♥ April (Lasai) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

April (Lasai) Event Log
Lasai is a beautiful month. The weather is warmer, the sky is a breathtaking blue again, and with the flowers from Ainir growing nicely, the entire city of Havenwell just feels more alive with every breath. It's a time of renewal, of rebirth, of Ainea's greatest strength as her adherents open the temple gates to invite people and robots from all walks of life to enter and share together. What should be a joyous time, however, is suddenly interrupted as the earthquakes mount day by day through the start of Lasai. Those messages that people have been receiving since Nalom? It seems it's time for the gods to deliver on their promises.

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❥ PROMPT I: The Wild Wild West (East, South and North)

As Ainir gives way to Lasai, one morning the earthquakes, which had been growing more frequent again, suddenly mount in their intensity. The entire city is shaking and the native residents cower despite their faith in their gods' protection. The guards along the wall shout alarm and abandon their posts as the walls start to shift under the strain. When the last of them are safely away from the walls, the barrier and the wall itself quivers. The citizens cry out in alarm and fear until they realize that the walls aren't falling - they're moving. And they're moving further out. As everyone in Havenwell looks on, the walls and its surrounding barrier fluctuates and expands, sliding through the city streets as if on hidden tracks, avoiding buildings and ruins, pushing the toxic air and the storm further away. They finally come to rest and snap back into place, new walls rising from who knows where to fill in the gaps. The barrier strengthens and the earthquakes stop, and as the dust settles, a cheer rises from the citizens.

"Praise the gods! Praise the off-worlders!"

Among the din of their celebration, however, other cries start up among the newly incorporated ruins. Cries that sound like howls and screeches, and certainly do not sound human. Grab your weapons and steel yourselves, off-worlders, with the addition of this new space comes the need to clear it of anything potentially dangerous that got caught up in the expansion. Not all creatures you'll find are hostile, but some certainly are. Docile ones might just fetch a nice price from the Research Towers and the Conservatory if you can capture a mating pair.

OOC: These are the creatures you can encounter in the city as you go through to clear it. It's not an invasion level of infestation, as the majority of creatures will prefer to remain inside their known territory beyond the original barrier, but you will on occasion need to take up arms and fight. Next to their names are the frequency with which you can find them, ranging from common to extremely rare.

• Inky Black Spiders (common - hostile): These relatively small, black spider-like creatures have very basic melee attacks, using their fangs and their sharp legs to bite and claw at people. Those who were around in October when the wall broke will recognize them as the most common enemy back then. Their exoskeletons are hard and when they die, they smash into a black goo. They tend to travel in packs, using sheer numbers to overwhelm their prey.
  
• One-Eyed Lizard (uncommon - docile): An iridescent scaly purple and green lizard approximately 8 to 10cm in length from tip to tail. It has a single eye at the top of its head that can rotate to see 360 degrees around it. This creature's main defenses are its tough hide and a spine on the tip of its tail which it whips at predators to dissuade them from eating it. It's more likely to run than fight, however, and can usually be found sunbathing on exposed rock with its eye closed.
  
• "Bone Giraffe" (extremely rare - hostile): A nearly 20-foot tall, long-necked skeleton of a four-legged creature long dead with a single curved horn protruding from its skull and a sharp snout. It's usually found lying in a heap, as if it laid down and died that way. A black seven-petaled flower sometimes (but not always) grows from the skull and beneath the skeleton is an oily black film. Touching the oil slick activates the creature, which draws the oil up into the skeletal cage. Its main attacks are brute force, using its bony legs and neck to kick and slam against its prey, and its acid breath. It breathes a black fume that sizzles and burns anything it touches.
  
• Rive Talon (rare - hostile - medium): In the past these creatures may have been canines of some form, now they seem to have melded with the detritus of the fallen buildings and creatures of the landscape. Extra spikes, ridges, and protrusions extend from its body at odd angles. Many of them are metal or stone, rather than bone. And some of the bones clearly were not originally its own. (Suggested by Sierra!)
  
