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[emet_sulk]

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(ONE message, Hythlodaeus. Azem.)

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[emet_sulk]

I beg your pardon?

[starshepard]

rheali told me you showed him elpis
and you tell me you showed him amaurot
im curious why im being lied to about this trip

1/2

[emet_sulk]

[ Oh fuck, oh shite--

He stares at his phone for a while, frozen, reading those three simple sentences and not knowing what half-truths he can pull out to mitigate this pending disaster. ]

2/2

[emet_sulk]

What did he say exactly?

[starshepard]

twould be easier to simply show you the conversation

[emet_sulk]

[ Oh. Oh, that means...meeting in person, right? That's going to make it harder to lie. ]

How much did he say that you cannot simply rewrite it here?

[starshepard]

[ That's part of their plan. ]

quite a bit

[emet_sulk]

[ ............ ]

Fine. Where shall I meet you?

[starshepard]

where im staying

[emet_sulk]

Very well.

[ It takes a little while for him to arrive though. Perhaps longer than one might expect if he was simply walking from his own lodgings to Azem's. He needs the time to think - and time to message Rhea'li in panic.

Once he has composed himself, he knocks on their door and waits. ]

[starshepard]

I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to track you down. [ Something that would normally be said in jest is said in a serious tone for once.

They step back and motion for him to enter. Once he's inside they bring up the conversation with Rhea'li and pass their device to him to read. ]

[emet_sulk]

[ 'If I say I will come then I will come,' he wants to retort. But he holds his tongue as he steps inside. Silently, he takes the device and reads Azem's and Rhea'li's conversation with a sinking heart. Although Hades has no striking recollection of the concepts Rhea'li is referring to, it's enough to be proof that they were there during the span of time Hermes' Kairos would eventually erase.

His thoughts rapidly turn. He can't deny Rhea'li's account. That would be more suspicious. He can't claim Rhea'li went with someone else because the boy explicitly mentioned travelling with him. So...

He lowers the device, careful to keep his expression neutral as he composes his next words. ]

Ah, I forgot. I brought him there and let him wander amongst the researchers. It has been a long time since I saw Elpis. Can you blame me for wanting some time alone?

[starshepard]

[ Azem waits in silence, arms crossed and watching him closely.

His response is met with a scrutinizing expression. Azem remembers clearly that they were told they would need to remain in contact with the person they traveled with. ]

You forgot? And you wanted time alone? If I recall correctly we were told we would need an anchor, some form of contact with those we traveled with. How is it you could have been alone on the trip?

[emet_sulk]

[ Ah, he forgot that too. Seeing as he never actually had the chance to go on the trip. He fidgets. Then clenches his fist. ]

I... Surely an aetherial tether is sufficient? They never said it must be a physical anchor.

[ He hates that he has to make it sound like a question to avoid the outright lie. He's certain Azem is sharp enough to pick up on it. ]

[starshepard]

[ Azem supposes an aetherial tether would suffice but the way he says it is suspicious. ]

You don't sound so convinced of that.

[emet_sulk]

[ He decides that a touch of annoyance is warranted here. ]

Aye, well... I'm not sure why you're making such a fuss over a lapse in memory, Azem. Why am I here, really?

[starshepard]

[ They roll their head back and let out a breath before turning their attention to him once more. ]

Because this is more than a lapse in memory. For a while now I've had this feeling that I'm not being told everything. Things that aren't quite adding up. Like how you knew so much about Bahamut, a creature from Rhea'li's world. How that city in your dream was the future of our world but the people were so different. That everything should change so much...

I don't doubt that Rhea'li has been to Elpis but I don't believe that he traveled there with you.

[emet_sulk]

[ He isn't sure what to say. Tellingly, his gaze averts. Ordinarily, it would be so easy to generate theatre and sell half-truths for fact. Facing Azem, however, makes it so much more difficult. With the way they had parted as their people faced the End of Days, who can blame him for not wanting to disturb what they currently have? ]

It is the future. Further than you may believe it to be...but 'tis the future indeed.

[starshepard]

[ The way he looks away doesn't sit well with them. It's only confirming their suspicions. Though it's difficult to distrust him when he says that Garlemald is a part of the future. ]

And Bahamut?

[emet_sulk]

...Bahamut is also an entity from the same distant future.

[ He says no more than that. He thinks it speaks for itself. ]

[starshepard]

[ Azem is quiet for a moment, working out what that means in their head. ]

Then that means Rhea'li is from... [ They can feel a bit of anger well up in them, not enough to explode just yet. ] I don't understand the need to lie. He could have easily said it would be impossible to go with me because we are from the same star, just different times.

[ They let out a frustrated breath as they run their fingers through their hair. ]

[emet_sulk]

[ He shrugs uncomfortably. He can sense Azem's frustration and the smouldering anger. ]

I don't know why he chose to lie about that, [ he says truthfully. ] Mayhap he thought you would not be able to accept how much the world had changed.

[ ...Which is certainly one way of putting it. ]

[starshepard]

[ Azem shoots a narrow-eyed look at him. ]

He's not alone in this. [ They step forward, jabbing a finger at his chest. ] You went along with it.

[emet_sulk]

[ A small flinch. He presses his lips together and stares at his feet, fists balled by his side. ]

I did.

[ He hopes Azem leaves it at that. ]

[starshepard]

[ Unfortunately for him, Azem is not about to leave it at that. ]

Why? You seemed to have no problem telling me I would be returning to the star before either of my best friends. I took that in stride did I not?

[ Until the topic of children came up they'd be fine with that news. It stung but they could accept that. ]

I saw a little bit of the world in our future and I took that just fine.