[ That gives him more answers than he'd expected and his expression brightens with curiosity for a moment as he considers that. ANd the fact of how aware of it she is. ]
I find it hard to imagine otherwise, but I suspect it's just as strange to you. How the very air around you can feel changed. But I would wager it's comforting, too, to find something familiar in this place.
[ He sighs softly, his gaze going distant for a moment. ] It's good to know that not everything was lost.
I would apologize, but I'm more relieved there is enough of you there for Emet-Selch to have made corporeal. [ He chuckles, shaking his head. ] Had anyone else wandered past you this morning...
[ He stops. Shakes his head. There were scant few who could see the shades and colors of a soul. If he and Emet-Selch had not passed by this morning, she would have gone completely unnoticed. UNknown. Unseen. Unheard.
That might be a bigger tragedy yet, considering the warnings she had brought with her. He's even more grateful, now, that he insisted Emet-Selch lend some of his own in exchange. ]
It sounds fascinating, though. Would that I could witness it myself, to see how different they could be.
I'm grateful for that, as well. If you hadn't convinced him to lend some of his own, I don't know that I would have managed to learn much of anything in this place.
[She still hasn't found the answers she needs, but it feels distinctly less overwhelming with the help she's been given so far. Hythlodaeus has already agreed to continue offering his, and Venat is as bent on uncovering what mystery lies at the heart of Elpis, as well. She can only hope that Emet-Selch himself will change his mind, that his love for his people will allow him to make a concession.]
Without you, coming to Elpis may have been entirely futile.
[ Hythlodaeus just chuckles and shakes his head. ]
I'm not doubting your ingenuity that far. Although it was exceedingly brave of you, to step into the unknown as you did. Not knowing what you would find here - if anything. [ He falls silent again before glancing over at her, reaching out to lightly tuck a stray lock of hair back away from her face.
His tone turns serious. Determined. ] We will help you find something. If it is here to be found... I do not doubt your resolve. And I wish to see it fulfilled.
[She does manage a faint smile, but the praise feels misplaced— with the stakes being what they were, how could she have made any other choice?
Instead, the fact that he reaches out to tuck her hair away from her face takes her by surprised; while she doesn't quite duck away from him, it had obviously been unexpected, if her quietly startled gaze is anything to measure by.]
... that means a great deal to me. 'Thank you' doesn't feel like enough. I wish that it was within my power to change what's to come for your people, as well.
[ He casts her a rueful smile for a moment before shaking his head. ]
But you can't, can you? Not really. It's already the past. It's already written in stone and even were we to find a way to change our fate... it would do nothing to change yours, would it? [ His lips press together in a thin line for the moment, because such complicated theories are hardly his domain, as fascinating as they might be to speculate over. He'd prefer they just have remained theoretical, in fact. ]
So you came here to find out the connection to Elpis, and to better understand what became of us. Do you truly think you can find the answers here? [ It seemed a strange notion, to him. Especially here, so far distant from Aumarot which was, at its core, the heart of all of them. ] I don't suppose your 'Hydaelyn' gave you any other useful clues on where to look? Or have you found any leads in your search so far, since I'm afraid I missed the latter half of your day after Emet-Selch's temper tantrum.
[She shakes her head as he assesses the situation— unfortunately, he's exactly right.]
Nothing done here will change the future. That much, Elidibus was quite certain of.
[As much as any of them were certain of any of this. As for the rest:]
To understand what is to befall my own people, I have to understand the source of the Final Days. Hydaelyn was not able to say much— but Venat and I did talk, after your departure.
[She frowns faintly, the image of Emet-Selch storming out still crystal clear, the sharp edge to his voice as he declared her story preposterous. Truly, who could blame him?]
Though I don't believe it to be intentional, I do think Hermes is at the center of all this. Somehow, he is the key.
[ This is new news to him. But then again, he suspected she and Venat had done their own investigating after he and Emet-Selch had left. ]
Hermes? Really?
[ One eyebrow arches upwards in surprise. And a little confusion. Hermes really didn't seem the sort to be at the center of some great disaster. Getting stuck in a tree? Yes. Starting some new school of thought along the lines of "save the animals"? Likely. Causing the destruction their star? That seemed a little far-stretched even for his imagination. ]
What makes you think he has something to do with it?
