So, how much of what Professor Byleth says is true?
[He had told Byleth he'd speak to Elidibus at a more convenient hour, in an effort to confirm the veracity of his story, but in reality the message arrives not a bell after the request to speak to the involved parties was initially posted. It's absurd, utterly ridiculous - and yet he finds himself still dwelling upon it all.]
Presuming, of course, he tild you ofthe romantic and physical relationships that were shared. It was the nature of the world we had arrived within, encouraging 'positive interactions' as it was deemed.
But that version of yourself - and that of Hythlodaeus, for that matter - were different individuals. The differences are subtle, but to me remain clear as a cloudless sky.
[He's still not certain how to take all of this. In fact, a part of him was hoping that Elidibus would tell him the professor was woefully mistaken.]
He claimed that this other version of himself - and mine - were in love with one another. And that Hythlodaeus and myself were wed.
You're saying that those things truly occurred in that world?
Make no mistake, I need no reminder of who I am. But he may well be in for a world of agony if he cannot separate himself from all he has supposedly witnessed.
Elidibus, you are mistaken if you think my primary concern here is whether or not I am "being seen for the man I am".
[Byleth has already seen far too much, in his opinion. Though he will at least consider the suggestion that perhaps the professor has mixed feelings about coming by what he now knows without having been granted it by those involved. A paltry consolation, but it's something.]
[Elidibus has the right of it, of course. That is precisely the matter he is having the most difficulty coming to terms with. He himself has no recollection of anything that may have transpired within the Simulation, be it of an intimate nature or otherwise, and no control over what is done with the information that has now been revealed to other parties.]
[Never mind all the rest of it...]
[Emet-Selch doesn't reply immediately. In fact, this message is left to sit, even though it has been read. He's currently occupied preparing coffee in his kitchen, every few steps punctuated with agitated pacing. The light - and his silhouette moving back and forth beneath it - can surely be seen from the side yard.]
[He isn't certain he wants to deal with Elidibus at the moment. No doubt his friend will try to talk sense into him when all he really intends to do is stew over it a good while longer.]
[Noting that he has not received a timely reply, Elidibus knows that will likely mean it won't be coming at all. At least, not in the near future. He does happen to catch sight of Emet-Selch's pacing shadow, and steels his resolve. Usually, he would not intrude so obviously, preferring for others to keep their agency intact - after everything, he would prefer that their choices remain their own.
But presently that appears to be counter to what must be done.
So he makes his way to Emet-Selch's door and knocks, confidently and clearly. If there is still no response, he will let himself in. A meddler, as he was called in the past.]
[Augh... Must they? Must they do this right this instant?? A meddler indeed, and one who isn't especially appreciated at the moment.]
[Emet-Selch glances over his shoulder and scowls at the door with the intensity afforded his 12,000 years but does not bother to answer. Instead he continues to supervise the brewing of his coffee, his gestures lacking their usual polished grace. He's still fuming in all honesty, and it will be some hours before his ire manages to burn itself out.]
[Elidibus will simply have to let himself in, if he's going to be so bold as to interrupt him now. It isn't as if there's anything truly stopping him. And if the noises behind him persist, Emet-Selch will eventually raise his voice so that it carries behind him, steam curling from his mouth rather than the rim of his newly filled cup.]
I know why you are here, Elidibus, and I've no desire to speak further on this matter. You may kindly escort yourself out.
Politely and with patience does Elidibus wait just outside, through the silence in response to his knocking, and then through the irritated words that grace his ears even through the door. Well. That would not do, would it? Putting the conversation off will do no favors for anyone, nor will allowing Emet-Selch to stew and fester on the subject longer than he must.
Luckily for the other man, a certain Emissary was not one to give up so easily. So instead of turning around he opens the door and lets himself inside, securely shutting the door behind him.
And approaches. He is sure to keep a respectable amount of distance between the two of them, knowing how Emet-Selch will want his personal space - especially now, of all times.]
I have never been one to leave a friend to suffer alone. If you do not wish to speak of it, we will not. But nor will I leave you in clear distress.
[About what, you might ask? A great number of things, actually! Though Emet-Selch seems less than eager to drag them out into the open. Instead he huffs loud and long, and this time there is almost...certainly a hint of gray in the steam that rises from where he works, not to mention the smell of smoke - half-hidden beneath the aroma of the coffee, but present all the same.]
I suppose that next you will be insisting that you are duty-bound to remain and lend an ear until I have calmed myself to your satisfaction.
[His movements are still agitated as he summons another mug with a wave of his wrist and a too-loud clank, cursing quietly under his breath as some of the coffee spills.]
No, to be truthful. I will not be doing such a thing.
[The words that Emet-Selch says have a bite to them, though it is not directed at him personally - nor does he take them as such. No matter how his friend attempts to play down his upset, Elidibus knows better.]
