[Amusement flickers over her face at his simple urging. This guy, passing up the opportunity to talk?]
[But Fang doesn't dwell on it. The teasing drops from her smile.]
Look, you know I'm not great with words, and I'm not the sort to go off on some fancy pledge.
[The standard Bonding vow still feels easy to mindlessly make, but after... everything, Fang hesitates to offer to protect him, considering that vow lays in shambles both around her family and Chariot.]
There's probably not much I can promise you that you can't already provide for yourself. So, as your Bonded, Oerba Yun Fang vows to yank you back from that precipice of yours, if you find your way back to it—as someone who does a lot of lookin' over the edge of "Same Mistake City" myself.
[She tilts her head slightly, and something about her expression softens subtly.]
And I know you love your hundred identities and roles and they're always part of you or whatever, but if you ever just wanna be that human guy under all that for a bit and nothin' else, you can do that around me. Promise I won't tell.
[When she finishes, the magic of the circle responds to her intent, flowing up through her body and pooling in her hands, waiting for the other half to snap into place.]
[Fang's right in that she's not exactly one for eloquence nor does she ever hold a poetic quality, but Ramesses isn't so certain he'd go so far as to say she's poor with words. Her vow to him is spoken simply, but there is nothing about what she is promising that is particularly simple. Were it perhaps anyone else, he'd think she lacked a full understanding of what it is she was proposing that she would do. But she understands the cruelties that someone of his position can enact when blinded by ambition, even if her experiences have been with less than well-intended ambitions.]
[And he believes her words. All of them. Even without the magic of the circle confirming them to be genuine.]
I find myself in a similar position as you. You are more than capable and have no need for my protection or support with most matters. So, my promise to you as your Bonded is this: I will not idly stand by any time you feel the need to inflict punishment on yourself for your past decisions. Until you are able to find peace, I shall remain by your side whether it is to be as comfort or a thorn.
[When they first met, it had been a stray thought, a sincere but small hope. Something that Fang had dismissed and he allowed to be set aside. Here and now, however, it was something far more than that. Something he refused to let her reject as a possibility for herself because even if she's not able to believe it now, he intends to carry that belief until she can for herself. It as almost as though he can already see that future with his own eyes, as though it is within his power to manipulate the very magic of this room to make it so.]
This is a promise I make to you not as Pharaoh, as you have no need for a sun to guide you. I make this promise to you as Ramesses.
[The magic of the circle rises through him, traveling until it connects with a spark between their joined hands.]
[There it was; that peace talk again. It was a lovely notion.]
Might be a while. I can't find peace until someone else does.
[Not until Vanille does. There was no point in her soul being saved for the new world if she wasn't coming along with her. The sensation of the magic was just as strange as last time as it plucked threads from her own soul and reached to entwine them with another's, and with it, bring a new alien awareness on the edges of her own.]
[Her own sense was very much like fire; warm, intense even when relatively mild, and with the potential to be as destructive and capricious as she could be comforting and sheltering. As steady and unflinching as Fang was, there was an immense weariness under it all, like a clinging, choking smoke, adorning her mental sense just as her scars adorned her body.]
[Her eyes close as magic begins to flow between their touch, basking in the refreshment. Chariot's magic has been much better in recent months, but still not entirely what it was prior to January.]
[Fang could feel that wish of his, now. Peace sounded like such a lovely thing, like the first years sleeping in the pillar, before cracks began to form.]
[It's always the draw of mana that he notices first with each Bond. It's difficult to say if that's due to an initial surge until equilibrium is found as the pieces of their souls are entwined with one another or simply because he is more accustomed to being on the other end of this equation as a Servant. Either way, he knows the Bond has succeeded not from the presence of Fang on the edges of his consciousness so much as the steady pull of mana from him to her.]
[And there is plenty of mana that moves through where their hands are connected even with two other Bonds present. This world has changed Ramesses' form, rendering him closer to human than he has been in quite some time, but where he may lack in skill and natural talent as someone who has spent years of their life honing their craft like Chariot might, he makes up for in raw power.]
[Ramesses watches her a moment as awareness of her settles in its place. It is exactly as she warned it would be. He's able to find her within his own conscious awareness with little effort, which is not due solely to proximity. Although both Sheva and Daenerys certainly stand proud and clearly themselves, there is always a distinction between what they wish for him to sense in the Bond and what they would likely disguise if it were in their control. Daenerys masks what she perceives as weaknesses with cool authority and Sheva buries whatever she finds unacceptable with more pleasant distractions. With Fang, he senses no such lines. Even the parts of herself that she takes less pride in are not obfuscated. They are merely less present at this moment.]
