I don't have to ask Bahamut that one. [Though when it came to himself, it was the Moonweaver he asked. He's never gonna get off this Platnium Dragon bullshit, though, even if he can openly worship whatever god he chooses now.] You just externalize so much positive bullshit that you forget there ever was anything negative.
[YA MEAN THE ASTRAL HE HATES THE MOST? Mm, yes. Good.
The reaction is visible, like a spike of metal shearing through Ardyn’s otherwise fluid and casual nature. A sharpness in his gaze, though his smile manages to fall only by minuscule degrees.]
[That is not the standard reaction to that name... Like, Molly literally chooses to pretend he follows Bahamut because generally no one reacts weirdly to the most Lawful Goody Two Shoes of the greater pantheon, on top of being a legal god in the Empire. It's like double your ass-covering for a Moonweaver-following heathen.
So, you know, he's puzzled.]
The... Platinum Dragon? Is there someone else by that name I should know about.
[Thankfully, a year or so of being away from home has granted Ardyn with that tricky bit of knowledge concerning multiple universes. It isn't the first time he's heard the name Bahamut thrown around, beyond the one that had presided over Eos. Still, it brings up associations that are hard to quell, but to Ardyn's credit, already he's attempting to outwardly tamp them down one by one.]
Oh yes, very much so. It is the name of an astral — a god, if you will — of my world. One of Six, the Draconian. The God of War, the wielder of many glaives.
That's... quite the opposite of what he is in Exandria. [Molly looks a little flabbergasted- the first time since this conversation began. He's fascinated and a little put-out. Mostly because if that's such a completely diametrically opposed version of a deity, then this could get annoying if other places are similarly varied. That con relies on Bahamut to be... well, nice.]
More of a defender of the weak and a paragon of justice type there.
[You're talking to the wrong man here, Molly. He has glaives for days. (Well. He did.)]
Oh, well, in Eos he is certainly worshipped. The Kingsglaive, those who serve the Crown, have his image embedded into their own motifs. But do not mistake him for a particularly benevolent god by any means.
[A huff of faux amusement.] You look bothered by this realization.
Ohhh it's nothing, really. [He shrugs it off and then lifts up the little platinum dragon symbol he wears around his neck a bit so Ardyn can see it.] Never feels good to know your benevolent god's a dick in another world.
[Maybe? Possibly? Don't stand in front of Ardyn when he's wielding a sharp object?]
Ah.
[Well, little to be done about that. But his brows furrow in that "well, that's too bad" kind of way, and then he waves a hand.]
Quite sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Then again, "my" Bahamut is still not quite as bad as another I've been told of; so it could be worse, perhaps. Are you a very devout sort of follower?
Praise be to the Platinum Dragon. [It's a bit self-deprecating answer, like "yes I'm devout, but fuck if it gets me anywhere." And he is devout... To a different god. He drops the necklace back down so it thuds against his generally bare and heavily scarred chest. How is he handling being dressed like this in the cold? No one knows.]
I don't think the gods can hear us here. [He thinks of Yasha and the Stormlord and Jester and the Traveler more than he thinks of himself and the Moonweaver. They have very different relationships to their gods.] And I'm certain that means many things to many people.
[It's a contradictory reply, the sort that Ardyn likes best. The kind that allows him leeway to peel back the layers, one by one, and see just what the actual meaning might be beneath it all. He has a sense that this "praise be" is lacking in truly devout sincerity -- and that's good. That's interesting.
His own relationship with the Astrals of Eos is... strained, after all.]
Oh, I have no doubt it does. It implements a sort of freedom that one wouldn't have possessed before, now being outside of the watchful eyes of an judgmental god. Don't you agree?
[He laughs, and something about his body language implies that if he could kick his feet up on a table, leaning back, he definitely would.]
Depends on if the gods are judgmental. Back in the Empire, they picked what gods were fine to worship and if you didn't worship those gods, you were tossed in prison. Now that judgment I am glad to be free of.
[He tosses back another swig of the hot mess of a concoction he's been drinking.] Mine is perfectly acceptable, but other people... Freedom of religion is just basic decency. I have no idea why it's such a thorn in their arses for people to pick socially unacceptable gods, but... That's all gone now.
[he grins over his tankard, a mischievous glint in his scarlet eyes.] I like that kind of freedom. Not just with gods, but with strict rules, in general. I can't wait to press my luck... within reason. I don't intend to get arrested, but I intend to have some fun with fewer restrictions.
[An interesting contrast to his own world, where there were only the Six gods, who had all but slept until recently -- but their influence on the world was not something to be questioned, especially when they had awoken from their slumber less-than-amicably, in some cases.
