[The hug might be just what Hythlodaeus needed: just a hug, some measure of comfort and safety. He leans into it, pressing his forehead against Sagi's chest, lets himself cry as his fingers dig helplessly into the sides of Sagi's clothes. He cries, quietly at first, devolving into ugly sobs as his mind reaches the peak of despair. He cries for himself, lost and alone in an alien world, for the friends he will never see again, whom he never got to say goodbye to, for the fate of his people, for every child of his world who never got to live a full life.
But people can only remain in the abyss of anguish for so long, and eventually Hythlo's tears are exhausted. He stays in place for a little while longer, sniffling and trembling, then pulls away slowly to remove his mask and rub at his eyes.]
Thank you, Sagi... and... my apologies...
[He sure did just cry on a kid's shoulder for good ten minutes. Good job, him.]
[The whole time, Sagi stays silent. Shushing or comforting Hythlo like an actual child would be going overboard, and as (Sagi's idea of) adults, there's nothing else to say - only another small, rueful smile when Hythlo seems to have gotten the worst of it out of his system and, at long last, lets go.]
Don't be sorry. It's not you who's done anything wrong.
[He remains standing, folding his arms over the large damp patch on the front of his clothes. The clothes aren't a big deal; he's had worse on him before. Very recently, even.]
You know, something about you reminds me of him.
[It may be that he should have kept that last part to himself. Still, it comes out a little softer, quieter.]
[For a moment Hythlo wonders what "him" Sagi is talking about, but his expression softens when he remembers their talk at the hospital. Sagi's friend...]
I can but hope 'tis not my penchant for crying that makes you think of him.
[He sniffles, wiping his face with a sleeve, but the joke is genuine, without self-deprecation behind it. He feels... better, maybe. Still shaky from exhaustion, but it feels as though a part of the weight has been lifted. He can forget about his grief for a time.]
No, it's not that. [He's so matter of fact about it, too. Yes, Hythlo seems to cry a lot.] I just wonder if he ever thought about anything similar. It's hard to describe...
[So he won't, unless told to try. He does hesitate, but it's because he's weighing up the next thing he kind of wants to say. He's not used to being the one to ask things like this.]
Do you want to go get a drink somewhere?
[On the other hand, it makes sense to, right? A number of shops have managed to reopen by now, and Hythlo did cry a lot.]
Indeed... I would prefer to avoid another migraine. Thank you for your kindness, Sagi.
[As he brushes himself off, Lucy finally pops out of his hoodie, trembling. It... looks like she cried, too. Hythlo immediately feels terribly guilty.]
Oh goodness... I am so sorry, Lucy. Sagi, I think 'twould be best if we could find a treat for her, as well... and I would love to hear more about Marno. If I remind you of him... even if the connection exists only in my mind, 'tis heartening to think there might have been someone like me.
[The walk doesn't take too long, and at least it gives Hythlo a chance to recover from his breakdown some more and feel like a regular person. When they arrive, he orders some water first - after all, sugary tea isn't exactly going to be good replacement for lost fluid, - and then the specialty boba with a side order of treats for Lucy, who once again hides in his clothes until they sit down and she can be sure there's no one other than Hythlo and Sagi around. Hythlo unzips his hoodie to about halfway so the Sentret can eat without exposing herself to the outside too much. Poor scaredy thing.]
Do you ever wonder what the tapioca balls look like in dry form, Sagi?
[Sagi didn't say much on the way here, and the short trek to the boba shop wouldn't have been long enough for storytelling anyway. He orders a milk tea, but he's just absently prodding at the side of the cup with a straw when Hythlo's comment makes him look up again, nonplussed.]
Huh? They're dried?
["Bright, but not in the intelligence sense" is still not far off the mark. Thanks, Hythlo.]
I wonder if they have some manner of a storage of those... Mayhap I could ask the barista to let me try some.
[He takes a thoughtful sip of his boba and hands Lucy a berry. The Sentret takes it furtively, then hides back into his hoodie, only her beady eyes and long ears visible.]
But I digress... You offered to tell me of your friend? And mayhap I could tell you more of my world, as well.
