iustaegis | IC CONTACT FOR HUGS

[ She debates how much she should say. ]

When I spoke to you about the results of the black substance found within the arachnids... [ That it was a toxin that somehow mutated them, and that it produces the same effect of the illness those experienced at the breach. ] ...It seems that he'd still consider it a possible weapon to use against the gods here, if necessary.

[ If necessary. But just the fact that he'd consider using it at all, especially when there's something like the Scourge in his own homeworld infecting a god in his future, and knowing everything becomes enshrouded in darkness.... You'd think a man would learn from ~~past~~ future mistakes. ] I'm not sure what he said to you of the future of your world, but he told me much, and this is... disappointing to know.

[Noctis's expression immediately goes dark.]

Of course he'd consider that.

[What the hell is wrong with Niflheim, seriously.]

They've been experimenting with daemons and the Starscourge since I was a kid, if not much longer. We didn't know it then, but it was confirmed later when they dropped one on us to try and take us out. I'm not sure if they're just using them or making them somehow- either option's bad. You can't tame or control daemons. I doubt it'd work on the monsters here too.

[The whole situation's just... wrong. And messy on multiple levels. That's not even getting into the kind of monstrous tech that exists in Solheim's ruins; if Niflheim got their hands on the really complicated stuff there, how much worse could it get?]

Mm. [ If Verstael wants to save his nation, he knows what he really has to do now: stop engaging in whatever military research he's doing and fine a cure for the Scourge. And it towards this that she pushed him.

She wanted to set Verstael on a track towards a cure for the Scourge because there is a good source for it here, and like hell would she want something like that to spread. As for applying it to his own world and its future... well, the man seem reckless, and that is why she pointed him towards Noctis.

She recalls, however, that Noctis mentioned he'd rather not know the future. Pointing Verstael towards him would have revealed a bit of that, and for that she is sorry. ] So many wish to change the future of your world. He [ Like Cor. ] does not seem to acknowledge that he might make whatever is to come... worse. [ Generally, she is an optimistic person. Not with this, however. She looks up at him sharply. ] Noct, you are not even born in his time.

[ What if he somehow undoes Noctis' existence? What if he does make a cure, what if it does work for the current populations of Eos, but how can one a mortal man distribute it all to everyone, blanket the world with this cure? If he crafts it here in Havenwell and somehow brings it to his homeworld, how would he know that it works for years, decades, centuries to come in his own world? How would he even test for its efficacy in this realm and not his own? What if the Scourge is latent, what if it burrows within the earth and waits, what if the darkness returns, engulfing the world-- only now there's no chosen king to bring the light? What then? ]

I know.

[Some might even say that would be better; that wouldn't be an argument that works on someone from Niflheim, certainly not Verstael, who places no stock in the Lucian bloodline or any prophecy, who thinks he can cure the plague on the world despite all evidence to the contrary, despite even the gods not being strong enough to do it on their own. Cor, too, had posited the question which essentially boiled down to "are you selfish enough to choose yourself over the world?" however kind he'd tried to be about it.

And he'd like to believe he's not, but... the situation's a lot more complicated than that.]

I can agree that some of what they say is valid. A lot of people have died from the Starscourge, and even more have been killed by daemons. If there's a way to prevent some of that while still making sure that the world still has a future, then it's worth trying. Looking for a cure can't be a bad thing. I don't know how they can guarantee that it'll fix everything, though... even if a cure existed, it doesn't undo the damage done to the world. It doesn't get rid of the daemons, or make the nights stop getting longer.

[And perhaps there is an edge of selfishness to it, after all. After everything he's gone through, all he has or will have to suffer, all to serve this multi-millennia-old prophecy- it can't be for nothing. It's not just him either. So many people have worked and struggled and fought and died so he has a chance to succeed and save the world. He can't just shrug those off either. Not without a guarantee that it's worth it.]

You don't have to worship the gods, but they've been around for so long and have to live in the world too. How can one or two people know better than them of what Eos needs?

[ One or two people? More like most of his family in addition to a number of otherworlders. Even his father had questioned the future. If they seek to change the it, they are acting as gods themselves with greatly reduced knowledge and perspective.

As for the gods themselves... ]

....Besithia believes that the gods of your world seek its destruction.

