♥ September (Ohnir) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

September (Ohnir) Event Log
The month of Ohnir brings with it a slow but steady relief from the heat, as summer gives way to autumn and the city begins to change with it. Plants are slowly deflowering, leaves are starting to fade and fall, and while the season is not yet in full swing, all the signs are there if you know where to look. The city is abuzz with new energy as the residents realize that for the first time in centuries, they have some actual nature clean-up ahead of them: raking leaves, pruning branches, protecting young wildlife and fresh plants from the incoming chills of winter. Such work used to be relegated to those who cared for the botanical gardens and zoos, but now everyone who's been enjoying this year's garden harvest has to learn how to future-proof their treasured flowers. Offworlders are encouraged to do the same, lest all of the growth be lost over the winter.

---

❥ PROMPT I: A Clean Getaway

With all of the work to be done, it's no surprise that some are looking for new ways to refresh themselves and relax, and what better time would there be to open up the Public Baths! All the volunteer work cleaning the place has paid off, and the facilities are officially open and available for use. It is technically free to use, as a public facility, but those visiting are encouraged to tithe a small donation once in a while to pay for upkeep and freshen up the place, provide new soaps, etc. No judgment if you can't! It'll just make everything that much nicer in the long run.

The baths are separated into a few sections: oil baths for the native residents, and water baths for the offworlders. For obvious reasons, offworlders are encouraged not to enter the robot-residential sections! Though they are not strictly forbidden... it would be quite messy and bad for your health.

The offworlder half has additional separated sections that may interest characters when they visit:

1) Hot Springs Style - Clothed or Unclothed: there are 3 available rooms for each, one for separate presented genders, and a shared bath for those comfortable with the concept or don't wish to use either male or female. Each room has one larger pool and a few smaller sets, so you can sit by yourself or with others as you please.

2) Pool: a shared public pool! The water is nice and cool, which should be a comfort to those still struggling with the lingering summer heat. There is some water game equipment available for open use if people want to play and get their sports on.

3) Sauna: similar to the springs, once again, there are 3 rooms for gender splits so everyone can enjoy the place at their own comfort level.

It all seems very nice and relaxing for everyone, but this wouldn't be a proper event without some shenanigans now, would it? There are a few effects that may occur within the baths, and these effects are somewhat random. Some characters may experience them to a powerful degree, while others feel nothing at all. Players can decide for themselves who and where these will affect, so feel free to mix, match, and go wild. The effects are:

• The spring water is so relaxing that you feel free and more willing to talk about yourself, or share your feelings more openly.


• The swimming pool is cool and energizing, making you want to horse around and play with others nearby. You may also feel inclined to drape yourself onto others, like a cool, comfy pillow.


• The sauna has you dishing up spicy hot takes, releasing negative emotions or complaints, and makes you a little more inclined to gossip.

All effects can either be nullified or emphasized according to player discretion by physical contact. For some characters, holding hands or something will stop the effects, but for others it'll intensify them - it should keep characters guessing!

❥ PROMPT II: REM Stands for Realistic Emotional Memory in These Parts

Characters who were around last year might remember a bout of strange and sporadic dreams that plagued the town around this season, along with the sensation that they were being followed. This year, dreams once more enter uninvited to one's mind, but this time, it occurs as a random daydream while they are awake, and it is very different from person to person- instead encouraging you to do the following. All visions start out hazy, like a grainy old movie where details and figures are difficult to make out, but there is something both familiar and alien about it. It feels like a memory… but it is not your memory. Over time, the visual begins to clear the more often the dream repeats, until slowly the images grow more distinct, offering clearer faces, the addition of voices, discernable quotes or expressions. The memory will provide hints as to who it might belong to, though the subtlety of those hints will likely vary. Before too long, if you have not found a way to rid yourself of the dream, you will experience an entire memory of another person in town as if you were witnessing it from their perspective!

Now, how does one rid themselves of these strange visions? You could wait it out, if you're patient enough and not inclined to seek the answer, but those who've been here long enough can wager a guess: you must find the source of that memory and "send" it back to them through physical interaction of some kind. Some memories may take longer to transfer than others, and it may depend on the person, the memory itself, how clear the memory has become in the time you carried it… no two experiences are likely to be the same.

