Adventure On: Finale and Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

Blue

The Mountain

Once they get close enough everything is storm, ice swirls around them, stabbing them like knives. Winds seem to be actively pushing them away, no matter what direction they approach from. Still the crystal wolves walk on, heads down, paws silent, climbing upwards.

The higher they climb the colder it becomes. So cold that ice forms on eyelashes, that air seems to freeze as it leaves their mouths. So cold their chests hurt. They would not be wrong to assume that the only reason they can withstand this at all is because of the SCA around their wrist.

Ice tumbles down around them often, shaking the ground. The crystal wolves know the way and they keep going, steady on the path. They have spaced themselves out, to be in sight of all those who follow.

The Summit

As they finally reach the top of the mountain they reach a calm space, outside of the swirling storm. Domed across the summit is a fire cage, larger by far than any they have seen before. In the middle of the giant fire cage sits a dragon. White and blue, scales that look as if they were made of ice themselves. Their head was bowed, eyes closed but they are breathing, breath escaping in clouds of freezing mist that evaporated in the heat of the cage.

Around the cage itself are ice elementals, outside the storm these can be seen by the snow they whirl around inside them, each is about three feet tall but fly in a whirlwind as they attack. Like those in the storm they try and push people around and attack with shards of ice. These corrupted spirits seem to have no reason to their attacks, they are just as likely to push a combatant closer to the cage then they are towards the raging storm.

They can be fought, fire works well against them just as ice and cold magic works well against the fire cage itself.

A Sovereign Freed

Eventually the cage stops fighting, fading away into the snow before them. The crystal wolves spring forth, nuzzling at the dragon until they raise their head. Piercing blue eyes look over the group and the dragon bows their head once. They take a deep breath and breathe out over those assembled, cold fire washes over them, healing any hurts that they have, easing their fatigue som

The crystal wolves bow their heads too, a thank you. Aerlie flaps their wings, rising high into the air. Another breath of cold fire flies out around the area, clashing with the storm for a moment before overtaking it. Around the mountain the storm calms, the ice elementals stop and seem to sink into the snow or fade into the air. The mountain descends into a calmness.

The crystal wolves will approach all those who helped free them, nuzzling into their hands, a personal thank you before a shimmering gate opens for the adventurers to step through.

Red

Final Siege

It’s been a tiring three days of protecting the crystals from the creatures that sought their power. But now, as their power is fully recharged it is time to return them to the border. That is going to be a tougher job than getting them to the volcano’s heart in the first place!

They thrum with power and that power is a siren call to the creatures of the area, fire dogs, lizards, fire sprites. Just as the mountain attacked inside the heart, here the spirtes join with the rivers of lava to flood pathways, block routes, making it harder to cross already treacherous territory, or even driving them into traps of waiting fire dogs.

The heat is oppressive, heat from around them, heat from the crystals seems to sap the energy from those carrying them and so the duty is best shared.

Eventually though they arrive at the border, a mess of melted ice and frozen lava. Each of the crystals need to be replaced.

Restoring the Border

Replacing the crystals is a little more complicated than taking them was. Each one needs to fuse with the holder it sits in. It doesn’t take any skill, just someone to hold it in place for a moment whilst the two fuse together and the magic is channelled into the ground.

Holding a crystal in place is a little more difficult when being attacked by the creatures. The fire creatures keep up the attack until all of the crystals have been replaced.

The Land Repaired

When the last crystal is in place there is a ripple across the land. An invisible line, an ancient magic, connects the crystals, seperating the two lands. Ice recedes from lava and the melted snow refreezes. The borderlands of slush undergo transformation as the two elements separate from each other once more. A land of fire and a land of ice, with a pulsing magic separating the two.

The firedogs and lizards retreat, fire elementals calm and join with the lava streams once more. A shimmering gate opens.

Orange

An Important Message

The Huma birds have been carrying crystals and helping the harvesters, protecting them from the blighted birds and encouraging them to work hard.

But those returning to the floating islands on the afternoon of the eleventh day of Horseshoe come bearing black cloth bags in their talons, each has a scroll attached. The Huma birds will make it very clear they are to read the scroll first.