[It also contrasts perhaps quite sharply with Ramesses.]
[Fang likely could have predicted it. Much of Ramesses' inner world is neatly ordered and compartmentalized, there is no lack of predictability as he holds steadily forward with warmth and brightness. And yet, he does not reject or excise what he deems unacceptable. He still offers those doubts, insecurities, and regrets acceptance albeit reluctantly, but they remain stifled by the volume of his confidence and conviction, easily missed if one does not know to look for them. Very much like the sun Ramesses claims to be, he allows his own light, his own desire to act as a beacon, to cast such darkness aside.]
You know, with the way you were talking, I was expecting worse.
Just wait until I'm angry. You'll have your regrets then.
[A capacity for wrath deep enough to be prophesized about, to be weaponized. Fit to bring the end of times. Fang opens her eyes with a deep breath, the resulting exhale sounding satisfied.]
You know, much as I love Chariot, it's nice to have something other than crawlin' anxiety crowding my head.
I should hope it is a distinct contrast, [he says, allowing the direct, steady flow of mana between their joined hands for a moment longer. Ramesses releases her hands as the last of the circle's energy fades and releases.] Although I admit that I've never asked my other Bonded what the experience is like.
[Still, it seems a safe assumption to make when there are such discrepancies in his temperament from Chariot.]
[Fang's hands don't linger when they separate, but she did faintly miss the strong flow of magic. She hadn't been left wanting as Chariot's recovery progressed, but it was a far cry from how it used to be. Instead, she stretches, starting to amble her way out of the chamber.]
Feels like... [Her head cocks to the side thoughtfully.] Stone, I guess. Worked stone—steady, designed that way. Like you'd find in a foundation or a bridge.
[She didn't consider herself flowery with words, but there was only so much Fang could do when trying to describe something her senses hadn't been made to perceive. She found herself doing that a lot in this world, wherever magic was concerned.]
[Ramesses hums thoughtfully as he's never been compared to stone before. But despite its novelty, the comparison seems apt to him all the same. There's never really been a time in his life where he didn't lead by some sort of example or seek to be a guide of sorts to others.]
[He follows her out of the room at a leisurely pace. Right now, he's equal parts relaxed and pleased. As challenging as this may eventually prove to be, he's glad for the present moment. It will serve as a good reminder should being her Bonded prove more difficult for either one of them.]
And you say you're not one for words, [he says with a small laugh. Ramesses continues to tease her just a little more,] Then again, perhaps I'm already influencing you. We will have you giving full speeches before the month's through.
Yeah, right, you keep on dreamin'. I've given speeches before. [Little ones, but. Still. It's more than one might expect from Fang. A wistful fondness passes through the Bond as her thoughts turned to her gang.] I can play the whole inspiring leader bit. Just don't like to.
[Fang glances over, nudging him with her elbow.] Do mine. What's mine feel like?
[He lightly swats the elbow away from his side, scoffing mildly at the childish gesture despite not really expecting anything more or less. But Ramesses does give it a little thought as it's not an entirely easy thing to convey into words, not even for him.]
I suppose if I had to draw a comparison to something, it would be to the river you saw in my memory. There is a consistency and stillness to you now, and you will not suddenly reverse course, but there is a power to you as well.
[The Nile is life-giving, but it always holds the capacity for punishing those that do not show it proper respect. While that would not necessarily be the trigger for Fang, one should not mistake her easygoing nature as one of weakness. It's something that becomes all the more apparent being her Bonded.]
[Fang hums thoughtfully. A sizable river had run through Oerba, too—she understood what he was getting at.]
I like it. Could've been a lot worse. [Fang shoots a grin his way.] Just remember that this whole 'real Bond' thing was your idea, so I don't want to hear any complaining.
You could attempt something novel and try to keep my list of potential grievances to a minimum.
[He knows without one of her follow-up quips that's a highly unlikely outcome.]
Although more seriously, I cannot imagine you will have need of me, [because he will not even pretend as though Chariot will not remain a preference to all things related to Bonds in that regard,] but if you should around the full moons, I am often not in the city on those nights. I am usually with one of my other Bonded on her borrowed farm as she does not frequent the city with any regularity.
[Daenerys has a greater fear of losing control of her mind compared to Sheva, and so she takes a small amount of priority on those nights. Having easier, more immediate access to him puts her at greater ease than if he were to remain in the city even if she is still somewhat hesitant to engage in the magical aspects of the Bond and so, he's long since agreed to pay more frequent visits out there. And frankly, he doesn't mind it so much. He enjoys her landlady who he is quite certain at this point is intentional in ignoring him when he corrects her that he is not a Puca despite the color of his eyes and has very little qualms in assigning him to work while he's there. It also provides him with the opportunity to hunt, something that the city life does not afford him. But it is also is in some ways a temporary arrangement, too, which makes him mind it less. As Daenerys makes her strides to feels more comfort once more within the city itself, Ramesses anticipates that his need to visit her on the farm will decrease and a better balance shall be struck. So, until then, he's willing to be patient and take his indulgences where he can.]
