RP logs: vermiliondesert
Set was glad, one might even go so far as to say he was grateful, for being returned to his former state, don't get him wrong. But the world had changed. People didn't exactly tremble at his approach. There were few, if any, who called on his name for strength, for his patronage in battle. Indeed, it seemed much of what had been his country had been taken over by another god entirely. That rankled. It wasn't even Horus which. Well, that would annoy him as well, but at least it was to be understood. Expected.
But no, Horus hadn't-...
Well, he didn't seem to have been restored to quite the same effect as Set himself had been. There was certainly something about the other god that was off. Something missing. Of course, surely Set should take advantage of the situation but, really?
What was the point? There was no longer any throne of Egypt for him to claim from Horus.
And as far as he could see, he and the falcon-god were the only two of the old gods so restored. Nothing to fight over.
Besides, there was no satisfaction for him in the fighting when Horus didn't retaliate properly. Hardly even reacted. Disgusting.
Truly, the current way of things could stand as they were. Set would just have to figure out what had happened to make Horus this way and...fix him.
Talk about a disgusting turn of events.
At least the one whom he was going to see was more tolerable.
He found her walking near the water. It was quite possible she might not recognize him at first as he fell into step near her. He had chosen to take the form of one of his previous mortal incarnations. It seemed to fit better with this time in the world than the form he had favored in the more ancient days. Still, there was little doubt about who he was when he did speak.
//You seem...distracted.//
Oh Hathor did recognize him fine. She knew his presence well enough, even if her eyes did not recognize the form.
//Set. I am.// She walked a while more, then spoke again. //It is not as if such things have happened before. Even where one may see the patterns, they do not always tell all.// Too much had happened in still too short a time, compared to the centuries which had rolled over them, unchanging.
Looking sideways at him, she asked quietly, //are you pleased with how you are?//
Set shrugged slightly, //Of course I am.// It was sort of a given, even if he now wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself yet. He was working on that part.
//Are you? With yourself?// To be honest, he wasn't overly interested in her opinion here but he was aware that if one was going to ask someone for any sort of favor it helped to be marginally interested in them first. Or at least appear to be. If nothing else, he was curious why she hadn't gotten Horus to do the same to her as Horus had done for him.
//I reached where I was until Heru came by doing what I pleased to do. Therefore, yes.// Or she had used to be. Before being so worried. Before knowing things could be different, and how they could go sour, and had. She shook her head. This wasn't taking her anywhere, it hadn't for many days.
And she wouldn't be surprised that he wasn't interested. Not terribly.
//You are still ... spending time here?//
He cocked his head slightly at the question. It didn't seem to make a lot of sense. //Why would I not be?//
Where else would he go? Despite how he always prided himself on being apart from the others -- and that was a lie, anyway, he was apart both because he claimed that was his wish and because he was made to be. Despite that, here was where the family he knew. And pretty much the only part of his family he ever stood for very long.
That and the thought hadn't yet occurred to him he could or should go anywhere else that he wished.
The question made her laugh quietly. It wasn't a merry laugh or anything, but it struck her as amusing, the immediacy of his answer. //I do not know. I do not known what one of us who is restored would or would not do.// Set was but the second one restored, and the first one...
That thought cleared the mirth from her face, from her eyes again.
//Why we should be any different from what we once were, I do not know.// he commented, sourly. Stupid Heru.
//Why he is, I also do not know.// There's only one he possible Set could be referring to. And yes, this comment was said just as sourly as his previous one.
//We were trying to find out what exactly went wrong with the spell... why he ended up// she looked at him, //why he is in two. A part of him is still in his old body.//
Her face turned ahead again. //We may not be different, but the mortals are. The world has changed. It makes a difference.//
Set sighed and looked out toward the water. //So you don't know how to...merge them?// At least that explained the problem.
He wondered, idly, if he killed Akana, would the rest of Heru go to where it was supposed to be. It might be worth the experiment.
//I may have the knowledge. I think we all do... in a way. We do not necessarily have the capability. As we are. It is a strong pull, and the part in him who we see and talk with gets sucked into the body which is asleep.// She didn't know what would happen if it got sucked in that way. And then the body died.
She shuddered.
And now he was looking at her sidelong, shrewdly. //It seems someone has the capability.// Someone being him. Of course, he didn't offer to do so right out, being curious to see how she would react. If he could get anything out of this.
//It would seem so.// Hathor walked in silence for a bit. //To put together and bind, or pull asunder and hurt for good. Both.// She looked at him, put a strand of windblown hair behind her ear. //We thought we have enough energy if we could channel it, to put the separation aside. Inpu and Ogma and I.// And now she knew even less if he would even go with them or show up. Nor did she know why the implied offer and what it meant.
She felt particularly stupid, at that time and place.
//If// he said, scornfully. Such shadows of themselves they were! And they, or at least she, though it wouldn't surprise him if the same were with Anubis, chose to remain this way, it seemed. He couldn't imagine what motivated them to do so.
//Well,// he went on //if you think it, there is only one way to know for certain.// By going and doing. Despite what Horus thought he wanted.
Not that Heru's wishes had ever really been much to motivate Seteh.
