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Hythlodaeus | Final Fantasy XIV

[hythlodaeus]

Out in Goldenrod

[There's quite the stir on the riverbanks of Goldenrod. An absolutely enormously tall man and his even taller Tropius nap by the water in the shade. The man is dressed in a hooded black robe and a white beaked mask. The Tropius is dressed in its leaves.]

[Dare you get close? What is going on with these two? If you come too close, they wake, and the tall man stands to his full eight feet of height before bending down to be more at face level. He beams at you and tilts his head.]

Oh, good afternoon, fellow wanderer. Might you have a bit of food on you, perhaps some water?

[At least... He seems friendly?]

The Network

[The video feed begins and a mysterious masked man comes into view. Although he wears a hood, there seems to be some stray long, white hairs poking out.

Good morning, my fellow travellers! My name is Hythlodaeus and I've come into a bit of a conundrum. I have some research to do, and not nearly the materials to do it! I'm interested in the molecular makeup of the substances that the local flora and fauna produce. Unfortunately, I've nearly expended my research with my dear Tropius, but I haven't yet found what I'm looking for.

If you have a grass or poison type with a venom or a secretion, could you bring it to me? I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of a reward as of this moment, but shouldn't helping your fellow man be reward enough?

Re: Hythlodaeus | Final Fantasy XIV

[fingersandteeth]

[Oh wow. That's-- someone taller than Rose Universe. Steven's only met one person taller and she was a Gargantuan Ogre named Mako visiting the freehold from Los Angeles.]

Give me a minute.

[He actually does tend to keep granola bars and bottled water in his briefcase. He'd rather spend his breaks on the roof instead of getting a snack, so having something to nibble on while he's working instead is imperative.]

[hythlodaeus]

My thanks, stranger. [He crouches down and places his arms on his knees to smile at the other.]

But I suppose we needn't stay strangers. My name is Hythlodaeus. What's yours?

[All these funny tiny men... He was absolutely endeared.]

[fingersandteeth]

Steven, [he says, as he rests his briefcase on a nearby bench and pops it open.

He hands the granola bar and bottled water to Hythlodaeus.]

[hythlodaeus]

[Both look hilariously tiny in his hands. He carefully opens the package and takes tiny bites to stretch it out.]

Well, it is very much a pleasure to meet you, Steven. You're very kind.

[His head snaps back up from his little snack.]

Oh, my apologies. Did you want some currency for this? I would not ordinarily be without my own supplies, but I seem to have been quite permanently stripped of my magic.

[fingersandteeth]

I try to be.

[He's not a good man, by any means... but he is frequently kind or at least nice. Part of it's habit, from when he used to try to be better than he was. And part of it is that it helps people from suspecting he's a criminal.

Anyway, he shakes his head.]

I'm fine. Everyone's been stripped of magic here and I've got a steady job and. Well. My fiance makes more than me anyway. So I can afford it.

[Technically they're not formally engaged, but that's only technicalities.]

[hythlodaeus]

My, how does anyone get anything done without it...

[Thank goodness he can afford to give granola bars to giants. This day's comin' up Hythlodaeus.]

I'm still trying to grasp this whole currency system. Not that it's especially complicated, but... What's a fellow to do if he's spent all of it? There must be an office to acquire more, but I haven't heard anyone talk about it.

[fingersandteeth]

... I'm not actually sure if there is a welfare program here, [Steven says thoughtfully.] Mostly because this region--the world in general--is a bit government-light.

It's easier to find work here than it is at home, though, Do you have anything you're particularly good at?

[hythlodaeus]

Shouldn't all governing bodies be concerned with welfare? [Don't mind mister casual communist.]

Oh there's plenty I'm good at. Before I was here I was the Chief of the Bureau of the Architect. [Which is a bit of a baffling thing for some robed weirdo to say. "Hey I'm the CEO of making stuff. Where do you find money? I only found so much of it on the ground before I was chased away by a security guard."]

I spent a few thousand years as a researcher at the Akademia, too. Part time animals, part time plants, and then some aetherology for a while...

Network; video

[amaure]

[It's been...bittersweet having Hythlodaeus back. Truly emotional, to say the least of it, but he's had to make peace with it somehow. Obviously he's glad to see his friend again, how could he not be? But it has made a war go on inside of him about leaving this world. On one hand, he can then continue his work to bring all of Amaurot back, but on the other hand...well...

Regardless, those thoughts are far from his mind as he sees his friend on the network, instead his mind is filled with exasperation for what he could be up to. He's got a feeling, but also...]

...And what, pray tell, is this "research" of yours entailing that you would require venom or secretions?

[hythlodaeus]

Research on venom and secretions, of course! [His grin only grows wider.]

Ha--yyyy, Solus, do you have any new, little beasts? I heard some ghosts have saliva. I would love to look at that under a microscope. [Since he can't just use his eyes. Pity. He suppresses a giggle.]

[amaure]

[As Hythlodaeus nearly says his true name, he narrows his eyes at him. Don't u dare!!! But he calls him by the right name, and that stare softens a bit.]

Nay, I have none that produce saliva...as far as I am aware.

