[ That execution sure was something! Hickey thought surely he was done being introduced to new concepts after that first week, but then he saw a guy turn into a dragon on a magical mirror television. This place is buckwild.
He's on his way back to his suite when he spots Hwylryn in the garden. After all that, he's not going to pass up the chance for a conversation. ]
Hello.
[ :) ]
How did you wind up playing the role of executioner? Did you volunteer?
( Hwylryn had been layingon his back in the flowerbeds, his long, white hair sprawled out in the dirt behind him. He's usually for the pool, but at present he seems to be taking in the sun - or sinking into the dirt - half-covered by leaves and blooming flowers, his eyes half-closed in the sun, but his breath too quick to suggest he's asleep, or really even resting.
As Hickey approaches, he opens his eyes a little languidly - before the question makes his brows furrow.
A beat, before he begins to shift, pressing his palms to the dirt, and pushing himself up. He musters a smile, of sorts. )
... Why? Are you hoping to become Ish's favorite by volunteering as his executioner?
( Not that he blames Hickey for wanting to maintain a good relationship with someone who has, allegedly, taken him away from a very bad situation. )
... He appeared before me a little before the execution and told me I'd be doing it. Then he whisked me away to that grassy realm you saw. I guess it was just assigned. I don't know on what basis, but...
( A beat, as he swallows, and tries - with some struggle - to not let the sudden warmth in his throat be heard. )
( Does the Hwy of week 1 want to be Ish's favorite...... he seems to feel a little complicated about that, brows furrowing.
A few moments pass in silence. He closes his eyes, because he doesn't trust his face. )
... She reminded me a lot of my twin and my dearest friend. ( Don't ask him why those share similar traits. ) She was even a dragon, and she talked to me in a way I really got - a way that was familiar, and reminded me of...
( ... Things he'd lost.
He exhales, gently pushing himself up. His eyes are pretty watery. Ugh... he hates not having control of his feelings - he's usually better about picking and choosing what he shows. He's usually better about what he chooses to share. )
... I don't know. I've been alive for a long time, and I've gotten used to it, but... sometimes losing people doesn't get any easier.
[ He hums in understanding. He hasn't been around nearly as long as Hwylryn, but he has suffered a great many losses in the past three years. They've all felt similar, it's true. ]
Was it satisfying, then? To execute the man responsible for murdering someone you were so fond of?
( That earns a pause as he seems to - smile, a little conflicted. )
... In the moment.
( He'll confess that much. It's not something he's said to many, out of consideration for most humans' sensibility. )
It always feels at least a little good in the moment. But... it doesn't stay that way. Sometimes it only feels good for that single moment, and not a moment more.
( He brushes some dirt from his hair... )
... It's frustrating. I wish... it did.
( Or maybe he just wishes none of this loss had to happen in the first place. )
Mm. Well, of course revenge can't undo what's already been done.
[ That much he understands. An eye for an eye is satisfying, but it doesn't undercut the rage of having been wronged in the first place. That never dies out, he doesn't think. ]
Do you wish that Ish hadn't chosen you? Perhaps that single moment was worth the trouble.
( Hwylryn sometimes brings a pretty illustrious array of offerings when he visits someone, but he wasn't particularly close to Hickey to pick out the sort of spread he might usually bring.
Still - he's not the sort to be rude to he soon-to-be-dead, so he's brought along some alcohol and glass cups (if he's ever seen Hickey drink, like at the pool party, then he probably still remembers what Hickey picked out, and brought that). He has a little sash tote, which clinks as he walks, announcing his arrival. )
[ Hwy might've seen Hickey partaking in whiskey once or twice, so whiskey it is! When he enters the promenade, Hickey is lying on the floor in the center of the hall, staring up at the ceiling, cigarette in his mouth.
He smirks when he sees the glasses. Aw, how kind. ]
Will you be cross with me if I say I did?
[ He sits up, taking a drag of his cigarette. ]
Don't mistake: I took no joy in killing Andrew... but the carnival, hah. What a show.
( He takes a seat across him - not so much closer, because he doesn't like the smoke. He considers taking it and putting it out.
