[Well, Hythlodaeus isn't wrong. This time would be somewhat different, though whether to enjoy the meal as usual or simply announce his purpose is another matter entirely.]
[In the end, Emet-Selch decides to allow Hythlodaeus to set the pace. After all, he'll be needing his friend's participation sooner rather than later anyway. He allows his arms to rest upon the table, taking but a moment to absorb their surroundings before his attention returns to his companion - and the menu, he supposes.]
Only sparingly. Thus, if you've recommendations to make, I would hear them.
The last time I entered this place was when I decided to make a tour of the land. See all there was to see. The atmosphere hasn't changed much, though I daresay the crowd has grown considerably.
They have a wonderful variety of vegetarian dishes that I've become partial to.
[Though Hythlodaeus is not necessarily opposed to eating meat as a rule he has found that, for the most part, he doesn't need to and that the options to avoid it very much suit his pallate.]
And you did choose to come at a popular hour. Not that I'm complaining, mind you... I'm enjoying the view.
[Which view he means is entirely up to interpretation as he tilts his head slightly to look over to Emet-Selch while the words leave his mouth. He picks up a menu to look over it.]
As for drinks... I think I'll start with something non-alcoholic. The strawberry lemonade is delightful.
Do they now? That's quite unusual - and promising. As convenient as the shops are in Epiphany, they are not precisely known for their fresh produce. Rather, much of the offerings are battered and fried in oil, or served over a hot cooktop.
[Emet-Selch scans the menu, or at least pretends to. Many of the dishes are familiar to him, if not in name, than in description. Yet even if he's beginning to feel a bit peckish, he isn't here for the food, and doesn't plan to lose himself to indecision.]
Perhaps a vegetable quiche. Or the roasted eggplant and tomato pasta.
[Another glance in Hythlodaeus's direction. His thoughts are ordered, and he thinks (he feels) that he could tackle this conversation at any time. However, it may perhaps be kinder to wait, so that neither of them will have to suffer a potential bout of indigestion. Not that he's worried, particularly. Whatever the answer, he can endure. He's far too old, far too tired, to even consider walking away from this like a dejected puppy with his tail tucked between his legs.]
[He must have fallen silent too long, so he adds:]
Lemonade you said? Sounds a bit sour if you ask me. Or do you prefer it when seemingly opposing flavors are tossed together in unexpected ways?
Fine choices either way. Why don't you have one and I'll have the other?
[The implication being that they can share, and see which one of them each prefers for the next time they might be here to make an order. Hythlodaeus suggests it as easily as he might ask someone about the weather then sets his menu down as if that decision has been made.
The next comment does make him laugh, however.]
'T is a philosophy I like to apply to life as much as food, as well you know. [The lemonade itself is not particularly sour thanks to the sweetness of the strawberries, but he does not think that the lemonade itself was actually the centre of his friend's point.]
Sometimes, 't is worth trying something one might not expect they will enjoy. [He smiles wryly.] Such ventures often yield unexpected surprises.
[An inquiring tilt of his head, though he remains unruffled. Whether the prospect of sharing has crossed Emet-Selch's mind, however, remains to be seen. What can be said is that he's more than pleased to not have to fuss about the food. After all, those are the lowest stakes, and from what he has heard, the food here is above average across the board.]
Fair enough, I suppose. So long as we needn't go through the trouble of casting lots over which dish should go to whom.
[His own menu is set aside, so that he might offer his undivided attention.]
But, yes. The "try it and you might like it" hypothesis with its 50% success rate. When embarked upon with company, the odds of at least one person enjoying himself quickly increases, the chance that those who don't might at the very least find something meaningful and positive in the experience through the proxy of their friend's enjoyment, too, rises exponentially. That philosophy?
[Hardly scientific, but then he wasn't trying to be. If anything there's a wry note of humor tucked between the syllables as he speaks.]
And what have you discovered of late? Something you didn't walk into with an open mind?
[His smile turns mischievous again as it plays about his lips. Oh, Emet-Selch, ever with such cutting words. The grouch.
And yet, Hythlodaeus remains incredibly fond of him regardless. He wouldn't be the same person if he wasn't like this, and this is the person that first drew him in. Opposites attract and all that. He knows that a good heart beats inside the man's chest in spite of his sour demeanour.]
Yes, yes, that hypothesis. And no, not recently, though have you ever known me to approach any situation with anything less than an open mind? [Granted, he has some Opinions about Thirteen which one would likely not classify as 'open-minded', but when it comes to her... well, he has his reasons, as many here do.]
I seem to recall it was you who so often needed their arm twisting.