[ He gives a quiet hum in thought at that, leaning forward until he can prop his elbows on his knees, tapping one fingertip thoughtfully against his chin. ]
Which part of his work? His studies here in Elpis? His experimentation with Meteion, perhaps? Or were you thinking this strange esoteric topic of dynamis?
[She frowns, clasping her hands together between her knees as she leans forward, considering.]
I had never heard of 'dynamis' before he mentioned it, at least not by that name— but I'm certain I've seen it in action. The crisis my home is currently facing... it does seem to be intrinsically linked to emotion. Negative ones, in particular— fear, despair.
[It's an earnest question, one she wishes desperately to have a more direct answer for.]
You know this place far better than I do. If there's anything that seems amiss as we go about our business in the coming days, anything that stands out as being unusual, don't hesitate to say so. The source of the crisis my own world is facing is the same as the source of the Ancients' Final Days— and even to Emet-Selch, after millennia of walking the star, it remains unknown.
[That doesn't bode particularly well for them.]
If he couldn't discover the cause, I find it hard to believe that I can— but Hydaelyn thought this place to be significant, and I believe that Elidibus chose this specific time for a reason. He must have known the two of you would be here— and Venat.
Could he have found knowledge that Emet-Selch lacked?
[ That seemed... hard to believe. But the picture she'd painted of her future sounded little like the world - and companions - he knows.
Shaking his head, he gives a thoughtful hum. ]
Their reasons are hard to predict, especially with so little context. But I will dig into the studies here and Hermes' particular fields of study. If there is ought to be found here, you can be sure we will do our best to uncover it.
[ Even if Emet-Selch isn't aware he's being recruited just yet. It's fine, he'll get over it. ]
If he has, I don't believe it to be intentional. Hermes himself seems an earnest sort.
[If he had discovered something he thought to be dangerous, surely he would share it— though the fact that whatever hidden cause they may find here is likely known to none makes their chances all the more slim.
Still. Failure is not an option.
Some of the tension eases from her shoulders, and she offers him a truly grateful smile.]
Thank you. I'm glad to have your aid— and to have had the chance to meet you, like this.
[Because while they have met before, on more than one occasion, this is something entirely different, an opportunity they never would have had otherwise.]
[ He arches an eyebrow slightly at her wording. He knows there is much she did not say - the summary she'd given was already full of information they needed, all of it overwhelming. And while she had mentioned his shade, in the casting Emet-Selch had done to grip close his memories, he's still not entirely certain of her meaning. ]
'Like this'? Was I so different, in Emet-Selch's memories?
[ He wonders at that. At how his friend remembered him. Saw him. Sees him. How would it differ from who he was? ]
[And not only because of his mask— perhaps it was that sundered souls could not perceive those who came before them, or the nature of the shades themselves, but when she had encountered his very soul on the moon, it had been much the same.]
And hear your voice. I could understand before, but it wasn't the same as having a conversation the way we are now. The nature of magic and souls, perhaps— but you were still as kind and generous as you've shown yourself to be here.
[This version of him was also notably more affectionate, though she supposes that may have simply been lost in translation— not to mention the circumstances of their previous meetings hardly lended themselves well to such things, being what they were.
She gives him a soft, affectionate smile of her own as he reaches over to tug on her hair, offering no protest.]
'Butting heads' would be... putting it gently, I think. [At that, her smile falters.] In the end, only one of us could remain standing. I wish it could have been otherwise. That we could have reasoned with one another.
[ Hythlodaeus gives a soft sigh at that and shifts on her bed, stretching his arms out behind him as he tips his head back to stare up at the ceiling. ]
Emet-Selch has always been... particular. And particularly stubborn. I doubt that, after an eon of dedicating himself to one purpose, one outcome, he would have been easy to reason with. To sway. I do not know what events might have haunted his path to lead him to the destination you found him in, but... [ Emet-Selch's angry denial resounded in his ears but underneath it, he could still hear the heartbreak in it. The fear. Protest it as Emet-Selch might, Hythlodaeus suspected they both could be pushed to great and terrible acts, with such unrelenting motivations. Couldn't they all? ]
Whatever the outcome of your visit here... I only hope it worthwhile. Helpful. Perhaps then, somehow, it will make all that was sacrificed... worth it. Mean something more.
[She shifts her own position slightly, turning so that she's sitting beside him as he stretches out, hooking one foot beneath herself. Of course, she agrees with him— after millennia of being dedicated to his purpose as he had been, it was impossible to imagine that things could have ended differently. She still wishes that circumstances had allowed for it, but the fact that they simply could not made it all the more heartbreaking.]