There are a few specifics about these memories that are worth noting:

• the memory should be of a single event, not a series of events that span a long period of time. For example, you could witness the stretch of someone's day at a wedding or long party (sped up to skip insignificant moments so it doesn't play in real time), but not a memory of an entire war that goes for months. How long the memory goes for is up to the player that the memory belongs to, as long as it falls within these guidelines.


• you are not limited to a single memory from a single person. Once you have solved one vision, after a certain amount of time, you may find yourself plagued with another.


• you will not necessarily end up having the same memory partner! You won't always have the memory of the person who has your memory. Characters are encouraged to pair up and try to piece together clues that might lead you to your intended partner. Help each other out and guide one another in the right direction if you can.


• those whose memory has been borrowed may find it difficult to recall it; it can seem fuzzy and indistinct, missing entirely or simply missing choice details. Through physical contact, that memory will fully return to them and both participants can experience it together.


• you can find your partner accidentally! If you're still searching for clues and happen to touch your partner through other circumstances - such as shake their hand at first meeting, or hug a friend - you may find both of you are suddenly experiencing a memory together as it is transferred! Aren't you lucky, to have found your partner so easily?

!!! IMPORTANT !!! The contents of the memory shared is up to you, but please be mindful of harmful subjects and tag/mark your comments and toplevels accordingly! Triggering memories should be noted with content warnings. Be kind to your fellow players! If someone asks you to tag something and you have not done so, please correct it as soon as possible. Untagged comments that aren't adjusted and are reported to us may be subject to mod screening until the issue is resolved.

❥ PROMPT III: I Shall Fight With My Bear Hands

Closer to the tail end of the month, one of the research facilities distributes a "Help Wanted" advertisement through the network, requesting the aid of offworlders. The advertisement reads:

"Calling all offworlders! Havenwell Research and Development is seeking volunteers for both physical prowess and supernatural ability testing. All are welcome! Even if you have no combat skills and feel only a desire to learn, we have a job for you. Those who already possess some form of self-defense or combative powers will be partnered and asked to "spar" in a partially digitized facility, or proceed with a simulation that will gauge destructive capabilities. And for those who possess neither, don't worry! Our program is specially designed to help you discover just where your talents lie.

No harm should come to any volunteers, as this is strictly simulation-based, similar to the virtual reality technology already widely used throughout the city. However, in case of any accidents, medical staff is on site to treat injuries as needed. Additionally, there is no need for you to wear any of the VR headgear typically required in our cafes, so if these devices cause you discomfort, this may be a simulation that better meets your needs.

Please contact us ASAP if you are willing and able to help. A monetary commission will be awarded upon completion of each session."

Any volunteers or inquiries will be provided with more information, and invited to one of the research towers located in town. They are guided to a floor that is abuzz with activity, partnered with whoever happens to be scheduled at the same time or a partner they themselves opted to bring with them, and taken to a room akin to Star Trek's holodeck. There, they can input "powers" or "no powers", and a simulation will be created for them based on their selected guidelines.

With Powers:
The console invites characters to select one of two options- their own abilities, or temporarily gain access to the elemental powers offered via AC Rewards (point levels 50, 100, and 200). They are able to choose a particular power level for the duration of the simulation, which can either dampen their natural abilities to a more fair level for the test you're undertaking, or remain normal. While in the simulation room, rather than actually using any real abilities, the room will materialize whatever ability you choose without causing true damage to either the room or your opponent. Science, or magic? It's probably both. Feel free to go wild and have fun, maybe try some powers you've never experienced before or vent your frustrations on being stuck here!

Without Powers:
The console invites characters to select a type of weapon and skill level, and said weapon will materialize in a basic form; while held inside the room it moves and feels real, but it cannot be removed from the facility. Those who are skilled in utilizing said weapon are free to wield it as if it were the genuine article in their chosen simulation. Those without much or any skill will be walked through a tutorial on basic techniques from a variety of styles, old or new, most unfamiliar but well suited to the body type of the person using the program. It's quite intuitive, though it is by no means perfect, so characters might end up being guided through a stranger workout than intended.

