[This revelation is heavy. Lahabrea listens intently as Themis speaks, his eyes full of unspoken wonder. He wondered where the martyrs' souls went after they gave their lives for Etheirys' sake. While he suspected the three of them carried their people's wishes on their backs, Elidibus literally carried them in his heart. This is a startling revelation because it lends credence to Elidibus' mental breakdown. He doubts his ability to handle such a tremendous task, and based on what Emet-Selch told him about his future self, he is doomed to succumb to insanity as well.
However, that dark future doesn't matter anymore. This place, Amani, is their second chance to undo what was done. If they can work together to rebuild their world anew, then perhaps they'll be afforded a second chance at redemption.]
We've walked a lonely road together, one that has split into several different paths. While we shared a desire to achieve the same goal, we eventually went our separate ways.
[He falls silent for a moment, clearly processing his thoughts, before suddenly wrapping his arms around Themis' lithe form. He appears to have made up his mind that he will not deny Themis' touch due to misplaced guilt. He gently cards his fingers through Elidibus' hair, stroking the snowy strands.]
Though we may have all parted, even upon our own Star we found one another at long last. Did you not know? We sleep together within the Underworld - our long rest, well earned. We three Unsundered, and all those souls from within Zodiark.
[For several heartbeats Themis is quiet, still. Much like he had with others, with Lahabrea's very son, he ensures that the older man is doing this because it is what he truly wishes - not out of a sense of obligation, or of pressure. An opportunity to pull back. When Hephaistos does not, he leans into the touch, head tilting just so for better access to those well-worn hands. His own arms slip around to complete the embrace.
Though there is no tight force to pull them together, it is tender all the same. It means something.]
I forgive you. For everything. For any and all. Let that weight fall, my dearest friend, it is not yours to shoulder.
[He has something he wishes to ask, but waits for Hephaistos to steady himself. It is no small thing. The older man's previous experiences regarding the subject, too, are touchy at best. Instead...]
[Those three simple words struck Hephaistos like an arrow to the heart. They pierce through his defenses so smoothly that he is rendered speechless. While Themis had previously declared her love for him, Lahabrea was hesitant to consider it. Due to Athena's betrayal, Lahabrea grew to despise the word. However, something has changed within Lahabrea, specifically within Hephaistos. Instead of recoiling in fear or doubt, he finds himself overcome with joy.
Themis loves him. Themis truly adores him. It's a revelation that solidifies himself within his very soul—enough to make this old man nearly cry. He reaches for Themis' hand and brings it to his lips. As he gently kisses his pale knuckles, he mumbles the following:]
I love you too. [He whispers before stating it louder for his beloved emissary to hear.] I love you too, Themis.
[While their story ended on a somber note, Hephaistos is grateful that all three of them sleep together within the heart of their precious Star. His devotion to Themis outweighs the weight of eternity. The thought of possibly losing Themis makes him sad. This explains why he was so frantic when he tried to save him. While it still pains Lahabrea that he wasn't there to protect him, he is grateful for the opportunity to make amends and live again.
There is a life after Athena, and this life begins here.]
I love you so much that I cannot bear to lose you. Lets spend this life together in unison, you and I.
[It feels different this time. They had exchanged affections before, exquisite words revealing deeper feelings that never did truly feel adequate. But now Themis can see why. Can feel it. There's a greater acceptance where before there was doubt. His breast swells within from purest emotion, his hand fast entwining their fingers once he receives that kiss.
He can wait no longer.]
I fear that I have not the energy for further pursuits, but my dearest Hepahistos, I... Would you allow me to show you the truest parts of my self? Allow me to bare my soul to yours.
[Maybe Hephaistos will reject this. Reject him. But he cannot contain the wish any further.]
[As they entwine their fingers, Lahabrea decides to accept Themis' offer this time. While a small part of him remains fearful, Hephaistos has decided that he will not let Athena's shadow haunt him anymore. He was done living in the past, especially since he had a bright future ahead of him. This is why he accepts everything that Themis has to offer, including his soul.]
