[Ignis nods once, taking a step back and just to the right of the door to usher Archie inside. He thinks he recognizes the voice, having heard it over the crystals, though he can't quite bring a name to mind— that said, with as many people from Steven's world who have arrived in recent months, it's fairly easy to narrow it down. There are only a very few that Ignis hasn't met yet.]
He's in the study. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you Archie?
[He knows there's a tense history there, so whatever brings Archie to call, he imagines it must be serious.]
For a brief moment, Ignis almost seems startled, but he cracks a smile and makes an effort to stifle a laugh. Butler. Well, it's certainly not the first time someone has made that mistake, though never in reference to Steven— more than once, he had been referred to as Noctis' butler, though it was certainly understandable why.]
Hm, not quite.
[The chill in the air is noticeable, and he assumes that means bad news. He gestures for Archie to follow him as he turns to head down the corridor.]
This way, then. You're welcome to make yourself comfortable in the sitting room— that's on the right. I'll let him know you're here.
[Meanwhile, Archie will find that the wyvern has ventured closer— on the small side for a wyvern, being the size of a large dog, but certainly dedicated to sniffing at the newcomer. Even with his back turned, Ignis clears his throat, causing the wyvern to stop short and slink back a couple of steps.]
Kain, don't be rude. You know how to behave around company.
[Ignis' tone softens slightly, and he smiles to himself as he disappears down the hallway, opting not to correct Archie by informing him that the wyvern is actually his. Given that he's here with what Ignis can only assume is grave news, it seems neither important nor appropriate.
In Ignis' absence, Kain is quick to approach Archie a second time, nuzzling into the extended hand. He's certainly not starved for attention, but any and all pets are good pets, and the offer alone is enough to make Kain decide that he Likes Archie.
At the end of the corridor, Ignis clears his throat softly before knocking at the partially-open door to the study, offering Steven a grim smile.]
You have company. Archie is here to see you— he mentioned it concerns a mutual friend.
[They both know what that has the potential to mean, he thinks.]
he certainly understands why Archie has come to visit, but doesn't particularly enjoy the fact that he visited in person. they could have met at a different location - this one is personal, and he's uncomfortable with someone he, in mild terms, "greatly distrusts" being in a space that he holds dear.
all the same, Steven knows why he's here. he doesn't look like he was busy with any of his desk work - instead, he seems to be pacing. he looks up at the knock on the door, cutting off any mental conversation he seems to have been having. his brow is furrowed, the chill of the room intensifying for a split moment. ]
I was going to reach out to you. [ but at an arm's length. this makes things more personal, and he's uncomfortable with it. he looks to Ignis with concern, sending a telepathic "Are you alright?" before he speaks to him out loud. ] I have a feeling I know why. Come in.
[Ignis knows when to offer others their privacy, and he clears his throat softly before proceeding to step out.]
I'll go start water for coffee.
[If only because it's good manners, as well a convenient excuse to slip away— which he does, leaving them to speak to one another freely, though not without offering Steven a brief telepathic response: 'I'm fine. Call on me if you need me, I won't be far.']
[ with a telepathic acknowledgement to Ignis' response, his attention moves to Archie. his first impulse is to chide him for showing up at his doorstep unannounced, but he holds it back in the interest of decorum and more prominent issues at hand. ]
The timing is unfortunate, but sudden disappearances aren't unheard of. It's simply the way that this world works.
[ he sighs. ]
She's back in Hoenn. By most accounts, she's safer there.
I don't know, [he admits, first off, cocking his head to look over at steven.] Don't you have a big speech about how you're in charge of my probation, now?
[he makes A Face. like... he's committed enough to atoning for what he did that he would actually go along with whatever steven forced him to do, but he wouldn't be happy about it. fortunately, though, he doesn't really have the energy or desire to be as shitty as he possibly could about this right now.]
What about Lance? The farm? Her Pokémon would've gone with her, wouldn't they?
I already told you that there would be reprocussions from me if you stepped out of line. I didn’t think I needed to repeat myself.
[ he never had thought of May as “in charge” of anything in the first place. that wasn’t her job, and he would have protested if she pushed to take it on. he sees Archie as a fool, but knows that he’s not stupid. ]
I’ll maintain the farm as I did before, unless someone else steps up to take the mantle. [ Red or Yellow, maybe. he doesn’t trust Archie with it. ] Lance will be fine on his own, if that’s what you mean. Their house will be quieter without her or her Pokémon, but I’m sure he’ll manage.
