gurabad | 023 » these shallow waters never met what i needed

[Well, someone's thought of an amusing joke. He doesn't ask, electing to settle down on a nearby bench instead. His coat swishes around dramatically with the movement — if he is sweating under all those layers, at least he doesn't smell. It's a happy miracle! He pats the spot beside him to encourage her to settle down as well.]

A relative of mine. We're actually somewhat distant relatives, but he doesn't have any other family left...

[Iris isn't the only one struggling to not smile. Yes, it's just Noctis now. He'll have his satisfaction soon.]

...well, you know how it is. Our circumstances are hardly unique at the moment.

[still laughing to herself, iris takes the seat beside him, shifting over a bit when she realizes she's sitting on part of his voluminous coat. at ease, she tells herself. there's nothing to worry about. besides, it's still early in the evening and there are plenty of people walking by — they'd probably help her if anything happened.

probably.]

Oh... yeah, I know how that is. Things are pretty rough right now. But even if you haven't seen him in a long time, it's really nice of you to help him out.

[Ardyn just laughs, a pleasant rumble that doesn't at all suit the ominous air that surrounds him.]

Well, if you can't count on your family, who can you count on?

[No one.]

It's been awhile now since I had anyone to look after. I'm actually looking forward to it.

[if iris had any idea that ardyn was talking about noctis, she'd run screaming from him.

as it stands, she just smiles gently, now reminded of ardyn's better qualities (he saved two people! he's going to take care of his family! he has a nice laugh!). sure, he's kind of creepy at first glance, and he sounds like he's being sarcastic all the time, but nobody's that dishonest, right?

iris is quiet for a moment as she stares at ardyn thoughtfully, and then snaps her fingers, expression lighting up.]

— Oh, hey! I said I'd pay you back for what you did, right?

[in her excitement, iris gets up from the bench, bouncing around on her feet in front of ardyn as she talks.]

It's hardly a fair trade for trashing MTs, but there's a really cute pastry shop near here that sells these super cute mini-cakes, and I think they're still open. Wanna get some and eat together? My treat!

[she loses a bit of steam as a sobering thought occurs to her, and she more shyly laces her hands together behind her back.]

Oh, but a tough guy like you probably wants a drink, huh? I... I could do that too.

[It no doubt helps that he's not really lying to her. He truly is here waiting for a distant relative, and he actually does intend to look after him. Ardyn's reasons might not be good ones, but the end result will be him helping Noctis achieve his goals all the same. They're his goals too, after all. It's only after the boy becomes a king that he'll be at odds with him.

His eyes follow Iris with amusement as she springs to her feet and bobs around with the energy only a child can possess. Ah, youth. So fleeting, so innocent... so gullible.]

Not at all. I love cakes. Let's get one of those sampler boxes with all the different flavors, shall we?

[Ardyn makes to stand again. He's actually not putting a show on for her, he does have a fondness for sweets. When he still required food he ate them frequently. Now he generally doesn't bother with food unless he's being watched since it gives him no satisfaction, but his tastebuds themselves haven't changed.]

Really? Yay! You're the best! C'mon, it's just this way.

[pumping her fist in the air excitedly, iris trots down the road in one direction, turning around and calling out to ardyn from a few paces ahead.]

Hey, you're telling the truth, right? This is to pay you back, so you don't have to lie to make me feel better or anything.

[she waits patiently for him to catch up.]

I've got this friend who'll go along with what I say, but sometimes he won't play along, you know? It makes trying to do stuff for him really hard.

[That she's patient is a good thing, because he'll be striding along casually at a pace unsuited to an excitable teenage girl who's ready to go already. Ardyn waves a hand, dismissing her worries.]

I can't see the value in lying about something so silly. If someone is trying to do something nice, isn't it better to just be honest? Otherwise both parties will suffer in the end.

