header | send 💭 for my chara’s thought progression towards yours!
From Nolanel:
Why is that woman always at the Congregation.
Is she going to finally trip over the split in the floor tile?
Fuck's sake, why's she here now?
It's as though she were dancing.
Never mind.
Big shot. What's she want from us?
Her voice is pretty.
Absolutely not.
Nice of her.
Hold still! They're trying to help.
Mornings suit her. Damn snow.
She awake yet? Where is she? We need to get moving. Gotta get her home.
That's blood.
Thank Halone she's here.
I would call this a tldr but its more like this is the meta that the above tldr's. anyway.
Nol's initial reaction to Alyx is annoyance: she's an outsider, she's sticking her nose in Ishgard's business, and all the talk abt her n her cronies is a mixed bag. She did good elsewhere, then screwed up so bad that the most powerful country in the south despises her. Also apparently she's super powerful. No one's strong by making just decisions.
While he keep up his dislike for her contribution to things back at home--largely moving in political circles and representing a United Eorzea while playing favorites w Fortemps + causing Ul'dah to implode--he gradually appreciates her work that aligns w his own. Creepy magic or no, she has a monstrous propensity for destruction, and he's thankful she's turning it towards the dragons.
Still he doesn't want to engage w her personally. Even if their paths come close to crossing, he doesn't step from the line to meet her. Until she assimilates better and stops being the hero figure she can't control, he won't calm down enough to talk over lunch. It's not bc he thinks she'd be annoying but because he doesn't want to be anything to her. He's cold and professional, but not an ass.
For him to invest in her as more than that lady throwing her weight around the world stage, she's also got to put her trophies down and be a person. I think exposure to her is enough, and when they're in the same sortie, before and after the fighting stuff there's a big mix of repression, genuine emotion, and interpersonal wrangling to be done abt identity. There's a lot of humanity in that position--and particularly in sharing it--so he can't help but have that endear her to him. Her integrity in the field also impresses him, too. Regardless of how much he understands abt her wants, he thinks she should have them.
