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Only as forward as me letting myself in~.

[ Hugo is at least all warmth and his usual charming smiles, though Malkuth isn’t the only one that looks tired, admittedly. He always has dark circles under his eyes—a sign of his bad sleep habits in life that, annoyingly, had stuck around in his new undeath—but they do seem darker than normal.

Nothing to worry about, right? He won’t ask if she doesn’t, since he’s perfectly happy to keep things, well… “Pleasant” is what he’d call it.

He follows after her, and he can’t help but look around in interest as he enters her room, especially when he sees how it’s decorated. His eyes quickly light up with a smile to see it decorated with art, and then gently soften when he sees that his own made the cut to be displayed. He’s genuinely flattered, but his focus quickly becomes Rafayel’s collection. ]

He really does have a talent for color…

[ Hugo murmurs it thoughtfully as he steps in to look at them closely. ]

I didn’t realize he was into architecture too, actually. Were you painting together?

He's not really, he's a-- a vibe painter, so he does whatever he feels like doing... it's just that we'd do studies together and stuff. Trade ideas and talk about this and that.

[ from the philosophical to the meaningless. each sketch is full of memories, and malkuth gently traces his flourished lines as if they were scripture. ]

We'd paint together sometimes. But usually we'd just send each other pictures of what we were working on and go out to experience life, because that's what piqued our inspiration best.

[ what her misguided friends might call dates. ]

Aha, vibe painter is a perfect way to put it. Not that I know him as well, of course, but he did describe it to me a little. I took him some supplies when I first asked for art to display.

[ Hugo laughs fondly at the memory, since all of his impressions of Rafayel were definitely positive, but also… Rafayel had a mischievous streak, so he’s laughing as he remembers him being quite sure that Hugo was a vampire but inviting him over for dinner and art anyways. He regrets not getting to know him better now, of course, but he suspects that won’t be as rare a feeling here as he’d hope. ]

It sounds nice.

[ And the immediate impulse to continue the thought really does sound too much like they’re talking about someone who died, so. He quickly changes his mind as he starts to (very carefully!) pick up pieces and arrange them on the bed as if it were a gallery wall. ]

And I think I know exactly where they could go. There’s a wall that catches sunset beautifully, so I’ve been waiting for something a bit more special to put in that spot. I think it would suit his work well.

[ she wonders what rafayel might think of that. there's flowers he's done for her too, but those are still put away; they're too special for public eye, at least to her. these... are a little more acceptable. gifts, but ones that aren't so personal in the way those sketches of daffodils and daisies, sunflowers and more had been. paper tulips that see no more light than the dress he'd made her not a month before them. ]

It's too bad he won't be able to talk about them, but he would've skipped out on that anyway. [ a short huff of laughter. ] Thanks for agreeing to this though, really. They've been kind of a-- a headache for me the past month.

[ Hugo nods in agreement with a wry smile, since he’d definitely gotten that impression too… He’s definitely an Artist with a capital-A, which also means that getting them to commit to some of the things necessary for a gallery could be challenging. Even so. That minor frustration is charming to Hugo, because it’d have to be to run an art gallery, right? ]

Oh, no, it’s truly my pleasure. Honestly, I’ll consider it lucky for me that he gave you such a nice selection. I’d have nothing of his otherwise~.

[ He sets one piece down then draws back a little to evaluate the flow, but continues the conversation gently. ]

A headache because it's a bit melancholy, I’m guessing?

Mmhmm. I got so used to him being just a call away, always a "see you tomorrow", that...

[ ... a shake of her head. ]

Rafayel's one of my best friends. I just want to see him again, and at the same time I don't. You know? Does that make sense? I'm probably not making sense.

[ When she says it, that’s enough that he can’t help how his expression softens into a sympathetic smile as he nods. ]

I do. Or, I think so. At least for me, it’s missing someone dearly, but also, this place is terrible. Having anyone you care for here also means they’ll be hurt.

[ The person he thinks of most in this case is Vivian, but he goes for a different example. It’s a little more relatable. ]

A dear friend of mine also… Left? Disappeared? Whatever we want to call it. [ “Kidnapped”, he thinks, but. ] Not a best friend, so I won’t assume it’s the same, but I think I understand how you feel. A little.

[ kidnapped, but she doesn't want to say so either. saying he just swam away is good enough. better, in her opinion, as if it were his choice to chase inspiration elsewhere; worse, in her opinion, as if everything he had here was so easy to abandon. ]

I think I'd beat him up if I saw his stupid face again. [ her always melds into anger, though. ] It's okay if you don't fully, the world I come from... doesn't really let you have time to do things like mourn or anything like that, so I don't really know how to process it well either.

[ so it ends up a little twisted, in a way. stifled and awkward and unspeakable. ]

And I don't want to worry my friends, but I've ended up doing that anyway.

