In a bell "or" two? How unusual for the great Emet-Selch to be so inexact!
[ Of course he has to be a little shit, but would you have him any other way? ]
But I suppose I could find ways to entertain myself until you arrive.
[ And, true to his word, he'll be waiting for Hades by the training grounds at the appointed time - a rare occasion when Hythlodaeus is the first to arrive anywhere. ]
I was allowing time for you to conclude your own tasks.
I shall see you momentarily.
[ Emet-Selch makes his own appearance after Hythlodaeus. When he first spots his friend, he pauses, as if surprised to see them there. But he quickly picks up his stride. ]
"Why, I was simply hoping to escape your scorn should I arrive later than you," Hythlodaeus replies with a smile. "Though 'tis true I am looking forward to seeing how this quiver functions."
He nods towards the entrance to the training grounds.
"Shall we? I hope you remembered to bring your coin."
He rolls his eyes. Forgetting to bring coin is a Hythlodaeus issue. Hades has long grown accustomed to carrying a purse on him (in such a way that nimble fingers cannot easily liberate it).
"Let's go."
He pays the appropriate fee to the caretaker, granting them one hour of use for one of the ranges. The set-up is fairly simple: there are large bales of hay draped with the almost universal symbol of a target at the end of the range. The cloth target is peppered with a few holes already.
"Hmm... Seeing as we are in the warmer season, I suppose your bow would fire flaming arrows," he muses.
Sighing again he holds out a hand, palm facing towards the distant targets. To normal eyes, it seems a flicker of fiery orange passes over the surfaces. Hythlodaeus, however, will know it for a shield against fire.
"That will have to suffice. I presume you aren't going to miss."
At least the ground is just dirt. Any flaming arrows would fizzle upon hitting it.
Hythlodaeus lights up immediately (well, not literally, fortunately).
"Ah, dependable as ever, my friend!" He exclaims, patting Hades on the shoulder. "Whatever would I do without you?"
Jokes aside, Hythlodaeus is quite eager to test the quiver. He slips the bow off his shoulder, taking a better stance for shooting, and with a practiced movement draws an arrow from the quiver and nocks it. It does not ignite - yet, at least, but when he pulls back the bowstring there is a faint glow surrounding the arrow.
The enchantment comes into full power when Hythlodaeus lets the arrow loose: the tip seems to erupt into flame, a fiery stream following the path of the arrow. As it hits the target - bullseye, of course, which Hythlodaeus will deny is anything special, - the flame seems to splash off the shield, but continues to dance around the arrow for a while longer before dissipating.
Hythlodaeus turns to his friend with a happy smile. "Well, I would say that is a success. What do you think, Hades?"
He has to confess: he had been watching Hythlodaeus draw and fire his bow and his gaze had followed the arrow belatedly. He doesn't see the hit but he does see the fire fizzle out - a perfect bullseye as he expected.
"Mm. Your opponents will not know your bow's trait until the arrow is fired. Its only drawback is the limitation to reflecting the season, I suppose."
That brings up a question though... "I wonder if your bow would behave differently in another part of the world."
Hythlodaeus looks thoughtful, but also intrigued. Despite his penchant for slacking off, his work at the Bureau wasn't for nothing.
"That would depend on how the enchantment functions... But I believe that it would indeed behave differently. Otherwise the wielder would not know what to expect of their quiver, were they to travel! Mayhap it senses the surrounding season somehow, reliant on the position of the stars... or composition of ambient aether?"
... Of course, he's just hypothesizing for the fun of it, given that this world's magic works differently to their own. But to Hades it may be worth it to see his friend musing as though he's just recounting some submissions he received.
A discreet glance in the general direction of where they entered. Hades starts to raise his hands again.
"I suppose since we have this space to ourselves until the next bell, some experimentation is in order."
He will introduce some ice aether to mimic the chilly conditions of winter. That would provide the clearest indication whether the bow's arrows are affected.
There's a brief smile at seeing Hades work his magicks, but when isn't Hythlodaeus happy to see that?
"Let us see, then."
