daemonized | EL NYSA IC INBOX.

[And then suddenly he has a beak against his chest, almost as if she has a mind to see what's in his coat pockets. Nothing resembling treats, unfortunately.

Ardyn leans back, putting his hands in the air. He finally turns his head to look at X'rhun.]

She must like me. I do have a rather magnetic personality, so I'm not surprised.

[Magnetic is one word for it.]

She's smaller than the one at the wedding.

My friend, I believe you're taking the term "animal magnetism" a bit too literally.

[ Finding no treats (alas!) Valiant lets out a soft kweh, likely of disappointment, drawing back away from Ardyn's pockets. ]

Ah, yes. Chobi is a draught chocobo. They're bred to be larger, for pulling heavy cargo or bearing multiple passengers. Valiant here is more of a standard size.

[ Kweh kweh! ]

[Alas, if only he had some greens to feed her. Perhaps next time he shall come better prepared for it.

Ardyn reaches out once more to give her a nice pat or two, pushing away the sting of nostalgia creeping up in his chest.]

It makes sense, when explained in that way. And yet the chocobos of Eos were all relatively the same size. They look a bit different, too, in subtle ways.

[Ah, but X'rhun's already seen one, a ghost of a thing in his memories.]

So I have seen.

[ They are the same creature, at their core, but it's true, the one he saw in Ardyn's memory looked different indeed, and not just in color. ]

There is a race of peoples from Hydaelyn called lalafells. At most they grow to be a hair above three fulms in height. On the other side of the scale we have the roegadyn, who are upwards of seven fulms at the least. Chocobos are bred in all sizes to accommodate any rider.

[ With no treats, Valiant finds this all very boring, and lays her head down again to resume her nap. ]

[He'll certainly not stop her from taking a nap, and instead Ardyn decides to properly settle into a seated position, next to X'rhun in the grass.]

So you're telling me that your world possessed miniature chocobos.

[He's imagining it in his head, and finding it unfair Eos did not have them.]

In essence, yes.

[ He grins a Knowing grin at his friend. ]

You're picturing it now, aren't you? I assure you, it's as adorable as it sounds.

You know me too well. I am indeed trying to picture it, and finding it endlessly amusing.

[He leans back, palms pressed into the grass, looking up at the sky, feeling the sunlight in all its uncomfortable glory. If only it were an overcast day today.]

I wonder if I shall be granted a friend, too, someday. It seems to be the on-going trend.

‘Tis always possible. I don’t know what possesses the Natha to bestow these odd little gifts upon us, but I’ll not complain. The trinkets they hand out are fascinating.

[ And sometimes, they’re not a trinket at all, but a full-grown chocobo. ]

Hmm.

[A shrug of broad shoulders.]

Beyond the mercilessly slow return of my glaives, I've only received one other gift from them thus far. Biscuits. It made for an interesting experiment; with heightened emotion, eating one would cause hallucinations.

[ He blurts out an incredulous laugh, mostly because what the fuck, Natha? ]

I daresay mine own gifts have been tame in comparison to that. Did you find out the effects on your own, or did some other poor soul partake first?

[It had been an actual experiment, in which Rosalind decided to test it on him first after he told her about them -- he agreed, out of curiosity and little else. But he gives the simplest answer.]

I tried it, knowing what it might do.

[It was, ah, not particularly pleasant.]

It was certainly a very detailed hallucination that ensued.

Edited 2018-05-08 21:01 (UTC)

You brave soul.

[ But, he supposes Ardyn is the very definition of a man with nothing to lose, so why not, right? ]

Dare I ask what happened?

I saw Bahamut looming above me.

[He purposefully makes his tone utterly casual, fingers flexing in the warm grass.]

Lecturing me, as all high-and-mighty gods do. And then he tried to bring his blade down upon my head, to cleave me in twain. You can imagine how I might've felt about that.

Quite honestly, you could have stopped at “Bahamut”.

[ Though their respective versions of Bahamut are as different as can be, he still can’t help his reaction to that name. ]

I imagine you did not react favorably, no. Nor would I.

No. Though you would likely not have threatened to blow a hole in the station with your incredulity. I am quite fortunate that someone had awoken me from my hallucinations at the time.

[Ah, but he waves a hand. ]

But my point is that the Natha sends us the strangest things. I suppose a simple fruit basket is too banal for them to even consider.

[He brings a hand up to scratch at his chin, then reaches out to idly pet Valiant another time.]