I am here for you. Nothing more, nothing less. Here for you and whatever it is that you may need. If that is to spit fire at my person - literally of figuratively - I will weather what needs be done. If it is to sit in silence and provide companionship, I will do so. And yes, should you wish for an ear, I will give you mine for however long you require.
[Elidibus presses a hand to his breast, slightly frowning.]
But I assure you that this has nothing to do with duty.
Prompto always loves it when Elidibus invites him over.
It isn't that he needs an invite to go see his boyfriend. The blond often loves to swing by his home just to see that big, delighted smile from the surprise of it all. But there is something that sets his heart fluttering whenever he gets a message asking for his presence. Elidibus has a sweet, romantic way about him that leaves Prompto always trying to guess what the Ancient has prepared for their next outing together. It is not often that the sunshine boy himself gets to bask in the warmth of another sun.
It is from one such invitation that Prompto finds himself knocking on Elidibus' front door with a wide grin on his face. "Hey! Heyyy! C'mon, we got places to go! Soooo many dates to catch up on!"
Themis cannot help himself when confronted with the warmth of Prompto's smile. He rarely can when confronted with Prompto himself in the first place, leaning in to press his lips to a corner of that familiar grin, pulling the blonde into a brief but exuberant hug. As much as he would like to linger, his partner does have a point. Now that the weather is not entirely unforgiving they can actually venture outside.
"Yes, yes, I will not keep us overlong, no matter how I wish to just look at you." Spending hours staring at his partner does, actually, sound like a good date for Themis. But he had promised more.
Out in the sunlight Prompto's hair looks practically gilded in the light. It catches the sun much like Themis's own does - moonlight instead of sunshine - but the true shine is the energy that the two of them give off. A feedback loop that Themis does not believe he will every grow weary of, energy begetting energy, a binary star system whirling through the cosmos and picking up momentum. The journey is made almost on autopilot with how much attention he's giving Prompto, but his feet do not lead them astray.
"We are here. I had thought this scenery would appeal to your artist's eye," spoken with a smile and an arm sweeping out to show the view. A small hill terminates gently into a shallow stream, the banks of which are lined on the near side with long, soft grass that has been cleared of snow and coaxed into greenery, the far side dominated by a massive willow that sways gently in the breeze. The temperature here is just warm enough to be comfortable, the brisk air still refreshing.
A call comes in from a tired-looking young mage somewhere in the snowy forest. Mithrun is also there, looking even more tired than both Popp right now and his own average. He's floppily leaning on Popp for support.
Popp sounds more abashed than truly distressed, and just a little bit whiny. He knows Themis is extremely busy with all of the everything, but also... look, Popp is part of the everything dear to him at this point!
"I can't get my Zoom spell to work with the snow changing how everything looks, can you show me exactly what the town looks like outside right now?"
The images of the outskirts of town move by swiftly on Elidibus's end and yet are accompanied by no footsteps. Instead comes the unmistakable sound of a flap of wings, and abruptly the scene changes direction, rocketing upwards directly into the falling snow. It pivots, Elidibus clearly leveling off to hover in place - the sound of his breath in exertion comes now.
He pans over the town from above, giving Popp ample time to take in the details as best as he can with the falling snow. The vantage point is quite the good one.
"Does that suit your needs?" finally Themis himself comes into view, wings lazily beating to hold him in place.
He's sheepish but so grateful for the fresh crisp references, and nods along as a full picture of the town as it is appears in his mind.
"Oh yeah, that's perfect!"
Without further warning, Popp's side of the communication blurs from incredible speed. Another drawback of Zoom is the lack of precise steering and he's focusing on Themis as well as the landscape. It's a near miss as he shoots down out of the sky like a falling star at a steep angle, close enough that the wind from his passage whips Elidibus' long hair around. Close enough that they show up in each other's rock images at the same time for a split second.
His end of the scrying spins and settles on an upwards view of the winter skies when he hits a relatively soft landing comprised of snowy buildup and also someone's perfectly good hydrangeas. Those are going to look pretty shabby once spring hits!
Well. That certainly was quite the performance. Elidibus cranes his neck downwards to get eyes on Popp, spotting him and shutting off his rock feed. He descends far more gracefully than Popp had, landing in the clear spot directly next to the now-battered hydrangeas.
Elidibus startles into bright peals of laughter. It's a welcome sound in the middle of everything that is happening.
"Oh, dear Popp, I had meant my camerawork!"
The sprawled image of Popp, now defensive and grumpy, is so incredibly silly - such a jarring change to the rest of the day. When his laughter dies down, he offers a hand to the both of them to pull them up. Mithrun will continue to not participate in the conversation.
Popp's face is already flushed red from the cold, and it gets another subtle layer of flush under it. He protests indignantly from the ground during the course of the laughing fit, though not in a way that implies he's been cut deep to the dignity, merely bruised, and accepts the hand up with grace.