That's my hope, as well.
[Her voice is soft, her expression becoming somber.]
He wanted me to remember you— all of you, and what once was. I don't want that legacy to be lost.
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no subject
I find it hard to imagine otherwise, but I suspect it's just as strange to you. How the very air around you can feel changed. But I would wager it's comforting, too, to find something familiar in this place.
[ He sighs softly, his gaze going distant for a moment. ] It's good to know that not everything was lost.
no subject
[Her smile turns a bit wry, quirking to one side, but she nods in agreement— he's quite right, not everything was lost.]
The world, sundered though it may be, still holds fragments of what once was. One just has to know where to look.
[She can't help but think of the ruined structures beneath the waves of the Tempest, even before she had seen Emet-Selch's replica of Amaurot itself.]
no subject
[ He stops. Shakes his head. There were scant few who could see the shades and colors of a soul. If he and Emet-Selch had not passed by this morning, she would have gone completely unnoticed. UNknown. Unseen. Unheard.
That might be a bigger tragedy yet, considering the warnings she had brought with her. He's even more grateful, now, that he insisted Emet-Selch lend some of his own in exchange. ]
It sounds fascinating, though. Would that I could witness it myself, to see how different they could be.
no subject
[She still hasn't found the answers she needs, but it feels distinctly less overwhelming with the help she's been given so far. Hythlodaeus has already agreed to continue offering his, and Venat is as bent on uncovering what mystery lies at the heart of Elpis, as well. She can only hope that Emet-Selch himself will change his mind, that his love for his people will allow him to make a concession.]
Without you, coming to Elpis may have been entirely futile.
no subject
I'm not doubting your ingenuity that far. Although it was exceedingly brave of you, to step into the unknown as you did. Not knowing what you would find here - if anything. [ He falls silent again before glancing over at her, reaching out to lightly tuck a stray lock of hair back away from her face.
His tone turns serious. Determined. ] We will help you find something. If it is here to be found... I do not doubt your resolve. And I wish to see it fulfilled.
no subject
[She does manage a faint smile, but the praise feels misplaced— with the stakes being what they were, how could she have made any other choice?
Instead, the fact that he reaches out to tuck her hair away from her face takes her by surprised; while she doesn't quite duck away from him, it had obviously been unexpected, if her quietly startled gaze is anything to measure by.]
... that means a great deal to me. 'Thank you' doesn't feel like enough. I wish that it was within my power to change what's to come for your people, as well.
no subject
But you can't, can you? Not really. It's already the past. It's already written in stone and even were we to find a way to change our fate... it would do nothing to change yours, would it? [ His lips press together in a thin line for the moment, because such complicated theories are hardly his domain, as fascinating as they might be to speculate over. He'd prefer they just have remained theoretical, in fact. ]
So you came here to find out the connection to Elpis, and to better understand what became of us. Do you truly think you can find the answers here? [ It seemed a strange notion, to him. Especially here, so far distant from Aumarot which was, at its core, the heart of all of them. ] I don't suppose your 'Hydaelyn' gave you any other useful clues on where to look? Or have you found any leads in your search so far, since I'm afraid I missed the latter half of your day after Emet-Selch's temper tantrum.
no subject
Nothing done here will change the future. That much, Elidibus was quite certain of.
[As much as any of them were certain of any of this. As for the rest:]
To understand what is to befall my own people, I have to understand the source of the Final Days. Hydaelyn was not able to say much— but Venat and I did talk, after your departure.
[She frowns faintly, the image of Emet-Selch storming out still crystal clear, the sharp edge to his voice as he declared her story preposterous. Truly, who could blame him?]
Though I don't believe it to be intentional, I do think Hermes is at the center of all this. Somehow, he is the key.
no subject
Hermes? Really?
[ One eyebrow arches upwards in surprise. And a little confusion. Hermes really didn't seem the sort to be at the center of some great disaster. Getting stuck in a tree? Yes. Starting some new school of thought along the lines of "save the animals"? Likely. Causing the destruction their star? That seemed a little far-stretched even for his imagination. ]
What makes you think he has something to do with it?
no subject
[Though it's hard to say anything more than that. What evidence do they truly have? Intuition isn't enough, but...]