[But Ramesses offers no such explanation to Fang. It's not out of mistrust, but the simple fact that the majority of it is his other Bonded's business and therefore, not his place to say.]
[So, she's entirely free to boggle at how he possibly functions on a farm even for a single day rather than anything else if that's what manages to capture her attention.]
[She does arch a bit of a brow, but it's easy for her to accept. Fang's never been one to get bogged down in details, and "with my other Bonded" and "full moons" make enough sense to her. She was a lucky one of the Mirrorbound, meshing easily with her new instincts. Despite being a Turnskin, the full moons were easier for her to manage than some.]
Sure. Good to know. Guess on that note, I don't go out on long trips to the Wilde like I used to, but I'll give you a heads up if I plan to.
[The corner of her mouth crooks.]
And speaking of heads up, I'll probably wind up prowlin' around your place a lot more. Let your doorguards know. I don't mean anything by it, it's... just a Turnskin thing, I guess.
[Turnskins and their packs. Regardless of how strongly or not they felt about each other, the Bond inducted Ramesses—and to a small extend, his other Bonded—into her own.]
[And honestly she just assumes Ozy packs a make-up bag to go out on his farm adventures or something.]
They have been largely ignoring you since your little break-in, [Ramesses says with a small shake of his head. Fang has never been a threat to him, so there's never really been any point to them trying to chase her off.] But they are used to such things in any case. There was a chimera before you that would occasionally watch my property at night.
[So, in that regard, he's used to being lumped in with a "pack" of some kind or another. Even Sheva who doesn't quite indulge in that particular instinct all too often does from time to time. Which upon thinking of that, his expression shifts slightly as it strikes Ramesses that he ought to mention one more thing.]
Just try to control your instincts and leave a small bat be if you happen to see one loitering about or trying to get in. That's Giorno and he's only looking to help himself to fruit in my kitchen. [Hence why the kitchen window is open at least a little bit on days when the weather isn't atrocious for it. Giorno will find other ways inside, but it's easier for everyone involved if Ramesses doesn't try to fight it. Which is to say that Giorno often has a second objective to be as attention-seeking as possible that's made worse by feeling as though Ramesses has intentionally blocked off his path to mangos.] There has already been one unfortunate mishap with one of my Bonded and him that I would rather is not repeated because he seems an appropriate thing to...chase.
[If it can be avoided, he'd rather not have a nearly-eaten adopted son literally dropped in his lap again?? Thanks.]
[Another scoffing sound, this one more in the back of Fang's throat like it'd been on its way into turning into a laugh. She's surprised he even bothered tacking on "within reason."]
Hm. Good to know.
[She could do a lot with "within reason." Especially given that what was reasonable to her varied with others.]
[Fang's head casually rolls to the side in the process of looking at him, the whole gesture nonchalantly smug. She's well aware of exactly what he's getting at.]
[He draws a breath to say something, but that look on her face is a telltale sign that it won't end anywhere other than her getting another one on him. Ramesses' lips turn into a slight frown as he exhales sharply through his nose.]
I shall not even dignify that with a response. There is no point when I am sure we shall have...many talks about this later.
[Just no more jackalopes inside the house? Let's not revisit.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[But Fang doesn't dwell on it. The teasing drops from her smile.]
Look, you know I'm not great with words, and I'm not the sort to go off on some fancy pledge.
[The standard Bonding vow still feels easy to mindlessly make, but after... everything, Fang hesitates to offer to protect him, considering that vow lays in shambles both around her family and Chariot.]
There's probably not much I can promise you that you can't already provide for yourself. So, as your Bonded, Oerba Yun Fang vows to yank you back from that precipice of yours, if you find your way back to it—as someone who does a lot of lookin' over the edge of "Same Mistake City" myself.
[She tilts her head slightly, and something about her expression softens subtly.]
And I know you love your hundred identities and roles and they're always part of you or whatever, but if you ever just wanna be that human guy under all that for a bit and nothin' else, you can do that around me. Promise I won't tell.
[When she finishes, the magic of the circle responds to her intent, flowing up through her body and pooling in her hands, waiting for the other half to snap into place.]
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[And he believes her words. All of them. Even without the magic of the circle confirming them to be genuine.]
