Would you like to meet somewhere? I can bring you back to my cottage, as Lahabrea is out. I have whiskey already, unless there's aught else you'd prefer?
[Hythlodaeus offers up directions, and sets about getting the whiskey out of the cupboard and setting two glasses on the coffee table in the living room, humming as he goes. When Naoya knocks, he opens the door with a grin and steps back to let him inside.]
Welcome!
[The house is decorated nicely, with an Amaurotine flair to it given who currently lives here. Hythlodaeus in particular has been busy creating items to furnish the place. He leads Naoya through to the living room, and gestures to the couch.]
[The style reminds him of art deco, which in turn reminds him of Egypt. It's fascinating to see just how the style is different from what he's been working on or his cousin's place.]
[He settles on the couch and tilts his head to the side, grinning at the Amaurotine.]
You've been busy - how long have you been in this particular cottage?
I suppose you could always remake them, though it wouldn't be the same...
[Probably not, but it makes sense.]
Ah... I've been all right, for the most part. It's been a little... well. Let's just say I got a 'friendly warning' from my cousin about staying away from his new housemate.
Both - not someone from home, but someone he met here. But yes, he considers me a bad influence.
[Another sip and he grins slightly.]
I've no reason to scheme here - as far as I know the God we're familiar with isn't here so the only thing I could do is try to get information on how to break my curse. And I've little reason to do that subtly thanks to what the network revealed.
I have time. I've waited thousands of years. I can always start again when I get back.
Ah, yes. 'Twas the first time the network caught me off guard, as the first time Sleepr came around I managed to input my own profile. Alas, it caught me whilst tired and more than willing to put my device down for more rest. What a mistake that was!
[He shrugs, clearly not that bothered.]
But aside from the suggestion that somebody should wipe the smile off my face by punching me... well, it could have been worse, I suppose. Nobody has punched me yet. I consider that a success.
[He wonders how one would go about breaking such a curse placed upon themselves, though...]
Might I have the full story behind your curse? Better that you tell me now than for me to hear it from another source in the future, surely?
It's said that in the beginning, God created the world. It's not quite true, but He did create a paradise with a single rule - not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But the first man that He created and the woman He created from that man broke that rule, and so they were cast out from paradise for the sin of curiosity.
Those were my parents.
I was their firstborn child after they themselves had been cursed with... relatively minor things, things that humans now accept as part of their lives. Childbirth pains, the need to grow food for themselves... things such as that. But I was a farmer and I worked the field. My brother Abel was a shepherd and tended the flock we had. And then God asked the two of us for a sacrifice. I provided the fruits of my labor from the field and Abel provided portions of the firstborn of his flock.
[He pauses and takes a deep breath, trying to not let himself get angry.]
God chose Abel's offering and rejected mine. He wanted blood - but He asked the impossible of me. Blood does not flow in crops! And so I decided to offer the most precious thing I had. ... I called my brother out to the field and I slew him. I didn't know what murder was. I barely had a concept of what death was. And so when He called to me and asked where my brother was, I told Him I wasn't my brother's keeper, and that I didn't know.
... So I was cursed, used as an example of what would happen to people if they killed someone else. I was cursed to be a wanderer in the world, to never have peace. To be reborn over and over and over with all of my memories. It's useful, yes - but it's also torture, as I end up with horrible lives. Tragedy not of my doing, disease and famine and wars and...
[He sighs. No, he isn't... going to go into details about all of his terrible lives. Not now. And there's the matter of what happened to Abel... but he promised. He promised Kazuya he wouldn't say anything about him having a shard of Abel's soul.]
[Hythlodaeus listens quietly, drinking slowly as he takes in the story. Naoya is older than he truly thought, for although Hythlodaeus is old he wasn't amongst the first of his kind to grace the star- not even close. Still, being history's first murderer isn't something Hythlodaeus would call a good thing.
And yet, he doesn't seem to be all that affronted. Killing one's brother is... horrible, yes. He wouldn't hesitate to say as much if asked. Still, is it any worse than what Emet-Selch did? What Eren did? The two men he loves the most would be called villains by those who came after. Perhaps it would be deserved.