There was a reason that I was asked to come here, to this place, at this point in time.
[She pauses, shaking her head.]
I'm sorry. I don't quite know enough to be able to explain it, but I believe his work to be linked to the cause.
no subject
Which part of his work? His studies here in Elpis? His experimentation with Meteion, perhaps? Or were you thinking this strange esoteric topic of dynamis?
no subject
[She frowns, clasping her hands together between her knees as she leans forward, considering.]
I had never heard of 'dynamis' before he mentioned it, at least not by that name— but I'm certain I've seen it in action. The crisis my home is currently facing... it does seem to be intrinsically linked to emotion. Negative ones, in particular— fear, despair.
no subject
So he fixes her with an intent gaze, watching the expressions play out on her face. ]
What can I do to aid you, my dear?
no subject
[It's an earnest question, one she wishes desperately to have a more direct answer for.]
You know this place far better than I do. If there's anything that seems amiss as we go about our business in the coming days, anything that stands out as being unusual, don't hesitate to say so. The source of the crisis my own world is facing is the same as the source of the Ancients' Final Days— and even to Emet-Selch, after millennia of walking the star, it remains unknown.
[That doesn't bode particularly well for them.]
If he couldn't discover the cause, I find it hard to believe that I can— but Hydaelyn thought this place to be significant, and I believe that Elidibus chose this specific time for a reason. He must have known the two of you would be here— and Venat.
no subject
[ That seemed... hard to believe. But the picture she'd painted of her future sounded little like the world - and companions - he knows.
Shaking his head, he gives a thoughtful hum. ]
Their reasons are hard to predict, especially with so little context. But I will dig into the studies here and Hermes' particular fields of study. If there is ought to be found here, you can be sure we will do our best to uncover it.
[ Even if Emet-Selch isn't aware he's being recruited just yet. It's fine, he'll get over it. ]
no subject
[If he had discovered something he thought to be dangerous, surely he would share it— though the fact that whatever hidden cause they may find here is likely known to none makes their chances all the more slim.
Still. Failure is not an option.
Some of the tension eases from her shoulders, and she offers him a truly grateful smile.]
Thank you. I'm glad to have your aid— and to have had the chance to meet you, like this.
[Because while they have met before, on more than one occasion, this is something entirely different, an opportunity they never would have had otherwise.]
no subject
'Like this'? Was I so different, in Emet-Selch's memories?
[ He wonders at that. At how his friend remembered him. Saw him. Sees him. How would it differ from who he was? ]
no subject
I never had the chance to see your face, for one.
[And not only because of his mask— perhaps it was that sundered souls could not perceive those who came before them, or the nature of the shades themselves, but when she had encountered his very soul on the moon, it had been much the same.]
And hear your voice. I could understand before, but it wasn't the same as having a conversation the way we are now. The nature of magic and souls, perhaps— but you were still as kind and generous as you've shown yourself to be here.
no subject
[ He chuckles softly at that, and then reaches out to playfully tug on a stray lock of hair that curls against one of her shoulders. ]
From the sound of it, though, you and Emet-Selch butted heads a great deal, I take it?
no subject
[This version of him was also notably more affectionate, though she supposes that may have simply been lost in translation— not to mention the circumstances of their previous meetings hardly lended themselves well to such things, being what they were.
She gives him a soft, affectionate smile of her own as he reaches over to tug on her hair, offering no protest.]
'Butting heads' would be... putting it gently, I think. [At that, her smile falters.] In the end, only one of us could remain standing. I wish it could have been otherwise. That we could have reasoned with one another.
no subject
Emet-Selch has always been... particular. And particularly stubborn. I doubt that, after an eon of dedicating himself to one purpose, one outcome, he would have been easy to reason with. To sway. I do not know what events might have haunted his path to lead him to the destination you found him in, but... [ Emet-Selch's angry denial resounded in his ears but underneath it, he could still hear the heartbreak in it. The fear. Protest it as Emet-Selch might, Hythlodaeus suspected they both could be pushed to great and terrible acts, with such unrelenting motivations. Couldn't they all? ]
Whatever the outcome of your visit here... I only hope it worthwhile. Helpful. Perhaps then, somehow, it will make all that was sacrificed... worth it. Mean something more.
no subject
That's my hope, as well.
[Her voice is soft, her expression becoming somber.]
He wanted me to remember you— all of you, and what once was. I don't want that legacy to be lost.