♚ 𝚍𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚘𝚍 ♚

Noctis nodded, frowning a little. “Well. I’m not gonna…not gonna try to control you anymore than you know, is already going on. But that’s not gonna stop me worrying about you, got it? And like-”

The king huffed. “For friendly reasons, I mean. But with this, with anything else you need to cope, what I can give, I will,” Noctis said easily  as he offered the food to Ardyn as well.

“Hell, I might envy you a little. I get the appeal,” he murmured, the taste of wine still in his mouth. “And I can’t really talk, don’t particularly think I’ve found any good way to cope even with my own issues.”

Ardyn was hesitant to accept the food. To have someone worry over him, how odd it was. To have Noctis of all people worry over him was even odder. After all he had done to him, brought down his kingdom and killed his bride-to-be, he still wished to worry for him. He still wished to be his friend, not that Ardyn knew what friendship was.

It had been a long, long time since he had truly had anyone to call friends, if he had ever had it.

oh no it’s cute–

Like she’s going to trust a simple logo of a fruit on the bottle… Not that she isn’t willing to drink it if it wasn’t fruity at all, that’d just be rude of her.

Another bottle is taken from the grand collection and carefully handed to the man. Iris pops the cork off of her own drink’s and raises it slightly as if to toast. “What’re we celebratin’ or complainin’ about tonight?”

He’s never been one to care what he drinks. It all tastes the same to his tongue, so why should he care? A drink is a drink.

Ardyn’s body is kept strong, but this strength is sustained by the Scourge that keeps it alive. He should be dead, by all accounts, for he was tortured and executed. As time has gone on, it has grown more worn out and somewhat less able to cope with the burden of the Scourge. It grows more sensitive to sunlight. The skin cracks and bleeds easier; when the ten years of darkness arrive, his tolerance for sunlight, the lights of the havens, and the floodlights of humanity is minimal.

It is his mind that suffers the most. It has always been his mind that suffers the most. Ardyn grows more unstable mentally, more prone to fits of anger and rage and violence. The jealousy and bitterness fester; he is less likely to have mercy on someone.

“I will find another way to deal with Bahamut without sacrificing my people.”

“As much as I want to… I cannot let my people down.”

“Destroying the Crystal would leave Insomnia defenseless.”

“Would that work?”

“I doubt giving Bahamut a smart phone will kill him.”

“Oh, the poor creature, you’ve frightened it...”

… Well if he doesn’t mind at all.

–Alright. Maybe she minds a little bit. Iris has no clue how to figure out what kind of drink is in which container. She’ll just… have to settle with the plainest-looking bottle there is, as she finds the fancier ones tend to be less fruity. 

“Are you drinkin’ as well?” Perhaps she should grab another bottle.

It is a crapshoot, deciphering what bottle contains what, although a hint can be found on the labels: ones with fruits may well be a bit fruity.

     {Ow?}

     Oh no. Have his boops gotten so powerful they hurt now? This is a disaster! Humans boop him all the time. What will he do if he can’t boop back?

“Ow.”

     {Stop that.} Ardyn’s sour attitude will earn him a boop on the nose from the Dreamweaver.

Runa and Ignis would both like to apply for a rain check, as their mun requires sleep far more than they require booze.