First, though, he'll pour him a glass and set it out for him - then set out the whiskey and his own glass, which he'll fill just a little. )
We had a lot of trouble with it. I've seen simpler killers be upset their work wasn't understood. ( It's fortunate that Hwylryn is only mixed on Andrew's death - else he'd have a very different attitude. ) Was it funny, then?
Edited (i'm only a little illiterate) 2025-03-30 04:15 (UTC)
[ Another smirk. He lifts up the glass in cheers and takes a sip. Truthfully, he's not interested in dulling himself too much, but the luxury of it is appreciated. ]
The point was that you wouldn't understand it. We got nowhere last week with Shiv's murder.
[ He was banking on the same. ]
But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't irritated that I was caught on such limp evidence. You may have caught your killer, but you didn't earn it. None of you.
[ As for the question... His head tips from side to side. ]
It was a little funny, watching all those wheels spinning and getting nowhere for hours. Everyone is so quick to trust.
[ Every false theory, every red herring... No one questioned him on any of it. ]
( Cheers! Hwylryn doesn't intend to drink as much either, so he's in all right company. )
It was the desperate grasp of someone drowning. I think if we'd have had ten, twenty minutes longer... If Ish hadn't spoiled it for you - I'm sure it would have been discarded as a little too weak.
( Because it was. That it happened to be right felt more like a coin flip, for Hwylryn. )
Ish did spoil it for me. He's made an enemy he can't yet comprehend the likes of.
[ There's real agitation in his voice. He'd been so close, but Ish cheated. He changed the rules, and that's the only reason Hickey is locked up in here, waiting for his execution.
But he chuckles at the question. ]
You know, I hadn't quite made up my mind yet. To get out of the jam I was in back home, sure, but I would hate to waste a wish on something so simple as survival... No, not after what I've seen here. You've opened my imagination.
[ He gives Hwy a nod. He's speaking generally, but also of Hwy specifically. A dragon. Now that's something he never thought he'd see. ]
He does seem pleased at the - can one call it praise? Pleased to be inspiration, let's say. He is impressive, and for all he twirls about, he's quite prideful in the thing he is. )
Is this a plan so secret you can't have conspirators?
( He does presume that whatever Hickey intends to gamble on, it's with the intent of saving his own life in the process - he had wondered whether how at ease he seemed was simply his demeanor, or for some other reason. )
( Hwylryn pauses at that - something about his gesture and expression for a moment less a man and more a creature wearing its shape; an animal that has seen something unfamiliar, and in that moment it is cautious. )
( However, he seems to settle into the final sentiment. Hwylryn is protective of his people - and he is not necessarily happy to know that Hickey's health might affect Junior in some way he doesn't know of.
He would have fought harder for Hickey if he'd known. )
... I will. I'll see that he's happy, no matter what.
( He studies Hickey for a moment. )
... Does your plan involve Ish's death, somehow? Or a dealing?
( Something about Hwylryn seems to relax, though it's hard to put a finger on how or why, or whence the sense that he wasn't relaxed came from - like only recognizing a rattlesnake had been coiled only after it'd begun to slither away. )
Then, let's say we're drinking to your ambiguous devices, and I'll be patient 'til the curtain rises. I'll look forward to it.
( Hwylryn does like being surprised, so he's happy to see whatever Hickey and his imagination will wow them all with.
(The truth is, he will enjoy the utter insanity of Hickey's display - he'll just be disappointed it didn't manufacture a particularly theatrical outcome, but that disappointment will be tempered by his eventual poor attitude toward Hickey. Imagine getting a Sims (--) not actually for the deranged thing you did but for something totally minor and random in comparison,)
He swirls his glass, taking a little sippy. )
Did you want to try a little more luck to your hand? I don't know if it'll work, but . . .
( It's been something he's been curious about, since the thought happened upon him. )
[ Oh, Hwylryn. There's another version of this story where he and Hickey are able to see eye to eye on the matter of Junior—and their unique brands of insanity.
But this is not that version. Hickey grins, curious. ]
I'll take whatever luck I can get. What did you have in mind?
( He smiles in a particular way. It's a little sharper than his usual, but not unfriendly. )
Do you have tales about sea creatures, where you're from? Mermaids, dragons, selkies . . . things about how taking in their flesh grants immortal life?
( thinks about what he's wearing. probably a loose night robe over a long slip, as usual.