[ The threat is unexpected, so Hugo laughs easily and openly. ]

Ah, now that is scary. Just based on how you valiantly rescued me, I’m sure you pack quite the punch!

[ He’s playfully teasing, but also? No, he’s pretty sure that’s true… Hopefully if he returns, Rafayel is at least prepared for some bruises at the very least, by the sounds of it. As for the rest, his smile softens again as he stops teasing. ]

Mm… Well, I can at least tell you that even from places where we do have a little more time, it’s never straightforward, admittedly. But art—or in this case, art appreciation—is certainly one way. It’s one I tend towards, unsurprisingly.

[ And essentially pleased with his idea for the layout, his attention shifts from the paintings to her instead as he gives an encouraging smile. ]

So, you’re welcome at the gallery any time. To see the artwork, naturally, but it’s also a nice, quiet place to work on your own art if you’d like.

Hugo...

[ it's obvious she's touched, looking at him and then to the layout he'd decided on best to exhibit. just for something else to look at really. yesod and her had spoken about it too, and-- she can't fully deny that her fingers itch to do something, but when she lifts a pencil it feels so, so heavy.

it's a kind offer though. and it does mean a lot to malkuth, playing with a lock of her long hair before she gives in with a sigh, smile thankful. ]

I don't know if I'll be able to anytime soon, [ she can be honest with that, ] but I'm sure I'll be around there in time. Not just to look, but to work on my own things.

[ because rafayel'd tut over her otherwise too, since he'd so graciously taken her on as his student. even if it feels hard right now... it'll get easier as long as she allows herself some outlet. besides, it'd be a waste of his gift if she didn't end up using it. ]

Can I do anything to thank you? I know you might not feel like you've done a lot, but you really have.

[ It’s nice to hear that tone in her voice. And honestly, even before she asks, he thinks that’s plenty for him. As difficult as things can be here, anything he can do to bring someone a little levity or peace is well worth the effort. ]

Then whenever you’re ready, it’ll be open to you. [ That’s gentle and warm, but he’s quick to brighten his voice playfully. ] Of course there’s no pressure, since that’s no fun for art, right? I am very anti-deadline~.

[ He laughs a little as he steps forward again to start to collect the pieces, clearly putting them in a sort of order that has to do with how they’re laid out. It’ll be easier to remember his idea for the wall this way. ]

Would you accept that I’m just glad to have helped?

[ He’s still light, since he assumes not! But also, as he briefly considers what he could ask for, a better question occurs to him. ]

Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not even sure what I would ask for. We’ve talked so much about art and hobbies that I’m not sure about other things… What did you do back home?

[ it seems most artists are, which is probably why this is a hobby for her and not a lifestyle; it's hard to get over the need for one, since she works better with a set goal in mind (including dates), but it clearly doesn't surprise her to hear.

but the question does, and her head tilts as she thinks. hmm... mmm. ]

... I guess I can't say I was just a librarian back home anymore, huh?

[ not when she can fend off attacks the way she does, with an odd ability to boot. malkuth sits on the bed once it's clear, hands folding over her skirt. ]

I was the Patron Librarian for the Floor of History back home, which simply means that I was in charge of collecting, keeping, and structuring a timeline of events using any and all books with historical value. [ a small wave of her hand, resigned. ] A lot of times it was pretty useless to do though, since it'd be war, infighting, the fall of a Wing or Syndicate, punctured with gaps of time that'd probably mean some kind of peace or intended lost history. But we didn't exactly work like the libraries do here, which is where my experience in fighting comes from.

[ Honestly, he’s not sure what he expected Malkuth to do, though that’s at least partially because he’s also learned at this point that it’s hard to predict… Augmented are so varied in their skills that, to him, are quite fantastical that anything is possible. And indeed, that’s exactly what he gets. Or, mostly. ]

Aha, a librarian? That part I at least understand, and that’s very charming!

[ …He has no idea about the rest of it, though. At least answers to this question are never boring, to be sure. ]

Though, you’re right, I wouldn’t know librarians to be fighters. Not even the librarians that work close to the Cretan Hollow… [ That part is mostly idle to himself, and he brings his hand to his chin thoughtfully. ] Was there something that didn’t want you to make that timeline?

The City itself. There's all kinds of secrets and such that're kept under wraps, pretty securely too -- but it's more that it's hard to tell when one era starts and where it ends. There's not even proper documentation on its initial construction... that came into my hands, anyway.

[ they're probably destroyed or kept under lock and key by the head. a city doesn't just pop out of nowhere with the ruins of something else just outside, especially not with the kind of technological advances that've been made with the singularities discovered... ]

It was just busywork in the end. Our main goal was collecting Light, which was released improperly prior to my tenure as one of the Patron Librarians of The Library.

