Rain Rain Go Away

[flawful]

He really should have thought to bring an umbrella.

Apparently the new design was all the rage in Amaurot, and to test said new design's effectiveness the city had been experiencing quite a bit of rain. When he shows up at the Bureau he's utterly drenched from head to toe, black robes made heavy with water, his bangs slick and stuck to his forehead beneath his mask. Whoever had thought to make rain cold should have had their concept reviewed. Warm rain would have been far more pleasant.

Dragging his soggy self toward the counter he pulls out a piece of parchment from his pocket, thankfully less wet than the rest of him. Hopefully he wasn't too late for the day. The Bureau was just about to close...surely Hythlodaeus wouldn't turn him away?

"I am here to submit a revision to a concept that was submitted the day prior from Elpis."

Bureaucracy had never been something that appealed to Hermes but rules were rules. If he wanted to save the existence of the creature that had been wrongly submitted by one of his peers he had to rush here himself and submit the revision in person. A shiver runs through his damp, chilled body. At least he manages to hold back a sneeze.

"I hope that will not be too much trouble Hythlodaeus."

Comments

[fellows]

Hythlodaeus smothers a laugh, knowing it would be beyond rude to find amusement at Hermes' appearance, but he really does look quite bedraggled and more than a little sad. It's not as though Hythlodaeus hasn't been caught in one of the frequent rainstorms that have been popping up over and around the city, but he tends to wear it a bit better than Hermes does, somehow. Not that he enjoys it, per se. The coldness of the rain isn't something he's fond of, either. It wouldn't be as bad if it were warm, but that seems to defeat the purpose of wanting an umbrella.

It's almost time to close, but Hythlodaeus would never turn a friend away--or really anyone, for that matter, as long as they arrive before the actual time the Bureau closes. He'll take one of the towels he's tended to start keeping on hand for just these occasions, because Hermes is not the first person to arrive sopping wet, nor will he be the last.

"No trouble at all. You know I am always eager to assist with your experiments and observations." He holds out the towel, though it won't help with the wet robes. "Here, dry yourself and I'll take a look at the revision."

Since it's so close to closing, the building is more or less empty; Hythlodaeus will not mind at all spending some extra time here, and perhaps this will afford him some time to ask questions he's usually too busy to truly delve into.

[flawful]

The smirk and laugh he swallows doesn't go unnoticed by Hermes but he can't exactly blame Hythlodaeus for being amused. He's simply grateful for the towel he's offered, dipping his head in thanks with a soft smile of his own.

"Thank you, truly." He pushes down his hood, pulling off his mask quickly to towel off his face. He replaces it though a moment after. They may be mostly alone but they're are still a few stragglers grabbing their things to leave. He should keep his mask on until they're truly by themselves.

"I appreciate it. I would be loathe to think a creature would be unapproved and unmade simply because of a clerical error."

He would feel guilty, to say the least.

[fellows]

Hermes is always so polite, even to someone like Hythlodaeus. And he finds speaking with Hermes to be fascinating, and easy, and somewhat calming. The man truly cares about what he does with his entire self, which isn't to say that others don't, but he takes each creation quite seriously, going to extreme lengths when most others would chalk it up to a loss and decide to start over.

While Hermes dries himself, Hythlodaeus smooths the paper, glancing over the script with a practiced eye. He does this all day, but never tires of the interesting concepts he's able to hear of. Some are more practical than others, some less. He's very much interested in this 'umbrella' that has been all the rage, finding it both practical and oddly whimsical.

"Would you like a change of clothing?" Hythlodaeus glances up at Hermes, seeing his mask back in place, and noting the puddle of water under his feet. Everything on the paperwork seems fine, which is no surprise; Hermes may be an odd one, but he is well-versed in how official documents must be written and submitted. He does take his work quite seriously.

[flawful]

He's polite because it's all he knows how to be. It's hard to let down the walls he's built up over the years around himself, to let others in. Sometimes he can't help but be jealous of those who seem far more carefree than he ever lets himself be. It'd be nice...but what good would it do? It wouldn't suit him anyway.

"Oh? Oh yes I would." He looks up from the paperwork on the desk that Hythlodaeus has started to go over, already losing himself in thought. "Only if it isn't too much trouble." The last thing he wants to do is trouble the other man.

[fellows]

Hythlodaeus, on the other hand, skews the opposite way. He's friendly because it feels like all he can be; he's not nearly as talented as someone like Hermes, but what he can do is assist people better than he. Hythlodaeus enjoys his job, and he's good at it, but it doesn't feel as important as what Hermes does. Because it isn't. There are dozens here right now who can do the same work Hythlodaeus does.

"No trouble at all." Hythlodaeus waves to one of the others letting them know that he'll be a bit longer, and not to trouble themselves with needing to stay. They can leave as soon as they finish up, and Hythlodaeus will grab one of the spare robes he has on hand these days--easy enough to create, needed more frequently with how often people have been caught in these sudden rain showers. He holds out the neatly-folded garment to Hermes. Once or twice, Hythlodaeus himself has had to change into one upon arrival.

[flawful]

Hermes would disagree if he knew how Hythlodaeus felt about himself. The job that the other man performs is an important one and just because he was skilled in areas others weren't didn't mean he was competent overall. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses.

With the folded garments held out he takes them with a relieved smile, eager to change. "Where should I go to put these on?"