closed

[scension]

🧙 WHO: Hythlodaeus, Emet-Selch, Sagi
⚔️️ WHAT: Hyth drags a grandpa through the rain (where light and darkness fade, oh) to a gaming convention, coincidences ensue
🕒 WHEN: Early April
🗺️ WHERE: CameCon
⚠️ WARNINGS: Potentially body horror mentions at some point, otherwise will edit in!

[The hall of Camelot City's convention centre is an impressive sight, unless you are Ancient-sized, which would probably make it just a room. It's the middle of the day: the stalls are bustling, some of the most popular game showcases on the illusion stages are in full swing, spirits are high, and the floodwaters as of yet are not.

It would be difficult to pick out any one familiar face in crowds like this, unless it too was Ancient-sized. Still, this convention was widely advertised all around town, its attractions noisily colourful and its staff welcoming. Who knows who might have showed up here today?]

Comments

[emet_sulk]

[ It absolutely is a choice, he thinks to himself as he glances at his friend. But it's a role Hythlodaeus happily fills. He cannot imagine the man thriving on his own. It makes him glad that Hythlodaeus never had to experience the long, lonely years post-Sundering. He suspects it would have broken the man beyond hope. ]

And who might that be?

[scension]

...

[Generally speaking, Sagi has zero embarrassment when it comes to telling strangers about his girlfriend. In fact, telling strangers about her is something he does at least once every few days. Why would he be embarrassed? It isn't as if there's competition. And yet, when he starts to describe her this time, the words don't come to him - only the vivid, dizzying images of worlds and twisted lives spent without her again and again, of dying alone.

His smile looks a little frozen, just for an instant. ...No, his gut tells him to just ask. Nothing formal is required of him here, and it's going to bug him otherwise.]

Sorry, I have a strange question. Do you have any relatives with a beard? Because... I had a dream where there was a man who looked kind of like you.

[emet_sulk]

[ He stares at Sagi for a long moment, expression set in a stern frown. It's probably a little intimidating, a tall man looking none-too-pleased. ]

...No, I don't have relatives sporting a beard. But on the subject of dreams, I seem to recall a young upstart attempting to assassinate the Emperor of Garlemald. And failing miserably.

[scension]

Then that was your dream. [It's hard to be exactly happy about confirming that, but most of the tension leaves Sagi's shoulders quickly - not that he'd realised it was there. The glare doesn't unsettle him in comparison, despite Emet being at least a head taller.] Thank you. That was bothering me. The beard was really striking.

[Despite Hyth continuing to talk at the poor vendor in the background, the awkwardness remains, because in all of this wide, busy convention hall it has nowhere to go.]

Well... I met my girlfriend in time, and the soldier in the dream didn't. I think that's what made the difference.

[emet_sulk]

[ A longer, disbelieving stare. Then he snorts and looks away, watching Hythlodaeus wax eloquent about shirt slogans. The poor vendor looks like they need rescuing but he is content to let someone else suffer in his stead for a while. ]

Implying that love can sway a heart so easily? If only...

[ But it does and it can. He knows it can.

The next part is muttered: ]

I am glad he is making friends, at least. Friends besides myself.

[scension]

Yeah. [Unfortunately, there is nothing wrong with Sagi's hearing, only his soul and brain.] From everything they keep showing us, it'll be useful for him later.

[He pauses. It isn't to listen to Hythlodaeus now waxing eloquent about something to do with the philosophical basis for various principles of ecological stewardship; he's almost successfully managed to tune the man's voice out by now.]

Do you want to be friends too?

[He sounds a little quieter. This is... not how it works, usually. He knows that. It feels horribly pushy. But with that relentless procession of dream worlds still on his mind, those visions of losing himself to anger or failure over and over with only minor changes in circumstance... Something has to give, if he's supposed to do right by this world before he can go home. Maybe he could stand to be pushy, once in a while.

Maybe not pushy enough to try decapitating someone with a weird machina sword, though. That part he's just going to hope isn't a problem.]

[emet_sulk]

Do I want to be--?

