♕ - ; in his eyes, the doppelganger of him was almost an insult on his entire being and character. while the two stood for rather similar ideals, the way he began to act after the separation was atrocious and embarrassing to say at the very least. while he still had to get over the headache of having lived two separate lives, when he saw what became of the other after mere moments of the separation he simply could not allow such a disgraceful sight to be.
♕ - ; that didn’t mean killing him, however. he was told rather quickly, courtesy of the phone given to him, that there was a chance of sending this ‘other him’ back into what was a version of his world he could live in peace and bliss. on the one hand, he could simply cut down the other being. after having been forced to bare the sight of his own mother’s visage come to life to torment him, it would be quite some time before he felt comfortable with circumstances like these happening again.
♕ - ; but then he remembered from their experiences and memories that the world he lived in was.. at the very least, a happy one. it was vastly different from what he had in mind for the future but, ultimately speaking the other percival was still trying to do good for the world as he was. even if he was acting out now and being rather uncharacteristic of the original, if he were to take away that world from him for simply being outraged at his actions, he would be no better than what he was fighting against. so, it truly came down to one decision. get him back and speak with him
♕ - ; once he had made up his mind, he was dedicated to end this farce once and for all. especially given how he had a much better idea and conviction of how to approach this situation unlike before, he was going to hopefully do it himself. the matter was now to find where the other him had gone to. that would be the difficult part. his thought process however was quickly interrupted by the sound of a voice calling out to him. a familiar face aboard the grandcypher.. the commander of albion citadel. a young girl who had found herself merged with a primal beast, a bit of an anomaly all things considered. he recalled her presence many times and he was not one to forget those whom he had met before.
“ percival. there’s no necessity in addressing me by title as we’re both under command of the same captain, a certain line of comradery should be established. especially if we’re after the same thing. “ he wasn’t expecting to be offered help or accompaniment during this matter but he wasn’t quite one to turn it down. this was a large city and having a second set of eyes could prove to be beneficial. he simply motioned for her to walk at his side.
“ i see no issue in your request. i’ve already decided what i’m to do when i meet with mine, i suppose it would cause me no issue to be on the look out for your’s as well. would you have any idea where they might have gone, in the first place? “
“ mm. of course -- percival, then. ”
she is, of course, dwarfed by his height. he addresses her as equal, though, so she doesn’t mind; vira has had her fill of men filled to bursting with self-importance and superiority from her time as the lord.
-- rather, he is filled to bursting with self-importance and superiority, but he’s more likely than others to put it towards something meaningful, rather than rest on his laurels. she can appreciate that, even if, judging by his reputation, he’d normally grate on her.
...well, she supposes she’s the last person to be considering rumors and reputation as an accurate measure of character.
“ yes. i believe that i -- that we -- know where they went, yes. ”
at the mention of another, pure-green eyes peek out from behind vira’s shoulder as the primal beast shimmers into view, ribbonlike tendrils curling around her arm in an approximation of a hug. luminiera nestles her face into the crook of her neck. a clear request for attention that she gladly obliges; gently, with only three fingers, she pets her companion’s head.
luminiera leans into her touch, and, for the briefest moment, vira is let into her mind once more; she is a whirlwind of worry, in a way that she never is --
-- because i’m in danger, vira realizes, right when the connection cuts short once more.
lowering her voice, turning so that percival cannot hear more than a murmur, she says, as gently as she possibly can,
“ i’ll be okay, luminiera. ”
sometimes, she wishes that her companion were more human; incapable of expression, she is left with silence as luminiera’s form ripples and vanishes once more,
and vira wonders if she is upset.
happily, that thought is dispelled as soon as she feels her cuddle up to her side. it might be misguided, and ultimately detrimental, but -- she wants to spare her from more hurt. vira remains calm, suppressing everything, for them both.
“ i’m at a loss as to how i might explain it, but... ”
they both feel it. an insistent draw to something both familiar and entirely alien. a restlessness that rises in both their chests and pulls them in a single direction; perhaps because of their entirely unique connection, they can --
“ my dear friend here -- maybe you could also refer to her as a guide? she knows, in her heart of hearts, where we must go -- so, in turn, i know as well. she’s told me, you see. ”
she’s certain percival is aware of their dual-nature, though she doubts he knows the full extent of it; vira does not intend to inform him, either. some things are deeply personal, to her, even now, and standing beside someone who is almost normal she is even more acutely aware of her status as an anomaly. his company is a double-edged sword; the presence of another, a familiar face, puts her mind at ease -- but that old self-consciousness comes back, more biting than ever.
“ we are headed to the north of these ruins. hopefully, you may find yourself along the way. ”
vira offers percival a smile that reads as more sardonic than gentle after her vague attempt at humor; the joke certainly doesn’t do much to raise her spirits, but she tries it, anyways.
for we are ever creatures of habit...