Look. If it would be easier for me to tell Hades about you than for you to do it yourself, I will. But you might have to actually tell me to, instead of just hoping I'll lose my temper with Hades.
I mean, I get it, I *do*. Sometimes it's easier and simpler to manipulate people than to ask. But if you want to to make *sure* something happens, you have to be upfront about it.
"I want you to look into my eyes so that I know you are not misunderstanding me. If you tell him, under any circumstances, if you allude to it again, if you even make him think about the secret I keep from him—"
His smile grows wide and just a little unhinged— "I want you to truly consider for a moment that the man I mentored before you is Emet-Selch."
"I understand," he says, and if there's the slightest note of hysteria to his voice... well. Hythlodaeus is very good at what he does.
(Part of him, the part of him that's somehow maintaining enough presence of mind to think, no matter what Hythlodaeus' cheerful menace is currently doing to him, observes that Hythlodaeus is very good at what he does and Steven wants to be able to exude that much palpable menace with a smile someday too. But that's a much smaller part of him than the rest.)
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I mean, I get it, I *do*. Sometimes it's easier and simpler to manipulate people than to ask. But if you want to to make *sure* something happens, you have to be upfront about it.
Immediate Video Call
"I want you to look into my eyes so that I know you are not misunderstanding me. If you tell him, under any circumstances, if you allude to it again, if you even make him think about the secret I keep from him—"
His smile grows wide and just a little unhinged— "I want you to truly consider for a moment that the man I mentored before you is Emet-Selch."
"I will take you apart, piece by piece, Steven."
Re: Immediate Video Call
"I understand," he says, and if there's the slightest note of hysteria to his voice... well. Hythlodaeus is very good at what he does.
(Part of him, the part of him that's somehow maintaining enough presence of mind to think, no matter what Hythlodaeus' cheerful menace is currently doing to him, observes that Hythlodaeus is very good at what he does and Steven wants to be able to exude that much palpable menace with a smile someday too. But that's a much smaller part of him than the rest.)
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"Good boy, Steven."
He lets out a sigh. "Be sure to purchase a bag of semolina for our next lesson. I have some work to do, I will speak with you again soon."
no subject
"Semolina. Right."
He cuts the video feed first, then shoves the gear into his pocket. Buries his face in his hands for a moment.
Holy shit.