I accept. [He tightens his hold around Themis' fingers.] Only if you allow me to bare everything to you in return, Themis.
[Elation brightens that young face, bringing back a light that exhaustion and weariness cannot extinguish. He gives Hephaistos's hand a gentle squeeze, smile wide, before giving an admission. It does not shame him - he is recovering, after all, but... regardless-]
I lack the strength to initiate on my own, at present. My desire to go through with the act is undiminished, but I... will need your assistance.
[His smile grows slightly lopsided.]
But surely the mighty Lahabrea can spare a bit of his power to do so. Am I correct?
[He knows he is. And the teasing is far more like how Themis usually behaves with Lahabrea at times, breaking through his exhaustion. But he knows how it must begin, and speaks the words.]
You needn't ask, Themis, for everything I am is yours.
[Hephaistos has come a long way from the man he was following Athena's betrayal to the man he is today. That much is clear as he looks lovingly at Themis with joy. His former self would never have agreed to share his soul with Themis in this way, not while his heart was still aching from betrayal. However, all of that is in the past as he allows his aether to flare. While his aether burns hot like a torrent of fire, these flames are shockingly gentle, much like the summery rays of sunlight.
The warmth spreads between them until all of Themis is engulfed within it. Lahabrea intends to supplement his beloved's aether in the hopes of giving him the strength to continue with this ritual. While a tinge of trepidation lingers over him, Lahabrea ignores it in favor of staring into those brilliant blue eyes.]
As I am to become you.
[Perhaps this ritual will fully erase the rot that Athena implanted within him. The seeds of discord will not flourish here, not during his second chance at life. He intends to share the rest of his eternity with Themis.]
[From between their held hands blooms gleaming magic. It grows, a sphere of blues and blacks, the center almost white - almost like a nebula. Beautiful, as was the sharing about to happen. It swells with the power between them, and the connection is made. They are engulfed, and their bodies overtaken by the light.]
All that I am... my heart and more.
[Indeed the feeling is mutual. Everything they are, felt as if it were their own. Elidibus-Themis pours of himself freely, to share every moment of his own since the last time Lahabrea-Hephaistos had seen him in life. The memories flow thickly.
The sacrifice. Becoming Him.
The disputes after, withdrawing from Him once more.
Those who had been sacrificed, crying out within his mind.
Hydaelyn. A battle of titans.
The Sundering.
A Source and Thirteen Shards, what had become of all those he had loved. Save for Emet-Selch, save for Lahabrea. Becoming Ascians.
The Ardor, the Great Work. The loss of the Thirteenth to the void. The rejoinings.
Bringers of Chaos. Calamities. Four dimensional chess on a massive world-wide scale.
Rising up as Elidibus, grooming and becoming heroes. Working with and against the others. A balance of Light and Dark.
His memories, slowly slipping away, until all that remained was Duty. Was a promise.
The tale of the Warrior of Light, their clashes. His defeat. Giving all of himself to send that Hero back through time, to their own age. The unerworld, a breath to take in, his memories regained.
Pandaemonium in the present age. Athena's true machinations. Her manipulation of Erichthonios in truth. Themis's own part to play.
Claudien. Erichthonios reborn with sundered soul.
Their star saved in perhaps the only way it could have been. Their sacrifice holding meaning.
A final goodbye, easing back to the aetherial sea. Rest, no regrets despite all he had done.
Awakening here, in Amani.
Meeting the others once more. Meeting Hephaistos once more.
Then the joining moves beyond the past. This is something more.
There is no pain, no memories of previous deeds and tragedy lurking between them. Not now. Instead there is the beating heart of Themis, pulled apart for Hephaistos to inspect every element - to feel each and every inch of who he truly is. What he feels. The connection they had forged eons past - as colleagues, friends, now lovers - that continues even to this day, to this moment, and how strong it held, the depth of it running to the very heart of him.
And it is Love.
Trust.
Devotion, joy, protectiveness, vulnerability, all of these and more.