Hythlodaeus ultimately is in no position to judge Naoya harshly. And so, he won't. It seems somebody else has already judged him, anyway.]
And so you seek to free yourself from the cycle of endless torture...
[Understandable. Hythlodaeus is surprised that Naoya is as composed as he is now, actually. So many lifetimes of suffering would have taken their toll on many others, he's sure.]
You cannot offer anything more than what you have. Would that He had been pleased with such a generous offering from your fields to begin with... but that is, I suppose, an argument that helps nobody now.
Indeed. Well, for what it is worth I hope that you find a means to free yourself.
[Some punishments are necessary, yes. Some, however, are cruel and unusual. Hythlodaeus doesn't think he could ever have killed a man to appease somebody else, but he also couldn't have inflicted several thousands of years of torture onto somebody either, so really neither Naoya or this God is coming out of the equation smelling of roses.
Still, he lifts his glass and holds it out to Naoya in a toast of sorts.]
To freedom, then?
[Even if freedom is just having the ability to rest after one's life.]
Ah, what kind of story? Is there aught you're curious about?
[He knows he's talked about his own life far less than Naoya has talked about himself, but given Naoya's lives have all been full of hardship he'd almost feel badly for talking about how wonderful his own was. He doesn't really like talking about the Final Days, though... but if Naoya asked anything that meant it had to come up, the least he could do was explain it. After all, Naoya trusted him with the story of his curse.]
[He closes his eyes, reminiscing, a smile on his lips. I remember a garden, and a sky, and a man.]
I was trying to return a concept crystal to my friend, Azem, as he had left it in my office. I was stopped along the way by many of my other acquaintances, which meant that I didn't get to him in time before he left... but I recall my dear friend Emet-Selch watching him go when I arrived, with a serene smile on his face. A smile so rarely seen, might I add. 'Twas a beautiful day, and the gardens were lush and colourful... but all I recall seeing was him.
[As he opens his eyes again he takes a drink, chuckling. And it is enough.]
[He would be genuinely unhappy if he did that, personally.]
As for Emet-Selch... he is my soulmate. He is not here, and so I feel his absence most keenly. Still, I have made some wonderful friends here all the same. Friends who make my heart feel full.
[Not in the same way that Emet-Selch did, but in their own, unique ways.]
I... wish to stay here, in some ways. I have those I hold dear to me here, and I would hate to forget them. And yet... I miss Emet-Selch. I should be in the Underworld, resting with him. It doesn't feel quite right, being separated in this way.
[Was that how Emet-Selch felt for all of those thousands of years...?]
[He sets his glass down and reaches out, putting a hand on the other's leg.]
It's only natural to want to be with those you cared about in the past while also wanting to hold onto those you care about in the present. You're not wrong for feeling that way.
I just wish you didn't have to. It's not... an easy feeling to grapple with.
[Still, he places his hand on the one resting on his leg.]
Perhaps it is selfish of me to wish for Emet-Selch to come here, but sometimes I cannot help but to want it. And yet... I have enough here that I am happy, still.
[Squeezing the hand on his leg, he drains his glass and leans forward to pick up the whiskey bottle again, refilling both glasses.]
[Given Naoya's positive response, he grins at the words and kisses him again, threading fingers through his hair. He keeps the kisses light for now, but he can't help but to nip at Naoya's lower lip before he pulls away a little, eyes lidded.]
Is this all right?
[He thinks the other man would say something if it wasn't, but he wants to be sure.]
[Pleased, Hythlodaeus leans in to kiss him once more before his eyes roam around seemingly at random. They settle somewhere off to the left, on Lahabrea's soul off in the distance doing whatever he's doing, and he relaxes.]
It would seem we have the house to ourselves a while longer.
[His eyes flick back to Naoya, content to kiss him here, but it does occur to him that they could be left alone entirely if they just moved to Hythlodaeus' room. Lahabrea never enters there.]
That depends entirely on what you want... but I was thinking of moving this to the bedroom. Lahabrea is still out, but we don't know how much longer for.
[He grins, shifting slightly to move his lips to Naoya's ear.]
Moving there guarantees us privacy, if we need it.