[ She glances down at his arm, where the markings of his covenants with his gods lie hidden. Working with them, overcoming them through gaining their power is far more reasonable than simply destroying them. It’s foolish to jump to that conclusion, even more so to apply that to dormant ones here. If anything, the gods here are nothing like anyone’s in any world: not silent or completely divorced of mortal affairs like the one in her own, not omnipotent like him, either; but they do not seem like the gods of other worlds of which she’s heard of, either. ]

Is that what you feel of them, from your covenants?

[He's trying not to think about how much of his family is drawing lines in the sand, it's too overwhelming. He follows her gaze to his hand, half-lifting it and trailing fingers along the brace covering the marks. What he feels from them...?]

All I've ever felt from the covenants is pain and power. There's nothing good or bad about them, no discrimination on when they come to help me. Daemons, Imperials, wild beasts- if I'm in trouble and I call on them, they'll come. It's like they're leaving the decision up to me, or... waiting for the next step. Maybe I'll know when I find Bahamut.

[It isn't much of an answer, and he's not sure how he ought to feel about that, either. It does feel wrong to doubt them- of that, he's certain.]

I trust the Messengers, though, and Luna. And they all serve the Six and want the save the world from darkness. I'd buy that over the word of an Imperial who's done nothing but kill and enslave those gods, or make daemon soldiers for their own army.

[ She does not meet his gaze, appearing troubled. Enslaving a god to use for their own purposes or believing that they can destroy them, not knowing if their actions may make things worse... Knowing that there are those who would recommend either as their first choice, she knows now never to truly reveal what she is to those here— briefly, her eyes flit back to him, only to look away with a greater sorrow —including him, should he ever be swayed by those others, including his family, to war against his gods. What comes with this thought is a more troubling one, that she is sorrowful not for whatever decision he makes (for it should be his), but that a part of her had...., maybe, wanted to tell him more.

She is glad he hasn’t come to that conclusion (yet). Because if nothing else, the gods seem to want to help his world through assisting Noctis while some other humans continue to wage war below.

Once more she lifts her gaze, her voice careful and soft. ] Trust in those you love.... and those you want to protect. [ His heart will help guide him in the future, she is certain. If that means following the gods’ prophecy because theirs is the surest option to banish the darkness, unlike some transient manmade solution, then that is what his heart will know what to do.

At length, she bows her head. ] And I’m... sorry, for pointing Besithia to you. I hope your discussion with him wasn’t too unpleasant.

It's... okay. [Mostly, anyway.] It wasn't all bad; at least he's willing to believe some of what we say. It's better than how things usually go.

[He looks down at his arm again, fingers curling around to grip it tightly, anxiously.]

One thing that's been worrying me... in all our times except for Ardyn's, Ifrit's already been corrupted by the Starscourge. What if it's too late? If I need all of the Astrals to do whatever it is I'm doing... I can't make a covenant with a daemon.

[He can feel their power flowing through him when he calls on them for aid, intense and exhausting and overwhelming. If that power brought the Starscourge with it, it would surely destroy him from the inside out.]

[ Her lips purse. ]

I see three, maybe four, avenues.

[ But there is a pause. Discussing the future and this prophecy of his is something she’s been tiptoeing around with him. While it seems that he’s opening up to discussion... she needs to be certain, especially after the last time this came up. ]

Would you... want to hear my thoughts, or... [ Would he rather stop this topic here and now. ]

[He does hesitate - can't help it - but after a moment he gestures for her to continue. He can at least listen, and maybe it really will help. It's not changing anything if that future hasn't happened yet; if whatever she says is veering off the right path then someone will set him straight. It's fine.]

[ Well, she’s not going to tell him ways he might make a convent with a daemon-fied god— because that would involve changing the course of fate in his world— but she will tell him the potential options of what his quandary may mean.

She lifts up a finger. One. ] You do not know how yet, but there is a way to form a covenant with a god corrupted by the Scourge, from the Ardyn of your future. The “how” will be revealed in time.

[ Two. ] Making covenants is an assumption. You do not need to make a covenant with Ifrit to fulfill your prophecy, and you let him be.

[ Three. ] Ifrit is too far gone or is standing in your way, and you slay him.

[ Four. ] If... you somehow find a cure... it works on a god. Then, you form a covenant.

[ She pauses then. ] I don’t... know your future. [ But thinking of it? Sure, it’s harmless. ] But I know that you just might want to help everyone, including a corrupted god. [ Her lips curl into a bittersweet smile. ] Be careful of that last possibility. I heard from others in your world that he isn’t too kind to humans.

