[ The path is dotted with trees, whose number quickly grow in volume, and before either of them know it, the stone pathway underneath their feet has turned into dirt and trees replace the buildings and benches that had once surrounded them. The path they walk is solely a desire path now, long since carved out from numerous people headed this way. After all, once they break through the mass of trees, the land opens up into green, mountainous terrain.
G’raha tries to match Clive’s gait, which means he takes quick, long strides as he looks up at the other man. ]
Yes, someone I am honored to call a friend. If you’ve ever read tales of heroes, the Warrior of Light would fit well among them. Never have I met someone who fits that title so well.
[ He smiles wide—it’s clear he thinks highly of this person. ]
[ Sharlayan really is beautiful: a sprawling place with water and greenery, extending forward and back into the vast elements. It feels a while since Clive's seen the sun burning so brightly in the sky, or plantlife reach up towards light with such vibrancy. The world he left, as he'd told G'raha, had been beset by so much blight, and the contrast between what he knows and what he's seeing makes him slow his stride to take everything in. (Slow down, daddy longlegs.)
His hand brushes against a bit of tall grass, then along a low branch hanging near his head. Appreciative and contemplative, as his smile grows on his face. ]
And why aren't you out with this Warrior, traveling and adventuring with them?
[ Teasing, slightly. Obviously, this person is someone very important― that, and G'raha had seemed so restless in his ivory tower. ]
[ G'raha adjusts to Clive's slower pace, secretly somewhat grateful for it, content to let him take in the sights. The nature around them contrasts with the pristine marble of the city of Old Sharlayan, overgrown areas and impossibly green, as untamed as nature itself can be.
He can tell that Clive likes the sight of it and he has half a mind to suggest that maybe they take a trip elsewhere after they deal with this aetheric issue, solely so Clive can see the vast array of nature that this star has to offer.
Only that question slips from his mind almost immediately, tail flicking behind him at that question. ]
Ah. Well. He has much to do, and could certainly use rest wherever he can manage it. 'Twould be unbecoming of me to request an adventure without warning.
[ There is a promise between them to set out one day, but rest comes first. And— ]
Also... I am quite content to enjoy your company as well. I would like to know more of you, after all.
[ He'd be delighted to spend some time with the ins and outs of this realm, truly: Clive knows so little of it, still, and some of the similarities have been compelling enough for him to wonder if there's a missing link between Valisthea and Eorzea. Aether, Primals, crystals.
He'd get lost in that thought if not for G'raha's answer. On one hand, it's touching that G'raha seems to have so much regard for his adventuring friend, and on the other― ]
―I'd pale in comparison to your friend, I'm sure.
[ A little shy, a lot flattered. He clears his throat. ]
But whatever you wish to know about me, I'd tell you. [ A beat, and he laughs. ] ...Within reason.
[ G'raha's ears twitch as his tail flicks behind him once, twice. ]
I assure you, I would never inquire after anything particularly personal!
[ Just the thought of it leaves him somewhat embarrassed, and it's his turn to clear his throat. Ahem. ]
You say you pale in comparison, yet what you've told me of your situation on your star is not unlike what the Warrior of Light himself would do, of that I'm certain.
[ He smiles, a simple upturn of the corners of his mouth. ]
Heroic deeds cannot be compared.
[ It would be foolish of him to even consider doing that in the first place, especially when he knows so little of Clive's situation back on his star. Though he doesn't know as much of the other man as he'd like, he has a feeling that Clive hasn't delved into the intricacies of the situation, of what it truly takes to upheaval society and turn it on its head. ]
[ Ah. Very sweet of G'raha, to be so mindful of invasiveness; not many have the grace not to pry, especially since Clive is from another realm entirely. People have asked him far more personal questions for far less.
So, he offers a half-smile. Appreciative and encouraging, in equal measure. ]
―Right enough. Still, I prefer 'outlaw' to 'hero'.
[ A little laugh, as he pats G'raha on the back. ]
I inherited the title from my predecessor. He would also have balked at being called 'hero', I think.
