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.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
crouching_sin) wrote2024-10-06 10:09 pm
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
labyrinthum]
no subject
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.
no subject
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.]
no subject
[He can probably learn a lot just from what the other picks, after all.]
no subject
[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.
no subject
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.
no subject
[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.]
no subject
[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?
no subject
[Was that how Emet-Selch felt for all of those thousands of years...?]
I'm torn, frankly.
no subject
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.
no subject
[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.]
no subject
[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.
no subject
[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.
no subject
[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.
no subject
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?
no subject
[He gives him a little bit of a smile, and it's... less troubled than it usually is.]
I like unusual.
no subject
[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.
no subject
[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...]
no subject
[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.
no subject
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.
no subject
[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.]
no subject
[He kisses the Ancient back, wrapping his arms around him. ... It's nice. It makes him feel young again.]
no subject
Is this all right?
[He thinks the other man would say something if it wasn't, but he wants to be sure.]
no subject
[He cards a hand through the other's hair, careful not to mess the braid.]
You're lovely.
no subject
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.]
no subject
[He presses another kiss to the other's lips before pulling back.]
What's on your mind?
(no subject)
(no subject)
fading to black!