carbungle | Hugtopia Contact Post

[ She manages a smile in return. He's grateful for her presence, she can tell that much. Of course she'd be here, so long as the gods of this world allow.

But along the theme of freedom and love and choice, she answers: ]

I'm choosing to be here with you, too.

I'm glad for that too. [He shifts her hand to tap it against his lips, a light kiss.] I'd be okay if you chose otherwise, though. Sometimes.

[They shouldn't be purely dependant on one another, he knows. They have a wonderful circle of friends, other people to lean on and who lean upon them in return. Still... maybe she's his favourite. Maybe. (Definitely.)]

[ They both have a good support system, outside of themselves-- and she's glad for it. They're all part of a family, and their friends interact, too. But she doesn't mind comforting him when he needs it. Nor does she mind receiving that comfort from him in return, when he happens to be there. Definitely her favorite.

Her smile is a little stronger this time. ]

I know. I know. But I like choosing you. I think it comes from being so easy to love. You're easily choose-able, too.

[ ~~maybe that's why he's the Chosen~~ ]

That sounds nice... what an honour, to be chosen like that.

[He rather prefers being chosen by this crystal, it turns out. He's quiet for a long moment then, looking thoughtful, then carefully nudges her aside, sitting upright next to her, and crosses his legs. He has to be particular about how he sits in the real world, his leg prone to stiffness and acting up, but in Elysium everything feels a bit different. He likes to take advantage of that.]

C'mere. [He gives her a light tug, urging her down to switch positions with him.] Your turn.

[ At first, she's uncertain as to why or how he's adjusting, but when he gives her a tug, she smiles to herself and leans down, resting her head upon his lap and stretching out her body along the grass. ]

Mm...

Comfy.

[ She's not the one who needs as much comfort right now. But if this is something he wants to do, she's not exactly complaining. After a moment, Pyra opens her eyes and looks up at him, blinking once as she gazes up at his face, his head framed by the lush tree above, the branches radiating like a halo made from the earth. Is this how she looks to him, when he's resting on her lap in Elysium?

As always the bell continues to toll in the distance. ]

[Noctis slides his hand through her hair, stroking it much like she'd done for him. Maybe she doesn't need comfort as much, but she still needs some, he knows- she'd said as much, that she misses Ignis too. And there have been others she's lost, like he has. If she's anything like him, the disappearance of someone new is more than just that singular loss. It's also a reminder of those who have vanished before, each and every time. Those hurts can compound on one another.

Anyway, he takes comfort in her weight against him, the feel of her head on him and her hair between his fingers, so the feeling is very much mutual. He sits like that in silence for a while, soothed by her company, soothing her in return, until at last he breaks the quiet again with,]

I had another dream... it wasn't bad, though. You want to hear it?

[ She uses these moments of quiet to close her eyes again, enjoying his comforting attention, the easy quietness he brings for her. It's all that she needs, nothing more. For he is correct that, while she doesn't feel this loss as acutely as he, she feels it all the same. They lived together for so long. She'll miss his cooking, certainly, but for herself? She thinks she'll miss the sound of the piano.

Music had never been a great part of her existence upon the earth, for there was no time to indulge. Elysium only had this bell. Ignis had played music for them all in their home. She'll miss that. She'll miss him.

Her eyes open when Noctis speaks up again, her head tilts upon his thigh, inquisitive, and cautiously concerned. ] Another dream....? Yes.

[He meets her gaze at first, then glances away, trying to appear casual, though he's not certain of how successful it is. he's been trying not to run away from this, whatever it is, since it's obviously here to stay. Maybe acknowledging the issue will help somehow. (Ignoring it certainly isn't.) It being a more positive memory... he thinks... he figures it's not the worst distraction from their mutual loss. That, he's allowed to avoid a little.]

It was a little girl. We were... this high. [He holds his free hand up to where his waist might be, were he standing.] She was running down the hall of some big, elaborate building, stopping everyone she met and demanding to know where 'His Majesty' was. Pretty sure they were servants, and they were definitely laughing at her. Been there...

