(no subject)

[blindsider]

[ He's done his research. There are the gondolas that are simply a means of transportation, shuttling people around as they go about their daily lives, and then there are... the other ones. They're ornately decorated, often bedecked with flowers, and the gondoliers will sing traditional Altissian folk songs as they row cash-flush tourists and lovestruck couples around. Tourist traps, twee and ridiculous.

Ignis wants nothing more than to ride one.

He could probably explain it away as an interest in the music (he had, in fact, developed something of a taste for it), but the truth of the matter is simple, and not something he's ashamed of. For as long as they've been together he and Noctis have never had the opportunity to feel like a normal couple. He wouldn't trade their time for anything in the world, and he's not sure things would have been much different had they not wooed in relative secrecy – given the freedom to do as he liked, Noctis would still probably prefer to stay at home – but there's something thrilling about this opportunity. The chance to walk hand-in-hand, to do the things that couples do without concern for propriety or reputation. Noct's relative obscurity here combined with the almost infamously relaxed attitude of the general public make so many things a possibility -

but first, the gondolas.

He seeks one out based on reputation, rowed by a man reported to have a leisurely pace, a wonderful voice, and an almost negligent regard for who is in his gondola or what they do so long as he gets paid. It's a short walk to the dock, and he extends a hand to Noctis without further explanation. ]

Indulge me.

Comments

[linkstrike]

[ arriving in altissia has felt like a weight off all their shoulders.

after all, luna is here (and safe), they're given a chance to sleep in real beds and take as many hot showers as they please, and something about the atmosphere of the city suggests that it's entirely removed from the war going on elsewhere. it almost feels as if they've lapsed into a daydream, and no one in the group is too disappointed when they find that their stay has been extended by a few days extra.

and while noctis was mostly planning to use this little holiday as a chance to do nothing more than sleep and fish, ignis has been pretty persuasive about getting him out to see the sights. maybe it's just the novelty of a new place, or maybe it's because they're (finally) allowed to behave like a real couple out in the open -- no one bats an eye if they meander through the open-air market hand-in-hand, or if they feed each other spoonfuls of gelato to compare flavors, or if ignis rewards him for a gifted piece of street art with a warm and lingering kiss. the entire city seems warmly indulgent when it comes to young love, and it's a welcome chance to forget about all the darkness they've fought through and just let himself steep in the warmth of absolutely loving someone who loves you absolutely.

... but this? might be taking the whole thing just a little too far.

which is why noctis pauses at the sight of the gondola, nose wrinkling as he realizes what ignis is trying to talk him into. ] ... I didn't think you were into tourist stuff.