020 » just know that you won't have to do this alone

[shiruyeh]

CALL ME OUT MEME.

♛ please refer to this list for canon muses and this list for original characters. ♛ "call" one of them out — you can do so by putting their name in the subject line of your post! ♛ this can be informal/formal/comment spam/crosscanon/shippy/smutty/whatever tickles your fancy! ♛ here are some prompts inspired by other memes! ❶ — texts from last night. ❷ — morning after. ❸ — drunk/drinking. ❹ — picture prompt. ❺ — insomnia. ❻ — sharing the same bed. ❼ — snow day. ❽ — sky gazing. ❾ — roadtrip.

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[amorality]

Not necessarily for the reasons you think. For most people, childhood is a nostalgic time — if a calamity hit your world at about the time you started to grow out of it, I imagine that would be especially true. Since you've known each other since you were young, it can be hard to let go of that.

[Ryan shrugs slightly.]

Or so I've been told. I know someone that still lapses into treating me like I'm fresh out of primary school.

[haillenarte]

...so you mean to say that... that he saw me as a child because it comforted him?

[amorality]

Precisely. Friends are meant to be a source of comfort, aren't they?

[He honestly doesn't know. Ryan's never had someone he trusted enough to call a friend, though he has friendly acquaintances and one or two people he enjoys the company of.]

[haillenarte]

...I suppose I am merely grateful to have given him any comfort at all.

[with no other way of getting out of the conversation, francel dives under his covers, temporarily becoming nothing more than a lump of blankets. then, on a whim, he sticks his stuffed bunny out, so that the plush's rabbit face is staring out at ryan.]

[amorality]

[What's with that? Perplexed, Ryan simply stares at the Francel lump with only a bunny head poking out for a few moments. He starts to move to pet the rabbit only to hear a knock at the door. Figuring it's for the best anyway since the elezen is clearly done talking about this, he goes to answer.]

Yes?

["We thought... erm..." the staff member glances around the room behind Ryan anxiously, then tries to explain in less than perfect English that they were worried Francel wouldn't be able to sleep well if he's as terribly ill as Ryan made him out to be, so she's brought chicken noodle soup and a complimentary bottle of wine since that's definitely the best way to get to sleep.

Ryan just gives her a look and steps to the side to let her take away the ice cream tray.]

[haillenarte]

[after the chateau employee explains that they were worried about him, francel sticks his head out. it gives the poor girl a bit of a startle, considering that francel just kind of appears from underneath the bunny, and more importantly, the bedsheets catch on his loose shirt, rendering it even looser.

being that she works for a french honeymooner's hotel, though, this isn't really the first time she's seen a guy naked or anything, so she steels her expression. "your boyfriend made it sound as though you would die by next morning!" she exclaims in french as she takes up the ice cream tray. "you are feeling alright, aren't you?"

"oh... yes, quite," francel stammers, somewhat involuntarily pleased by the thought that the whole chateau thinks that ryan is his boyfriend.

she giggles. "be a bit more gentle with him, why don't you?" she asks. "he's got enough up his ass already!" — and on that charming note, she whirls out of their room with a jaunty wave.

francel's plump cheeks turn a magnificent shade of pink.]

[amorality]

[Ryan just watches the whole exchange with the expression of a Suspicious White American Hearing A Foreign Language™. Naturally, he's absolutely certain they're talking about him because there's clearly no other reason to speak another language. He'll wait until she clears out to say anything about it at least. He turns to Francel, huffing as soon as he spots those pink cheeks.]

What did she say? ...why is she leaving us wine?

[Sick people don't need wine, what's wrong with them?! Unless she suggested they have a few glasses and relax and do something lewd — that would account for Francel's embarrassment.]

[haillenarte]

Oh? Er... n-no reason.

[denied so quickly as to be suspicious.]

To help me sleep, I suppose? I thought nothing of it. In Coerthas, I always had a glass of wine before bed.

[amorality]

[And here Ryan had been about to tell him to not drink it. There's a chance it could trigger breathing issues, after all! But if he's had wine before...]

It never gave you any trouble? Alcohol can trigger asthma attacks and cause trouble with the respiratory system in general.

[Though since he has been so cooperative and slept most of the day away it might not be a bad idea to let him have a glass or two along with some cough syrup. That would keep him out all night.]

[haillenarte]

[francel shakes his head.]

Perhaps it was merely the sort we made in Ishgard? But wine never did aught but keep me warm.

[and, well, okay, once or twice he'd gotten really drunk and cried himself to sleep.

one or a hundred times.]

The winters in Coerthas were very fierce, you see. Even most commoners would imbibe spirits to keep warm — well, if they could afford it, I suppose.

[amorality]

Then I suppose it would be fine if you had a glass or two when you were ready to sleep for the night. After all the ice cream we had I can't imagine you're hungry enough for the soup, though.

[He lifts off the cover to take a peek at it only to find it's absolutely loaded with vegetables. Clearly, they made it with health in mind. Humming to himself, Ryan tries a spoonful.]

It's really quite good, though. Here.

[Ryan scoops out another spoon and holds it out near Francel's mouth. He's already figured out that he likes being cared for and figures it will motivate him to eat.]

[haillenarte]

[francel hesitates for all of one moment. he's really not very hungry, and he doesn't want to have something warm after he''s just downed three bowls of cold dessert.

but... spoon... feeding...

he enjoys being cared for very much indeed, so since ryan is so generously offering, francel leans forward and happily takes the spoon in his mouth. he chews on the noodles and then swallows.]