• Outskirts Hare (uncommon - docile): A shy creature, roughly the size and shape of an earth hare, covered in fuzzy-looking, curly pink hair and cat-like whiskers. Normally quite timid, this creature's poor eyesight causes it to flee when it feels threatened, and relies largely on a sense of touch to navigate its surroundings. Contact with this creature's fur is markedly pleasant, but its skin discharges an oil that causes mild skin irritation on contact when it's nervous. Active mostly at night time. (Suggested by Mel!)
  
• Ansaurini (rare - annoying): a bipedal feathered bird with sharp claws and teeth good for chomping; some possess flight capabilities, but the majority are prone to a lazy waddle. Mostly harmless and deceptively unassuming until you turn your back- and suddenly it's run off with something it stole off your person! They are excellent at escaping, though they can be traced back to their hoard, and if their collection is raided they will make a lot of noise in protest. Just watch your back- they will try again until you leave their territory. Truly, a horrible thing.
  

❥ PROMPT II: Welcome to the (Urban) Jungle

Once the creatures are mostly taken care of and the newly revealed area is deemed safe enough to venture into, the city council will put out a call for those willing and able to assist the natives with a clean-up effort. The city outside the walls is badly damaged, left to the ravages of the time and the ever-present storm, which means clearing dust, debris, and flotsam is a high priority before people can begin to repair the new districts and salvage material or live there. Thick brown vines cover large parts of the city, grime from the storm is caked onto windows, rocks and scattered rotted bones and twisted metal can be found in roads and crashed through buildings. The atmosphere in this part of the city seems to mirror the decrepit state of the land, too, feeling heavier and grayer and more depressing than it has any right to be. Going out with people and helping together, taking breaks to lean against one another tends to help clear away any negativity that this land seems to bring to your thoughts, however. Since it's dangerous to go alone, be sure to take a friend.

The biggest concern is the vines, so natives offer to lend machetes to the offworlders to help the hack them away. The vines look brown and dead, the leaves withered and curled up. When characters hack into them, the vines release a puff of yellowish dust. Inhale the dust or get it anywhere near your face and over time, you'll begin to get sleepy - very sleepy. It's hard to keep your eyes open, no matter your resistance to poisons or magic, and eventually you'll find yourself falling asleep wherever you are. And once you're asleep? The vines start moving, crawling toward you at a snail's pace. Hopefully you did bring a friend because you'll need their touch to wake up and stay awake long enough to get away from the vines before they pull you deep within their grasp.

❥ PROMPT III: Take a Load Off

Not everyone can fight or clean or even wants to do it, so while those who are more suited to being on the front lines are off doing their thing, those who remain behind must begin the effort of preparing everything that people will need to live in these new areas. At the temples and in the main square, the priests have set up large rest areas with blankets and pillows, and are busily putting together repair kits for mechanics and explorers to use as they go through the ruins. Those who want a place to rest that doesn't require going all the way back to their homes might find these waystations more convenient.

At each, characters can find hot soups with chunks of hearty replicated breads and both hot and cold drinks available for any who wish it. They're trying to replicate pain medications and bandages for people who have been injured while exploring or fighting off the monsters who were unlucky enough to be left inside, and will ask you to try it if you're injured. Taking this medication might have some unintended side effects, however, like a feeling of euphoria or delusions of grandeur or even something as banal as turning your hair a shocking shade of chartreuse - the effect, if you want one, is up to you! The rest areas also have robots "skilled" in giving massages that are looking to test their newly acquired skills and with four pairs of arms, they can work on two people at once! In fact, they're rather insistent about giving you a free massage if they hear even the slightest hint of fatigue in your voice and will usher people into their curtained off booths regardless of whether they know the other occupant or not. These robots are still learning though, so anyone curious enough to try may need to work with their partner to give these robots pointers. They're trying, but not having fragile little flesh bodies is a major obstacle in learning how to have a gentle touch.