[He nods along as she speaks, considering those options. He's not sure which one would be best; if Ifrit's been subjugated to defend Niflheim, then he's likely to be in between the Crystal and anyone who might come to take it back, which means a fight is inevitable. And he's not sure if he's capable of slaying a god himself - fighting one for the covenant trial, sure, that's different - but if the others step in to help, maybe it's possible. The rest...]

...That's how the story goes. That he destroyed Solheim, that all the gods have been asleep for ages because they fought to stop his fires from wiping out everything. Him, I'd buy that he wants destruction. At least for humans, if not the world itself. I don't think he'd help me even if I could safely make a covenant.

[One and four seems unlikely, or ill-advised at the slightest.]

[ She wishes she could ask him-- or... bid him, in some way, to not take the most destructive path. Him slaying a god would make him no better than Ifrit coming to whatever conclusion he did to destroy all.

So she steps forward. If she can reach for his hand and take it, she will. If not, her hands will remain at her side. This touch is hesitant, as if the request there to be said, only to be stopped from being spoken at the last second. ] In that case... perhaps you do not need him. You do not need those who would destroy the world, their help or their power, on your side.

[ He does not need Ifrit's power; likewise, he certainly does not need hers, either. That's what makes him astonishing. But the other gods... ] You have so much power already. What gods remain for you to form covenants with them?

[He doesn't resist her hand, allowing her to pull it away from the grasp on his arm and clutch quietly at her instead. Maybe the others have a point, maybe there is some benefit to learning of the future after all. Even just knowing his potential options is... comforting. So much of his life has revolved around not knowing that he'd begun to wonder if it was a requirement of the prophecy that he be kept in the dark, too.]

Besides him, there's three. I was on my way to see Leviathan when I was pulled here. Shiva... I don't know where to find her, I'd heard Niflheim killed her years ago near the capital. That just leaves Bahamut, and he's missing too, but he's so connected to the ring and the Crystal that once I find both, maybe he'll be there too.

[It's all guesses, unfortunately; at this point that's the only thing he can really do. Maybe five is enough. Maybe four is enough. Whatever he gets, it has to be enough or the world is screwed.]

I know it seems like a lot for one person, but the Astrals combined has never been enough to get rid of the Starscourge or the daemons. To make this happen we probably need all of that and more- all the gods, all the kings, all the Crystal. It's not my power, I'm just a conduit.

[ A lot is an understatement. Has he grown used to all of these gods and power and prophecies for so long, that he doesn't know that others wouldn't even be able bear a quarter of what he's carrying? There's something epic and romantic about the notion that to beat the Scourge, it takes a combined effort of both gods and mortals to defeat it, yet--

It's not my power, I'm just a conduit.

Oh. "Just." ]

No, you're not.

[ The words escape her without a thought. She had asked him in their second conversation, that he would not think of himself as a tool. She's not sure if that is what is happening here, subconsciously, or it's just his phrasing, bu regardless, she wants to even entertain that idea. That he is Just a conduit. Just a channel for the energy of the gods through which to flow, just the one who was chosen. ]

What?

[It takes a second, and then it clicks- oh. Right.

His expression shifts to a small, sheepish smile.]

Sorry, that's not- I didn't mean it like that. I just mean... none of the power I have is really mine. It's all been given to me, by my family or the Crystal or the gods. How I use it kind of makes it mine, but if I make the wrong call, who's to say they can't just take it away from me? A conduit still has to, you know. [He gestures with his free hand, weaving it in the air.] Find the path, make the connection. Go the wrong way and everything blows up.

[ Her relief is visible. Shoulders relaxing as she sees his smile, she nods once with a breath. ] Every day, Noct. Every day I'm surprised at how much power you have, but even more in the way you choose to use it. And how you wield it.

[ Finding a path, too, he states with a wave of his hand with a smile. Others, she believes, would be blinded by the power they hold, obscuring that path. He doesn't realize how he's understating so much of what he does.

She shakes her head, moving back to the topic. ] Leviathan, Shiva and... Bahamut. [ Three more to go for him. ] ...When they meet you, I think they will be blessed ones, to be able to form a covenant with you.

[ In truth, she's-- ah, she can't believe it. Envious of gods of a different world, to have a certain human, (a whole family of them, truly) with whom to share their power. That's a new low for her. ]

Hah, maybe. At least, they could do a lot worse.

[In general he thinks he's pretty okay, as far as people go. But it's nice when others say it.]

Are you... okay with this? I mean, you keep ending up stuck with our problems, or helping us work through this stuff... you must have enough on your plate already. You can tell us to deal with it, you know.