[ It’s still a little beyond him, but just at the name, he wonders… Nothing she mentions rings a bell for things that Dante or Gregor have talked about, but in a general impression? He figures it’s worth asking. ]

Ah, when you say “the City”, that’s its name, right?

[ He thinks so from her tone, but. ]

Is it the same one that Dante and Gregor are from, if you know them?

One and the same! But it's a very, very big city, so we didn't know each other prior to meeting here either. Yesod, my roommate and friend, is from there too -- he was the Patron Librarian of Technological Sciences.

[ so a neat little group. ]

For size comparison, Karteria would be what you'd expect one District to be. That includes the Nest and Backstreets, which are divided by class.

[ His expression brightens a little in recognition, and he laughs as he nods. ]

Of course. I actually have a similar situation myself where someone from New Eridu also got brought here recently, but I’ve similarly never met him before. I only know him because he’s, well, a bit of a celebrity?

[ The question in his tone is because he’s not sure how to explain that succinctly… Most people would probably imagine a singer, an actor, or something like that, but no. Section 6 are closer to superheroes, he guesses? But, anyways: ]

Regardless, I was curious because that makes sense in the sense that I have a hard time imagining what your home is like! Any time I’ve talked to the two of them about it, I’m similarly drawing blanks when I try and picture it in my mind’s eye, you know? The City sounds complicated, to put it lightly.

[ And after a pause of consideration, he adds gently: ]

Difficult, also. Even if I can't picture it well, I can see why it doesn't give you time to do things like mourn.

It's a pretty "fast-paced" place to live for everyone.

[ and it isn't surprising that it's near impossible to imagine; if she hadn't lived there, hadn't seen it from the outside in so many ways, she'd agree. ]

What's New Eridu like? You mentioned before about the places lost when we talked about architecture, but I'm curious how that coincides with your scythe skills.

Very ordinary by comparison, I think.

[ He laughs a little, because it sounds like a joke even to him, considering his scythe… He really hadn’t thought about it that way at all until he’d started to learn more about where others come from, and, well… ]

Day to day, it’s a very urban, modern city. It’s a metropolis of millions, and it has all sorts of people. Like, most of the Augmented wouldn’t get anyone to bat an eye, since people with animal traits are perfectly normal. We just call them Thiren, and they’re born that way, naturally. Technology is also much more advanced than anything here, but—

[ As he explains, he pulls out his Syntrofos and clearly starts to scroll through images. Once he finds the set, he nods to her bed and asks “may I?” to sit next to her and show them, but if that’s a no, he’ll just slightly awkwardly hold it out.

(He could hand it to her, sure, but the completely true reason that he isn’t is because there are nudes on his phone too,,,)

The photos he shows are of his own sketches, but it shows strange scenery. A void eating a skyline. Its scale in the modern city. The vivid, prismatic colors surrounding these bubbles. ]

—It’s out of necessity. Those are Hollows, and they’ve swallowed the rest of the world minus New Eridu. Entering them is practically a death sentence either by creatures that roam them called Ethereals or by staying too long and turning into one yourself. So… You need to be quite skilled in fighting them off if you want to traverse the Hollows.

[ no, of course he can sit next to her, she doesn't mind at all with a pat of her hand. just don't mind her slight lean to look at the non-nude pictures, though she'd admire those too given the chance.

truthfully, it's beautiful in a destructive way. the colors are remarkable. how they highlight, contrast, darken the void beside them and what lies within; as if they were being twisted and blurred the way water does in a cup at eye level. that sort of "mirage". so this is what swallows the world and leaves nothing but bleak monochrome in its wake. what hugo picked up artistry for, to keep the original appearance of these places full of memories alive. ]

Well, that's definitely something The City doesn't have, though I do wonder how The Head would tackle it. So when you were attacking me, you "saw" me as one of the Ethereals?

[ heavy looseness on the "saw" ]

[ Just from her expression, he can see that she also appreciates them in a similar way. The horror of them is probably too abstract, especially when he’s showing them in this kind of light, but that’s fine. It’s their strange beauty and just how present they are in life in New Eridu that he’d wanted to highlight through these drawings. He’d drawn them because he wanted a vision and reminder of home, and there are few places in the city that wouldn’t include a view of a Hollow. ]

Well, if you have any ideas, do let me know~. If we go back [ which he doubts, but, ] then it could almost be worth all of this for a way to drive back the Hollows. Not that it’s my job, mind you, but I could pass it along.

[ He just truly doesn’t have the self-sacrificial streak that’s necessary to work for HANDS… Which. He shakes his head to her question as his expression falls a little. He clearly still feels bad about the whole situation, but that’s hardly surprising. ]

…But no, I didn’t. That’s for the best, I think, even though being piloted by a puppet wasn’t pleasant. It’d be worse if I came “to” and discovered that the monster I thought I was fighting was actually a friend.