❥ PROMPT IV: That Which Remains

With the opening of the city, there seem to be a lot of buildings that need cleaning. Some are so dilapidated that they're better off demolished than repossessed, and most are residential and commercial buildings reminiscent of the ones the offworlders are used to seeing everyday in the Havenwell they've all known up until now. However, among the ruins of these older sections, those intrepid enough to venture and explore may find a few unique gems awaiting them. Just remember: the first rule of urban exploration is to never go alone. You never know what might be lurking in those abandoned buildings or what obstacles might be in your way. Doorways blocked by rubble will need more than one person to remove them. Frightened (and frightening) animals might be lingering in the dark. And, most importantly, you don't want to fall through the floor and vanish into a basement. There seem to be quite a few weakened floors out there. In the following parts of the expanded city, characters can find these interesting ruins:

• Northwest: The Arena - In the northwest of the newly opened area, characters can find what looks to be a ruin of a large open air oval building. The building itself is almost 3 stories tall with walls overgrown with brown vines and dead foliage. There are doorways that have no doors, instead being high archways through which people can access in the interior. Stairs lead up into what looks like worn stone benches and down below is a rubble-strewn open area. Part of the walls have collapsed over time but it's very clear this place was used once as some sort of viewing area. It'll take a bit of work to clear this place until it's usable!
  
  There are archways with stairs that lead downward, but you'll need some help clearing away the rubble to get to what's below! If you're successful in getting beneath the arena, you'll find hallways with empty rooms that vary between large enough to possibly be some sort of training room to small enough to be just enough space for someone to put a slim single cot or bed and maybe a wardrobe to have a small private room. Some rooms have rusted metal that may or may not have been weapons at some point, while others have faded wall paintings, chipped and worn with age. It's hard to make out, but with enough reconstruction work, you may just learn who used to haunt these halls.
  
  
• Southeast: The Baths - In the southeast of the newly opened area, characters will find a domed building unlike the rest of the architecture around it. It's extremely large, for one, and squat, while the rest of Havenwell's buildings seem to be lean and tall. The walls are made of the same stone, but the dome above is broken glass. There are several metal sliding doors set in the walls, but many are fused shut with grime and years of disuse. One main door, larger than the others is sightly ajar, however, and with some help characters may be able to force it open.
  
  Inside, they find an expansive lobby with white floors that must have sparkled before all the grime, dirt, and broken glass took over. The dome overhead reflects the light, making the interior of the building as bright as outside. At the center of the lobby is a dry fountain with two broken statues - four armed humanoids holding urns. Their heads are missing and many of the arms are broken and lying in the dry basin. From the lobby there are alcoves in every direction and two hallways that lead further into the buiding in opposite directions. In each alcove are low stone seats and round basins sunk into the ground that are either dry with a black film around the inside, or full of a dark oily substance that's nearly coagulated.
  
  Go down the hallways and you'll find identical looking chambers. First, you enter an open area with broken sinks and mirrors, with stone cubbies on the walls. Then when you pry open and push past the metal sliding doors, you'll find yourself in a wide open semicircular area filled with baths of different sizes, shapes and depths. Some are free-standing stone tubs, others are large basins sunk into the ground, and still others are rectangular and just big enough for one or two people to lie down in. Each of these basins are like the ones in the lobby, either filled with that same coagulated black ooze or dry with a black film inside. Looks like it's time to get cleaning because each basin also seems like they might be able to be retrofitted to produce water perhaps.
  
  
• Southwest: The Factory - In the southwest, closest to the wall, the characters can find an imposing square building. It has small thin windows and boasts a plethora of chimneys and smokestacks on the roof, some of which are crumbling or broken with age and exposure. There are two square doors, both of which are large enough to drive a truck through and made of metal which needs to be pried open before accessing the inside. Once inside, the characters find a massive operation geared toward ore and mineral processing and metallurgical refinement. The machinery is old, but extremely well laid out, as it seems this plant was used to process huge volumes of minerals and ores before being lost to time. There are stations for every imaginable part of the refining process separated neatly so they can work efficiently, but all of the machines are broken or currently inoperable and will need significant work before they can start functioning again.
  
