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I'm trying a new thing where I think before I start digging for answers. [ Pursuit of discovery vs the horrors that await them, and all. It's not as though their time in the Diadem have all been sunshine and rainbows. ]

In that case, should I be proud of you?

That being said, I'm willing to take the necessary risks to get to the bottom of this. Ignoring it as it progresses could lead to something even worse.

Not if you're going to drag me into hell anyway.

I'll take some blood samples the next time you're back. I don't think it's anything aetherical, but we'll rule out the possibility for certain. Eliminate any relation to the Flood.

That seems like a good place to start. We can deal with it once we're back in Panorama, then.

I don't mean to drag you anywhere, though. I just also figured you'd rather know than not.

I do.

I'm just saying you don't need to feel proud of me. Just because I exercised caution it doesn't mean I wasn't going to do it.

Hah. Fair enough, then.

How are you liking things here, by the way? Enjoying the slower pace?

[ He knows she isn't. ]

You're fucking with me. [ She can hear it in your text, Ardbert. ]

Come now, Aria, whatever could you mean?

[ Is this their way of not talking about the fact that his blood is spoiled with darkness and that they had some sort of moment on the train?

Yes. ]

How about this, then. How would you say it compares to Kolliery?

[ She'll take every overt attempt at changing the subject. At least he's on the same page.

That said: ]

I would say it's all answers you know already. [ Adventurer or no, she's a city girl. Neither are cities as she has experienced them, steps away from a dock with the vast ocean in front of her. ]

[ One large way in which they differ, although both of them do prefer to be near the sea. Ardbert couldn't stay here long-term anymore, he's seen too much of the world for that, but he doesn't mind the interlude. ]

The Cube must have your interest, at least. I'm half-expecting it to unfold, open up, and release an entire horde of monsters.

[ Is that just him. He doesn't think so. ]

[ She's not going to tell him she's expecting the same. Twelve forbid she makes this easy. ]

So you want another calamity on your hands? What have these people done to deserve that?

[ Now she's trying to wind him up. Turnabout is fair play, it seems. ]

"Expect" and "want" are two different things.

[ There's no chasing away his concern about it, though. ]

With it so far up, there isn't much we can do about it, is there? Not for the first time I find myself wishing Seto were here.

[ From the other side, she laughs. ] Oh talk more vocabulary to me, darling.

Just a chocobo would do. Seto deserves better than the smog from the city.

[ Not the flirtatious teasing.

Although wanting better for Seto does immediately earn her some points, as she no doubt knows. ]

You're right.
I do wonder if we'll ever come across a chocobo or something else familiar from home. A cactuar, maybe? Or even a morbol?

[ A warrior told a scholar the meaning behind words. It's the funniest thing that's happened to her in here ( which sort of sums up her feelings on Acreage ). Let her live. ]

Again with the monsters. You really do have something against these people, don't you?

Maybe that's what'll fall out of the cube. Hundreds of Morbols.

[ Listen. Listen. ]

I meant in Diadem in general! In some random diffusion zone or something!

[ But he realizes she's teasing him, and that at least makes things feel more normal. ]

Now you're the one wishing the worst on them. Gods, can you imagine?

Wishing is different than imagining. [ See? ]

But I'd rather not actually. Horrid creatures. I wouldn't have enough Esunas and then some

[ How dare she do this back at him. ]

To say the least. G'raha and Alphinaud might be able to assist, but even then, you could only do so much.

Now that I think of it, though, it is a bit odd that there are no flying mounts here. Such is the way of life without aether currents, I suppose.

If the sea's like that, I doubt I'd want to fly anyway. [ Her poor chocobo would never last a day here. ( Her chocobo is also has it pretty good somewhere in Limsa because she's not the best about taking it around. ) ] The car's plenty reliable, isn't it?

The car is fine. It's more that now that there's this strange cube too far for us to reach. Doesn't it bother you that we can't access it?

[ Because more often than not, going up and poking things is what Warriors of Light do. Although maybe Aria has a more clever idea of how to interact with it. ]

[ Well you see, she's trying not to think about it because she's pretty sure it's intrinsically tied to whatever-the-fuck happened on the train. Her curiosity aside, it's not exactly an experience she cares to repeat until she has a little better idea of what it is she's working with.

But saying all of that over text feels— well, again, she's not keen on addressing what happened on the train. So. ]

You could ask Emet-Selch if he'd be interested in taking a look. [ Low blow? Maybe. ]

[ ?! ]

You could have just told me you didn't want to talk about it, you know.

Please. He can fly, we can't. It's not out of the question if you wanted access to it.

[ ... ]

I'll look into other methods first. There's someone else I know who might be able to assist.

[ There's no way he isn't going to exhaust every other resource first. ]

[ She deletes the "let me know how that goes" because that's too childish even by her standards. ]

Let me know when you're on your way back.

For the blood samples.

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soulshard - 2026-02-23 23:45 (UTC) - Expand

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recitations - 2026-02-23 23:46 (UTC) - Expand