hugtopia | [Audio - Locked from Will]

[Regis really can't believe he's doing this, but this place has just been full of times where he's felt like that. It's almost normal now.]

Whatever method you decide to use to bring it up, I would suggest you wait for signs that Will is ready to look for another partner first. I need not remind you that Cor is not the only person Will has been close to who has disappeared in this way.

Yes. He believes he is cursed.

[A notion that Verstael didn't agree with and has said as much, but Will seemed quite adamant.

He let out a brief, low hum in thought.]

He has been eating properly. He has been sleeping adequately. He has not been guarded.

[See? He could learn. Perhaps it was unfortunate he was learning from Sephiroth.]

Indeed.

[The frustrated sigh that comes across the feed makes it clear that they are on the same page when it comes to disagreeing with Will's conclusion.]

He has been doing those things, but they are not all you need to be looking for. Do you recall when we talked of the Emperor and his recovery from losing his wife? Most people will try to mask when they are hurting and some are very good at doing so. Will is, unfortunately, one of those people.

[To be fair, the Emperor had probably been pretty obviously depressed, at least blatantly so to Ardyn, but Verstael was Verstael and had been more concerned with progress than comfort.

This was upsetting. Here he thought he'd clearly listed the signs, but there were more he needed to know.]

...Perhaps I should address my inquiry to the man himself. He should know whether he is ready or not.

[Straightforward is the best policy, right?

And, for his part, Verstael would accept a simple 'no', but he wasn't exactly the one to approach the question with the most tact.]

I know my opinion means only so much to you, but I would suggest at least giving him a month or so before bringing any relationship questions up to him. You...

[Have no tact. That is completely correct, but Regis doesn't want to say it quite so bluntly.]

...are still learning how this all works and giving someone time to recover is never a bad thing. It may even be, as you are there to help him through this, that he ends up bringing the question up before you can. If he does so, then you will know for certain he is ready for the discussion.

It is a foolish man who disregards information because he doesn't like the source.

[Not that he didn't have his times of bias. But, he would listen to people.

A month? A month was a solid unit of time that he could easily understand. It had been nearly a month now.

He hummed lowly at the second part, thinking over their first encounter.]

If I were to wait for him to ask... He did not bring it up the first time. ...I may not have, either, were it not for the wine.

I wish I could say that surprises me, but it doesn't.

[Regis doesn't remark on the wine. He remembers it far too well and the things that came from it.]

It's never good to be intoxicated--even a little--when discussing these kinds of things, but it happens because the wine helps people relax. Do you know of anything else that may help him relax and feel safe with you? The opposite would be important as well; you would need to feel safe and relaxed with him.

Edited (Ack@ Lost my last sentence!) 2020-10-15 07:15 (UTC)

Safe? I have never known him to feel unsafe around me. If he did I would think he would seem more concerned when he sits on my papers while I'm working.

[Like a spoiled cat. Not that Verstael was the type to merely let him get away with it. If he needed Will to move then he told him to move. A natural romantic.]

Allicin is known to relax the blood vessels in muscles. I could feed him some garlic. As for myself, I am aware of his abilities, but I've no particular concern for my safety around him. He's thus far respected my distaste for meddling with my mind.

I don't expect that he will ever go back on that word either.

[He might not know as much about Will as Cor or Verstael do, but such promises seem very important to him.]

If you don't feel unsafe around him, why did you wait until the wine to say something? Was it Cor?

[Because that is certainly understandable.]

At the time I do not believe I was aware of the relationship. It was simply unnecessary. We already had a steady alliance.

[And for someone who didn't exactly have normal relationships, perhaps they tended to simply be classified as 'positive' or 'negative'.]

I've no great need for carnal relations when there is so much work to be done, so I didn't give it much thought.

[Regis nods as he listens. If not Cor, then this is obviously the only other thing it could have been. Relationships outside of those needed for his work to progress are still very new to Verstael.]

He has a way of changing people, that is for certain.

What do you mean?

[He didn't really think of himself as changing. Perhaps he was, but he still liked to think of himself as rational. He didn't see it.]

[Regis is silent for a long moment, not entirely sure how to explain something like that to Verstael whose world was the world of logic. The kind of change he is speaking of is the opposite of that. It belongs in the realm of emotion.]

You are considering relationships now when you did not before, correct? Changes don't have to be large to be. He has brought things to your attention that were not there before. Feelings, actions, things that generally lay outside of the logical world you live in. That doesn't mean you are less logical about things. It just means you have more experience to draw your information from.

I simply considered it more pleasurable than not.

[And sometimes, why over-complicate things? If he wanted something why not take it?]

It may be true that I have not bothered with such things at home. There wasn't any person worth bothering with. Since Will is not at odds with my work or allegiance, there is no reason to object. I think His Radiance would be quite taken with him.

[After all, Pokemon were pretty neat.]

[There is a long pause before Regis answers in a voice that only slightly gives away his horror at the idea that just struck him.]

You do not need magitek pokemon to add to your arsenal of weapons.

[There is another long pause as Verstael considers what Regis just said.]

I had only been considering their natural gifts, but...

[After all, psychic powers were already pretty impressive.

But what if he gave Deja missile launchers?!]

[Oh sweet Astrals, what has he done?]

Don't. Just forget I said anything!

[Was this a boyfriend talk? Because we're talking weapons now Regis, and Verstael was all over that shit.]

Think of the possibilities! Deja is already quite intelligent and strong, not to mention has the gift of flight. If I could enhance her natural talents with magitek... She could have all the fire power of a magitek armor and the power of a stoss spear before even considering her abilities...

Well, perhaps with some limitations due to size constraints. And, considering her intelligence, she'd be more than capable of handling shielding and jamming equipment. Imagine the chaos she could cause by simply flying over the battlefield and jamming the magic of the Lucian army. I had been working hard on that project...

[Truce or not, Verstael was essentially a weapon's engineer through and through, always looking for ways to give Niflheim the advantage in war. This was why he had the job. He dreamed of conquering on the battlefield with the best weapons ever created.]

Though I suppose there is one issue. Will has stated he does not want to be involved in the war.

[Regis sighs audibly. He will never understand the need to conquer that drives Verstael. Fortunately, Will has already put the breaks on this particular train of thought.]

If that is what Will wants, then there is really no reason to continue thinking about it, is there? Besides, such incredible creatures should not be reduced to mere weapons.

I don't see what is so 'mere' about our weaponry.

[It was the best, Regis. He made a lot of it himself!]

It is unfortunate, but pressing the issue would likely only create unnecessary conflict.

[Which was perhaps a practical way of looking at it, but at least it reached the same conclusion. Trying to force Will was a bad idea.]

Living beings should never be seen as weapons no matter how great the weapon may be.

[Regis doesn't think Verstael will understand what he is trying to say, but he feels the need to say it nonetheless.]

That is correct and the last thing you want right now is conflict. Avoiding it is the very reason you made this post.

Plenty of living beings enjoy having cannons.

[Who doesn't enjoy blowing things up? He sighed, though.]

I told him he could be an ambassador if he wished. Among other things.

He would make a good ambassador.

[Regis has no reason to question that. It's the second part he has more reason to question.]

Among other things?

A spy, for one. After all, he has the skills for it.

...But I would allow leniency for him to do mostly as he pleased.

[Just no blowing up the Empire.]

A spy?

[The words come out quickly, but they are followed by a sigh not long after. As much as he hates the idea, Will would be a very good spy.]

He should have all the freedom he desires.

[At least that he can readily agree with.]

[Audio - Locked from Will]

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