[ There's a slight bristling that feels off at that denial, like he's being stopped from something that's clearly his. But at the same time, there's a strange thrill in it. It is a challenge he will gladly meet.
G'raha likes food. But never quite like this. It's always been about just enjoying it in the moment. ]
...?
[ Though when Estinien asks, he gives a moment's pause. What does he feel? Other than a sudden over-protectiveness over dairy.]
That...we both desire the cheese?
[ What a very ridiculous but also extremely true statement. ]
Yes. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do like the cheese, but I wouldn't really want to deny you of your choice. [ Even though he kind of does? ]
[ The dumbest smart person he has ever met. Estinien is not entirely sure how this whole thing works, how to master it into something that serves him and not the other way around, but he is sure to project his exasperation as strongly as possible in G'raha's direction.
'Tis a curious sensation, this connection. Feeling, yes, his desite for cheese reflected back at him. It feels brighter coming from G'raha as though amplified as his passes through him. Everything coming from him does. Akin to staring at the sun. Alphinaud, in contrast, is a constant buzzing. An energy there, as though even when still he is never quite at rest.
And as for Aria... He cannot be sure whether it's because Aria was the first or whether it's because it was Aria but while her emotions were rather understated, together their emotions would occasionally... dovetail. Amplify one another's like an avalanche building momentum. It certainly made their arguments more exciting. Made the sex more exciting too. ]
[ He does feel a little strange, yes—it isn't as if G'raha doesn't have a streak of competitiveness in him, but the edges have dulled over the last century or so. He may have been reunited with his younger body, but the lessons from the First are all still firmly in place.
Mostly.
It's not as jarring as it had been with Emet-Selch or John, with such overwhelming and debilitating despair. Or the intensity he had felt with that, um...moment with Eliot, where the rest of the world had drowned out. But when he does stand and reflect, there is a sense of otherness that feels similar. Something that doesn't belong entirely to him. ]
...Is this you that I'm feeling, Estinien?
[ It hadn't been preceded by a swath of colors and shift of his senses, but there is an undercurrent that rings true. ]
[ He slants a raised-brow look up at G'raha, but his faint exasperation has bled away and in its place sits amusement, belied by the corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile. His tail, which had bristled at the threat to his cheese, has resumed its rhythmic undulation behind him, an unconscious showcase of his contentment. ]
Though the mechanism behind it is unknown to me, it seems that people can share emotions like this even outside of that bizarre meteor shower. The link seems to endure longer as well.
[ His nose twitches, and Estinien reaches for the toaster oven once more, pulling it open to reveal beautifully toasted bread and what is quite possibly the cheesiest bread known to man. Halone blessed, he will be eating well today. ]
Grab some plates, if you would. It looks as though the bread is ready.
[ That is troubling in some sense—cheese highlandering aside—to know that there are more lingering, if permanent effects to some of the phenomenon they have encountered. At least he is experiencing it with someone he knows he can trust. But what of others?
...
Oh gods, have those weird mood swings he's felt been—
No. No! No, the world could not be as cruel to force him to relieve that with his former adversary. With Emet-Selch. ]
—Yes, yes bread. Plates, I mean.
[ Back on task! G'raha hurries to get a few of some terribly gaudy plastic plates out from the shabby little collection he and the twins have amassed. These ones have some rather silly-looking scalekin on them. He sets them out so they can assemble any other pieces of their sandwiches. ]
I wonder...you didn't have any specific personal experience with one of the meteorites, did you? I'm curious what would make this linger with some people and not others.
[ Estinien thinks back to the meteorites and all the weird goings on that came with it as he helps to move their food from the toaster oven to the plates. ]
I shared emotions with a couple of people, but I only went on to develop a bond with Aria.
[ Well. He assumes he shared emotions with Aria. She never confirmed anything, but he experienced all the markers of sharing emotions and immediately after she began acting strangely.
(You really like fighting.)
But on any given day Aria confounds him so it's not much in the way of evidence. On thinking about it, however, something does stand out to him. ]
With Aria though, she and I went on to fight afterwards. That may have something to do with it.
[ He and Alphinaud fought together too, now that he comes to think about it. But not with G'raha. If anything, this is the opposite of that. ]
[ That, unsurprisingly, gets his attention. To have better insight into her thoughts when she is so often guarded with them would be...nice, actually. G'raha isn't one to push her even when he probably should. He feels he's done plenty of that by dragging her to the First in the first place.
But in that same vein, it is probably for the best he hasn't had the opportunity. That he had been such a voyeur on her stay there isn't far from his mind and she would likely prefer the privacy from his intervention. She would be better served by her closer companions.
