[Hades doesn't know how to answer that, even though he detects that the question itself is a joke. He wouldn't have the other boy anywhere. Though... he doesn't mind him being where he is, either. Not truly.]
[But what reason could he have for staying? Is it merely because of what they experienced together? Or is he still expecting him to instruct him on the ways of magick? Oh, he hardly requires such teaching, not with eyes capable of seeing what even he cannot. Should he not then be assigned to someone who can better help him apply that gift?]
I don't recall ordering you to read to me. Leave the book there and I shall finish it myself. It's written by the former Altima, is it not? It's called "Loveless".
There is no hate, only joy For you are beloved by the goddess Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds
[It's been an age since he last read that one. He wouldn't dislike reading it again, if he could focus on the pages... And at this news, Hades frowns and eyes the vial with mild distaste before reaching out a tremoring and clammy hand to pluck it from Hythlodaeus' fingers. He studies it a moment, although it becomes clear that the frown isn't so much from unwillingness to cooperate as it is because Hades is attempting to identify the herbal extracts contained therein based on their combined color and viscosity.]
Did they say what this one is for?
[His gaze drifts gradually over to the bedside table where he finds a startling collection of flasks and bottles all aligned and neatly labeled. A week...seems like an awfully long time to be stuck in bed simply for fainting.]
It is. And personally, I find it in dire need of rework. A story centering around a hero, a wanderer and a prisoner is dreadfully rigid, after all.
[He does smile though- when Hades recites some lines.]
Ah. Act 2, is that not? The Hero. ...And the script dare not consider that one man's hero may yet be another's villain. I far prefer this one.
[He turns around then, taking another book from the neat pile. And then he takes a seat. The words should be unfamiliar. For this is a book fresh, new. Barely from the printing press- I Want To Be Your Canary.]
Shall I become no more than a puppet? A mindless puppet, never to laugh, never to cry? I wish to live my life under the sky. At times I shall laugh, yet inside I will die. For no life is more insincere than that lived as a masquerade.
[And in a deeper tone, to indicate the male part:]
Cast away thy trappings, and I shall swaddle thee in a gown of love! Never again will I part from thee. Pray, my love, make me thy canary to keep forever in the cage of thy bosom. Let us embark on the first ship tomorrow, before dawn can tell of our elopment.
[Lovely, of course. And a tale he well knows ends in tragedy. But ah. He is asked something. He ceases reading to cast his gaze at the vial.]
That one, as I recall, is for aether regeneration. Otherwise, you have concoctions ready for nausea, nightmares, double vision, lack of vision, weakness, lethargy, and headaches. As well as general discomfort.
[He pauses. And tellingly, he tilts his head.]
...Speaking of which, if you require the one for your dreams, I shall fetch it. You were saying quite strange things earlier. ...About preventing something from coming to pass again?
[A pause.]
I mean not to pry. ...Yet you were sweating. And shouting it, besides. Over and over.
He's going to recite this back to him when they elope for real I hope you realize.
You must be joking! The work is flawless. It has earned no less than twelve recommendations and is required reading at the akademia.
A rework he says...
[Hades looks no small amount insulted by this declaration. Hythlodaeus simply can't be serious! "Loveless" may very well be a modern classic. Does he not understand that the entire work is a metaphor? It's supposed to be (dare he even think the word) "rigid".]
[Still... Hades can't help but be curious as Hythlodaeus produces yet another tome (from an entire stack of them no less). This one is new - even without his Sight, he can tell by its pristine condition. He's not read it yet; never even heard of it until this moment, and his interest is plain in the way he sits up a bit straighter despite how his flesh would protest against movement.]
[It's well-crafted, of course. And overbearingly romantic. He's all but certain tragedy will strike them at sea, or that their elopement will take an unfortunate turn. One might think Hades would turn his nose up at such things, but he has to admit that Hythlodaeus has a pleasant voice for recitation - and he even puts in the effort to shift betwixt characters. So this is the sort of story he prefers? Not what he'd been expecting at all.]
I can see they're being quite thorough about it...
[Nodding finally, Hades unstoppers the vial and drinks the potion down without much undue fuss. Aether, after all, must needs be regenerated and his body could surely use the extra help. He won't be of any use without it, and won't be able to cast magicks besides. As for the others, the assortment is impressive to say the least, but he's certain that anything else will have him once again giving himself over to sleep, and that's the very last thing he wants...]
[--ah.]
[That news is enough to startle Hades out of his thoughts. And here he frowns, and a wariness seems to settle over him.]
...You needn't concern yourself about it. Our battle with that creature must have dredged up thoughts of the past, nothing more.
[Enough to be forced to rewatch that terrible moment yet again, and the height of his own stupidity. His creased brow deepens at that, his gaze cast down about his knees beneath the covers - still all a-tangle from whatever must have come to pass in the waking world.]
Indeed, required reading. Likely as it is utterly devoid of any factor that would make one go out and read it for themselves.
[Oh, he's playing now. His own tastes may be firmly toward material that can be interpreted in different fashions, can have multiple endings, and can be altered and altered as time goes on- but Loveless is hardly worthless. But perhaps his words are carefully chosen, in order to elicit as much (quiet and weakened) outrage as possible. .... For perhaps he has already perceived the other's fits of temper to be quite entertaining.
But.]
Of course. From what I've learned while being here, the Words of Emmerololth bestow the same attention upon all who are directed to regain themselves here. You're hardly special in that regard.
[And as Hades drinks...]
But you are special. For even the Convocation are now aware of you. Azem herself has requested to speak with you, as soon as you are released.
[Fame. Don't choke on that, Hades. His elbow meets his knee, and he plays his hand, resting his cheek on it as he regards him. And oh, Hades. He sees that you're not lying. Yet he also sees it's far more than described.
Yet, for now, he's not about to force it. So. A small smile follows.]
Understood. Unless you mean by not needing anything else, that you would like me to stop coming here. [A small laugh.I'd like to stay and see if I may be admitted unto this facility via the virtue of my bedside manner.
