[Noctis glances sidelong at the hand on his shoulder, gazing at it for a moment before lifting his head to focus on Ardyn instead, a quiet question in his eyes. He doesn't pull away.]
...Because of... that future you saw?
[Pyra had implied much the same, but he hadn't asked for details, out of respect for her, for the secrets she carried, and for Ardyn's privacy as well. Maybe he should, though.]
[It'd be a lie to say he wanted to talk about it, but it went without saying that he would if Noctis decided he wanted to know. Ardyn could bear far worse alone--the sight of such an ending was practically pleasant in comparison to the one before it, after all.]
[So he stayed calm and steady, the answer as straightforward as possible.]
Without question, you were yet the same person before me now. I give you my word on that.
[The same person... and he sounds so sure. Pyra, too, had seemed certain of it. He pauses, opens his mouth to respond, then shuts it again. That's... good. Back home, in the time he has left, those memories either stay buried or he's able to endure the deluge. That's the keyword, though: time.]
Okay... okay. [He exhales, takes a deep breath. That's good. He can accept that, one slice of good news for his not-future.] I don't... know what to do about here, though. Pretty sure I'm not supposed to live this long outside of the Crystal.
[Ten years he's sealed away, and when he goes back he'll have what, a day? A few days? The world has to be saved. It's been months in this place, and the cracks are starting to appear.]
[Only a compassionate person would have snapped such furious yet sympathetic words to their worst enemy; the kind of stubborn compassion Ardyn knew to reflect his own. A rare positive family trait, and one Noctis held in abundance.]
[Out of solitude. Out of emptiness.]
[Those weren't the words and actions of some divine amalgamate of memories; that entwined anger and sympathy was surely Noctis' own, and of that he was completely certain.]
Perhaps, and perhaps not. But if it is a matter of living with this issue for the time being, then... [His hand hadn't left Noctis' shoulder, though Ardyn started to look quietly thoughtful again.]
Maybe I can yet be of help. I haven't a fraction of what you do at the present time, but I can certainly say I'm accustomed to being lost in my own head.
[Noct's brows furrow; the thought of getting suggestions is part of why he'd started this conversation, so of course he's curious.]
Got any ideas?
[He's not 100% fond of Ardyn's coping methods, historically, but maybe he's doing better lately. He'd rather hear out all the options before he does anything drastic, or worse, just lets himself panic over it.]
Actually, by astonishing coincidence it is a subject I have been giving some thought to as of late.
[Imagine that.]
...That does mean I don't have an answer of much substance yet, but a shared consideration may be of use to you. The initial suggestion was music, but the general idea was to have something to focus on outside of yourself. Which seemed a sound enough foundation to me; should the problem be a matter of one's own internal thoughts, then seeking ways to refocus on the current place and time seem the most straightforward lifeline to something like stability.
Music... [A dry smile crosses his lips briefly.] Any idea where to find a piano in town?
[Okay, okay, no. He'll take this seriously. (Anyway, finding one is Pyra's job.)]
A distraction though... sounds familiar. I asked Pyra to help me, um, snap out of it if she catches me drifting, and Era suggested some ways for how to keep my mind off of... unrelated issues. I could start with that.
[It's more likely than one might think, for sure.]
Something, uh... subtle, would be nice. I don't really want this spreading around.
[He glances meaningfully at Ardyn; his dad, especially, doesn't have to know. Especially if their suspicions are right and he's getting memories from the old kings...]
Not a word, dear nephew. [He raised a finger to his mouth in the universal gesture for quiet, smiling.]
But if that's the case, something small...maybe an object you could carry with you? Not to put too fine a point on the machinations of the realm, but touch and physical sensation is a rather concrete way to keep oneself in reality.
[ardyn lucis caelum, unknowing inventor of the stress ball]
Not like there's a shortage of people in town who make stuff. [And there's plenty willing to take offworlder commissions, ever eager to help.] Hell, I can probably ask Era herself.
[The ring wasn't made by her, but if she has some skill she can probably make something that can work similarly. If not, she knows more crafters than he does.]
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...Because of... that future you saw?
[Pyra had implied much the same, but he hadn't asked for details, out of respect for her, for the secrets she carried, and for Ardyn's privacy as well. Maybe he should, though.]
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[It'd be a lie to say he wanted to talk about it, but it went without saying that he would if Noctis decided he wanted to know. Ardyn could bear far worse alone--the sight of such an ending was practically pleasant in comparison to the one before it, after all.]
[So he stayed calm and steady, the answer as straightforward as possible.]
Without question, you were yet the same person before me now. I give you my word on that.
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Okay... okay. [He exhales, takes a deep breath. That's good. He can accept that, one slice of good news for his not-future.] I don't... know what to do about here, though. Pretty sure I'm not supposed to live this long outside of the Crystal.
[Ten years he's sealed away, and when he goes back he'll have what, a day? A few days? The world has to be saved. It's been months in this place, and the cracks are starting to appear.]
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[Out of solitude. Out of emptiness.]
[Those weren't the words and actions of some divine amalgamate of memories; that entwined anger and sympathy was surely Noctis' own, and of that he was completely certain.]
Perhaps, and perhaps not. But if it is a matter of living with this issue for the time being, then... [His hand hadn't left Noctis' shoulder, though Ardyn started to look quietly thoughtful again.]
Maybe I can yet be of help. I haven't a fraction of what you do at the present time, but I can certainly say I'm accustomed to being lost in my own head.
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Got any ideas?
[He's not 100% fond of Ardyn's coping methods, historically, but maybe he's doing better lately. He'd rather hear out all the options before he does anything drastic, or worse, just lets himself panic over it.]
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[Imagine that.]
...That does mean I don't have an answer of much substance yet, but a shared consideration may be of use to you. The initial suggestion was music, but the general idea was to have something to focus on outside of yourself. Which seemed a sound enough foundation to me; should the problem be a matter of one's own internal thoughts, then seeking ways to refocus on the current place and time seem the most straightforward lifeline to something like stability.
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[Okay, okay, no. He'll take this seriously. (Anyway, finding one is Pyra's job.)]
A distraction though... sounds familiar. I asked Pyra to help me, um, snap out of it if she catches me drifting, and Era suggested some ways for how to keep my mind off of... unrelated issues. I could start with that.
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[is he wrong, really]
But that is exactly the idea, so far as I understand it.
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Something, uh... subtle, would be nice. I don't really want this spreading around.
[He glances meaningfully at Ardyn; his dad, especially, doesn't have to know. Especially if their suspicions are right and he's getting memories from the old kings...]
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But if that's the case, something small...maybe an object you could carry with you? Not to put too fine a point on the machinations of the realm, but touch and physical sensation is a rather concrete way to keep oneself in reality.
[ardyn lucis caelum, unknowing inventor of the stress ball]
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[The context had been more trauma-based, but a distraction from mind games can probably qualify. Maybe that'd work.]
I think I'm pretty well-accessorized already, but maybe I can put something on my dog tag chain.
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[The ring wasn't made by her, but if she has some skill she can probably make something that can work similarly. If not, she knows more crafters than he does.]
I'll ask later, then.
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[He manages to muster a small smile, somehow.]
This helped, though. Thanks for hearing me out.
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