Open and Closed prompts

[hythlodaeus]

Who: Hythlodaeus and YOU
When: July, on a Wednesday
Where: Around Goldenrod
Summary: Hythlodaeus is making friends and learning sign language :)
Rating: Mature. I don't trust Hythlodaeus' friends.



Painting Portraits

[His dear friend and house mate has tried to impart the value of a dollar on Hythlodaeus, and that they need way more of them. To his credit, he is trying now. Armed with several sheets of nice paper and a set of water colors, he's seated on the ground with a little sign advertising that he will paint a portrait of you and your pokemon.]

[There is no price listed, and while he's not painting a portrait, he will be doing little paintings of muscular, anthropomorphic horse men. They are very, very good]


Menacing the Radio Tower

[After his little lunch date, Hythlodaeus finds himself a little bit at a loss. He still has his art supplies, and he's still mad... So maybe he just needs to work off a little energy. If you're coming or going from the Radio tower, he will affix you with an intense stare for several seconds before looking down at his paper and drawing... a terrifyingly photo realistic portrait of you.]

Steven

[On the very worst Wednesday after a particularly terrible weekend, Hythlodaeus is at the right place at the right time, though not quite looking like himself. He seems to have left his mask and robe at home, instead wearing a simple short sleeve button down and a pair of khaki chinos.]

[He still stands out, a lot, since he's still eight feet tall with long white hair, but hey! At least everyone doesn't think he's a ghost now. He's just a werid guy standing there with a couple of cutieflies buzzing around him. He seems to be spacing the fuck out, staring at some far off point as he stands and waits.]

Comments

[hythlodaeus]

There is so much we didn't know. And to forgive ourselves... It will take time.

[He encloses Steven's hand in his, firmly but gently, like he's holding a small, wriggling animal.]

I cannot chastise you for clinging to the past, as it is most of what I do these days...

[He frowns, genuinely, mournfully, for Steven.]

I'm the older one, so... I should have... I was careless.

[He slowly covers Steven's hand with his other one and looks at him through those droopy eyelids.]

She won't be forgotten, as long as you talk about her.

[fingersandteeth]

I will. I'll tell you about her, if you want. She was here, this last weekend.

[He makes a face.]

Emet flirted with her.

[hythlodaeus]

Hades—

[And then he covers his mouth. Oh no, oh no. His guard was down. He. Uh.]

You... Didn't hear that.

Ah, please... Proceed in talking about your sister.

[fingersandteeth]

I have no idea that his True Name is Greek Pluto.

[Said entirely deadpan.]

Charley... She's nine years younger than me. Mom named her for my Tio Carlos, who died the year before she was born. And she was... wonderful. Brilliant in all senses of the word. And such a good heart. She cares about everyone.

[hythlodaeus]

[That is a lot of difficult concepts mashed in there, all at once, for Hythlodaeus' listening pleasure. But... It sounds like Steven won't rat him out, at least not right away.]

...Precisely.

[He slowly lowers his hands, his cheeks reddening as he extends his hansd again. Perhaps the moment has passed, or perhaps Steven will oblige him. This must be the first time he's actually been embarrassed here; it really is not easy to do. But Steven starts talking about Charley, and he's able to focus on something else.]

She sounds wonderful, I mean it... Anyone who can get along with Emet-Selch, well...

[fingersandteeth]

Has the patience of a saint?

[hythlodaeus]

...Is certainly a way of putting it that most would agree with.


[He sighs and folds his hands. Moment's passed.]

Being dead... Isn't all bad. I'm not sure if that is any consolation for you. But suffering is for the living. I've spent my life beholding the Underworld, after all.

[fingersandteeth]

I know it's not. My culture... has a very special relationship with the concept of death. But at the same time... I wanted to see her grow old, you know? And get married and have kids for me to be Tio Steven to. And now she'll never be any older than twenty-five.

... that's the same age my uncle was when we lost him. Which... is a rather hideous coincidence. I feel sorry for our parents.

[hythlodaeus]

That is... [His hands migrate to his lap as he ducks his head.] So, so young. My heart aches for you, for her, for your family.

[He peers up. He can't help his curiosity—]

And what is this relationship with death your culture has?

[fingersandteeth]

Mm. I suppose you'd say it's more... intimate than the other local culture where I come from? It's not that we don't fear dying, because we naturally do, but we don't believe in hiding from the concept of death. It's as much part of life as being born.

[He shrugs.]

But yeah. Charley... was really special in her way. Honestly, it should have been me who died. Not her.

[hythlodaeus]

...Of course it is... Wait, is there a place that isn't? For those of us with the Sight, Death is especially beautiful, the way a finished chapter of a book is. Even with your short lives, you pretend to hide from death?