Hm, [he grunts. perhaps ironically, his behaviour is likely making him come off as quite thick-headed, given how archie is treating steven and the situation they've found themselves in. there's no level of seriousness in his attitude, though he's starting to see it now.
he doesn't even think about himself in terms of the farm.] I think Yellow would benefit from it the best. Perhaps both her and Red, if it's somethin' for them to focus on for the good of everyone's Pokémon.
[they feel the same in that regard, at least.]
Of course he will, but-- how do you deal with this shit? Just let him find out alone or tell him she's not coming home tonight?
It may be better for them to share the responsibility. They stand to benefit the most from it... Strictly speaking, it's the only piece of home that we have here.
[ besides the presence of other Trainers and their teams, virtually nothing about this world is familiar. that must be a frightening thing for children as young as them, and Steven wants to make the transition as smooth as possible. ]
Telling someone upfront about disappearances tends to be better than them discovering it on their own. Seeing as this is the first time he's experienced it, I'm sure he'll also want an explanation.
[ he sighs. ]
You do the only thing that we can - you move forward. She may find herself here again one day, but there's no guarantee that she'll have any of the memories that she made.
Language. [ ugh. ] There always has been. It's simply the way that this world works.
[ there really isn't any reason for him to be friendly to Archie, especially seeing as May isn't here... but them being civil is what she would want, isn't it? she seemed to be at ease when they weren't in each other's faces, anyhow. ]
...It's fine. Looking back on it now, I should have told everyone about this closer to your arrivals. [ hindsight is 20/20, and he has to deal with that now. it's been too long since he's had other people from his world to feel responsible for. ] I'd just prefer more of a warning next time.
[ he really would prefer for him not to come back at all, but he's not sure how realistic that is. he looks to the door of the study and then back to Archie, considering what to say next.
he's going to regret this. ]
Ignis is making coffee. If you need a moment to relax, you can stay.
[he clicks his tongue irritably but doesn't say anything else. it's more directed at the way this world works comment than anything. it's not steven's fault that's how it be, but it's irritating nonetheless. why can't everything just be simple?
archie exhales lightly.]
Noted, an'-- no, I'm sure your roomie makes world-famous coffees, but I won't stay longer than I need to.
[ his lips twitch into a smirk at the word "roomie", but he says nothing further about it. he's not about to chase Archie to get him to stay for a quaint cup of coffee with him and his husband. if he wants to ask more questions, he can do it on his own time. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ho ho
[he verbally stalls for a moment, while he slowly puts everything together. uhhh...
well, the beldum confirms this isn't the wrong house, at least.]
Is... Steven here?
[he is so clearly not prepared for anyone other than steven to answer.]
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He's in the study. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you Archie?
[He knows there's a tense history there, so whatever brings Archie to call, he imagines it must be serious.]
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Ahh... yeah. I just need to see him about a... mutual friend.
[he follows, flapping a hand at the air to try and get away the chill of it. he can't help it!! stupid emotional effects.]
Are you his butler, or somethin'?
[fucking rich kids]
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For a brief moment, Ignis almost seems startled, but he cracks a smile and makes an effort to stifle a laugh. Butler. Well, it's certainly not the first time someone has made that mistake, though never in reference to Steven— more than once, he had been referred to as Noctis' butler, though it was certainly understandable why.]
Hm, not quite.
[The chill in the air is noticeable, and he assumes that means bad news. He gestures for Archie to follow him as he turns to head down the corridor.]
This way, then. You're welcome to make yourself comfortable in the sitting room— that's on the right. I'll let him know you're here.
[Meanwhile, Archie will find that the wyvern has ventured closer— on the small side for a wyvern, being the size of a large dog, but certainly dedicated to sniffing at the newcomer. Even with his back turned, Ignis clears his throat, causing the wyvern to stop short and slink back a couple of steps.]
Kain, don't be rude. You know how to behave around company.
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he's only delighted by the wyvern's attention, holding a hand out for it to come closer. it's okay. ignis doesn't have to know.]
I've met one before, it's fine. [pls come to him for pets] Makes sense Steven'd get gone...
[because they're like pokémon. it's say with absolutely no fondness.]
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[Ignis' tone softens slightly, and he smiles to himself as he disappears down the hallway, opting not to correct Archie by informing him that the wyvern is actually his. Given that he's here with what Ignis can only assume is grave news, it seems neither important nor appropriate.
