IC CONTACT FOR HUGS

[iustaegis]

IC CONTACT

[ Text ♢ Video ♢ Voice ♢ Action ]

[ Pyra ♢ Mythra ♢ Pneuma

[ new post here.]

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[iustaegis]

I can give you a three course meal here, if I wanted.

[ Aaaand that’s the ticket. For all of her supposed offense at how terrible her cooking is, Mythra does know that she’s terrible. Otherwise, why would she have designed Pyra to be so good at it? She doesn’t quite want to subject him to her own. ]

There’s probably a kitchen in one of these empty buildings...

[ Mythra leads him into the town. Again, all empty. ]

But I don’t want any accidents in this domain, so maybe another day. [ Maybe never. ]

[carbungle]

I'll bow to your judgment.

[He doesn't especially want to experience what it's like to be sick in your dreams, admittedly. It would be rude for him to show up on her doorstep expecting a meal, anyway. It's kind of funny how indignant she'd gotten about it, though. Seems they aren't totally alike in all ways.]

[iustaegis]

[ And so they continue to proceed through the nameless town. It’s quaint and somewhat bucolic in architecture, but empty. ]

You like... Pyra’s cooking, don’t you? I can ask her to start something for when you wake up.

[carbungle]

It's okay, I'm not super hungry or anything. Besides, she made it sound like she's very comfortable.

[His tone's a little dry, and a little playful; he knows he sleeps a lot, but he hadn't intentionally fallen into her lap when he touched the crystal. She could have moved him if she didn't want him there, so... clearly, she did.]

[iustaegis]

[ He'd be right. ]

You're just about the most easy-going man I've met, you know that?

[carbungle]

I think you and her are the only ones who'd say as much, but I'll take it.

[He's simultaneously easygoing and yet a lot of work at the same time. The Astrals and he alone know how he does it.]

[iustaegis]

[ She’s surprised others would think differently! He seems so... chill. And adaptable. ]

Hey, we call it like we see it. [ A smile. For Pyra, obviously, that means giving a lot of compliments. ]

But maybe this means you’re... a lot more relaxed in this world. Nice, isn’t it? [ Not having bigger responsibilities. ]

[carbungle]

...Yeah, probably.

[His smile is mixed in response, not surprised by the idea of that. He's a prince, after all.]

You ever... have to pretend to be someone you're not, for the sake of appearances?

[Considering she'd created a whole separate persona for the outside world, even if he would never call Pyra fake, he imagines she'd be familiar with the concept.]

[iustaegis]

[ She definitely can relate, Pyra aside. ]

Aa. [ --an affirming sound. ] Appearances to keep up, formalities.

Gets to be a lot after a while, doesn't it.

[ She glances at him, mildly wondering why he's asked. Something on his mind, perhaps? ]

[carbungle]

Yeah, it does.

[There's some relief in his body language, though he knows it isn't something to be glad about- her having to also experience it.]

Had to do that a lot, growing up. It gets tiring. Here, it's... I don't know. Freeing, I guess? Outside the kingdom, no one knows who I am, so no one cares how I act. Most people don't know how enviable the concept of "normal" can be.

[iustaegis]

[ Looking at him, her brow knits. No need to keep up appearances when there is no kingdom to rule. ]

Seems like... you felt trapped by it all. [ A pause, and she looks forward. Honestly, between any formal personae he'd adopt and how he is now-- ] Sucks for them, that those you had to pretend for didn't get to know the real you.

[carbungle]

Yeah, but it wasn't so bad. The people who knew were the ones that mattered.

[And it's not as if he had no freedoms, just because he couldn't go beyond the wall like any of his ancestors. He was allowed to avoid a lot more royal responsibilities than most. He'd been a child, and Regis had good reason to shelter and protect him, especially after Marilith had nearly killed him. A gilded cage was still a cage, but he couldn't resent everything about the way he was raised.

He's also talking to someone who literally exists inside a crystal, alone, so the perspective helps a bit on his end.]

What about you? You must've heard me talk hundreds of times already. There's gotta be at least a few things you've been itching to say.

[Not even to him, just... in general. He can't imagine how much he'd want to shout his opinion to the winds if he was listening to the world without a voice, or left alone for ages and ages. Maybe he'll know eventually, after the crystal, but right now it just sounds like a nightmare he's dreading. The fact that she can still smile about it is impressive.]

[iustaegis]

[ .... ]

Ah, yeah. Now that you mention it--


I've thought of a nickname for you.

[carbungle]

[He blinks, glancing sidelong at her.]

A... nickname?

[Were they looking for one? He can't remember.]

[iustaegis]

Mm. Back in King's Knight, [ She speaks as if beginning a tale of some sort, with a dramatic flair. ] it had occurred to me just as you threw us over your shoulder.

[ Wait for it. ]

Noctass.

[carbungle]

...Oh my god.

[He groans, lifting a hand to his face, though it's half-hiding a tiny smile.]

That's terrible. You're terrible.

[iustaegis]

[ She can't help but grin at that, proudly tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder. ]

I can't count how many months I wanted to say that to your face, ha!

[ Yet, there's something affectionate about the way she says so. ]

[carbungle]

I'm not so sure making puns about my name is the right way to get me to kiss you.

[Hi, guess who hasn't forgotten about that either.]

[iustaegis]

[ Dammit! ]

C-c'mon. You have to admit, it's clever.

[ She's obvious. ]

[carbungle]

[She's very obvious. It's pretty cute.]

Yeah, it's a good one. Truly a mythrical pun.

1/2

[iustaegis]

Aah, see, you get it---

[iustaegis]

[ Oh dear Architect, she almost missed that one.

...Ugh, now she's on the receiving end. ]

3/3

[iustaegis]

[ ...Ugh, now she's on the receiving end. ]

Seriously.

[carbungle]

[Gurl, Ignis raised this boy. Answering pun with pun is instinct by now.]

Something wrong?

[iustaegis]

[ The exhale she gives is something akin to a laugh, but it's not at him. It seems she appreciates his wit. ]

Yeah.

Your corniness.

[ As if her pun was any more artistic! ]