For versus mode, each participant has an HP bar displayed above their heads, and everyone has the same HP unless both players select an unbalanced mode, and the goal is to force your opponent to hit zero HP. Characters can also choose how realistic the simulated violence is and how the process feels: in low realism, it's similar to laser tag, where characters flash a colour when hit and take damage without feeling anything more than some uncomfortable vibration. In high realism, pain is genuine to a certain degree depending on how high a level they choose, though it is artificial and will fade as soon as the program ends. Hitting zero HP will not result in a knock-out, but characters will feel dizzy and be forced to sit down, unable to rise again until they surrender. All effects wear off as soon as the simulation ends.

For demonstration mode, participants are given a selection of virtual targets to practice on using whatever method of combat they've chosen. It could be moving targets, such as creatures that have invaded the barrier previously (via the Wild Wild prompt), or simulations of the more dangerous beasts in the museum/zoo areas of town. It could be simple targets built to take a beating without providing much challenge in return. It could be a collection of buildings that characters can break or explode as they please. This mode is designed to gauge just how strong a person's destructive potential is, either with their own powers or with powers granted to those who have been blessed by their patron god.

Characters are welcome to volunteer as many times as there are available partners and/or slots! So feel free to try a few times using different options.

❥ PROMPT IV: A Bonus Trip Down Memory Lane

Last year, some offworlders might remember the tradition of sharing stories in the temple of Ohma, to offer small tributes to the god on their first month of devotion. It is that time of the year again, and everyone is welcome to return and share more stories, or perhaps retell an old favourite to a new audience. Here is the event as described previously:

Ohma's temple is particularly lively during Ohnir and the priests are busy cleaning and sweeping, decorating it with rolls of parchment and digital inkwells and quills that write as if they were actually fountain pens. The natives, especially adherents of Ohma, start to make pilgrimages to the temple in little processions, some playing music, others flying banners.

Anyone who chooses to follow can observe the natives going up to the altar and sharing stories with one another. They talk about things they did over the past year or things that are far, far in their past. Some of the stories are happy and result in the procession laughing and some are...well, not everyone returns safely from certain disasters that befall the city throughout the year. The priests diligently write every story down on those parchment rolls and deposit them onto the waiting altar, where they're summarily lit on fire to the cheers of those present. The more emotional the story it seems, the brighter and bluer the flame that it emits and the louder the procession cheers.

As the file out, they notice you watching and urge you to go up with someone else in the temple to clear your heart and offer up your own stories. They can be stories of home, information about your worlds, or stories about your life.

---

This event will run from September 14th to 30th. 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

( III. bare hands for him, bear hands for you... ) + Memory

[kingkingcxiii]

After far too much consideration, I decided to go with 'weapon.'

[Oh look, Noctis. One of the few people who truly understands your dilemma just so happens to be your partner for this round.]

Much like a wizard's staff allows him to cast magical spells, the Ring allows us to use magic as well. The staff is considered a weapon, therefore so should the Ring be considered a weapon.

[That is, of course, a very basic description of what the Ring does. It's probably best they don't get into the whole 'summon and talk to your ancestors' angle or the 'ask them to animate giant statutes to protect your city' angle.]

[carbungle]

I guess that's true...

[A solid assessment, and what ultimately causes him to pick weapon on the console. Next, though... he's not entirely sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that his father is his partner here, and suddenly he's regretting choosing to work on the ring's magic this session. On one hand, who would be able to help him more than his dad? On the other hand... he's not sure how the ring acts with others of his family, but he knows how it looks on him, and he doesn't relish the idea of his father seeing it.]

We could, um. We could stick to swords.

[kingkingcxiii]

[Concern at the sudden change flickers across Regis' face. Is the ring itself causing Noctis issues or is it something to do with who his partner is?]

I will be happy to train with whatever you wish, but I have to admit I am puzzled that you don't wish to learn more about the how the ring works. We have talked of it before. Is it still hurting you?