My arm doesn't need twisting. 'Twas you who made it his responsibility to ensure that it was always thoroughly wound.
[He simply knows what he wants, and knows equally the sorts of activities he has no particular interest in. The manner of mischief he,d never agree to on the surface, but would allow himself to be swept up in - so long as it wasn't by his own admission.]
And no, not particularly. In fact, I'm rather counting on it.
Oh, he did miss this. More keenly than he realised, after all. When a member of staff comes by to enquire after their order he cheerfully replies for the both of them then settles back into position, pausing a moment before reaching over to place his hand lightly over Emet-Selch's wrist.
They both know as well as the other that he is not so weak-minded as to allow himself to be swept up into things he did not, on some level, actually want to be a part of. It's something about him that Hythlodaeus has always found terribly endearing.]
So, do you have plans for us for the rest of the evening? I am entirely at your disposal after all.
[Ah, he's smiling that smile again.]
Or did you simply wish to wine and dine me and then leave me with a kiss at my door?
[Emet-Selch has half a mind to interrupt, to argue that he can order his own meal, thank you very much - and yet he cannot find it within himself to speak up. The reply is so cheerful as to be effortless, something scarcely even considered before Hythlodaeus reaches across the table for his arm, his palm warm against his skin.]
[Emet-Selch regards it for a moment, before facing Hythlodaeus squarely. Smile or no smile, it seems his time for rumination is over. He may as well get this over with before it drags on any longer.]
After all of these years, do you truly expect me to stop at dinner and a simple peck on the cheek? You know as well as anyone that I'm unaccustomed to doing anything by halves.
[He lays his other hand firmly over his, holding it there so Hythlodaeus can't pull it away immediately.]
I'll take you up on your offer. It saves me the trouble of inventing excuses to prolong our time together, don't you think?
[Oh, that teasing backfired tremendously and Hythlodaeus feels his face begin to heat up before he can scramble to pull himself together from the surprise of what the other man is implying. Or... what he thinks he is implying.]
Well...
[Flustered, he smiles uncertainly as he looks at his hand, pinned in place as it is by the one atop it. After all of these years, he said, and as that sinks in Hythlodaeus' eyes flash up. His lips part as if he's going to say something then press together, then he chuckles.]
To think that you are still able to surprise me. [He does sound terribly endeared by the revelation.] But you should know that excuses are unnecessary. I would never turn down the pleasure of your company.
[Emet-Selch watches as his face begins to flush, his gaze bright with something like triumph, although he refrains from commenting on Hythlodaeus's change in complexion. He'd rather not make this embarrassing for him, after all. Enough that his remarks earned a reaction - and not a terrible start, either.]
Yes, and I believe I could get used to it. Surprising you, that is.
[His mouth twitches in amusement - because he is amused. So rare the opportunity to properly turn the tables on his friend. But he won't be cruel about it. After a moment, he carefully releases his hand.]
Perhaps you would also give some thought to staying over. I'm certain I've at least a few other tricks up my sleeve that may or may not interest you.
Of course, if you would prefer that I begin at square one and attempt to woo you properly...
I don't think we need to waste time with all that...
[It is tempting. To be wooed properly, with all the things that implies, it does have a certain appeal... But Hythlodaeus sees where this is going and as his heart races his impatience will absolutely not be denied—
He looks down as Emet-Selch moves his hand, his expression briefly clouding with disappointment. Then he smiles again, as he so often does. His fingers squeeze around the other man's arm.]
I think, in this matter, we have both been kept waiting for more than long enough. [Haven't they? He prays he has not misunderstood. His eyes are bright and intense and he's closer to Emet-Selch than he remembers getting. He doesn't remember moving.]
I should be very interested to see these tricks of yours. I may have one or two of my own to offer in turn.
[Emet-Selch notices too, how Hythlodaeus seems to have leant himself forward across the table, how his eyes appear both intent and almost starved. Expectant.]
[While he isn't keen on displaying his affection in public, he does chance to reach over and tuck a wayward wisp of his friend's hair back behind one ear.]
So it's to be a game of show-and-tell, is it? Sounds promising.
Perhaps I should also mention, in case you fear I've forgotten, that I have every intention of saying my piece. Tonight. It wouldn't do to ruin a perfectly good meal, even if the wait may prove to be excruciating.
[He pouts slightly as he settles back and simmers down again. Hythlodaeus can feel his heart racing with an anticipation that he can't quite put a name to, but he's sure that Emet-Selch is going to make him wait.
Admittedly, he could jump the proverbial gun. He could, but he has no wish to steal his friend's spotlight. So, patience it is. Patience, while the shell of his ear tingles where the other man had touched it and he has to resist the urge to play with his hair.]
