inbox (diadem)

[soulshard]

273 - 2378

Aye, leave a message and I'll respond to you when I can. Or come find you.

( voice ● text )

CODE

Comments

text; august 125.

[recitations]

we're out of crackers

[soulshard]

Oh I can get some
What were they called again

[recitations]

the brand? no idea. just saltines would do unless something catches your eye [ she threw out the box ages ago. whoops. ]

[soulshard]

Ill see what they have
Theres so many different kinds for some reason

[ Why is shopping for food so complicated here. ]

[recitations]

some would say we're spoiled for choice

text, late august

[exarched]

[ Sometime after this disaster. ]

Ardbert,

I apologize for not reaching out properly since our introduction, but I hope you are well. I imagine you must be quite busy given all that Panorama demands of its residents even beyond your unique circumstances, but I am equally certain that our dear friend is proving herself to be an ideal roommate.

As it stands, I am currently in the process of procuring several copies of a variety of printings ranging from bound tomes, newspapers, to "magazines", as they are called. If you have an opening in your schedule, I would greatly appreciate any assistance in moving them from my suppliers to the motel for safe-keeping. If this is of interest, I am glad and willing to compensate you for your time.

Please let me know. And if you should be need of me for any other reason, I am only a few doors away.

Sincerely,

G'raha Tia

[soulshard]

[ This is definitely the most G'raha Tia missive that Ardbert has ever received, even if it's also the only G'raha Tia missive that he's ever received.

Before he addresses anything else, let's nip this in the bud, shall we? ]

You realize theres no need to be so formal
Did we not already speak of doing away with titles
I figured the formality would go along with that

[exarched]

[ Calling him out like that so fast...valid, though. ]

We did agree on that, didn't we?

My apologies, I suppose some habits are harder to overcome than I realized.

[soulshard]

Im only pulling your leg
But really now I have to know
How long did that take to type

[exarched]

Not as long as you may think.

Not to brag, but I have been incidentally practicing of late.

[baddragoon]

[ Estinien parks his bike and follows the path around to the side of the block of apartments. He doesn't think he's used the front doors since he's arrived here and he sees no reason to start now.

Especially when his way is so much faster.

Though it's typically G'raha and Alphinaud he drops in on, he's known where Aria has been staying from the start. Not that he generally elects to spend much time with her, but ever since their fight— ever since the strange tether that had inexplicably bound them together, he has found himself... thinking of her more often. Following the highs and lows of her day as though he has his fingers on her pulse. Has even found himself here, in fact, in this exact spot under her window more than once, though for that he can hardly complain.

Fortunately, the bond has since faded. But he finds himself here all the same on his next pass through town, and for the same reasons too. A new habit, perhaps, but one infinitely more pleasurable than hunting his vengeance.

Estinien crouches slightly and then jumps, grabbing hold of the window ledge on his way up to landing lightly on the small area, and then he knocks on the glass. ]

Aria, open up.

here we go

[soulshard]

[ There hasn't generally been much reason for Ardbert and Aria to switch around their motel room. There have been issues here and there (the mold, the pipes threatening to burst) and that have required relocating to a different room a time or two, but Aria tries to stay near the other Scions as best she can, to make checking in simpler.

It doesn't stop either of them from disappearing, whether to explore the city or take a longer trip out into the Fringes, so neither one of them has a set schedule.

Which is probably how it is that Ardbert's never been present for this type of visit.

He's in the middle of eating something he heated up in the microwave (and it really does make things so much easier, he's discovered) when a tapping comes on the bedroom window. The motel suite isn't so large that the sound doesn't echo through the space, causing him to jump up from the couch in alarm.

But then he hears a muffled (familiar?) voice and heads into the bedroom to find none other than Estinien perched outside the window. ]

... Estinien? [ Ardbert approaches the window and opens it up with a frown, looking Estinien over to ensure he's in no distress. But he seems... fine. Relaxed, even. ] I suspect it will fall on deaf ears if I remind you there's a front door. [ On one hand, Ardbert has the sense that Estinien is just like this. On the other, isn't it a bit strange to try and come in through the bedroom...? ]

[baddragoon]

[ Yes, yes, the front door, we've all heard of it. ]

You suspect correctly.