A thousand emotions, a thousand experiences - all of them cast in this same light.
Borne aloft on these feelings, Themis shows Hephaistos all of himself - exactly what he means to him, spurred on by the desire for the other man to know him. The two of them are beautiful lights, the aurora of their souls blended until there are no boundaries left. Their bodies folded together in that embrace upon the couch as their souls are entwined.
Themis does not pull back, pull out. He shows and he Sees and he Feels.
[As the two of them begin this process, Hephaistos is greeted with a myriad of colors. Merging one's soul with another is always a tricky process. It's borderline dangerous because it's so easy to lose yourself during this process. However, Hephaistos is well aware of the risks and is eager to proceed. He shares everything with Themis, including his hopes, dreams, and fears. While a part of him is still afraid of rejection, Hephaistos is already aware that Themis has accepted him. This is why he allows the other to delve deep into his soul, allowing him to see everything about himself through a crystal-clear lens.
Themis witnesses all of Lahabrea's past and present accomplishments, including a glimpse of a young Hephaistos before Athena's blight. His red gaze is bright and full of life, with no hint of scorn. He looks very different from the old man who sits before him now, more like his would-be son. At this age, Hephaistos was less cautious than his older self, and he was willing to take risks even if they failed. He remained stern, but he was much more easily moved to laughter when the occasion called for it. His youthful gaze is eventually obscured by Athena's deception, and his demeanor changes over time as she works her poison into him. Even during this difficult time, there were glimmers of joy, one of which was Hephaistos' first opportunity to hold his beloved son. He hums a lullaby to Erichthonios, always grateful for the rare opportunity to be alone with him. Hephaistos smiles as those tiny hands touch his cheeks, looking very much like a doting young father.
As the memory fades, an unfamiliar voice speaks in a deep brassy tone. Themis would not recognize this person because it was far beyond his time, but Hephaistos would, as this quote has stayed with him his entire life.
"Remember, Hephaistos, true happiness can be found in the tiniest of things."
As memories fade from this precious scene, Themis is rewarded with a fleeting glimpse of a young Hephaistos standing on a ledge next to an elderly gentleman with long gray hair. The older of the two is seated on a boulder, his black robbed back to the viewer. While little of him can be seen, the outline of his face suggests that he is related to Hephaistos in some way, especially since the old man resembles Hephaistos' older self. The only difference was the pale amber glow of his eyes.
"When I return to the Star, they will most likely look to you to lead it. Pray, remember that true happiness can be found in the tiniest of things. Not everything needs to be so grand, Hephaistos."
The scene shifts yet again, this time to a much older and haggard looking Hephaistos gazing back at Athena. As the two of them attempt to merge their souls together, a cloud of darkness descends upon him. The feelings of an insatiable hunger suddenly builds within him, a hunger that craves knowledge and power. It builds and builds until Hephaistos suddenly severs the link between him and her. As Athena scolds him for not fully accepting her, Hephaistos digs deep within himself and rips the darkness out of him without a second thought.
He has lost all of his emotions, including love, happiness, and sorrow. Hephaistos tore himself apart in an attempt to overcome the madness that Athena inflicted on him. Hephaistos' shoulders are filled with a strange sense of emptiness after using the last remnants of his power to kill Athena with his bare hands. The act is quick and shockingly effective. It's a dark memory, one that Hephaistos tried countless times to forget. As he stands before Athena's corpse, his gaze shifts towards the young boy passed on the floor.
He did it all for him. To save him.
From here the memories come and go, some of which are too disjointed to make out due to his fractured mind. However, the last image of Lahabrea gazing up at the night sky is a haunting one as a terrible scream erupts from the dark. Little did any of them realize that scream with herald the beginning of the end, but it certainly did.
His memories of that time are erased, replaced by the confusion that accompanied his arrival in Amani. All of his hardships, including the deep jealousy he felt while watching his colleagues meander with these nameless others, are revealed to Themis. However, such negative emotions seem to quell as the bond between them strengthens. It's a long journey, one with many ups and downs, but now Themis has his wish.