  Explore the refinery and you may still find one or two of the ores lying about. They contain an unknown metal that gleams a slick oily silver. At the back of the refinery is an industrial elevator which is currently inoperational. Peering down through the cracks, however, reveals that the shaft goes a long way down. The view of just how far is obstructed by a shimmering rainbow-colored barrier, not unlike the one that is just outside the walls.

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This event will run from April 15th to 30th, although due to the areas and effects not technically vanishing, feel free to continue playing with it for some time beyond. Click on each prompt's title to see the text. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread.

Comments

[iustaegis]

[ He's not unsused to interacting with those who are not human... or even those who are divine. ("Ate him"? What does that even mean.) For a split second she entertains the idea that he would still accept her if she told him everything, for all that they've shared together so far, but then--

"Then you conquer them," someone said.

Another: "I do not think the gods understand or care."

Her shoulders rise, then fall. Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised.

She's never hurt him, but she would let harm come to him instead of doing more. What he's giving to her and others, giving his all to help them, protect them-- she cannot give in the same way in return. The truest way to protect him, and those like him, is to return to her world and proceed forward to an end.

She cannot say this to him. Unable to look at him any longer, she bows her head. ] A-all this time... [ She shakes her head slowly, attempting a small but well-meaning smile. If she answered the question of "why would I be", it would only incur more questions. ] ...I've hid this from you. [ He's probably guessed at it, anyway. Yet there's still more she keeps to herself. Still she can hardly believe it, he's staying. This much, she should be grateful for. ] It seems that I'm the one who is afraid.

[ She shuts her eyes. ] I'm sorry, Noct.

[carbungle]

Pyra...

[He's no stranger to secrets. People have been hiding things from him his entire life. Those who knew of the prophecy and let him live on in blissful ignorance, the fate of an Oracle who forges the covenants, the treaty between Niflheim and Lucis being a lie, the whole wedding pretense. Izunia's identity. Gentiana's. ...Ignis. There's been so many things hidden from him that he can't even count them all.

He doesn't hate them for it, though. There is more conflict for some than for others, and his feelings are complicated of course, but they're still precious to him in some way or another. To begrudge them would be unfair. And most of them, he's known for years.

A secret held for six months is nothing, balanced against the scales of all of that. How could he blame her for it, and not them?]

I won't lie, it... explains a lot. [Her wealth of energy, for one.] But it's not like I asked, either. I'm sure you have your reasons.

[He leaves it open, if she wants to say more about that- unless fear is the only thing that held her back, and that... hurts, though he tries not to let it show. That she might think of him as someone who'd care about this is a hard pill to swallow. But he's noticed before that sometimes she is limited by more than feelings, there being a particular way she conveys her thoughts to him; specific words that gave him pause, fed into his suspicions. A few times he'd come to suspect what she is not, rather than what she is.]

I'm sorry you were forced into it, that... this was how I found out.

[iustaegis]

[ Even now, he remains patient with her. How long can she keep this up, that what great kindness he gives to her, she can't reciprocate?

Looking back, she could have spared him a few moments of grief and panic if she had just told him she would have been fine after an attack like that. She could say sorry again for that, but an apology simply wouldn't be true. She isn't sorry for hiding, only that her hiding had hurt him. ]

Is there a... ah, silver lining? Now you know, you won't have to worry for me in battle. [ Because she's quite the tank-- and yes, she knows, this is a grim way to look at it, so it's spoken more wistful in tone than before.

But her tone changes again, and her eyes soften, although she's still looking down between them. There's a soft tremble in her voice. ]

You won't... tell anyone, will you?

[carbungle]

I don't care if you can heal, or if you're immortal, or not human, or whatever. I'll still worry, geez. Even if it's fixed now, that didn't look great.