That Estinien's interaction ended up in a battle does get a faint huff of amusement from G'raha as he pulls himself out of his own introspection on the topic. (As he often does lose himself a bit when it comes to the Warrior of Light, though he's gotten considerably better.) ]
That is how you connect, though, isn't it?
[ Through battle and banter? ]
Mayhap it forms on a basis of commonalities?
[ He's going to regret that comparison later with Emet-Selch. ]
Estinien is reaching for the jar of fish when G'raha says that but he pauses as the words hit, head tilted in thought.
You really like fighting.
There is something simple about it. Something pure.
...And it is fun, is it not?
Yes, he supposes it's true. Words can be anything but the body does not lie. It's easier to get the measure of another in a fight. Easier to make himself understood.
And.
It is fun. ]
You may be onto something there. [ As expected of G’raha, noted scholar. ] I recall fighting with Alphinaud against a common foe before our bond manifested. There is a measure of... synchronisation too, in fighting, in being together like this.
[ He unscrews the jar of fish and starts adding it to both his cheesy bread and his non-cheesy bread. Reaches for the the peppers next to layer what looks to be an alarming number of them on top before offering them to G'raha. ]
[ G'raha does like being right. Or, well, he likes feeling like he's being right? Or that he may be right. With the approval from others—
G'raha is a nerd and Estinien's affirmation of his theory makes him happy, is all that means. And the way his tail does a happy flick would be indication enough even if not for the little spark of joy that comes from this new connection. ]
I would say that it makes sense that something would manifest with Alphinaud. You two are very close, after all.
[ Of course, much of his knowledge of their rapport originally came from Count Edmont's account of their adventures in Coerthas and beyond, but he has since gotten to see their dynamic with his own eyes. It is quite familial. It's nice. He can tell Alphinaud adores the other Elezen quite a bit.
Maybe without thinking, G'raha finds himself mirroring the same amount of peppers and fish as Estinien. Will he regret this? ]
Though it does make me wonder if something fundamental has changed about our world...or about us since this first occurred.
[ He sets the bread on top of his own concoctions to make proper sandwiches. Cheesy, fishy, spicy sandwiches. G'raha motions to the small table a few feet away before shuffling over and shoving some of his papers aside. ]
I'll admit that the thought does not put me at ease.
[ He grabs his plate of food as well as an assortment of bottles of condiments balanced carefully somehow between his plate, his chest, and his free hand. He sets it all down in the space cleared by G'raha, and takes a seat at the table to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
He arranges the condiments in an array on his plate, not entirely sure which one he'd like best, and then dips the corner of his sandwich into the first one and takes a bite.
Absolutely sublime. Estinien dips the edge into the next one and starts the process all over again. ]
[ G'raha sits himself down, happy to multi-task eating and explaining his theory. It's almost like these are two of his favorite activities in one. ]
Well, look at the physical changes you are undergoing, for example. Though they have a thematic association with your history, the circumstances are too far removed to have been the true catalyst. Given that this world is constantly in flux—and that something like that strange meteor shower can bring with it the ability to tie two souls together, even if for a moment—that the longer we stay in this world, the greater possibility that something here finds a more permanent home in us?
[ The thought can be...daunting, yes. And it's not the nicest theory to have. G'raha takes a bite of his sandwich, chewing as he considers his next words. ]
I wouldn't paint the outcome of any alterations as good or bad—they would simply...be.
[ Estinien frowns, chewing that over as he chews over his sandwich. His first instinct is to tell G'raha not to borrow troubles, but he cannot deny his conclusions. With the mire of his emotions a distant memory, while it's clear to see that a dragon transformation from the power of his blood would not be possible, he is also far removed from the circumstances that should see him fall to Nidhogg once more. And if that is true then it must follow that the source of these changes is external, an imposition of this world, the malleability of it rendering them just as malleable in turn. One might then assume that just being removed from this world would be enough for things to just... snap back into place with no outside force to hold them, but humans are ever adaptable. It is just as likely that whatever change is imposed upon them is accepted and thus becomes permanent. Not a particularly harrowing prospect for Estinien as things stand, but there's no guarantee that these are the extent of the changes he must endure.
The simplest solution then would be to simply refrain from visiting diffusion zones, but this is not a viable one. And so they are effectively held hostage. ]
I take your point. Are the changes random? Evidence [ and here he gestures to himself. ] suggests it is not. So then, if the changes are deliberate, to what end? In preparation for something? And, should any change then prove permanent, does it then render us unfit for own star?
[ He probably should have stuck to don't borrow troubles, G'raha. Ignorance truly is bliss. ]
[ Not viable at all, for they would both still certainly take the risk. Estinien has become an adventurer and explorer in his own right and G'raha's innate curiosity would be the end of him. Discovery and progress is never easy. ]
All excellent questions and ones that I wish I had the answers to. But I believe we may come to new conclusions the more evidence we find...whether through our own experience, or that of others.
