carbungle | IC Contact

[ First, she is there, held close to him, by him, to him. She feels his warmth, the arm about her waist, and the intensity of the pulse of power that comes with this light. Her palm barely finds purchase on his chest for stability (and it is there, peculiarly, a strange point of extra power tucked just beneath the collar of his shirt).

Second, she is not there, instead collapsed into the energy that is him, consciousness and memory preserved only by the will he extends over this power. In a way it's similar to her other's power to blitz at light-speed, in that it cuts from one space to the other; yet this is wholly more graceful. He executes the warp like weaving through the stream that is time. They are light, the world is but a matrix of other, a blur, an amalgam of inconsequential matter, and in the pseudo still-moment of the warp, her attention remains on him.

It occurs to her, connected like this, that he's not even thinking. He's simply doing, as if this power is merely instinct. It's breathtaking, but she has no breath from which to draw. That he can do this is also... ]

Incredible...

[ Ah, air exists again. As does her words. And the weight of gravity, her legs and feet loose below her. With his arm trembling, Pyra's fingers curl upon his shirt as she feels herself slip further down. Her other arm hold onto him tightly. Had she an actual heart, it would be beating rapidly with exhilaration and relief and a lightness like birds taking flight. She is-- so happy for him that he's achieved this, she cannot even express it.

Dangling here upon the tower while still watching him as the last of the blue-light fades, she sees how the shadows of his face shift with the colors of morning. She blinks, suddenly realizing she's been staring, that time is moving again, and that... it is morning. Finally, she turns to face the light of the sun as well.

Seeing the dawn had been the third and final reason for choosing night to begin this session, and now it appears justly as ever. This, too, is incredible. How lucky is she, to witness two amazing things in one day? ]

[It takes a moment for reality to sink back in for Noctis, but at last he can shake away his shock and glance down at her and realize that she's really and truly there, that his senses weren't lying to him. Carefully he loosens his grasp to lower her down until her feet can touch the ground, then releases the blade and drops down next to her, brushing a hand through his hair and just. Exhales. He looks from her, to the sunrise, to her again, and-]

We did it. [His eyes flare wide, lips curving cautiously upwards.] We did it! You're here, you came with me!

[He feels- giddy, all wild-eyed and tousled hair, goosebumps prickling his skin. It's like the first time he warped solo, the first time he called upon that power and it answered in kind, did what he wished of it, after months and months of throwing blades into the wall with no reward for his efforts. It feels like a door that for so long has been slammed shut in his face has finally cracked, just a little.

It's- it's enough just to know that it's possible, that the potential was even there to begin with, that his abilities weren't irrevocably scarred or broken. But to have actually done it... he doesn't know what to say. It's mind-blowing. It is, as she said, incredible.]

[ His smile is infectious, and soon she can't help but return the grin all on her own. It starts out small, only to end up rivaling his, laughter bubbling past her lips with excitement, all for him as he flits about and runs a hand through his hair. It's as if he does not know what to do with the joy of having achieved his goal. He seems so youthful, his happiness palpable like he's been waiting for this for ages. And just how long has he been waiting to accomplish it, even? Not to mention with such flair! They're more than two stories up! Is that normal for him?!

Pyra's laugh rings again. Overcome with that happiness for him-- she can't help it, she flings herself at him for a BIG STRONG BEAR HUG. Tight and brimming happiness and warm, as if she could envelop all of the good will and joy and the world, and wrap it around him just as she brings her arms about his back. ]

You did bring me with you! [ His inclusion of "we" rings odd to her ears; hence the shift back to him. That power had all been within him from the start. If not her, she's certain it could have been someone else to teach him how, if only they had the patience... Yes, that's correct. She's not of his world; by all rights, this moment shouldn't be hers to share with him. But there is someone she knows that is of his world; and, she believes, someone who far more deserves to revel in the dawn of this accomplishment. ]

Aah, [ Another laugh, a giggle, and then a sigh. She'll withdraw from the embrace as soon as he's ready, hands sliding down to take his and rock them side to side in an excited little wave. ] I can't believe you had doubts!

