Prelude - Long March Home

[comesunset]

His Royal Highness, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, took the chance to step onto the streets of Lestallum without the constant company of his retainers. Verstael had gone wandering off in search of information on the next tomb - a researcher to the bone, even at twenty, a year Ardyn's junior - and Gilgamesh had gone to meet with the Crownsguard. There were few threats in the city, the largest outside Insomnia itself, and after shedding his royal blacks in favor of a more relaxed ensemble, Ardyn practically vanished into the crowd, notable only for his red hair, his height, and the scarf draped loosely around his neck.

Three Arms down, ten to go. And the Lucian countryside hid them well - they'd found a fourth tomb, but with its relic missing, and information from the hunters pointed to a ruin that Ardyn's Shield had turned their trio away from. Ardyn, for once, hadn't argued, feeling the potency of the daemons within in practically the air itself.

For now, he takes his break wandering the streets, picking up a set of skewers from one vendor, a pastry from another, a locally mixed lemonade from a third, and making his way down to the overlook. They've only been in Lestallum a week, and he's already growing fond of the benches there, the view out over the meteor crater. The sunset provides the perfect backdrop as he recalls his meal from its brief time in his Armiger, careful to keep the royal magic out of the sight of any passerby before settling in to people-watch. It's not like he's totally reckless, Gil.

Times like this, with the crowd of the power plant's shift change bustling around him, are the times he most feels like he can relax. Rather than being the Prince, just another face in the crowd... With a smile, Ardyn sips his lemonade before taking another bite of the skewer held idly in his left hand. So refreshing.

Comments

[discutio]

Stunning, for how you present the appearance of a carefree imbecile.

[comesunset]

Everyone cultivates a mask or three in this world. If I'm just a carefree idiot, then people don't watch what they say around me. And it makes me accessible to people off the street, who get lost in the fancy words and big speeches of most politicians.

[discutio]

Then perhaps you're more clever than I give you credit for.

And yet you entertain the company of a mysterious stranger who clearly knows more than he should.

[comesunset]

And by entertaining your company, I know exactly where you are and have the opportunity to find out more, that I wouldn't if I simply walked away.

[The risk he took is calculated, he's just dealing with bigger numbers than he knows.]

[discutio]

And just how is it you picture this little encounter will end?

[comesunset]

I prefer to go with the flow.

[discutio]

...When people say that, what they often mean is 'I didn't think an instant of this through so I'm going to make it up and see what happens.'

[comesunset]

[Royal pout.]

Yes, but mine sounds better.

[discutio]

[why is this happening]

You've already propositioned me, you can't expect me to believe you truly have any real course of action here.

[comesunset]

[Because twenty one slutty, slutty years has Ardyn had to contain his thirst to prevent a scandal and now he doesn't have to give a fuck because the press reported him as dead.]

I did try to convince you to let me take you out to dinner first.

[discutio]

The point very much stands regardless, Highness.

[comesunset]

We're at an impasse where we're both too interested in the other to leave, but neither of us knows exactly how to proceed, I think.

[discutio]

You've caught me there. Call it a morbid fascination and an abundance of spare time.

[comesunset]

Mm... Some would argue that I have no time to spare, but the truth is that a lot of it is hurrying up to wait.

[discutio]

The world's hardly saved in a day, after all.

[comesunset]

Nor a month at the rate we've been forced to go. Many of the known Royal Tombs have been destroyed in the fighting with Niflheim - something I imagine you're likely to know already, with whatever source of information you have.

[Ignis probably trashed no small number of those tombs himself.]

Makes the whole 'gather the powers of your ancestors' bit a mite difficult.

[discutio]

[oops]

...As it happens, I may in fact know that two such tombs can be found not far from here.

[comesunset]

If one of those is the one behind in the grotto behind the waterfall, we've visited that already.

[Still, though, Ardyn's mood considerably brightens.]

[discutio]

Ah, well. The other is a bit farther, but still within sight--no pun intended. You'll find it resting before Titan's very resting place, in fact.

[comesunset]

Might as well pick it up on the way, then.

The question that remains is how to get past that damn Niff barricade around the crater.

[discutio]

Oh, there are plenty of ways around something like that, if you're clever.

[comesunset]

Indeed. And that a problem for another day, after some rest and planning. No matter how insistent the Archaean may be, I'm sure another day or two is no more than a blink to him anyway.

[discutio]

I've absolutely no doubt of that much.

[and boy, wouldn't he know it]