daemonized | EL NYSA IC INBOX.

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.]

[ He simply shrugs – he’s not offended in the least. For as little as he lives in his own home, once he’s opened his door to someone, they’re free to make themselves at home as much as they like. ]

I wonder, will you burst into flames should word “please” pass your lips?

[ But that doesn’t stop him from walking over. Curiosity is a hell of a thing. ]

[Cats and curiosity, as predictable as ever, Ardyn would say.]

I might. You’ll never know.

[Smug, too, but unlike many facets of his humor, this one is not coated in ill-will. He waits expectantly until X’rhun is closer, the gentle arch of his brow revealing no impatience, betraying nothing but a vague spark of keenness in his eyes.

Until he’s close enough for him to grab at his forearm, that is, bringing him near, and without warning or fanfare, presses his lips rather heatedly against his friend’s. Not a single bone in his body possesses even an ounce of shame, and the contour of his smile can probably be felt in this kiss.

Okay, he might’ve been lying about luring X’rhun indoors to present him with a “gift”. Or, depending on one’s point of view, he might not have been lying at all.]

[ There’s a brief moment, when Ardyn first closes his hand around X’rhun’s arm that he tenses, wondering just where this is going, but he needn’t wonder for long because Ardyn pulls him close and – oh.

Oh.

Whether the talk of a “gift” was a ruse or, in fact, referring to the current situation remains to be seen, but quite frankly that all goes flying out the window rather quickly. He’s not sure what it is exactly about kissing Ardyn, all heat and force and smirks against his lips, that has him giving in so quickly, but give in he does. He brings his free hand up to grasp at the fabric of Ardyn’s shirt and kisses him right back. With the way his tail sets to lashing behind him, it’s easy to tell he’s not exactly bothered by this development. ]

[Encouraging, that response to his kiss. Though he would’ve been surprised if X’rhun didn’t take well to it, as prideful as such a thought might seem.

But Ardyn remembers, quite clearly, his friend’s reaction to the first time he kissed him. The heat and the eagerness that blossomed up in record time, how the look on his face had been left wanting when he finally pulled away. He sees no reason why now should be any different, especially if there is a hotter fire stoked in Ardyn’s chest this time; wrought by various frustrations, all of them recent enough, thoughts mercilessly sticking in his skull. He requires distraction — he’s cashing in on their arrangement.

Obvious by the way he way his fingers press into X’rhun’s clothing, hand still on his arm. Obvious by the way the kiss is hungrier, a little rougher, than what he would remember. And as he pulls away for the first time, breath warm and teeth gently scraping against the man’s lower lip, it is oh-so-obvious by the look in his eyes — something darkly simmering under the surface — that he wants a little more than just simple kissing this time.]

I hope you didn’t think that I had forgotten about our little agreement from before.

[ There’s an edge to this kiss that hasn’t been in any of the others they’ve shared, a sharp sort of hunger from Ardyn’s end that has something in X’rhun feeling danger and excitement in equal measure. How unfair it is, he thinks, that Ardyn does this to him so easily, sets his heart hammering against the back of his ribs with the press of his lips and the scrape of his teeth. Granted, he probably does it because X’rhun has made no secret of the way he reacts when Ardyn kisses him. Of all the people in all the wide world, he has surely had his attentions snared by the very worst, but… well, here they are, regardless.

Whatever it is that shines in Ardyn’s gaze, some shadowy thing that promises more, sends very real anticipation shooting down his spine, but to his credit he keeps it off his face, and instead lets it show in the twitching of his tail. ]

Perish the thought. I figured you would act on it when you were good and ready, and not a moment before. You move as do mountains, Ardyn. As does a dragon. Everything in your own time, and in your own way.

And I cannot decide if you've just called me slow and ponderous, or grand and powerful.

[A huff of amusement, leaning in, eyes tracking across X'rhun's expression. His smile is wickedly sharp, the sense of excitement shared between them. Ardyn's focus has tapered into a sharp, fine point, directly solely towards the other and little else.]

Not that it matters.

[He shifts forward just enough for his breath and words to catch in X'rhun's ear. His other hand presses against his friend's chest, against the material of his uniform, as if to accentuate-]

Now tell me, how long does it take for you to remove all of this?

[His clothes, he means.]

[ Maybe a bit of both, though Ardyn is more like a dragon over anything else. Slow to forget and even slower to forgive, the wrongs of lifetimes ago are as fresh wounds to them. It's almost poetic, how that reminds him of the man before him.

