exsilium | ♙ trois. (video)

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♙ trois. (video)

It is surprising, to hear of two holidays that hold such little in common with each other colliding on one day.

[ the feed has caught onto Larsa, awkwardly holding a bunch of candies. it seems like someone who's just passed by has just poured out a bunch into his cupped, gloved hands. he looks at all the chocolate and caramels and shuffles a little, with a grimace. ]

I... must admit to not having a fondness for sweets. If anyone would want these... please.

[ he sets them carefully into a little satchel beside him, atop a sketchbook that seems dog-eared and meticulously kept. he had watercolors next to him as well as a few brushes, but does not seem to draw attention to them. when he turns back to the feed, that awkwardness disappears, covered by a thin sheet of smiles as he struggles to keep his cheer about him in light of all that's happened. ]

I have heard of this 'Valentine's Day' and this day of Separation.

I have heard my full of Exsilium's Day of Separation--and gave gained trinkets abound due to my age. [ which he's so not going to go into. ]

Yet, I have heard little of this Day of Valentine's.

From what I have been able to gather, it is a day wherein love is celebrated, is it not? Committed relationships as well as passing fancies... it seems far more complicated than a mere day of Separation.

May I ask for a more detailed explanation from one who has celebrated such a holiday before?

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Oh, yeah I've seen the fountain. Not climbing trees today, huh?

[He'll just pick up the tablet and bring it with him as he heads toward the door.]

What kind'a holidays do you have in Ivalice? Think you can beat naked winged baby archers? I mean, I'm confident that's a pretty solid contender for weirdest holiday mascot.

Not today, I'm afraid.

[ he already has enough potions. ]

In Archadia... we celebrate a day where a man parades about covered in straw.

To tell the truth, I am unsure as to why.

[Ah, but what about Hi-Potions? Oh wait, he has a neverending supply of those.]

Archadia... that your home town? [And then he sort of laughs, and the camera bounces a bit as he moves down a flight of stairs. Normally he would just portal to the edge of the forest but he's not sure how the tablet will react to going through a corridor live. He's taken it through several times, but never while on the phone, as it were.] I guess a holiday about being covered in straw is about as odd as a holiday with infantile archers. Slightly less violent, though. I think that's what got me about Valentine's Day, to be frank: if it's about love and devotion, why are we getting shot with arrows to decide who we give our hearts to?

[It's not like he had a choice when he gave his up, amirite??]

[ 8') yes, he does. ]

Archadia is the Empire, actually. The Archadian Empire. Archades is the capital and, I suppose, my "home town".

You pose an excellent question.

Perhaps it is to signify the hardship of such love, as most hearts are broken than are ever mended with affection. [ my, Larsa. aren't those words particularly bleak and bitter for a boy your age? ] An arrow to the heart to signify the pain one must go through to achieve love seems apt.

[ he doesn't sound any different from before, but his words certainly aren't what one would expect from Larsa of all people. ]

Empire, huh? [A low, appraising whistle.] Sounds pretty fancy, growing up in the imperial capital city. [Really, Axel, you have no idea just how fancy.

[He looks a bit surprised then by Larsa's response, frowning a bit, his hand absently swimming back to the front of his coat. He catches himself before he rubs at that hollow spot over his heart though, and stuffs his free hand into his pocket instead.]

Heh, little cynical for a kid your age, aren't we? [There's no derision in his tone, however.] They say it's better to love and lose than never to love at all--whoever 'they' are--but you make a good point: no pain no gain.

[But what if one has no heart any longer to be hurt by such things?]

If love requires getting shot I think I'll pass. I guess I prefer paths of lesser resistance.

[ oh, Axel. ] It was quite... 'fancy'. Galas and balls were frequent. I suspect that many here would prefer other places within Ivalice.

[ cynical? hm. Larsa would daresay he's lost a bit of his optimism. Basch would be worried. he doesn't answer Axel's train of thought, though. it's probably better not to. ]

You and I both.

[ but he does think of Penelo...

ah, but no. better not. ]

Man, we had a castle in my home town, but never anything too extravagant. The king was kind of a shut-in. Never actually met the guy--tried a couple times, though. [Good times, good times.]

You know, there's a lot to be said for people like us: everybody seems to enjoy doing things the hard way these days, you know? Nobody ever just takes the easy way out anymore, and that's a shame. Keeping it simple's a dying art.

[It's not too long to the edge of the forest when you've got long legs, and Axel makes a point of waving at Larsa before waving at the feed and then shutting the tablet down. Taking a seat on the edge of the battered old fountain, he leans on his hands and gives the boy a knowing look.]