[Do they need it? He isn't sure how far Naoya wanted this to go. Hythlodaeus would never pressure anyone into doing something they didn't want to do, so he wants to make sure they're on the same page first.]
[Absent any other method of travel, Lahabrea is forced to arrive by foot. But he doesn't so much as ask how Naoya has arrived. There is instead, simply a nod as he arrives.]
I would ask that such questions you may have are saved until after. The spell requires some amount of focus.
[He hates it. Though at least he's getting used to walking.
Still, there's a nod and then he sets to casting. And it is immediately apparent why he has asked for a place with a certain amount of space, as a sprawling - and intricate - sigil spreads itself across the ground. And only once it has finally, fully, materialized does what appears to be diamond wrought of magic appear hovering above it.
And then, with a snap and clank, chains rise up to enclose the hovering shape - and, presumably, anything that might have been within it.]
[He studies the sigil with great interest - there's no point in asking him to demonstrate if he doesn't do his best to commit the thing to memory.]
[He stays silent as requested, watching the diamond. So like a cage... he doesn't quite jump at the sound of the chains but it's surprising that it still needs to be done. After a moment, he takes out his Oracle and snaps a picture of it - keeping the shutter sound off, of course. It's not the best quality picture but it's better than nothing.]
[He tilts his head towards Lahabrea. He's waiting for his cue.]
[There's one last gesture from Lahabrea, sharp and twisting, and then the whole of the thing sort of... collapses in on itself before even the glyphs fade away. And though Lahabrea does not actually say anything, the brief nod that follows is likely meant to say that questions may now be asked.]
[He nods and approaches a little bit, though doesn't get too close - Lahabrea seems to be the type of person who would appreciate more personal space.]
What sort of creatures would you bind with this? It seems a rather complex spell, so I imagine it wasn't for something you could simply slap an iron chain on.
One of the more well-known would be the Phoinix. Though the concept was later perfected, the one that resides in Pandaemonium is a being of fiery wrath. Physically, it appears as a bird with three heads, all of which would sooner see the world turned to ash than offer the restorative abilities the final iteration of the concept boasts.
[There's something of a lightbulb moment as he puts together what Lahabrea is saying and what he's heard from Hythlodaeus.]
So the concept is the blueprint that you build from. The creation is the end product. I see now. ... It must be very difficult keeping such things categorized.
Is it simply because you can just wave your hand and do it? Though with concentration, I mean...
[He thinks for a moment and tries to think this through. It seems... lazy, but maybe just because he's not used to it. Wouldn't he do the same if he could?]
I imagine having to do things manually must be a difficult adjustment. I've had to do it that way for several thousand years, so if you do need help with those kinds of skills do let me know.
Not all is done with magic. I will not deny that it has been difficult, to be removed from that which I would consider mine. But much of day to day life has yet remained similar.
[Except for cooking. That he's still struggling with.]
( Naoya will find a small box on his doorstop on Christmas morning, wrapped neatly with floral wrapping paper. Inside will be a red-colored scarfed, hand-knit by Basil. There's a note inside wishing Naoya a Merry Christmas. )
[ A box is left outside Naoya's Home, with the following items!
Obtained x1 Box of Chocolates x1 A metal insulated cup to keep cold or hot beverages inside. It has an image of a cute stylized Mug Logo on it, which is of Kazuya's face in chibi form. Clearly, BB didn't know who the fuck to put there so she chose Kazuya. It looks so happy to see you Naoya! Good for you... This is very basic looking and was clearly made here in Somnius. x1 A squeaky duck that looks weirdly similar to Naoya x1 Photonic Crystal
Letter/Card: Merry Christmas, Let me know what you do with it ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ - BB ]
Though I'm not certain it would - all of my lives so far have been in the same world. But perhaps it's a possibility - after all, if we can all be drawn here, maybe we'll go somewhere else.
Old coins. Papers with 'lost works' on them. Pottery. Things that I could find again and sell.
Sometimes the archeologists get there before me or other events cause me to not be able to reach them, but I know how to hide things. It's helped set me up in later lives. Not every one, but some of them. It depends where I get reborn.
It's an unfortunate decision he was forced to make. Reality is often unjust and requires such things though. In the end, he made his choice to comply with the options given to him.