[He tilts his head back and flashes her another smile, and since this time he's not dwelling on any particularly dark or murderous thoughts it's actually somewhat charming — in fact, for the briefest of moments he slightly resembles that friend she's talking about. Though Ardyn doesn't actually know she's talking about Noctis, he makes a surprisingly accurate observation anyway:]

It sounds as if your friend is trying to be gallant and go along with your wishes like a gentleman, but he's a bit too spoiled to put his heart into something he doesn't want to do. Don't be gentle with him or he'll never learn better.

[what with jared and talcott and everything, she's already gotten used to having to wait on old men. it's fine! she figures he's not the sort of person who goes running about for no real reason. she waits for him to catch up toher, and then settles into his pace.

the defiant smile ardyn fixes her with is incredibly familiar, but she can't quite pin the resemblance down. who is she thinking of; who smiles just like that? with his lips only half-curled and his head tipped back ever so slightly...]

That's him, alright! [she laughs.] How'd you know he was spoiled? Yeah, he's like a big cat.

[iris says that without quite realizing that she's rather spoiled, herself...]

He's a big softie at heart, though, so I guess I can forgive him. Maybe I should yell at him next time he tries to do something half-heartedly. But I bet my big brother does that all the time.

[Children her age never realize they're spoiled. They only ever figure it out in retrospect, and even then most don't. He doesn't particularly begrudge her for it since she's not entitled along with it. Not like someone else he used to know...]

An educated guess. My brother was much the same way and he was most certainly spoiled.

[He was never willing to wholeheartedly put in the effort for anyone else, yet he became petulant when people recognized that fact. A jealous, pathetic man. Ardyn only barely manages to keep the vitriol out of his voice. It certainly seeps into his smile, snuffing out the charm that flickered there a moment before.]

I'm sure he'll improve with time. How old is he?

[iris is about to ask him to say more about his brother — but she does catch that subtle shift in his expression, and she's smart enough to know when to hold her tongue. definitely shouldn't press him for details. it's not something she needs to know about, anyway.]

My friend? Um... it was his twentieth birthday a little while ago.

[she laughs, well aware that that's much older than she is.]

Is that too late for improvement?

[when they reach a crosswalk, she instinctively reaches out to grab his hand. it's... it's pure instinct, really — it's just that gladio never stopped insisting that they hold hands when they cross the street, and iris figures it's easier to enable his protective behavior rather than argue with him. at 6'3" and cloaked in layers, ardyn is just sort of large in the same way, and she forgot that she wasn't with her gladdy.

she kind of regrets doing it as soon as she realizes what she's done.]

[Twenty. Here he thought she was talking about a classmate. Is she talking about the prince? She must be; considering her family ties she was probably around the royal family a fair amount. So she's close enough to call him "friend"...]

That is perhaps a bit old to be behaving like a child.

[Noctis has been coddled. Ardyn starts to dwell on how unworthy he is and how unfair it is of the Astrals to choose an unproven, snot-nosed brat when they turned their backs on him. He likely would have continued down that all too familiar line of thought if not for Iris suddenly grabbing his hand. His brow furrows slightly, though he doesn't pull away since he's not bothered by it so much as he is perplexed. Why would she — the crosswalk? Now she's the one not acting her age.

Well, there's no reason to make a fuss. He honestly doesn't care. Once he's figured out the reason he crosses the street with Iris in tow as if it's the most natural thing in the world, releasing her hand once they get to the other side.]

"Look both ways and stick together", isn't it? [he teases lightly.]

[iris flushes at the comment, pulling her hand away and holding her face in her hands as she struggles to hide her embarrassment. her face is almost as red as her bracelets.]

Auuugh! Ardyn! I was hoping you wouldn't say anything!

[internal screaming.]

I-I'm sorry, I know that was weird. I'm just so used to doing that with Gladdy and Talcott and everyone... I'll try not to do it again!

[Iris is embarrassed, but Ardyn is delighted with her overreaction. He does so love to get a rise out of people! His amusement carries in his voice as he makes a token effort to soothe her.]

I don't really mind. It's not something that requires an apology.

[Ardyn takes a few steps ahead, then he turns back toward her with a flourish. It seems he has a bit of a flair for the dramatic...]

You can hardly expect me to not poke a bit of fun, though.