But with so fine a view I cannot be too vexed.
[Back to the flirtatious teasing, then.]
You do know how to choose a very complimentary ensemble.
Then think of it as a surprise instead. You've always liked those, have you not?
[The words are more gentle than one of Emet-Selch's rebuffs would normally be, as if such pouting even deserves a considered reply. He knows Hythlodaeus is playing things up a bit, even as he knows (or at least hopes) there's some truth to his friend's impatience.]
[...And yet another sigh soon follows, his brow creases between his eyes. Emet-Selch could swear Hythlodaeus is doing this as a form of playful retaliation. He gauges his response for a moment as their drinks are brought to the table, silent until they are once again alone.]
And you are as lovely as a wisteria branch blooming in the springtime. You do know how to appeal to one's ego. ...if only I were a vain man.
[A pause and then:]
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What would happen if our people dressed however they wished, inventing their own fashions, expressing their uniqueness.
For as much as we've always embraced conformity and accord, treating one another as brethren, equal in every way... we have ever been individuals, with that truth written upon our very souls.
[A soft, breathy 'hah' escapes him at the compliment. Very apt, there is no doubt about that, but he cannot recall a time when Hades has ever complimented him so blatantly. It prompts that giddy racing of his heart again as he looks across the table at the man and one of his hands curls loosely around the cool glass now set in front of him.]
It does make me wonder...
[The conformity and equality of their Etheirys was so entirely a social norm that to question it was almost unthinkable. Even Hythlodaeus himself, for all his quirks and eccentricities, had never veered too far away from what was expected of him in terms of appearance.
But he nods thoughtfully, tapping his fingers against the side of his glass.]
I wonder, were we not so convinced of the superiority of our social harmony, would things have gone differently for us. [No need to say what he's really thinking. The strength of the Sundered lay in their differences, as much as their own people were made weaker by their stubborn conformity.
His thoughts drift for a moment, then he laughs quietly and shakes his head.]
I, for one, have rather enjoyed wearing colours other than black while out in public.
[There it is again. That breathlessness he's witnessed some few times before. Enticing to chase after it, to see what Hythlodaeus will do should he continue, and yet...]
[Emet-Selch watches him over his glass, and then raises it by the stem, his response firm and not so easily swayed.]
I, for one, am still convinced.
You see, people long for the familiar. If they are presented with something too far outside of their beliefs, too different from what they know - they will reject it. Or worse, come to fear it.
I've seen wars begin over less.
[He takes a long, considering sip before setting the glass back down upon the table.]
That doesn't, however, mean that every puzzle can be solved in exactly the same way. Nor that expressing oneself with more than words alone is something to be denied.
After all, Etheirys herself has granted us a world full of color and diversity, one which even we hoped to expand - not by creating more of the same, but by growing our understanding of what is possible.
[He listens to Hades speaking, enthralled, watching the movement of his mouth and the amber-glow of his eyes while he speaks. Hythlodaeus can still feel that breathlessness that the other man noticed. It clenches at his chest and makes him need to take a pause before he says anything in return, though his dear friend seems inclined to giving him a small lecture.
Endearing. He smiles indulgently and reaches a hand over the table to take Emet-Selch's free one in his, rolling the pad of his thumb slowly over the knuckles.
He witnessed first-hand how people will flee from the unfamiliar when it challenges them too deeply. The fate of their Star had once balanced on such a knife edge.]
You're quite right, of course.
[His friend is wise, and it does him no harm to occasionally acknowledge that fact.]
We found expression in our creations and creativity. In our boundless love for our world. [Hythlodaeus pauses. He smiles again.] You always cared so much. I have always liked that about you.
[Emet-Selch's brow creases at that. 'Tis one thing to agree with or at least indulge his views, and quite another to cage him in with compliments. He has never accepted such words easily, preferring to ignore or deflect the praise of others instead. And this particular angle - to suggest that he is one overflowing with goodwill, with sentimentality - yes, it's a rather difficult one to swallow.]
[His mouth twitches into a frown, memory and sentiment, and the dull ache of old wounds warring with one another for an unspoken moment.]
I'm not certain I like where you're headed with this, but I can assure you that I have only ever "cared" as much as my duty required. Anything more was to my own detriment.
...
[He doesn't retract his hand this time, however. Instead, Emet-Selch lets out a low sigh of defeat and threads his fingers through Hythlodaeus's.]
...as we both well know. I once raged against the very thought that I would someday reanimate our home to sate my own whims, to fill the void of loss. And yet, every detail that was described to us that day came to pass precisely as foretold.
