meridio | (Awash & Hugtopia) IC contact

[ She doesn't understand human nature very well if she can say that about him. Somnus knows what he is, and kind is the furthest thing from it. ]

I took everything from him. I was not kind . . . just envious.

[ I was a victim of my own envy. Nothing more.

....Envy of his brother, then.

I have given you my answer. Ask no more for it.

She knows better not to meddle. ] ...I'm... assuming that you've spoken with him here already. [ A pause. ] And you still say your bond is strong. [ He did mention his brother as the sole person with whom he had a strong bond. ]

The ties that bind us need not be positive.

[ His brother holds him in deep contempt, whereas he houses remorse for what he did. Although by no means an effective bond for productivity, it is a potent bond nonetheless, because it will never change for as long as they both exist. No matter what he does, this will be the one constant between them as a pair of monsters. ]

We have spoken once, but the bond we share now should still be sufficient for the town's needs.

[ Her brow furrows as she reaches out to him, placing a hand gently upon his shoulder. ] ...I'm sorry.

[ Not for asking, not for hearing more about his story, but... ] I'm sorry that the two of you... do not have a better relationship. [ How many others has she told that the time they have here is precious with the people here? That there is no other world, no other opportunity like the one in this nexus, that they have to make up for lost time with another?

She wants to say the same to him. ] Is there no room for reconciliation?

[ He cranes his neck to eye the hand on his shoulder. She has nothing for which to apologize. ]

My brother has his part, just as I do mine.

[ Reconciliation has no place in either. But how strange, to refer so casually to his brother. ]

That is why I offer to accompany you.

[ She doesn't turn away from him with scorn in her eyes. Their relationship is better, enough that it won't hinder their efforts to restore the world to what it once was. ]

[ She keeps her hand there for a moment longer before taking her touch back. A bit of amusement lights her eyes, as if she’s thought of something curious. ]

A while back, your brother assisted me with planting flowers for a quest. You have done the same with helping me with quests. [ Different as they might be, it seems they both fulfill quests. She smiles kindly. ] ...So maybe the two of you aren’t so different after all in that regard.

[ She obviously doesn’t know the depths of the rift between them, enough that she finds it easy to point out how they are alike. ] I’m glad that the two of you help out this world.

[ It would be flowers, wouldn't it. Somnus doesn't meet Pyra's eyes. ]

Though our reasons differ, we both desire to return to our world.

[ He, to save it; his brother, to destroy it. Neither of them can remain here if they're to fulfill their respective objective. Ardyn cannot sate his grudge in this world, and Somnus understands that this is probably why his throat remains intact still. ]

But we can no longer rely on those quests. We must solve the world's mysteries if we're to free it from its curse.

[ He transitions so smoothly from speaking of himself to the greater topic of finding a way home, she can't help but privately praise him for it. ]

We, meaning.... You and your brother. [ She guides the topic back to the two of them. ] Since the two of you have such a strong bond already, you two might be among the few who contribute most to this world.

[ Strong bonds like that... she envies them, she supposes. It's something she can't quite form, apparently. ]

[ We, meaning him and her. While the bond between brothers may be strong for all the wrong reasons, it is love that the world has forgotten. Knowing this, Somnus must compensate in other areas, and his brother won't help him there; but Pyra, ever devoted to those around her, will. ]

All the more reason to seek answers elsewhere. Bonds alone are insufficient.

[ ...She's going to assume he means him and his brother unless he says otherwise. Especially when he mentions that they must "seek answers elsewhere". ]

Then will you two be going into forest?

[ Pyra.

Somnus shakes his head once. The only way they'll be going into the forest is if his brother were to approach him with the idea first, and that's unlikely to happen. ]

He was not the one I offered to accompany.

[ ....Oh.

There's a slight flush of embarrassment at that. That totally went over her head, oops. ]

[ Her eyes dart away from him. ]

D-did you have... anything you wished to investigate more?

[ Among the myriad of mysteries that currently remain.... ]

Is there another means of locating the hen?

[ Pursuing any of the mysteries would be progress, but Mythra seemed particularly invested in that one. ]

[ Does. Does this mean he wants to spend time with her???

No, he just wants to Get Things Done. ]

When we all traveled to the location the hen had appeared, we got the feeling that something important would happen in that place-- only back then, it wasn't the right time.

That could mean that... [ Ah, she can't believe she hadn't thought of this possibility until now: ] Maybe there's no way to find the hen ourselves. It has to have some sort of event or trigger. The right sort of bond, the right people.

[ Given their limited knowledge, her reasoning is sound enough. Bonds and people are, however, vague. There are no more quests. Are the items in hand now meant to be utilized for the creation of such an event? ]

And the right tools, if any.

[ The right time, place, people, bonds, and tools. They are fighting a losing battle, only because they are all ignorant of what needs to be done. It paints a dismal, ominous future. ]

...We have the quill. But the other items from those quests, such as the pendant, the spear, and the shield? I think they can only be used once before they vanish, much like the grimoire.

[ It's up to them to choose what they might be used for. Cairngorm refused using their pendant for Mythra's idea, which is well within their right. ] I don't... want to believe that it is all helpless, though. There must be a way home for all-- or... the choice to stay, for those who do not have a place to return.

[ He wonders if a part of that urgency stems from the deep-seated desire to remove herself, be it in this world or hers. If it were up to him, everyone would be returned to their rightful place. Either way, it's not the priority and he will say as much. ]

The world's restoration comes first. Time is short, but you must not stray from the present.

[ Folding his arms, Somnus lowers his head in thought.

The matter of the guardian is being attended to by another group. There isn't enough information on the hen to warrant another blind search. As for the individual items, there is a similar lack of data to effectively apply them, and they could very well go to waste with one false move. It's much the same for the book.

The biggest hindrance, in his mind, is the disorganization across town. ]

There is little the two of us can do alone.

[ Even when she had spoken with Cairngorm, they had been giving (what sounded like to her) excuses after excuses of contributing information to others.

If this is really out of their hands, it sounds more and more like... Mythra’s suggestion actually seems valid. ]

Would you like to share a drink with me, Your Majesty?

[ It's time to get black-out drunk!

Somnus can't recall a time he ever drank that much in one sitting. He would get tipsy, certainly. But not to the point of blacking out. ]

I make for a poor companion. If that doesn't dissuade you, very well.

[ That! That was a joke! But just one drink, what’s the harm in that? She still has rice wine left over from a wish from a while ago; it would go bad anyway.

At his comment that he is a poor companion, though: ]

...Have you ever had a day in your life, in which you only relaxed...?

[ She begins to walk, motioning for him to follow. ]

[ At times like this, it's better to step back and reassess the situation. A drink isn't a bad idea (though it remains to be seen if it is a good one). He follows. ]

There were plenty. I was a falconer in my mortal days.

[ He also napped. A lot. It proved a highly difficult habit to kick once he became king.

At their root, both are independent hobbies. Leisure took him away from company, not to it. ]

[ A falconer...

Also: mortal days. Meaning he hasn't done it since; that's... really sad. ]

...I suppose you wouldn't be able to pick that hobby back up again with mutated falcons here, hmm?

[ Falconry is a practical sport. There's the thrill of the hunt, then the prize of the game. As a spirit, though, he doesn't require sustenance, and so this is the first time that he's even given it a thought in Chroma. ]

There's no need for me to hunt here.

Yes but... it's a hobby. One that you must have enjoyed all those years ago.

[ He must have had fun at one point in his life, right. RIGHT?

She peers at him, leaning in a little more closely as they walk. ]

...When is the last time you smiled, Your Majesty?

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