[ Thirty minutes later sees him climbing in through the window. He'd already been heading back to Panorama when it had happened so it didn't take him long to make it back to the motel.
And rising behind him like a snake, long and covered in rough scales, with spikes along the length of it and a tip that looked more like a weapon, was Estinien's new tail. It lashes once, almost slamming into the balcony doors, before Estinien sets both feet on the ground and grabs hold of it with a hand. ]
[ The silence until Estinien's arrival is not surprising, but G'raha is still waiting somewhat anxiously. He had been planning to do a couple of odd jobs at his usual haunts, but this takes precedent. He can make up the hours later.
When he hears the other man, G'raha sits up immediately from where he'd been perched on the edge of his bed. Red eyes widen--that is definitely a tail. A very...interesting looking one. ]
Wicked White...!
[ He crosses the short distance quickly. ]
Not that I doubted you, but this is...unexpected.
[ It certainly would got along with his usual armor. Aesthetically, at least. ]
[ If he focuses he can still it, but the moment he does anything else it just... reacts, as given by the way it writhes in his grip. Only his gauntlet is currently stopping it from tearing his hand to shreds. Its agitated nature seems to belie some kind of turmoil that is completely absent from his face. ]
I can feel my hand upon it. I can feel the muscles working, the weight of it, the— [ He frowns, concentrating for a few precious minutes, and one by one the spines lay flat. The moment he stops, they spring back up again. ]
[ G'raha's brows furrow as he leans in to take a closer look, watching the way the spines flex. He has feeling and some semblance of control, albeit tenuous. Likely because it's new.
G'raha can understand--he's aware and but unaware of his tail at times. It reacts without him thinking on it, but he can also choose were he puts it when he tries. ]
So then it's really something that's become part of you...
[ He brings a hand to his chin, squatting as his own tail flicks with curiosity. ]
I have seen this sort of anatomy before on some of the scalekin on Etheirys.
I am not a scalekin, G'raha. [ It is said, perhaps, sharper than he intended. His next words are a great deal more measured. ] And I imagine none of them can attribute their body parts to the great wyrm, Nidhogg.
[ Reflexively, the path trodden so many times it has been worn smooth inside him, he reaches for whatever remains of Nidhogg. It is quiescent, the same way it has been every other time he has checked, the way it is usually outside of battle. However, he cannot think of any other reason why he would spontaneously grow parts of his body. Not with his past. ]
[ It is sharp, but G'raha doesn't find stern tones from Estinien to be out of the ordinary. He's since learned that the man can become very focused and serious on certain things and this would understandably fall into that category.
But it's what he says next that really sheds light on the situation.
G'raha, of course, has never seen Nidhogg himself, but there were depictions of the Great Wyrm in many of the books he frequently re-read. More than that, Estinien would be the ultimate authority...so if he believes they hail to Nidhogg, G'raha has no choice but to believe him. ]
...I see.
[ G'raha stands up then, his own expression turning a bit more somber. ]
[ A small relief, in the least. The pain, then, comes from the implications, not the physicality of the limb itself. He will take this a seriously as Estinien is presenting it and it's audible in his tone. ]
I do.
[ Everything he knows about the events at the end of the Dragonsong War are from Count Edmont's memoirs. Estinien lived it. He felt the pain of possession, the agony, the terror...the relief of freedom. He's seen remnants of Nidhogg's presence in how Estinien fights, how some of his abilities appear more wyrm-like than Dragoon. But it had always been a passing curiosity, what he believed to be the vestiges of that possession.
This is a serious escalation. ]
Though I wish I could, I cannot say I've seen anything like this before. Did you...feel or sense anything before it began?
[ Estinien... untenses. Places a hand on G'raha's shoulder and gives him a little shake. ]
I did not come to you to solve all my problems, G'raha. This is not for you to bear.
[ If he had his way about it he would have told no one. Would have kept his own council until circumstances forced it into the light. He can already picture the expression Alphinaud will throw in his direction the second he sees it. ]
I did not sense him. Do not sense him. And maybe I share the same arrogance here as I did in the past but... [ He shrugs. What is there to be done except wait and see? ]
[ No, mayhap not at it's manifestation. G'raha does feel a little guilty that Estinien sees fit to comfort G'raha for his lack of expertise when it is Estinien going through this. Shouldn't it be the other way around? ]
No, but neither should it be fully yours. We are comrades in arms, are we not? And with the honor that it is, please allow me to assist however I can.
[ Isn't that what friends are for? To shoulder the burden? ]
We have little to go off of, but considering the nature of this place being ever in flux...--it is merely a guess, but it would stand to reason that may apply to aspects of ourselves as well.
[ He falls silent for a second, thinking, G'raha's words serving to jog his memory. In his hand his tail seems to calm too. Estinien tentatively lets it fall to the ground where it curls over one of his boots and then settles. The first time since he got it, he realises, and wonders how much of that has to do with the possibility of it being temporary, and how much of it has to do with—
Please allow me to assist however I can.