A megalomaniacal madman indeed.
And yet I ask myself: how could I have done anything less?
[Oh, it's such a terrible and transparent lie, but Hythlodaeus allows it. Hades always cared and cared deeply, underneath that prickly personality of his, and hadn't his closest friends always known it? Hythlodaeus certainly wouldn't have stuck himself so closely to someone who only cared within the boundaries of duty. He had always seen more in the other man.
As their fingers are laced together he smiles and squeezes Emet-Selch's hand. He remembers how furious he had been at the very idea that he might do something so dramatically sentimental, and that he might become the kind of man that their interesting new friend had described, and yet...]
How can anyone conceive of grieving for so long? No small wonder that such an act seemed ridiculous to you back then. [Hythlodaeus places his free hand over their joined ones.] Any of us might have done the same. I am sure that I would have, had I even a drop of your talent under the same circumstances.
[Then he shakes his head. It must have been a sight to behold, and for a stray thought to have produced a near-sapient version of himself from such yearning... It is enough to make him smile once more.]
And I think... you did realise that, even if only a little. That it was the truth. I could hardly have made you come around otherwise.
[A light snort follows. Emet-Selch remembers it well: commanding the Warrior of Light to never bother him again and storming out into the sunshine in something akin to righteous rage. He hadn't been left alone with it for long. Hythlodaeus had immediately come sprinting after him with an urgency he had never before witnessed from his friend.]
"Made me". [He echoes, making his skepticism perfectly plain.]
I allowed you to convince me. Whether I believed the tale or no makes no difference. What mattered was - bizarre as it sounded - a possibility existed that doom could befall not only our star but our people. It was my responsibility to investigate such claims further. To ignore them would have been a failure on my part.
[He frowns, head tilting to one side as he takes in that smile. Wondering just what it is that has Hythlodaeus feeling so...soft.]
You would have built an underwater city and populated it with phantoms...? You would have orchestrated your own final stand, to bet everything on victory, and ensure that - in the unlikely event of failure - your defeat, at least, would be by your own terms?
"Grief" until that time was a concept most could but speculate on. We did not know the weight of despair that accompanies losing everything, of having one's very existence changed before their eyes.
Yes, the actions of that man as he was described were ridiculous to me; insulting and out-of-character. Yet the part that infuriated me the most was that he lived through all of that, with the hopes of his entire civilization resting upon his shoulders - and then he lost.
[He listens, quiet and taking in every word, almost hanging off each one. The challenge is a valid one - would he have done what Emet-Selch had done had their positions been reversed? Could he have weathered the eons in the same way that the other man had; would he even have made it to the other side with his full sanity intact? It's hard to say what Hythlodaeus would have turned into had he remained alive and unsundered, but one thing is certain...]
I know well enough how it is to lose everything. [He says softly. His gaze wavers as though he might like to drop his eyes down, but he doesn't.] Not as you do, and I wouldn't claim it so, but...
[Hythlodaeus shakes his head. His smile fades a little.]
I will not pretend that I understand what all that time was like for you. I spent twelve eons drifting in a dream before my mind sharpened once again; I didn't have to go through what you did. I did not have to carry that weight. I cannot say that I could have without buckling under it.
[Gently, he tugs the other man's hand up and towards him. Gently, he presses a kiss to the backs of Hades' fingers.]
The you of back then didn't understand how he could have lost. Even I found it to be entirely dubious. [But he understands now, doesn't he. Hythlodaeus had heard it from the man's own mouth. In the end everything that had happened was what was supposed to and there was little arguing against it now.
The corner of his mouth quirks up.]
And while I cannot say I would have done it all... going out on my own terms? I think I could have managed that, at least. I'm not entirely useless.
[Emet-Selch says nothing. After all, what can be said? Much had been lost, yet rather than an emptiness, a void, their absense had ever felt like a palpable weight, one impossible to ignore. Instead, he considers what Hythlodaeus says next, his voice a low murmur.]
I see. So that is what befell those souls who gave themselves to Lord Zodiark. I do hope said dream was kinder than the reality of our situation. Or at the very least mostly inoffensive.
[Emet-Selch watches him, and the way that even now his friend appears to be trying to ease his burdens rather than apply a salve to his own. Hythlodaeus's touch is warm, his skin tingling beneath the softness of his lips in a way he hasn't felt in centuries, unashamed and unquiet. His eyes glint briefly, a kaleidoscope of color just waiting to be read.]
You always say that. [He chides quietly.] Even after all this time, I am left to wonder who it is that you feel you must convince?