[carbungle]

[Noctis pauses uncomfortably at that, his finger hovering over the next option on the console. Half a dozen questions immediately come to mind at that question. Is it not supposed to hurt? Is it not supposed to burn and turn skin to ash the more it's used? Everything else hurts - the Arms, the Crystal, the summons, the voices ringing in his head - so he'd just assumed it was normal, like how it felt as if it had tried to scar his soul when he put it on for the first time, so deep it had sunk its claws into him. One of those power-at-a-price things. He'd seen the Wall age his father over the years, but that was more a slow, looming change over time. Was that how it was meant to be...?]

...No, [is what he says instead, trying to make it sound halfway believable, his tone quietly dismissive.] It's fine. You're right, I need to learn this stuff.

[He hits the ring option, clenching his fist reflexively a few times to brace himself. It's for the best. Maybe it only hurts him because no one taught him, and of course he's doing it wrong.]

[kingkingcxiii]

[Though Regis doesn't question his son's eventual response, he does raise an eyebrow at him. After such a long pause, the quick, dismissive answer is very suspect. Familiarly suspect. He doesn't like it.]

I don't have to tell you that the ring has a great may was it can be used. Is there one you would like to start with? One you have more questions about than others?

[carbungle]

[Shhh, don't worry about that, Dad. Your son is nothing at all like you.]

Uh...

[He almost pauses again to think over those options, but honestly, his answer is pretty obvious.]

What if we kinda started from the top? I had to learn it on the fly, and I really only used it for a couple of days. There must be loads about it that I don't know yet.

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis nods in understanding. Starting from the beginning is wise, especially when Regis has no idea what he may or may not have taught him.]

In my time, you are obviously still too young to have started any training, so if I stumble into anything you feel you are okay with, please let me know. There is no need to spend time on something you are comfortable with.

[He slides the ring from his hand and lets it rest in his palm for a moment before speaking again.]

When you first put it on, you said they all spoke to you at once. Do you still have issues with them speaking over you?

[carbungle]

[Noctis nods, though he doubts that's likely to happen. The spells themselves, he knows how to cast efficiently enough, but to call them comfortable... that isn't a word he'd use. Still, his father knows the cost of the ring, so it's not as if he thinks he might learn how to use it without harm entirely. There's a price to be paid for either of them. He just... wants to make sure he's paying the right price. He doesn't have to live for 50 years maintaining a wall, but he has to survive some very difficult fights before the world is to be saved.]

I guess it's better than it was, now. I've been trying to talk to them instead- like, meditating and stuff, letting them talk to me one by one instead of just a hundred voices at once. It's worked a couple of times.

[Less for training and more for his own peace of mind, admittedly. He has to be able to wear it without going mad from all the whispering, and since his dad clearly managed it, he'd been searching for his own methods for doing so himself.]

[kingkingcxiii]

Wonderful!

[Regis seems quite pleased by this development.]

Meditation is an important part of dealing with them. At least, that is what I have found from my experience. If you have ever wondered why there are so many little gardens and tucked away corners in the Citadel, there is your answer. Sometimes, when someone being particularly loud, it is prudent to talk a short walk through one of the gardens on the way to a meeting in order to listen. I have heard tales that some of them apparently have favorite spots they have visited over the generations. None have been so particular with me, but perhaps they realize I don't have the time others have had to wander.

[carbungle]

That actually explains a lot, yeah...

[If the ring was being especially aggressive some days and Regis had to keep it on for the sake of the Wall, it'd be yet another reason why he was so frequently unavailable. The eager chattering of a child probably didn't mesh well with the cacophony of a hundred dead kings, on top of all the other royal responsibilities. He's not about to ask, though, as he doesn't know how much time they spent together in Regis' time, and he doesn't want to imply that neglect factored into how he was raised to the extent that he has to bring it up. It's not like he wasn't cared for or never saw the king. Just less than he wanted, and that ought to surprise no one.]

I've been using the garden a lot. The sylleblossoms make it feel like Tenebrae, and it was really relaxing there. [Until the Nifs showed up, anyway.] I just haven't, um... [Gods, how does he even say this.] ...Can I ask a... really weird question?