DO NOT OPEN THE BAG UNTIL NIGHT FALLS

Inside this bag are rare crystals. When they are exposed to the light of the sun they will cause the islands to sink back to the ground. After the sun has set tonight please distribute these evenly around the islands and then depart back down to the land below before sunrise. The lands natural magic will do the rest but we do not recommend being on the islands when they fall.

Thank you for your hard work.

The Adventurers Guild

With a long night ahead they may wish to rest for the remainder of the day.

Distributing the Crystals

If they do as they are asked then it will be a long night, there are many chunks of islands and a lot of crystals to distribute. The darkness makes it harder and the blighted birds seem even grumpier in the cover of darkness.

The wind sprites also are not resting and indeed seem delighted that playtime has been extended into the hours of night. Placing crystals is difficult when the Voidtreckers find themselves swept up into the air to dance around the trees.

Getting down by sunrise may be a little trickier than placing the crystals, especially if they have used up their flight potions, but hopefully there are enough people to help everyone get to safety.

Islands Fall

The sun rises, as the first rays of light hit the island they begin to vibrate, shudder. Then one by one they begin to fall, rapidly and chaotically. It is perhaps wise to not be anywhere near the crater as they do so.

They land in a crash of dust, which obscures the area. When the dust clears however they will see a perfect undamaged land. The pieces have fit back together, exactly where they should be, despite the chaos. The land is repaired and whole once more. Huma birds call excitedly as they dart through the air, their land restored.

A gate opens, for them to step through if they wish.

Purple

A Cure

It is day ten of Horseshoe when the first Huma birds fly into the village, they carry crystals either in bags in their talons or in their beaks.

The villagers clearly know what is going on for they welcome the birds and take the crystals thankfully. Anyone not currently fighting or purifying crystals is brought in to help distribute cures.

Actually curing someone is easy, it just requires the crystal to be touch an affected person or creature. The crystals are only good for one cure so those curing the blighted will be required to carry a few and run them to the villages.

Others can take crystals out into the woodland, looking for blighted animals to help.

A Final Fight

All but one of the golems have been found, defeated and restored. The final one has been elusive, not approaching the village or even the nearby woodlands.

The restored golems are back to standing vigil in each village, ready to deal with any attack that may occur.

But when an attack comes, it is not on a village, but on the shrine in the centre. A golem, three trolls and a host of animals, some blighted, some just angry. They attack in the early morning, the villages awoken by shouts and sounds of battle.

Luckily the blighted creatures can be healed, angry animals can perhaps be soothed. The trolls cannot be soothed though and will indeed try to rile up the animals again, to cause as much chaos as they can.

Peace Once More

Once the final golem is taken down, the crystal restored and the trolls defeated there is a quiet comes across the villages. Those who were blighted are cured, the golems are back in their place as guardians of the village and thanks to the adventurers the villages have gotten through this time with minimal damage.

The villagers thank the adventurers, tell them to come and visit whenever they are in the area. A gate opens, for any voidtreckers who wish to return to Royal Lake Hill.

Royal Lake Hill: All Teams!

They return to the tavern, each to the inn that they set off from. The town is a little busier now, more areas have recovered from the blight and it has brought more trade into the town. Everyone is still relatively elderly or young, non fighters. But the market is bustling, there is even a puppet show going on in the square.

Around midday a beeping of their SCA will show a dot on their map where the Voidtrecker Express has landed, not far out of town, and a message. You may remain here until sunset.

It is up to them whether they wish to return to the train or spend the rest of the day in the town. For those staying in town they will find word of their deeds have preceded them and they will find no end of young, wide eyed, budding adventurers ready to buy them a drink or two in exchange for stories.

Comments

[flatteries]

He laughs. "Okay, okay!" But there's no real exasperation in those words. Inigo just seems happy. Because he is! Crystal flowers or no crystal flowers. Even if they only find regular flowers he already recognizes at the market, that's fine. The true treasure of the day is Tidus's smile the memory of a fond day spent with a friend.