He draws the bow again - an even more natural movement than before - and sends another arrow flying. Despite the much colder atmosphere enveloping it now, it still bursts into flame - good thing that the shield is still holding.
Hythlodaeus' form really is eye-catching. He waves a hand and the icy conditions slowly thaw.
"Not a localised phenomenon then. Mayhap a trip to the other leviathans are in order. Although I do not know one that specifically mimics the conditions of spring and autumn."
He wonders if the spring arrow would create a trail of flowers. Or perhaps inspire rapid growth upon impact? That could be a horrible death for the victim if so.
A soft snort. "Perhaps... I have seen a land like that once, you know. A land of rainbows and perpetually clear skies, inhabited by fae folk. I think you would have liked them."
He can think of no better candidate for a land blessed with eternal spring.
He heaves a sigh. "The difference between you and they is that at least you can be reasoned with to a degree. They are the souls of children, reborn as eternal spirits. They never mature, never grow old."
Mischievous ways aside, he feels more pity for them than annoyance.
Hythlodaeus muses on the idea; it sounds innocuous at first, but the implication is grim: that some souls would leave the star in such early years. He glances at his friend, trying to gauge his mood.
"I do wonder how you would be able to deal with my younger self, were I to become a child again."
He lets the bump sway him, rocking back on his heels with an exaggerated sniff.
"I know you best. I know how you think. Who better to keep you on the straight and narrow. Mayhap I could teach you to be a respectable person this time."
"Ah, but would you still enjoy my company as much as you do if I were 'respectable'?" Hythlodaeus quips back. He is more than certain that having someone as serious as himself around would only be detrimental for Hades.
"You've certainly gotten rather more honest over all those years! Before, I would have had to spend much more effort to drag that admission out of you."
He chuckles and gives his friend a calculating look.
"I do wonder if you've acquired other skills as well. Have you learned to use the bow, for example?"
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Date: 2025-11-09 11:44 am (UTC)[ Of course he has to be a little shit, but would you have him any other way? ]
But I suppose I could find ways to entertain myself until you arrive.
[ And, true to his word, he'll be waiting for Hades by the training grounds at the appointed time - a rare occasion when Hythlodaeus is the first to arrive anywhere. ]
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Date: 2025-11-09 12:34 pm (UTC)I shall see you momentarily.
[ Emet-Selch makes his own appearance after Hythlodaeus. When he first spots his friend, he pauses, as if surprised to see them there. But he quickly picks up his stride. ]
Well, well... Someone's eager.
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Date: 2025-11-16 04:12 pm (UTC)He nods towards the entrance to the training grounds.
"Shall we? I hope you remembered to bring your coin."
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Date: 2025-11-17 10:03 am (UTC)"Let's go."
He pays the appropriate fee to the caretaker, granting them one hour of use for one of the ranges. The set-up is fairly simple: there are large bales of hay draped with the almost universal symbol of a target at the end of the range. The cloth target is peppered with a few holes already.
"Hmm... Seeing as we are in the warmer season, I suppose your bow would fire flaming arrows," he muses.
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Date: 2025-11-17 01:04 pm (UTC)"... Do you have coin to pay for my burning down the range?"
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Date: 2025-11-17 01:18 pm (UTC)Sighing again he holds out a hand, palm facing towards the distant targets. To normal eyes, it seems a flicker of fiery orange passes over the surfaces. Hythlodaeus, however, will know it for a shield against fire.
"That will have to suffice. I presume you aren't going to miss."
At least the ground is just dirt. Any flaming arrows would fizzle upon hitting it.
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Date: 2025-11-17 02:17 pm (UTC)"Ah, dependable as ever, my friend!" He exclaims, patting Hades on the shoulder. "Whatever would I do without you?"
Jokes aside, Hythlodaeus is quite eager to test the quiver. He slips the bow off his shoulder, taking a better stance for shooting, and with a practiced movement draws an arrow from the quiver and nocks it. It does not ignite - yet, at least, but when he pulls back the bowstring there is a faint glow surrounding the arrow.