[ Since they're talking about getting to know each other. Clive starts walking again, warning Ifrit to behave as they get closer to the swell of aether in the area. ]
NO WORRIES and apologies for slowing down on my end a bit!!
[ He laughs a little at that, a soft huff as his tail swishes back and forth, ears briefly dipping back against his head when Clive pats him on the back.
The aether isn't visible, not quite, but it's felt in the air like a thick humidity that raises from the soil at the base of the mountain. It's not too far of a trek, at least—just a path down the hill and towards the impossibly wide base of the mountain, grassy and teeming with flowers and crystal that juts out in places along the mountain's rocky surface. The telltale signs of high concentrations of aether. ]
Tell me of your predecessor. This outlaw.
[ It's strange, thinking of what he would consider a hero as an outlaw instead, but it's no different than the Warrior of Light becoming the Warrior of Darkness, is it?
Sometimes, you become what you must. ]
not me APOLOGIZING AGAIN... you're totally fine, i'm FINALLY alive!!!
[ (THE WARRIOR OF DARKNESS????????? FF14 ARE YOU OK)
Clive will have to find a book on Miqo'te ear signals and what they mean: when someone wears involuntary reflexes so openly, he thinks he might have to be more careful about tactility.
But they move onward, and the emergence of crystals rising up between the greenery is sufficiently distracting. Clive gravitates towards a particularly large growth and presses his palm to it, channeling aether through it with an experimental flourish. It flares bright red under his touch, fire bursting from its core in a brief burst of heat before Clive thinks better of continuing his test.
Hm, he hums, before moving back to the topic of his predecessor. ]
―He was a Dominant, like me. Chosen by the Warden of Thunder, Ramuh. [ Another weird special person like him, Clive means. ] Irreverent and reckless, constantly burning the candle of his life at both ends.
[ A laugh, as he recalls. ] The bravest man I've ever met. He gave his life trying to overturn the foundation of our world's society, to try to make a world where people would be free from the curse of magick and Eikons.
WELCOME BACK it's my turn to say i am so sorry and i'm alive as i climb out of the holidays
[ G'raha would be lying if he said he wasn't drawn to the crystal himself in some way, the familiarity of the mere sight of crystal the sort of thing that sits heavy in his chest and threatens to remain there for another century. The thought vanishes—along with the feeling right with it—when the crystal glows red and nearly bursts with flame and heat at the mere press of Clive's hand to it and...
Hm.
They should probably exercise caution, and he looks around at the mounds of crystal that surround them and thinks of the likely disruption in aether that sits under their feet and the surprisingly not-so-distant possibility that something will burst forth from the earth as a result of that small moment of destructive resonance.
...
Ah, right. He should listen as Clive very kindly answers the question he asked. ]
Sounds as if he were a brave man indeed, the sort one would be a fool not to follow. 'Tis truly no wonder, then, that you decided to carry on in his footsteps.
[ Footsteps that are surely difficult to fill.
In a bout of experimental curiosity, G'raha's fingers lightly glide along one of the crystals in a light touch that turns into a press of his palm, just as Clive did moments ago.
[ Clive, largely oblivious to what sorts of things can happen in Eorzea as opposed to Valisthea, moves on to a different crystal to run his palm over. This time, he doesn't consciously try to channel anything through it, but finds, very strangely, that it draws out something from him: lightning this time instead of fire, on the topic of Cid. Static sparks from his fingertips, lighting a whole row of refracting stone around him in bright levin-violet.
The earth around them seems to pulse. Clive pauses, hand drawing back at his side in a flash. ]
...I've carried on in his legacy of troublemaking too, it seems. [ This is a very Cid thing to have done, to go headfirst into the unknown while touching everything that should perhaps Not Have Been Touched. ] What usually happens in this realm, when there are abnormal amounts of aether...?
[ Please let it just be like, a bunch of monsters coming to say hi. Clive can take care of that, at least. ]
HONESTLY... and then i got pulled back under for the last 2 days
[ G'raha leaps back a few feet, watching in awe as the crystal lights up and refracts a brilliant violet that would be blindingly beautiful in most circumstances.