So Inigo starts walking back in the direction of the market, still hand in hand with Tidus. Apparently he's not planning on letting go of that hand anytime today. Inigo may even be swinging it just the tiniest bit as they walk.

"You know, if you were about to fight for this prince, does that make you my loyal knight?" His eyes practically twinkle with amusement as he looks at the other. "You know, I always did dream of having a retainer my own age!"

[blitzcheer]

Tidus doesn't seem to mind the contact. He may even be swinging their arms a little some as well, and that's definitely not because he's got a buzz going on. This cheery attitude is all natural for a guy like him!

"Oh yeah, you guys have those, don't you?" Knights. There's quite a few stalls for them to mingle into first. Wares of watches and belts and leather, that of fresh fish and meat. "What would I have to do? Stand outside your door all day?"

Is that what knights - or retainers? - do? Tidus doesn't know, but he is starting to remember now how Gladio and all them were knights for Noctis. Kinda different from some of the movies he watched.

[flatteries]

Okay, three mugs of alcohol downed Tidus.

Inigo lets out a huff though. "No way." But despite that answer being natural to him, he can still see where Tidus got the idea. "I guess it's what stiffer people make their retainers do.. But I always imagined it'd be much more fun than that, you know?"

He's being very genuine about that - it's something he never really talked about before with anyone, but he's thought it often enough.

"I thought it'd be a bit like having best friends. Always being together, fighting together.. Having a special bond.." He momentarily glances up at the sky before his gaze turns at the stall around them, trying to keep an eye out for any flowers being sold. "That just sounded so nice to me."

[blitzcheer]

TWO. The mead is in his mini-fridge arms, fool!!!

"That doesn't sound so bad to me," Tidus decides, after a second or two of thought about it. "Makes me think of Noct and his gang. You know him? He's a prince too. One of them was like his personal caretaker since they were little kids too. How about that?"

Would that be fun for Inigo? A bunch of guys instead of just one, and even one of them growing up alongside him - if taking care of him too. Which had been weird to Tidus at first, but was it weird to Inigo? Would he like that?

They turn from the aisle, down to another side; except Tidus comes to a halt, and tugs Inigo hand to nod him to where a flower stall sits on the outer ring of the rows of tables.

[flatteries]

The tug on his hand is all that's needed. Inigo's attention immediately turns into the direction of Tidus's gaze, and so he easily spots the flower stall as well. His feet start moving in its direction a moment later, gently tugging Tidus along through their joined hands as he speaks.

"I don't know the guy, but I know some of his friends. Mostly Prompto, but Gladio a bit too." Granted, he hasn't spoken much to either in a while now, he thinks, even before this mission where everything spiralled out of control.. "They seem nice. I would've loved to have that kind of arrangement.. though maybe not the part about having a personal caretaker? That seems kind of.. odd, especially if they're the same age as me."

How is someone his own age going to take care of him? He'd rather just have friends. Comrades in arms. Together until the end. That's the part of it that appeals to him.

They arrive at the flower stall, and Inigo immediately squats down to view the ones on display on the floor from up close. A hand moves out to gently frame the petals for a moment.

"It's just that it's an easy way to have some friends. It's not easy to make those when you're royalty otherwise." He glances up at Tidus. "Wouldn't it be the same for celebrities?" Mister sports star!

[blitzcheer]

Tidus gives the entire set-up a sweeping look, before deciding to join Inigo, just not to be left out. Eyeing the flowers right in front of them, all variations of ohhhhh pretttty for a guy like him.

Nevertheless- "Most my younger days was me being sulky at all the other kids 'cause they'd always bring up my old man. Jecht this, Jecht that - it drove me crazy! It's a surprise I didn't end up a loner. I nearly did. But," he says after a pause, "it's just too lonely, y'know?"

He knows he's repeating himself there, but the point is the point! Doing that all-on-his-own thing just wasn't that fun, and there were some people who didn't always nag him about his pops, eventually. ...Few, but then he got more used to it as he grew older; grew more confident, had skills of his own that were developing. When he proved himself to be more than just his dad's kid to the other kids. And-

geez. He is glad he doesn't have to deal with school again.

[flatteries]

"I can't imagine you as a loner."