Been meaning to ask how those Potions of yours turned out, by the way. [He's a bit curious if the ones from Larsa's Ivalice are the same as the ones from his world.]

[ that's a bit awkward to reply to--he can't exactly say that he lived in a castle and his own father, the Emperor, was a bit of a shut in, too, can he? ]

I suppose that was disappointing. Were you thrown out by guards?

[ that's what he imagines, since he's seen it happen on occasion.

when Axel speaks again, Larsa gives a weak smile. ah, yes. the easy way out... if only that had been even marginally possible. ]

I do understand it. A life of simplicity seems... almost relieving.

[ as he speaks, he picks up his satchel beside him, taking out one Potion from it. it glows with a usual green light, but its glow isn't as strong as most Potions Larsa has grown used to carrying, especially when the container is clear glass. ] You are welcome to try one yourself.

Unless [ a cant of his head ] you are doubtful as to my potion-making talents.

Yup. Thrown right out on my tuckus. Several times. I kept tellin' my partner we should'a tried things my way, but he never listened. [Granted, his way probably would have gotten them caught even more quickly, but that is neither here nor there.] I guess the real irony is I wound up working with those guards eventually, but you might say they had a bit of a career change before that time.

Relieving? [He gives him a slightly dubious look.] Pardon my nosiness, but I do have to wonder what exactly it is you're seeking relief from, at your age.

[And then he waves a hand before taking the Potion delicately between two gloved fingers.]

Now, now, you shouldn't take medicine if you're not sick, right? [He examines it a moment, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out one of his own Potions. The bottle is quite different, but Axel has to suppose the bottle came from around here rather than Ivalice. The pleasant lime-green glow is familiar enough, though; it seems a Potion's a Potion, no matter the world. Interesting.

[He leans over and offers the Potion from home toward the boy for his consideration.]

I'd say you did pretty well, actually. Looks like the real deal so far as I can tell.

Politics. [ is all he offers to Axel's so-called 'nosiness'. ]

Partnerships can be made in the most unusual of places. [ and oh, he'd know. ] I would imagine it was quite a while after you had grown. Perhaps that is a good thing.

[ oh... now, he has a Potion on him? interesting. when it's given to him, he turns it over in his gloved hands, brushing a thumb against the curve of the bottle. he uncaps it to take a sniff and looks surprised, recapping it. ]

It is the same--not to the ones I've made here, but to the ones in Ivalice.

Strange.

Politics? [He pantomimes gagging, then crosses his arms over his head to make and X.] Not interested~

[He won't comment on whether or not working with Xigbar, Lexaeus, and Xaldin is a good thing... he doesn't really trust any of them as far as he could potentially thrown them, but he guesses it's better than still being pitted against them.

He looks intrigued when Larsa agrees the Potions are the same.]

Small universe, I guess; do you have moogles? They're usually the ones I get the Potions from, and it wouldn't surprise me much if they've found their way to worlds I've never heard of.

[ Larsa looks a touch amused at his reaction to the word, but is glad that he won't have to explain any further. ]

I suspected as such.

[ the mention of moogles makes him brighten like a little child. ]

Oh, yes! They are most resourceful and live all about Ivalice, they've even invented a new method of travel named after themselves, "Moogling".

[Axel looks both surprised and not surprised when Larsa eagerly affirms the presence of moogles in Ivalice. Really, he shouldn't be surprised to hear about moogles being just about anywhere, he figures, since he's found them across several worlds already.]

A method of travel? Why am I not surprised...? Seems there's moogles everywhere you look! [He clicks his tongue then.] Resourceful yes, but be careful if you buy sundries from them. The one I know well sells past-date elixirs. Oh, sure, he sells 'em for below price, but still, an expired elixir ain't gonna cut it in a pinch.

[ that makes him laugh, if a little dryly. ]

Ah, yes. This seems to be quite a trade secret between many vendors, not merely Moogles. I have seen this to be true all across Ivalice, most notably in my own home country. Extremely devious.

Ah. Most of the vendors I deal with are moogles, but I certainly wouldn't put it past us more humanlike folks to scam our customers. I'm just glad the lady I buy ice cream from likes me. She gives me a discount on Tuesdays.

Ice cream--? Oh, [ right, axel explained this to him before, hadn't he? ] the icy treats, you mean. I must admit I have yet to taste it, though I have not, admittedly, had it at the forefront of my mind.

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♙ trois. (video)

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