But I have to wonder-
If you weren't burdened to play the part of a puppet, what would you have done with your life instead?
A puppet I might be, but one who seeks to cut the strings that bind me.
But you mean if I were a 'normal' person? Probably similar things without the addition of magic or demons - programming, puzzle-solving. I can't imagine myself in any life being, say, part of the government without something else going on behind the scenes.
And yet, in all these lifetimes you've been unable to do so. I wonder how many more are required for you to finally carve out freedom.
In any case, programming is something you're well suited for - obvious reasons aside. It doesn't surprise me that even without your overarching purpose, you would continue to do so.
We'll see. It shouldn't take all that much longer.
I enjoy seeing what people can come up with. Sometimes I try to push the envelope myself, but if someone else has a good idea that can advance things, I try to learn from it.
It's funny - that's a question I get often during interviews. My answer is always the same.
Being a detective is my calling. It's what I was meant to do. The pursuit of justice and truth is what matters to me.
But if I had to choose another-
Perhaps a career where I could see the world with my own eyes. I've lived in Tokyo most of my life and it's unlikely I'll be traversing outside of it anytime soon. I'm fascinated with the world around us - cities, cultures, landmarks, the natural beauty of it all. I want to experience it someday.
Some of them were high and mighty. Others have been less-studied. Cynicism in particular is of interest to me. I wasn't lucky enough to meet Diogenes, but he probably wouldn't have liked me anyway.
It would be rather egotistical for me to claim I wanted to do such things.
No, I'm only fascinated with the study and those that chose to spend their lives studying human reason, logic and morality.
Cynicism is an interesting one - the joys of living a simple life, virtuous life. I've studied some and naturally have moved on to Stoicism from it. Hegel has been of particular interest to me in recent days - up until our arrival to this world, I had been reading his work. I don't prescribe to any particular viewpoint myself though.
You’re a teenager, egotism is usually expected to some degree.
But they definitely were interesting people. Often misquoted, but it’s fascinating to watch the effect they had on history.
I also don’t prescribe to any particular viewpoint like that either. I suppose some might call me a dystheist or misotheist, but unlike most of them I have proof of my reasoning. In terms of philosophy though… I quite like Sartre, though the man definitely needed an editor.
[This is exciting. Rarely does anyone match his own knowledge, let alone exceeds it. Akechi's heard the name, but knows little about the philosopher himself.
But his stomach churns, chest aches. He can hear Maruki being an annoying presence at his door.]
When this situation blows over, let's talk more about it in person. I'm intrigued about your viewpoints and want to hear all you have to say on the matter.
Unfortunately, another issue is about to take my attention for the time being.
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Congratulations. You're an example of how to send a text message to a new guy.
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I really should make a post of 'technology for newbies', shouldn't I?
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I am slightly drunk
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Bye.
drinkies
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Welcome!
[The house is decorated nicely, with an Amaurotine flair to it given who currently lives here. Hythlodaeus in particular has been busy creating items to furnish the place. He leads Naoya through to the living room, and gestures to the couch.]
Make yourself at home.
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[He settles on the couch and tilts his head to the side, grinning at the Amaurotine.]
You've been busy - how long have you been in this particular cottage?
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[He sits himself down as well, reaching out to pour himself and Naoya some of the whiskey.]
Though my living creations disappear after a while, 'twould seem inanimate objects are safe.
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[He takes the glass offered and sips it - hm. It's been a bit since he's had this, but it's as good as it usually is.]
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[Ah, well. He shouldn't have let himself get so attached to a creation...]
Never mind that, though.
[He sips at his own whiskey contentedly.]
How have you been faring the past few days?
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[Probably not, but it makes sense.]
Ah... I've been all right, for the most part. It's been a little... well. Let's just say I got a 'friendly warning' from my cousin about staying away from his new housemate.
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His new housemate, hmm? It sounds like he's protective. Is it somebody he knows?
[He lounges back against the couch, folding one leg over the other idly.]
Or are you simply a bad influence?
[He grins as he takes another sip of his drink.]
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[Another sip and he grins slightly.]