Speaking of gifts, I have something for you. If you plan on retiring to your home at any point today, I can present you with it then.

Gods, you don’t do anything by half, do you?

[ He’s glad it hadn’t come to that outcome, but he can understand the reaction. He may be lacking in the firepower department by a wide margin when compared to Ardyn, but make no mistake, he would have likely lashed out as well.

For all the good it would do him against an Elder Primal, real or imagined. ]

Oh, but now you’ve piqued my curiosity. It’s not something you can give to me now?

I never do anything by halves.

[Even couched in a jest, a truer statement has never been spoken. When emotions run high for Ardyn Izunia, it is the equivalent of a storm rolling by.

Still, he laughs, finding something funny about that question.]

Well, yes. But also— not particularly. For now, try not to let your curiosity undo your patience.

I’ve enough feline in me to know better than to prolong the inevitable when it comes to curiosity.

[ And he is genuinely curious. Their friendship thus far has been a fair amount of gift-giving on X’rhun’s side, but not so much from Ardyn. ]

Besides, I’m sure you don’t exactly relish being out in the sun like this.

You're right. I can feel the life seeping out of me, from every single pore, as we speak.

[Which would actually be true, if he were a, ah, normal sort of daemon-like thing. But he is certainly not, and so the sun, while unpleasant, does no real harm to him.

Other than making him wish he brought his hat today. Alas.]

[ He can borrow X’rhun’s hat if he wants?? ]

I thought as much. I can’t have you withering away on me, now can I?

[ This, as he finally shuts his book and gets to his feet. He lets out a short whistle and Valiant blinks awake from her nap, uncurling herself from her spot in the grass to stand, shaking out her wings and tailfeathers. ]

Would you like to walk, or ride?

[ It’s not a terribly long journey either way, but he figures he’d offer. ]

[Rising to his feet, he straightens the sleeves of his coat, affording Valiant one more glance.]

Tempting offer, but today I shall walk.

[Considering it isn’t far, walking doesn’t sound unpleasant. Ardyn, being himself, already begins to stride in the direction of X’rhun’s home.]

Come along, now.

[ X’rhun gives a little roll of his eyes, murmuring an aside to Valiant along the lines of, “He sure likes to think he’s in charge, doesn’t he?” and makes no effort to say it quietly enough that Ardyn can’t hear. With his chocobo’s reigns in hand, he follows along with his friend. Whatever natives they happen to pass, if any, don’t give the bird so much as a second glance.

When they do reach X’rhun’s home, it’s no different from when last Ardyn was there, except for the appearance of a pile of hay and a basket of vegetables on the porch – a place for Valiant to stay for the time being, until Prompto and Alisaie return from their honeymoon and he’s able to ask them about lodgings for his new companion.

He tethers Valiant to a post near her little makeshift bed, before he and Ardyn head into the house. (He will wait, if Ardyn wishes to give the chocobo a pat before they part.) ]

The Natha plopped Valiant right in my home, you know. I woke up and she was standing over my bed. I thought I was like to die of shock.

[Wow how dare you point out his somewhat controlling nature to your chocobo, X’rhun? You’re totally not painting him in a good light. (Even if it’s hilariously correct…)

At any rate, the trek over his home is not long, and it seems like there are a few items nearby to accommodate Valiant; Ardyn makes the safe assumption that this is only temporary, until a more suitable place can be found. He does indeed give the magnificent bird another pat on the neck before heading into the house.

Not much has changed, he notes idly. He’s apparently making himself comfortable, deciding to shrug off his long black coat, standing in the middle of the main room.]

Ha, the shock of excitement, no doubt. There’s no better way for her to have left an impression, in my opinion.

[ X’rhun’s hat goes on a peg by the door, as does his sword in its sheath, but those are the only things he sheds once they enter. His Duelist outfit takes a lot of work to get on, and he’s not so quick to undo all of that just yet. ]

She did leave quite the impression, it’s true. The excitement, however, took a few moments to arrive.

[ He might have flailed his way right out of bed in the whole ordeal, but he’ll keep that embarrassing tidbit to himself. ]

I see I needn’t tell you to make yourself at home.

Oh, am I being rude? Just tell me if I'm being too inconsiderate.

[He doesn't seem terribly bothered, because he knows that something as simple as taking off his coat is not a gesture that his friend would be offended by. He just gives his usual lopsided grin, neatly setting the article of clothing aside on the closest place to sit, and gestures at X'rhun.]

At any rate, come here.

[Bossy, isn't he.]

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