That is, circumstances that aren't accompanied by a pulse of the earth and a light tremble under their feet that lasts several seconds. He doesn't seem afraid, at least, even as he reflexively grabs for the staff strapped at his back. Any kind of rumbling spells danger, after all. ]
Well... 'twould depend, I suppose.
[ All sorts of things can happen, and they often aren't good things. The abundance of aether could lead to a primal summoning in the right circumstances, and certainly in Clive's situation, or it could cause a strange shift in the environment around them and result in aether poisoning. However, with Clive, G'raha has a feeling he knows what may be most likely. It's why G'raha fixes him with a concerned, assessing look, gaze traversing him head to toe for any physical signs of something notably off. ]
How do you feel? Was it merely a reaction, or have you parted with some of your magicks?
IT'S FINE WE'RE FINE!!! 🤝 shakes your hand so tightly
[ Narrator voice: "right after this dweeb said that he doesn't want to be the cause of trouble, he, in fact, made himself the cause of trouble."
Clive instantly plants his hand flat against his chest, leather against leather as he tries to gauge if anything feels off within himself. The truth remains that he isn't exactly sure what would be a clear indicator that something in his internal mechanism is malfunctioning－ usually, he feels fine until, well.
He isn't. And that switch flips very quickly, and very unexpectedly. ]
I don't think... [ A bit of a falter, here, as he frowns and closes his eyes. He rephrases. ] ...Everything seems in place.
But I do feel... a tug. As if my Eikon recognizes that the aether in this realm is similar to the one in ours.
[ A good thing? He can't tell. ] It's almost as if Ifrit is curious.
[ G'raha watches Clive's hand settles on his chest, waiting for his verdict. He must have felt something when that crystal drew from him, right?
Yet it seems like, perhaps, nothing is out of place after all. G'raha trusts Clive on his word, believes that he wouldn't lie when he's so set on staying out of any form of trouble to the point that he's running errands.
And yet. And yet. That bad feeling looms in the back of his mind, the knowledge of all that he read about primals and crystals and aether over the years trying to spill to the forefront with an answer, even if nothing comes. ]
This curiosity... what oft comes of it?
[ Maybe it's nothing. It's certainly what G'raha hopes for, though that hope soon plummets low into his belly when the earth under their feet rumbles, centralized right near the crystal, which shifts with the earth's movement, some of the larger pieces groaning and threatening to dislodged from where they sit perched along the rocky mountainside. ]
[ Clive has no idea how his body holds aether on a good day. Apparently, there's something inside of him that acts as almost an endless storehouse of energy, so it could really be the case that the aether he just lost is a blip in the grand ocean of his reserves, so negligible that he doesn't even feel it. It could be just as likely that nothing is wrong－
－is what he tells himself, before the earth rumbles under their feet. Clive reaches sideways to steady himself, but reconsiders when he realizes that he'd be putting his palm on another pulsing crystal. Instead, he tries to lurch the other way, and winds up bumping shoulders with G'raha in an attempt to stay upright.
Ifrit shifts under his skin; he can feel it, clear as he can feel the aether shifting around them. The air seems thicker, more charged. ]
Fuck, [ is reflexive. The first time he's been this crass in front of G'raha, likely. ] ―When Ifrit is interested in anything, it usually means there's something big and mean on the horizon.
[ Okay, not always mean. But usually. Clive rests his palm on G'raha where he'd jostled him, and looks at the small rocks now tumbling from the mountainside. ]
[ He bumps up against G'raha and nearly sends him tumbling to the side, but he manages to stay steady on his feet, reaching out to grab at Clive's arm in an attempt to stabilize them both. Just as quick as he'd reached out, he lets go as a residual rumble nearly knocks him off balance again.
Clive's language would be surprising in any other situation, but right now, when he can feel the air so thick with aether that it could very easily make his hair stand on end? It feels apt. ]
Not that I am aware of...