I have never once found you useless, not entirely nor otherwise.
His idle protestations as to his usefulness - or lack thereof - have never held any water with his closest friends. They allow him the indulgence, he expects, but none of them actually consider him to be useless in any respect.]
I know. I know, Hades.
[He shakes his head. Why he would say it was easy enough to explain. Against his friends he was nothing special in terms of ability or intelligence and his self-appointed role as a supporting character in their lives made it easier to simply fade into the background of their various accomplishments.
Still with the other man's hand held loosely in his he leans his cheek against Emet-Selch' fingers, humming softly in thought.]
Perhaps I'm only convincing myself. You certainly never put any stock in it.
[While Emet-Selch will allow him the display of affection, it is some seconds into it, whilst Hythlodaeus is still humming to himself, that Emet-Selch loosens his hold just enough to prod his cheek with his index finger. A calculated admonishment.]
No, I don't.
And I should like to think that I have known you for long enough to have a sound opinion.
[He watches him carefully, eyes narrowing, but not in anger or frustration. In fact, he thinks his suggestion a perfectly reasonable one.]
Though, if you will forgive me for saying so, if you're still trying to convince yourself even now, perhaps it was about time you tried another method entirely.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-03-05 05:00 pm (UTC)[In the end, Emet-Selch decides to allow Hythlodaeus to set the pace. After all, he'll be needing his friend's participation sooner rather than later anyway. He allows his arms to rest upon the table, taking but a moment to absorb their surroundings before his attention returns to his companion - and the menu, he supposes.]
Only sparingly. Thus, if you've recommendations to make, I would hear them.
The last time I entered this place was when I decided to make a tour of the land. See all there was to see. The atmosphere hasn't changed much, though I daresay the crowd has grown considerably.
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Date: 2024-03-10 11:19 pm (UTC)[Though Hythlodaeus is not necessarily opposed to eating meat as a rule he has found that, for the most part, he doesn't need to and that the options to avoid it very much suit his pallate.]
And you did choose to come at a popular hour. Not that I'm complaining, mind you... I'm enjoying the view.
[Which view he means is entirely up to interpretation as he tilts his head slightly to look over to Emet-Selch while the words leave his mouth. He picks up a menu to look over it.]
As for drinks... I think I'll start with something non-alcoholic. The strawberry lemonade is delightful.
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Date: 2024-03-11 04:58 pm (UTC)[Emet-Selch scans the menu, or at least pretends to. Many of the dishes are familiar to him, if not in name, than in description. Yet even if he's beginning to feel a bit peckish, he isn't here for the food, and doesn't plan to lose himself to indecision.]
Perhaps a vegetable quiche. Or the roasted eggplant and tomato pasta.
[Another glance in Hythlodaeus's direction. His thoughts are ordered, and he thinks (he feels) that he could tackle this conversation at any time. However, it may perhaps be kinder to wait, so that neither of them will have to suffer a potential bout of indigestion. Not that he's worried, particularly. Whatever the answer, he can endure. He's far too old, far too tired, to even consider walking away from this like a dejected puppy with his tail tucked between his legs.]
[He must have fallen silent too long, so he adds:]
Lemonade you said? Sounds a bit sour if you ask me. Or do you prefer it when seemingly opposing flavors are tossed together in unexpected ways?
no subject
Date: 2024-03-15 04:35 pm (UTC)[The implication being that they can share, and see which one of them each prefers for the next time they might be here to make an order. Hythlodaeus suggests it as easily as he might ask someone about the weather then sets his menu down as if that decision has been made.
The next comment does make him laugh, however.]
'T is a philosophy I like to apply to life as much as food, as well you know. [The lemonade itself is not particularly sour thanks to the sweetness of the strawberries, but he does not think that the lemonade itself was actually the centre of his friend's point.]
Sometimes, 't is worth trying something one might not expect they will enjoy. [He smiles wryly.] Such ventures often yield unexpected surprises.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-18 07:02 pm (UTC)Fair enough, I suppose. So long as we needn't go through the trouble of casting lots over which dish should go to whom.
[His own menu is set aside, so that he might offer his undivided attention.]
But, yes. The "try it and you might like it" hypothesis with its 50% success rate. When embarked upon with company, the odds of at least one person enjoying himself quickly increases, the chance that those who don't might at the very least find something meaningful and positive in the experience through the proxy of their friend's enjoyment, too, rises exponentially. That philosophy?
[Hardly scientific, but then he wasn't trying to be. If anything there's a wry note of humor tucked between the syllables as he speaks.]