Oh! Yeah, I would like to hear more about the kind of place you come from. It sounds nice.
[Not so coincidentally, the reason he sounded distracted was because he was still thinking about what exactly about Marno is left to tell. Whether that merits looking as sheepish as he does now that it comes up again is an open question.]
[He looks confused - except then, suddenly, a flash of inspiration strikes. It's less a lightning strike than a minor sizzle, but it's there.]
...Wait, you mean the kids' game. Paper-gator-thorns. Right? With the - hand gestures, for deciding things.
[He mimes the gator one, two fingers out. The gator eats paper, paper covers a ball of thorns, thorns pop the gator. It's a kids' game, it doesn't have to make sense.]
I know that one. Sometimes Marno would help me pick.
["Help". Anyway, that's what bridged that particular logical connection. Don't expect him to manage it often.]
Well... there might be a kind of Pokemon that looks like a gator. I haven't seen any yet.
[Shrug. It feels like the wackiest of things in this world could only mildly surprise him at this point, and yet he keeps getting surprised.]
It's just one of the monsters that's common in the woods we'd play in as kids. Round like a ball, kind of stubby... They can roll at you pretty fast if you annoy them. The two fingers are supposed to be its jaws.
[He mimes the gator again, moving his fingers this time. Snappity snap.]
Gator beats paper, paper beats thorns, thorns beat gator. It's like that.
[Round and stubby... that sounds kind of cute to Hythlo.]
Now that I come to think of it, mayhap 'twould be an interesting event to exchange information about everyone's worlds. The flora and fauna all of us are used to appears to be quite different... Can you draw, Sagi?
[Well, guess who's likely to go onto another tangent about how you should totally draw him a gator.]
Wait, you're an artist? [He regards Hythlo with genuine wonder.] I had no idea.
[He isn't sure what he envisioned Hythlo doing, actually. Probably not crying. If anything, he would have thought... soul things... were a full-time job, considering how common it is for people to die. Then again, he wasn't good at any of his full-time jobs.]
I would not go so far as to call myself that, but I do enjoy the arts quite a lot. 'Tis not uncommon among my people. Of course, after the promotion I've had less time to engage in it... Mayhap I should pick it up again now that I am here.
[But since there aren't any art supplies here, and he isn't really thinking about whether Hythlo can create those or not...]
OK, count of three? Three, two, one...
[He hesitates for just a barest instant too long before going with "gator" again; it's not that he's trying to cheat so much as, yeah, he's used to having someone else help him decide at the last second. Oops.]
[Hythlo is sufficiently distracted by the fact that Sagi started counting backwards instead of one-two-three, as he is used to, and ends up with... paper, because he didn't think to form his hand into anything else.]
Oh dear. Well, I suppose the honour falls to you first, Sagi! You said I remind you of Marno, yes?
[Hythlo's revenge comes in the form of throwing Sagi off immediately, because he'd assumed the winner would get to decide, and he would have chosen the topic that seemed, you know, interesting. He's not put out, though. He just scratches his chin for a moment.]
A little, yeah. In some ways. You're a lot more talkative.
Hmm... maybe? He does like making strange jokes sometimes.
[Again, no value judgement there. It's just the way Hythlo seems to be when not crying.
He could leave it at that, but he's clearly still thinking. He wants to pin it down a little better for his own peace of mind, too.]
The world was a different place when he was alive. I don't know if he ever got... culture shock. I never asked. You just made me wonder. That's pretty much it.
[Yeah, that works. Thinking time over. It's now time to absently poke at his boba cup with one finger until it starts to turn around.]
Are my jokes truly strange? I thought them to be rather good!
[That's obviously the most important part there... or, well, he's aware there are more serious things to tackle here, but look, his sense of humour is supposed to be good!
He leans back in his seat to sip his boba, looking thoughtful but not at all disturbed.]
Hmmm... I would guess that he must have been shaken at first, too. Abrupt change is always scary, is it not? Particularly when it is so drastic... and when there is little and less you can do to change the world, only submit to the new laws.