[ His hand feels warm on G'raha's shoulder, somewhat grounding, and he closes his eyes to think. ]
I read once, of a primal that resided nearby, though it had only been known to slumber. I daresay it has not been summoned for many eras.
[ And, naturally, it might be summoned now when they're both woefully unprepared for it. ]
[ A primal. Wonderful. Clive keeps his grip steady on G'raha, grounding him by his side, though the touch might get uncomfortably warm as Ifrit starts to show more interest in the rising aether and the presence of something else that he can sink his teeth into. Usually, these impulses are limited to when another Eikon in Clive's world reaches out for attention; Clive doesn't know how to fend against this new and heretofore unknown compulsion, but he bids the creature inside of him to stay, and heel.
It reminds him a bit of being fifteen summers old and priming for the first time. That strange, out-of-body experience. He doesn't want a repeat performance. ]
Which primal? Do you know?
[ It might not help much to know, but it's probably better than being completely ignorant. That said: ]
I don't know if you should stay here－ things might get a bit hot.
[ Ah, Clive’s palm is warm, and G’raha hisses lightly at the touch, setting his hand on top of Clive’s. ]?
Apologies, my friend, but I will remain here.
[ Tempering isn’t a worry, not as long as he’s got the shield in his pocket. As if on cue, the little disc activates, a bubble of magic forming around G’raha for a moment, as if it’s been touched by a visible hand, before it disappears. The primal is certainly reaching out for Ifrit, aether reaching out into the air, poking and prodding before it deigns to take shape.
He shoots Clive a little smile before the ground shakes and he stumbles slightly. ]
The primal is Madeen—a winged beast with lion-like features. Though I’ve merely read the name, as accounts are incredibly rare and not entirely credible.
[ So, something exciting and new. Surely Clive wanted that. ]
I will do my utmost to subdue you if need be.
Edited 2025-12-17 06:54 (UTC)
rng has spoken... stupid first, but it can def segue into serious 😎
[ The shield is an interesting, if brief, trick. Clive's eyes widen, but he has precious little time to comment on how sturdy something like that would be against two raging Primal-Eikons when the ground trembles again, creating a rift in the fabric of the space surrounding them that shimmers and glows.
Not good. (Probably?) It's just Clive's luck that he's never heard of this particular creature before, and thus has no frame of reference on how to combat it― not that knowing has ever helped. Knowing that something is a big winged beast usually doesn't make fighting it off any easier.
Still, Clive laughs. ] Subdue me. [ Not Madeen? Man, he really likes G'raha for that. ] Founder, I hope so. Don't be gentle with me.
[ Almost a verbal wink, if there was any time for that. Clive braces again as something appears from the trembling sliver of light in front of them, sliding out of hiding like a pastel-colored...
...wait, pastel-colored? Clive squints, but his eyes aren't playing tricks: the creature that slithers out of the void is a rather colorful little thing with lumpy limbs, soft and cushiony. It vaguely resembles a lion, if lions had cotton-candy manes and candy-like wings.
Ah. ]
Ah.
[ Madeen (?) hovers in the air, and makes the sweetest little growl-adjacent noise that Clive has ever heard. (Ifrit still rumbles in Clive's chest, curious.) ]
...G'raha...? [ Implied: is it supposed to look like that...??????? ]
yesssss 🙌 i've already got a few ideas for making it more serious hehe
[ Give him a moment for, well, many things. Clive's comment is already enough to give him a bit of a verbal stumble, to make words just that much more difficult to form as they lay thick and heavy on his tongue.
That he would very much love for the earth to swallow him whole goes without saying, really.
And now? Now they're contending with a primal that looks anything but—full of curved angles and soft limbs and bright, welcoming colors. It grows sweetly, too, like a lion fashioned into a toy for children. ]
Well. My readings are oft filled with fact rather than fiction, but mayhap on this one occasion the author had penned the wrong impression...
[ Somehow.