He brings his palm up to his neck and drags the robe further open, better exposing the flesh. There are safer places to present, but Hwylryn isn't exactly a coward. )
Did you want to try it?
( "Try," he says, as if he were offering him some unusual delicacy - not that he isn't, he supposes. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
spotsalone) wrote2025-03-16 08:54 pm
w1; post-exe sunday; garden
He's on his way back to his suite when he spots Hwylryn in the garden. After all that, he's not going to pass up the chance for a conversation. ]
Hello.
[ :) ]
How did you wind up playing the role of executioner? Did you volunteer?
no subject
As Hickey approaches, he opens his eyes a little languidly - before the question makes his brows furrow.
A beat, before he begins to shift, pressing his palms to the dirt, and pushing himself up. He musters a smile, of sorts. )
... Why? Are you hoping to become Ish's favorite by volunteering as his executioner?
( Not that he blames Hickey for wanting to maintain a good relationship with someone who has, allegedly, taken him away from a very bad situation. )
no subject
Would that work, do you think?
[ It's mostly a joke. ]
I'm merely curious. Getting a sense of how this place works seems wise if we're meant to repeat this process.
no subject
He makes a sort of "mmm" sound. )
... He appeared before me a little before the execution and told me I'd be doing it. Then he whisked me away to that grassy realm you saw. I guess it was just assigned. I don't know on what basis, but...
( A beat, as he swallows, and tries - with some struggle - to not let the sudden warmth in his throat be heard. )
... Maybe because I knew Tiamat.
no subject
Hm. Seems you've already claimed the title of our host's favorite, then.
[ Also a joke? Maybe? Hickey notes the pause. ]
Were the two of you close? As close as you can get to another person in a week, anyway.
no subject
A few moments pass in silence. He closes his eyes, because he doesn't trust his face. )
... She reminded me a lot of my twin and my dearest friend. ( Don't ask him why those share similar traits. ) She was even a dragon, and she talked to me in a way I really got - a way that was familiar, and reminded me of...
( ... Things he'd lost.
He exhales, gently pushing himself up. His eyes are pretty watery. Ugh... he hates not having control of his feelings - he's usually better about picking and choosing what he shows. He's usually better about what he chooses to share. )
... I don't know. I've been alive for a long time, and I've gotten used to it, but... sometimes losing people doesn't get any easier.
no subject
Was it satisfying, then? To execute the man responsible for murdering someone you were so fond of?
[ He mouth twitches into a slight smirk. ]
You did appear to enjoy yourself back there.
no subject
... In the moment.
( He'll confess that much. It's not something he's said to many, out of consideration for most humans' sensibility. )
It always feels at least a little good in the moment. But... it doesn't stay that way. Sometimes it only feels good for that single moment, and not a moment more.
( He brushes some dirt from his hair... )
... It's frustrating. I wish... it did.
( Or maybe he just wishes none of this loss had to happen in the first place. )
no subject
[ That much he understands. An eye for an eye is satisfying, but it doesn't undercut the rage of having been wronged in the first place. That never dies out, he doesn't think. ]
Do you wish that Ish hadn't chosen you? Perhaps that single moment was worth the trouble.
no subject
... I don't know.
( Not a satisfying answer, but a genuine one. )
... I've never been good at mulling over the past. I think, and I think, but I can never find an answer on how I feel. Do you ever have better luck?
week three, post trial
Still - he's not the sort to be rude to he soon-to-be-dead, so he's brought along some alcohol and glass cups (if he's ever seen Hickey drink, like at the pool party, then he probably still remembers what Hickey picked out, and brought that). He has a little sash tote, which clinks as he walks, announcing his arrival. )
Did you have fun?
no subject
He smirks when he sees the glasses. Aw, how kind. ]
Will you be cross with me if I say I did?
[ He sits up, taking a drag of his cigarette. ]
Don't mistake: I took no joy in killing Andrew... but the carnival, hah. What a show.
no subject
First, though, he'll pour him a glass and set it out for him - then set out the whiskey and his own glass, which he'll fill just a little. )
We had a lot of trouble with it. I've seen simpler killers be upset their work wasn't understood. ( It's fortunate that Hwylryn is only mixed on Andrew's death - else he'd have a very different attitude. ) Was it funny, then?
no subject
The point was that you wouldn't understand it. We got nowhere last week with Shiv's murder.