[ G'raha chews thoughtfully on his sandwich for a moment. ]
Mayhap you can accompany me on my next excursion? I would like to hear your thoughts on the field.
[ Estinien is not all what he might contribute, however— ]
Of course.
[ None of his upcoming plans are particularly time sensitive, and if G'raha thinks he might provide some insight then he is happy to offer his assistance. Besides, any insights G'raha offers in returns will be worth their weight in gold. A win-win.
He takes another bite of his sandiwich, mouth tingling from the hot peppers, and his tail gives another pleased flick behind him. ]
But we can iron out the details later. We have important research to conduct here as well. [ He nudges one bottle forward with a finger, towards G'raha. ] Try this one; I believe you will enjoy it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
G'raha likes food. But never quite like this. It's always been about just enjoying it in the moment. ]
...?
[ Though when Estinien asks, he gives a moment's pause. What does he feel? Other than a sudden over-protectiveness over dairy.]
That...we both desire the cheese?
[ What a very ridiculous but also extremely true statement. ]
Yes. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do like the cheese, but I wouldn't really want to deny you of your choice. [ Even though he kind of does? ]
no subject
'Tis a curious sensation, this connection. Feeling, yes, his desite for cheese reflected back at him. It feels brighter coming from G'raha as though amplified as his passes through him. Everything coming from him does. Akin to staring at the sun. Alphinaud, in contrast, is a constant buzzing. An energy there, as though even when still he is never quite at rest.
And as for Aria... He cannot be sure whether it's because Aria was the first or whether it's because it was Aria but while her emotions were rather understated, together their emotions would occasionally... dovetail. Amplify one another's like an avalanche building momentum. It certainly made their arguments more exciting. Made the sex more exciting too. ]
Anything else?
no subject
Mostly.
It's not as jarring as it had been with Emet-Selch or John, with such overwhelming and debilitating despair. Or the intensity he had felt with that, um...moment with Eliot, where the rest of the world had drowned out. But when he does stand and reflect, there is a sense of otherness that feels similar. Something that doesn't belong entirely to him. ]
...Is this you that I'm feeling, Estinien?
[ It hadn't been preceded by a swath of colors and shift of his senses, but there is an undercurrent that rings true. ]
no subject
[ He slants a raised-brow look up at G'raha, but his faint exasperation has bled away and in its place sits amusement, belied by the corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile. His tail, which had bristled at the threat to his cheese, has resumed its rhythmic undulation behind him, an unconscious showcase of his contentment. ]
Though the mechanism behind it is unknown to me, it seems that people can share emotions like this even outside of that bizarre meteor shower. The link seems to endure longer as well.
[ His nose twitches, and Estinien reaches for the toaster oven once more, pulling it open to reveal beautifully toasted bread and what is quite possibly the cheesiest bread known to man. Halone blessed, he will be eating well today. ]
Grab some plates, if you would. It looks as though the bread is ready.
no subject
[ That is troubling in some sense—cheese highlandering aside—to know that there are more lingering, if permanent effects to some of the phenomenon they have encountered. At least he is experiencing it with someone he knows he can trust. But what of others?
...
Oh gods, have those weird mood swings he's felt been—
No. No! No, the world could not be as cruel to force him to relieve that with his former adversary. With Emet-Selch. ]
—Yes, yes bread. Plates, I mean.
[ Back on task! G'raha hurries to get a few of some terribly gaudy plastic plates out from the shabby little collection he and the twins have amassed. These ones have some rather silly-looking scalekin on them. He sets them out so they can assemble any other pieces of their sandwiches. ]
I wonder...you didn't have any specific personal experience with one of the meteorites, did you? I'm curious what would make this linger with some people and not others.
no subject
I shared emotions with a couple of people, but I only went on to develop a bond with Aria.
[ Well. He assumes he shared emotions with Aria. She never confirmed anything, but he experienced all the markers of sharing emotions and immediately after she began acting strangely.
(You really like fighting.)
But on any given day Aria confounds him so it's not much in the way of evidence. On thinking about it, however, something does stand out to him. ]
With Aria though, she and I went on to fight afterwards. That may have something to do with it.
[ He and Alphinaud fought together too, now that he comes to think about it. But not with G'raha. If anything, this is the opposite of that. ]
no subject
[ That, unsurprisingly, gets his attention. To have better insight into her thoughts when she is so often guarded with them would be...nice, actually. G'raha isn't one to push her even when he probably should. He feels he's done plenty of that by dragging her to the First in the first place.