Paladin suits him well, Estinien thinks with no small measure of amusement. Such a stalwart protector. ]
I was passing through a diffusion zone, I believe, when the pain started. Though typically remnants of the zone cannot be taken from the zone [ unfortunately ] perhaps it's merely a function of those kinds of places existing.
Edited (forgot the gay im sorry) 2025-10-03 05:41 (UTC)
[ He watches Estinien parse his hypothesis in real time. And if there is one thing he can expect from the former Azure Dragoon, it's frankness. If Estinien believes the idea had no merit, he would certainly say so.
What Estinien shares, however, adds further credence to the idea. G'raha nods, quickly noting and storing away these details as well. ]
Some pieces can, though I've yet to find no rhyme or reason as to what may remain and what may disappear.
[ Size might matter not in Estinien's case. But the nature of the items has varied greatly.
He brings a hand to his chin again as he thinks, tail swishing behind. ]
It could be that the unstable nature of some diffusion zones may affect the ambient aether around. Or, mayhaps, the aether of anyone who interacts with them as well.
[ Estinien nods along to all of G'raha's theorying, agreeing to the broad strokes of it if not to the specifics when—
Hm. This may be the first time he's ever gotten in trouble for saying too much, he'd wager. ]
The tail grew in over the course of an hour. It was not a smooth process.
[ There was... a lot of blood. Skin bulging grotesquely at the small of his back until he'd taken a knife to it. And then...
Estinien has been stabbed before. Has been gutted and burned and left broken and bleeding and still he doesn't think anything quite compares to— that.
At his feet his tail shivers, as though it knows it's under scrutiny, and even though he can feel it, it has yet to register as something belonging to him. Estinien sets a hand on it as though he is calming a wild animal and begs for patience. At least wait until he's left; he'd hate to be the cause of any damage to G'raha's belongings. ]
I'm fine.
[ Do not trust him, G'raha, you know what he's like. ]
G'raha's expression turns more serious again, thin brows furrowing together as he really looks over the other man. The quiver in his tail doesn't escape his notice, which G'raha originally took to be a general sense of unease, but now he has to wonder if it is causing Estinien pain. ]
[ Estinien sighs as though G'raha isn't the one doing him a favour, but he foresaw this the moment he mentioned the word 'pain'. All three of them are like this, as though Estinien was not born into strife, did not cut his teeth on war. Still— ]
My thanks.
[ —he would not be seen as ungrateful. He drops his hands to his belt, which is the only thing really holding his hastily altered jeans in place and starts to undo it. ]
[ It only occurs after his request that G'raha is, essentially, asking Estinien to show G'raha his lower back. Which means he will need to remove his trousers.
Ah. Well...surely this isn't anything untoward? He believes that Estinien's training as a Knight in Ishgard would have plenty of exposure to shared barracks with fellow Knights. This is just much of the same.
Right?
Right. ]
Um--
[ Though for Estinien's own modesty, G'raha quickly moves to pull the curtains over the balcony. No onlookers across the way, thank you. With that, G'raha motions for Estinien to move closer to where a standing lamp is. ]
[ The curtains hadn't even crossed Estinien's mind. He stares bemusedly at them as he walks over to the lamp, sliding the belt free from its loops as he does. The jeans immediately sag. He'd less 'cut a hole' for his tail as much as he's sliced the back of the jeans in twain; delicate work is certainly not among one of his strengths. And though the jeans are dark, it's easy to see that the material is stiff with blood, cold and tacky to the touch, and leaving the newly revealed skin smeared red.
However he is not still bleeding. The skin around his tail is healed, but it definitely looks raw. Red where the scales meet the skin. Estinien crosses his arms and focuses on his tail, holding it quiescent, the spines laid flat, so as not to accidentally injure G'raha while he takes a look. ]
[ G'raha does want to try and give Estinien a sense of privacy, even to the point of looking away while Estinien loosens his trousers. (Even if he is going to look at Estinien immediately after.) As such, once he hears Estinien's voice, G'raha turns back around and--oh.
Raw, red, and something that must have been incredibly painful. ]
By the Twelve...
[ He steps closer, leaning in to really inspect the area where man and dragon meet. The dragoon may not be bleeding at the moment, but G'raha still feels the need to render aide. He summons a healing ball of aether into his hand and holds it above the junction. Maybe it will help soothe any remaining aches. ]
The "heretics" that Count Edmont referred to in the Dragonsong War...they underwent transformations when imbibing draconic blood as well, didn't they?
Aye. [ The words come slowly, owing to his focus on his tail. ] A part of Nidhogg's revenge, giving blood to Ishgardian. We're all descendants of the original betrayers, and the power stolen from Ratatoskr can be activated thus. Though as far as I am aware they underwent full transformations once enough blood had been consumed.
