EL NYSA IC INBOX.

[daemonized]

ardyn izunia.

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[daemonized]

[Prompto.

Of course it would be Prompto. The boy who would have the most to say against him, the one from Eos that he'd harmed the most. All for purpose, of course, but to say that their relationship -- if it could even be called that -- was a tense one was the understatement of the century.

So, Prompto was close enough to be friends with X'rhun? Ardyn begins to craft a web of acquaintances in his mind, little connecting dots of who knows who. How strange that they would still fall into the same circles. Fate, or misfortune, perhaps?

A quiet moment, then a tilt of his head. A snap decision.]

I've never heard of the boy before. Eos is a big place, and there are a multitude of people who could've been brought here, but... perhaps I'll seek him out, sometime.

[The lie slips out with such ease, nothing betrays it. But why bother lying, he asks himself, when the truth will rear up and tear all these little connective tissues apart? Well, the lie is easier. It'll keep it everything even keel for longer. For now.

Ah, there it is. Suddenly he feels bitter again, his old friend coming up to meet him, as it always does. But the casual air remains.]

Describe him to me?

[verflair]

[ He knows it’s purely by chance that a couple of them from Hydaelyn have a connecting thread in the form of the Warrior of Light. He knows it’s purely by chance that he awoke to find Alisaie and not a complete stranger instead. After all, Sidurgu and Ysayle and Sadu had been strangers to him at the start.

So, when Ardyn says, easily as anything, that he doesn’t know who Prompto is, X’rhun has no reason not to take him at his word. ]

Oh, probably about twenty summers or so. So tall— [ he lifts a hand to illustrate ] –a bit lanky. Blonde hair that rather puts one in mind of a chocobo with the way he styles it. Fond of puns.

[daemonized]

[He listens, feigning an interest as if he doesn't already know what Prompto looks like, what he acts like. As if the description of the chocobo-headed young man was anything new to him.

Fond of puns, though? Ardyn and Prompto don't have... that kind of repartee with each other for him to know that, to say the least.]

Puns?

[verflair]

Oh yes. It’s almost criminal the way he goes on.

[ X’rhun gives a little roll of his eyes, but there’s something undeniably fond in his expression. He could have far worse candidates for an adoptive son-in-law. ]

[daemonized]

Cringe-worthy, I imagine.

[He notes that fondness in X'rhun's expression, though. It's hard to miss, for a man as observant as Ardyn.]

I hope you return the assault tenfold when it happens.

[verflair]

[ X’rhun makes no effort to hide it, either. Why should he? ]

Of course I do! Who do you take me for?

[daemonized]

[No reason at all, honestly.]

Just making sure that you give as good as you get, my friend. [A "hm" of what sounds like amusement.] And finding it novel that those from vaguely similar worlds might still gravitate towards each other, despite all that's happened. Or maybe because of all that's happened.

[verflair]

I guess chocobos really can bring people together.

[ Well, chocobos and a mutual dislike of Bahamut. ]

[daemonized]

[There's that. Though ask Prompto, and he might not have that big of an issue with the astral as, say, Ardyn does.]

And why wouldn't they? Reliable creatures that they are.

[verflair]

[ Any Eorzean never really wants to talk about Bahamut, truthfully. And Prompto’s paramor has more reason to hate the primal than most.

Suffice it to say, it hasn’t come up. ]

Ardyn. Don’t tell me you have a fondness for chocobos?

[daemonized]

[His secret is out -- though maybe it's not really a secret worth keeping.]

I used to own one. If I didn't have a fondness for them, then what a comedy of errors that would've been.

[verflair]

Well that may be true, but if I’d known, I would have gotten you something in yellow instead.

[ Probably not, though. ]

[daemonized]

I never said it was a yellow chocobo that I owned.

[Though the thought of a bright yellow (and feathery) scarf is rather amusing.]

Do you think the color would suit me, however?

[verflair]

Oh? Then what color was it?

[ He leans over, resting an elbow on the table as he scrutinizes Ardyn a moment, trying to imagine a bright yellow scarf in place of his current one. ]

Hm. I'm not sure. Mayhap something more golden than bright yellow. [ He makes a vague gesture at his own face. ] It would bring out your eyes.

[daemonized]

Black.

[And no one was surprised.]

And the next purchase I make of the scarf-variety, I'll be sure that it's a glittering, golden hue. To match my eyes, since you flatter me so.

[verflair]

Of course.

[ Said on a laugh. He is not surprised at all. ]

Oh, hush. You asked for my opinion and I simply gave it.

[daemonized]

No, no, it's flattery. You'll make me blush.

[When it comes to dramatics, Ardyn will take the ball and run with it if no one stops him.]

As bright red as a schoolgirl.

[verflair]

[ And X'rhun is certainly not the person to stop him. ]

Oh, is that all it will take? Somehow I imagined getting you to go red would be more of a challenge than that.

[daemonized]

[Well then they're just going to be an embarrassment to everyone around them.]

One would think so, but only those who know me well are aware of the truth -- I'm a very sensitive man. And particularly susceptible to compliments being thrown my way.

[verflair]

[ Good thing they're off in the corner of shame already. ]

Ardyn, Ardyn, Ardyn. You should know better than to arm me with such information.

[daemonized]

[Their shame cannot be contained by a single corner.]

Maybe I'm secretly telling you to compliment me more often, did you think of that?

[verflair]

[ Sorry to everyone in this cafe. ]

Oh, if that is the case, where shall I go from here? Your charming wit, mayhap?

[ Someone stop them. ]

[daemonized]

Oh, my charming wit or my handsome features. Either one is a particularly effective place to begin.

[No one is here to stop them.]

[verflair]

Careful. You get me started on either and we may well be here all day.

[ Then extra apologies to everyone in this cafe. ]

[daemonized]

[Oh, X'rhun. That makes Ardyn laugh openly.]

My, you're good at this. [That wasn't a retort he had been expecting, truly.] I should be careful around you.