[He stares out the window. Fortunately, it seems as though the earlier crying helped ease the burden on his mind and while he's not happy about the things he's talking about, he's more philosophical about it.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2020-11-15 10:50 am (UTC)But people can only remain in the abyss of anguish for so long, and eventually Hythlo's tears are exhausted. He stays in place for a little while longer, sniffling and trembling, then pulls away slowly to remove his mask and rub at his eyes.]
Thank you, Sagi... and... my apologies...
[He sure did just cry on a kid's shoulder for good ten minutes. Good job, him.]
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Date: 2020-11-15 11:20 am (UTC)Don't be sorry. It's not you who's done anything wrong.
[He remains standing, folding his arms over the large damp patch on the front of his clothes. The clothes aren't a big deal; he's had worse on him before. Very recently, even.]
You know, something about you reminds me of him.
[It may be that he should have kept that last part to himself. Still, it comes out a little softer, quieter.]
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Date: 2020-11-15 11:27 am (UTC)I can but hope 'tis not my penchant for crying that makes you think of him.
[He sniffles, wiping his face with a sleeve, but the joke is genuine, without self-deprecation behind it. He feels... better, maybe. Still shaky from exhaustion, but it feels as though a part of the weight has been lifted. He can forget about his grief for a time.]
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Date: 2020-11-15 12:03 pm (UTC)[So he won't, unless told to try. He does hesitate, but it's because he's weighing up the next thing he kind of wants to say. He's not used to being the one to ask things like this.]
Do you want to go get a drink somewhere?
[On the other hand, it makes sense to, right? A number of shops have managed to reopen by now, and Hythlo did cry a lot.]
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Date: 2020-11-15 02:01 pm (UTC)Indeed... I would prefer to avoid another migraine. Thank you for your kindness, Sagi.
[As he brushes himself off, Lucy finally pops out of his hoodie, trembling. It... looks like she cried, too. Hythlo immediately feels terribly guilty.]
Oh goodness... I am so sorry, Lucy. Sagi, I think 'twould be best if we could find a treat for her, as well... and I would love to hear more about Marno. If I remind you of him... even if the connection exists only in my mind, 'tis heartening to think there might have been someone like me.
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Date: 2020-11-15 03:31 pm (UTC)[Just not right this second. He stretches widely, then looks from side to side to re-orient himself.]
If it's Pokemon treats, maybe the boba shop... OK, let's go.
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Date: 2020-11-16 01:24 pm (UTC)[The walk doesn't take too long, and at least it gives Hythlo a chance to recover from his breakdown some more and feel like a regular person. When they arrive, he orders some water first - after all, sugary tea isn't exactly going to be good replacement for lost fluid, - and then the specialty boba with a side order of treats for Lucy, who once again hides in his clothes until they sit down and she can be sure there's no one other than Hythlo and Sagi around. Hythlo unzips his hoodie to about halfway so the Sentret can eat without exposing herself to the outside too much. Poor scaredy thing.]
Do you ever wonder what the tapioca balls look like in dry form, Sagi?
[Important questions.]
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Date: 2020-11-16 01:43 pm (UTC)Huh? They're dried?
["Bright, but not in the intelligence sense" is still not far off the mark. Thanks, Hythlo.]
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Date: 2020-11-16 03:04 pm (UTC)I wonder if they have some manner of a storage of those... Mayhap I could ask the barista to let me try some.
[He takes a thoughtful sip of his boba and hands Lucy a berry. The Sentret takes it furtively, then hides back into his hoodie, only her beady eyes and long ears visible.]
But I digress... You offered to tell me of your friend? And mayhap I could tell you more of my world, as well.
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Date: 2020-11-16 03:34 pm (UTC)[Not so coincidentally, the reason he sounded distracted was because he was still thinking about what exactly about Marno is left to tell. Whether that merits looking as sheepish as he does now that it comes up again is an open question.]
Um... who first?
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Date: 2020-11-16 03:39 pm (UTC)Ah, I was just recently taught the game of rock, paper and scissors. Do you know it?
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Date: 2020-11-16 04:13 pm (UTC)[He looks confused - except then, suddenly, a flash of inspiration strikes. It's less a lightning strike than a minor sizzle, but it's there.]
...Wait, you mean the kids' game. Paper-gator-thorns. Right? With the - hand gestures, for deciding things.
