omnicrafter | Duplicity IC Inbox

[Yeah, like she wouldn't put two and two together within two seconds of seeing it.

Irhya marches herself to Hades's door and knocks, crossing her arms and looking at him at a slight angle when he opens it. There is a very peculiar smile on her face, though.]

Don't think I don't know who sent it, you. How did you know it was my nameday, anyway?

[ He is expecting to see her, but her question leaves him with a confused frown. ]

I did not know it was your nameday. 'Tis a return gift for your Starlight present.

...Eh?

[Oh.

She stares at him blankly, blinking a few times open-mouthed before she comes up with a response.]

How convenient, then. I wasn't actually expecting you to return it either way... What made you decide to after the fact?

[ A slight tilt of his head. ]

Is it not a common courtesy to offer a return gift? I'm fairly certain that was the custom of the holiday. The only reason I had nothing prepared on the day is because I was not expecting any gifts to begin with.

[ Least of all from...well, her. Any of them. ]

Why wouldn't I? I told you I don't hate you, and like it or not, we're... close, I guess.

["Close" is a loaded word, meaning more proximity-wise than emotionally, but it gets the point across.]

I guess I just didn't know if you'd participate in it or not. You... [a hesitation,] still have it?

[ Ordinarily, he thinks to himself, one doesn't give presents to those one doesn't already like either. He sighs though and nods. ]

I keep it on my desk. Along with every other gift I was given on the day. Why? Did you think I would dispose of it?

[She stares in silence for several moments, her ears slowly tipping downward.]

I... I wasn't sure.

[Which is silly, really; he may think of them as lesser beings, but he also hasn't ever displayed open malice with them, either. Even if it didn't mean all that much, it didn't seem his style to take their kindnesses and throw them in the trash.

...She'd told herself it'd be fine even if he did, but maybe that wasn't quite true.]

Can I... come in?

[ He glances over his shoulder as if assessing the state of the room then steps back and holds the door open for her. Since the last time she visited, it has undergone a radical transformation thanks to Felih. Marine themed decorations suffuse the apartment and a light blue, undulating screen of water aether hangs over the wall-length window which looks out upon the city, giving the space a feel of being underwater. A snap of his fingers turns the screen 'off', restoring natural light to the room.

The kitchen looks like it's just been used. There are a few neatly arranged dishes and utensils drying by the sink. There are also appliances which certainly hadn't been present before. ]

Would you like some water? [ he asks once he shuts the door behind her. ]

[Irhya peers around, intrigued by the changes. She utters a small laugh at his offer.]

No, I'm fine, thank you. Especially when I feel like I'm under six fulms of water already.

[And perhaps it's some sort of irony, being themed as the bottom of the ocean, but...]

What prompted the redecorating? It's nice.

Felih said he missed the sea. So I allowed him to decorate the place.

[ The screen, though - the screen is all his doing. There's a flat piece of blue crystal on the wall by the window that suggests it's what normal people can use to turn it on and off.

He strides over to the couch and collapses into it with a small sigh, sliding down until he can rest his head on its back, eyes shut. ]

If you want to check that your globe is unharmed, 'tis in my room, on the desk as I said, [ he says, lifting an arm to gesture carelessly in its direction. ]

[Does he really not care that she goes snooping about? There's a moment of bewildered staring as she's unable to come to a conclusion.]

Oh... Thanks, I guess.

[But now that he's outright invited her to do so, she might as well. Perhaps seeing little trinkets like that in his room will make it seem more personal, right? She pads off in that direction, opening the door cautiously even though she knows no one else could be in there; it just seems invasive, going in someone's room for reasons other than sex these days...]

[ It is readily apparent once she sees his room why he may not care who wanders in.

There is very little by way of personal effects inside. Even his desk, which does indeed have her snowglobe upon it amongst his other Starlight gifts, only has two notebooks set neatly in its centre. There are, perhaps surprisingly, a variety of pens and pencils in a holder, all of varying thicknesses and hardness.

A thick, handbound tome sits to the side: a collection of plays from Eorzea with beautiful illustrations, noted inside the cover as being compiled by 'The Radiant Matriarch' and a friend; beside it, an ornate music box done in the Amaurotine style plays a gentle tune (Neath Dark Waters) when opened; and finally a larger globe which seems to have no immediately obvious purpose. At least not while the lights are on.

Meanwhile of the two notebooks, one contains scribblings related to his work and the other contains diagrams and sketches written in a foreign language. They seem to be designs based off the technology and concepts he has found here.

The only other point of interest are the drawers beneath the desk, one of which is soundly locked. The other merely contains blank notebooks, spare stationery, a collection of small, empty crystals bought from the market, and some neatly arranged electronic paraphernalia. His bed is freshly made and smells clean. The closet merely holds his usual outfits.

The en-suite bathroom is unremarkable. ]

Edited (I KEEP FORGETTING THINGS) 2020-01-19 10:20 (UTC)

[Mostly mundane, other than that locked drawer, which forces her to swat away terrible ideas at how to force it open, or learn to pick the lock or something. Assuming it is a thing of importance and not simply something he doesn't want to see... It's also a chore prying herself away from those concepts, her curiosity over his creation magic still burning bright.