[Which... isn't quite the truth. Yet it is better for everyone involved (and far less awkward) to say that, than telling the truth. That being here is him being punished for Hades' actions- and Hades himself is viewed as a hero of sorts.]
Don't be absurd! If such were the case, our scholars would have selected an entirely different work to teach literary form, structure, and story-telling techniques at the akademia. And besides, it is the strongest out of all of Altima's works.
[He would know, as he has read the entire collection - not out of any requirement, but simply because he had an interest in doing so. Loveless is their masterwork, and for clear reason in his mind. Hades scowls behind his mask, but he is hardly in any state to keep up a long-winded debate about classical literature. And soon enough, his mind shifts to a topic even more boggling. The Convocation? And Azem herself...? He can scarce believe what he's hearing. Why should they be aware of him or wish to speak with him? It makes no sense. In fact, he tilts his head sideways in a clear expression of doubt and skepticism.]
Say what you will of Loveless, but you should never joke of such things. You do realize that, do you not? I already know that I will be punished for disobeying the elders regardless of whether we defeated that beast or not. Which I can only presume that we did, since you are here.
...Though I may be more adept at magicks than most of my peers, it is a curse as much as a blessing. It does not make me special.
[He still does not understand why Hythlodaeus insists on staying or coming, nor why he seems so content to remain as he is. The pile of books is considerable. How long has he been here for already> He cannot mean to stay with him the entire time. Hades looks away, arms folding around himself.]
As for your bedside manner, you won't be getting any commendation from me.
[Ah, that response. Just as entertaining as expected.]
The strongest, yet a notably incomplete work. They say that the last acts are hidden and wait in some far-flung corner of the world to be uncovered, yet... perhaps the Altima of that time simply decided to cut their losses and spend their time writing something more interesting.
[A small laugh escapes him, yet it's wholly different from the ones he had given Hades thusfar. For there is a small amount of fondness in it. It was that very fondness, after all, which had him come up with something quite untrue- that he had been the one to rush headlong into danger, and dutiful, stern Hades had only followed to see he did not come to harm.
Something corroborated by his aether having destroyed the seal on the facilities' door. And corroborated by the fleeing elders, of whom had glanced the pair of them.]
I'll have you know- [In a playful tone, of course;] that the mere thought of my joking in regard to something like that is most hurtful. [A faint smile.] You'll have to make it right by attending your summons in perfect health and not doing anything silly, like leaving early. Otherwise I- and the Words, shall no doubt be looked upon as incompetents. And you would not do that to us, would you?
[A curse though. That alludes, faintly, to the dreams he was having...
His facial expression smoothes from his smile, into his lips forming a neutral line. And...]
Would you tell me of it? How something like your talent could be considered detrimental.
[Tiresome. This boy is so completely and utterly tiresome to have to deal with...! And what's worse, he's now trying to goad him into obedience by appealing to his better traits: empathy, a sense of duty... as if he has anything to feel guilty about! He certainly never asked for such an impish bedside attendant! And at this next juncture, Hades sighs loudly, impatiently, his brow furrowed and severe beneath his mask.]
Mayhap if half of the words that leave your mouth weren't pure rubbish and ridicule, I'd be inclined to give them their due consideration. Besides, even if I was to be summoned, it would have no bearing on you or the Words. They are two completely separate matters.
[Yet Hades, too, has questions, and he spares another glance at him over his shoulder. Unfortunately, winning Hades over will prove more difficult than simply reading to him.]
If it will be enough to convince you that whatever your reason for being here is severely misguided: not three moons ago I developed a spell called Dark Eruption. A classmate begged me share the papers I'd drafted for its submission, and so I did. Little did I know he would attempt to use the spell without full knowledge of its application. He lost control, and amidst the chaos and the screams, three other students were taken away to be treated. ...it targets not one, but five enemies, you see.
And this is only one such tale. In the hands of others, my work brings ruin. What good are they to the star if but a single person is capable of using them? And that is why I seek the means to continue my studies alone.
[A pause, just long enough to shake out the blankets and straighten them back down, perhaps to avoid whatever expression may have formed on his companion's face.]
...You, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. Why do you pretend to be so utterly hopeless in all respects when your soulsight is extraordinary? You may not be gifted in aetherial manipulation, but you were able to detect what both the elders and I could not.
[Something has changed within him, he knows. For that sigh, but a few days ago- would have him put off. Would have his own brow furrow, and would have him (internally) question whether Hades really was around his age... or a few centuries younger. Young enough to be prone to tantrums, and just exceptionally tall for his age.
Yet now, he finds himself smiling. ...For it really is quite funny. And he might even be stifling a small laugh.]
It matters. For should you meet Azem still battered, still bruised, and still weakly clawing back your aether reserves, both I and the Words would be held to account for it.
[But ah. He listens to Hades recount that... well, rather sorry state of affairs, and he finds his mouth drawing into a perfect line. And then a slight grimace. He's heard of this, he's sure. It really was such a long time ago, but... the injuries were lifechanging, he's certain.
Yet. One detail is new. That the concept was detailed to be multi-target. That his classmate had overlooked that part. Such would be anyone's defence at something so terrible happening. Insist that something had been overlooked, that it was the fault of the person that used it, and-
-but as he looks at Hades, he sees no sign of the lie. No indication that anything untruthful or exaggerated had been uttered. So...]
It strikes me that perhaps you were foolish to give someone something before it had been approved. [Somewhat arrogant, as well. If something were wrong with the spell, the very same thing could have happened even if it had been read correctly.] It is not your work that brings ruin. More your judgment... in that instance.
[Probably not what he wanted to hear, but it's astute. And as Hades asks his own question, he stands, fetching himself some water.]
I can assure you, I'm hardly pretending. Perhaps I exaggerate, but to be entirely honest with you, I've no skill at aether manipulation. I may use my own aether-
[He pours from a large jug, deciding to pour Hades a glass as well. No doubt, he needs it after being unconscious for so long.]