I find myself in a similar position as you. You are more than capable and have no need for my protection or support with most matters. So, my promise to you as your Bonded is this: I will not idly stand by any time you feel the need to inflict punishment on yourself for your past decisions. Until you are able to find peace, I shall remain by your side whether it is to be as comfort or a thorn.
[When they first met, it had been a stray thought, a sincere but small hope. Something that Fang had dismissed and he allowed to be set aside. Here and now, however, it was something far more than that. Something he refused to let her reject as a possibility for herself because even if she's not able to believe it now, he intends to carry that belief until she can for herself. It as almost as though he can already see that future with his own eyes, as though it is within his power to manipulate the very magic of this room to make it so.]
This is a promise I make to you not as Pharaoh, as you have no need for a sun to guide you. I make this promise to you as Ramesses.
[The magic of the circle rises through him, traveling until it connects with a spark between their joined hands.]
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Might be a while. I can't find peace until someone else does.
[Not until Vanille does. There was no point in her soul being saved for the new world if she wasn't coming along with her. The sensation of the magic was just as strange as last time as it plucked threads from her own soul and reached to entwine them with another's, and with it, bring a new alien awareness on the edges of her own.]
[Her own sense was very much like fire; warm, intense even when relatively mild, and with the potential to be as destructive and capricious as she could be comforting and sheltering. As steady and unflinching as Fang was, there was an immense weariness under it all, like a clinging, choking smoke, adorning her mental sense just as her scars adorned her body.]
[Her eyes close as magic begins to flow between their touch, basking in the refreshment. Chariot's magic has been much better in recent months, but still not entirely what it was prior to January.]
[Fang could feel that wish of his, now. Peace sounded like such a lovely thing, like the first years sleeping in the pillar, before cracks began to form.]
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[And there is plenty of mana that moves through where their hands are connected even with two other Bonds present. This world has changed Ramesses' form, rendering him closer to human than he has been in quite some time, but where he may lack in skill and natural talent as someone who has spent years of their life honing their craft like Chariot might, he makes up for in raw power.]
[Ramesses watches her a moment as awareness of her settles in its place. It is exactly as she warned it would be. He's able to find her within his own conscious awareness with little effort, which is not due solely to proximity. Although both Sheva and Daenerys certainly stand proud and clearly themselves, there is always a distinction between what they wish for him to sense in the Bond and what they would likely disguise if it were in their control. Daenerys masks what she perceives as weaknesses with cool authority and Sheva buries whatever she finds unacceptable with more pleasant distractions. With Fang, he senses no such lines. Even the parts of herself that she takes less pride in are not obfuscated. They are merely less present at this moment.]
[It also contrasts perhaps quite sharply with Ramesses.]
[Fang likely could have predicted it. Much of Ramesses' inner world is neatly ordered and compartmentalized, there is no lack of predictability as he holds steadily forward with warmth and brightness. And yet, he does not reject or excise what he deems unacceptable. He still offers those doubts, insecurities, and regrets acceptance albeit reluctantly, but they remain stifled by the volume of his confidence and conviction, easily missed if one does not know to look for them. Very much like the sun Ramesses claims to be, he allows his own light, his own desire to act as a beacon, to cast such darkness aside.]
You know, with the way you were talking, I was expecting worse.
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Just wait until I'm angry. You'll have your regrets then.
[A capacity for wrath deep enough to be prophesized about, to be weaponized. Fit to bring the end of times. Fang opens her eyes with a deep breath, the resulting exhale sounding satisfied.]
You know, much as I love Chariot, it's nice to have something other than crawlin' anxiety crowding my head.
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[Still, it seems a safe assumption to make when there are such discrepancies in his temperament from Chariot.]
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Feels like... [Her head cocks to the side thoughtfully.] Stone, I guess. Worked stone—steady, designed that way. Like you'd find in a foundation or a bridge.
[She didn't consider herself flowery with words, but there was only so much Fang could do when trying to describe something her senses hadn't been made to perceive. She found herself doing that a lot in this world, wherever magic was concerned.]
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[He follows her out of the room at a leisurely pace. Right now, he's equal parts relaxed and pleased. As challenging as this may eventually prove to be, he's glad for the present moment. It will serve as a good reminder should being her Bonded prove more difficult for either one of them.]
And you say you're not one for words, [he says with a small laugh. Ramesses continues to tease her just a little more,] Then again, perhaps I'm already influencing you. We will have you giving full speeches before the month's through.
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Yeah, right, you keep on dreamin'. I've given speeches before. [Little ones, but. Still. It's more than one might expect from Fang. A wistful fondness passes through the Bond as her thoughts turned to her gang.] I can play the whole inspiring leader bit. Just don't like to.