"...Maybe you should hang onto him. He's totally out of magic power, which means that he's basically a sack of flour that breathes."
"Back home to warm up, of course! I've still got plenty of magic power, but that won't do me any good if I'm worn out and frozen solid!"
Popp tucks his hands under his arms for warmth and emphasis. He can be very practical when he's not stressed, which is less often than he would prefer.
Elidibus eyes him as if he's thinking of sparing some energy for some cold resistance magic, but thinks better of it. He will need it for the remainder of his patrol.
"Need you aught else before I return Mithrun to his home?"
"Nah - just call me if you run into trouble, got it?"
Obviously, their power levels are kind of... look, Popp feels better for having made the offer, all right? Face red from the cold and maybe a little from embarrassment, he rockets off into the sky again. Of course he's not going any slower; how else is he going to learn how to land at this speed?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[text] Following Byleth's Revelations
[He had told Byleth he'd speak to Elidibus at a more convenient hour, in an effort to confirm the veracity of his story, but in reality the message arrives not a bell after the request to speak to the involved parties was initially posted. It's absurd, utterly ridiculous - and yet he finds himself still dwelling upon it all.]
[Text]
Presuming, of course, he tild you ofthe romantic and physical relationships that were shared. It was the nature of the world we had arrived within, encouraging 'positive interactions' as it was deemed.
But that version of yourself - and that of Hythlodaeus, for that matter - were different individuals. The differences are subtle, but to me remain clear as a cloudless sky.
[Text]
He claimed that this other version of himself - and mine - were in love with one another. And that Hythlodaeus and myself were wed.
You're saying that those things truly occurred in that world?
Make no mistake, I need no reminder of who I am. But he may well be in for a world of agony if he cannot separate himself from all he has supposedly witnessed.
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Considering his interactions with myself, I do believe he will be able to see you for the man you are.
I believe much of his distress is to now be in possession of private details of our histories - ones that have not given to him personally.
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[Byleth has already seen far too much, in his opinion. Though he will at least consider the suggestion that perhaps the professor has mixed feelings about coming by what he now knows without having been granted it by those involved. A paltry consolation, but it's something.]
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Especially considering that you had no choice in the matter. It is why, regardless of all else, I respect your agency. Others' as well.
Where are you, at present? Are you within your home?
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[Never mind all the rest of it...]
[Emet-Selch doesn't reply immediately. In fact, this message is left to sit, even though it has been read. He's currently occupied preparing coffee in his kitchen, every few steps punctuated with agitated pacing. The light - and his silhouette moving back and forth beneath it - can surely be seen from the side yard.]
[He isn't certain he wants to deal with Elidibus at the moment. No doubt his friend will try to talk sense into him when all he really intends to do is stew over it a good while longer.]
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But presently that appears to be counter to what must be done.
So he makes his way to Emet-Selch's door and knocks, confidently and clearly. If there is still no response, he will let himself in. A meddler, as he was called in the past.]
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[Emet-Selch glances over his shoulder and scowls at the door with the intensity afforded his 12,000 years but does not bother to answer. Instead he continues to supervise the brewing of his coffee, his gestures lacking their usual polished grace. He's still fuming in all honesty, and it will be some hours before his ire manages to burn itself out.]
[Elidibus will simply have to let himself in, if he's going to be so bold as to interrupt him now. It isn't as if there's anything truly stopping him. And if the noises behind him persist, Emet-Selch will eventually raise his voice so that it carries behind him, steam curling from his mouth rather than the rim of his newly filled cup.]
I know why you are here, Elidibus, and I've no desire to speak further on this matter. You may kindly escort yourself out.
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Politely and with patience does Elidibus wait just outside, through the silence in response to his knocking, and then through the irritated words that grace his ears even through the door. Well. That would not do, would it? Putting the conversation off will do no favors for anyone, nor will allowing Emet-Selch to stew and fester on the subject longer than he must.
Luckily for the other man, a certain Emissary was not one to give up so easily. So instead of turning around he opens the door and lets himself inside, securely shutting the door behind him.
And approaches. He is sure to keep a respectable amount of distance between the two of them, knowing how Emet-Selch will want his personal space - especially now, of all times.]
I have never been one to leave a friend to suffer alone. If you do not wish to speak of it, we will not. But nor will I leave you in clear distress.
no subject
[About what, you might ask? A great number of things, actually! Though Emet-Selch seems less than eager to drag them out into the open. Instead he huffs loud and long, and this time there is almost...certainly a hint of gray in the steam that rises from where he works, not to mention the smell of smoke - half-hidden beneath the aroma of the coffee, but present all the same.]
I suppose that next you will be insisting that you are duty-bound to remain and lend an ear until I have calmed myself to your satisfaction.