[hm]

Well, perhaps I can bring them by and allow you to sample them. It is not as though I make a habit of examining their mouths.

[Hythlodaeus, you're so odd, but whatever. He missed this.]

Are you far from Goldenrod?

[hythlodaeus]

[And he only grins wider.]

Not far at all. You might even say that I am in Goldenrod! ...You must have a new receptionist, she wouldn't let me in, so I had to go find an alternative.

[There's the sound of grade school children in the background. Is Hythlodaeus at a middle school?]

[amaure]

[He gets exactly one slow blink from that.]

...Meet me at my apartment.

[He cuts the feed, but he will indeed be at his apartment, fortunately this is his lunch break so be quick!

...Also, please leave those children ALONE.]

[hythlodaeus]

[He's not doing anything to the children!!! He had more to say before Hades cut the feed. He frowns and calls him back.]

Shall I bring anything?

[He will not ever be quick. He's still on Amaurotine time, baby. But he begins to walk towards the apartment at a leisurely pace. Thank goodness his strides are so long.]

[amaure]

[Is that, did he—?]

Wha—oh. Well, it is my lunch break, so if you have not had your own today, perhaps bring some food with you.

[god, Hythlodaeus why are you like this.]

Now then, I am going to hang up, do not call me back.

[He narrows his eyes at him, then cuts the feed. He swears to Zodiark, if he hears his 'gear again...]

Goldenrod

[stardiving]

[Estinien really hadn't intended for Goldenrod to become his 'home base', of sorts. It's not as big as Ishgard, but any number of people over perhaps 2 makes him itchy. But if he doesn't check in every so often, Solus tends to just completely inundate him with messages and he can't just chuck his Gear in the lake, unfortunately.

He's tried. It's waterproof.

Coming out of the Department Store, he's walking by when the man wakes and just. Looms over him. He's not used to that, he's 6'8" himself, it takes a lot to loom over him.

After a moment, he just shuffles through his bag and wordlessly hands over a water bottle and an apple.]

[hythlodaeus]

[And yet Hythlodaeus hasn't met this facet of Solus' life yet.]

Ah, my thanks.

[He takes a bite out of the apple that is so big that he definitely gets some core, but doesn't seem to notice or care. Crumch. They almost look like they could be related, he locks his gaze with Estinien's, feeling endlessly curious.]

What would your name be, kind stranger? [He rights his posture. A foot shorter isn't so bad. It's actually quite remarkable to him. Look at these tall white haired guys standing together. They garner stares.]

[stardiving]

[Well, he does tend to wander off into the woods and wilds for extended periods of time. It's what he's supposed to be doing, and also he prefers it to the city, so win all around.

Oops, he wasn't quick enough to walk away before becoming ensnared in the nets of societal convention. Shoot.]

Estinien.

[While he hadn't just walked away, ignoring the invitation to conversation, he's...also not giving more than that. Well, he gets half points for effort.]

[hythlodaeus]

Estinien. What a nice name. I’m Hythlodaeus... you really don’t see too many others our height around here, do you?

[ It’s ok, Estinien. He can prattle for them both.]

I suppose I forgot to ask my friend for a little money for the day... Can I really be blamed, though? Currency is such a poor system. [They absolutely did not want to hear this at the shops. Everyone was in such a rush around here. ]

Oh! Say, do you know your way around the city? My friend works at this one building around here...

[stardiving]

[Oh by the Fury, there's two of them.]

If you're unused to it, certainly.

[Once he got the conversion rate down it was fine, but he comes from a society with money and not a utopia where you can make things by thinking about it.]

Passably well. Which is it?

[hythlodaeus]

It is quite the remarkable landmark at least: The Radio Tower.

[Tropius could totally lead him but Hythlodaeus was here to talk to people and make friends, dammit.]

My friend’s name is Solus. [ He commended himself for saying the right name aloud. ]

[stardiving]

[He nods.]

I know it.

[And...there's the reason why. Estinien just...peers up at him, as if amazed that Solus has anyone that would genuinely call him a friend. Also does this mean he's off the hook for providing 100% of Solus's vaguely positive social interaction? If so, great.]

And I know him.

[Wow, Solus hasn't mentioned him at all, rude.]

[sinkorsink]

[ Aha! Someone else interested in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding in this wild, wild world. Urianger doesn't have the types of pokemon he's looking for, and given his Unown's lack of anything resembling a mouth, he doubts he can provide the stranger with anything of use.

Even so, he would like to converse with the man, maybe pick his brain about anything he's come to uncover while here. ]

Alas, mine own pokemon art possessed of neither the type nor physiology to aid in thy endeavor. However, shouldst thou be amenable, I would be most intrigued to learn what thy studies hast so far revealed.

[hythlodaeus]

[He is absolutely thrilled and it shows on his face in an unabashed grin. ]

Ah! A fellow scholar in my midst. How wonderful! [And he talks a little funny, so that’s cute and engaging.]

I would be happy to share my notes with you. My current studies only cover the fruit-bearing sauropod Tropius and the walking agrióchorto Oddish. Both are lung bearing photo-synthesizers! Tropius produces a potent and versatile sugar that I have designs for... yet no space nor reliable instruments as of yet.