[at least ardyn isn't going too overboard with the teasing; iris can get overly upset sometimes. as it is, though, his comments stay within an acceptable realm of embarrassment; unable to think of a witty comeback, she settles for sticking her tongue out at him instead.]

...Nyeh!

[she runs a bit to catch up with him, but this time, she holds her arms squarely behind her back, keeping a grip on both her elbows. can't let that happen again...

there are... some lestallan citizens who seem concerned to see such a small girl next to such a sleazy-looking man, especially at this time of night, but iris pays them no mind as she matches her steps to his.]

A-Anyway... you're not allergic to anything, are you, Ardyn?

Edited 2017-02-09 17:18 (UTC)

[The suspicious gazes aimed from him at time to time as he passes through the streets of Lestallum slide right off him. He even directs an unctuous smile or two at onlookers, most of whom look away quickly rather than make eye contact with him. That's not at all unusual — a lot of people seem to be able to sense the darkness within him, though no one can put a name to it and most actively push their misgivings to the side since he so rarely actually does anything to justify them.]

I am not. I think you'll find I'm rather sturdy.

["Rather" is an understatement. Ardyn smirks at his own private joke. It fades as he turns his head, following the scent of baking.]

Ah, it seems we're getting close.

Yep! It's right over here.

[iris nods earnestly and runs the last few paces to the cake shop she was talking about. as with most things in lestallum, it's little more than a hole in the wall of a fairly rickety-looking building — it's nothing at all like the sleek glass boutiques she used to buy things from back in insomnia — but the cakes are appealing and the store owner seems to recognize her on sight.

"hello, iris!" the baker chirps, gazing at her with matronly affection. the woman's eyes flick toward ardyn, and she arches an eyebrow in surprise. "i see you've brought, ah... a friend of jared's?"]

Hmm... I guess he's more like a friend of mine. Can we get a sampler box?

["of course, dear," the baker replies, with another puzzled glance at ardyn. she doesn't seem suspicious, at least... just confused.

as the woman turns around to fill a small box with pretty, decorative mini-cakes, iris fishes around in her skirt pocket for her sturdy black wallet. she's quick about taking out her money in advance, but if ardyn looks closely she fetches out the only bill in her wallet — apparently she's spending the last of her pocket change on this.]

[Ardyn just smiles and waves, remaining quiet throughout the transaction.

Spending the last of her money to feed someone that doesn't even need it... how utterly pointless. He palms her wallet after the woman turns back and Iris has paid, and since he's only making an effort to hide it from her the shopkeeper spots him. Ardyn lifts a finger to his lips as he replaces the bill Iris just spent, sliding it back into her skirt pocket.

Like many things Ardyn does, it seems somehow creepy even though he's technically doing a nice thing.]

Do you sell anything to wash it down with? I would hate to stand in line twice.

[he's doing a nice thing... he's doing a nice thing, right? secretly paying for the thing she just paid for? but did he really have to pickpocket her to do it? more disturbingly, how and why is he so good at pickpocketing that he can steal her wallet and put it back without attracting her notice?

the conflicted expression on the poor baker's face is probably worth a hundred more of those thousand-gil bills, but in the end she rattles off a list of drinks they can have — on the house, since iris has been such a sweet repeat customer! — and iris grins.]

Then I'll have some milk tea! What about you?

[Of course he's doing a nice thing! Never mind why he's so good at sleight of hand, a man gets bored after thousands of years. He's picked up all sorts of little skills along the way. The poor shopkeeper may get the impression that he's laughing at her on the inside, and she would be absolutely right.]

I'll take tea as well, but plain, if you please.

[He likes sweets, but it's best to have something a little bitter to cleanse the palate between different flavors.]

Sure. One tea for him, please.

[after a while, the baker (still wearing a rather perplexed look on her face) hands them their drinks and their happy little sampler box. iris takes it, wishes her a pleasant evening, and hands ardyn his cup of tea while keeping her own in hand. hers comes with a little swirly straw. she takes a sip from it; apparently, she's not at all bothered by the prospect of having sugar on sugar.

the cake shop has a few chairs and tables out front where patrons can sit and enjoy their desserts. iris chooses one that's a little farther away from the storefront, so that the shopkeeper can no doubt still see them but probably can't hear them.

iris opens up the box to reveal a glorious array of colored cakes with pretty floral frosting and little chocolate garnishes here and there. she clasps her hands together in girlish delight, fixing ardyn with a look of mischievous anticipation.]