It's difficult to assess in full when he feels so knocked off balance. The Creature That Might Be Madeen twirls in the air, before growling again, as if readying itself for a fight. A fight, of course, that would be incredibly one-sided. ]
Well, [ is a little like a sigh-laugh, absolutely bemused by all of this, ] it... is technically a "winged beast with lion-like features".
[ So. G'raha wasn't wrong. Maybe the author just liked to exaggerate.
Clive lowers his sword, but doesn't sheathe it entirely. Vigilance is written into his bones, and he'd be foolish to be deceived by appearances alone－ even if the appearance happens to be kind of adorable and soft and cuddly and comes with rainbow-colored sparks of aether that feel like cotton candy instead of anything harmful or dangerous.
(Oh, he knows what this feeling is. He misses his dog.) ]
Have there ever been accounts of your people taming a primal...?
[ Perhaps... the ones that are friend-shaped...? Again, Clive knows better than to coo and try to touch a strange creature, but all Madeen Lite has done thus far is wave its noodly arms at the both of them with indignant purpose. Like a child throwing a tantrum at a candy store. ]
[ Ah, but maybe if Clive read the sheer gravity of the prose he would understand why G’raha was so apprehensive. Well, maybe. He thinks Clive would, and he has half a mind to grab that tome once he has a moment of time just to show it to the man for a laugh. Clive would like that sort of thing, surely.
But more importantly… ]
The answer to that inquiry is a… complicated one. [ He offers Clive a small smile. ] I daresay you would not like the methods of the ancient Allagans.
[ The subjugation of dragons, including the primal Bahamut, was a dark spot of history, one whose scars still remain.
He pulls a small emblem from his pocket, affixed with the scale of a dragon. It glows softly, clearly at work. But the little primal continues to float around them, making an observant lap around the two, its attention largely fixed on Clive.
The sparkles it leaves in its wake make this act seem completely without threat, however. ]
‘Tis a shame to witness a rather docile primal, yet one that still attempts to temper nevertheless.
[ And Ifrit is likely keeping Clive safe from it, same as the way this scale shields G’raha. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
G’raha tries to match Clive’s gait, which means he takes quick, long strides as he looks up at the other man. ]
Yes, someone I am honored to call a friend. If you’ve ever read tales of heroes, the Warrior of Light would fit well among them. Never have I met someone who fits that title so well.
[ He smiles wide—it’s clear he thinks highly of this person. ]
no subject
His hand brushes against a bit of tall grass, then along a low branch hanging near his head. Appreciative and contemplative, as his smile grows on his face. ]
And why aren't you out with this Warrior, traveling and adventuring with them?
[ Teasing, slightly. Obviously, this person is someone very important― that, and G'raha had seemed so restless in his ivory tower. ]
no subject
He can tell that Clive likes the sight of it and he has half a mind to suggest that maybe they take a trip elsewhere after they deal with this aetheric issue, solely so Clive can see the vast array of nature that this star has to offer.
Only that question slips from his mind almost immediately, tail flicking behind him at that question. ]
Ah. Well. He has much to do, and could certainly use rest wherever he can manage it. 'Twould be unbecoming of me to request an adventure without warning.
[ There is a promise between them to set out one day, but rest comes first. And— ]
Also... I am quite content to enjoy your company as well. I would like to know more of you, after all.
no subject
He'd get lost in that thought if not for G'raha's answer. On one hand, it's touching that G'raha seems to have so much regard for his adventuring friend, and on the other― ]
―I'd pale in comparison to your friend, I'm sure.
[ A little shy, a lot flattered. He clears his throat. ]
But whatever you wish to know about me, I'd tell you. [ A beat, and he laughs. ] ...Within reason.
no subject
I assure you, I would never inquire after anything particularly personal!
[ Just the thought of it leaves him somewhat embarrassed, and it's his turn to clear his throat. Ahem. ]
You say you pale in comparison, yet what you've told me of your situation on your star is not unlike what the Warrior of Light himself would do, of that I'm certain.
[ He smiles, a simple upturn of the corners of his mouth. ]
Heroic deeds cannot be compared.