[ Being offered friendship so casually throws him for a loop. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes to the ceiling. ]

All I know of you is your name. I think we could stand to spend a little more time together before declaring something so familiar as friendship between us.

[ But you're just in luck, Sagi - Hythlodaeus will no doubt happily facilitate the spending of such time. A fact that Emet-Selch is resigned to. ]

[scension]

[Sagi blinks, mildly nonplussed - then turns on the spot, away from Emet as well as the table Hythlodaeus is currently monopolising, to look up at the ceiling.] Don't you think he knows more than that...?

[Nothing answers him. The laughter and chatter of the crowds around them continue uninterrupted.]

Yeah, true. It doesn't make any difference here.

[He turns back to Emet as if nothing happened, and this time he does look happier, in his own guileless way. It wasn't a "no".] Alright.

[Left to his own devices, he clearly thinks this is a normal way to wrap up a conversation.]

[emet_sulk]

[ It is fair to say that Emet-Selch is utterly confused. ]

What? [ Are they speaking to themselves? To something he can't sse? ] Is that it? Most would take that as a prompt to share more about themselves.

[scension]

Huh?

[Sagi looks equally confused, which bodes well. Would they? He doesn't think so, but he's probably not the best person to judge; sharing stuff about himself without being outright asked isn't a concept that tends to occur to him at all.]

Well, OK. What do you want to know?

[emet_sulk]

[ He waves a hand irritably. ]

Oh, I don't know. Perhaps that person you care about, whom you conveniently changed the subject away from earlier.

[scension]

My girlfriend, like I said.

[But he isn't offended by it. In fact, his whole youthful face seems to light up a little when he thinks about her again.]

Her name is Milly. She's really smart, and pretty, and strong, and her wings are like butterfly wings. She can make friends with anyone just by talking to them. The first time we met, she helped us run away from the Empire... I've lost count of how many times she's saved me since then.

[He almost doesn't skip a beat before adding:]

Everything I do in this place is for her.

[More perfectly normal things to declare off-hand on a first introduction. He's sixteen.]

[emet_sulk]

[ Oh. Great. Is there a bucket he can hurl into? Now he knows how this boy became friends with Hythlodaeus. Birds of a feather truly flock together. ]

...I see. Well, you're still young. I suppose we shall see how that loves holds up in some few decades' time.

[scension]

Hehe, I hope so.

["Hehe". It's clear from his somewhat uncharacteristic open grin that he took the remark completely at face value. Even if he hadn't, it's equally clear that this is one thing he does not have a single shred of self-consciousness about.]

Was that all you wanted to know?

[emet_sulk]

For now, I suppose.

[ How does Hythlodaeus do this constantly? Find inane topics to chatter about and make others feel at ease? Or is it just that Hythlodaeus' absence had freed up more of his energy to entertain such small talk over the past aeons? It's exhausting to watch his friend sometimes. ]

I think we should put that vendor out of their misery.

[scension]

Uh, I wouldn't go that far...

[But since it's someone else prompting him, Sagi will quite happily turn aside and go tug Hythlodaeus away from the table by the arm before everything in the convention hall closes down. Interrogation time is over, it seems.]

[weenwoon]

[Interrogation time is over... or perhaps it only just begins! After all, even after talking at the poor vendor for about an hour Hythlodaeus does not seem any less inclined to keep chattering.]

Such curious gatherings, these conventions! But I noticed you two having one of your own. Did my learned friend impart aught of interest to you, Sagi? Though I admit, he can be quite stubbornly silent.

[He flashes Emet a smug look over Sagi's head. Sorry gotta embarrass you in front of other people]

[scension]

[The smugness quite literally goes over Sagi's head.]

Yeah. We found out that we saw each other before, when those flower pods sprang up around town and gave people strange dreams. He looked different that night, so I wasn't sure.

[He's genuinely happy to have gotten that one figured out, too. It was just a dream. The only potentially awkward part would be someone overthinking it in front of him, and he gets the impression Hythlodaeus has plenty of other things to overthink first. Like t-shirts.]