The enchantment comes into full power when Hythlodaeus lets the arrow loose: the tip seems to erupt into flame, a fiery stream following the path of the arrow. As it hits the target - bullseye, of course, which Hythlodaeus will deny is anything special, - the flame seems to splash off the shield, but continues to dance around the arrow for a while longer before dissipating.
Hythlodaeus turns to his friend with a happy smile. "Well, I would say that is a success. What do you think, Hades?"
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Date: 2025-11-17 10:01 pm (UTC)"Mm. Your opponents will not know your bow's trait until the arrow is fired. Its only drawback is the limitation to reflecting the season, I suppose."
That brings up a question though... "I wonder if your bow would behave differently in another part of the world."
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Date: 2025-11-18 04:14 pm (UTC)"That would depend on how the enchantment functions... But I believe that it would indeed behave differently. Otherwise the wielder would not know what to expect of their quiver, were they to travel! Mayhap it senses the surrounding season somehow, reliant on the position of the stars... or composition of ambient aether?"
... Of course, he's just hypothesizing for the fun of it, given that this world's magic works differently to their own. But to Hades it may be worth it to see his friend musing as though he's just recounting some submissions he received.
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Date: 2025-11-18 04:38 pm (UTC)"I suppose since we have this space to ourselves until the next bell, some experimentation is in order."
He will introduce some ice aether to mimic the chilly conditions of winter. That would provide the clearest indication whether the bow's arrows are affected.
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Date: 2025-11-20 12:48 pm (UTC)"Let us see, then."
He draws the bow again - an even more natural movement than before - and sends another arrow flying. Despite the much colder atmosphere enveloping it now, it still bursts into flame - good thing that the shield is still holding.
"Ooh, that's one theory out of the way."
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Date: 2025-11-20 02:26 pm (UTC)"Not a localised phenomenon then. Mayhap a trip to the other leviathans are in order. Although I do not know one that specifically mimics the conditions of spring and autumn."
He wonders if the spring arrow would create a trail of flowers. Or perhaps inspire rapid growth upon impact? That could be a horrible death for the victim if so.
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Date: 2025-11-20 04:24 pm (UTC)"Ah, but that would make for a fine adventure, would it not? Searching for the land of eternal springtime!"
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Date: 2025-11-21 02:01 am (UTC)He can think of no better candidate for a land blessed with eternal spring.
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Date: 2025-11-21 09:55 am (UTC)He glances at Hades with a sly smile.
"I could just imagine you grumbling that the sun was too bright in such a land."
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Date: 2025-11-21 04:08 pm (UTC)"Actually I avoided the area as much as I could. The faes' mischief could prove troublesome even for me."
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Date: 2025-11-21 04:23 pm (UTC)"Truly? Now I feel remiss in my own mischief, since I apparently failed to prepare you enough for theirs."
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Date: 2025-11-21 05:09 pm (UTC)Mischievous ways aside, he feels more pity for them than annoyance.
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Date: 2025-11-22 01:10 pm (UTC)Hythlodaeus muses on the idea; it sounds innocuous at first, but the implication is grim: that some souls would leave the star in such early years. He glances at his friend, trying to gauge his mood.
"I do wonder how you would be able to deal with my younger self, were I to become a child again."
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Date: 2025-11-22 04:17 pm (UTC)Thinking of those children does put him in a sombre mood but not enough to spoil their day. He crosses his arms and smiles wryly.
"But if you did somehow regress, I suppose I would have no choice but to care for you. You are my dearest friend after all."
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Date: 2025-11-22 07:59 pm (UTC)"How sweet! You are willing to waste your old age on my antics as well~"
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Date: 2025-11-23 11:02 am (UTC)"I know you best. I know how you think. Who better to keep you on the straight and narrow. Mayhap I could teach you to be a respectable person this time."
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Date: 2025-11-23 11:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-23 02:26 pm (UTC)Eventually--
"No, I like you just the way you are. Bothersome personality and all."
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Date: 2025-11-23 02:49 pm (UTC)"You've certainly gotten rather more honest over all those years! Before, I would have had to spend much more effort to drag that admission out of you."
He chuckles and gives his friend a calculating look.
"I do wonder if you've acquired other skills as well. Have you learned to use the bow, for example?"
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