[kingkingcxiii]

[Even with Noctis as young as he is in Regis' time, he would not be surprised to hear it. Already he has missed things he swore to that newborn baby he would never miss. No matter how hard he has tried, something has always interfered, often in ways he never would have guessed were possible.]

I am glad you were able to find such comfort among them. My favorite places are where there are fountains near the sylleblossoms. It makes me think even more of Tenebrae then.

[Regis' expression becomes concerned when Noctis continues and becomes so uncertain.]

Of course. I am always willing to answer any questions you have, weird or not. What is it you want to ask?

[carbungle]

[Noctis' gaze shifts briefly to the back of the room where he knows the techs running these simulations are probably impatiently waiting for something to happen. He hadn't even picked a scenario yet, too busy wondering what comes next and how to manage this without looking inept. He doesn't like that, not with anyone but least of all with his dad, who's young enough to have not yet heard all the reports from Gladio and Drautos and Cor on his continued failure to master the magic of their family. He can still kind of pretend he'd not grown up being horrible at mostly everything by not demonstrating how much he still struggles with certain basics.

Or... he can learn, the way he never had the chance to back home. It really shouldn't be as hard a choice as it is.

He reaches down, idly fiddling with the ring, reluctantly breaking the silence again.]

You're... he's in there, too. In mine. I haven't tried to... [He gestures a bit helplessly. It's not as if the Regis in his ring has pushed for attention, either; he'd been quiet and sad as far as Noct can tell, much as he had been in life during the later years as they drifted.] Do you think... he'd be mad about that?

[He doesn't really have a decent excuse for not reaching out to the soul inside his ring, besides the discomfort of seeking out the voice of a dead man who's still very much alive and in front of him now. He'd avoided the Founder King's soul much the same way. Hadn't felt right. But is that fair?]

[kingkingcxiii]

[A soft smile, both sad and understanding crosses Regis' face as he listens to his son's question. Almost before Noctis has finished, Regis is moving toward him, ring return to his finger in a motion so quick and practiced that it would be easy for someone to miss completely. Once he is standing in arm's reach, he rests a hand on Noctis' shoulder, bowing his head some so he can look his son right in the eyes.]

I have faced a similar issue when it comes to the soul of the Founder King and the person who was here with us in the flesh. What I've learned comes down to this simple fact: each of us is an individual entity and should be treated as such. The version of me who rests within your ring has experienced so much more than I have. He is a different man and should be treated as such. He is the father you remember and try not to compare me to since I'm just a young fool at this point.

[Regis lets a small smile pull up his mouth at the joke. Hopefully, it helps keep things from becoming heavier than they already are. Noctis might just crumble under it all at this rate.]

I doubt he could ever be mad at you for you choice. The choices he made all came with consequences I have no doubt he went over in his head a million times. When he took action, he was ready to accept those consequences. That is likely the sadness you feel. He knows he hurt you and wishes there had been some other way, but in the end, there was not. As much as it hurts him, he will accept your choices just as you have had to live with his.

[carbungle]

[Noctis blinks, lifting his gaze to meet Regis'. That's... really reasonable advice, actually, and he pauses to give it the sort of thought it deserves. He's not wrong about any of it - he trusts his father to know himself, even nearly twenty years into the future - and it's kind of him to relieve Noctis of blame. He's already under enough pressure, he knows, and beyond his life he surely doesn't owe the kings of yore anything.

Still, it's his father. And one sentence sticks out above all the rest: "As much as it hurts him". Regis didn't deny that it would, and Noctis isn't foolish enough to assume it wouldn't. Even to protect himself - or especially because that's the reason for it - he hates the idea of hurting his father in any way.

He'll... give it some thought. He can't just leave it like this.]

Dad... thanks. [He opens his mouth, reconsiders, then tries again.] You know, um. You're not as different as you might think.

[Their choices may be different, their priorities forcibly skewed, but he can still see the heart of his father in the man he once was.]

[kingkingcxiii]

Oh, do I still have that terrible sweet tooth in your time as well?

[Regis smiles at Noctis, amusement twinkling in his eyes. He knows that is not what Noctis means at all and is grateful for the vote of confidence, even if he doesn't say so out loud. He gives Noctis' shoulder another gentle squeeze and then lifts his free hand, bringing a bit of flame to life in it.]