[ The sunrise is indeed glorious this morning. ]

[Shyly he returns the embrace, still far too excited to let himself feel embarrassed about it; he doesn't even tense up as her hands touch upon his back. She'd told him to try doing that more, so... here he is! Trying it! She's much stronger than she looks, and he can't help his breathlessness as she draws back, still too overwhelmed by all of this to wrestle internally with his own reservations. He allows his hands to be swung, leaning back and forth on his heels and feeling a bit like a kid again.]

You'd have doubts too if you watched me train back home. I haven't even come close to managing this for years. What did you... [He hesitates, a sliver of his excitement shifting instead to confusion and curiosity as his brows furrow.] What did you do? I could feel it- it was doing something with my magic. It was... different.

[Not bad, obviously. He certainly can't argue with the results. But he's never experienced different kinds of magic weaving together like that. In his world there is no other magic- not good kinds, anyway.]

[ The way he seems to rock, the brightness of his smile... Yes, this is a good morning. And what's even more surprising, he doesn't seem tired at all! In fact, he appears invigorated. She supposes anyone might be, if they had learned something like that after trying for so long. At his questions, however: ] Ah-- wait, wait!

[ She draws away from him, releasing one hand to tug his other towards the edge of the roof, and almost with a newfound urgency, she squeezes it again. ] The sun-- it's almost done rising! [ Almost. Not quite. So they still have time, the sky melting into the lovely pastels of pinks and lavenders in the east. It's not the same hue of his eyes just before, but it's close. ] There's someone else who has to see this with you...

[ Finally releasing his hand completely, she takes out her ~~cell phone~~ communicator and quickly inputs a message, her fingers tapping away at the clear screen excitedly:

Good morning!! :) You're up, aren't you? Please come to [ Insert exact location here. ] It's a surprise. ;)

[ The message and the subject itself to whom it is sent remains obscured from Noctis. With that, she replaces her communicator and looks to him once more and... ]

[ Smiles sweetly and patiently, pressing a finger to her lips, as if waiting and calling for quietness from him as they wait. If Noctis knows how to warp, and Noctis has mentioned before that his is a noble lineage, the Crystal a power that his family has been protecting, their magic all derived from it...

That must mean he must know how to warp, too. Thus, she waits. Shouldn't be long now. (She hopes!) ]

[Somnus, being himself, doesn't send a reply but does go out the door within a minute of the message's receipt. Whether or not he warps along the way, he's there before long, spotting them on higher ground from a distance. He summons his blade, hurls it with great force, and appears mid air in a shower of sparks once it soars over the rooftop, where he lands on one hand and knee. Dismissing the blade, he closes the gap between them with long strides.

It's rather early for one of them to be up at this hour. Somnus doesn't wonder: He'll find out soon enough.]

Hail, Pyra. [He turns, making no comment nor even glancing down at their joined hands.] Noctis.

Edited (warping is for losers with no arm strength for climbing) 2019-11-28 20:04 (UTC)

[Noctis notices how she ignores his question, but he's growing used to that, so he merely sighs and gives the sunrise his attention. It's beautiful, at least, so even if he knows that it's artificial, the distraction is plenty satisfying, especially after a hard night's training. The longer he watches the more tired he feels, considering they've been out all night and he's been using his magic; his curiosity and the fact that she'd kept his energy fed with whatever she'd done is the only thing keeping him on his feet now.

That curiosity is burning a little, and he has to resist the urge to pester her, since she'd made it clear that she's keeping mum. Who had she contacted, though? Did she meet his father, or Luna maybe? He's unsure, but a little excited at the same time, that thrill from their success still lingering. Anyone who knows him would know how much this means to him, so it can't be a bad thing, surely.

A bit of that energy fizzles out as he feels the warp at his back and turns to find… oh. Somnus.

..wait, Somnus?]

Uh, hey. [He shoots a quizzical glance between the two of them.] You guys know each other?

[ In the brief moment she catches sight of the sword that flies through the air before its wielder dismisses it, her eyes widen with amazement. What a superb weapon he wields, and how finely he warps with it; it's not precision with which he moves, it's execution. There is a finality to the movement, and a fatality to the light that disperses, the powerful buzz of divine power silencing in an instant, like a maestro capping a cymbal. He uses only exactly what is necessary, and nothing more. She watches him rise from the warp in awe...