In Ignis' absence, Kain is quick to approach Archie a second time, nuzzling into the extended hand. He's certainly not starved for attention, but any and all pets are good pets, and the offer alone is enough to make Kain decide that he Likes Archie.
At the end of the corridor, Ignis clears his throat softly before knocking at the partially-open door to the study, offering Steven a grim smile.]
You have company. Archie is here to see you— he mentioned it concerns a mutual friend.
[They both know what that has the potential to mean, he thinks.]
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he certainly understands why Archie has come to visit, but doesn't particularly enjoy the fact that he visited in person. they could have met at a different location - this one is personal, and he's uncomfortable with someone he, in mild terms, "greatly distrusts" being in a space that he holds dear.
all the same, Steven knows why he's here. he doesn't look like he was busy with any of his desk work - instead, he seems to be pacing. he looks up at the knock on the door, cutting off any mental conversation he seems to have been having. his brow is furrowed, the chill of the room intensifying for a split moment. ]
I was going to reach out to you. [ but at an arm's length. this makes things more personal, and he's uncomfortable with it. he looks to Ignis with concern, sending a telepathic "Are you alright?" before he speaks to him out loud. ] I have a feeling I know why. Come in.
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Uh huh. [it doesn't sound like he believes steven.] Look, I just--
[didn't know what to do. he shakes his head.]
She disappeared when we got back from that place with Peromei.
[definitely doesn't need to clarify who. definitely doesn't want to.]
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I'll go start water for coffee.
[If only because it's good manners, as well a convenient excuse to slip away— which he does, leaving them to speak to one another freely, though not without offering Steven a brief telepathic response: 'I'm fine. Call on me if you need me, I won't be far.']
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The timing is unfortunate, but sudden disappearances aren't unheard of. It's simply the way that this world works.
[ he sighs. ]
She's back in Hoenn. By most accounts, she's safer there.
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What are you expecting me to say?
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[he makes A Face. like... he's committed enough to atoning for what he did that he would actually go along with whatever steven forced him to do, but he wouldn't be happy about it. fortunately, though, he doesn't really have the energy or desire to be as shitty as he possibly could about this right now.]
What about Lance? The farm? Her Pokémon would've gone with her, wouldn't they?
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[ he never had thought of May as “in charge” of anything in the first place. that wasn’t her job, and he would have protested if she pushed to take it on. he sees Archie as a fool, but knows that he’s not stupid. ]
I’ll maintain the farm as I did before, unless someone else steps up to take the mantle. [ Red or Yellow, maybe. he doesn’t trust Archie with it. ] Lance will be fine on his own, if that’s what you mean. Their house will be quieter without her or her Pokémon, but I’m sure he’ll manage.
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he doesn't even think about himself in terms of the farm.] I think Yellow would benefit from it the best. Perhaps both her and Red, if it's somethin' for them to focus on for the good of everyone's Pokémon.
[they feel the same in that regard, at least.]
Of course he will, but-- how do you deal with this shit? Just let him find out alone or tell him she's not coming home tonight?
[he's projecting a bit.]
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[ besides the presence of other Trainers and their teams, virtually nothing about this world is familiar. that must be a frightening thing for children as young as them, and Steven wants to make the transition as smooth as possible. ]
Telling someone upfront about disappearances tends to be better than them discovering it on their own. Seeing as this is the first time he's experienced it, I'm sure he'll also want an explanation.
[ he sighs. ]
You do the only thing that we can - you move forward. She may find herself here again one day, but there's no guarantee that she'll have any of the memories that she made.
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[he groans, rubbing a hand over his face.]
Look, I didn't mean to upset you comin' here personally, alright? I just panicked a bit. I'll go.
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[ there really isn't any reason for him to be friendly to Archie, especially seeing as May isn't here... but them being civil is what she would want, isn't it? she seemed to be at ease when they weren't in each other's faces, anyhow. ]
...It's fine. Looking back on it now, I should have told everyone about this closer to your arrivals. [ hindsight is 20/20, and he has to deal with that now. it's been too long since he's had other people from his world to feel responsible for. ] I'd just prefer more of a warning next time.
[ he really would prefer for him not to come back at all, but he's not sure how realistic that is. he looks to the door of the study and then back to Archie, considering what to say next.
he's going to regret this. ]
Ignis is making coffee. If you need a moment to relax, you can stay.
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archie exhales lightly.]
Noted, an'-- no, I'm sure your roomie makes world-famous coffees, but I won't stay longer than I need to.
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Suit yourself.