[ Why should be bother to waste time with it? You'll not find him climbing stairs, neither in this world nor in the next.

He has a look around the small room. Cocks his head as though listening out for her. Has a feeling he knows the answer to this question but nevertheless feels the need to ask: ] Is Aria here?

[ He has, notably, made no move to leave the bedroom or even come down from the window, for that matter. ]

[soulshard]

[ They're just going to have a whole conversation while Estinien remains perched on the windowsill. This may as well happen, and Ardbert knows he only has himself to blame for being even a little baffled by it.

But of course, Estinien is looking for Aria. Which makes his decision to enter through her room even more suspicious, but with Estinien it's hard to guess at the reason behind anything he does. So maybe it means nothing.

Ardbert also realizes that it's not technically his business what Aria gets up to. ]

She isn't, sorry to say. She had a few things she wanted to do today. [ He can't remember what those things are off the top of his head. As odd as it had been for him at first when she was absent, he's slowly gotten used to it.

Either way, he digs his phone out of his pocket so he can send her a message. ]

... Would you like me to pass something on to her?

[baddragoon]

[ He considers the offer. Estinien's options are that he could either wait here for her, go and track her down, or do something else entirely. And though tracking Aria down has it's own draw, he's leaning towards the last option.

Besides, what message would he pass on? Tell Aria to return so we can fuck. You will need to occupy yourself elsewhere? He doesn't foresee that ending in success.

Especially with a man he has had little and less to do with. This is perhaps the second proper conversation they have had outside of 'Pass the soy sauce, please,' and 'Tell Aria she's on thin fucking ice.' It is clear the others know him, him being closer to some of their group than others, and it's clear that he is closest to Aria most of all. But seeing as how Estinien spends more time outside of the city than in it, and he gets the impression that Ardbert and Aria are very similar in that respect, so far all he can confidently say he knows about him is his name, and that he knows well how to use the axe he carries.

Estinien runs that thought back, and his gaze sharpens on the man in front of him as Ardbert types out a message to Aria.

Now there's an idea. And he is owed one, after all. ]

No need. You'll do instead. Go grab your axe; it's time you make good on your promise.

[magike]

( sent in the middle of the night-- )

Would you answer something for me?

( she doesn't expect a reply until much later )

[soulshard]

[ And yet, a reply comes not long after. Ardbert's sleep schedule isn't something that can be easily quantified, and hasn't been ever since he came back into a flesh-and-blood body. ]

If I can, certainly.

[magike]

( surprising. she doesn't question it )

How did you encounter the goddess?

[soulshard]

[ Oh, so they're doing this now? Ardbert's up, it's as good a time as any. ]

It wasn't a direct encounter, exactly. Through some of my deeds, I earned her notice and received a blessing from her.

[magike]

It's an unusual thing to call a blessing.

text; stormkiss bond stuff

[judgmentbolts]

She turned you down, did she?

[soulshard]

[ Naturally, Cid and Ardbert had exchanged contact details after all they want through in the blackout. The information they'd learned, the talk of a future investigation of the power plants, all of that.

Seeing a message from Cid isn't that strange. The contents, however... ]

What?

[judgmentbolts]

I haven't felt this lovelorn since I was a boy, and I don't think it's got anything to do with the car I've been working on for the last hour. I'd wager that it's from you... however that works.

You've noticed it, haven't you? There's something odd about us.

[soulshard]

[ Lovelorn? Hold on now... ]

You think this is that bond thing? I did feel some seemingly random emotions, similar to when those meteors fell. Oh, but you weren't here for that, were you?

Either way, I wasn't feeling lovelorn. Are you sure it's from me? What came through, exactly?

[judgmentbolts]

I haven't been here that long, no.

And it's not like it came through with a bloody label on it. It was about an hour ago now. You weren't doing anything interesting?