aterat | [Open] Headache And A Half

Who; Nida, Open
What; A New Voice In His Head and Chocobo Wrangling
Where; Scientia Household, Markets, Near Chocobo Ranch
When; September
Warnings; Discussion and depictions of talking to voices in your head.

I. The Statue | Scientia Home

It arrives at the door of the house, and just looking at the small statue, Nida knows it's for him. No doubt another one of those little finds that Raimon is good at, something on a list of them that Nida had prepared but never gotten around to coming back for. But he knows it's for him, because he recognizes it from home. Not this little piece, smaller than either of their pets specifically, was exactly like the ones he'd seen at home in pictures, but it was still something of home.

"Now if only I could figure out why you're here," Nida says as he picks the thing up and heads to the kitchen for his morning coffee. He puts the statue on the table to consider where it was almost immediately met by Julia leaping up and nuzzling against it.

"No accounting for your taste, Jules," he tells the feline before sipping at his coffee. What could this be? What could it mean? Why did every bit of his magical senses gifted by Siren scream that it was important?

"Why do you seem so familiar?" he asks after a sip of coffee. Then he reaches out for the thing once more and...

The mug breaks on the floor when he falls. Not that Nida, currently passed out on the floor, really notices.

II. The Arguments | Markets

Nida was learning a lot recently. Like how even a simple walk through the markets on his patrol shift was going to be a headache if he didn't know how to make peace in his own mind.

Oh! Grapes! We should have grapes. You like Grapes!

YOU like Grapes. He doesn't like grapes. There should be no grapes. Raisins instead I think.

Raisins are just boring grapes with wrinkles. Oh, that's why you like them. They're wrinkly. Like you.

And you clearly prefer grapes because they are bloated and much better crushed and fermented like-

"Will you shut up? I'm getting apples and that's final," Nida hissed under his breath, hoping no one else heard him. Which, given his luck, seemed pretty unlikely.

III. The Chase | Near Chocobo Ranch

"Kweh."

"I don't think I can argue with that," Nida said in response to the vocalization of the red chocobo underneath him. The chocobo shied one way and then the other, as if distressed, and Nida of course reached forward to pat her neck gently.

"I know," he says, his voice soft. "I know it's scary. You can smell them too. But I promise, we're here to help the other chocobos. And I won't let any wolves get you. I just need you to do me a favor and help get the other chocobos safe, okay?"

If it gets dangerous, I can shield you!

"That's not a helpful observation, Carbuncle, because she doesn't even know you're here," Nida noted as he nudged the chocobo into motion toward a blur of yellow in the distance. "Maybe save your protectiveness for someone who can understand the words when I relay a message."

And from the looks of it, there might be someone up ahead, astride that other chocobo. Nida raises a hand in greeting to the distant form.

"Well met! You helping out here too?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ignis nodded, hoping his story might help.

"Noct was injured as a child. And his father gave him a little figurine of a Carbuncle to watch over him while he convalesced. Even after that, the young prince at the time would rarely talk about it, but he did describe it once as something of a little fox creatures that he would go on adventures with. But no one could actually see this Carbuncle except Noct."

That's silly. If I was there I'd want to see everyone!

"Did he ever say what sort of adventures?" Nida asks, reaching for Ignis's fingers. Maybe with enough distraction he could pass Siren on without her really noticing.

The royal advisor shook his head after a moment's thought. "No, he never said what types of adventures other than to say that they went exploring the citadel and the grounds of it."

He reached for his husband's fingers and held onto them, hoping to somehow offer a small measure of support.

Boring.

"Maybe the stories aren't entirely for you, Carbuncle," Nida observes with a sigh. Of course Noctis wasn't going to share all of his secrets with Ignis. "Where we're from, Carbuncle is inherently shy in his own way. Defensive. So I guess memories of adventure please him best."

Ignis took all of this information in but the advisor could only shake his head.

"In that case, he'll simply have to have his own adventures."

While Nida talks he tangles his fingers with Ignis's. The point of contact will be perfect for pushing Siren through, once he has her distracted enough.

"He really will," Nida agrees. "Not that patrol rounds are adventurous."

Ignis enjoyed the contact and whether Siren came through or not was of course up to her.

"Will he manifest physically?"

"I honestly don't know. Normally in our world GFs only manifest when summoned."

Could you manifest a GF otherwise? That might be worth experimenting on. And Carbuncle would be easier to do with with since he wasn't an offensive summon like Siren.

"I see." Ignis replied. "I merely ask due to Noct insisting that he could quite literally hang out with his version of Carbuncle. However if it's different then that is what it is."

Far be it from Ignis to know all of the rules in every world.

"Ours don't seem to have the same sort of connotations. I don't think our GFs are like your Messengers and Astrals."

They didn't sustain well without a host, except for the most powerful ones.

And there it is. The moment Siren relaxes. Nida pushes her away with his mind, giving her over to Ignis. Then, at last, his mind is at peace.

"Fair enough." Ignis replied, not letting go of his husband's hand.

But then Siren comes through and he pulls back slightly with his free hand reaching for his head as a slight groan escaped him. She always did know how to make an entrance.

She did. And she couldn't be the happiest about what Nida had done.

"I'm sorry," he says with a whisper. "She was making it harder and I cannot get Carbuncle to go so soon."

"No, it's alright." Ignis replied, taking his hand down off of his head.

"It should allow Carbuncle some breathing room, yes?"

"It will," Nida says with a sigh of relief. "They're... opposed. GFs have opposite forces. Shiva and Ifrit are opposites at home, and these two are also opposites. It's why I never really used Carbuncle back home if I had her."

And they were more talkative here too.

"Opposed?" Ignis asked wonderingly. He somehow wasn't surprised to hear of Shiva and Ifrit, known as the Infernian and Glacian respectively back on Eos. "What does Carbuncle do?"

That had him wonder some more too.

Ah, here it is harder to explain. Nida has to think about how to describe it.

"You know how I've explained that when I summon Siren she can silence and blind things? We call that magic offensive support. Carbuncle is defensive support. He creates magical barriers."

He waited patiently to hear how this was going to be explained and nodded at what he heard. "Well defensive magic, especially barriers would come in handy around here. So he has that going for him."

Defense was the first thing he started when he had Jacob as a student.

"He does," Nida agrees. "It was never a type of magic I was very talented with myself, and I have such a limited stock."

And very little means of acquiring more. Really, it was going to be a relief to Nida to have that at his fingertips. But it won't be as quick to come in the form of a summon, given compatibility rates.

"I'm going to have to find a happy medium."

"I'm sure you'll get that happy medium." Ignis replied with a smile. He always had faith in his husband. "And the pair of you should prove quite formidable on the battle field when you do."

Yes, they would. Nida smiles and nods.

"Thank you, love. For the help. I'm sorry if Siren is... testy."

Ignis had been listening to her non stop but shook his head.

"No need to worry, you've more than enough on your plate at the moment with Carbuncle."

"I do. He's energetic. Not my normal sort," Nida admits with a shrug.

He could only smile, thinking of all of Noct's tales.

"Well he's here now. I'm sure you'll be working together in no time."

They will. Nida smiles and nods.

"Alright then. I think I'm going to take a genuine nap to deal with Carbuncle here. Is that okay?"

Ignis sighed but it was a relieved one as he grabbed his phone. "Yes, as long as you're alright. Let me know when you're awake and I'll get you some tea and something to eat."

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Wrap?

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