And then she beams. The answer to his question is obvious: they sure do know each other. Somehow. ] Somnus! Somnus, you have to see this, oh you'll be so proud--

[ Then, her hand leaves Noctis' to wrap up to his arm. She's! Ready! For another warp! Pyra lowers her voice in an excited, yet nonetheless encouraging, whisper, stealing a glance at the other before looking back to Noctis. ] Go on, show him. You can do it!

[Evidently, she knows the both of them. Somnus looks from Noctis to Pyra to the small space between them. A suspicion has already begun to form, but he settles for a nod in Noctis' direction to do as bidden, neglecting to mention that he's already been proud for some time.

No sense in spoiling the moment. He stands before them, watching and waiting.]

[Noct's eyes widen, realizing just what she's done here. She called Somnus over just for that? Of all the people he'd thought to show off to, the man who's been familiar with these powers longer than any of them was not at the top of his list. It seems like such a basic technique to be demonstrating for an ancient pro. Still, he can't very well refuse with her encouraging him to try, so... okay. Enjoy the show, Somnus. Maybe.]

R-right... okay, hang on.

[He calls out his blade again, winding his arm around her so they have a more firm connection, and flings his blade down to the surface level of the plaza, warping away!

...And leaving her on the roof, holding on to his phantom image.

A few seconds later his sword stabs into the pole above them, and he drops back down, wide-eyed and flustered.]

Sorry, sorry! One more time-

[And this time he remembers to focus properly beforehand, and the both of them vanish into the warp, reappearing with his blade on the ground below. He glances expectantly back up towards the roof, and to Somnus, lifting a fist into the air. Second try is pretty good, right!?]

[ With his arm wrapped around her, she also (mentally) prepares herself that is the trip of warping, and--

Oh.

Oh that's embarrassing. She's just being held by his after-image. Idly, she waves a hand through the lingering blue-light, distorting the silhouette. It simultaneously feels like power has imprinted into space itself, while also imparting a vacuum behind. It's enchanting, in a way, and it prickles her fingertips before it fades. ]

[ Within an instant, he's back beside her and doing the same as before.

Just before he tries again, pulling to prepare, she encourages yet again: ] You got this.

[ And then it's a flash of blue as they tear through space, appearing upon the ground below. ]

[ Pyra, too, cheers for Noctis, giving his arm another squeeze. ] You did it! [ She laughs. ]

You did it again!

[ Then tilting her head up, she waves at Somnus from below, and that same hand motions for him to come join them. ]

[Throughout all of this, Somnus keeps his gaze trained on the same space between Noctis and‌ Pyra. By the time Noctis reappears to take Pyra with him, Somnus’ suspicions are confirmed. Only once he’s alone on the rooftop does he look down to see the raised fist and wave.

His blade appears in his hand and Somnus strikes the ground a meter away from the pair to join them. Just as quickly as before, the weapon is dismissed with the flick of his wrist.

Until now, Noctis had struggled with even this much. It raises questions about how he overcame that hurdle in such a short span of time, and Somnus suspects that the answers lie in Pyra, whose abilities include those that play a supportive role. But that knowledge is not his to possess, and so he turns to Noctis, for whom this is still a considerable milestone at this age; Somnus won’t take that away from him.]

You have done well.

[??? praise? from Somnus? Apparently he underestimated how this might go. Surprised again, he glances back over at Pyra, expression shifting to a grateful smile.]

Uh... thanks. Still couldn't have managed it without you. [However mysterious that help ended up being.] At least it wasn't just a one-off?

[He still has a lot of practice to do, though, it seems.]

[ It's been an eventful night. In this form, her energy is not limitless; it's imperfect, wasteful, yet she's willingly spent a good deal of it on the young man in front of her for this achievement. To see his smile as he basks in the praise, and to even hear the other who shares his face give it-- sharing his opinion at last--... it's worth it. What is more, she's sure that this is just the beginning. It wasn't just a one-off, he says, she privately agrees. He will learn new things, new things from others to refine those techniques, master them, and use them all to help this world, to give a portion of his light to it.

They both can give that light.

Pyra brings herself away from Noctis, but keeps her hand upon his. Then she takes a step towards Somnus, leaning forward to reach for his hand as well.