- in creation magick with no error. Yet taking aether from the world around me, forging it, shaping it, aspecting it to something else... [A brief shake of his head.] It's quite beyond me. My own aether tends to get in the way.
[He doesn't understand why Hythlodaeus is smiling, much less laughing. The thought of it, after all he has said, is enough to boggle the mind.]
Simply tell her that I refused rest and wouldn't follow your instruction. It wouldn't be a lie.
[Although, all told, Hades does at least intend to cooperate. He wants to get better. He does not wish to cause further issue for anyone else.]
Think you I haven't relived that day countless times already? Of course I should never have handed it over! But he was so persistent and we are taught to always bolster one another to shared success. I thought that viewing the written foundation of a successful spell would help him better improve his own, which he'd been struggling with for a time. I might have known that testing mine would prove too much of a temptation...
[Hades slowly leans forward to rest his elbows on his bent knees, his cowl hiding even most of his masked face as if he might vanish into shadow.]
I don't blame him for his curiosity.
[Nor does he offer any further argument about whether or not the work should have been approved beforehand. He had, in fact, planned to submit it the very next day for approval. He'd even gone to his teacher to have his calculations reviewed, just in case he'd overlooked any small detail in its formula. His classmate (and at the time, someone he considered a friend) had caught him just after.]
[His head is throbbing again, and Hades closes his eyes wearily.]
Yes, yes, I realize all of that already... I'm not here to harp on your shortcomings. I'm asking why you choose instead to hide your talents.
[Just as Hades has told him that he cares not for further detailing of his (magically) useless nature, it is natural to him to dismiss what is said regarding the circumstance behind the spell being shared.
Yet even then, he falls to a silence, and he listens. For something about what Hades says then- about it being shared in the hope of improving the other- strikes him as odd. Hm.]
In all of the tellings of the tale, I had not heard it that way before. Most believe that it is a story of two vainglorious mages. The first, having created such a magick, saw no reason to go through the proper channels. He merely passed it to an equally arrogant friend, in the hopes of inspiring awe with his work.
[Indeed, the fact that the aforementioned friend had not been instructed to use it was absolutely not part of the tale he'd heard. ...Hades' own doing, he suspects. It's only an inkling of a suspicion thus far, but he does seem entirely far too modest for the story in common knowledge to be in any ways true.
But. He does not press. For seeing the other boy sink like that- He must be tired. It simply wouldn't do to accost him with questions about something that obviously affects him while he is supposed to be recovering. So. He takes a seat again, his hand slipping into his own hood to move some of his hair behind his ear.]
Talents?
[A small laugh escapes him, for he is, most certainly, surprised.]
Are you sure you're feeling quite well? I have a middling interest in archery. I should hardly call that anything of note.
[A quiet murmur. Perhaps it has been fashioned thus for a purpose, a lesson for others to be wary of their decisions, to be humble, to follow the proper steps and not think themselves better than their fellows. It is such a distortion of what truly happened, and yet... if it would protect his fellows, if it would stop another young mage from making the same mistake, who is he to set the record to rights? That day, when the elders had taken him in for questioning, he had shared with them the whole truth, unflinchingly. ...the whole truth, that is-- save, for it being his friend's own choice to set off the spell. A blight upon his own record, a punishment for Hades alone to bear with no one else the wiser. His friend had avoided him after that. They'd never spoken again.]
[He sighs, this a softer sound that is not exaggerated in the slightest. His mouth twitches, and yet he doesn't offer complaint or protest.]
...then perhaps you should put what I've said out of your mind. I must have spoken in error.
[Hades is really quite thirsty, and hungry - even as his stomach would still attempt to roil within him. He casts a sideways glance at the second poured glass. If Hythlodaeus has no plans to drink of them both, then...]
[Yet he does not ask.]
We both know I'm feeling dreadful, thank you very much.
But I'm being serious. You were able to see that beast from the start, were you not? Once we gathered outside that final chamber, I was finally able to sense its presence, but I never once saw it physically appear. If not for your arrows, and the very fact that it caught fire soon after, I would not have known where to take aim.
...I also fail to understand how the creature was defeated. Did the elders show up to save us immediately after I lost consciousness?
Error? No, that is not your way. I hardly know you, of course- yet I'm most certain of that.
[He highly doubts any of it was distorted out of maliciousness. For there would be no point in curbing such a talented young mages' spirit. Perhaps it is more a matter of slight misrememberances in play as the story got repeated? Or an individual's opinion becoming fact in the next retelling and...
Yes, the water. He'd quite forgotten, and surely, were he to be telling the truth about being interested in dedicating his purpose to Emmerololth's Words, he would likely be quite terrible at that, as well. His arm reaches forward to tap Hades on the shoulder before he hands his glass over, hovering close by to take it when he is finished.
And... His expression turns somewhat distant, his smile that much more wan.]
Yes, I was. I could see it as soon as we spoke to the elders within the city, actually. [Yes, even from that distance away. In a city full of souls, he could detect, he could pinpoint, and he could read it as bad news. Hence, his reservations about actually going in.] It's hardly talent, for talent is something that can be used. More some form of joke. I may be able to see things, yet I lack the strength to do anything about them.
[A light shrug of his shoulders follows, and he takes his seat once more.]
As for your other question... something rather strange did happen. A great tear in reality occurred. Energies poured into you, and darkness covered you. And-
[A great arm suddenly burst from his back. Bigger, even, than the creature. And he closed the arm's fist around it, and squeezed, and squeezed, and... Oh. It was hardly a pretty thing to observe. Even if he had craved retribution for what had happened to the elder within the akademia- watching it explode within that hand's grasp had almost made him very violently ill.]
...And you defeated it. In a single blow, might I add! Then...
[He had locked eyes with this... thing Hades had become. And he had saw him. Really saw him for who he was, as he stared at the clump of shadow that seemed so very different from the great and terrible figures their kind made when transformed. He was utterly unadorned. When the arm had retracted within his back, he was bare- just a mound of shadow about Hythlodaeus' own height, so very dark he did not even reflect light. The only thing of note, really, was his eyes. Four total, staring at him, just as much as he stared at it.
