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[angel_of_death]

[Walter has come to expect Horus' now-routine visits. Usually in the morning, usually just as he's about to go to sleep, it isn't uncommon for the god to show up at his window. Why the window and not the door when Walter is the only one in the household with a nocturnal schedule, he has never bothered to ask. Perhaps it is because it is more direct. Perhaps because, early on at least, Chang Geng might have been a benevolent soul to Walter and turned Horus away so that the younger housemate could sleep undisturbed. Yet, such a thing has never even had a change of coming to pass, for Horus uses the window.

At first annoying, the routine has since grown on him. By now, it's even a little charming.

However, Walter has plans for things to go a little differently next time. The robes he discussed making with Chang Geng are now ready, tucked away as a surprise for the next time Horus visits... which, as it so turns out, happens to be today.

Hearing the other boy at his window, Walter rises from his bed, padding over just a touch more quickly than usual. Like normal, he is sleepy, stifling a yawn as he undoes the latch. Yet, small though it is, a smile rests upon his lips as he drops his hands to push open the window and invite his friend inside.]

Come in.

[hor]

[ Horus looks surprised when Walter is ready for him, and looking soft and friendly. There are a few brief seconds where he just stares, then holds up the gift that he brought for him. His face breaks into a smile and he holds up the gift he brought for Walter first. It's nothing near as thoughtful as what he's unaware Walter got him, but people kept speaking of the new year (despite that it's nowhere near time...) so Horus really just came over in an excitement to wish his friend a happy new year. ]

I'm told this is a magical drink used to reign the year in around this time.

[ He pushes it toward Walter so he can use his hands to climb up. 'u' ]

[angel_of_death]

[A gift isn't something Walter is expecting in turn. He's quite certain there aren't any Egyptian gods who would celebrate Christmas, and he's entirely unversed in whatever celebrations they might have held, save for what Horus wrote in the book at the party.

It would strike him as a little odd to give a gift in celebration of oneself.

Yet, here Horus is, a gift in hand, talking about the new year. Surely they didn't celebrate the new year at the same time; didn't the ancient world operate on a lunar calendar...?]

You brought me a gift...?

[Pleasantly confused, he accepts the present, taking it into his hands and stepping back to give Horus room to climb inside.]

[hor]

Is it not traditional to do so at this time? A gesture of good will for the new year. Even if they have the dates entirely wrong, it sounds like fun, doesn't it?

[ He grins and pulls himself up into the window, shaking a bit of snow out of his hair once he's upright. ]

[angel_of_death]

[Walter can't say he minds receiving something from Horus. It's nice to be thought of, even if the present is alcohol.

Perhaps they can drink it together. And he, slowly.

Taking two steps to draw back to the desk to set the bottle down, Walter returns to the window, leaning against the armoire standing tall next to the frame.

The colour of the snow does not stand out much in Horus' hair, but the way the light catches it is... nice.]

I have something for you, too.

[hor]

You do? 
[ Horus actually looks genuinely surprised. Horus talks of his origins enough that Walter would know this is not when he celebrates the coming of the new year, so even if Horus had brought a gift in case this was Walter's perceived date, he hadn't expected anything in return. ]

Now I'm intrigued.

[angel_of_death]

I do.

[That brief affirmation uttered, he moves to open the armoire.]

I've actually planned on giving you this for a few weeks now. It just took some time to put together, simple though it is.

[Finding a means to improve the water resistance had been the most time consuming--the garments he extracts made of pure, rich silk. Grasping hangers in his hand, he withdraws a pair of full, ankle-length robes, cradling the fabric as he spreads his arms to show them off in the light. They shimmer under the sun's rays; one purest white, and the other dyed a deep, royal blue.]

Text from Walter's number

[angel_of_death]

I haven't been at the house the last few days. I probably should have told you when I left. I only just thought about what might happen if you came over and it looked like I was ignoring you, so just so you know, I'm not ignoring you.

[hor]

You think so little of me! 🥺🥀

[ ...Says the guy standing outside his window with a pack of eggs. ]

[angel_of_death]

If I thought little of you, I wouldn't have contacted you until I came back. I'm not exactly having fun out here.

[hor]

You should have told me you left. Missions are more enjoyable with company. Whatever your mission now is. What are you up to? Or is it a surprise for me, so I can't know?