[He mimes the gator one, two fingers out. The gator eats paper, paper covers a ball of thorns, thorns pop the gator. It's a kids' game, it doesn't have to make sense.]
I know that one. Sometimes Marno would help me pick.
["Help". Anyway, that's what bridged that particular logical connection. Don't expect him to manage it often.]
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Date: 2020-11-16 04:36 pm (UTC)Indeed! What is a gator, however? A thing of this world or yours?
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Date: 2020-11-16 05:09 pm (UTC)[Shrug. It feels like the wackiest of things in this world could only mildly surprise him at this point, and yet he keeps getting surprised.]
It's just one of the monsters that's common in the woods we'd play in as kids. Round like a ball, kind of stubby... They can roll at you pretty fast if you annoy them. The two fingers are supposed to be its jaws.
[He mimes the gator again, moving his fingers this time. Snappity snap.]
Gator beats paper, paper beats thorns, thorns beat gator. It's like that.
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Date: 2020-11-17 06:20 am (UTC)Now that I come to think of it, mayhap 'twould be an interesting event to exchange information about everyone's worlds. The flora and fauna all of us are used to appears to be quite different... Can you draw, Sagi?
[Well, guess who's likely to go onto another tangent about how you should totally draw him a gator.]
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Date: 2020-11-17 08:00 am (UTC)[He kind of likes the stick figures, sometimes, but he has to be honest.]
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Date: 2020-11-17 10:52 am (UTC)Ah... are children not taught the arts in your world? 'Tis quite a pity... Mayhap I could teach you some, should you have the inclination?
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Date: 2020-11-17 11:00 am (UTC)[He isn't sure what he envisioned Hythlo doing, actually. Probably not crying. If anything, he would have thought... soul things... were a full-time job, considering how common it is for people to die. Then again, he wasn't good at any of his full-time jobs.]
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Date: 2020-11-17 11:11 am (UTC)I would not go so far as to call myself that, but I do enjoy the arts quite a lot. 'Tis not uncommon among my people. Of course, after the promotion I've had less time to engage in it... Mayhap I should pick it up again now that I am here.
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Date: 2020-11-21 01:03 am (UTC)[But since there aren't any art supplies here, and he isn't really thinking about whether Hythlo can create those or not...]
OK, count of three? Three, two, one...
[He hesitates for just a barest instant too long before going with "gator" again; it's not that he's trying to cheat so much as, yeah, he's used to having someone else help him decide at the last second. Oops.]
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Date: 2020-11-24 10:42 am (UTC)Oh dear. Well, I suppose the honour falls to you first, Sagi! You said I remind you of Marno, yes?
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Date: 2020-11-24 11:00 am (UTC)A little, yeah. In some ways. You're a lot more talkative.
[It's not an accusation. It's just true.]
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Date: 2020-11-24 11:06 am (UTC)'Tis an accusation oft laid at my doorstep, that much is true. But if not my eloquence, then what is it? My general disposition?
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Date: 2020-11-24 11:37 am (UTC)[Again, no value judgement there. It's just the way Hythlo seems to be when not crying.
He could leave it at that, but he's clearly still thinking. He wants to pin it down a little better for his own peace of mind, too.]
The world was a different place when he was alive. I don't know if he ever got... culture shock. I never asked. You just made me wonder. That's pretty much it.
[Yeah, that works. Thinking time over. It's now time to absently poke at his boba cup with one finger until it starts to turn around.]
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Date: 2020-11-24 11:45 am (UTC)Are my jokes truly strange? I thought them to be rather good!
[That's obviously the most important part there... or, well, he's aware there are more serious things to tackle here, but look, his sense of humour is supposed to be good!
He leans back in his seat to sip his boba, looking thoughtful but not at all disturbed.]
Hmmm... I would guess that he must have been shaken at first, too. Abrupt change is always scary, is it not? Particularly when it is so drastic... and when there is little and less you can do to change the world, only submit to the new laws.
[He stares out the window. Fortunately, it seems as though the earlier crying helped ease the burden on his mind and while he's not happy about the things he's talking about, he's more philosophical about it.]
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