[Fang glances over, nudging him with her elbow.] Do mine. What's mine feel like?
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I suppose if I had to draw a comparison to something, it would be to the river you saw in my memory. There is a consistency and stillness to you now, and you will not suddenly reverse course, but there is a power to you as well.
[The Nile is life-giving, but it always holds the capacity for punishing those that do not show it proper respect. While that would not necessarily be the trigger for Fang, one should not mistake her easygoing nature as one of weakness. It's something that becomes all the more apparent being her Bonded.]
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[Fang hums thoughtfully. A sizable river had run through Oerba, too—she understood what he was getting at.]
I like it. Could've been a lot worse. [Fang shoots a grin his way.] Just remember that this whole 'real Bond' thing was your idea, so I don't want to hear any complaining.
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[He knows without one of her follow-up quips that's a highly unlikely outcome.]
Although more seriously, I cannot imagine you will have need of me, [because he will not even pretend as though Chariot will not remain a preference to all things related to Bonds in that regard,] but if you should around the full moons, I am often not in the city on those nights. I am usually with one of my other Bonded on her borrowed farm as she does not frequent the city with any regularity.
[Daenerys has a greater fear of losing control of her mind compared to Sheva, and so she takes a small amount of priority on those nights. Having easier, more immediate access to him puts her at greater ease than if he were to remain in the city even if she is still somewhat hesitant to engage in the magical aspects of the Bond and so, he's long since agreed to pay more frequent visits out there. And frankly, he doesn't mind it so much. He enjoys her landlady who he is quite certain at this point is intentional in ignoring him when he corrects her that he is not a Puca despite the color of his eyes and has very little qualms in assigning him to work while he's there. It also provides him with the opportunity to hunt, something that the city life does not afford him. But it is also is in some ways a temporary arrangement, too, which makes him mind it less. As Daenerys makes her strides to feels more comfort once more within the city itself, Ramesses anticipates that his need to visit her on the farm will decrease and a better balance shall be struck. So, until then, he's willing to be patient and take his indulgences where he can.]
[But Ramesses offers no such explanation to Fang. It's not out of mistrust, but the simple fact that the majority of it is his other Bonded's business and therefore, not his place to say.]
[So, she's entirely free to boggle at how he possibly functions on a farm even for a single day rather than anything else if that's what manages to capture her attention.]
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Sure. Good to know. Guess on that note, I don't go out on long trips to the Wilde like I used to, but I'll give you a heads up if I plan to.
[The corner of her mouth crooks.]
And speaking of heads up, I'll probably wind up prowlin' around your place a lot more. Let your doorguards know. I don't mean anything by it, it's... just a Turnskin thing, I guess.
[Turnskins and their packs. Regardless of how strongly or not they felt about each other, the Bond inducted Ramesses—and to a small extend, his other Bonded—into her own.]
[And honestly she just assumes Ozy packs a make-up bag to go out on his farm adventures or something.]
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[So, in that regard, he's used to being lumped in with a "pack" of some kind or another. Even Sheva who doesn't quite indulge in that particular instinct all too often does from time to time. Which upon thinking of that, his expression shifts slightly as it strikes Ramesses that he ought to mention one more thing.]
Just try to control your instincts and leave a small bat be if you happen to see one loitering about or trying to get in. That's Giorno and he's only looking to help himself to fruit in my kitchen. [Hence why the kitchen window is open at least a little bit on days when the weather isn't atrocious for it. Giorno will find other ways inside, but it's easier for everyone involved if Ramesses doesn't try to fight it. Which is to say that Giorno often has a second objective to be as attention-seeking as possible that's made worse by feeling as though Ramesses has intentionally blocked off his path to mangos.] There has already been one unfortunate mishap with one of my Bonded and him that I would rather is not repeated because he seems an appropriate thing to...chase.
[If it can be avoided, he'd rather not have a nearly-eaten adopted son literally dropped in his lap again?? Thanks.]
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Whatever kinda cat I turned into seems more bent on stalking than the chase.
[Go go gadget ambush predator.]
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[And maybe also for Ramesses, too. He might have had a small heart attack sure the aforementioned mishap.]
[Maybe.]
That would really be the only concern. Otherwise, you are free to do as you please provided that it is within reason.
[He knows better than to end it as "free to do as you please "with Fang. That's giving her far too much freedom.]
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Hm. Good to know.
[She could do a lot with "within reason." Especially given that what was reasonable to her varied with others.]
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Fang.
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What?
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I shall not even dignify that with a response. There is no point when I am sure we shall have...many talks about this later.
[Just no more jackalopes inside the house? Let's not revisit.]