[ 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. ]
[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. ]
[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.
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?
[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. ]
[He almost rolls his eyes, visibly amused. Her unasked questions are obvious, and not especially surprising, but she shouldn't have to ask them at all.]
You really have no idea how much you've done, do you?
He's trying to thank her for helping him with... probably how much they've been training his warp magic together, and then what they are doing more recently with attempting to meditate through all 100+ souls in his ring.
Her smile returns, and she gives him a level look. ] Sounds like you really don't know how much you've accomplished, either. [ Really, it was him who has to manipulate all of that energy! Or endure the trial of bearing the ring! She's just... there to help facilitate it. ]
[Though it's only because of how much they've accomplished that he can say that with a (mostly) straight face. He's never felt confident with magic like this before. And he still struggles, can still look at people like his father or Cor or Somnus and see real power, real skill, with him limping along behind them with the power of the Chosen as a crutch. He still has so far to go. But he's getting better, and he owes a lot of that progress to her.]
It's not just the training, though. King's Knight is almost finished, too, and I couldn't have done that without you.
[ She looks down at the shirt in her hands. It's black, just like the one he wears, but there's a faint pattern upon it...
She can use the excuse that helping him become more refined with his power means that he may be better able to help this world. But what of the virtual reality she's building with him? It might give him some respite from training, but that, too, is an excuse. The real reason is far simpler: she's happy to see him when he is happy. ] I... I see.
[ And selfishly, she has enjoyed those moments when they had been brainstorming at the cafe together, with him designing armor or weapons or characters, and her coding away... While she doesn't say anything, her expression is especially fond. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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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. ]
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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.
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...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.]
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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?
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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.
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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. ]
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[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.
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[ 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. ]
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[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.
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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. ]
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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[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.]
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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. ]
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You really have no idea how much you've done, do you?
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He's trying to thank her for helping him with... probably how much they've been training his warp magic together, and then what they are doing more recently with attempting to meditate through all 100+ souls in his ring.
Her smile returns, and she gives him a level look. ] Sounds like you really don't know how much you've accomplished, either. [ Really, it was him who has to manipulate all of that energy! Or endure the trial of bearing the ring! She's just... there to help facilitate it. ]
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[Though it's only because of how much they've accomplished that he can say that with a (mostly) straight face. He's never felt confident with magic like this before. And he still struggles, can still look at people like his father or Cor or Somnus and see real power, real skill, with him limping along behind them with the power of the Chosen as a crutch. He still has so far to go. But he's getting better, and he owes a lot of that progress to her.]
It's not just the training, though. King's Knight is almost finished, too, and I couldn't have done that without you.
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She can use the excuse that helping him become more refined with his power means that he may be better able to help this world. But what of the virtual reality she's building with him? It might give him some respite from training, but that, too, is an excuse. The real reason is far simpler: she's happy to see him when he is happy. ] I... I see.
[ And selfishly, she has enjoyed those moments when they had been brainstorming at the cafe together, with him designing armor or weapons or characters, and her coding away... While she doesn't say anything, her expression is especially fond. ]
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Beneath it, her normal top has disappeared. ]
...What do you think?
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It looks good. You look almost like a Crownsguard.
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Am I... [ Pfft, another short laugh. ] doing it right? Or do you have numerals after your name?
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Even if I do, I'm not telling you. That was almost as weird as if Prompto had done it.
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