Despite the circumstances. Tidus is just.. he's too friendly for it. So bright, so energetic. Call it cliche, but Inigo really thinks that when Tidus smiles, it's like the sun starts shining on you. Sure, Tidus sulking isn't that hard to imagine, he still does that at this age too-- but him being all by himself every day? That's much harder to think of.

Despite that he's still looking over the flowers here, seeing if there's anything particularly worth taking back to the train, Inigo can't help but let his mind linger a bit more on what Tidus is telling him. He's curious, so he can't help but ask.

"What happened though? Did you end up finding other kids who liked you just for you?" Surely there would have been some, right? Tidus is fun enough, how would people not notice that about him very quickly? ".. Or did you just have to put up with it?"

[blitzcheer]

"Blitzball goes on. My old man disappeared when I was seven. People still knew who he was, but they...moved on. What's there to get out of a kid?"

A kid who never had anything he wanted to say about his dad, not to other people. And in turn, no one cares about the words of a seven year old, a ten year old, or so forth. His shadow never entirely left him, but-

"It all came up in blitz club and everyone having something to say, but they were my team too. You just learn to deal with stuff." A shrug, indifferent. "What else can you do?"

About the comments, the remarks, that twist your gut in a way that only you can know and understand - that bug you, but make you look immature for getting bothered by. Sensitive, too soft in the moment.

"Plus," he starts airily, rising onto his feet proper, "if everyone forgot about him completely, I wouldn't be able to show the rest of the world me beating him, you know?"

He says it with a quick flash of a grin, then moves over to the main table where the flower seller keeps an eye on their stall. Asking them about the crystal flowers, and oh, yes, those are the same family as this--

And the man walks to where mauve-hued caca lilies sit, and quite a few clustered close. Speaking about them, and how they even glow softly in the presence of people.

'And, when it's not a beautiful day,' the seller adds with a chuckle, nodding up to the cloudless sky above.

[flatteries]

Although he's still very much looking at the flowers, Inigo is also listening to everything Tidus says, taking it in. New facts intermingling with things he already knew about the other, slowly forming a fuller - though not complete yet - picture of the way Tidus grew up, what his life was like when he was younger.

A life very different than Inigo's own, really. Despite the fact that they both grew up with fathers everyone knew. But it's the way Tidus talks about it that Inigo admires the most. So airily, like it's nothing.

He's still thinking about it by the time he's instead looking at the lilies the seller pointed out to a Tidus, a small smile on his face - though it's hard to tell whether it's because of the flowers or Tidus.

Or maybe it's both.

"They're pretty," he finally says as he looks at the flowers. His gaze flutters up, first to the stall owner, then over to Tidus, his look turning more puppy eyed by the moment.

"Can we get them?" It's a question whether or not Inigo realizes he even has to ask.. Because he sure sounds like a kid begging their parent for a new puppy right about now.

[blitzcheer]

"Sure!" Hey, didn't Tidus promise Inigo flowers already? There's no need for the puppy eyes, his head twisting back to look at the flora on display. "But which ones? The pink ones? Or the purple?"

Was there a prettier amongst the mix? He leans forward, trying to catch the scent. ...and it smells flower-y, but what does that mean? He's not sure that Inigo cares about the smell so much as the visual. But he'll step aside some, just to give Inigo all the room he doesn't need to pick his favourite. Or favourites? Inigo wouldn't have to beg at all to get whatever he wanted.

[flatteries]

The puppy eyes are all natural, baby! No matter whether or not they’re necessary, they just come out all the same! Especially as Inigo is staring at Tidus now, wanting to take along these pretty glowing flowers.

Especially as he follows up with— “Both?” Still said so innocently. How is he supposed to pick when both colors are so pretty! Surely his plot in the greenhouse on the train would have room for both...

“Purple is my favourite color, but I like the pink ones too. They remind me of my mother.” A fond memory, apparently, since he smiles at Tidus as he says it. “If I can grow more of them, they’d make such pretty flower crowns too..”

[blitzcheer]

Tidus looks at the flowers, the price written on a piece of cardboard held up on a small poker - and really, not pricy at all. Still he hums, he haws, tilting his head this way and that.