[ He doesn't think he'd mind all that much if it was merely that. Dragons are by and large majestic creatures. Proud and powerful and more honorable than even the most fervent of knights— No, if it was merely the inevitable case of his draconic heritage rising to the fore he would not be here.
But he would not have Nidhogg lay waste to this place in his endless thirst for revenge. Not for his comrades and the innocents here, and not for Nidhogg himself.
G'raha's aether feels particularly cool against the fever of his skin. Estinien feels his shoulders lower by inches, feels it in the way his tail becomes easier to control. ]
[ The history does make G'raha's gaze darken a bit. The sins of the past, which he knows are already in reparations, are still difficult to recollect. Even if they aren't of his own making. But the downstream effects have been felt for centuries. How much effect the blood itself may have...
No, Estinien's circumstances with Nidhogg were unique. Are unique. This still feels different. ]
It looks as if you have undergone substantial trauma.
[ Estinien's nerves must have been on fire. ]
But it is healing with surprising efficiency. The scales appear to be in a contained area for now.
[ But considering how quickly the onset of the tail...who knows how long that will last. ]
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Are you in your rooms?
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[ G'raha had been downstairs doing something with his van, but now he's sprinting back up to the room. ]
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And rising behind him like a snake, long and covered in rough scales, with spikes along the length of it and a tip that looked more like a weapon, was Estinien's new tail. It lashes once, almost slamming into the balcony doors, before Estinien sets both feet on the ground and grabs hold of it with a hand. ]
As you can see, there might be a problem.
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When he hears the other man, G'raha sits up immediately from where he'd been perched on the edge of his bed. Red eyes widen--that is definitely a tail. A very...interesting looking one. ]
Wicked White...!
[ He crosses the short distance quickly. ]
Not that I doubted you, but this is...unexpected.
[ It certainly would got along with his usual armor. Aesthetically, at least. ]
Do you have feeling in it?
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[ If he focuses he can still it, but the moment he does anything else it just... reacts, as given by the way it writhes in his grip. Only his gauntlet is currently stopping it from tearing his hand to shreds. Its agitated nature seems to belie some kind of turmoil that is completely absent from his face. ]
I can feel my hand upon it. I can feel the muscles working, the weight of it, the— [ He frowns, concentrating for a few precious minutes, and one by one the spines lay flat. The moment he stops, they spring back up again. ]
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G'raha can understand--he's aware and but unaware of his tail at times. It reacts without him thinking on it, but he can also choose were he puts it when he tries. ]
So then it's really something that's become part of you...
[ He brings a hand to his chin, squatting as his own tail flicks with curiosity. ]
I have seen this sort of anatomy before on some of the scalekin on Etheirys.
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[ Reflexively, the path trodden so many times it has been worn smooth inside him, he reaches for whatever remains of Nidhogg. It is quiescent, the same way it has been every other time he has checked, the way it is usually outside of battle. However, he cannot think of any other reason why he would spontaneously grow parts of his body. Not with his past. ]
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But it's what he says next that really sheds light on the situation.
G'raha, of course, has never seen Nidhogg himself, but there were depictions of the Great Wyrm in many of the books he frequently re-read. More than that, Estinien would be the ultimate authority...so if he believes they hail to Nidhogg, G'raha has no choice but to believe him. ]
...I see.
[ G'raha stands up then, his own expression turning a bit more somber. ]
Is it causing you any pain, my friend?
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But—
Is it causing you any pain, my friend?
G'raha. Not even a moment of fear. Always so willing to help. ]
No. No pain. It is akin to an arm for me. A leg. A part of me.
[ A sharp exhale. He would fold his arms right now if he didn't feel as though letting go of his— of his tail would end in disaster. ]
But you might understand my concerns.
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I do.
[ Everything he knows about the events at the end of the Dragonsong War are from Count Edmont's memoirs. Estinien lived it. He felt the pain of possession, the agony, the terror...the relief of freedom. He's seen remnants of Nidhogg's presence in how Estinien fights, how some of his abilities appear more wyrm-like than Dragoon. But it had always been a passing curiosity, what he believed to be the vestiges of that possession.
This is a serious escalation. ]
Though I wish I could, I cannot say I've seen anything like this before. Did you...feel or sense anything before it began?
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I did not come to you to solve all my problems, G'raha. This is not for you to bear.
[ If he had his way about it he would have told no one. Would have kept his own council until circumstances forced it into the light. He can already picture the expression Alphinaud will throw in his direction the second he sees it. ]
I did not sense him. Do not sense him. And maybe I share the same arrogance here as I did in the past but... [ He shrugs. What is there to be done except wait and see? ]
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No, but neither should it be fully yours. We are comrades in arms, are we not? And with the honor that it is, please allow me to assist however I can.
