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As though it's not an excuse to be exactly where I wanted to be.
[Arm going over Ardyn's shoulders again, Izunia leans them together.]
Where to, Your Majesty?
[Arm going over Ardyn's shoulders again, Izunia leans them together.]
Where to, Your Majesty?
...
[Miserable useless gods, did it feel good to hear that in all sincerity.]
Wherever we like, Your Highness.
[Miserable useless gods, did it feel good to hear that in all sincerity.]
Wherever we like, Your Highness.
If you've truly got no preference, I confess I would like something a bit less embarrassing of a royal arsenal.
Well, then. It sounds as though we've quite a bit of traveling to do, in that case.
I don't recall saying that. So long as you can keep up.
I'll be right behind you.
[A pause.]
But first -
[Izunia's Armiger is, indeed, much smaller than Ardyn's. Aside from the Blade of the Mystic - Ardyn's sword, held in common - there's only a paired set of narrow blades, rapier and dagger with matching guards. Royal Arms in their own right, smithed after Izunia threw aside the blade that cut his brother down, unable to bear the sight of it. Never used, never entrusted to a tomb for future generations - his alone. Until now.
Izunia catches the pair with a deft hand and proffers them, hilts first, to Ardyn.]
Fair is fair, I think.
[A pause.]
But first -
[Izunia's Armiger is, indeed, much smaller than Ardyn's. Aside from the Blade of the Mystic - Ardyn's sword, held in common - there's only a paired set of narrow blades, rapier and dagger with matching guards. Royal Arms in their own right, smithed after Izunia threw aside the blade that cut his brother down, unable to bear the sight of it. Never used, never entrusted to a tomb for future generations - his alone. Until now.
Izunia catches the pair with a deft hand and proffers them, hilts first, to Ardyn.]
Fair is fair, I think.
Are you...?
[processing]
...Are you asking me to stab you?
[processing]
...Are you asking me to stab you?
[...]
If you decided to go that route I don't think I have any grounds to object, however...
If you decided to go that route I don't think I have any grounds to object, however...
Fair as that would be, what exactly am I meant to think you're doing?
Large as your collection might be, I know you don't have this one, so take it.
Edited (word word word sorry i was distracted by ignis being a badass) 2017-12-13 22:18 (UTC)
...
[Ardyn looked from the swords to Izunia in completely honest confusion.]
I-...why?
[Ardyn looked from the swords to Izunia in completely honest confusion.]
I-...why?
Because you are my brother and the only king I bloody care to serve, Noctis' status as Chosen be damned. Take my fucking blades, Ardyn.
[Another silence passed, yellow eyes falling back to the swords. He raised his hands to hover over them for a moment or two, staring distantly as though he wasn't certain what to do with this. They were different, and something about that only seemed to underline how long it had truly been. Ardyn could certainly guess when he'd gotten swords like this, but the simple fact that he'd never seen them before left an ache of unfamiliarity in his chest; what else had his brother done in a lifetime that was never truly his to live?]
[Ardyn's hands wrapped around a pair of hilts, and instead of cutting his already-dead brother down they simply vanished in a flash of crystal.]
[Ardyn's hands wrapped around a pair of hilts, and instead of cutting his already-dead brother down they simply vanished in a flash of crystal.]
[It is only a whisper of magic and a flash, but it feels - right. The first step in making things even and okay again, or at least something resembling it.
Izunia summons, twirls, and dismisses the dagger blade just briefly - long enough to be certain of the blade's nature as a true Royal Arm, not bound to a single place, Armiger, or wielder - and then exhales.]
Much better. I know you never favored lighter blades, but...
Izunia summons, twirls, and dismisses the dagger blade just briefly - long enough to be certain of the blade's nature as a true Royal Arm, not bound to a single place, Armiger, or wielder - and then exhales.]
Much better. I know you never favored lighter blades, but...
Oh, I've grown to have quite the expertise in all manner of weaponry. I'm not about to complain.
I can only hope you'll be willing to share that knowledge, then.
[Ardyn has obtained the Blades of the Secret-keeper.]
[Ardyn has obtained the Blades of the Secret-keeper.]
For my dearest brother who I am still infuriated with? Anything.
[ Yuuri's been here on Enso for a while now. Long enough that she's gotten a... sense for things and she's started to settle in and find a role for herself. It helps a little to have a routine and even though she's waiting every waking moment for the other shoe to drop, the only regularity has been how often newcomers arrive. So she makes it her monthly duty to go out across the islands and find anyone who needs help.
(And it's certainly nothing to do with wanting to see familiar faces. Nothing to do with still hoping against hope that after being so thoroughly disappointed on her arrival. Nothing whatsoever.)
They're arriving on the beach this month, it seems, washing up like driftwood and she's just glad there don't seem to be any injuries -- there's only so much patching up they can do with such rudimentary medical supplies. She's mulling over their luck that this set of arrivals seem to be happening with such little fanfare and
then
she sees a sodden but heart-stoppingly familiar mop of black and silver and wine-red in the sand, just like all the other newcomers and she comes to a sharp halt. For a split second she wonders if maybe it's just the Ardyn she knows is already here, but why would he be here on the beach with all the newcomers? But why would there be another Ardyn here when the Storyteller had already pulled one in, unless he was different enough to provide the Storyteller with new tales, unless, unless, unless...
Her heart's in her throat when she approaches, her steps slow and cautious. Yuuri knows well by now that she can't just charge in blindly and expect any less than a disaster. So it's with that thought in mind that she makes her way over to him, appreciating more than anyone the irony of the fact that she looks like she's dressed head to toe in Lucian fashion but totally, blissfully ignorant of the irony that comes with her addressing him as - ]
... Izunia-san? Um... that is you, isn't it?