I suppose we had best actually do something for these poor scientists, shouldn't we? I don't think they signed up for the father/son bonding class no matter how much we may be enjoying it.

[carbungle]

Hah.

[Oh right, they're actually here to do... training and stuff. He'd almost forgotten, but the sight of fire in his father's palm is reminder enough.]

Right... let's get some targets, then.

[No turning back now. Since they're here to work on magic training rather than actual combat, he picks a simple simulation- a handful of stationary targets, simulating copies of those little spider monsters, varying in size but non-aggressive for now. He waits until they've fizzled into existence in the training room, lips pursing, then glances down at his hand, where the ring sits.]

...Okay. Here goes then, I guess.

[He doesn't want to now, just like he didn't want to back then. But duty calls, as it ever does, so with a heavy exhale he lifts a hand and calls up the power of the Ring of the Lucii. It's been months since he triggered this spell, having carefully avoided it while he could, but even so the effect is instantaneous: siphons of red and black energy weave through the air, pulling "life" from the digital monsters skittering around across the room from them. It's eerie how it manages to feel the same despite being a simulation. He's not quite sure how this works, but it's effective enough. That's good.

What isn't good, but is at least normal for him, is the immediate spiderclimb of ash and fire that spreads over his skin and through his veins, crawling up his arm and across his face and neck the longer he holds the Death spell in effect. Besides clenched teeth behind his tightly-pursed lips as he concentrates, he shows no indication that he notices it.]

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis doesn't notice the threads of fire and ash that spread across Noctis' skin right away because he is watching how the ring reacts to their current environment, but the moment he turns to his son to make a comment on it, horror immediately kills his words. He knows the ring damages even those allowed to wear it, but this? This looks more like the marks he would expect on one who was not allowed to wear the ring at all.

Before he knows what he is doing, Regis is reaching for Noctis' wrist. Does he plan to pull the ring from his son's hand? Does he just want to make him drop the spell? It's hard to say, but what does happen as soon as Regis' fingers make contact is the sharing of a flash of memory...

The room is dim, lit by only a few flickering candles. The light never quite manages to drive away the coolness of the surroundings or dispel the shadows that darken the reflection of Regis' face in the mirror. He is tired, already wearied by the responsibility he always knew was coming, but is so suddenly here.

Of course, his father would make things difficult by passing in the middle of the night.

On the dresser below the mirror a small velvet lined box sits. Within it, the Ring of the Lucii. Regis has been saying for years that he's ready to put it on--ready to do what his father hasn't--but suddenly he's hesitant to do so.

Why is that? It's not as if he is hesitant to help his people. It's not even as if he is hesitant to hold the weight of the Wall or to give his life little bit by little bit for the sake of the duty that was given to their line so many years ago. So, what is it? What makes him stop himself from touching the familiar shape? What keeps him from lifting that small piece of metal and bearing the weight of all that has come before?

Could it be the knowledge that his father is there now too? A spirit within the ring always watching and waiting? While he had still lived, Regis could leave his father's presence when the judgment and disdain became too much. He won't be able to do that now. Once he has put on the ring, it will be linked to him until he dies. The Kings of Yore will have a conduit to him be they those who died long before or those who just left life.

The Wall will stand only so long without the ring linked to a ruler, and Regis can feel every second as it passes, a steady ticking that fills the otherwise silent room with sound. His father stopped him from doing what he felt needed to be done while he was alive. How long will Regis let his disdain keep him from doing his duty to his people now?

There is a knock on the door and right after it, the concerned voice of his beloved. Of course, Aulea would not leave him to face this by himself for very long. She has always been there for him no matter how his father had scowled at her, and for some reason, it is that thought that breaks the deadlock in Regis' mind. She has always been there for him, to support him through good times and the times when his father made life a living hell. That isn't going to change no matter how much his father may try to belittle him from the ring itself.

Nothing has changed. Nothing, besides the fact that he now has the power and the ability to act for his people in the ways he's been wanting to for years. It will not be easy, but he has never expected it to be.

Nothing has changed...besides everything.