[ frankly, she is already thinking of angles to solve the hollow crisis because that's just who she is -- just as she's thinking of ways to heal takasugi from that which ails him, since disease can be eradicated with enough inorganic parts. though, she doesn't know how he'd feel about it. ]

Tell me about it. It's not a great feeling at all, from someone who's got a few experiences under her belt.

[ not just here, put against rinne back in october, but back home too... malkuth stares at the collected pieces on the side, a question in her mouth that she swallows in favor of something else. ]

Do you think we can go back? And if we do, do you think these souls will come with us? I personally don't mind, but I know not everyone feels the same -- especially those that've died because of them.

[ Hugo makes a discontent little noise as he closes his Syntrofos, since obviously, he doesn’t like to hear that!! He’d found the experience bad enough, but as someone who tends to put more care towards others than himself, it bothers him to hear that she understands. It’s not surprising, since he sincerely doubted that was Patho-Gen’s first time trying something like that at this point, but. He also gets the impression that it’s not just here that she’s referring to.

He opens his mouth to ask, but she beats him. His question becomes a little “ah” instead. There’s a temptation to lie (there always is), but Malkuth seems to have a good head on her shoulders… He doesn’t think she’s the sort where a comforting lie would be the kinder thing. Sitting next to each other like this, his answer is almost physical as his posture softens. ]

…Maybe it’s possible. I’ve heard a few things that at least make me think it’s theoretically doable that we could go back, but…

[ He thumbs over his phone idly as he glances down at it instead. He’s still smiling, but it’s more somber. ]

I also think what’s done is done. Even if we pried these Souls out, it doesn’t make sense to me that it would undo what changes we’ve gone through. That’d be difficult for plenty of people, I’m sure.

[ He thinks of Heinrix first. Just from what he’s explained, Hugo is sure that staying here would be the far better choice, and he’s also sure that it’s not the choice Heinrix would make. That dutiful idiot would march right back home to his execution, and he feels like there’s plenty of others that would fall into that category.

People like him, though.

He pauses for a moment, since he doesn’t like to say it, obviously. But he shakes his head. ]

So, you can’t undo death. I’ve personally been under the assumption that Karteria is my home now.

[ ...

dante might not be able to return, then. when they're needed by the people that rely on them. malkuth lowers her head a little in thought, playing with a lock of her hair. death... is, and isn't permanent in the city, but-- it's better for it to be, since the alternative hasn't ended well for anyone. ]

I've been thinking lately about how much I enjoy what I do here. Walking the streets, helping who I can, managing an idol group... Eating fresh bread and sitting by the docks, watching the sea.

[ small, simple things. nothing terribly grand. ]

It might sound odd, but I've never been able to do anything like that before. The sea was too far from each place I stayed, a leisurely walk through my Nest was nothing short of sneer-worthy, idols as a cultural phenomenon don't exist in The City -- and helping others was what I always wanted to do, but the effects weren't tangible the way they are here. It was more like planting a seed and knowing I'd never see the fruits that'd grow from the tree as it rose.

[ but she doesn't seem sad about that fact, it just is what it is. an acceptance that she wouldn't see the end result of something she had a hand in. it was something they all knew back then, and had since understood and accepted again in their new lives. the future doesn't belong to the dead. ]

But I do have to return. There's still things I need to see through, so while I'm glad my soul doesn't require it... I'm also a little jealous. I hate that you don't get the choice, but I don't think I'd be upset if I wasn't allowed it.

[ It’s a depressing answer, and he knows it. It’s why he keeps his eyes down, since even if he feels like telling the truth was the right thing to do, it still really brings down the mood. He really doesn’t like to be so melancholy and serious, so before she answers, he’s thinking about how they could possibly segue to a better topic. Thankfully, it’s not necessary with her response.

He looks up again and listens attentively as she speaks, and it’s first met with a soft, gentle smile as she describes those simple pleasures. Well, maybe not all simple, because he can’t imagine that word could describe managing someone like Takasugi… But it’s all still nice things. ]

It’s not odd at all. I actually understand it fairly well, since there was a time in my life where my circumstances were very restrictive too.

[ He feels the need to say that first, even if he doesn’t elaborate on what he means by “restrictive.” That’s a worse topic than death and returning home, ironically, so he’s not exactly inclined to share details. But much like how he’d decided to open up to Gregor, it’s not the specifics of what came before that matter so much. It’s the feeling of freedom after, because it’s something that very few people that Hugo have met understand. ]

Maybe you and I could switch~?

[ He jokes first, but obviously, it doesn’t work that way… ]

Well, that’s if it’s possible, of course. Who knows? Maybe this is home for all of us now. Honestly, minus Patho-Gen’s interference in things, it’s really not a bad one.

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