IC CONTACT FOR HUGS

[iustaegis]

IC CONTACT

[ Text ♢ Video ♢ Voice ♢ Action ]

[ Pyra ♢ Mythra ♢ Pneuma

[ new post here.]

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[carbungle]

[He considers her answer - evasive as ever - and files it away, along with the rest of it. Puzzle pieces, every one of them. Collected like tokens from a cereal box; maybe one day with enough he can mail in and get a backstory.

Not there yet, though. So he encourages.]

I like it. [A beat, and then-] All of that, I mean. It should still reset the stats, though- always start at level 1. The game can't be too easy or it'd be over too fast.

[iustaegis]

[ Stats, equipment, new game plus— she writes this all down. ]

And as an additional reward, we should include... different hairstyles, like yours! [ She smiles. ] To honor the creator of this game and his unique style...

[carbungle]

[He scoffs playfully with a grin, lifting a hand to flick a tuft of her hairstyle out of place.]

Or yours. Could be a fun way to shake things up as far as aesthetic goes.

[He's not really a creator, just a copycat at this point. But it could definitely be fun to swap styles.]

[iustaegis]

[ She doesn’t even bother correcting the strand of hair out of place, only smiling in return. ]

Mmm, but my hair isn’t as whimsical as yours. [ She runs a hand up through her bangs, messing up the look further. ] How’s this?

[ Spikier means more shonen-protag-like, right? ]

[carbungle]

[Okay, he can't not laugh at that. It's silly and probably doesn't suit her much at all, but she's on point. Whimsical! What a thing to say to a very cool prince.]

You can't get this stylish just by mussing it up, you know. You have to work for it!

[Having a really weird and natural fluff helps, too, otherwise he'd be screwed in this place with minimal hair gel options.]

[iustaegis]

[ Encouraged, she continues. ]

Right, of course, [ Jokingly: ] what sort of magical static and wind power must I have to style it after yours, again?

[carbungle]

Neither. It's called royal magnetism.

[FINGERGUNS. he is incredibly smooth, you see.]

[iustaegis]

[ She laughs. ] Such an incredible force exists? [ A dramatic gasp! ] It explains why you're so [ Waaaaait for it... ] attractive.

[ GET IT because magnetism and attraction?? ]

[carbungle]

[.....

oh no, she wins, because now he's flustered.]

That's not what I meant...

[d-don't call him that, he doesn't know what to say!]

[iustaegis]

[ Oh no, he's blushing. This was just banter; his false bravado, royal magnetism, evaporates to leave only an easy dust of red upon his cheeks. Does he not actually think well of his appearance? Not in a vain sense, no, but just overall? She hopes that's not so. But just in case-- ]

For what it's worth, [ ...out of respect of his embarrassment, she softens her voice so that he might know she isn't joking about this. ] I think you are.

[carbungle]

[Looking cute or handsome is one thing- he's not an idiot, he's gotten the stares back home. Attractive can have different connotations, not that it's her fault that he's fussy like this. Her follow-up catches him by surprise, though.]

I, uh. ...Thanks? I mean, you're also- [oh god no.] You're very- [OH GOD NO

.....

He coughs into a fist and lifts the other for a somewhat desperate bump.]

We make a good-looking team.

1/2

[iustaegis]

[ .... ]

[iustaegis]

[ She lifts a hand to happily fist bump him in return, giggling lightly. ]

You have a far cuter blush than my own, though.

[ My god you know like giving compliments are a thing for her. ]

[carbungle]

[s a v e h i m]

I-I'm not blushing!

[He says, while blushing.]

[iustaegis]

[ Leaning in. ] Then.... what is this?

[ HAND ON HIS CHEEK.



...She's tormenting him a little. She knows she is. But anything, anything is better than seeing him sad. ]

[carbungle]

That's... just my face.

[Stubborn, this one. He won't cave! Even if the touch and her lean-in has him even more red than before.]

[iustaegis]

[ Blinking.