[He doesn't know if it consumes energy to restore her flesh, but it has to come from somewhere, right? And it must have been painful for her, one way or another. It was definitely painful to watch; knowing what he knows now, he can't see how it would be any easier to witness a repeat despite all that.

Her hesitance, as she asks that question, makes him pause before he can give a flippant reply. She's still afraid of what others might think if they saw this, or if they knew the truth, even what little he understands of it. That she has to ask him just shows how afraid of it she is.]

Of course I won't. What a thing to ask...

[Okay, perhaps it's still a little flippant. But his tone is sure, not an ounce of deception to be found there. Just because he thinks it unnecessary to ask him doesn't mean he won't give her the reassurance of an earnest answer.]

[iustaegis]

[ In her world, centuries ago after the fall of the kingdom, she and Addam had taken great lengths to bury her-- it, the legendary Aegis, weapon of the Architect. A battleship wouldn't be needed now that there was nothing left to protect, and he acquired it to make it her coffin. She had stepped inside a chamber, she had fallen asleep. And it is there, sunken beneath the Cloud Sea, that she still remains entombed... Yet it won't be for long, because she's seen the future to come. All of Addam's careful work will be nothing, but she hadn't the heart to tell him then: she will be found.

In her world, there is a saying that the next Aegis War wouldn't be fought with it, but rather over it. Of who would claim it, wield it. She feels it already through her connection to the Titans, the mobilization of armies and empires and sects, all looking for an ultimate power they mean to claim as theirs as their continents die, destroying their world on their own in the process. It's as if none remember the stories, the warnings, the destruction. Who she burned, who she took. As if any of them ever would be worthy, anyway.

In her world, she's waited five hundred years for the coming of the next human to choose to give her power. For those long five hundred years, she's already known who it will be: a mere boy, so young, and she's going to choose him. She had known him, his name, the color of his eyes before he had even been born. She's so close to that end.

But here... there's not any of that conflict but the fear that she might be discovered, or that someone of her own world may appear here and recognize her.

What relief it is to hear him say that he won't tell anyone what he's seen, even if he doesn't know exactly what she is. Finally her eyes raise to meet his, and he'll see the solemn wariness within, apologetic as if she had burdened him. In some ways, it's relieving that someone else knows this about her... At least with him, she won't have to hide or be continue to remain buried beneath all of these secrets.

Pyra raises a hand to her cheek, wiping beneath her eye. Looks like a few fell without her realizing, but at least her smile is a little more genuine. She pauses here as if considering something. How odd: moments ago, she had spoken of fear, but with his reassurance, she feels a little braver, and with him, she feels-- safer. ] Mm... Noct?

Will you... be able to keep another secret?

[ SEE-- she's trying. ]

[carbungle]

[It's a relief to see her smiling, even if it's small and cautious; he hopes that when things between them are a little more normal, she'll feel the same way, too. He sees no reason why this should change anything, it's just... one more thing he knows about her, now. That's all. She's still Pyra, and she's no different than she was before.]

If you trust me with one, I will.

[Not a slight against her, but an acknowledgement of her struggle. If she's not ready to share something, he has no expectations for it. Her last secret may have been forced out, but he'd rather she not feel obligated to share more, if she's not comfortable doing so.]

[iustaegis]

[ She makes some room between them, just enough that their knees remain touching. Then, cupping her palms together in front of them-- A small, smokeless flame appears, softly flaring all the colors of a sunset. It hovers in her palms as if it's dancing.

Five hundred years and six months, and finally, finally, she reveals one measly flame... that's not quite a flame at all. It's only her power, mimicking to be one. She wants to show him this not to impress-- indeed, such a small fire wouldn't impress anyone-- but just because this, this, she is ready to share.