...He'd seemed to cut quite a lonely figure, actually. Seemed fragile, almost. And then, he had fallen to the ground. And Hythlodaeus had stayed with him until help had come.]
...I'm rather pleased you do not remember. Most likely, you'd have been quite ashamed of me for all of the shouting I did until we were found.
[Which Hades also has no way of confirming, having only met the boy today. Even so, he does not think it so difficult to figure out why he would walk back his statements. Let the tale stand as it is, if the fiction of it will do more widespread good than his own version of events.]
[He need not be hovered over, but when his shoulder is tapped, Hades' head lifts slightly and he reaches for the glass - downing the contents slowly and steadily until not a drop remains. And all the while he listens -- and with something of a start at that. His mouth hangs open, and he must brush it with a sleeve to keep a dribble of water from leaking back out.]
So soon? But surely you realize what an incredible skill that is?
[And yet, he finds that he feels wrong in pressing the issue. Is it not very like his own situation? A power which cannot be put to its proper, full potential. Something halted by an obstacle which cannot singularly be overcome. Small wonder Hythlodaeus wants to learn magicks, even though his ability to manipulate aether remains lacking... He'd do well in a group, as the eyes of a team, but perhaps he seeks a more active purpose on this star just as he himself does.]
[Hades shakes his head.]
There was hardly enough time to cast another spell, and so I drew upon the power of the Underworld for help... I don't remember defeating it. Or any of the commotion you claim to have made after.
[He does not remember transforming; he does not remember the other boy staring upon him and seeing him thus. But he does feel the ache and the weight of something upon him, even beyond the expenditure of aether, even beyond the damage he'd taken when his shade was smashed to pieces. It's as if a door has been torn off its hinges, and stands there open, beckoning and unknowable, somewhere in the midst of a complex labyrinth of discovery. It waits for him to find it again.]
...but, thank you, I suppose. For staying with me until then.
[Perhaps the first true word of thanks, for this time there's no sarcasm or impatience to it. Just a hint of that fragile, lonely darkness - only this time, it takes the shape of a boy instead.]
[A vague tilt of his head and his gaze wandering aside for a moment is the only response Hades would recieve as to his first question. And fortunately, it hardly matters. For the matter is not pressed. He stands, collecting Hades' glass and pouring yet another, should the other want it- it would be placed into his hand.]
Is that what you did? [A faint exhale.] I've not heard of anyone who can commune with the other side, let alone make demands of it. ...Well. Aside from Emet-Selch, I would presume.
[The irony of this conversation, of course, would become apparent in a few thousand years. But for now, it is something genuinely put. As well as something else.]
I'm fairly certain had you not done so, I would not be here. So, if you'll reconsider your stance, I would very much like to stay with you until you are recovered.
[And ah. There is that hint again. Although Hades' face is of course, mostly obscured- it seems to radiate off him regardless. So, perhaps some gentle teasing is in order? For after all, even faint annoyance should provide him a viable distraction.]
And I solemnly promise to try very, very, very hard to not make you feel so terrible about your rather orthodox literary habits.
[And he'll accept the second glass, for he is still very thirsty. This one doesn't empty quite so quickly, however, and Hades chooses instead to hold on to it, balanced there in both of his small hands, still propped up by his elbows and knees.]
Not a demand, a request. I'd not be so foolish as to think myself capable of ordering about the sea of all things. But every now and again it rises to my aid when I most have need of it. Occasionally it calls to me, and so I answer in turn.
[The irony is lost on him now, and he does not think it especially strange or special, for it has always been this way with him. He does not fear it, and he's even aware that much of his power likely stems from their connection. He also doesn't mention that he had not wanted to stand there and watch the other boy's life be cut short - that this was the motivating force behind the request. But now it is Hades' turn to tilt his head.]
Is that your reason for being here...? Then it's the Underworld you want. It has naught at all to do with me.
[Though he doesn't say "no", either. He may not be certain how he feels about this Hythlodaeus, but he's definitely not dull by any means. And... oh, he will go quite mad if he's stuck in bed for a week or more without even some parchment and a quill to keep him company. But at the teasing, he grimaces immediately.]
I don't feel at all terrible about them! But if you really want to make yourself useful, mayhap you might cease poking fun at my literary habits and actually fetch me something to read. I won't be able to concentrate on my recovery if I'm bored out of my mind from laying about in bed all day.
[Not entirely true, but. Well, surely he gets the point.]
[So that is the way of it. He can't help but feel surprised as he listens. His eyebrows even raise beneath his mask.
Hades was able to commune with the Underworld. And had the favour of it. Something so large, something so powerful, something that- whichever name someone chose to use for it, Sea or Underworld- simply was millions of souls forming the lifeblood of the very star itself. The very star itself. And the fact that Hades thought it nothing of note, seemed interested in Hythlodaeus' own tendency to be more observant than most, seemed to view his skill in it as something impressive by comparison is truly surprising.
For it bears repeating. This boy was protected by the very star. Did the current Emet-Selch know? They must, surely. His arms move to cross at his torso as he regards him, his voice even.]
Not quite. For the Underworld did not call upon itself to spare me a return. You did- therefore I have a debt to repay to you... Unless I'm mistaken, and it did?
[But then, at the grimace, he can't help but break out into a grin. For yes, it is a complaint. But he can see the assent underneath it. The small, barely there but there acknowledgement and assent. He stands, smoothing out his robe with his hands.]
I'll collect the driest, dourest tomes I can find, and return within the hour.
[Loveless is his preference after all. It makes sense to find similar ones. As well as other things. A few changes of robe, some personal things- a brush perhaps, things to wash himself with- for his comfort. That's unspoken. And:]
If you are asleep when I return, I'll leave them with you and return tomorrow.