However, that little piece of poetry he keeps to himself, because Ardyn's breath is warm in his ear, tickling through his fur in an altogether pleasant way. And, well, there is the matter of- ]

My uniform? It takes a small bit of effort - [ effort that he is now more than motivated to put forth ] - but not half as long as one might expect. I am something of a professional, by now.

Was that a request or just an idle bit of curiosity?

[ As if he doesn't know. ]

[Oh, as if X'rhun even has to ask. To label anything Ardyn suggests as a request is almost too kind, but thus far it lacks the force of a command. So perhaps somewhere in-between.

Fingers curl slightly into the fabric as he replies.]

You already know the answer to that.

[Don't play coy, X'rhun. Ardyn's already removed his coat, and while there are still layers beneath that, the rest of him wears clothing that fits his body a bit better. Easier to see the broadness of shoulders and the sharp cut of his form, when down to his rather ornate waistcoat and white shirt.]

Aye, I suppose I do.

[ As if there’s any mistaking where this is going. With one arm still clasped by Ardyn’s hand – and maybe because he enjoys being a tease, just a small bit – he’s left to tug the glove on his free hand off with his teeth.

He needs his arm back if he’s to begin shedding more layers, however, and he tugs it from Ardyn’s grip as he steps back just a small bit. The other glove comes away first, then he sets to the many clasps and buttons the make up the front of his jacket. There are a lot of them, but his movements are well-practiced and quick enough.

Beneath the complicated, ornate mess that is his Duelist’s coat he wears a simple white shirt – more buttons but extremely straightforward ones. The jacket he drapes over the back of a nearby chair, and he spreads his hands. ]

Ta-da.

[ Those boots might take some doing, but the rest of his wardrobe is fairly simple. ]

[A gesture like that, teeth to pull away at his glove, can be mistaken as nothing more than teasing. Ardyn knows it, and he appreciatively arches a brow, remaining patient (for now). He can wait, detaching himself from X’rhun long enough to watch him discard the Duelist’s coat with impressively deft hands. Watching those fingers work sends a subtle thrill up his spine.]

You can’t ta-da me, when you’ve only stripped away the first layer.

[He chuckles, because he’s well-aware he’s done the same. But he shall dictate the removal of his own clothing, not the other way around, and so Ardyn just steps forward to work at the buttons on the man’s shirt with ease. His eyes never leave his friend’s features, his eyes, the curve of his mouth.]

But it’s a start.

Can’t I? It was a lot of buttons. I felt it deserving of a “ta-da”.

[ Ardyn steps in to take over, and X’rhun lets him. His friend has made no secret of his need to be in charge, regardless of the situation, and he expected no different here. That was the point of this agreement, after all: to allow Ardyn to do “whatever he wants”. He keeps a lazy little smirk on his face, his expression belied only by the eager way his tail waves, more visible now with the absence of the many layers of red fabric from his coat.

This wouldn’t be the first time he’s gone without his shirt in the presence of Ardyn, though he’s picked up a few more scars in the relatively short time since their run-in with the chimera, some few marks from stingers and fangs. A grim reminder of the week spent in captivity and his eventual demise. ]

And what of you, hm? I would not be surprised to remove your scarf to find that you had half a dozen more hidden beneath.

[He’s only satisfied when each button is undone, and he’s able to brush a hand against exposed skin. Scars that he had seen before, along with new ones alike, less faded than the rest. A finger idly traces along one of them, and X’rhun’s body warmth is such an appealing sensation, he thinks.]

No. Only the one this time.

[He doesn’t hide his own smirk as his free hand comes up to tug away the scarf. It’s the same one that X’rhun gifted him with months ago, for he is still fond of wearing it; the fabric is quickly discarded to the side, landing near X’rhun’s own red coat. It loosens his shirt collar as a result (the flamboyant thing that it is), more freely exposing the lines of his neck, the way his Adam’s apple moves slightly as he swallows, before leaning in to mark the man’s collarbone with a wanting kiss that teeters just on the edge of eagerness.

This close, Ardyn smells of deep musk and anise, of lingering sunlight from their time spent sitting in the grass together. His messy hair falls across his eyes, leaning forward as he does, and his hands wander up X’rhun’s side, the pressure of his touch teasing.]

Why? So eager to have me undressed, with you writhing beneath me?

[Everything about Ardyn to start will be teasing, he’ll soon learn.]

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