Mankind had their fire long before she ever stepped foot upon the earth. But a mortal still took her down from her place with the Architect, and the world ended up burning because of it. This fire is safe. It's safe in her hands between them, the secret of it is safe. ]

Still not scared? [ --It's a joke. Partially. He's been through so much, of course a small flame wouldn't frighten him. Still, she looks to him cautiously, measuring his expression. ]

[carbungle]

[He gazes down at her hands for a long moment, quietly taking in the soft flickering flame contained within. Is that all, a part of him wants to say; it isn't so long ago that he'd sent an explosion of lightning to fend off a group of attacking beasts, so of course a bit of magic fire wouldn't frighten him. He doesn't say it, though, because this is her fire, not his. It worries him, actually, but not for any reason she might think. Even this must be kept a secret? When she's surrounded by people with incredible, outlandish powers much more flashy than a bit of conjured flame? Even if it's said in jest (and is it? is it really?) she'd still sounded cautious when she asked if he'd keep it hidden. As if it would be a problem if someone knew of this.

What hurt her, he wonders, to make her so afraid of sharing her power? As she sits here, red eyes and red hair and a name like Pyra, holding a tiny matchstick flame, looking so cautious. What, or who, made her feel like this?

He thinks about the first time he saw magic, back when he was small. Or perhaps it wasn't truly the first, but it's the first memory he has of it: one of the Kingsglaive assigned to the palace, tired of seeing a guarded door open every few minutes so a child could gawk at her, had crouched in front of him and held her hands out. "Palms up, little prince," she'd murmured, and when he allowed her to take his hands, she'd smiled and called her fire up between them, letting it dance across his fingers, tickling him with its warmth. He'd marvelled at it, gasping in delight, his shyness dissolving into a hundred questions. She'd answered every single one of them, cycling through each element for him in turn, and they'd all fascinated him, but fire had been his favourite. And though in the end he'd had no artistry or talent with elemancy, he never forgot what it could do in her expert hands.

Quietly he lifts his own hands to cup them around hers, still not speaking- instead, he focuses very intently. After a few moments, a soft frost drifts over his fingers, a chill dusting his skin white as if he'd dipped them in flour, and the effect creeps across her hands towards the fire in her palm. That snow doesn't go far before it melts and leaves tiny dissolving droplets behind, unable to maintain its chill as it drifts away from his hands and comes too close to the flame.

He looks up to meet her gaze, a smile ghosting across his lips.]

Are you?

[Because he's not. Not at all.]

[iustaegis]

[ It’s not warmth from his hands that she feels as his cups beneath hers, but a soothing coolness that comes with the dust of white, sparkling frost. His magic manifests into this sheen of white that sparkles against the light of her meager flame, and she watches as the snowy effect dissolves into water the closer it comes to fire. Over their fingers, the tepid water begins to cleanse their skin; too close to the flame, it evaporates into mild, swirling steam.

Her eyes raise, meeting his. Is she scared of his magic? Not at all. But of this?

What is this, exactly? Of showing more of what she can do. Of being vulnerable. ] A... little. [ A little, but he makes it better. Bearable, even, his hands supporting hers. ] But you make me feel brave, remember?

[ Her smile remains gentle, and with a thought she lets the flames disperse upward, growing a little more— a hint of just what else she can do. Long streams of light flit into the air above them, curling elegantly like particles captured in iridescent resin, finally winking out of existence. The grace of these embers comes from laws that were created eons ago. Here in this world, their behavior remains true. It’s definitely not normal fire, and even among those in her own world, very few would be able to determine that her power doesn’t draw from the ether but something else.

It’s imperfect, in this form. It’s wasteful, giving off energy in the form of heat. But it is hers, and she’s grateful for the chance to show it.

She thinks of the hue of his own power, how the crystalline blue often dances in the air itself after he summons a sword or completes a warp. ] It’s... not much, is it, compared to a gift of healing.

[carbungle]

[Brave... it feels like a long time ago now, but he remembers those words. Almost like a different life, when he felt such confidence in battle rather than being broken down by his failures. You make me feel brave. He's glad that's still true. Sometimes he struggles with feeling brave on his own.