I've no reason to scheme here - as far as I know the God we're familiar with isn't here so the only thing I could do is try to get information on how to break my curse. And I've little reason to do that subtly thanks to what the network revealed.
I have time. I've waited thousands of years. I can always start again when I get back.
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[He shrugs, clearly not that bothered.]
But aside from the suggestion that somebody should wipe the smile off my face by punching me... well, it could have been worse, I suppose. Nobody has punched me yet. I consider that a success.
[He wonders how one would go about breaking such a curse placed upon themselves, though...]
Might I have the full story behind your curse? Better that you tell me now than for me to hear it from another source in the future, surely?
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[He sets the glass down and nods.]
It's said that in the beginning, God created the world. It's not quite true, but He did create a paradise with a single rule - not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But the first man that He created and the woman He created from that man broke that rule, and so they were cast out from paradise for the sin of curiosity.
Those were my parents.
I was their firstborn child after they themselves had been cursed with... relatively minor things, things that humans now accept as part of their lives. Childbirth pains, the need to grow food for themselves... things such as that. But I was a farmer and I worked the field. My brother Abel was a shepherd and tended the flock we had. And then God asked the two of us for a sacrifice. I provided the fruits of my labor from the field and Abel provided portions of the firstborn of his flock.
[He pauses and takes a deep breath, trying to not let himself get angry.]
God chose Abel's offering and rejected mine. He wanted blood - but He asked the impossible of me. Blood does not flow in crops! And so I decided to offer the most precious thing I had. ... I called my brother out to the field and I slew him. I didn't know what murder was. I barely had a concept of what death was. And so when He called to me and asked where my brother was, I told Him I wasn't my brother's keeper, and that I didn't know.
... So I was cursed, used as an example of what would happen to people if they killed someone else. I was cursed to be a wanderer in the world, to never have peace. To be reborn over and over and over with all of my memories. It's useful, yes - but it's also torture, as I end up with horrible lives. Tragedy not of my doing, disease and famine and wars and...
[He sighs. No, he isn't... going to go into details about all of his terrible lives. Not now. And there's the matter of what happened to Abel... but he promised. He promised Kazuya he wouldn't say anything about him having a shard of Abel's soul.]
But yes. That's the long and short of it.
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And yet, he doesn't seem to be all that affronted. Killing one's brother is... horrible, yes. He wouldn't hesitate to say as much if asked. Still, is it any worse than what Emet-Selch did? What Eren did? The two men he loves the most would be called villains by those who came after. Perhaps it would be deserved.
Hythlodaeus ultimately is in no position to judge Naoya harshly. And so, he won't. It seems somebody else has already judged him, anyway.]
And so you seek to free yourself from the cycle of endless torture...
[Understandable. Hythlodaeus is surprised that Naoya is as composed as he is now, actually. So many lifetimes of suffering would have taken their toll on many others, he's sure.]
You cannot offer anything more than what you have. Would that He had been pleased with such a generous offering from your fields to begin with... but that is, I suppose, an argument that helps nobody now.
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Or if they were, they simply didn't care.
[He takes another long sip and closes his eyes. It's... just frustrating.]
I've tried all manner of spells and rituals, but generally curses end when their originators are killed. So that seems to be the last resort.
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[Some punishments are necessary, yes. Some, however, are cruel and unusual. Hythlodaeus doesn't think he could ever have killed a man to appease somebody else, but he also couldn't have inflicted several thousands of years of torture onto somebody either, so really neither Naoya or this God is coming out of the equation smelling of roses.
Still, he lifts his glass and holds it out to Naoya in a toast of sorts.]
To freedom, then?
[Even if freedom is just having the ability to rest after one's life.]
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To freedom.
[Aaaand a big swing of that booze. It burns but it's a good burn.]
... Time for you to tell me a story, then.
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Ah, what kind of story? Is there aught you're curious about?
[He knows he's talked about his own life far less than Naoya has talked about himself, but given Naoya's lives have all been full of hardship he'd almost feel badly for talking about how wonderful his own was. He doesn't really like talking about the Final Days, though... but if Naoya asked anything that meant it had to come up, the least he could do was explain it. After all, Naoya trusted him with the story of his curse.]