[There's a hilarious indignity that comes hand in hand with serving a royal toddler, he suspects; in truth that helpless infant totally outranks nearly everyone in the castle, but their 'orders' are often ridiculous and easily ignored. It's why no one was ever actually sent to the dungeons for feeding him vegetables.]

She finally tracked someone down, and... man, just imagine the best fantasy prince you can conjure up, and it'd be this guy. Tall, badass armor, a cape, devilishly handsome. [He gives her a cheeky grin. He knows what she considers handsome, and it runs in the family.] He picked her right up and swung her around, saying, "my little creampuff found me! I'd best devour her before she melts." And then he blew raspberries on her so hard it felt like she was gonna pass out laughing.

[ She holds her breath before he begins, but as he continues the tale, she realizes that there’s no need for it. So far, this dream— memory— isn’t terrible or suspenseful. Rather, it’s adorable.

Noctis is in the unique position to have this terrible burden of receiving memories of yore. She’s often heard the worst of it, the terrible ones. This is a good one. She’s glad he’s gotten at least one.

She also smiles faintly at his pointed, devilishly handsome comment. Of course it runs in the family. And a cape? She’s swooning— okay, no, but she’s entertained by how he exaggerates for fun. ]

“Creampuff” should have been your nickname too. [ She teases in return, joking, but will otherwise allow him to continue if there’s more to the story. ]

Yeah, I don't think anyone would take me seriously if I had a nickname like that.

[He has a hard enough time getting people to take him seriously now! At least some of the time.]

I don't remember much more of it- it was kind of a blur, he was talking to people the way someone in charge does, and that's boring for a little kid. But she was watching him anyway. She admired him so much... her big brother. Like he couldn't do anything wrong. "He's just like Daddy," she thought. [His fingers curl in her hair, all affection.] She loved them so much.

[ She smiles up at him, relishing the feeling of his hand in her hair. Noctis being able to have the memory in which he'd have an older sibling...

It's adorable in a way that gives her a pleasant, fluttery feeling within, happy for him that he can experience such a thing, even if it's through some memory. He would have made an excellent younger brother or older one, she thinks. ]

What a precious memory... I'm glad you could have that memory, too.

Mm... me too. I think- [He hesitates, looking thoughtful for a moment.] I think that was the first queen of Lucis. Not through marriage, I mean.

[He doesn't have much to go on, but... instinct, perhaps. The way she carried herself despite her child body, dancing through the myriad of bodies moving through the castle halls. The rarity of Lucian royal siblings, ever since the disastrous first two. The nickname. It's a feeling he can't shake.]

[ The first queen of Lucis by birth. ]

Oh. [ She blinks again, understanding dawning upon her face. ] Then... her brother at the time? He... had no heir?

No, he didn't.

[The truth of it as far as he knows is a lot more grim, but he's content to leave it there. They were happy, for a while. Better to leave the memory at that.]

[ He had no heir, and so the crown went to her, making her Lucis' first queen. She imagines it's a rare sort of story among royalty, where there are plays at power struggles among those in line. At least, that is how Addam's own tale went even when he hadn't want to participate.

In any case, his shorter reply indicates that he's not going to say much more on the how or whys of the crown passing to her, and so she focuses on something else: her reign. ]

Was she a good queen? Inspired by her elder brother, I'd like to think.

I think so, too. She's really famous- the Rogue. Her weapon was the giant shuriken I got. She's one of the most well-known rulers, in name at least, even though she ruled from the shadows, so they say. I don't think she'd be as well known as she is if she wasn't good at it.

[ That makes sense enough to her. ]

...Ah. Well, did the dream show you how she used her weapon? Any tips and tricks?

[ It's partly a joke-- the Rogue in his memory was still young-- but she can't help but be curious if such a thing is possible, that he could learn how the old kings and queens wielded their weapons themselves, and use that knowledge for himself. ]

Hmm... I think... she was armed with some very effective cuteness.

[Which is admittedly a very good weapon, for very cute people.]

[ She giggles softly, looking up at him, admiringly. ] Something you wield perfectly well, too.

