"He and his cohort somehow managed to create time and intershard travel. Had he deigned to share it, we might have avoided further unnecessary bloodshed and done away with the catastrophic Rejoinings entirely. But...of course, he did not trust me then. Even now he hasn't divulged the secret. I'm sure he knows I would use the knowledge to return to that moment in the ancient past before our demise."
Hythlodaeus looks down as well. The mood has certainly turned somber, but it is a conversation they need to have at one point, even if they both have been concentrating on their daily lives instead. For Hythlodaeus himself, he still cannot bring himself to believe that such calamity would befall their people.
"I... would do the same. I want to save our people."
"You had too much faith in me," he mutters. "In us. In the end, I couldn't bring you nor our people back. I could only entrust the future of our star to Azem's successor and return to the sunless sea with you."
This isn't what he wanted to discuss over dinner, but he supposes it had to come up at some point. Even if Hades himself doesn't know the full story, having only heard it second-hand from the Exarch.
A heavy sigh. He starts taking a small mouthful of food. "I would say it was a waste if not for the fact that the star endures. I suppose I cannot be resentful of that."
Hythlodaeus looks uncharacteristically thoughtful. The star endures... but it is no longer their star. He doesn't know how to feel about it, having never seen the new world for himself. It could perhaps be fun, in the way this world is, but not as a replacement for his home. Their home.
Ah well, if he thinks about this too much he'll spoil his appetite.
"But I am glad to hear that we were reunited in the end. And who knows, mayhap our next selves will meet Azem's successor as well."
"I hope not. I'm sure I would prefer an uneventful life," he retorts. It lacks the usual bite though. He, too, wonders what the star will choose his next life to be. Someone born into status? A pauper? Will he lead an unremarkable life, as he says, and die forgotten? The thought makes him sigh. After centuries spent burdened with the hopes and dreams of his brethren, it is a bittersweet feeling to set them down.
"Enough of this dour talk. I would like to enjoy my dinner."
His brow immediately furrows, as Hythlodaeus no doubt expected. What he may not expect is for Hades to reach over and swivel a forkful of pasta for himself.
... Well. Time to ask himself how much of a nuisance he wants to be.
Hythlodaeus waits until Hades is done speaking and then leans forward again to press his finger against his friend's lips. He looks very smug, too, in a "what now?" way.
Hades freezes in place, eyes wide. A moment later he pushes Hythlodaeus' hand away as his eyes dart towards the diners to see if they've noticed. If they have, they're not looking right now.
He glowers at his friend before harrumphing and spearing a piece of beautifully seared fish (ruined by Hythlodaeus' flagrant thievery!) for himself. In the end, he had ordered the same thing as before but added a seafood chowder. Good thing it's a great deal harder to steal soup...
"I'm not drunk enough for this," he mutters. "Mayhap I should have asked for the whole bottle."
"'Tis still not too late to order," Hythlodaeus replies with a grin, going back to his own food. The idea sounds good to him: it's a day for them (and especially Hades) to relax and fool around, and being a little inebriated can help with that.
"Or would you rather save the drinking for when we return? Since you worry about being in public..."
Look, he's being considerate and wanting to save Hades the embarrassment of realizing he was drunk-flirting with Hythlodaeus at a restaurant he likes.
His brow furrows. "...I suppose drinking at home would be preferable," he concedes. The last thing he needs is to be stumbling back on Hythlodaeus' arm.
He glances up, taking a second to appreciate, again, that his friend is very real and very here, before returning to his meal.
The rest of the meal, fortunately, passes without much incident. Hythlodaeus still chatters away and wheedles a taste of the chowder from Hades, but behaves otherwise. In the end he has to ask to pack up the rest of his food to take home, but on the positive side, this means that they have some breakfast for tomorrow now.
"Did you enjoy the wine?" Hythlodaeus asks, turning in his seat to watch the setting sun. "We could get the bottle, or buy some on the way home."
Hades's frugality is reasonable, a quality Hythlodaeus still lacks even after the many moons in this world. Finding a decent liquor store doesn't take too long, and Hythlodaeus defers to his friend's expertise in choosing the wine (though, of course, not without proposing to buy instead some ridiculous over-flavoured experimental drink). He chatters away on their way home to keep the mood up, occasionally prompting Hades for input. All in all, it ends up a pleasant walk back.
"Home, sweet home~" Hythlodaeus announces with a satisfied sigh as he opens the door. "Shall I put our purchases away?" he goes on, glancing at his friend. "You could prepare the wine in the meantime. I'm certain it would be much safer to have you open it, not me."
He nods and sets the bottle on the kitchen counter, moving to fetch two glasses. It will be a happy day when they can finally move out of this apartment and into the new home being built above the Forge.
The glass he had earlier had certainly loosened him up a bit but he has had a bit of time to sober up on the walk back. And now he's about to get drunk again.
"Do you-- ah... I suppose if you wanted to hear me play, I ought to before I become too inebriated."
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no subject
Date: 2026-02-12 03:36 pm (UTC)"He and his cohort somehow managed to create time and intershard travel. Had he deigned to share it, we might have avoided further unnecessary bloodshed and done away with the catastrophic Rejoinings entirely. But...of course, he did not trust me then. Even now he hasn't divulged the secret. I'm sure he knows I would use the knowledge to return to that moment in the ancient past before our demise."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-12 03:46 pm (UTC)"I... would do the same. I want to save our people."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-13 02:26 am (UTC)Venat and her cohort. She can dress it up how she likes, but she erased their people, history, culture - everything - in favour of the star.
He says more softly, "I wish you hadn't given your life back then."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-13 03:01 am (UTC)"If I knew that it would be futile... mayhap I would not have. Mayhap we could have spent the remaining time until the Sundering together."
He sighs, idly tracing patterns in his pasta with the fork.
"I cannot say for certain, of course, but I must have thought that I would be reunited with you and Azem eventually. One way or another."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-14 08:10 am (UTC)This isn't what he wanted to discuss over dinner, but he supposes it had to come up at some point. Even if Hades himself doesn't know the full story, having only heard it second-hand from the Exarch.
A heavy sigh. He starts taking a small mouthful of food. "I would say it was a waste if not for the fact that the star endures. I suppose I cannot be resentful of that."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-14 12:58 pm (UTC)Hythlodaeus looks uncharacteristically thoughtful. The star endures... but it is no longer their star. He doesn't know how to feel about it, having never seen the new world for himself. It could perhaps be fun, in the way this world is, but not as a replacement for his home. Their home.
Ah well, if he thinks about this too much he'll spoil his appetite.
"But I am glad to hear that we were reunited in the end. And who knows, mayhap our next selves will meet Azem's successor as well."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-14 04:14 pm (UTC)"Enough of this dour talk. I would like to enjoy my dinner."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-15 09:14 am (UTC)So Hythlodaeus's next move is to reach out with his fork to snag a piece of Hades's food.
"Can I try yours?"
(Of course, he only asks after.)
no subject
Date: 2026-02-15 11:28 am (UTC)"Only if I can try yours."
Oh, he looks so pleased with himself right now.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-15 12:31 pm (UTC)"Come now, Hades! Is it becoming of a crew captain to take people's food suddenly?"
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Date: 2026-02-15 04:14 pm (UTC)He pops the forkful of pasta into his mouth. Swallows. "You're lucky I don't demand a finger for it instead," he adds with a smirk.
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Date: 2026-02-15 04:30 pm (UTC)Hythlodaeus waits until Hades is done speaking and then leans forward again to press his finger against his friend's lips. He looks very smug, too, in a "what now?" way.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-18 12:16 pm (UTC)Hades freezes in place, eyes wide. A moment later he pushes Hythlodaeus' hand away as his eyes dart towards the diners to see if they've noticed. If they have, they're not looking right now.
"S-stop that. We're in public," he hisses.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-18 02:12 pm (UTC)"Oh? I thought you were the one who wanted to demand a finger from me. I was just being a good crewmate, listening to my captain's wishes!"
no subject
Date: 2026-02-19 09:19 am (UTC)Hades would like to self-immolate right here and now.
Finally, he grinds out, "Can we continue this later, in private?"
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Date: 2026-02-19 09:40 am (UTC)"Continue what? Were we not simply talking?"
no subject
Date: 2026-02-19 02:25 pm (UTC)"I'm not drunk enough for this," he mutters. "Mayhap I should have asked for the whole bottle."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-19 03:14 pm (UTC)"Or would you rather save the drinking for when we return? Since you worry about being in public..."
Look, he's being considerate and wanting to save Hades the embarrassment of realizing he was drunk-flirting with Hythlodaeus at a restaurant he likes.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-20 01:26 am (UTC)He glances up, taking a second to appreciate, again, that his friend is very real and very here, before returning to his meal.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-20 05:03 am (UTC)"Did you enjoy the wine?" Hythlodaeus asks, turning in his seat to watch the setting sun. "We could get the bottle, or buy some on the way home."
oh my god has it been 5 days
Date: 2026-02-24 11:56 pm (UTC)Wine made with grapes grown on the volcanic isle. He has tasted many vintages but truly the soil from those regions is something else.
"We can purchase a bottle on the way home. The restaurant will charge us far more for it," he says as he raises a hand to request the bill.
time is fake!!!
Date: 2026-02-25 02:10 pm (UTC)"Home, sweet home~" Hythlodaeus announces with a satisfied sigh as he opens the door. "Shall I put our purchases away?" he goes on, glancing at his friend. "You could prepare the wine in the meantime. I'm certain it would be much safer to have you open it, not me."
no subject
Date: 2026-02-26 11:53 am (UTC)The glass he had earlier had certainly loosened him up a bit but he has had a bit of time to sober up on the walk back. And now he's about to get drunk again.
"Do you-- ah... I suppose if you wanted to hear me play, I ought to before I become too inebriated."