Don't they all look great? Which one are you gonna go for first, Ardyn?

[He settles in a seat where the street lights cast a shadow on his face. The anti-daemon lights just about everywhere populated has are really such a bother for him! If Ardyn had his way, people would use oil lamps and candles to light the night. He's a big fan of fire.

At Iris' urging he picks up one of the dainty little forks and a napkin to transfer his cake to, looking over the selection. Lovely, there are a couple strawberry cakes.]

The strawberry, I think.

[Delicately, he eases one of the little pink confections out of the box. It probably looks silly, but he hardly cares what people think of him at this point. He likes strawberry flavors, and he's not going to let pink or frills get in his way.]

[honestly, iris doesn't think it's silly, just... cute. no, she can't quite shake the feeling that ardyn is a little gross — but there's something cute about an unkempt man carefully claiming a pink frosted cake for his own. it would be cute even if it were gladio eating it. or someone equally rough around the edges, like cor the immortal.

she likes strawberry herself, because it's pink and pretty — but she's perfectly happy letting ardyn have his way since the box of cakes was supposed to be for him, anyway.]

Okay! Somehow I had a feeling you might say that. I'll go for, hmmm... vanilla.

[she lifts the cake out of the box and pops the whole thing into her mouth, chewing with full cheeks like a squirrel. look, it's unladylike to make a mess! ...though someone like lady lunafreya would probably just take one delicate bite and miraculously manage to not drop a single crumb.]

[Though his bedraggled appearance would suggest otherwise, Ardyn eats exactly as Iris is imagining Lunafreya might. Perhaps he's a little less dainty about it, but he has the table manners one would expect of royalty. Careful, calculated movements and not a hint of a mess anywhere.

Old habits die hard.

He sips at his tea once he's polished off that cake, humming an appreciative rumble.]

It's really quite good. She must pay hunters to bring her ingredients in a timely fashion.

[Either that or she pays someone that has headlights capable of chasing off daemons, but those are both rare and expensive, thank goodness.]

Excellent choice, Iris.

[iris isn't ignorant. she knows she's lucky to have family members that love her, and jared and talcott to wait on her, and crownsguard members who will call her "lady iris" and die to protect her without a second thought. she knows she's beloved. she knows she's cherished.

but... people don't really praise her. people don't really tell her things like she's done a good job. and, more importantly, ardyn isn't someone she was born into knowing.

her eyes widen as she swallows down her cake, blinks at him in stunned silence, and then — and then she smiles, though there's a touch of sorrow in her eyes that goes well beyond her years.]

I'm so glad you like it.

[she says that with a soft and quiet warmth that's not at all like her usual exuberant cheeriness. after another moment, iris pauses, and points at a small chocolate cake in the corner of the box.]

Oh! I know you said you like strawberries, but you should really try the lava cake while it's still hot. It's got this warm gooey center that just melts in your mouth... it tastes like falling in love.

[she punctuates that with a girlish giggle.]

Edited 2017-02-10 04:24 (UTC)

[Ardyn has spent more years learning to manipulate people than anyone else on the planet has even been alive. Even if he's not actively trying to manipulate Iris at the moment, he easily spots that little weak point; that desire for approval from her elders. Save for the little boy she met up with at the east gate, she's probably the youngest out of her social circle. Being the "little sister" in a group of men results in a lot of coddling and not a lot of inclusion.

He tucks those thoughts away without any real plans.]

"Like falling in love", is it? Are you speaking from experience?

[Ardyn obediently reaches to pluck that cake out and set it on his napkin, pretending he doesn't already know about her little crush. Coupling her disappointment over the marriage with Lunafreya and her fussing about her "friend" who doesn't play along is evidence enough for him.]

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