[ Isn't that what friends are for? To shoulder the burden? ]
We have little to go off of, but considering the nature of this place being ever in flux...--it is merely a guess, but it would stand to reason that may apply to aspects of ourselves as well.
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[ He falls silent for a second, thinking, G'raha's words serving to jog his memory. In his hand his tail seems to calm too. Estinien tentatively lets it fall to the ground where it curls over one of his boots and then settles. The first time since he got it, he realises, and wonders how much of that has to do with the possibility of it being temporary, and how much of it has to do with—
Please allow me to assist however I can.
Paladin suits him well, Estinien thinks with no small measure of amusement. Such a stalwart protector. ]
I was passing through a diffusion zone, I believe, when the pain started. Though typically remnants of the zone cannot be taken from the zone [ unfortunately ] perhaps it's merely a function of those kinds of places existing.
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What Estinien shares, however, adds further credence to the idea. G'raha nods, quickly noting and storing away these details as well. ]
Some pieces can, though I've yet to find no rhyme or reason as to what may remain and what may disappear.
[ Size might matter
not in Estinien's case. But the nature of the items has varied greatly.He brings a hand to his chin again as he thinks, tail swishing behind. ]
It could be that the unstable nature of some diffusion zones may affect the ambient aether around. Or, mayhaps, the aether of anyone who interacts with them as well.
[ Though, wait-- ]
--the pain started?
[ He said it doesn't hurt...? ]
cw lil gore/body horror
Hm. This may be the first time he's ever gotten in trouble for saying too much, he'd wager. ]
The tail grew in over the course of an hour. It was not a smooth process.
[ There was... a lot of blood. Skin bulging grotesquely at the small of his back until he'd taken a knife to it. And then...
Estinien has been stabbed before. Has been gutted and burned and left broken and bleeding and still he doesn't think anything quite compares to— that.
At his feet his tail shivers, as though it knows it's under scrutiny, and even though he can feel it, it has yet to register as something belonging to him. Estinien sets a hand on it as though he is calming a wild animal and begs for patience. At least wait until he's left; he'd hate to be the cause of any damage to G'raha's belongings. ]
I'm fine.
[ Do not trust him, G'raha, you know what he's like. ]
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G'raha's expression turns more serious again, thin brows furrowing together as he really looks over the other man. The quiver in his tail doesn't escape his notice, which G'raha originally took to be a general sense of unease, but now he has to wonder if it is causing Estinien pain. ]
Be that as it may...
[ He won't be forceful, but. ]
Might I take a closer look?
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My thanks.
[ —he would not be seen as ungrateful. He drops his hands to his belt, which is the only thing really holding his hastily altered jeans in place and starts to undo it. ]
Where would you have me?
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Ah. Well...surely this isn't anything untoward? He believes that Estinien's training as a Knight in Ishgard would have plenty of exposure to shared barracks with fellow Knights. This is just much of the same.
Right?
Right. ]
Um--
[ Though for Estinien's own modesty, G'raha quickly moves to pull the curtains over the balcony. No onlookers across the way, thank you. With that, G'raha motions for Estinien to move closer to where a standing lamp is. ]
Closer to the light, if you could.
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However he is not still bleeding. The skin around his tail is healed, but it definitely looks raw. Red where the scales meet the skin. Estinien crosses his arms and focuses on his tail, holding it quiescent, the spines laid flat, so as not to accidentally injure G'raha while he takes a look. ]
As I said, I am fine.
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Raw, red, and something that must have been incredibly painful. ]
By the Twelve...
[ He steps closer, leaning in to really inspect the area where man and dragon meet. The dragoon may not be bleeding at the moment, but G'raha still feels the need to render aide. He summons a healing ball of aether into his hand and holds it above the junction. Maybe it will help soothe any remaining aches. ]
The "heretics" that Count Edmont referred to in the Dragonsong War...they underwent transformations when imbibing draconic blood as well, didn't they?
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[ He doesn't think he'd mind all that much if it was merely that. Dragons are by and large majestic creatures. Proud and powerful and more honorable than even the most fervent of knights— No, if it was merely the inevitable case of his draconic heritage rising to the fore he would not be here.
But he would not have Nidhogg lay waste to this place in his endless thirst for revenge. Not for his comrades and the innocents here, and not for Nidhogg himself.
G'raha's aether feels particularly cool against the fever of his skin. Estinien feels his shoulders lower by inches, feels it in the way his tail becomes easier to control. ]
...What does it look like? Does it spread?
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No, Estinien's circumstances with Nidhogg were unique. Are unique. This still feels different. ]
It looks as if you have undergone substantial trauma.
[ Estinien's nerves must have been on fire. ]
But it is healing with surprising efficiency. The scales appear to be in a contained area for now.
[ But considering how quickly the onset of the tail...who knows how long that will last. ]
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