[ It would be foolish of him to even consider doing that in the first place, especially when he knows so little of Clive's situation back on his star. Though he doesn't know as much of the other man as he'd like, he has a feeling that Clive hasn't delved into the intricacies of the situation, of what it truly takes to upheaval society and turn it on its head. ]
good god IM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!!
So, he offers a half-smile. Appreciative and encouraging, in equal measure. ]
―Right enough. Still, I prefer 'outlaw' to 'hero'.
[ A little laugh, as he pats G'raha on the back. ]
I inherited the title from my predecessor. He would also have balked at being called 'hero', I think.
[ Since they're talking about getting to know each other. Clive starts walking again, warning Ifrit to behave as they get closer to the swell of aether in the area. ]
NO WORRIES and apologies for slowing down on my end a bit!!
The aether isn't visible, not quite, but it's felt in the air like a thick humidity that raises from the soil at the base of the mountain. It's not too far of a trek, at least—just a path down the hill and towards the impossibly wide base of the mountain, grassy and teeming with flowers and crystal that juts out in places along the mountain's rocky surface. The telltale signs of high concentrations of aether. ]
Tell me of your predecessor. This outlaw.
[ It's strange, thinking of what he would consider a hero as an outlaw instead, but it's no different than the Warrior of Light becoming the Warrior of Darkness, is it?
Sometimes, you become what you must. ]
not me APOLOGIZING AGAIN... you're totally fine, i'm FINALLY alive!!!
Clive will have to find a book on Miqo'te ear signals and what they mean: when someone wears involuntary reflexes so openly, he thinks he might have to be more careful about tactility.
But they move onward, and the emergence of crystals rising up between the greenery is sufficiently distracting. Clive gravitates towards a particularly large growth and presses his palm to it, channeling aether through it with an experimental flourish. It flares bright red under his touch, fire bursting from its core in a brief burst of heat before Clive thinks better of continuing his test.
Hm, he hums, before moving back to the topic of his predecessor. ]
―He was a Dominant, like me. Chosen by the Warden of Thunder, Ramuh. [ Another weird special person like him, Clive means. ] Irreverent and reckless, constantly burning the candle of his life at both ends.
[ A laugh, as he recalls. ] The bravest man I've ever met. He gave his life trying to overturn the foundation of our world's society, to try to make a world where people would be free from the curse of magick and Eikons.
WELCOME BACK it's my turn to say i am so sorry and i'm alive as i climb out of the holidays
[ G'raha would be lying if he said he wasn't drawn to the crystal himself in some way, the familiarity of the mere sight of crystal the sort of thing that sits heavy in his chest and threatens to remain there for another century. The thought vanishes—along with the feeling right with it—when the crystal glows red and nearly bursts with flame and heat at the mere press of Clive's hand to it and...
Hm.
They should probably exercise caution, and he looks around at the mounds of crystal that surround them and thinks of the likely disruption in aether that sits under their feet and the surprisingly not-so-distant possibility that something will burst forth from the earth as a result of that small moment of destructive resonance.
...
Ah, right. He should listen as Clive very kindly answers the question he asked. ]
Sounds as if he were a brave man indeed, the sort one would be a fool not to follow. 'Tis truly no wonder, then, that you decided to carry on in his footsteps.
[ Footsteps that are surely difficult to fill.
In a bout of experimental curiosity, G'raha's fingers lightly glide along one of the crystals in a light touch that turns into a press of his palm, just as Clive did moments ago.
It doesn't react. ]
both of us just wheezing through november tbh
The earth around them seems to pulse. Clive pauses, hand drawing back at his side in a flash. ]
...I've carried on in his legacy of troublemaking too, it seems. [ This is a very Cid thing to have done, to go headfirst into the unknown while touching everything that should perhaps Not Have Been Touched. ] What usually happens in this realm, when there are abnormal amounts of aether...?