//And what if doing fails him as it failed him the first time? What if he shatters more? What if her body dies and pulls him into the next world? We do not know. He doesn't care. And you know not either.// She took a deep breath, and turned to him for a moment. //And it may work. If he would go. He can sense it, you know. Her body. His presence in her. When she is close. I could sense it too, but he took ill with it. Not-alive for days.// Slowly, she added, //I suppose it matters most what you are aiming at. Since... the only one who can change that may or may not want to.//
And she wouldn't be surprised that he couldn't imagine why they wouldn't want. On the other hand... If Heru still wished it, after he was made whole, she would. The work she had started... she would find ways to finish. To continue.
Set made an impatient sound, hissing out between his teeth, //And what if doing so kills the sun and breaks the moon and we are left in darkness? We could ask "what if" eternally and Heru will still stand there not-right. //
He had something of a point. There was a time for caution and a time for action. Set's downfall was that he tended far more toward action than caution. He needed an opposing force, something for balance.
And Hathor was a part of the force that was meant to balance him. True, not the integral part, but bound to it nonetheless.
Yet at that last sentence, she looked away. //I do not know, Set. But while he believes himself content and doesn't want to change, a part of him is also trapped and lost... I do not want him all trapped and lost. Nor unwell as he is now. We meant to take him there, and jointly try to lure the part that is trapped from the sleeping body and to join the rest of him. This, and some understanding of the spell which caused it, is all that I can give.//
Set looked at her a long moment before answering. //Then that is what I will take.//
How silly that a broken mortal body could still hold any part of Heru prisoner when most of him was free. But not for much longer. Not much longer at all.
She held his eyes for as long as she could, and when she averted her gaze, it was that of a mortal meeting a god's eyes - not of somebody concealing anything. Then she nodded. //You are determined. Then... here is what I know.//
It possibly wasn't much. But even a god... and even a god of chaos, had better have all the information he can have. Just in case. She outlined the structure of the spell and the two or three points where they had thought it went wrong. The points that required the most power. With the highest probability on the part closest to the end. She knew Set had probably heard the spell. Once. Information about analysis was different. //And that is... it. If you should have more questions, ask Anpu. Or Ogma.// For some reason, she wasn't sure he would.
A small pause, then she looked at him again. //He may not be overeager to agree.// Understatement. She's probably spent too much time in Peter's company recently.
Set grinned at her, crookedly. //He doesn't have to.// Besides, he was already aware Horus was unlikely to agree, due to the other's stubborn insistence there was nothing wrong with him.
He followed that up with a slight bow that any other time, coming from him, would have been mocking, "thank you for your time, Lady. I shall go and prepare."
Her lips curled up slightly and she bowed her head in acceptance to that. "You are welcome, my Lord. Be... careful." With Heru. With the world. The usual.
But no, Horus hadn't-...
Well, he didn't seem to have been restored to quite the same effect as Set himself had been. There was certainly something about the other god that was off. Something missing. Of course, surely Set should take advantage of the situation but, really?
What was the point? There was no longer any throne of Egypt for him to claim from Horus.
And as far as he could see, he and the falcon-god were the only two of the old gods so restored. Nothing to fight over.
Besides, there was no satisfaction for him in the fighting when Horus didn't retaliate properly. Hardly even reacted. Disgusting.
Truly, the current way of things could stand as they were. Set would just have to figure out what had happened to make Horus this way and...fix him.
Talk about a disgusting turn of events.
At least the one whom he was going to see was more tolerable.
He found her walking near the water. It was quite possible she might not recognize him at first as he fell into step near her. He had chosen to take the form of one of his previous mortal incarnations. It seemed to fit better with this time in the world than the form he had favored in the more ancient days. Still, there was little doubt about who he was when he did speak.
//You seem...distracted.//
Oh Hathor did recognize him fine. She knew his presence well enough, even if her eyes did not recognize the form.
//Set. I am.// She walked a while more, then spoke again. //It is not as if such things have happened before. Even where one may see the patterns, they do not always tell all.// Too much had happened in still too short a time, compared to the centuries which had rolled over them, unchanging.
Looking sideways at him, she asked quietly, //are you pleased with how you are?//
Set shrugged slightly, //Of course I am.// It was sort of a given, even if he now wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself yet. He was working on that part.
//Are you? With yourself?// To be honest, he wasn't overly interested in her opinion here but he was aware that if one was going to ask someone for any sort of favor it helped to be marginally interested in them first. Or at least appear to be. If nothing else, he was curious why she hadn't gotten Horus to do the same to her as Horus had done for him.
//I reached where I was until Heru came by doing what I pleased to do. Therefore, yes.// Or she had used to be. Before being so worried. Before knowing things could be different, and how they could go sour, and had. She shook her head. This wasn't taking her anywhere, it hadn't for many days.
And she wouldn't be surprised that he wasn't interested. Not terribly.
//You are still ... spending time here?//
He cocked his head slightly at the question. It didn't seem to make a lot of sense. //Why would I not be?//
Where else would he go? Despite how he always prided himself on being apart from the others -- and that was a lie, anyway, he was apart both because he claimed that was his wish and because he was made to be. Despite that, here was where the family he knew. And pretty much the only part of his family he ever stood for very long.