He is one with Hephaistos, and he is dearly loved.
The strain of his union is visible on his face, but Hephaistos refuses to stop.]
[Their bond deepens, strengthening. Stronger now than any material their people's vaunted architects would use to construct the most important of buildings, able to endure both time and fate itself. Such a bond remained, even at their most frayed.
But now? Now there was no possibility of it thinning. Fraying. Themis would not allow such a thing - and neither will Hephaistos, as they stay joined despite the strain. Despite their fatigue. They both dig deep into wells of strength to prolong this wondrous thing.
It cannot last forever, alas. Themis and his fleeting strength is the first to cede - and as he makes to unravel the two of them from one another, he goes with a final impression of love, of care. This is a cessation of the act, yes, but he leaves with a promise, that it will not be the last or only time.
When they do part, Themis opens his eyes, looking up at Hephaistos with a bone-deep weariness, but also a soul-deep affection. He speaks, his voice soft and low.]
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no subject
Date: 2024-06-05 01:48 pm (UTC)However, that dark future doesn't matter anymore. This place, Amani, is their second chance to undo what was done. If they can work together to rebuild their world anew, then perhaps they'll be afforded a second chance at redemption.]
We've walked a lonely road together, one that has split into several different paths. While we shared a desire to achieve the same goal, we eventually went our separate ways.
[He falls silent for a moment, clearly processing his thoughts, before suddenly wrapping his arms around Themis' lithe form. He appears to have made up his mind that he will not deny Themis' touch due to misplaced guilt. He gently cards his fingers through Elidibus' hair, stroking the snowy strands.]
Forgive my ignorance, Themis.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-06 06:02 am (UTC)[For several heartbeats Themis is quiet, still. Much like he had with others, with Lahabrea's very son, he ensures that the older man is doing this because it is what he truly wishes - not out of a sense of obligation, or of pressure. An opportunity to pull back. When Hephaistos does not, he leans into the touch, head tilting just so for better access to those well-worn hands. His own arms slip around to complete the embrace.
Though there is no tight force to pull them together, it is tender all the same. It means something.]
I forgive you. For everything. For any and all. Let that weight fall, my dearest friend, it is not yours to shoulder.
[He has something he wishes to ask, but waits for Hephaistos to steady himself. It is no small thing. The older man's previous experiences regarding the subject, too, are touchy at best. Instead...]
I love you.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-07 01:31 am (UTC)Themis loves him. Themis truly adores him. It's a revelation that solidifies himself within his very soul—enough to make this old man nearly cry. He reaches for Themis' hand and brings it to his lips. As he gently kisses his pale knuckles, he mumbles the following:]
I love you too. [He whispers before stating it louder for his beloved emissary to hear.] I love you too, Themis.
[While their story ended on a somber note, Hephaistos is grateful that all three of them sleep together within the heart of their precious Star. His devotion to Themis outweighs the weight of eternity. The thought of possibly losing Themis makes him sad. This explains why he was so frantic when he tried to save him. While it still pains Lahabrea that he wasn't there to protect him, he is grateful for the opportunity to make amends and live again.
There is a life after Athena, and this life begins here.]
I love you so much that I cannot bear to lose you. Lets spend this life together in unison, you and I.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-07 02:56 am (UTC)He can wait no longer.]
I fear that I have not the energy for further pursuits, but my dearest Hepahistos, I... Would you allow me to show you the truest parts of my self? Allow me to bare my soul to yours.
[Maybe Hephaistos will reject this. Reject him. But he cannot contain the wish any further.]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-07 03:34 am (UTC)I accept. [He tightens his hold around Themis' fingers.] Only if you allow me to bare everything to you in return, Themis.
I will not squander this gift.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-11 03:26 am (UTC)I lack the strength to initiate on my own, at present. My desire to go through with the act is undiminished, but I... will need your assistance.
[His smile grows slightly lopsided.]
But surely the mighty Lahabrea can spare a bit of his power to do so. Am I correct?