[ He was banking on the same. ]
But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't irritated that I was caught on such limp evidence. You may have caught your killer, but you didn't earn it. None of you.
[ As for the question... His head tips from side to side. ]
It was a little funny, watching all those wheels spinning and getting nowhere for hours. Everyone is so quick to trust.
[ Every false theory, every red herring... No one questioned him on any of it. ]
no subject
It was the desperate grasp of someone drowning. I think if we'd have had ten, twenty minutes longer... If Ish hadn't spoiled it for you - I'm sure it would have been discarded as a little too weak.
( Because it was. That it happened to be right felt more like a coin flip, for Hwylryn. )
What would you have wished for?
no subject
Ish did spoil it for me. He's made an enemy he can't yet comprehend the likes of.
[ There's real agitation in his voice. He'd been so close, but Ish cheated. He changed the rules, and that's the only reason Hickey is locked up in here, waiting for his execution.
But he chuckles at the question. ]
You know, I hadn't quite made up my mind yet. To get out of the jam I was in back home, sure, but I would hate to waste a wish on something so simple as survival... No, not after what I've seen here. You've opened my imagination.
[ He gives Hwy a nod. He's speaking generally, but also of Hwy specifically. A dragon. Now that's something he never thought he'd see. ]
no subject
He does seem pleased at the - can one call it praise? Pleased to be inspiration, let's say. He is impressive, and for all he twirls about, he's quite prideful in the thing he is. )
Do you have plans for Ish?
no subject
[ Sort of, anyway. He pauses for a drink. ]
It may even benefit the rest of you. Despite what the others may think, I'm not an animal. I'll let you out of his game, if I can.
[ If he can without risking his own skin, that is. ]
no subject
( In fact, he'd think few people wouldn't be. )
Is this a plan so secret you can't have conspirators?
( He does presume that whatever Hickey intends to gamble on, it's with the intent of saving his own life in the process - he had wondered whether how at ease he seemed was simply his demeanor, or for some other reason. )
no subject
There's nothing you can help with, not now. Perhaps after I escape the execution, though. Be ready, then. In case.
[ He swirls his drink in his glass, mulling something over. ]
You're close with Junior, aren't you?
no subject
( He leans back on a palm. )
Does he factor in?
no subject
Look after him, should things go poorly tomorrow.
/2
no subject
He would have fought harder for Hickey if he'd known. )
... I will. I'll see that he's happy, no matter what.
( He studies Hickey for a moment. )
... Does your plan involve Ish's death, somehow? Or a dealing?
no subject
No. Siffrin already proved that trying to kill Ish is a bootless plan. Beyond that... suffice to say I have things in hand.
[ In other words, his plan involves a lot of improv, but like hell he's going to admit that. Instead: ]
It's unwise to be so forthcoming when we don't know who may be listening.
no subject
Then, let's say we're drinking to your ambiguous devices, and I'll be patient 'til the curtain rises. I'll look forward to it.
( Hwylryn does like being surprised, so he's happy to see whatever Hickey and his imagination will wow them all with.
(The truth is, he will enjoy the utter insanity of Hickey's display - he'll just be disappointed it didn't manufacture a particularly theatrical outcome, but that disappointment will be tempered by his eventual poor attitude toward Hickey. Imagine getting a Sims (--) not actually for the deranged thing you did but for something totally minor and random in comparison,)
He swirls his glass, taking a little sippy. )
Did you want to try a little more luck to your hand? I don't know if it'll work, but . . .
( It's been something he's been curious about, since the thought happened upon him. )
no subject
But this is not that version. Hickey grins, curious. ]
I'll take whatever luck I can get. What did you have in mind?
no subject
Do you have tales about sea creatures, where you're from? Mermaids, dragons, selkies . . . things about how taking in their flesh grants immortal life?
no subject
Some, yes, though I'm not very familiar myself. What are you suggesting, exactly?
no subject
He brings his palm up to his neck and drags the robe further open, better exposing the flesh. There are safer places to present, but Hwylryn isn't exactly a coward. )
Did you want to try it?
( "Try," he says, as if he were offering him some unusual delicacy - not that he isn't, he supposes. )