[ Please let it just be like, a bunch of monsters coming to say hi. Clive can take care of that, at least. ]
HONESTLY... and then i got pulled back under for the last 2 days
That is, circumstances that aren't accompanied by a pulse of the earth and a light tremble under their feet that lasts several seconds. He doesn't seem afraid, at least, even as he reflexively grabs for the staff strapped at his back. Any kind of rumbling spells danger, after all. ]
Well... 'twould depend, I suppose.
[ All sorts of things can happen, and they often aren't good things. The abundance of aether could lead to a primal summoning in the right circumstances, and certainly in Clive's situation, or it could cause a strange shift in the environment around them and result in aether poisoning. However, with Clive, G'raha has a feeling he knows what may be most likely. It's why G'raha fixes him with a concerned, assessing look, gaze traversing him head to toe for any physical signs of something notably off. ]
How do you feel? Was it merely a reaction, or have you parted with some of your magicks?
IT'S FINE WE'RE FINE!!! 🤝 shakes your hand so tightly
Clive instantly plants his hand flat against his chest, leather against leather as he tries to gauge if anything feels off within himself. The truth remains that he isn't exactly sure what would be a clear indicator that something in his internal mechanism is malfunctioning－ usually, he feels fine until, well.
He isn't. And that switch flips very quickly, and very unexpectedly. ]
I don't think... [ A bit of a falter, here, as he frowns and closes his eyes. He rephrases. ] ...Everything seems in place.
But I do feel... a tug. As if my Eikon recognizes that the aether in this realm is similar to the one in ours.
[ A good thing? He can't tell. ] It's almost as if Ifrit is curious.
🤝🤝🤝
Yet it seems like, perhaps, nothing is out of place after all. G'raha trusts Clive on his word, believes that he wouldn't lie when he's so set on staying out of any form of trouble to the point that he's running errands.
And yet. And yet. That bad feeling looms in the back of his mind, the knowledge of all that he read about primals and crystals and aether over the years trying to spill to the forefront with an answer, even if nothing comes. ]
This curiosity... what oft comes of it?
[ Maybe it's nothing. It's certainly what G'raha hopes for, though that hope soon plummets low into his belly when the earth under their feet rumbles, centralized right near the crystal, which shifts with the earth's movement, some of the larger pieces groaning and threatening to dislodged from where they sit perched along the rocky mountainside. ]
no subject
－is what he tells himself, before the earth rumbles under their feet. Clive reaches sideways to steady himself, but reconsiders when he realizes that he'd be putting his palm on another pulsing crystal. Instead, he tries to lurch the other way, and winds up bumping shoulders with G'raha in an attempt to stay upright.
Ifrit shifts under his skin; he can feel it, clear as he can feel the aether shifting around them. The air seems thicker, more charged. ]
Fuck, [ is reflexive. The first time he's been this crass in front of G'raha, likely. ] ―When Ifrit is interested in anything, it usually means there's something big and mean on the horizon.
[ Okay, not always mean. But usually. Clive rests his palm on G'raha where he'd jostled him, and looks at the small rocks now tumbling from the mountainside. ]
Does anything big and mean live around here?
no subject
Clive's language would be surprising in any other situation, but right now, when he can feel the air so thick with aether that it could very easily make his hair stand on end? It feels apt. ]
Not that I am aware of...
[ His hand feels warm on G'raha's shoulder, somewhat grounding, and he closes his eyes to think. ]
I read once, of a primal that resided nearby, though it had only been known to slumber. I daresay it has not been summoned for many eras.
[ And, naturally, it might be summoned now when they're both woefully unprepared for it. ]
no subject
It reminds him a bit of being fifteen summers old and priming for the first time. That strange, out-of-body experience. He doesn't want a repeat performance. ]
Which primal? Do you know?
[ It might not help much to know, but it's probably better than being completely ignorant. That said: ]
I don't know if you should stay here－ things might get a bit hot.
[ You know, because. Fire. Ha ha, ]
no subject
Apologies, my friend, but I will remain here.