[He knows he is. And the teasing is far more like how Themis usually behaves with Lahabrea at times, breaking through his exhaustion. But he knows how it must begin, and speaks the words.]
I am become you...
no subject
Date: 2024-06-11 11:16 am (UTC)[Hephaistos has come a long way from the man he was following Athena's betrayal to the man he is today. That much is clear as he looks lovingly at Themis with joy. His former self would never have agreed to share his soul with Themis in this way, not while his heart was still aching from betrayal. However, all of that is in the past as he allows his aether to flare. While his aether burns hot like a torrent of fire, these flames are shockingly gentle, much like the summery rays of sunlight.
The warmth spreads between them until all of Themis is engulfed within it. Lahabrea intends to supplement his beloved's aether in the hopes of giving him the strength to continue with this ritual. While a tinge of trepidation lingers over him, Lahabrea ignores it in favor of staring into those brilliant blue eyes.]
As I am to become you.
[Perhaps this ritual will fully erase the rot that Athena implanted within him. The seeds of discord will not flourish here, not during his second chance at life. He intends to share the rest of his eternity with Themis.]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-12 02:55 am (UTC)[From between their held hands blooms gleaming magic. It grows, a sphere of blues and blacks, the center almost white - almost like a nebula. Beautiful, as was the sharing about to happen. It swells with the power between them, and the connection is made. They are engulfed, and their bodies overtaken by the light.]
All that I am... my heart and more.
[Indeed the feeling is mutual. Everything they are, felt as if it were their own. Elidibus-Themis pours of himself freely, to share every moment of his own since the last time Lahabrea-Hephaistos had seen him in life. The memories flow thickly.
The sacrifice. Becoming Him.
The disputes after, withdrawing from Him once more.
Those who had been sacrificed, crying out within his mind.
Hydaelyn. A battle of titans.
The Sundering.
A Source and Thirteen Shards, what had become of all those he had loved. Save for Emet-Selch, save for Lahabrea. Becoming Ascians.
The Ardor, the Great Work. The loss of the Thirteenth to the void. The rejoinings.
Bringers of Chaos. Calamities. Four dimensional chess on a massive world-wide scale.
Rising up as Elidibus, grooming and becoming heroes. Working with and against the others. A balance of Light and Dark.
His memories, slowly slipping away, until all that remained was Duty. Was a promise.
The tale of the Warrior of Light, their clashes. His defeat. Giving all of himself to send that Hero back through time, to their own age. The unerworld, a breath to take in, his memories regained.
Pandaemonium in the present age. Athena's true machinations. Her manipulation of Erichthonios in truth. Themis's own part to play.
Claudien. Erichthonios reborn with sundered soul.
Their star saved in perhaps the only way it could have been. Their sacrifice holding meaning.
A final goodbye, easing back to the aetherial sea. Rest, no regrets despite all he had done.
Awakening here, in Amani.
Meeting the others once more. Meeting Hephaistos once more.
Then the joining moves beyond the past. This is something more.
There is no pain, no memories of previous deeds and tragedy lurking between them. Not now. Instead there is the beating heart of Themis, pulled apart for Hephaistos to inspect every element - to feel each and every inch of who he truly is. What he feels. The connection they had forged eons past - as colleagues, friends, now lovers - that continues even to this day, to this moment, and how strong it held, the depth of it running to the very heart of him.
And it is Love.
Trust.
Devotion, joy, protectiveness, vulnerability, all of these and more.
A thousand emotions, a thousand experiences - all of them cast in this same light.
Borne aloft on these feelings, Themis shows Hephaistos all of himself - exactly what he means to him, spurred on by the desire for the other man to know him. The two of them are beautiful lights, the aurora of their souls blended until there are no boundaries left. Their bodies folded together in that embrace upon the couch as their souls are entwined.
Themis does not pull back, pull out. He shows and he Sees and he Feels.
And he Loves.
