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[shatteredlenses]

 

This is Ignis.  Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.  Storyteller willing, I may actually be able to read messages left for me soon.
...
And, no, your Highness, this doesn't mean I will be too busy to make sure you eat your vegetables. 

Comments

[crosslaced]

That's not a question. You can accuse me of whoring myself out if it makes you feel better.

[That's not even the point but he does sound like he's serious?? He sounds like he'd be annoyed, but that's about it. You can actually do this.

Now, the tent’s much more intriguing, as is the denial that it's anything in Ignis’ heart next to enso. That iInis lived months on end out of it is fact, impregnable. You don't need to live abroad when you have mana pools. If that isn't explained by an attachment to the monsun outpost itself, then the explanation is elsewhere. I've heard Asch speak of moving the tent so that it is near Ardyn's abode.

Ignis has been staying in Monsun, despite several responsibilities otherwise, for Ardyn. Out of some sense of duty, perhaps.

“If you could give me three days, I—’
‘I’ll stay,’ said Damen. ‘You know I’ll stay for as long as you—”

Now Laurent has an equivalent canonpoint he can pin this to. And knowing this-]

I wonder, if someone were to become like Damen, would they have kissed their nasty, mistrustful, snake politician by now?

[tl;dr I swear I'm not infomodding??]

*Bops you on the nose* You worry too much!

[shatteredlenses]

[Ignis doesn't even try to hold back the tsk that comment draws from him. As if he would be so impolite as to ever accuse someone of such a thing even if it were true.

As he listens to Laurent continue, a small smirk just barely turns up he corner of Ignis' mouth. There is a part of him that is upset that Laurent hits so close to the mark with his guess, but there is a much larger part that is just amused. It only makes sense the blonde would guess that considering how close their stories are now that Ignis is forcing himself to be honest, however, Laurent has made a slight error with his wording and Ignis is hardly going to let that slide.]

For your information, I can very honesty say I have kissed no nasty, mistrustful, snake politicians recently.

[And he hasn't. Who he did kiss was an exhausted, hurting and forgotten healer. It's a big difference and he's not above arguing it.]

[crosslaced]

[That’s on you for not taking a shot when you’re given it, Ignis.]

Aww.

[Low and disappointed, though mostly amused; he takes it at face value at first. But wait a minute.]

……….are you arguing some kind of semantics?

[shatteredlenses]

Come now. Would I do that?

[Despite the innocent look, all signs point to YES.]

The words one chooses for their questions are important. As are the words used for the answers. I'd think you, of all people, would know that.

[crosslaced]

You just answered your own question, semantics fucker.

[laurent no]

But I hope you'll indulge me, I've never had the chance to gossip like this. Hypothetically… Chancellor Ardyn is false, but the person you might've kissed is true. Maybe one of the truest people you've ever known? Did something like that happen? You kissed someone who you knew would treat your heart tenderly?

[Is he just fucking quoting Damen? Maybe. … yes, yes he is. But he’s having fun?]

[shatteredlenses]

[For a moment, the only answer Laurent gets is a rather highly raised eyebrow, then Ignis chuckles.]

Goodness, if I didn't know better, I would swear you were reading from one of Gladio's cheesy romance novels. Did you make that up or are you quoting someone?

[Question Avoidance Tactics: ACTIVATED.]

[crosslaced]

Heavens, no, I’m quoting your ilk. So is this choice of semantics more appropriate?

[shatteredlenses]

[Ignis rolls his good eye as much as he can.]

That depends. Are you trying to get me to admit to being a romantic or to having kissed someone? I'm afraid I lost the point in all those pretty words.

[crosslaced]

Whichever the truth is, something you seem to be dodging. Are you shy?

[shatteredlenses]

[For a moment, Ignis truly debates continuing to dodge, then he removes his sunglasses and rubs at his face with a sigh.]

I would think that much would be obvious by now.

[Wait a minute! He still didn't answer the original question!]

[crosslaced]

[I mean, if you're leaving it up to him, he's going to assume yes on all counts. Ignis has at no point said no? It's quite an Akielon sensibility, ducking around fact like this. Laurent has no idea why Damen doesn't seem to like Ignis.

The blonde mulls over his response for a while.]

You should get him tipsy. He might admit something.

[The real operative is ‘drunk as he's never been before’, but you know, he shouldn't advocate the shit he does out of an unwillingness to admit his alcohol tolerance. ]

[shatteredlenses]

That rather difficult to do when he neither eats nor drinks. He says he can't taste it.

[Well, there was that one night. Ignis' own memories of it are fuzzier than he would like to admit to, but hadn't Ardyn gotten as drunk as he had off what Muffet brought?]

Magical food and drink might be an option, but there is a rather limited supply of that.

[crosslaced]

-really? That sounds like a particularly miserable existence.

[This is news to him. He still jumps quickly to a rather uncomfortable conclusion, though.]

Mm, Damianos has had many lovers. He might have a better idea. He's very helpful most of the time.

[Laurent’s only template has been Damen himself, which is quite evident by how he's approaching this thing. So. If you don't want to put your tsundere in a dangerous high-pressure environment and hope the constant threat of death squeezes something out of him, what can you do????]

[shatteredlenses]

Indeed.

[Ignis huffs softly then and shakes his head.]

I'm not certain that's a good idea. I don't think your beloved much cares for me. He reacted quite oddly when I mentioned having helped to heal Maribelle once. I'm still not sure why he reacted that way. You obviously care a great deal about her. Why wouldn't I have healed her since it was within my abilities?

[crosslaced]

He doesn't?

[this is absolutely baffling????]

He’s your sort; everyone likes him. Everyone likes you.

[He absolutely thought they would get along like chums and once again, Damen goes around ruining his expectations. This isn't even important enough, you didn't need to do that Damen.]

How odd, exactly?

[shatteredlenses]

He seemed...

[Ignis pauses a moment, uncertain what word to use. After all, he's only talked to Damen once and it wasn't under the most ideal circumstances.]

I guess the best way to put it is that he seemed uncomfortable. Of course, I find it hard to blame him for that. Our conversation happened during the storytelling round where something was displaying our memories instead of just letting us talk. No one likes strangers seeing something so personal.

[And there was certainly no other reason at all. Nope.]

[crosslaced]

[That’s- December, right? Around the time Damen had come, against all odds, back to him. Laurent doesn't remember if he’d been particularly upset over anything, certainly the whole month in general had been a flurry of adjusting Damen to things. He can't think of any other reason. Jealousy is even more implausible here than with Islander. He's going to be so annoyed when he finds out.

Still, that won't do. Laurent doesn't like relying on Ignis’ goodwill or his own reputation with the man, which, let's be real, won't last forever. And Damen needs to eat. Damen needs this connection and he doesn't have an eye for this kind of things. ]

He arrived that month, so it must just be an adjustment issue. Our world has no such thing as magic, you see.

[It’s not dramatically different but this is Laurent’s earnest voice?]

I hope you won't hold anything against him, he really is a good man. It must have been some kind of mistake.

[shatteredlenses]

Of course I won't.

[That night had been awkward for them all. He can't imagine how much more it must have been for someone so newly arrived.]

I've merely kept my distance as so not to make him more uncomfortable on the off chance I did do something that bothered him. If it will help, you are welcome to let him know I hold no ill will toward him. I'm happy to help either of you whenever the need may arise.