(And it's certainly nothing to do with wanting to see familiar faces. Nothing to do with still hoping against hope that after being so thoroughly disappointed on her arrival. Nothing whatsoever.)
They're arriving on the beach this month, it seems, washing up like driftwood and she's just glad there don't seem to be any injuries -- there's only so much patching up they can do with such rudimentary medical supplies. She's mulling over their luck that this set of arrivals seem to be happening with such little fanfare and
then
she sees a sodden but heart-stoppingly familiar mop of black and silver and wine-red in the sand, just like all the other newcomers and she comes to a sharp halt. For a split second she wonders if maybe it's just the Ardyn she knows is already here, but why would he be here on the beach with all the newcomers? But why would there be another Ardyn here when the Storyteller had already pulled one in, unless he was different enough to provide the Storyteller with new tales, unless, unless, unless...
Her heart's in her throat when she approaches, her steps slow and cautious. Yuuri knows well by now that she can't just charge in blindly and expect any less than a disaster. So it's with that thought in mind that she makes her way over to him, appreciating more than anyone the irony of the fact that she looks like she's dressed head to toe in Lucian fashion but totally, blissfully ignorant of the irony that comes with her addressing him as - ]
... Izunia-san? Um... that is you, isn't it?
[At first the girl's voice doesn't even register. Izunia is busy trying to figure out exactly how he came to be on a beach - complete with tropical heat, sand in places sand doesn't belong, and salt water soaking his hair and clothes - to notice anything outside his own head at first.
But then he hears the girl's voice, and he looks up -
and then he realizes
she called him Izunia.
Thanks, Yuuri, there is now a giant beanpole having a complete heart attack at the sight of you. His eyes are a natural hazel instead of Ardyn's uncanny yellow, and the clothes are in a bit better repair - true black instead of faded grey, a navy swirl of a scarf instead of an orange one - but still the same style, and -
And no one should know him to be Izunia. No one save Gilgamesh, and the girl is very clearly nothis Ardyn's their the Shield of the King.
Izunia's reaction is to freeze. But he's trained himself well, and Ardyn's reaction - Ardyn would get angry. So he does.]
How do you know that name?
But then he hears the girl's voice, and he looks up -
and then he realizes
she called him Izunia.
Thanks, Yuuri, there is now a giant beanpole having a complete heart attack at the sight of you. His eyes are a natural hazel instead of Ardyn's uncanny yellow, and the clothes are in a bit better repair - true black instead of faded grey, a navy swirl of a scarf instead of an orange one - but still the same style, and -
And no one should know him to be Izunia. No one save Gilgamesh, and the girl is very clearly not
Izunia's reaction is to freeze. But he's trained himself well, and Ardyn's reaction - Ardyn would get angry. So he does.]
How do you know that name?
[ She steps back just a little too fast and with just a little too much fright to chalk entirely up to being startled by his reaction. Her hands are up, placating and defensive all at once and she looks for all the world like she's torn between coming up with an excuse and just bolting up the beach.
Right. Okay. Neither of the Ardyns she knows. ]
I-- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-- [ come on, Yuuri. Calm down. ] I just-- I thought you were someone I knew. B--but that's obviously not the case, so...
[ well it's technically not a lie but when she's saying it so nervously, it sure sounds like one ]
Right. Okay. Neither of the Ardyns she knows. ]
I-- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-- [ come on, Yuuri. Calm down. ] I just-- I thought you were someone I knew. B--but that's obviously not the case, so...
[ well it's technically not a lie but when she's saying it so nervously, it sure sounds like one ]
Answer the question, girl.
[He is certainly distressing her and he'll probably feel bad about it later, but right now - Right now Izunia is fucking panicking under the layers of scarves and temper he wears as 'Ardyn.' Nothing could have prepared him for this.
At least he's not pulling a weapon on her?]
[He is certainly distressing her and he'll probably feel bad about it later, but right now - Right now Izunia is fucking panicking under the layers of scarves and temper he wears as 'Ardyn.' Nothing could have prepared him for this.
At least he's not pulling a weapon on her?]
[ She flinches back a step, just for a moment. But then she tells herself -- no, no matter how much he raises his voice or snarls at her like that, what does Yuuri have to be afraid of? What, here on this island where death means nothing and even the Accursed Immortal isn't that much harder to kill than any other human?
And what good would dancing around the truth do, regardless?
She takes a steadying breath, swallows hard and pulls herself to her full height. It's hardly anything compared to Ardyn, of course, but it makes her feel just a little better. ]
It's your name, isn't it? You told it me yourself. Not-- not the you I'm talking to now but...
[ she sighs and scrapes her hair back from her face with her hands. ]
It's... it's a very long story.
And what good would dancing around the truth do, regardless?
She takes a steadying breath, swallows hard and pulls herself to her full height. It's hardly anything compared to Ardyn, of course, but it makes her feel just a little better. ]
It's your name, isn't it? You told it me yourself. Not-- not the you I'm talking to now but...
[ she sighs and scrapes her hair back from her face with her hands. ]
It's... it's a very long story.
Edited 2017-12-14 00:53 (UTC)
What under the light of the Crystal would have possessed me to do that?
[Oh god what the hell is going on? He wouldn't have - there's no reason why he would ever - ]
I haven't used that name in years. It's... Izunia is a dead man.
[Oh god what the hell is going on? He wouldn't have - there's no reason why he would ever - ]
I haven't used that name in years. It's... Izunia is a dead man.
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