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[He can probably learn a lot just from what the other picks, after all.]
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[He closes his eyes, reminiscing, a smile on his lips. I remember a garden, and a sky, and a man.]
I was trying to return a concept crystal to my friend, Azem, as he had left it in my office. I was stopped along the way by many of my other acquaintances, which meant that I didn't get to him in time before he left... but I recall my dear friend Emet-Selch watching him go when I arrived, with a serene smile on his face. A smile so rarely seen, might I add. 'Twas a beautiful day, and the gardens were lush and colourful... but all I recall seeing was him.
[As he opens his eyes again he takes a drink, chuckling. And it is enough.]
I hold that memory close to my heart.
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You must care about him very much, if that's one of your favorite memories. I...
[He swirls the drink in his cup for a moment, staring into it.]
I do miss being able to be around lush gardens without fear of wilting them. I can never harvest from the earth again.
[It's relatively minor in terms of curses, but still annoying.]
But I'm sure it was beautiful.
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[He would be genuinely unhappy if he did that, personally.]
As for Emet-Selch... he is my soulmate. He is not here, and so I feel his absence most keenly. Still, I have made some wonderful friends here all the same. Friends who make my heart feel full.
[Not in the same way that Emet-Selch did, but in their own, unique ways.]
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[Oh, well. This Emet-Selch seems much more interesting.]
But it's not the same, I imagine. ... Do you wish you were home rather than here?
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[Was that how Emet-Selch felt for all of those thousands of years...?]
I'm torn, frankly.
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It's only natural to want to be with those you cared about in the past while also wanting to hold onto those you care about in the present. You're not wrong for feeling that way.
I just wish you didn't have to. It's not... an easy feeling to grapple with.
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[Still, he places his hand on the one resting on his leg.]
Perhaps it is selfish of me to wish for Emet-Selch to come here, but sometimes I cannot help but to want it. And yet... I have enough here that I am happy, still.
[Squeezing the hand on his leg, he drains his glass and leans forward to pick up the whiskey bottle again, refilling both glasses.]
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[He just doesn't have someone else who does. Even Kazuya can't... truly understand.]
And even if it were, so what? You're allowed to be selfish sometimes.
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[Hythlodaeus leans back again, sipping at his whiskey and regarding Naoya with a small, grateful smile.]
Perhaps being a little selfish isn't such a bad thing.
[He traces light shapes over the back of Naoya's hand.]
Though if he ever does end up here, I know he'd hate it. In that way, I don't truly wish for him to arrive. I just miss him, that's all.
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[A little later...]
[Naoya's face is flushed a bright red and he's moved over to where Hythlodaeus is sitting, leaning against him.]
You've been kind to me... though I suppose you don't have the religious baggage with my story that most in my world do.
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I have no reason not to be kind to you, certainly... you've only ever shown me the same courtesy.
[And Hythlodaeus is naturally inclined to be kind to people, unless they irritate him.]
Would you rather I treated you differently?
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[He gives him a little bit of a smile, and it's... less troubled than it usually is.]
I like unusual.
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[The smile is nice. He enjoys it when he can ease his friends' troubles for at least a little while. He idly places an arm around Naoya's shoulders.]
So we are of one mind, it would seem.
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[He looks up at Hyth and blinks slowly. He normally doesn't drink this much, but...]
I trust you.
[There's just something about him...]
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[Hythlodaeus smiles down at him, a little flushed from the drink.]
And I do trust you.
[Reaching out, he tips up Naoya's chin and chuckles.]
Ah... the flush to your cheeks looks good on you.
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It's not a look I let most see. But you're safe to be around...
[Safe enough, at least. He leans up towards the other's face, in range of his lips if he wants to close the distance.]
I think everything would look good on you.
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[He's getting used to the idea that others find him attractive, and he can't say it's a bad thing.]
You flatter me...
[And such flattery does earn him a brief kiss, just to test the waters.]
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[He kisses the Ancient back, wrapping his arms around him. ... It's nice. It makes him feel young again.]
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Is this all right?
[He thinks the other man would say something if it wasn't, but he wants to be sure.]
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[He cards a hand through the other's hair, careful not to mess the braid.]