[ Tempering isn’t a worry, not as long as he’s got the shield in his pocket. As if on cue, the little disc activates, a bubble of magic forming around G’raha for a moment, as if it’s been touched by a visible hand, before it disappears. The primal is certainly reaching out for Ifrit, aether reaching out into the air, poking and prodding before it deigns to take shape.
He shoots Clive a little smile before the ground shakes and he stumbles slightly. ]
The primal is Madeen—a winged beast with lion-like features. Though I’ve merely read the name, as accounts are incredibly rare and not entirely credible.
[ So, something exciting and new. Surely Clive wanted that. ]
I will do my utmost to subdue you if need be.
rng has spoken... stupid first, but it can def segue into serious 😎
Not good. (Probably?) It's just Clive's luck that he's never heard of this particular creature before, and thus has no frame of reference on how to combat it― not that knowing has ever helped. Knowing that something is a big winged beast usually doesn't make fighting it off any easier.
Still, Clive laughs. ] Subdue me. [ Not Madeen? Man, he really likes G'raha for that. ] Founder, I hope so. Don't be gentle with me.
[ Almost a verbal wink, if there was any time for that. Clive braces again as something appears from the trembling sliver of light in front of them, sliding out of hiding like a pastel-colored...
...wait, pastel-colored? Clive squints, but his eyes aren't playing tricks: the creature that slithers out of the void is a rather colorful little thing with lumpy limbs, soft and cushiony. It vaguely resembles a lion, if lions had cotton-candy manes and candy-like wings.
Ah. ]
Ah.
[ Madeen (?) hovers in the air, and makes the sweetest little growl-adjacent noise that Clive has ever heard. (Ifrit still rumbles in Clive's chest, curious.) ]
...G'raha...? [ Implied: is it supposed to look like that...??????? ]
yesssss 🙌 i've already got a few ideas for making it more serious hehe
[ Give him a moment for, well, many things. Clive's comment is already enough to give him a bit of a verbal stumble, to make words just that much more difficult to form as they lay thick and heavy on his tongue.
That he would very much love for the earth to swallow him whole goes without saying, really.
And now? Now they're contending with a primal that looks anything but—full of curved angles and soft limbs and bright, welcoming colors. It grows sweetly, too, like a lion fashioned into a toy for children. ]
Well. My readings are oft filled with fact rather than fiction, but mayhap on this one occasion the author had penned the wrong impression...
[ Somehow.
It's difficult to assess in full when he feels so knocked off balance. The Creature That Might Be Madeen twirls in the air, before growling again, as if readying itself for a fight. A fight, of course, that would be incredibly one-sided. ]
🥹🙏 god bless... they won't know what hit them
[ So. G'raha wasn't wrong. Maybe the author just liked to exaggerate.
Clive lowers his sword, but doesn't sheathe it entirely. Vigilance is written into his bones, and he'd be foolish to be deceived by appearances alone－ even if the appearance happens to be kind of adorable and soft and cuddly and comes with rainbow-colored sparks of aether that feel like cotton candy instead of anything harmful or dangerous.
(Oh, he knows what this feeling is. He misses his dog.) ]
Have there ever been accounts of your people taming a primal...?
[ Perhaps... the ones that are friend-shaped...? Again, Clive knows better than to coo and try to touch a strange creature, but all Madeen Lite has done thus far is wave its noodly arms at the both of them with indignant purpose. Like a child throwing a tantrum at a candy store. ]
😌
But more importantly… ]
The answer to that inquiry is a… complicated one. [ He offers Clive a small smile. ] I daresay you would not like the methods of the ancient Allagans.
[ The subjugation of dragons, including the primal Bahamut, was a dark spot of history, one whose scars still remain.
He pulls a small emblem from his pocket, affixed with the scale of a dragon. It glows softly, clearly at work. But the little primal continues to float around them, making an observant lap around the two, its attention largely fixed on Clive.
The sparkles it leaves in its wake make this act seem completely without threat, however. ]
‘Tis a shame to witness a rather docile primal, yet one that still attempts to temper nevertheless.
[ And Ifrit is likely keeping Clive safe from it, same as the way this scale shields G’raha. ]