Irhya emerges from his room, looking oddly dissatisfied at first before circling around behind him, placing hands on his shoulders and speaking with a coy tone.]

What's in that locked drawer? Anything good?

[If this were Aymeric, it'd be his secret candy stash, or something like that. Haurchefant, probably something explicit. But what does Hades value so much as a material possession that he would lock it away? The only things he seems to truly care for are rooted in his life in Amaurot, but he couldn't have just obtained something from a long-lost civilization like that, right? So what else had personal significance to him...?]

I'm going to guess it's not a sex toy.

[ His eyes flicker open. He stares up at her, hands folded loosely in his lap, legs crossed, a deadpan expression on his face. ]

'Tis most certainly not a sex toy.

[ He hopes she never sees the item inside as one. That would be a poor joke. ]

And it is also certainly none of your business what is inside that drawer.

Edited 2020-01-20 15:19 (UTC)

What could be so important that you'd lock it away? Scared someone will steal it?

[Her head peeks around one side to grin at him.]

You don't have to show me or anything, I just wanna know.

You will want to if I tell you.

[ It doesn't matter how many promises a hero makes to the contrary, he thinks sourly. They will always do the right thing. And if the right thing happens to be snaring an Ascian and destroying them body and soul, well... He scowls at her. ]

Mayhap not now, but you will.

What does that even mean? A weapon...?

[But she has one of her own, so that makes no sense, does it?

Mayhap not now, but you will.

Then, the thought occurs to her as she puts the pieces together, recalling the moment Urianger gave it to her in the first place. It's a long shot, but after a pause...]

...The auracite.

[ His gaze hardens; his lips thin. Abruptly, he sits up and gets to his feet, striding to the kitchen. He doesn't say anything as he pours himself a glass of water from the fridge. But then again, he doesn't have to, does he? ]

[Her mouth hangs open as she processes his reaction. So... that is it, then. No wonder he keeps it locked. As both a weapon and something he doesn't want to look at, most likely.

Perhaps it was better not to ask in the first place. Too late for that, though.]

I'm sorry.

[She sounds bewildered. At least she ascertained what she wanted to, but... she doesn't feel like leaving just yet. And, unfortunately, nameday sex doesn't seem to be on the menu.

Irhya circles around and kneels on one of the couch cushions, peering at him from afar.]

Come sit.

[ He glances at her sidelong, like a wary predator. Like he doesn't trust her with the knowledge she now has. But he brings his glass of cold water back to the couch and sits, maintaining a pointed distance while he sips.

He still doesn't say a word. ]

[She watches him sit on the other end, away from her, and can't keep herself from scooting toward him despite every stay-away signal he's giving off. Based on the way she's turned at an angle away from him, her back almost nestled into his side, it's not a sexual advance, for once.]

Are you upset I figured it out?

[ He seems to think that over for a few seconds before offering his response. ]

I am not so foolish as to think I won't find the pieces gone one day and wielded by one of your hands, now that you know it exists.

[ He doesn't even trust Felih. He's seen the look the man sometimes gives him when they stray close to topics about Zodiark and the rest. ]

So it is in pieces...

[A deep sigh. She isn't even sure a used auracite can be applied to the same task twice, especially when already shattered. And frankly, she doesn't want to think about the kind of ultimatum that would require her to even consider it in the first place.]

I won't tell them if it bothers you so. My ultimate aim isn't to see you dead again, and I don't see any reason to use it in a place like this.

I don't believe you.

[ He delivers the words scornfully, sneering at her. ]

How many times do you think I've heard that sentiment from heroes such as yourself? 'I would never tell', 'I would never use such a thing' - yet all of them find themselves breaking their word, and they have the gall to look at you with tears in their eyes begging for forgiveness that you cannot give. They tell you that 'they had to' because you 'forced their hand', as if you were the one to blame for their choice in the matter! As if you made the choice for them, when really, they simply want to avoid their own personal, gods-damned responsibility!

[ His voice has risen to a shout by the end, and his sharp, golden eyes bore into the those of the Warrior sitting beside him. The glass in his hands is held in a white-knuckled grip and seems to be the only thing stopping him from physically lashing out. Perhaps that is why he fetched it.

His voice drops from a shout to a hiss. ]

So what is your ultimate aim then, hmm? Apart from reminding me, every day, that the time I have here is borrowed and that I could be returned at any second to the moment of my death.

Don't act like you're the only one here who's ever been in that situation!

[Her body whips around so fast as she gets to her feet that her tail swings far to the side with the momentum, her ponytail falling off her shoulder in the process.

This is exactly the same foolishness as before. Don't take the bait this time. Don't say something you'll regret later.]

Much like you, I just want to go home. Maybe it will be irrevocably changed by now, or maybe I won't fit in anymore, I really don't know. But I want to go back to the people who actually know me and give half a damn about me, at the very least.

You want me to stop saying it? Fine. Then don't give me a reason to need to use such methods again and there won't be a problem. It'd have to be a pretty extreme circumstance, granted, but I still know what you're capable of at your worst. For now, though, it stays between us.

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