To the both of them, she gives a gentle tug to come together, linking their hands before her. Her fingers stay clasped over theirs for a moment as she looks from the new king to the old patriarch, then down to where their hands are joined. They both feel warm. They both feel alive to her. They both have calloused hands, a history of fighting and battles. They are both mortal, however, and somehow they still carry such a great power just beneath their fingertips. United, she is sure they can achieve anything.

Finally she takes a step back, releasing her contact and leaving their hands joined as one.

This moment is theirs; it should have been theirs from the start, being from the same world, being family. ] You two... are your own stars.

[ How fortunate is she, to have met them both? In the morning light, together they stand brighter than the dawn. ]

Edited 2019-11-29 06:07 (UTC)

[Pyra had helped, after all. This holds promise for Noctis, who now knows what’s involved in the process of warping with an additional body. Whether or not he’ll continue to need the help (and there is no shame in this), he’s made a breakthrough.

Somnus allows his hand to be guided and closes his fingers around Noctis' hand, only lifting his head inquisitively when Pyra says something peculiar. They’ve discussed the nature of stars and the life that follows before, but this and that can’t be directly related. Somnus looks at Noctis. Well?]

[Well, what? Noctis... is not actually much help with this, sorry. His gaze darts from Pyra, to Somnus, to their joined hands, then back again, rather deer-in-headlights in the moment, uncertain of what Pyra's intent or her meaning for the gesture might be. He likes Pyra and greatly appreciates her help - especially today - but many of the things she says come across as poetic fluff that doesn't make much sense to him. Are they stars? She seems to think so. Will she explain if he asks? Probably not, based on their track record.

Finally he lifts his shoulders in a shrug, in response to the look he's getting from Somnus.]

I just kind of roll with it at this point.

[After what she managed to help him accomplish today, he'd let her get away with calling him a lot of things, honestly. Most days he gets worse from his friends.]

[ ...The both of them seem dumbfounded, and she wonders if they even realize that they're going through the same motions: looking at her, then looking at each other. They are mirror images.

She giggles softly, bringing her hand to cover her lips politely. ]

[ Pyra pays as much tribute as she can to the gods, engaging in touch where she can. With her withdrawal, clasping her hands in front of her, she's not. This is intentional, for this moment; they are from the same world, while she is the outsider. ]

It means you both shine. [ She explains herself with a smile. ]

And, together, ...I think you two can accomplished just about anything for the future.

[They shine with the Light lent to them by the Crystal. Noctis has yet to bathe in that power in full, but he has received the Crystal's blessing. Certainly, they'll require each other for the future to come to pass in their world; here, however, they are all outsiders.

He extends his other hand toward Pyra.]

No future can be accomplished alone.

Okay, we're doing this now?

[After allowing himself a moment to quirk a brow questioningly at the both of them, he lifts his free hand in Pyra's direction as halfway between an offering and a shrugging gesture. Magic circle of friendship, got it. This is like something out of a video game- something good will come of this. Magically.]

[ From her look that follows their offering alone, it seems she hadn't expected either of them to offer their free hands to her. It would have been easy to back away from them, to make her way back to her townhouse to finally rest.

Instead she steps forward slowly, unclasping hers to lift them. Gingerly, her fingers find their outstretched palms. ]

[ Stepping forward, her smile returns then and only then as she turns her touch into a proper grasp. It is by their graces that she may stand with them. Two mortal kings holding such power, and now they hold her hands. ]

Noctis. Somnus.

[ She looks from one to the other. How does she put into words, the gratefulness she has for having the opportunity to know both of them, to be invited to join them? To stand in the light of the dawn alongside them? The gods of this world seek touch, and through that touch it seems that bonds form regardless of distance. She shouldn't be in their light, but here she is.

No, nothing extraordinary or magical happens, but her smile brightens evermore, her eyes shining with gratefulness. She feels honored, touched, almost breathless with joy. If she had a heart, it would be fluttering with delight.

She speaks as if making a promise. She's tired, but she has all the energy in the world to make this vow to them, squeezing their hands, ] Your futures, ...we will fight for it.

IC Contact | Hugtopia

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/3

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)