But in that same vein, it is probably for the best he hasn't had the opportunity. That he had been such a voyeur on her stay there isn't far from his mind and she would likely prefer the privacy from his intervention. She would be better served by her closer companions.
That Estinien's interaction ended up in a battle does get a faint huff of amusement from G'raha as he pulls himself out of his own introspection on the topic. (As he often does lose himself a bit when it comes to the Warrior of Light, though he's gotten considerably better.) ]
That is how you connect, though, isn't it?
[ Through battle and banter? ]
Mayhap it forms on a basis of commonalities?
[ He's going to regret that comparison later with Emet-Selch. ]
no subject
Estinien is reaching for the jar of fish when G'raha says that but he pauses as the words hit, head tilted in thought.
You really like fighting.
There is something simple about it. Something pure.
...And it is fun, is it not?
Yes, he supposes it's true. Words can be anything but the body does not lie. It's easier to get the measure of another in a fight. Easier to make himself understood.
And.
It is fun. ]
You may be onto something there. [ As expected of G’raha, noted scholar. ] I recall fighting with Alphinaud against a common foe before our bond manifested. There is a measure of... synchronisation too, in fighting, in being together like this.
[ He unscrews the jar of fish and starts adding it to both his cheesy bread and his non-cheesy bread. Reaches for the the peppers next to layer what looks to be an alarming number of them on top before offering them to G'raha. ]
no subject
G'raha is a nerd and Estinien's affirmation of his theory makes him happy, is all that means. And the way his tail does a happy flick would be indication enough even if not for the little spark of joy that comes from this new connection. ]
I would say that it makes sense that something would manifest with Alphinaud. You two are very close, after all.
[ Of course, much of his knowledge of their rapport originally came from Count Edmont's account of their adventures in Coerthas and beyond, but he has since gotten to see their dynamic with his own eyes. It is quite familial. It's nice. He can tell Alphinaud adores the other Elezen quite a bit.
Maybe without thinking, G'raha finds himself mirroring the same amount of peppers and fish as Estinien. Will he regret this? ]
Though it does make me wonder if something fundamental has changed about our world...or about us since this first occurred.
[ He sets the bread on top of his own concoctions to make proper sandwiches. Cheesy, fishy, spicy sandwiches. G'raha motions to the small table a few feet away before shuffling over and shoving some of his papers aside. ]
I'll admit that the thought does not put me at ease.
no subject
[ He grabs his plate of food as well as an assortment of bottles of condiments balanced carefully somehow between his plate, his chest, and his free hand. He sets it all down in the space cleared by G'raha, and takes a seat at the table to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
He arranges the condiments in an array on his plate, not entirely sure which one he'd like best, and then dips the corner of his sandwich into the first one and takes a bite.
Absolutely sublime. Estinien dips the edge into the next one and starts the process all over again. ]
no subject
Well, look at the physical changes you are undergoing, for example. Though they have a thematic association with your history, the circumstances are too far removed to have been the true catalyst. Given that this world is constantly in flux—and that something like that strange meteor shower can bring with it the ability to tie two souls together, even if for a moment—that the longer we stay in this world, the greater possibility that something here finds a more permanent home in us?
[ The thought can be...daunting, yes. And it's not the nicest theory to have. G'raha takes a bite of his sandwich, chewing as he considers his next words. ]
I wouldn't paint the outcome of any alterations as good or bad—they would simply...be.
no subject
The simplest solution then would be to simply refrain from visiting diffusion zones, but this is not a viable one. And so they are effectively held hostage. ]
I take your point. Are the changes random? Evidence [ and here he gestures to himself. ] suggests it is not. So then, if the changes are deliberate, to what end? In preparation for something? And, should any change then prove permanent, does it then render us unfit for own star?
[ He probably should have stuck to don't borrow troubles, G'raha. Ignorance truly is bliss. ]
no subject
All excellent questions and ones that I wish I had the answers to. But I believe we may come to new conclusions the more evidence we find...whether through our own experience, or that of others.
[ G'raha chews thoughtfully on his sandwich for a moment. ]
Mayhap you can accompany me on my next excursion? I would like to hear your thoughts on the field.
🎀
Of course.
[ None of his upcoming plans are particularly time sensitive, and if G'raha thinks he might provide some insight then he is happy to offer his assistance. Besides, any insights G'raha offers in returns will be worth their weight in gold. A win-win.
He takes another bite of his sandiwich, mouth tingling from the hot peppers, and his tail gives another pleased flick behind him. ]
But we can iron out the details later. We have important research to conduct here as well. [ He nudges one bottle forward with a finger, towards G'raha. ] Try this one; I believe you will enjoy it.