The frost around their hands vanishes as he lifts his head to watch her fire and stops focusing on it, though his point was made so he no longer needs it. The flames dance in the air like little fireworks, catching in the light before they vanish. It's different than what he's used to, but there's nothing frightening about it. instead, it's fascinating, like when he watched the magic of the Kingsglaive, his childlike awe of that time replaced by the quiet understanding of an adult who knows how much work goes into controlling such power.]

It's pretty. [It doesn't have to be much, though he disagrees that it isn't. She's doing something he can't do, a delicate show of her light in the air.] Can I ask... do you like using fire? Did... you miss it, when you had to hide it all this time?

[iustaegis]

[ He’s guessed absolutely correctly, and she draws in a breath, sharply.

It’s a whisper: ] Every day.

[ For one reason, there hadn’t been a need. So many here have incredible abilities, and now she has Noctis’ power. For another...

In her own world, she’ll have plenty of uses for her power in the future, very little of which she looks forward to.

It’s pretty, he says, and this is the first she’s ever heard of such a thing. That isn’t what those in her world would call her power. Try terrifying: the continent Temperantia remains a wasteland of ash and melted bedrock to this day. One particularly deep wound upon the Titan remains named after her: the crater known as the Aegishammer. .... But. Pretty.

Her hands fold over into his, warmed from where the flames licked her palms. She watches him watch the last of the flames disperse, some of the light catching within his eyes. He seems almost enchanted, not unlike how she’s so often been the same by seeing his own magic.

...Pretty.

It’s kind of him to say, and she smiles fondly in return. She’s glad one person thinks so, at least. ]

[carbungle]

[Every day.

A month ago he'd have had to imagine what it would be like, to not be able to use his power. Now, he doesn't have to. That memory is visceral, painful to recall; days of feeling afraid and helpless, hating every moment, missing what was stolen from him. Feeling that thrumming lifeblood of energy under his skin, flowing through his veins, but walled off from him in a way he'd never felt before, just out of reach. For him, it hadn't been a choice.

She'd had to choose that, to protect herself from whatever it is that makes her so afraid. She'd resigned herself to living like that. And that, he can't imagine, as it sounds heartbreaking to endure.

Realization dawns on him then, and he blinks down at her, brows furrowed.]

Um... retainers linked with the line of Lucis can use elemancy. I know it might seem kind of self-serving, like I'm taking credit for your power, but... you could use that excuse, if you don't want people to know it's yours. You could use your fire.

[iustaegis]

[ It would be a convenient solution. Isn’t that what she is doing now, anyways, using a sword gifted by him instead of her own?

It’s another generous gift from him— ] That's...  [ —one she cannot take for granted, even if she should ever use it. Because it would be using him.

With his permission, of course, as an excuse and with the idea that he would want her to use her fire to help others, but the principle of the matter remains the same: she is a coward.  The point is for her not to use her abilities unless there is a need, not because she is selfish enough to miss seeing a pretty flame of her own.

And, there's one more issue: ]

That's... kind of you. [ A pause. ] But think... of your family. [ She's very certain no one in his family would be forgiving for using him, even as an excuse. ]

[carbungle]

[That isn't the sort of objection he'd expected, mostly because he doesn't understand it, so in response his expression shifts to one of bewilderment.]

Think of them how?

[His family isn't affected in any way by how he uses his power, not even Ignis and Prompto who are just as connected as she is. Her using fire via her own energy instead of his is actually a perk on his part- it's one less ability fueled by that connection while netting the same benefits as normal elemancy. That's a good thing, in his book... he's not connecting the dots at all.]

[iustaegis]

[ Gently, ] I don't think... they'd approve of me using you in any way. Even for an excuse.

[carbungle]

[...Ah.

Well, that's less worrisome than he thought it could have been, for sure. A bit silly actually.]

They don't get a say in what I do with my power. Why would I need their approval?