[He's not trying to be mean, he's genuinely flummoxed. He looks down, then glances up, raising his hands from the table.]

How naughty of us. Friendship is not the only reason we're doing this, after all. Apologies, go on. Were you in a situation where only one of you could live?

[fingersandteeth]

We don't. But it's kind of an Anglo thing to hide from death. Uh, Anglos are descendants of the people who came from overseas to colonize my country after the original inhabitants died from disease. They're sort of the majority culture there.

But no. It wasn't a situation like that. I just feel like if one of us had to die it shouldn't have been her.

[hythlodaeus]

I realize that it must be irritating for me to be endlessly surprised and mortified by your circumstances, but that is quite where I am.

Ah, a useless sort of guilt. Derived from a thought that no one but you yourself think. Except, perhaps, one other person?

[fingersandteeth]

No. She wouldn't have wanted me to die in her place.

[hythlodaeus]

See! It is actually quite nice to be agreeable from time to time. Respect her wishes with at least that.

[fingersandteeth]

Hythlodaeus, I am perfectly capable of being agreeable. I am known for being pleasant. Just because I can't get along with your ex boyfriend...

[hythlodaeus]

[He offers a little shrug in reply]

If you say so!

[He spends just a little too long just looking at him.]

But, surely you will be able to get along with him in the future.

[fingersandteeth]

I'll try to hold my temper with him, yes, Steven says. And I did agree to meet with you as a kind of exposure therapy, so I can be near him without automatically going to uncomfortable places inside my head. I can certainly treat him with as much bland courtesy as you might wish. But in terms of becoming actual friends with Hades... that bridge was burned long ago.

Besides--why would I want to be friends with anyone who doesn't even think I'm a person?

[hythlodaeus]

That is precisely what I want, yes. So, thank you.

[ He sits up straight for a moment, stretching his back as he gives Steven a wide smile.]

The reason is really quite simple, however. That entire train of thought is born of the tempering itself. Though I see no reason that Zodiark’s influence should reach him here, so... it might go away.

[fingersandteeth]

The nightmare thing was really meant to be my last hurrah against him, anyway, Steven signs uncomfortably. Because he'd terrified me so badly, I wanted to scare him in return. I had no idea it would get out of hand. I barely prodded at his dream before it took the terrifying turn it did--you have to believe that

And-- yes, it might go away in time. But I know better than most that the damage done to us by our Lords [he uses Tyler's sign for 'True Fae'] tends to linger long after we've gained our freedom. So I wouldn't look for that change to happen any time soon.

[hythlodaeus]

Of course I believe it. He holds his traumas ever so close to his chest and relives them often. You may have gone entirely undetected if you had just let it play out... He seems to be thinking about something else as he signs, his hands slowing again before picking up more confidently. He lets out a smug little laugh.

Still, you used my name for the first time just now. That gladdens me, no one here uses my name.

[fingersandteeth]

Probably because it's long and hard to spell, Steven replies, the corners of his lips twitching. You know, for what you are--and what you are in still completely terrifying--you're... not so bad. But you should apologize to Lydia. I couldn't see her replies to you, but I saw what you said to her and it was... well, it was awful. She's not a good woman, no more than I'm a good man, but she's doing her best here to be better than she was. Maybe Tyler would hate you less if you apologized.

Or maybe not. I can't really speak for him. But I do know that when I make an honest effort to make up for my fuck-ups, he usually gives me another chance when his temper cools... which admittedly takes forever, because he's a born Summer-child.

[hythlodaeus]

...

Tyler hates me?

[He presses his face into his hands and lets his breath out before looking back up at Steven.]

I suppose this is just what life is like for now. I really did try with Lydia, you know. She's... perhaps not the smartest, is she? I think my approach broke down.

[fingersandteeth]

Well, I don't think he likes you at all, at least, Steven signs after a long moment. And honestly, all the things you said to her made me like you less and I'm not Lydia's lover.

Lydia is actually very clever--she's wizard, you have to be intelligent for that--she's just not always wise. And she was in very difficult circumstances before. She's honestly fairly reformed here.

[hythlodaeus]

Oh, I hadn't known that about the two of them. I'm quite surprised that Tyler speaks to me at all... A failure of manners, then, perhaps.

[He thinks for a moment and tilts his head.]

I know a lot of fairly... middling wizards. She has difficulty with the whole "question and answer" routine. Perhaps I spoke too much for her...

...Not that she might not be a perfectly bright girl. I suppose not everyone can successfully do necromancy, not that anyone should. Though... With a wider lens, truly gauging the success of it all sounds debatable.