[No, he... he isn't mistaken, and Hades is left to balk at the very idea that someone should be in his debt. He stares in disbelief, his head bobbing forward heavily as his shoulders slump beneath him and he sighs so exhaustedly, so affectedly. Oh, there's no point in denying it! Clearly, this Hythlodaeus has perceived the truth. And yet, he isn't about to come right out and admit it - such a thing would be boastful in the extreme!]
[Instead he sits hunched there in the very center of the bed, his eyes fixed on that grin beneath the shade of his mask. He gets the distinct feeling that he should never be rid of the boy, and that he's in for a long, long recovery.]
Fine.
[He scowls again, and mutters under his breath even as his body begins to grow heavy with the need to sleep.]
...as well as some of your own recommendations, I should hope.
[He won't promise to like them, but it would prove even more tiresome if Hythlodaeus finds himself with nothing to do. After all, he already knows what a chatterbox the boy is. Hades won't say 'thank you' for this, but... he may be looking forward to the morrow, just the smallest, subtlest amount.]
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no subject
[But what reason could he have for staying? Is it merely because of what they experienced together? Or is he still expecting him to instruct him on the ways of magick? Oh, he hardly requires such teaching, not with eyes capable of seeing what even he cannot. Should he not then be assigned to someone who can better help him apply that gift?]
I don't recall ordering you to read to me. Leave the book there and I shall finish it myself. It's written by the former Altima, is it not? It's called "Loveless".
There is no hate, only joy
For you are beloved by the goddess
Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds
[It's been an age since he last read that one. He wouldn't dislike reading it again, if he could focus on the pages... And at this news, Hades frowns and eyes the vial with mild distaste before reaching out a tremoring and clammy hand to pluck it from Hythlodaeus' fingers. He studies it a moment, although it becomes clear that the frown isn't so much from unwillingness to cooperate as it is because Hades is attempting to identify the herbal extracts contained therein based on their combined color and viscosity.]
Did they say what this one is for?
[His gaze drifts gradually over to the bedside table where he finds a startling collection of flasks and bottles all aligned and neatly labeled. A week...seems like an awfully long time to be stuck in bed simply for fainting.]
Or any of those? Surely you're exaggerating...
no subject
[He does smile though- when Hades recites some lines.]
Ah. Act 2, is that not? The Hero. ...And the script dare not consider that one man's hero may yet be another's villain. I far prefer this one.
[He turns around then, taking another book from the neat pile. And then he takes a seat. The words should be unfamiliar. For this is a book fresh, new. Barely from the printing press- I Want To Be Your Canary.]
Shall I become no more than a puppet? A mindless puppet, never to laugh, never to cry? I wish to live my life under the sky. At times I shall laugh, yet inside I will die. For no life is more insincere than that lived as a masquerade.
[And in a deeper tone, to indicate the male part:]
Cast away thy trappings, and I shall swaddle thee in a gown of love! Never again will I part from thee. Pray, my love, make me thy canary to keep forever in the cage of thy bosom. Let us embark on the first ship tomorrow, before dawn can tell of our elopment.
[Lovely, of course. And a tale he well knows ends in tragedy. But ah. He is asked something. He ceases reading to cast his gaze at the vial.]
That one, as I recall, is for aether regeneration. Otherwise, you have concoctions ready for nausea, nightmares, double vision, lack of vision, weakness, lethargy, and headaches. As well as general discomfort.
[He pauses. And tellingly, he tilts his head.]
...Speaking of which, if you require the one for your dreams, I shall fetch it. You were saying quite strange things earlier. ...About preventing something from coming to pass again?
[A pause.]
I mean not to pry. ...Yet you were sweating. And shouting it, besides. Over and over.
He's going to recite this back to him when they elope for real I hope you realize.
A rework he says...
[Hades looks no small amount insulted by this declaration. Hythlodaeus simply can't be serious! "Loveless" may very well be a modern classic. Does he not understand that the entire work is a metaphor? It's supposed to be (dare he even think the word) "rigid".]
[Still... Hades can't help but be curious as Hythlodaeus produces yet another tome (from an entire stack of them no less). This one is new - even without his Sight, he can tell by its pristine condition. He's not read it yet; never even heard of it until this moment, and his interest is plain in the way he sits up a bit straighter despite how his flesh would protest against movement.]
[It's well-crafted, of course. And overbearingly romantic. He's all but certain tragedy will strike them at sea, or that their elopement will take an unfortunate turn. One might think Hades would turn his nose up at such things, but he has to admit that Hythlodaeus has a pleasant voice for recitation - and he even puts in the effort to shift betwixt characters. So this is the sort of story he prefers? Not what he'd been expecting at all.]
I can see they're being quite thorough about it...
[Nodding finally, Hades unstoppers the vial and drinks the potion down without much undue fuss. Aether, after all, must needs be regenerated and his body could surely use the extra help. He won't be of any use without it, and won't be able to cast magicks besides. As for the others, the assortment is impressive to say the least, but he's certain that anything else will have him once again giving himself over to sleep, and that's the very last thing he wants...]
[--ah.]
[That news is enough to startle Hades out of his thoughts. And here he frowns, and a wariness seems to settle over him.]
...You needn't concern yourself about it. Our battle with that creature must have dredged up thoughts of the past, nothing more.
[Enough to be forced to rewatch that terrible moment yet again, and the height of his own stupidity. His creased brow deepens at that, his gaze cast down about his knees beneath the covers - still all a-tangle from whatever must have come to pass in the waking world.]
I don't require anything else.
eloping yes yes yes
[Oh, he's playing now. His own tastes may be firmly toward material that can be interpreted in different fashions, can have multiple endings, and can be altered and altered as time goes on- but Loveless is hardly worthless. But perhaps his words are carefully chosen, in order to elicit as much (quiet and weakened) outrage as possible. .... For perhaps he has already perceived the other's fits of temper to be quite entertaining.
But.]
Of course. From what I've learned while being here, the Words of Emmerololth bestow the same attention upon all who are directed to regain themselves here. You're hardly special in that regard.
[And as Hades drinks...]