And what have you discovered of late? Something you didn't walk into with an open mind?
no subject
Date: 2024-03-24 05:23 am (UTC)And yet, Hythlodaeus remains incredibly fond of him regardless. He wouldn't be the same person if he wasn't like this, and this is the person that first drew him in. Opposites attract and all that. He knows that a good heart beats inside the man's chest in spite of his sour demeanour.]
Yes, yes, that hypothesis. And no, not recently, though have you ever known me to approach any situation with anything less than an open mind? [Granted, he has some Opinions about Thirteen which one would likely not classify as 'open-minded', but when it comes to her... well, he has his reasons, as many here do.]
I seem to recall it was you who so often needed their arm twisting.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-01 06:54 pm (UTC)[He simply knows what he wants, and knows equally the sorts of activities he has no particular interest in. The manner of mischief he,d never agree to on the surface, but would allow himself to be swept up in - so long as it wasn't by his own admission.]
And no, not particularly. In fact, I'm rather counting on it.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-08 06:48 pm (UTC)Oh, he did miss this. More keenly than he realised, after all. When a member of staff comes by to enquire after their order he cheerfully replies for the both of them then settles back into position, pausing a moment before reaching over to place his hand lightly over Emet-Selch's wrist.
They both know as well as the other that he is not so weak-minded as to allow himself to be swept up into things he did not, on some level, actually want to be a part of. It's something about him that Hythlodaeus has always found terribly endearing.]
So, do you have plans for us for the rest of the evening? I am entirely at your disposal after all.
[Ah, he's smiling that smile again.]
Or did you simply wish to wine and dine me and then leave me with a kiss at my door?
no subject
Date: 2024-04-08 07:30 pm (UTC)[Emet-Selch regards it for a moment, before facing Hythlodaeus squarely. Smile or no smile, it seems his time for rumination is over. He may as well get this over with before it drags on any longer.]
After all of these years, do you truly expect me to stop at dinner and a simple peck on the cheek? You know as well as anyone that I'm unaccustomed to doing anything by halves.
[He lays his other hand firmly over his, holding it there so Hythlodaeus can't pull it away immediately.]
I'll take you up on your offer. It saves me the trouble of inventing excuses to prolong our time together, don't you think?
no subject
Date: 2024-04-11 10:33 am (UTC)Well...
[Flustered, he smiles uncertainly as he looks at his hand, pinned in place as it is by the one atop it. After all of these years, he said, and as that sinks in Hythlodaeus' eyes flash up. His lips part as if he's going to say something then press together, then he chuckles.]
To think that you are still able to surprise me. [He does sound terribly endeared by the revelation.] But you should know that excuses are unnecessary. I would never turn down the pleasure of your company.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-11 05:46 pm (UTC)[Emet-Selch watches as his face begins to flush, his gaze bright with something like triumph, although he refrains from commenting on Hythlodaeus's change in complexion. He'd rather not make this embarrassing for him, after all. Enough that his remarks earned a reaction - and not a terrible start, either.]
Yes, and I believe I could get used to it.
Surprising you, that is.
[His mouth twitches in amusement - because he is amused. So rare the opportunity to properly turn the tables on his friend. But he won't be cruel about it. After a moment, he carefully releases his hand.]
Perhaps you would also give some thought to staying over. I'm certain I've at least a few other tricks up my sleeve that may or may not interest you.
Of course, if you would prefer that I begin at square one and attempt to woo you properly...
no subject
Date: 2024-04-11 06:16 pm (UTC)[It is tempting. To be wooed properly, with all the things that implies, it does have a certain appeal... But Hythlodaeus sees where this is going and as his heart races his impatience will absolutely not be denied—
He looks down as Emet-Selch moves his hand, his expression briefly clouding with disappointment. Then he smiles again, as he so often does. His fingers squeeze around the other man's arm.]
I think, in this matter, we have both been kept waiting for more than long enough. [Haven't they? He prays he has not misunderstood. His eyes are bright and intense and he's closer to Emet-Selch than he remembers getting. He doesn't remember moving.]
I should be very interested to see these tricks of yours. I may have one or two of my own to offer in turn.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-11 06:51 pm (UTC)[Emet-Selch notices too, how Hythlodaeus seems to have leant himself forward across the table, how his eyes appear both intent and almost starved. Expectant.]
[While he isn't keen on displaying his affection in public, he does chance to reach over and tuck a wayward wisp of his friend's hair back behind one ear.]
So it's to be a game of show-and-tell, is it? Sounds promising.
Perhaps I should also mention, in case you fear I've forgotten, that I have every intention of saying my piece. Tonight. It wouldn't do to ruin a perfectly good meal, even if the wait may prove to be excruciating.