Regis slips the ring onto his finger even as he turns toward the door to answer Aulea. There is a crackled of power, a rush of greeting, and then silence. No mocking familiar voice, no lingering feeling of disapproval.

Regis was a tired, worn man when he entered the room five minutes before. When he leaves, he is a king with a whole kingdom awaiting him and the knowledge that he does not have to face what is to come alone.

Things are as they should be.]

[carbungle]

[Noctis jumps at the feeling of fingers on his wrist, startled by it - and the subsequent memory - enough to drop the spell abruptly. The burns on his skin pulse like a heartbeat, and he's frozen in place for a long moment as the vision clears from his eyes, until he at last turns towards Regis, looking like a ghost had just jumped between them. Bits of ash flake off the scars, as if the wounds are burning themselves off of him. Still, he doesn't notice, fixated only on his father's face and the memory he just witnessed.]

...Dad?

[That was... the first time he put the ring on? He'd seemed so pensive about it, worried about what would change and how he would endure the weight of it. That feeling was familiar, achingly so, and Noctis is struck wordless by it. He never thought... even for a second, he never imagined his father would hesitate like that. He'd always been so unshakeable, save for a handful of moments where he'd been understandably rattled by some terrible circumstance. The attack of his childhood comes to mind, when his father leaned over him and called his name so desperately. Or days where a particularly difficult council meeting about the war left him rattled and frustrated, and he thought that only Clarus was left in the room and that his son wouldn't see him look so tired or so pained. Even when the ring and the Wall were killing him, aging him terribly, even when it hurt to walk, his dad was so sure of himself.

But... he'd hesitated. He'd... worried. About putting on the ring. He'd been young and scared of what it meant to be king once, too.

Noctis doesn't know what to say, can only stare wide-eyed at the other man, amazed that of all things, they could have that in common.]

[kingkingcxiii]

[At the moment, Regis is not-as-young and scared about something much more immediate than the future. Seeing the way those lines etch themselves across his son's body makes it hard for him to breath, to even think. His hand shakes as he reaches up to bring a finger to one of those lines. He stops just short of touching the line, though, not knowing how much it will hurt if he does so. This is so wrong. So very wrong. The scars are suppose to come slowly over time, not turn his son to ash right before his eyes.]

Does it always do that?

[His voice is a tight whisper, almost as if he is afraid of the answer. If he's noticed that the memory exchange happened, he doesn't mention it. The only thing on his mind is finding out what is going on, and why the ring that should help Noctis is once again tearing him apart in front of him.]

[carbungle]

[Noctis is startled by the tone of his father's voice, more than the question itself, and it makes him hesitate; as the seconds pass, the angry red fissures along his skin retract and fade, ashen skin flaking away to reveal new, unmarred flesh beneath. He winces, lifting his hand to cover the worst of the marks along his neck, though the hand that bears the ring looks as bad as the scars it now covers. It hurts, of course. It always hurts. But that pain is normal for him, while the guilt of seeing his father look so stricken by the sight is new and infinitely worse.

He knew this was a mistake. He should have asked to work on the Armiger or something. Idiot, idiot.]

I... thought it was supposed to.

[His father had developed marks over the years as well, gradual but still noticeable. He thought it might have been a side effect of the spells he'd been taught when he put it on: his had been immediate and aggressive, while his father held a shield, something he'd always been good at anyway. Noct's never been able to create a shield, and he didn't have to last thirty years holding it, either. It wasn't as if he'd had a ton of time to theorize about it, so the logic of that thought had been good enough for him. Until now.

It was preferable to the alternative that he's now realizing- that maybe he's unworthy despite being the Chosen, or that his magic is so broken that even the god-given ring of his ancestors rejects him at least in part. Six, he's been so naive.]

[kingkingcxiii]

No!

[The answer is immediate and forceful. Of course, they both know it's not so simple as that, but before Regis adds anymore, he makes himself take a deep breath. Noctis is in pain and there is no way his own out of control emotions are going to make his son feel anything but worse.

His hold on Noctis' wrist lessens and becomes something more comforting instead of just panicked.]

No, not so immediately. Even with aggressive spell use it shouldn't do that. After my trip to Altissia, I would have looked as my father did when he died if that was the case.