But you are special. For even the Convocation are now aware of you. Azem herself has requested to speak with you, as soon as you are released.
[Fame. Don't choke on that, Hades. His elbow meets his knee, and he plays his hand, resting his cheek on it as he regards him. And oh, Hades. He sees that you're not lying. Yet he also sees it's far more than described.
Yet, for now, he's not about to force it. So. A small smile follows.]
Understood. Unless you mean by not needing anything else, that you would like me to stop coming here. [A small laugh.I'd like to stay and see if I may be admitted unto this facility via the virtue of my bedside manner.
[Which... isn't quite the truth. Yet it is better for everyone involved (and far less awkward) to say that, than telling the truth. That being here is him being punished for Hades' actions- and Hades himself is viewed as a hero of sorts.]
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[He would know, as he has read the entire collection - not out of any requirement, but simply because he had an interest in doing so. Loveless is their masterwork, and for clear reason in his mind. Hades scowls behind his mask, but he is hardly in any state to keep up a long-winded debate about classical literature. And soon enough, his mind shifts to a topic even more boggling. The Convocation? And Azem herself...? He can scarce believe what he's hearing. Why should they be aware of him or wish to speak with him? It makes no sense. In fact, he tilts his head sideways in a clear expression of doubt and skepticism.]
Say what you will of Loveless, but you should never joke of such things. You do realize that, do you not? I already know that I will be punished for disobeying the elders regardless of whether we defeated that beast or not. Which I can only presume that we did, since you are here.
...Though I may be more adept at magicks than most of my peers, it is a curse as much as a blessing. It does not make me special.
[He still does not understand why Hythlodaeus insists on staying or coming, nor why he seems so content to remain as he is. The pile of books is considerable. How long has he been here for already> He cannot mean to stay with him the entire time. Hades looks away, arms folding around himself.]
As for your bedside manner, you won't be getting any commendation from me.
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The strongest, yet a notably incomplete work. They say that the last acts are hidden and wait in some far-flung corner of the world to be uncovered, yet... perhaps the Altima of that time simply decided to cut their losses and spend their time writing something more interesting.
[A small laugh escapes him, yet it's wholly different from the ones he had given Hades thusfar. For there is a small amount of fondness in it. It was that very fondness, after all, which had him come up with something quite untrue- that he had been the one to rush headlong into danger, and dutiful, stern Hades had only followed to see he did not come to harm.
Something corroborated by his aether having destroyed the seal on the facilities' door. And corroborated by the fleeing elders, of whom had glanced the pair of them.]
I'll have you know- [In a playful tone, of course;] that the mere thought of my joking in regard to something like that is most hurtful. [A faint smile.] You'll have to make it right by attending your summons in perfect health and not doing anything silly, like leaving early. Otherwise I- and the Words, shall no doubt be looked upon as incompetents. And you would not do that to us, would you?
[A curse though.
That alludes, faintly, to the dreams he was having...
His facial expression smoothes from his smile, into his lips forming a neutral line. And...]
Would you tell me of it? How something like your talent could be considered detrimental.
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Mayhap if half of the words that leave your mouth weren't pure rubbish and ridicule, I'd be inclined to give them their due consideration. Besides, even if I was to be summoned, it would have no bearing on you or the Words. They are two completely separate matters.
[Yet Hades, too, has questions, and he spares another glance at him over his shoulder. Unfortunately, winning Hades over will prove more difficult than simply reading to him.]
If it will be enough to convince you that whatever your reason for being here is severely misguided: not three moons ago I developed a spell called Dark Eruption. A classmate begged me share the papers I'd drafted for its submission, and so I did. Little did I know he would attempt to use the spell without full knowledge of its application. He lost control, and amidst the chaos and the screams, three other students were taken away to be treated. ...it targets not one, but five enemies, you see.
And this is only one such tale. In the hands of others, my work brings ruin. What good are they to the star if but a single person is capable of using them? And that is why I seek the means to continue my studies alone.
[A pause, just long enough to shake out the blankets and straighten them back down, perhaps to avoid whatever expression may have formed on his companion's face.]
...You, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. Why do you pretend to be so utterly hopeless in all respects when your soulsight is extraordinary? You may not be gifted in aetherial manipulation, but you were able to detect what both the elders and I could not.
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Yet now, he finds himself smiling. ...For it really is quite funny. And he might even be stifling a small laugh.]
It matters. For should you meet Azem still battered, still bruised, and still weakly clawing back your aether reserves, both I and the Words would be held to account for it.
[But ah. He listens to Hades recount that... well, rather sorry state of affairs, and he finds his mouth drawing into a perfect line. And then a slight grimace. He's heard of this, he's sure. It really was such a long time ago, but... the injuries were lifechanging, he's certain.
Yet. One detail is new. That the concept was detailed to be multi-target. That his classmate had overlooked that part. Such would be anyone's defence at something so terrible happening. Insist that something had been overlooked, that it was the fault of the person that used it, and-
-but as he looks at Hades, he sees no sign of the lie. No indication that anything untruthful or exaggerated had been uttered. So...]
It strikes me that perhaps you were foolish to give someone something before it had been approved. [Somewhat arrogant, as well. If something were wrong with the spell, the very same thing could have happened even if it had been read correctly.] It is not your work that brings ruin. More your judgment... in that instance.
[Probably not what he wanted to hear, but it's astute. And as Hades asks his own question, he stands, fetching himself some water.]
I can assure you, I'm hardly pretending. Perhaps I exaggerate, but to be entirely honest with you, I've no skill at aether manipulation. I may use my own aether-
[He pours from a large jug, deciding to pour Hades a glass as well. No doubt, he needs it after being unconscious for so long.]
- in creation magick with no error. Yet taking aether from the world around me, forging it, shaping it, aspecting it to something else... [A brief shake of his head.] It's quite beyond me. My own aether tends to get in the way.
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Simply tell her that I refused rest and wouldn't follow your instruction. It wouldn't be a lie.
[Although, all told, Hades does at least intend to cooperate. He wants to get better. He does not wish to cause further issue for anyone else.]