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Date: 2024-04-12 02:27 pm (UTC)[He pouts slightly as he settles back and simmers down again. Hythlodaeus can feel his heart racing with an anticipation that he can't quite put a name to, but he's sure that Emet-Selch is going to make him wait.
Admittedly, he could jump the proverbial gun. He could, but he has no wish to steal his friend's spotlight. So, patience it is. Patience, while the shell of his ear tingles where the other man had touched it and he has to resist the urge to play with his hair.]
But with so fine a view I cannot be too vexed.
[Back to the flirtatious teasing, then.]
You do know how to choose a very complimentary ensemble.
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Date: 2024-04-22 05:01 pm (UTC)[The words are more gentle than one of Emet-Selch's rebuffs would normally be, as if such pouting even deserves a considered reply. He knows Hythlodaeus is playing things up a bit, even as he knows (or at least hopes) there's some truth to his friend's impatience.]
[...And yet another sigh soon follows, his brow creases between his eyes. Emet-Selch could swear Hythlodaeus is doing this as a form of playful retaliation. He gauges his response for a moment as their drinks are brought to the table, silent until they are once again alone.]
And you are as lovely as a wisteria branch blooming in the springtime.
You do know how to appeal to one's ego. ...if only I were a vain man.
[A pause and then:]
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What would happen if our people dressed however they wished, inventing their own fashions, expressing their uniqueness.
For as much as we've always embraced conformity and accord, treating one another as brethren, equal in every way... we have ever been individuals, with that truth written upon our very souls.
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Date: 2024-04-22 06:06 pm (UTC)It does make me wonder...
[The conformity and equality of their Etheirys was so entirely a social norm that to question it was almost unthinkable. Even Hythlodaeus himself, for all his quirks and eccentricities, had never veered too far away from what was expected of him in terms of appearance.
But he nods thoughtfully, tapping his fingers against the side of his glass.]
I wonder, were we not so convinced of the superiority of our social harmony, would things have gone differently for us. [No need to say what he's really thinking. The strength of the Sundered lay in their differences, as much as their own people were made weaker by their stubborn conformity.
His thoughts drift for a moment, then he laughs quietly and shakes his head.]
I, for one, have rather enjoyed wearing colours other than black while out in public.
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Date: 2024-04-29 06:54 pm (UTC)[Emet-Selch watches him over his glass, and then raises it by the stem, his response firm and not so easily swayed.]
I, for one, am still convinced.
You see, people long for the familiar. If they are presented with something too far outside of their beliefs, too different from what they know - they will reject it. Or worse, come to fear it.
I've seen wars begin over less.
[He takes a long, considering sip before setting the glass back down upon the table.]
That doesn't, however, mean that every puzzle can be solved in exactly the same way. Nor that expressing oneself with more than words alone is something to be denied.
After all, Etheirys herself has granted us a world full of color and diversity, one which even we hoped to expand - not by creating more of the same, but by growing our understanding of what is possible.
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Date: 2024-04-29 11:36 pm (UTC)Endearing. He smiles indulgently and reaches a hand over the table to take Emet-Selch's free one in his, rolling the pad of his thumb slowly over the knuckles.
He witnessed first-hand how people will flee from the unfamiliar when it challenges them too deeply. The fate of their Star had once balanced on such a knife edge.]
You're quite right, of course.
[His friend is wise, and it does him no harm to occasionally acknowledge that fact.]
We found expression in our creations and creativity. In our boundless love for our world. [Hythlodaeus pauses. He smiles again.] You always cared so much. I have always liked that about you.
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Date: 2024-04-30 02:46 pm (UTC)[His mouth twitches into a frown, memory and sentiment, and the dull ache of old wounds warring with one another for an unspoken moment.]
I'm not certain I like where you're headed with this, but I can assure you that I have only ever "cared" as much as my duty required. Anything more was to my own detriment.
...
[He doesn't retract his hand this time, however. Instead, Emet-Selch lets out a low sigh of defeat and threads his fingers through Hythlodaeus's.]
...as we both well know. I once raged against the very thought that I would someday reanimate our home to sate my own whims, to fill the void of loss. And yet, every detail that was described to us that day came to pass precisely as foretold.
A megalomaniacal madman indeed.
And yet I ask myself: how could I have done anything less?
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Date: 2024-05-03 01:19 am (UTC)As their fingers are laced together he smiles and squeezes Emet-Selch's hand. He remembers how furious he had been at the very idea that he might do something so dramatically sentimental, and that he might become the kind of man that their interesting new friend had described, and yet...]