1/3

[iustaegis]

[ ...She drops her gaze to their hands, and it's over this that she worries:

Fire-- she wants to wield it again. He's giving her an opportunity. It still seems disingenuous, but that's the failing on her part of not being willing to claim it as her own. If she used fire in front of any of them-- Prompto, even-- what would she say, would she lie to him that it's Noctis' magic? Would Prompto even be able to tell the difference...?

To avoid such lies, the solution is still to limit the use of that fire in the first place-- ]

[iustaegis]

[ "Why would I need their approval?"

She blinks at him.

...He wouldn't. It's his decision, ultimately. Spoken like a true king. ]

[iustaegis]

No... [ At length, she exhales. ] I suppose you wouldn't. [ Silly, indeed.

Perhaps... this could be a temporary, hypothetical crutch if need be. At the very least, he’s allowing her to depend on him, and what an immense gift that is. 

She offers a meager smile. ] The house could use a few more candles lit, couldn't it?

[carbungle]

[She's... relenting? His lips quirk a bit hesitantly, not sure if this is something to celebrate (it doesn't so much resolve a core problem as cover it up), but he'll take this small victory if there's a chance it might help her. Every day, she'd said. He won't forget that any time soon. Especially since he understands to some extent how difficult those days must have been.]

Yeah, probably. We don't want it to look all doom and gloom all the time. Just watch we don't accidentally burn the place down.

[Though he suspects that would be caused more by something he or Prompto did than her fire, if it were to happen.]

I'm thinking, we can integrate fire into training. If anyone asks, say we're learning elemancy together. It's not a lie- just because the magic's yours doesn't mean it isn't the same style. Cor'd probably even thank you for getting me to practice it more.

[iustaegis]

[ Also it they're the scented kind it'd stop smelling like dog and boys--

She considers his proposal. She recalls how, months ago, he said he did wish to become better at his magic. Between then and now, a lot has happened, and they've trained more with warping, the ring, and then her own swordtraining that that goal fell to the wayside. Another excuse, but one that fits.

Equally cautious, however: ] Perhaps... I am in need of practice with fire, since it's been so long. [ A beat. Finally, she looks at him.

.... ] I hope you'll be able to take the heat.

[carbungle]

[The joke is a reassurance as much as her smile, and this time he doesn't hesitate to return it in full. Even if she's still cautious, she's willing to try. That's enough for him to relax a bit. Questions can wait, answers can come over time, if at all. She's still Pyra to him either way.]

Bet I can. And if I can't, I know a few ways to cool you off.

[Or himself, if he gets set on fire. That happens.]

[iustaegis]

[ She sure is trying.... and it's working. She meant what she had said those weeks ago, that he makes her feel brave. It's just that she's not brave enough to tackle the real issue. She may think of what he's given her as an excuse to cover for her fire, but it's also an opportunity: perhaps, in time, she can become more open. ]

Fire, lightening, ice... you have water up your sleeves, too?

[ Up his metaphorical magical armiger sleeves. She gives him a faintly wry smile, as if she's making an effort to play along. ] Let's plan on packing a lot of towels wherever we'll train.

[ ...Or swimsuits. ]

[carbungle]

Maybe not water. But you know how it goes, one plus one.

[Fire plus ice equals water, as they already demonstrated.]

Prompto's gonna be asking some weird questions if we suddenly amp up the amount of laundry getting done.

[iustaegis]

[ Maybe they should invest in flame-retardant clothing... ]

Both singed and soaked...? I think I might be borrowing your jacket more often.

[ Speaking of...

Her voice quiets as she looks down at the cover he’s provided, noting to herself that perhaps she shouldn’t wear perishable clothes out while exploring. ]

...Thank you for lending this, too, by the way. [ Her smile remains fond as she raises her free hand to the edge of the fabric. By now the jacket is no longer necessary; her original outfit has reformed, but she doesn’t move to return it just yet since they’re still seated. ]