[His movements are still agitated as he summons another mug with a wave of his wrist and a too-loud clank, cursing quietly under his breath as some of the coffee spills.]
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[The words that Emet-Selch says have a bite to them, though it is not directed at him personally - nor does he take them as such. No matter how his friend attempts to play down his upset, Elidibus knows better.]
I am here for you. Nothing more, nothing less. Here for you and whatever it is that you may need. If that is to spit fire at my person - literally of figuratively - I will weather what needs be done. If it is to sit in silence and provide companionship, I will do so. And yes, should you wish for an ear, I will give you mine for however long you require.
[Elidibus presses a hand to his breast, slightly frowning.]
But I assure you that this has nothing to do with duty.
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It doesn't always need to be Falling
It isn't that he needs an invite to go see his boyfriend. The blond often loves to swing by his home just to see that big, delighted smile from the surprise of it all. But there is something that sets his heart fluttering whenever he gets a message asking for his presence. Elidibus has a sweet, romantic way about him that leaves Prompto always trying to guess what the Ancient has prepared for their next outing together. It is not often that the sunshine boy himself gets to bask in the warmth of another sun.
It is from one such invitation that Prompto finds himself knocking on Elidibus' front door with a wide grin on his face. "Hey! Heyyy! C'mon, we got places to go! Soooo many dates to catch up on!"
no subject
"Yes, yes, I will not keep us overlong, no matter how I wish to just look at you." Spending hours staring at his partner does, actually, sound like a good date for Themis. But he had promised more.
Out in the sunlight Prompto's hair looks practically gilded in the light. It catches the sun much like Themis's own does - moonlight instead of sunshine - but the true shine is the energy that the two of them give off. A feedback loop that Themis does not believe he will every grow weary of, energy begetting energy, a binary star system whirling through the cosmos and picking up momentum. The journey is made almost on autopilot with how much attention he's giving Prompto, but his feet do not lead them astray.
"We are here. I had thought this scenery would appeal to your artist's eye," spoken with a smile and an arm sweeping out to show the view. A small hill terminates gently into a shallow stream, the banks of which are lined on the near side with long, soft grass that has been cleared of snow and coaxed into greenery, the far side dominated by a massive willow that sways gently in the breeze. The temperature here is just warm enough to be comfortable, the brisk air still refreshing.
[video] during the Brain Boggling event
"Heyyy, Teacherrr...?"
Popp sounds more abashed than truly distressed, and just a little bit whiny. He knows Themis is extremely busy with all of the everything, but also... look, Popp is part of the everything dear to him at this point!
"I can't get my Zoom spell to work with the snow changing how everything looks, can you show me exactly what the town looks like outside right now?"
[video]
He pans over the town from above, giving Popp ample time to take in the details as best as he can with the falling snow. The vantage point is quite the good one.
"Does that suit your needs?" finally Themis himself comes into view, wings lazily beating to hold him in place.
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"Oh yeah, that's perfect!"
Without further warning, Popp's side of the communication blurs from incredible speed. Another drawback of Zoom is the lack of precise steering and he's focusing on Themis as well as the landscape. It's a near miss as he shoots down out of the sky like a falling star at a steep angle, close enough that the wind from his passage whips Elidibus' long hair around. Close enough that they show up in each other's rock images at the same time for a split second.
His end of the scrying spins and settles on an upwards view of the winter skies when he hits a relatively soft landing comprised of snowy buildup and also someone's perfectly good hydrangeas. Those are going to look pretty shabby once spring hits!
[video] to action
"I see that it was, indeed, perfect."
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Popp is grumbling and defensive. Mithrun is not participating in this conversation. Both of them are sprawled so inelegantly.
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"Oh, dear Popp, I had meant my camerawork!"
The sprawled image of Popp, now defensive and grumpy, is so incredibly silly - such a jarring change to the rest of the day. When his laughter dies down, he offers a hand to the both of them to pull them up. Mithrun will continue to not participate in the conversation.
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"...Maybe you should hang onto him. He's totally out of magic power, which means that he's basically a sack of flour that breathes."
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And who would probably take offense should Elidibus carry Mithrun around as if he were truly the sack of flour that Popp has compared him to.
"As for you... Where are you headed now that you have returned to town?"
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Popp tucks his hands under his arms for warmth and emphasis. He can be very practical when he's not stressed, which is less often than he would prefer.
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Elidibus eyes him as if he's thinking of sparing some energy for some cold resistance magic, but thinks better of it. He will need it for the remainder of his patrol.
"Need you aught else before I return Mithrun to his home?"
no subject
Obviously, their power levels are kind of... look, Popp feels better for having made the offer, all right? Face red from the cold and maybe a little from embarrassment, he rockets off into the sky again. Of course he's not going any slower; how else is he going to learn how to land at this speed?
Wrap?
Wrap!