The rest, though? He can relate to that. Perhaps in a way more extreme than what Molly currently realizes.]
So. You're a troublemaker; and therefore, a kindred spirit.
Is it that obvious? [He sounds utterly delighted at being called what he is.] You definitely struck me as the kind of person who needs a little bit of chaos to break up the monotony. Be the chaos you want to see in the world- that's my motto. And it's a good motto to have.
[He's getting drunker, which means he's getting louder on top of talking fast, but people talking about chaos when they're that drunk are generally people you edge away from and kind of snicker about.]
[Molly shifts so that he's leaning on the table too, mimicking his position, and putting them fairly close. Molly is all about personal space invasion. People are bound to be fucking awful can rarely handle someone getting in their space.]
And if you need someone willing to make a damn fool of himself for a bit of fun, you can find me where the ale is at.... Or anywhere, really. It's not that difficult to pick me out of a crowd.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Ardyn } Nadril
I don't have to ask Bahamut that one. [Though when it came to himself, it was the Moonweaver he asked. He's never gonna get off this Platnium Dragon bullshit, though, even if he can openly worship whatever god he chooses now.] You just externalize so much positive bullshit that you forget there ever was anything negative.
no subject
Bahamut?
[YA MEAN THE ASTRAL HE HATES THE MOST? Mm, yes. Good.
The reaction is visible, like a spike of metal shearing through Ardyn’s otherwise fluid and casual nature. A sharpness in his gaze, though his smile manages to fall only by minuscule degrees.]
no subject
So, you know, he's puzzled.]
The... Platinum Dragon? Is there someone else by that name I should know about.
no subject
Oh yes, very much so. It is the name of an astral — a god, if you will — of my world. One of Six, the Draconian. The God of War, the wielder of many glaives.
no subject
That's... quite the opposite of what he is in Exandria. [Molly looks a little flabbergasted- the first time since this conversation began. He's fascinated and a little put-out. Mostly because if that's such a completely diametrically opposed version of a deity, then this could get annoying if other places are similarly varied. That con relies on Bahamut to be... well, nice.]
More of a defender of the weak and a paragon of justice type there.
no subject
Oh, well, in Eos he is certainly worshipped. The Kingsglaive, those who serve the Crown, have his image embedded into their own motifs. But do not mistake him for a particularly benevolent god by any means.
[A huff of faux amusement.] You look bothered by this realization.
no subject
Ohhh it's nothing, really. [He shrugs it off and then lifts up the little platinum dragon symbol he wears around his neck a bit so Ardyn can see it.] Never feels good to know your benevolent god's a dick in another world.
no subject
Ah.
[Well, little to be done about that. But his brows furrow in that "well, that's too bad" kind of way, and then he waves a hand.]
Quite sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Then again, "my" Bahamut is still not quite as bad as another I've been told of; so it could be worse, perhaps. Are you a very devout sort of follower?
no subject
I don't think the gods can hear us here. [He thinks of Yasha and the Stormlord and Jester and the Traveler more than he thinks of himself and the Moonweaver. They have very different relationships to their gods.] And I'm certain that means many things to many people.
no subject
His own relationship with the Astrals of Eos is... strained, after all.]
Oh, I have no doubt it does. It implements a sort of freedom that one wouldn't have possessed before, now being outside of the watchful eyes of an judgmental god. Don't you agree?
[He laughs, and something about his body language implies that if he could kick his feet up on a table, leaning back, he definitely would.]
I, for one, do not miss mine.
no subject
[He tosses back another swig of the hot mess of a concoction he's been drinking.] Mine is perfectly acceptable, but other people... Freedom of religion is just basic decency. I have no idea why it's such a thorn in their arses for people to pick socially unacceptable gods, but... That's all gone now.
[he grins over his tankard, a mischievous glint in his scarlet eyes.] I like that kind of freedom. Not just with gods, but with strict rules, in general. I can't wait to press my luck... within reason. I don't intend to get arrested, but I intend to have some fun with fewer restrictions.
me and my slowass tags... gomen
The rest, though? He can relate to that. Perhaps in a way more extreme than what Molly currently realizes.]
So. You're a troublemaker; and therefore, a kindred spirit.
you're good <333 i can backtag into eternity.
[He's getting drunker, which means he's getting louder on top of talking fast, but people talking about chaos when they're that drunk are generally people you edge away from and kind of snicker about.]
ty!! <3
[He leans forward again, pressing his elbows into the flat surface between them.]
So if you ever need someone to help you cause a little trouble? Well. Know that I'm here.
no subject
And if you need someone willing to make a damn fool of himself for a bit of fun, you can find me where the ale is at.... Or anywhere, really. It's not that difficult to pick me out of a crowd.