While she doesn't move closer, her head cants from one direction to its opposite, pausing there to continue to look at him. ]

Not just any face, Noct. [ Noct, said gently. And yes, although this has all started with a bit of playfulness, she means what she says. She doesn't want him to assume that her compliments are mere jokes-- falsehoods, or things said simply to fluster him. He is beautiful, and the physical handsomeness of his face is but a mere shadow of what lies within him, his strength of heart, his character, his goodness...

But in the meantime they're talking about his face, so that is what he will get. ] A very... soft one. [ Her palm presses to his cheek; he's warm, but her touch carries that inhuman warmth to it as well, complementing his own. ] A very handsome one, too. [ Her hand moves, fingers sliding down his cheek towards his ear, brushing back some of his hair. It reveals more of his eyes, which she meets with a fond gaze. ]

...Really, truly, dazzling.

[carbungle]

[Was her intention to get him absolutely gobsmacked? Because it's working. Oh boy is it ever working. Blue eyes wide, his mouth opens, shuts, opens again. He tries to respond but there are no words. Will it ever stop amazing him that she can just say these things, just openly and earnestly, like it's as true as she believes it to be? Dazzling. What a word to use. He can't even say that she's wrong, either, it's just not the kind of praise he normally gets.]

...I... thanks...?

[His voice is somewhat strained, as if every word is struggling to even exist, he's that much at a loss for what to say. Hard enough to respond when Luna does it, when they have all that history, but this...!]

[iustaegis]

[ His dumbfounded expression— the way his lips part, close, then part again only to give a brief word of thanks... Yes, this is exactly the reaction for which she had been striving. ]

Do you wish for me to go on...?

[ Because she could, easily. So very easily. ]

[carbungle]

[He knows this, absolutely. With a defeated exhale he reaches up to take her hand, gentle but unsubtle, and pulls it away from his face- only to pat her palm against her own cheek.]

Focus on this one instead. You're red all over.

[Red hair, red eyes, red outfit... he may not be as effective at getting her to blush (understatement of the century there) but that's not the only game to play. He knows when he's beaten at that.]

[iustaegis]

[ With her own palm resting warmly against her cheek, she... Noooo, this doesn’t get her to blush at all; calling her red is like calling the sky blue. She wonders if this is his attempt at retaliation— ]

Oh, you caught me red handed!

[ —Or. Or maybe that’s it. That’s all he has to say. She doesn’t know. Either way, one of her brows are raised to denote that she’s not impressed, her tone a bemused, yes, and...? ]

[carbungle]

Yep. And then some.

[And... that's it, he has no retaliation that can compare to hers. Trying would just put him in the same corner, and he ought to know better than to trap himself. Although, on that note-]

You must've killed it at that ribbon thing the priests have been doing all month.

[iustaegis]

It was nice, ...except for being tied up unexpectedly.

[ ....Ah. All of these compliments remind her. She can say them as needed, and she truly believes them and hopes that others believe them, but actions speak louder than words. ]

Oh! Before I forget— I have a gift for you. For all of these holidays and celebrations.

[carbungle]

[He blinks.]

Wait, really? You didn't have to do anything.

[Being away from Eos, and the lack of normal shops around town, he hadn't given much thought to the winter holidays here. He figured he'd go the route of "let's go somewhere on my dime" sort of gift, if anything.]

[iustaegis]

Wait right here. [ She breaks contact when she stands, going into one of the adjacent bedrooms and returning with a parcel wrapped in silver ribbon.

Taking a seat beside him once more— again, so that either their shoulders or legs may touch in a respectful lean to resume touch— she offers the present with two hands and a glimmering, happy light in her eyes. ]

For you.

[ Encouragingly, ] Please, open it.

[ ....Time to ruin his day part 2: surprise, it’s a toga!

To her credit it’s a very well crafted one, complete with the black chiton-fashioned tunic beneath and the pleated dark blue pallium-styled cloak above. It’d make an overall sophisticated, but casual look.......... if he would ever wear it. ]