[angel_of_death]

The Fisher King's body was taken. I need to locate it. As much as I enjoy your company, it may take a while, and a battle isn't exactly guaranteed.

[It's tedious work, and he doesn't know what he is going to encounter.]

You are welcome to sleep in my bed if you want to. Just knock on the front door. I'll let the others know to let you in.

[hor]

I'm only good for battle is it? 😝⚔

It's no fun to sleep in your bed when you're not in it, I'll pass.

text; un: stargazer

[leicesters]

Hi Horus! It's Claude. Can I ask you for a favour?

[Set would probably warn Horus this is already a red flag when it comes to Claude, but oh well.]

text; un: 𓅃

[hor]

[ Set never warns Horus about anything, which is just as well because Horus never listens when he tells him what to/not to do. ]

😮❓❔

[ Eloquent. ]

[leicesters]

You have death magic, right? Are you any good with it?

[hor]

I have it.
I don't like using it. The dead should be left dead if you ask me.
But I can see them and know how to do wards so they can't come in my space, little things like that.
What's your favor?

[leicesters]

I'm not asking you to raise the dead or anything, don't worry. We've had enough of that around here lately. Though it is related to that.

I managed to track down the alleged culprit to what happened last month, a man named Ardyn. Or rather, the people who killed him got there first, and suggested he was the one behind it all, and that they were just tricked. I don't know for sure if that's true.

One of them claims to have Ardyn's body. He offered for me to bring a death mage over to verify he's really the one behind all this. If I brought you along, could you maybe communicate with the guy's spirit?

I know it's a lot to ask if you're not comfortable with it, and I don't like owing more favours to the gods. But it'd clear up a lot of uncertainty left around this whole mess.

[hor]

If 🧙‍♂️=🤥⚱➡🧟‍♂️💄🗺🏜🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️do you think he'll tell me the truth? I can't ⚖🆚 I'm not actually Anubis. I will 🗣@👻 but I have no way to ensure it isn't more lies.

[ Translaton: "If Man is deceptive enough to raise the dead man who made the Land of rot, do you think he'll tell me the truth? I can't weigh him against the feather of Ma'at, I'm not actually Anubis. I will speak with him but I have no way to ensure the truth."

If he did, his life would be so much easier. ]

Text from Walter's number

[angel_of_death]

((Continued from here.))

But why does he want you to do it, Horus? If he dislikes having the throne so much, he can abdicate, can he not? If he wants to die, that doesn't mean you have to kill him, throne or no throne.

Why did he even kill your father to begin with?

tl;dr time lol; also spoiler warning for the god of calamity wishes for naught

[hor]

Of course it's Walter outing me easily! 🧐🙃 Since it's you, I'll share the full story.

Set was the eldest brother and yet, Grandfather chose to pass the throne down to Osiris with the reasoning that Set was a god of war and now was a time for peace and growth. Father was a fertility god, and beloved whereas Set was violent and had a reputation for killing humans if they so much as annoyed him. Set was jealous and killed Osiris to take the throne from him, and my mother and aunt- Isis and Nephthys-- fled to avoid being taken as Set's consorts and protect Osiris's unborn child from being slaughtered by Set or his followers. The son, me, was raised by Isis and Nephthys in a far off oasis, accompanied by the original goddess of war, Neith, who would become his master. Since I could walk, I was trained to fight, hunt, and kill. I was trained in military strategy. I was trained to believe that Set had taken everything from me, had slain my father and as the god of chaos and destruction would bring about the ruin of Egypt if I did not avenge my father and take back the throne. It cannot be abdicated without Ra's blessing. I cannot claim the throne until I have proved I am able to force Set into submission.

That story falls apart easily.

Evidence 1: According to the stories, my father was a benevolent soul who loved even Set, who no one else could. I suspect that is by his design, but I'll get into that... Regardless, nothing about the tales of the kind, caring Osiris matches with a desire to turn his son into a bloodthirsty war machine bent on killing the brother he loved.

Evidence 2: Set intentionally declared that Nephthys remained untouched by him. While Aunt never understood it as anything but a slight, it maintained her reputation and freedom from her marriage to him.

Evidence 3: Father came up from the underworld to fuck her anyway and didn't even bother to spare a thought for the son he already had.