How can anyone conceive of grieving for so long? No small wonder that such an act seemed ridiculous to you back then. [Hythlodaeus places his free hand over their joined ones.] Any of us might have done the same. I am sure that I would have, had I even a drop of your talent under the same circumstances.
[Then he shakes his head. It must have been a sight to behold, and for a stray thought to have produced a near-sapient version of himself from such yearning... It is enough to make him smile once more.]
And I think... you did realise that, even if only a little. That it was the truth. I could hardly have made you come around otherwise.
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Date: 2024-05-03 04:17 pm (UTC)"Made me". [He echoes, making his skepticism perfectly plain.]
I allowed you to convince me. Whether I believed the tale or no makes no difference. What mattered was - bizarre as it sounded - a possibility existed that doom could befall not only our star but our people. It was my responsibility to investigate such claims further. To ignore them would have been a failure on my part.
[He frowns, head tilting to one side as he takes in that smile. Wondering just what it is that has Hythlodaeus feeling so...soft.]
You would have built an underwater city and populated it with phantoms...? You would have orchestrated your own final stand, to bet everything on victory, and ensure that - in the unlikely event of failure - your defeat, at least, would be by your own terms?
"Grief" until that time was a concept most could but speculate on. We did not know the weight of despair that accompanies losing everything, of having one's very existence changed before their eyes.
Yes, the actions of that man as he was described were ridiculous to me; insulting and out-of-character. Yet the part that infuriated me the most was that he lived through all of that, with the hopes of his entire civilization resting upon his shoulders - and then he lost.
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Date: 2024-05-03 07:07 pm (UTC)I know well enough how it is to lose everything. [He says softly. His gaze wavers as though he might like to drop his eyes down, but he doesn't.] Not as you do, and I wouldn't claim it so, but...
[Hythlodaeus shakes his head. His smile fades a little.]
I will not pretend that I understand what all that time was like for you. I spent twelve eons drifting in a dream before my mind sharpened once again; I didn't have to go through what you did. I did not have to carry that weight. I cannot say that I could have without buckling under it.
[Gently, he tugs the other man's hand up and towards him. Gently, he presses a kiss to the backs of Hades' fingers.]
The you of back then didn't understand how he could have lost. Even I found it to be entirely dubious. [But he understands now, doesn't he. Hythlodaeus had heard it from the man's own mouth. In the end everything that had happened was what was supposed to and there was little arguing against it now.
The corner of his mouth quirks up.]
And while I cannot say I would have done it all... going out on my own terms? I think I could have managed that, at least. I'm not entirely useless.
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Date: 2024-05-04 05:03 am (UTC)[Emet-Selch says nothing. After all, what can be said? Much had been lost, yet rather than an emptiness, a void, their absense had ever felt like a palpable weight, one impossible to ignore. Instead, he considers what Hythlodaeus says next, his voice a low murmur.]
I see. So that is what befell those souls who gave themselves to Lord Zodiark. I do hope said dream was kinder than the reality of our situation. Or at the very least mostly inoffensive.
[Emet-Selch watches him, and the way that even now his friend appears to be trying to ease his burdens rather than apply a salve to his own. Hythlodaeus's touch is warm, his skin tingling beneath the softness of his lips in a way he hasn't felt in centuries, unashamed and unquiet. His eyes glint briefly, a kaleidoscope of color just waiting to be read.]
You always say that. [He chides quietly.] Even after all this time, I am left to wonder who it is that you feel you must convince?
I have never once found you useless, not entirely nor otherwise.
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Date: 2024-05-05 09:53 pm (UTC)[Yes, well.
His idle protestations as to his usefulness - or lack thereof - have never held any water with his closest friends. They allow him the indulgence, he expects, but none of them actually consider him to be useless in any respect.]
I know. I know, Hades.
[He shakes his head. Why he would say it was easy enough to explain. Against his friends he was nothing special in terms of ability or intelligence and his self-appointed role as a supporting character in their lives made it easier to simply fade into the background of their various accomplishments.
Still with the other man's hand held loosely in his he leans his cheek against Emet-Selch' fingers, humming softly in thought.]
Perhaps I'm only convincing myself. You certainly never put any stock in it.
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Date: 2024-05-06 03:58 pm (UTC)No, I don't.
And I should like to think that I have known you for long enough to have a sound opinion.
[He watches him carefully, eyes narrowing, but not in anger or frustration. In fact, he thinks his suggestion a perfectly reasonable one.]
Though, if you will forgive me for saying so, if you're still trying to convince yourself even now, perhaps it was about time you tried another method entirely.
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