel was interrupted as the roots of the great tree shook. A horrid sound, a cry of utter torment echoed throughout the world. The God of Purity had a horrible, horrible epiphany. It was happening again. What had happened all that time ago. Memories flashed through his mind of the Incident. The serpent's fangs, gleaming in the light. Their shrivelled form, coiled within the crystal. The flow of ichor from his wounds, the things he'd seen. The things he'd done that he could never, would never take back. He outstretched his arm, the air crackled with energy as he turned his head to look at Vanos.

"I was here to stop that. It seems I have failed again."

In a flash of white sparks, a silver greataxe materialised in Pureman's newly-reformed hand. He hefted it onto his shoulder, turning to step off of the branch of the great tree, turning to plummet into the void. There was something... *Profoundly* Sad about this entire ordeal. Even the aura of serenity that surrounded the three-eyed man seemed downcast, somehow.

"Go West, young god. Seek your fortune." He advised.

With a curt nod and the smell of ozone, Pureman stepped elegantly off of the branch, a rift opening below his feet. The last Vanos would see of him would be the top of his helmet, disappearing into it as he headed to the source of the agonized cry.
Edwin
*Vanos feels the wrongness of the tree at the same moment Pureman does, and though it means little to the nascent godling, it suddenly has a much clearer understanding of Pureman's purpose here. Clearly, the tree is not something to be tampered with. Before it can fully react to all these stimuli, its fellow god has left, leaving only a rift in space behind.*

*Vanos hesitates for a long moment, weighing its options. Pureman's directions are barely a consideration in and of themselves, but the choice between striking out for itself and going after its new sibling is more of a struggle. Ultimately, it decides to follow after the older god. Though Vanos hasn't entirely worked out how it feels about Pureman, it seems foolish to abandon its only connection so quickly. In the instant before the rift closes, Vanos glides through, barely avoiding grazing the edges.*