Evidence 4: When I was young, I ran off into the desert, following a white lie I had been told about where father was. I went to find him and got lost in a sandstorm. A mysterious stranger found me and held me close until I stopped crying, then took me home. The day I arrived in Heliopolis, I saw him again on Egypt's throne. If Set wanted me dead, all he had to do was let me die that day.

Evidence 5: Mother did tell me that Set told her to flee, and that she healed him before they left. My mother has always seemed hesitant to adhere to the narrative. When I asked her, she said I had to find the truth on my own. She also said that he was the one who told her my name.

Evidence 6: Set did not bring Egypt to ruin. After my father died, he learned to be a good ruler. Egypt thrived under him. He gained followers. He learned to cooperate with others and not to kill anyone who breathes wrong at him. All these things that I was told he was incapable of while my father was alive, he has learned.

Theory 1: Which comes back to my conclusion of intentionality: I believe my father wanted Set to believe he was the only one who could love him, so that my father would be the only one who could use him. He was a weak man incapable of defending the kingdom on his own. Enemies would've come for Egypt if it did not have the threat of a sword. Osiris could not learn to be stronger, but Set was already the strongest warrior among the gods. Set, on the other hand, proved himself capable of learning and growing beyond being just a weapon once he was freed from my father.

Theory 2: Set doesn't care about losing the throne, he just wants me to kill him. It's the only way I can become king, and I am the only one strong enough to do it. He is the strongest of the gods for a reason. And who wouldn't want to die if he felt responsible for killing the person he was convinced was the only one capable of loving him? My father did a disgustingly thorough job of convincing him of that one.

Theory 3: Set did really kill Osiris, that much I believe, but I don't believe for a second that it was for the throne. I have no idea what the real reason is though, and he won't tell.

Theory 4: It may take a couple of centuries, but I will find another way to prove to Ra that I am worthy over Set. I think it is possible, but I don't have any ideas how to overcome this obstacle short of convincing Set to become my consort. It's shameful to be considered submissive if you aren't a woman, so it's unlikely he'll agree and I think having choice in your own life is one of the most important things, even if we don't always realize it.

Theory 5: Killing him will only upset his followers anyway, and create a civil war in Egypt against my and my father's loyalists. A throne won in blood will only result in more blood. What is the point in ridding the throne of one alleged monster if the god to defeat him has simply become the same kind of monster to do so?

The life I've known has been warm. My mother and my aunt are the best people in the world, and Anubis would do anything for me. How am I supposed to feel as if I have had everything taken from me when everyone important to me has been saved or protected by Set and his actions, including myself? I would have grown up in a palace, yes, but it would've been under a manipulative man who never loved my mother the way Auntie does. Aunt Nephthys would've been forced to continue in a marriage that made her miserable. My brother would have never been born. Everything important to me is safe and alive because of Set.

I have no intention of killing Set, it is the entire world- him included- that has decided it is my destiny for me. I cannot answer your question, for if I could, I might know how to forge my own path forward.

[angel_of_death]

[It's a lot of information to go over. But, Walter goes over each and every word, giving each his undivided attention. It takes a while, but, eventually, he responds.]

I might have a means to help you. It's a touch underhanded, but it might get him to open up and talk to you.

[hor]

[ Horus doesn't expect a quick response. It took him a long while to get all that out, and he's sure that he forgot points to include or other details that have lead him down the path he's chosen to travel. If it's Walter, he needn't hold back, but that doesn't mean that he's prepared a thesis statement so much as he's just putting up the most prominent reasonings he has.

The response is rather unexpected, honestly, and Horus can't help but be curious. He's not against underhanded, but it depends on what being underhanded risks in each situation. ]

What do you mean?

[angel_of_death]

I was given a spell recipe for enchanting roses. Supposedly, if you wear it, it makes whoever you talk to feel more comfortable around you.

I haven't had any reason to try it out, though. So, I can't say for sure how strong it is.

[hor]

[ Ah... Horus sighs when he realizes it's magic, but not the kind he can use. He wants to slump his shoulders for a moment, but instead texts back. ]

I appreciate the thought, but keep your roses to yourself. Nothing will change if I just find a new way to manipulate him like my father did.

If he doesn't trust me, he'll never believe I care about him. There would be no point.