You're lovely.
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It would seem we have the house to ourselves a while longer.
[His eyes flick back to Naoya, content to kiss him here, but it does occur to him that they could be left alone entirely if they just moved to Hythlodaeus' room. Lahabrea never enters there.]
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[He presses another kiss to the other's lips before pulling back.]
What's on your mind?
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[He grins, shifting slightly to move his lips to Naoya's ear.]
Moving there guarantees us privacy, if we need it.
[Do they need it? He isn't sure how far Naoya wanted this to go. Hythlodaeus would never pressure anyone into doing something they didn't want to do, so he wants to make sure they're on the same page first.]
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[He may not only live once, but he might only get this chance once.]
That's probably a wise idea. As much of a show-off as I might sometimes be, sometimes social norms are important.
fading to black!
Indeed they are. I'm not entirely sure Lahabrea would be too pleased to be greeted by such a sight...
[And with the door closed behind them, Hythlodaeus is quick to catch the other's lips in another heated kiss.]
text; un: thespeaker
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I'd be interested in seeing how they work - though not on me, if you please.
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[And indeed, by the time Lahabrea gets there Naoya is waiting around. Did he use magic to get there? No, but he's not telling Lahabrea that.]
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I would ask that such questions you may have are saved until after. The spell requires some amount of focus.
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All right. I will wait until you say so - I wouldn't want to interrupt something like that.
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Still, there's a nod and then he sets to casting. And it is immediately apparent why he has asked for a place with a certain amount of space, as a sprawling - and intricate - sigil spreads itself across the ground. And only once it has finally, fully, materialized does what appears to be diamond wrought of magic appear hovering above it.
And then, with a snap and clank, chains rise up to enclose the hovering shape - and, presumably, anything that might have been within it.]
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[He stays silent as requested, watching the diamond. So like a cage... he doesn't quite jump at the sound of the chains but it's surprising that it still needs to be done. After a moment, he takes out his Oracle and snaps a picture of it - keeping the shutter sound off, of course. It's not the best quality picture but it's better than nothing.]
[He tilts his head towards Lahabrea. He's waiting for his cue.]
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What sort of creatures would you bind with this? It seems a rather complex spell, so I imagine it wasn't for something you could simply slap an iron chain on.
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It was created for use on the creatures housed within Pandaemonium. Creations deemed too dangerous to be let loose on the star.
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[General is all well and good, but if he can't picture it the information is less helpful.]
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So the concept is the blueprint that you build from. The creation is the end product. I see now. ... It must be very difficult keeping such things categorized.
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[Admittedly, it helps that there's a whole lot of bureaucracy surrounding it all.]
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[He thinks for a moment and tries to think this through. It seems... lazy, but maybe just because he's not used to it. Wouldn't he do the same if he could?]
I imagine having to do things manually must be a difficult adjustment. I've had to do it that way for several thousand years, so if you do need help with those kinds of skills do let me know.
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[Except for cooking. That he's still struggling with.]
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[He'd rather stay on the good side of someone so powerful - especially if he gets his creation magic back like Hythlodaeus has done.]
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[Whether or not be actually will reach out is a question for another day.]
12/25
12/25 gift delivery!!
Letter/Card: Merry Christmas, Let me know what you do with it ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ - BB ]
text; un🐈🐈🐈
Just thought you should know. It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure it wont take long to deal with him. I can't imagine he's particularly strong.
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It's really stupid.
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Crush him.
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I'll show him why they don't deserve that kindness to begin with.
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Anyone who cannot see that deserves a harsh lesson.
text - un: akechi - mid february
If I may ask - how many times have you been reborn?
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Hm... a difficult question. Over a hundred. Some lives were long, some were short. A few were too short to really have proper memories.
Why, do you want a bedtime story from one of them?
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Call it research and curiosity.
Who knows if one of your lives may take you to my world someday. The thought of reincarnation is a fascinating topic in and of itself.
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Though I'm not certain it would - all of my lives so far have been in the same world. But perhaps it's a possibility - after all, if we can all be drawn here, maybe we'll go somewhere else.
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Given the malleability of time itself, do you truly know that you were in the same world for all of your lives?