[ “Stuck with our problems”—
Whose? His? His world? She’s not actively helping them solve anything!

No, it she understands, and in that understanding she quickly shakes her head as if she could tell him to banish the thought. Her insistence causes her words to tumble out quickly— ] N-not at all! [ Before she reels her reaction back in.

Smiling shyly, she nods. ] I mean.. no. I... feel... [ She brings a hand up to her chest, her eyes softening.

She feels like she is his friend, when she’s able to talk to him like this. She feels as if he does appreciate what she has to say, and that’s— really significant. ] ....grateful, that you confide in me. I’m more concerned that what I’m saying isn’t, ah, making you too happy.

[ And, privately, she does look forward to each time they practice with their magic together or meditate with it... It’s a nice, warm connection that they make that brings her some peace, too. ]

[Her words make his smile soften a little, and he shakes his head.]

I don't know if there's a way to talk about what's going on back home that'd make me happy. If there was, there'd be something seriously wrong with me.

[He's made it pretty clear that things are not great back there, after all. Still a war to be fought, a lot of things to get done and quick. His life hadn't been totally easy street, but he'd still been spoiled and sheltered for a long time while those around him or outside the city struggled. A bit of hardship is hardly unwarranted.]

Anyway, that's not on you. I'd be a lousy friend if I didn't appreciate the help no matter how it makes me feel.

[ F—Friend! He said it! He said the word!

Blinking, Pyra’s cheeks color softly as she looks to the side. Wow, she’s appreciated. Wow. She has to give that feeling back, so— ]

Knowing you is like... knowing a little piece of your world. [ And his world seems fascinating, is what she’s about to say, but that feels too distant, or reserved, as if she is a scientist looking in. His world is fascinating to her because he (and others) come from it. She wants to know more because of them. What kind of world did their gods create, that it could produce such wonderful people? ]

And... ah, you know, when we connect— I don’t feel some... distant god or crystal, or only that. I feel you, too.

[ She clears her throat. What is she trying to say, here? ] I... want to be a good friend to you.

[He sure did! And it wasn't even to intentionally tease her. Her words have a similar effect on him, his own cheeks going a bit pink, so they end up even, there.

Is it really possible, that some of the magic is from him, too? She'd probably know, being an outsider looking in, someone well-versed in magic enough to decipher the pieces. He'd like to believe her, at least, whether it's genuinely true or just perception. It's... nice to imagine. To be more, even if he's fine with being a channel through which it flows.]

...W-well... I think you're doing just fine with that, so don't worry about it.

[ Oh, he looks so pleased, like she's said something he like! She's happy for that, really. Her words had been sincere, even if she had stumbled over them.

She wants to be a good friend, and he believes she already is. That's nice to think about, but... it can't be true. Not with how much she withholds with telling him. Shouldn't friends be honest with each other? Even she knows this. ] Then... that leaves only something else to worry about. [ She says, adopting a softer, coyer smile.

Without waiting him to ask what it is, she answers: ] How can I help you more?

Actually... I was thinking about how to help you.

[He'd pretty well forgotten, with all the serious conversing they'd delved into, but her question reminds him that he did come over here for more than just the Besithia drama. Crouching down, he picks up the bag he'd dropped and holds it out towards her.]

I know you don't technically need it, but you don't seem to need much of anything, which makes you kind of hard to get gifts for? Anyway, if you like them, these are yours.

[It is by no means fancy or wrapped or anything, but at least it's a nice bag, soft canvas with a draw-string for easy carrying. Should she accept it and look inside, she'll find a handful of outfits-worth of clothes piled neatly together, meeting the style and colour specifications acquired by way of Era... with a bunch of black items peppered in there, snuck in when he was left unsupervised.]

[ Her hand leaves his when he steps away to bring the bag between them.

Gifts? For her, after she just asked how she could help him? She looks at the bag for a moment before hesitantly reaching out towards it, pulling at the drawstring to loosen its top. Within it are... clothes. A good amount of clothes, actually. She pulls out one of the pieces, a black shirt, holding it up to herself. ]

Oh, I... Don't know what to say... [ Era just gave her some clothes, too. Now she has even more. ] This is really kind of you.

[ The burning questions of why?? gift?? are clearly written upon her face. ]

IC CONTACT

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[ Pyra ♢ Mythra ♢ Pneuma [ new post here.]

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[ Pyra ♢ Mythra ♢ Pneuma
[ new post here.]