Oh, it's delicious! Noodles such as these are an Ishgardian staple, you know.

[amorality]

[He feels a surprising little jolt of satisfaction at having his offer accepted, which he of course attributes to the fact that he successfully predicted Francel's behavior. It's always satisfying to Ryan when his assessments are correct!

Besides, if he can fill him up more on this, maybe he won't be tempted toward that wine.]

I'm not surprised. They're fairly widespread in European cultures, and from what I've gathered yours is similar.

[Have another bite, Francel.]

It's unfortunate there's not some way to peek into your world without traveling there... I would love to research it in greater detail, but that would put it in grave danger, I'm afraid. The people of this world have well and truly mucked it up, and we'll need more space soon — finding a way to allow for back and forth trips would be disastrous.

[haillenarte]

[there are a lot of things francel could say in response to that, given that the imminent death of a planet and needing more space because of overpopulation are both moer or less foreign concepts to him... but in the end, he just eagerly takes another spoonful of soup.

and then he says, seriously and earnestly:]

Well, if you were there, something would probably eat you.

[amorality]

Eat me?

[In all their asking about the sentient races and their culture and belief systems, the researches never quite got to the bestiary of Eorzea. Francel likely mentioned dragons, but this concept was unsurprisingly not taken seriously. As such, Ryan imagines Francel is simply speaking about bears and tigers and what have you.]

Well, as you haven't hunted your large predators nearly to extinction I suppose a gun would be necessary.

[haillenarte]

A gun? Hmm... [francel frowns.] My brother Stephanivien arms his men with guns, but even so, I have lost good knights to the wild beasts of Coerthas. There are ogres to worry about, and bateleurs, and baritine crocs...

[a sigh.] I knew a good young man who was eaten by a croc only several moons ago. His father was a friend of mine...

[the wistful note in francel's voice is a little ruined by the fact that he's eagerly eyeing the next spoonful of chicken soup.]

when someone's right over your shoulder smh

[amorality]

[Ryan's already dutifully spooned out more, but his hand pauses in the air upon hearing "croc".]

You don't mean a crocodile, do you? A type of reptile? How in the world were they not wiped out by the calamity?

[Somewhere that's covered in snow all the time is way too cold for a large reptile! He only remembers he's still holding that spoon when he leans forward in anticipation for an answer and nearly spills it on himself. Clearing his throat, Ryan sits up straighter and moves the spoon near Francel's lips. He meant to do that.]

[haillenarte]

[francel slurps at the spoon just a little bit more than he has to, humming thoughtfully before he lets go.]

Why, I never thought aught of it. But if a dragon can survive in Coerthas, a baritine croc most certainly can. All scalekin are cold-blooded creatures, are they not? Besides, crocs have fur to keep them warm... of a sort, at any rate...

[crocodiles. with fur. what kind of drugs is eorzea on? we just don't know.]

This soup really is delicious!

[amorality]

[This time he doesn't go for another spoonful. Dragons. Dragons.]

It doesn't make any sense. Fur wouldn't keep them warm, they don't produce their own body heat. They would just hibernate or die. Unless...

[He can't believe he's saying this, it sounds so ridiculous!]

You mentioned dragons. Do you actually mean large, fire-breathing lizards?

[haillenarte]

[no more soup??? :c]

...Yes? Is there any other type of dragon to be found in these parts? Well — no, I suppose I know the answer to that. There are the wyverns, and the aevis, and the syrictae, and the amphiteres...

[amorality]

[Griffith's smug face comes to mind. God, he can just imagine him now, crowing about dragons... that nerd loves all things fantastic. Ryan shudders. Thank goodness he hasn't really been in on this project yet aside from analyzing Francel's genes.]

There are no dragons in this world. There are no animals more dangerous than a bear or a tiger, both of which could easily be taken out from a distance with a gun. If I had to make a guess at why, I would say it's the concentration of aether... perhaps it imbues some animals in your world with abilities that would be impossible here.

[Like reptiles that can survive the cold. With the mystery at least partially reasoned out he resumes feeding Francel, though he still looks disgruntled.]

[haillenarte]

[in mock horror:] No dragons? Why, whatever shall I fight?

[francel doesn't actually expect ryan to get the joke, given that it relies on an understanding of an exceptionally ishgardian sense of humor. the fact that earth doesn't have dragons doesn't entirely surprise him, not that he's bothered to speculate about why. he doubts it has any relation to the lack of aether, though.]

...Ryan? I've forgotten. What were we going to do today?

[amorality]

[Indeed, Ryan doesn't get it in the least. He does appear concerned when Francel asks what they were doing, though. Does he not realize what day it is? He did sleep a lot — that's why that maid brought him wine.]

You were fairly out of it with that fever, weren't you?

[He puts the soup to the side and pushes Francel's hair away from his forehead to feel his temperature. While it's still a little high, it's not that bad.]

We aren't doing anything today. It's already night — just get some sleep when you can. Tomorrow the equipment is coming in, so if you're feeling better we'll go do another field test.

[haillenarte]

[distractedly:] Oh... of course. Did I ask this of you already? I...

[...

that's the moment that all of last night's memories suddenly come flooding back, and francel immediately recalls what it was like to fall asleep while ryan rubbed his chest and back in a tantalizingly erotic fashion.

francel lapses into silence, but his nose just gets redder and redder.]

[amorality]

[That incident and his own excitement are blessedly no longer foremost in Ryan's mind. If he's lucky, he'll never think of it again. He simply regards Francel with a curious and somewhat confused gaze as he asks:]

Is something the matter?