Think you I haven't relived that day countless times already? Of course I should never have handed it over! But he was so persistent and we are taught to always bolster one another to shared success. I thought that viewing the written foundation of a successful spell would help him better improve his own, which he'd been struggling with for a time. I might have known that testing mine would prove too much of a temptation...
[Hades slowly leans forward to rest his elbows on his bent knees, his cowl hiding even most of his masked face as if he might vanish into shadow.]
I don't blame him for his curiosity.
[Nor does he offer any further argument about whether or not the work should have been approved beforehand. He had, in fact, planned to submit it the very next day for approval. He'd even gone to his teacher to have his calculations reviewed, just in case he'd overlooked any small detail in its formula. His classmate (and at the time, someone he considered a friend) had caught him just after.]
[His head is throbbing again, and Hades closes his eyes wearily.]
Yes, yes, I realize all of that already... I'm not here to harp on your shortcomings. I'm asking why you choose instead to hide your talents.
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Yet even then, he falls to a silence, and he listens. For something about what Hades says then- about it being shared in the hope of improving the other- strikes him as odd. Hm.]
In all of the tellings of the tale, I had not heard it that way before. Most believe that it is a story of two vainglorious mages. The first, having created such a magick, saw no reason to go through the proper channels. He merely passed it to an equally arrogant friend, in the hopes of inspiring awe with his work.
[Indeed, the fact that the aforementioned friend had not been instructed to use it was absolutely not part of the tale he'd heard. ...Hades' own doing, he suspects. It's only an inkling of a suspicion thus far, but he does seem entirely far too modest for the story in common knowledge to be in any ways true.
But. He does not press. For seeing the other boy sink like that-
He must be tired. It simply wouldn't do to accost him with questions about something that obviously affects him while he is supposed to be recovering. So. He takes a seat again, his hand slipping into his own hood to move some of his hair behind his ear.]
Talents?
[A small laugh escapes him, for he is, most certainly, surprised.]
Are you sure you're feeling quite well? I have a middling interest in archery. I should hardly call that anything of note.
[He really doesn't know.]
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[A quiet murmur. Perhaps it has been fashioned thus for a purpose, a lesson for others to be wary of their decisions, to be humble, to follow the proper steps and not think themselves better than their fellows. It is such a distortion of what truly happened, and yet... if it would protect his fellows, if it would stop another young mage from making the same mistake, who is he to set the record to rights? That day, when the elders had taken him in for questioning, he had shared with them the whole truth, unflinchingly. ...the whole truth, that is-- save, for it being his friend's own choice to set off the spell. A blight upon his own record, a punishment for Hades alone to bear with no one else the wiser. His friend had avoided him after that. They'd never spoken again.]
[He sighs, this a softer sound that is not exaggerated in the slightest. His mouth twitches, and yet he doesn't offer complaint or protest.]
...then perhaps you should put what I've said out of your mind. I must have spoken in error.
[Hades is really quite thirsty, and hungry - even as his stomach would still attempt to roil within him. He casts a sideways glance at the second poured glass. If Hythlodaeus has no plans to drink of them both, then...]
[Yet he does not ask.]
We both know I'm feeling dreadful, thank you very much.
But I'm being serious. You were able to see that beast from the start, were you not? Once we gathered outside that final chamber, I was finally able to sense its presence, but I never once saw it physically appear. If not for your arrows, and the very fact that it caught fire soon after, I would not have known where to take aim.
...I also fail to understand how the creature was defeated. Did the elders show up to save us immediately after I lost consciousness?
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[He highly doubts any of it was distorted out of maliciousness. For there would be no point in curbing such a talented young mages' spirit. Perhaps it is more a matter of slight misrememberances in play as the story got repeated? Or an individual's opinion becoming fact in the next retelling and...
Yes, the water. He'd quite forgotten, and surely, were he to be telling the truth about being interested in dedicating his purpose to Emmerololth's Words, he would likely be quite terrible at that, as well. His arm reaches forward to tap Hades on the shoulder before he hands his glass over, hovering close by to take it when he is finished.
And...
His expression turns somewhat distant, his smile that much more wan.]
Yes, I was. I could see it as soon as we spoke to the elders within the city, actually. [Yes, even from that distance away. In a city full of souls, he could detect, he could pinpoint, and he could read it as bad news. Hence, his reservations about actually going in.] It's hardly talent, for talent is something that can be used. More some form of joke. I may be able to see things, yet I lack the strength to do anything about them.
[A light shrug of his shoulders follows, and he takes his seat once more.]
As for your other question... something rather strange did happen. A great tear in reality occurred. Energies poured into you, and darkness covered you. And-
[A great arm suddenly burst from his back. Bigger, even, than the creature. And he closed the arm's fist around it, and squeezed, and squeezed, and... Oh. It was hardly a pretty thing to observe. Even if he had craved retribution for what had happened to the elder within the akademia- watching it explode within that hand's grasp had almost made him very violently ill.]
...And you defeated it. In a single blow, might I add! Then...
[He had locked eyes with this... thing Hades had become. And he had saw him. Really saw him for who he was, as he stared at the clump of shadow that seemed so very different from the great and terrible figures their kind made when transformed. He was utterly unadorned. When the arm had retracted within his back, he was bare- just a mound of shadow about Hythlodaeus' own height, so very dark he did not even reflect light. The only thing of note, really, was his eyes. Four total, staring at him, just as much as he stared at it.
...He'd seemed to cut quite a lonely figure, actually. Seemed fragile, almost. And then, he had fallen to the ground. And Hythlodaeus had stayed with him until help had come.]
...I'm rather pleased you do not remember. Most likely, you'd have been quite ashamed of me for all of the shouting I did until we were found.
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[Which Hades also has no way of confirming, having only met the boy today. Even so, he does not think it so difficult to figure out why he would walk back his statements. Let the tale stand as it is, if the fiction of it will do more widespread good than his own version of events.]