[ After that, she closes her eyes and exhales, simply enjoying the presence of him. A memory like that, coming during a time of mourning, isn't so terrible a stress. Perhaps it even helped him a bit, but that might not always be the case in the future, of having dreams of family and running into old brother's arms for comfort and affection.

...She wonders what it'd feel like, to have a sibling like that. It must have been an experience for Noctis, too, as he has no blood-siblings. She's grateful he told her of this. In a way, she's able to live vicariously through the memory as well. ] ...Thank you for sharing that with me.

Mm... no big deal.

[It is, a little bit- maybe not so much in the telling, but he suspects it could be for her. He doesn't know exactly what her relationship with her sibling was like, but the hints he'd gotten so far are mixed, based on his nature and appearance. Maybe a happy memory of a sister being loved by her big brother is some comfort to her. He hopes so, at least, and that's the impression he's getting.]

Just... seemed like the kind of memory you'd enjoy.

[He doesn't only want to end up shoving the grim or unhappy memories on her. Balance is as important with this as with anything.]

It--....It is. [ Her reply is delayed, as if she's still gathering her thoughts on the memory.

After a few more bell tolls, she speaks up again. ]

...My brother and I... We didn't have something like that.

[ She neither say this mournfully or enviously. Her relationship with Malos (and her other brother) is complex in ways she has trouble putting into words. But she going to try. ] Truthfully, [ She pauses, trying again. ] ...I use the word "brother" so that it may make sense the most sense to others and not raise questions. It's also a more distant term to use.

[ ... ]

Mythra and him called each other partners. We're... [ She struggles a bit, putting her thoughts into words in ways she hopes make sense, because all of this feels muddled to her, blurry, as if she can't quite remember it, but it feels right. ] It feels as if we're part of the same entity. A trinity. Because there's one more of us.

[He waits and listens, still stroking her hair and paying careful attention to her tone. Again, she offers this part of herself freely; he won't interrupt, and he'll try not to derail. This is one more important step.]

That's come up before, hasn't it? I remember you saying something like that. It was a long time ago...

[Or was that in reference to Mythra and herself? Maybe there's multiple third parties she has to discover. He can't help feeling curious about what any of it might mean.]

Mm. [ She moves her head slightly, as if she could nod while still resting it upon his lap. ] Both that I feel we're not fully ourselves, myself and Mythra, I mean. And that we're part of a greater whole, too.

[ She breaks her gaze from his, looking towards the branches and the sky above. ] Funnily enough, even though I say that... We don't want to lose who we are. At the same time, we're not scared of who we might be or what we might become, because it feels right to reach for that. It's as if we're incomplete....

[ Ah, she's rambling, and she's mentioned something like that before to him. ] A-anyways. Malos and us... We can enter each other's domains freely. [ Although rarely, because there's some strange understanding of respect. Pyra waves a hand, as if to symbolize the entirety of the realm they're in. It's greater than just this conjuring of Elysium. ]

...But if you're wondering, I haven't been able to access his, not since I've come to Havenwell.

[He doesn't want her to lose who she is, either- or to lose her, himself. Like, if she discovered this missing part of herself, would it change who she was at the core? Or would it be another fragment he could meet and befriend, like Mythra? He worries a little sometimes, when he remembers she'd mentioned it to him, what would be different and if there's anything they'd lose in the process. At the same time, he needs to have faith in her, the way she has faith in him that his new memories won't override who he is deep down. Even if she does change, he's sure that any part of her is one he can grow to love, in time.]

Huh...

[He was wondering, actually. And even though she can't access them, he's curious of what that domain might look like. Is it as grim and unwelcoming as Malos' face? ...Okay, yeah, he's gotta ask.]

Do you remember what it's like?

[ She closes her eyes, contemplative. ] Dark and primordial. [ She opens her eyes. ] All that emptiness, with just a flicker of...plasma or miasma or color to show some texture.

I suppose it was his own memory of something, too, or-- our memory. Just, one that the 'me' that I am isn't as connected to as he is.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject