[ save for recognizing two guests among the crowd, wriothesley can't add much to navia's musings. not that he'd say anything about the sort of man callas was when they'd first met and negotiated, nor would he speak of clorinde behind her back. this is navia's memory, after all, and he'd rather leave it untouched by his presence if he can help it.
so once navia speaks up, his attention shifts back to her, and he carries on as though they were bantering while in the middle of watching a film almost. his voice stays low as he keeps to the edges of the scene, but just present enough for navia to pick up on him or else drown him out in favor of recounting the rest of her birthday. ]
Some habits never change. And from the looks of things, it seems he enjoyed himself, too. [ there's a beat as the game master summarizes the actions taken by the party in the last round. ] At least after shaking of some of the rust.
[ her gaze went to her father, remembering how animated he was that day. while this was a happy memory, navia couldn't help but feel sad that half of the people in this memory were now gone.
when the actions of the final round were done, navia pointed to the box where most of the props would go in. callas hands her a golden bauble, the exact one that hangs on the sleeve of her signature dress. when she takes it, a golden blade of geo energy slices her birthday cake in half... along with the table it sits on. ]
I'm still not sure why the Lord of Geo decided to grant me this on that day of all days.
[ wriothesley doesn't laugh at the chaos so much as take it in with a thoughtful look. a swell of indescribable emotion rising quietly to the surface in the smile that wrinkles the corners of his eyes when a much younger navia turns her vision over amid all the gawking and continued celebration. ]
With your sort of luck, I have a feeling you might just have the answer to that question if you give it enough time. [ the answer is awfully vague on its face, but he's heard enough of her shared adventures and frequent run-ins with aether, along with the sort of wondrous stories he can only rightfully imagine from the scraps of fantasy and fairy tales that pass through the fortress' library. so he lets the faint smile carry the rest of the sentiment where his words might fall short—that he's confident it'll eventually happen given a certain traveler is well connected with all sorts of people. though he does follow the thought with something a little more in line with his usual flavor. ] But that's assuming you don't already have an answer of your own.
[ to wriothesley, visions are simply proof of ambition rather than any blessing. his own had come about almost by chance, and not in any moment nearly as heartfelt—or heartwarming—as navia's. and when it comes to the whims of gods, he'd sooner make sense of such a 'gift' himself and give it purpose by his own hand than look to anyone else's answers, archon or not. ]
Maybe one day we'll have an understanding of how our Visions work, but hypotheticals aside... This is still a wonderful moment for you. I'd say thanks for sharing it with me, but it's not like you were given much of a choice in that regard.
[ his smile softens, only to grow that much more obvious and sincere. ]
I have an inkling, but I'm not sure if I'll ever really know.
[ navia walks forward, kneeling beside her father for a moment. her face is indescribable—a mixture of happiness, grief, and a little bit of relief after years of needing the truth. it wasn't too many years after that that her father's trial and everything that came with it happened. she lost her best friend, her father... then so soon after that, melus and silver.
she just as quickly stands, turning to face wriothesley. there's a glimmer in her eyes, and a tear falls down her cheek. there's a rush to wipe it away. ]
I'm glad I got to share it with you. It's one of my more happier memories.
[ wriothesley remains at the edges of the scene, careful not to weave through the space or pass as one of the partygoers. as moments like this belong entirely to navia—best left untouched and without even the faintest trace of him in her recollections. although it's nice to hear navia's words, there ought to be no place for him in this milestone within her life. ]
Of course.
[ is all he can say once everything settles. the memory is already thinning at the edges, though it holds for a while longer, long enough to where wriothesley gives navia a few more undisturbed breaths with the figures. since he knows, as well as anyone, that silver and melus rest under headstones with empty caskets.
though it’s also a shame that a memory so warm—so intimate in the way she's relives it as a spectator—exists only because of the jagged katalyth growth that soon overtakes the cozy space of her childhood living room. sobering, certainly, though it doesn’t cut too deeply. as at least the memory itself remains untouched by the katalyth’s usual corruption and influence.
so wriothesley lets the vision collapse on its own, with the familiar distortions of karteria—alongside their corrupted features—settling back over them both as they find themselves back in the fields outside of the barrier. and only after a few quiet heartbeats does he speak again, giving navia time to find her bearings before easing back into the sort of banter they share. ]
Rest assured, Navia—your memory and our brief brush with Katalyth, will stay with me. Why, I won’t even breathe a word of it.
[ he laughs lightly, the lilt in his voice carrying a gentle ribbing at her expense for being just as susceptible to katalyth as he’d been at the pillar. thankfully, she shows none of the lingering effects he’d endured and is mostly alright, if not only slightly unsettled. ]
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no subject
so once navia speaks up, his attention shifts back to her, and he carries on as though they were bantering while in the middle of watching a film almost. his voice stays low as he keeps to the edges of the scene, but just present enough for navia to pick up on him or else drown him out in favor of recounting the rest of her birthday. ]
Some habits never change. And from the looks of things, it seems he enjoyed himself, too. [ there's a beat as the game master summarizes the actions taken by the party in the last round. ] At least after shaking of some of the rust.
no subject
when the actions of the final round were done, navia pointed to the box where most of the props would go in. callas hands her a golden bauble, the exact one that hangs on the sleeve of her signature dress. when she takes it, a golden blade of geo energy slices her birthday cake in half... along with the table it sits on. ]
I'm still not sure why the Lord of Geo decided to grant me this on that day of all days.
no subject
With your sort of luck, I have a feeling you might just have the answer to that question if you give it enough time. [ the answer is awfully vague on its face, but he's heard enough of her shared adventures and frequent run-ins with aether, along with the sort of wondrous stories he can only rightfully imagine from the scraps of fantasy and fairy tales that pass through the fortress' library. so he lets the faint smile carry the rest of the sentiment where his words might fall short—that he's confident it'll eventually happen given a certain traveler is well connected with all sorts of people. though he does follow the thought with something a little more in line with his usual flavor. ] But that's assuming you don't already have an answer of your own.
[ to wriothesley, visions are simply proof of ambition rather than any blessing. his own had come about almost by chance, and not in any moment nearly as heartfelt—or heartwarming—as navia's. and when it comes to the whims of gods, he'd sooner make sense of such a 'gift' himself and give it purpose by his own hand than look to anyone else's answers, archon or not. ]
Maybe one day we'll have an understanding of how our Visions work, but hypotheticals aside... This is still a wonderful moment for you. I'd say thanks for sharing it with me, but it's not like you were given much of a choice in that regard.
[ his smile softens, only to grow that much more obvious and sincere. ]
no subject
[ navia walks forward, kneeling beside her father for a moment. her face is indescribable—a mixture of happiness, grief, and a little bit of relief after years of needing the truth. it wasn't too many years after that that her father's trial and everything that came with it happened. she lost her best friend, her father... then so soon after that, melus and silver.
she just as quickly stands, turning to face wriothesley. there's a glimmer in her eyes, and a tear falls down her cheek. there's a rush to wipe it away. ]
I'm glad I got to share it with you. It's one of my more happier memories.
no subject
Of course.
[ is all he can say once everything settles. the memory is already thinning at the edges, though it holds for a while longer, long enough to where wriothesley gives navia a few more undisturbed breaths with the figures. since he knows, as well as anyone, that silver and melus rest under headstones with empty caskets.
though it’s also a shame that a memory so warm—so intimate in the way she's relives it as a spectator—exists only because of the jagged katalyth growth that soon overtakes the cozy space of her childhood living room. sobering, certainly, though it doesn’t cut too deeply. as at least the memory itself remains untouched by the katalyth’s usual corruption and influence.
so wriothesley lets the vision collapse on its own, with the familiar distortions of karteria—alongside their corrupted features—settling back over them both as they find themselves back in the fields outside of the barrier. and only after a few quiet heartbeats does he speak again, giving navia time to find her bearings before easing back into the sort of banter they share. ]
Rest assured, Navia—your memory and our brief brush with Katalyth, will stay with me. Why, I won’t even breathe a word of it.
[ he laughs lightly, the lilt in his voice carrying a gentle ribbing at her expense for being just as susceptible to katalyth as he’d been at the pillar. thankfully, she shows none of the lingering effects he’d endured and is mostly alright, if not only slightly unsettled. ]