[He need not be hovered over, but when his shoulder is tapped, Hades' head lifts slightly and he reaches for the glass - downing the contents slowly and steadily until not a drop remains. And all the while he listens -- and with something of a start at that. His mouth hangs open, and he must brush it with a sleeve to keep a dribble of water from leaking back out.]
So soon? But surely you realize what an incredible skill that is?
[And yet, he finds that he feels wrong in pressing the issue. Is it not very like his own situation? A power which cannot be put to its proper, full potential. Something halted by an obstacle which cannot singularly be overcome. Small wonder Hythlodaeus wants to learn magicks, even though his ability to manipulate aether remains lacking... He'd do well in a group, as the eyes of a team, but perhaps he seeks a more active purpose on this star just as he himself does.]
[Hades shakes his head.]
There was hardly enough time to cast another spell, and so I drew upon the power of the Underworld for help... I don't remember defeating it. Or any of the commotion you claim to have made after.
[He does not remember transforming; he does not remember the other boy staring upon him and seeing him thus. But he does feel the ache and the weight of something upon him, even beyond the expenditure of aether, even beyond the damage he'd taken when his shade was smashed to pieces. It's as if a door has been torn off its hinges, and stands there open, beckoning and unknowable, somewhere in the midst of a complex labyrinth of discovery. It waits for him to find it again.]
...but, thank you, I suppose. For staying with me until then.
[Perhaps the first true word of thanks, for this time there's no sarcasm or impatience to it. Just a hint of that fragile, lonely darkness - only this time, it takes the shape of a boy instead.]
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[A vague tilt of his head and his gaze wandering aside for a moment is the only response Hades would recieve as to his first question. And fortunately, it hardly matters. For the matter is not pressed. He stands, collecting Hades' glass and pouring yet another, should the other want it- it would be placed into his hand.]
Is that what you did? [A faint exhale.] I've not heard of anyone who can commune with the other side, let alone make demands of it. ...Well. Aside from Emet-Selch, I would presume.
[The irony of this conversation, of course, would become apparent in a few thousand years. But for now, it is something genuinely put. As well as something else.]
I'm fairly certain had you not done so, I would not be here. So, if you'll reconsider your stance, I would very much like to stay with you until you are recovered.
[And ah. There is that hint again. Although Hades' face is of course, mostly obscured- it seems to radiate off him regardless. So, perhaps some gentle teasing is in order? For after all, even faint annoyance should provide him a viable distraction.]
And I solemnly promise to try very, very, very hard to not make you feel so terrible about your rather orthodox literary habits.
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Not a demand, a request. I'd not be so foolish as to think myself capable of ordering about the sea of all things. But every now and again it rises to my aid when I most have need of it. Occasionally it calls to me, and so I answer in turn.
[The irony is lost on him now, and he does not think it especially strange or special, for it has always been this way with him. He does not fear it, and he's even aware that much of his power likely stems from their connection. He also doesn't mention that he had not wanted to stand there and watch the other boy's life be cut short - that this was the motivating force behind the request. But now it is Hades' turn to tilt his head.]
Is that your reason for being here...? Then it's the Underworld you want. It has naught at all to do with me.
[Though he doesn't say "no", either. He may not be certain how he feels about this Hythlodaeus, but he's definitely not dull by any means. And... oh, he will go quite mad if he's stuck in bed for a week or more without even some parchment and a quill to keep him company. But at the teasing, he grimaces immediately.]
I don't feel at all terrible about them! But if you really want to make yourself useful, mayhap you might cease poking fun at my literary habits and actually fetch me something to read. I won't be able to concentrate on my recovery if I'm bored out of my mind from laying about in bed all day.
[Not entirely true, but. Well, surely he gets the point.]
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He can't help but feel surprised as he listens. His eyebrows even raise beneath his mask.
Hades was able to commune with the Underworld. And had the favour of it. Something so large, something so powerful, something that- whichever name someone chose to use for it, Sea or Underworld- simply was millions of souls forming the lifeblood of the very star itself. The very star itself. And the fact that Hades thought it nothing of note, seemed interested in Hythlodaeus' own tendency to be more observant than most, seemed to view his skill in it as something impressive by comparison is truly surprising.
For it bears repeating. This boy was protected by the very star. Did the current Emet-Selch know? They must, surely. His arms move to cross at his torso as he regards him, his voice even.]
Not quite. For the Underworld did not call upon itself to spare me a return. You did- therefore I have a debt to repay to you... Unless I'm mistaken, and it did?
[But then, at the grimace, he can't help but break out into a grin. For yes, it is a complaint. But he can see the assent underneath it. The small, barely there but there acknowledgement and assent. He stands, smoothing out his robe with his hands.]
I'll collect the driest, dourest tomes I can find, and return within the hour.
[Loveless is his preference after all. It makes sense to find similar ones. As well as other things. A few changes of robe, some personal things- a brush perhaps, things to wash himself with- for his comfort. That's unspoken. And:]
If you are asleep when I return, I'll leave them with you and return tomorrow.
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[No, he... he isn't mistaken, and Hades is left to balk at the very idea that someone should be in his debt. He stares in disbelief, his head bobbing forward heavily as his shoulders slump beneath him and he sighs so exhaustedly, so affectedly. Oh, there's no point in denying it! Clearly, this Hythlodaeus has perceived the truth. And yet, he isn't about to come right out and admit it - such a thing would be boastful in the extreme!]
[Instead he sits hunched there in the very center of the bed, his eyes fixed on that grin beneath the shade of his mask. He gets the distinct feeling that he should never be rid of the boy, and that he's in for a long, long recovery.]
Fine.
[He scowls again, and mutters under his breath even as his body begins to grow heavy with the need to sleep.]
...as well as some of your own recommendations, I should hope.
[He won't promise to like them, but it would prove even more tiresome if Hythlodaeus finds himself with nothing to do. After all, he already knows what a chatterbox the boy is. Hades won't say 'thank you' for this, but... he may be looking forward to the morrow, just the smallest, subtlest amount.]