Oh. [He hadn't even thought of that, and he's honestly not sure why. He takes the pills and swallows them, dry, without a flinch as the acrid aftertaste settles in for a long stay.]

I see.

[He trusts her medication will be effective, but it's likely to take a while to be effective enough for him to make it back home, so he settles back down again, wetting his lips.

(That aftertaste really lingers.)]

He helped me back home earlier -- I wasn't feeling well -- and met Asshole. It seems soulless shinki remember old gods....

And they knew each other once. Were friends. Before I met him, at home. [Ugh; resting or not, lengthy conversation is still taxing his mind and his throat. He swallows, marshals himself and continues.]

I was afraid... he'd start to ask himself. Dangerous questions. So I hinted to him he'd been here, as our god. I'd seen shinki learn that before with. No ill effects.

[He trails off again. Sharak will know that Gojyo'd blighted her, and now she knows why.]

But... it blighted him. Only a little; I don't know if it's the knowledge, or....

[Or his own anger at the person he thinks he's been. The person Gojyo assumes was irredeemable, because he'd lived a hard life-- Hakkai realizes he's scowling, and hastily smooths his features back to calm.]