He waits for Hephaistos to catch up.]
incoming tl;dr with headcanon
Date: 2024-06-21 06:24 pm (UTC)Themis witnesses all of Lahabrea's past and present accomplishments, including a glimpse of a young Hephaistos before Athena's blight. His red gaze is bright and full of life, with no hint of scorn. He looks very different from the old man who sits before him now, more like his would-be son. At this age, Hephaistos was less cautious than his older self, and he was willing to take risks even if they failed. He remained stern, but he was much more easily moved to laughter when the occasion called for it. His youthful gaze is eventually obscured by Athena's deception, and his demeanor changes over time as she works her poison into him. Even during this difficult time, there were glimmers of joy, one of which was Hephaistos' first opportunity to hold his beloved son. He hums a lullaby to Erichthonios, always grateful for the rare opportunity to be alone with him. Hephaistos smiles as those tiny hands touch his cheeks, looking very much like a doting young father.
As the memory fades, an unfamiliar voice speaks in a deep brassy tone. Themis would not recognize this person because it was far beyond his time, but Hephaistos would, as this quote has stayed with him his entire life.
"Remember, Hephaistos, true happiness can be found in the tiniest of things."
As memories fade from this precious scene, Themis is rewarded with a fleeting glimpse of a young Hephaistos standing on a ledge next to an elderly gentleman with long gray hair. The older of the two is seated on a boulder, his black robbed back to the viewer. While little of him can be seen, the outline of his face suggests that he is related to Hephaistos in some way, especially since the old man resembles Hephaistos' older self. The only difference was the pale amber glow of his eyes.
"When I return to the Star, they will most likely look to you to lead it. Pray, remember that true happiness can be found in the tiniest of things. Not everything needs to be so grand, Hephaistos."
The scene shifts yet again, this time to a much older and haggard looking Hephaistos gazing back at Athena. As the two of them attempt to merge their souls together, a cloud of darkness descends upon him. The feelings of an insatiable hunger suddenly builds within him, a hunger that craves knowledge and power. It builds and builds until Hephaistos suddenly severs the link between him and her. As Athena scolds him for not fully accepting her, Hephaistos digs deep within himself and rips the darkness out of him without a second thought.
He has lost all of his emotions, including love, happiness, and sorrow. Hephaistos tore himself apart in an attempt to overcome the madness that Athena inflicted on him. Hephaistos' shoulders are filled with a strange sense of emptiness after using the last remnants of his power to kill Athena with his bare hands. The act is quick and shockingly effective. It's a dark memory, one that Hephaistos tried countless times to forget. As he stands before Athena's corpse, his gaze shifts towards the young boy passed on the floor.
He did it all for him. To save him.
From here the memories come and go, some of which are too disjointed to make out due to his fractured mind. However, the last image of Lahabrea gazing up at the night sky is a haunting one as a terrible scream erupts from the dark. Little did any of them realize that scream with herald the beginning of the end, but it certainly did.
His memories of that time are erased, replaced by the confusion that accompanied his arrival in Amani. All of his hardships, including the deep jealousy he felt while watching his colleagues meander with these nameless others, are revealed to Themis. However, such negative emotions seem to quell as the bond between them strengthens. It's a long journey, one with many ups and downs, but now Themis has his wish.
He is one with Hephaistos, and he is dearly loved.
The strain of his union is visible on his face, but Hephaistos refuses to stop.]
IT'S BEEN 3000 YEARS
Date: 2024-09-17 08:49 am (UTC)But now? Now there was no possibility of it thinning. Fraying. Themis would not allow such a thing - and neither will Hephaistos, as they stay joined despite the strain. Despite their fatigue. They both dig deep into wells of strength to prolong this wondrous thing.
It cannot last forever, alas. Themis and his fleeting strength is the first to cede - and as he makes to unravel the two of them from one another, he goes with a final impression of love, of care. This is a cessation of the act, yes, but he leaves with a promise, that it will not be the last or only time.
When they do part, Themis opens his eyes, looking up at Hephaistos with a bone-deep weariness, but also a soul-deep affection. He speaks, his voice soft and low.]
Do you now see?