That and the thought hadn't yet occurred to him he could or should go anywhere else that he wished.
The question made her laugh quietly. It wasn't a merry laugh or anything, but it struck her as amusing, the immediacy of his answer. //I do not know. I do not known what one of us who is restored would or would not do.// Set was but the second one restored, and the first one...
That thought cleared the mirth from her face, from her eyes again.
//Why we should be any different from what we once were, I do not know.// he commented, sourly. Stupid Heru.
//Why he is, I also do not know.// There's only one he possible Set could be referring to. And yes, this comment was said just as sourly as his previous one.
//We were trying to find out what exactly went wrong with the spell... why he ended up// she looked at him, //why he is in two. A part of him is still in his old body.//
Her face turned ahead again. //We may not be different, but the mortals are. The world has changed. It makes a difference.//
Set sighed and looked out toward the water. //So you don't know how to...merge them?// At least that explained the problem.
He wondered, idly, if he killed Akana, would the rest of Heru go to where it was supposed to be. It might be worth the experiment.
//I may have the knowledge. I think we all do... in a way. We do not necessarily have the capability. As we are. It is a strong pull, and the part in him who we see and talk with gets sucked into the body which is asleep.// She didn't know what would happen if it got sucked in that way. And then the body died.
She shuddered.
And now he was looking at her sidelong, shrewdly. //It seems someone has the capability.// Someone being him. Of course, he didn't offer to do so right out, being curious to see how she would react. If he could get anything out of this.
//It would seem so.// Hathor walked in silence for a bit. //To put together and bind, or pull asunder and hurt for good. Both.// She looked at him, put a strand of windblown hair behind her ear. //We thought we have enough energy if we could channel it, to put the separation aside. Inpu and Ogma and I.// And now she knew even less if he would even go with them or show up. Nor did she know why the implied offer and what it meant.
She felt particularly stupid, at that time and place.
//If// he said, scornfully. Such shadows of themselves they were! And they, or at least she, though it wouldn't surprise him if the same were with Anubis, chose to remain this way, it seemed. He couldn't imagine what motivated them to do so.
//Well,// he went on //if you think it, there is only one way to know for certain.// By going and doing. Despite what Horus thought he wanted.
Not that Heru's wishes had ever really been much to motivate Seteh.
//And what if doing fails him as it failed him the first time? What if he shatters more? What if her body dies and pulls him into the next world? We do not know. He doesn't care. And you know not either.// She took a deep breath, and turned to him for a moment. //And it may work. If he would go. He can sense it, you know. Her body. His presence in her. When she is close. I could sense it too, but he took ill with it. Not-alive for days.// Slowly, she added, //I suppose it matters most what you are aiming at. Since... the only one who can change that may or may not want to.//
And she wouldn't be surprised that he couldn't imagine why they wouldn't want. On the other hand... If Heru still wished it, after he was made whole, she would. The work she had started... she would find ways to finish. To continue.
Set made an impatient sound, hissing out between his teeth, //And what if doing so kills the sun and breaks the moon and we are left in darkness? We could ask "what if" eternally and Heru will still stand there not-right. //
He had something of a point. There was a time for caution and a time for action. Set's downfall was that he tended far more toward action than caution. He needed an opposing force, something for balance.
And Hathor was a part of the force that was meant to balance him. True, not the integral part, but bound to it nonetheless.
Yet at that last sentence, she looked away. //I do not know, Set. But while he believes himself content and doesn't want to change, a part of him is also trapped and lost... I do not want him all trapped and lost. Nor unwell as he is now. We meant to take him there, and jointly try to lure the part that is trapped from the sleeping body and to join the rest of him. This, and some understanding of the spell which caused it, is all that I can give.//
Set looked at her a long moment before answering. //Then that is what I will take.//
How silly that a broken mortal body could still hold any part of Heru prisoner when most of him was free. But not for much longer. Not much longer at all.
She held his eyes for as long as she could, and when she averted her gaze, it was that of a mortal meeting a god's eyes - not of somebody concealing anything. Then she nodded. //You are determined. Then... here is what I know.//
It possibly wasn't much. But even a god... and even a god of chaos, had better have all the information he can have. Just in case. She outlined the structure of the spell and the two or three points where they had thought it went wrong. The points that required the most power. With the highest probability on the part closest to the end. She knew Set had probably heard the spell. Once. Information about analysis was different. //And that is... it. If you should have more questions, ask Anpu. Or Ogma.// For some reason, she wasn't sure he would.
A small pause, then she looked at him again. //He may not be overeager to agree.// Understatement. She's probably spent too much time in Peter's company recently.
Set grinned at her, crookedly. //He doesn't have to.// Besides, he was already aware Horus was unlikely to agree, due to the other's stubborn insistence there was nothing wrong with him.
He followed that up with a slight bow that any other time, coming from him, would have been mocking, "thank you for your time, Lady. I shall go and prepare."
Her lips curled up slightly and she bowed her head in acceptance to that. "You are welcome, my Lord. Be... careful." With Heru. With the world. The usual.