carbungle | IC Contact

[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.

[They’re doing this now.

But between himself and‌ Pyra, enough pretty words have been uttered. Somnus doesn’t return the squeeze, opting to watch her carefully instead. It’s early and he observed no signs of her returning to the townhouse on his way out. She’s been out overnight, and perhaps linked to his descendant the whole while. He pulls his hand out of Noctis’.

Their future isn’t for her to fight. Together, it’s the future of this world for which they should grasp in order to return to their respective worlds.

Somnus faces Noctis.]

Dawn has broken. Remember this moment, and rest while there is time.

[He turns toward Pyra.]

Let us return.

[Yeah, that's about what he'd expected out of Somnus, and it nets an amused look from Noctis as he's released from his ancestor's grasp. He gives Pyra's hand a light squeeze before it, too, is released, and he takes a step or two backwards.]

Resting is so going to happen. Not used to all-nighters. [He pauses, and then-] Thanks, Pyra. For everything.

[Even if this newfound ability has certain limitations, which may or may not be insurmountable themselves... even with that, it means so much just to have accomplished something. It gives him hope to keep trying, and he hasn't felt that in a long while.]

[ With Noctis' hand slipping from hers and the long night over, she's left with her other hand still held by Somnus'.

She's the one who should be thanking him. ] No... Thank you. [ Pyra inclines her head, smiling gently. ] This is just the beginning. [ With practice, with others, he is sure to learn far more. She, too, won't leave this be at one lesson if he's willing to learn more... But for now--

She lifts her free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, somewhat slowly, and then she looks back to Somnus. ] Will you be escorting me back? [ It wouldn't be too imposing, she supposes, so long as contact can be continued for the gods here.... but she's surprised he wouldn't go off and do-- whatever it is that he does in the morning alone. ]

[All-nighters and intensive warping exercises don’t tend to agree with each other, after all. Having said what qualifies as their goodbyes, Somnus meets Pyra’s eyes and nods.]

I did not see you last night. If you require rest, I will take us there.

[His morning routine can wait. It's still a touch early to be doing anything of much significance, anyway.]

[Noctis raises his brow at them - what, what, what is that, just how close are they - but refrains from asking. The nature of their relationship, if he's going to get an answer at all, can certainly wait. He needs to sleep. So instead he offers up a casual wave and wanders off a few steps... before pausing, turning around and calling back in Pyra's, or technically both of their directions,]

Hey, you can call me Noct!

[And then he spins on his heel and warps the heck away because embARRASSING--]

IC Contact | Hugtopia

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