[There had been a lot of long battles on that trip. Not the same kind of battles as Noctis would go on to face on his road trip, but they had still pressed them hard.

With his emotions finally calming, Regis' mind begins to sort out what could have led to this. Of course, it's probably no surprise where it goes first.]

Is this because I didn't spend more time training you?

[Like father, like son. Of course, it's his fault.]

[carbungle]

[Noctis winces, the question catching him off-guard.]

It's not your fault.

[His answer is immediate, hastily tossed out in rejection of the very idea of Regis taking the blame for this. He would never, ever blame his father. While it's true that his training was seriously lacking in the magic department, it wasn't as if people hadn't tried with him. Cor, Gladio, the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard who had access to Regis' power over the years- he'd trained with plenty of people who all had different ideas on how to surpass his shortcomings. Some worked better than others, but it was always less than what he should have been capable of, what his ancestors could accomplish with a fraction of the effort.

Regis had tried, when he could. But he was also the king, with countless other responsibilities to steal away his attention. He didn't have endless hours to try and help Noctis coax out the abilities that had been hopelessly blocked since the scourge tainted the magic in his veins. Attempts were always interrupted, lessons started and stopped with nothing accomplished. Noctis couldn't learn the way anyone who came before him; there'd been no frame of reference, no textbooks to illuminate and root out the problem. And without access to the Oracle, they'd had no method of breaking down the walls that the Marilith had created within him, and slamming repeatedly into them headfirst only worked for some powers, not others.

Noctis has no idea how to tell Regis any of this, so he repeats, firm but quiet,]

It's not your fault. I just- I couldn't learn fast enough.

[A decade should have been enough- and would have been, for anyone else.]

[kingkingcxiii]

[At first, Regis just shakes his head, not because he isn't accepting his son's answer, but because he's trying to figure out what could be the cause if it is not his fault. He doesn't accept Noctis' answer anymore than his son had accepted him blaming himself a few seconds before, but if neither are at fault than who is?

His eyes drop to the ring that rests on his son's finger. The one that is exactly the same as the one that rests on his own aside from the addition of one spirit. What is the point of making him suffer so? He already carries so much burden as the Chosen One, so why make it even worse?

He takes another deep breath, and finally steps away from Noctis, letting his arms fall to his sides, his hands curling into fists as he does.]

It is not your fault any more than it is mine. We have to remember how much more is at play here. So much is beyond our control.

[And he does not like it.]

[carbungle]

Can we just blame the Niffs again? I'd rather do that.

[He lifts his hand, curling the other around it, to conceal the ring and the last of the marks as they fade, feeling awkward and self-conscious. Even if they're just going to re-appear once he uses it again, since they still have training to do, he doesn't like the idea of his dad seeing it more. Not when it distresses him so much. Why didn't he think to dress up more? Long sleeves and a scarf would be suspicious on him, but at least it'd help minimize how visible they were.]

There was an attack when I was a kid. I got hurt, it made me sick, and it couldn't really be fixed all the way. [First in Insomnia, then in Tenebrae- Niflheim really had it out for him. Them.] I've had trouble with magic ever since... that's the reason.

[It's difficult to admit, his near-lifelong source of shame, but it's infinitely preferable to his father taking the blame when he doesn't deserve it. The Marilith was from Niflheim. The assault that forcibly separated him from the healing he'd desperately needed was from Niflheim. The war that kept his father too occupied to help him was from Niflheim. They did enough, so let them take the fall.]

[kingkingcxiii]

[Blame the Niffs and the Astrals. It's both their faults, honestly.]

That was when you had to visit the Oracle, correct?

[It helps to have something else to focus his mind on. In this case, forcing himself passed the worry and fear that had struck him when Noctis had put on the ring for the first time and had ended up in such pain, and instead thinking about the details of the conversation they had before and after that.]

You thought that injury was why the ring hurt you when you put it on. I never imagined it would extend so far beyond that. I don't understand. If you are to channel the power of the Lucii and even the Astrals themselves to cleanse Eos, why would they allow your magic-wielding abilities to be so damaged?