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You're bored, aren't you? Stuck in bed?
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[He is in bed. Right now, actually. Sweltering hot under the comforter.]
What sort of items?
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[Sure. Just like he's not in bed.]
Old coins. Papers with 'lost works' on them. Pottery. Things that I could find again and sell.
Sometimes the archeologists get there before me or other events cause me to not be able to reach them, but I know how to hide things. It's helped set me up in later lives. Not every one, but some of them. It depends where I get reborn.
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Have you found some of your belongings in museums?
And have you ever been born Japan prior to your current iteration?
cw: world war ii???
Ah. Yes. The most recent before this one was in the mid 1940s.
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How many more times will you be born? Given that Kazuya has succeeded - does that mean this is your final iteration?
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Good question. The me in his world would probably say yes. My own timeline, I'm not certain.
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Between your reality and his - what's the difference?
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Ah. A single choice - whether to follow God or turn from Him.
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But I have to wonder-
If you weren't burdened to play the part of a puppet, what would you have done with your life instead?
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A puppet I might be, but one who seeks to cut the strings that bind me.
But you mean if I were a 'normal' person? Probably similar things without the addition of magic or demons - programming, puzzle-solving. I can't imagine myself in any life being, say, part of the government without something else going on behind the scenes.
I'd probably sleep better, as well.
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In any case, programming is something you're well suited for - obvious reasons aside. It doesn't surprise me that even without your overarching purpose, you would continue to do so.
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I enjoy seeing what people can come up with. Sometimes I try to push the envelope myself, but if someone else has a good idea that can advance things, I try to learn from it.
If you weren't a detective, what would you do?
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Being a detective is my calling. It's what I was meant to do. The pursuit of justice and truth is what matters to me.
But if I had to choose another-
Perhaps a career where I could see the world with my own eyes. I've lived in Tokyo most of my life and it's unlikely I'll be traversing outside of it anytime soon. I'm fascinated with the world around us - cities, cultures, landmarks, the natural beauty of it all. I want to experience it someday.
[And he won't. ♥]
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Hm... why are you not traveling outside of it? I would have thought being a detective would take you all over.
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Of course, I still follow and abide by the rules and laws society has deemed a requirement. However, my justice is its own path.
As for traveling-
Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. My job requires me to stay in Tokyo at all times - even school trips are off limits for the time being.
Perhaps in the future that door will open to me.
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[There's no hesitation. No pause. No thought given because it's a question he's mulled over before.]
Among many places, of course. If I were given only one opportunity to travel - that would be my first choice.
As of this moment, at least.
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Is it the history, the culture, or some secret third thing?
[Give him information, Akechi.]
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I've had a fascination with the study of philosophy for some time. That is, essentially, the working area of many prominent figures in it.
To stand where they did - I can think of nothing better.
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Some of them were high and mighty. Others have been less-studied. Cynicism in particular is of interest to me. I wasn't lucky enough to meet Diogenes, but he probably wouldn't have liked me anyway.
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No, I'm only fascinated with the study and those that chose to spend their lives studying human reason, logic and morality.
Cynicism is an interesting one - the joys of living a simple life, virtuous life. I've studied some and naturally have moved on to Stoicism from it. Hegel has been of particular interest to me in recent days - up until our arrival to this world, I had been reading his work. I don't prescribe to any particular viewpoint myself though.
*cries in having to read unedited Sartre for class*
But they definitely were interesting people. Often misquoted, but it’s fascinating to watch the effect they had on history.
I also don’t prescribe to any particular viewpoint like that either. I suppose some might call me a dystheist or misotheist, but unlike most of them I have proof of my reasoning. In terms of philosophy though… I quite like Sartre, though the man definitely needed an editor.
PATS YOU SO HARD
But his stomach churns, chest aches. He can hear Maruki being an annoying presence at his door.]
When this situation blows over, let's talk more about it in person. I'm intrigued about your viewpoints and want to hear all you have to say on the matter.
Unfortunately, another issue is about to take my attention for the time being.
We'll talk soon.
my own fault for taking existentialism for fun tbh
Don't die.
[He's tired himself, so maybe it really is time to lie down.]