"Hmmmmmmmm..." He slings his arm over Inigo's shoulder and brings his head to his, tipping in, and finally says, as if reluctantly, "You are my one and only prince."

The flower seller gives a scoff under his thick moustache but says nothing, and Tidus - with a pat before it leaves him - takes back his arm as he goes, "Both?" to the man, sorts out the money there and to take whichever Inigo likes. "Any of them?"

Come on, he's got arms here to help carry some flower pots with!

[flatteries]

Well.

It's such a good thing that Inigo can immediately busy himself with picking out flowers while Tidus is busy sorting out the whole deal with the owner of the stall, because he's pretty sure his face is bright red by now. He manages to hold it in for just a moment, just long enough for Tidus to turn his attention away from Inigo and towards the man, but then Inigo is just unable to hold back any part of the rush of emotion traveling through him at the words 'one and only prince'.

One and only prince. One and only prince. UGH. He's going to die. Why does it feel like he's getting a rush of blood straight to the head at those words? Does Tidus even know their full power?!

Having picked out some nice purple ones, he finally turns back towards Tidus. His face still is much redder than he would like it to be, but it's not like he can do anything about that now. Instead he just shoves the pots into his friend's arms before picking up a pink one himself.

"S-- Surely my loyal knight is going to help me carry these then, right?" See, he's fine! He's totally unaffected and can joke like a normal person in return! He's not embarrassed, you are!!

[blitzcheer]

When they turn back to each other, Inigo's face a shade Tidus assumes it was just seconds before, he laughs to the request, takes whatever's offered jovially. "Sure sure, honey."

Because that's what this sounds like more to him than some medieval joshing around he barely knows the first thing about. But it's dumb, it's silly, and even he feels the slight pinch of embarrassment in his face and his cheeks, though it's better contained for him than certain others.

'Good luck,' pipes up the flower seller, to which Tidus answers obliviously, "Hey, thanks!"

But he may have been looking at Inigo knowingly, before turning back to his stall. What a life.

[flatteries]

NNNNNNNNNNOPE.

At least the good news is that this whole situation has put any thoughts of the thousand things upsetting Inigo way to the back of his mind. He isn't even thinking about any of that stuff anymore. Not when his mind is way too busy trying to process the implication that that seller totally thought they're a couple.

And Tidus sure isn't helping that with his honey. Honey. Honey. Inigo is going to bury himself with these flowers, thanks.

Inigo is quick to move along from the stall, not really caring where he's going as long as it's away from that seller who just got the worst misunderstanding ever. (He does glance over his shoulder though to make sure Tidus is following him. Because Inigo is Weak, okay.)

"Are you trying to fluster me on purpose?" He asks, after looking back for the second time in a row.

(His cheeks have at least grown a bit less intense in colour, but they're still very much as pink as the flower he's holding.)

[blitzcheer]

Tidus is absolutely following Inigo. Walking with the flower pot in his arms, about to make the suggestion, "Let's walk a little before I-"

But that gets cut off by Inigo's shrill. An accusation that just stupefies Tidus, and he laughs, catches up to him with a nudge to his arm with his.

"What're you talking about? Didn't you want me calling you a prince? This is a dream come true, isn't it?" He scoffs smugly, a smile to match, the secondary meaning a joke only for him- "And I know a few things about making dreams real."

Ha ha! He's hilarious! Get it! Gosh, his life is one funny joke.

"Anyway, if you're gonna be a prince," he goes on, whether Inigo likes it or not, making the flower pot poof in a fading glitter of gold, "how about we dress you up like one? Orrr, uh." Another light nudge. "Something in budget. Do you like these kinda clothes?"

[flatteries]

"I refuse to answer that question." If he were anymore modern times savvy, he may have quipped about not answering unless he's in the presence of a lawyer, but alas, such jokes are far beyond medieval boy over here. Instead Tidus just gets that as the poutiest answer possible.

So, you know what? This shift actually is making things a little better. Dressing like a prince or not doesn't fluster him nearly as much, so the pout does lighten a bit. (It's still not fully gone though, and Inigo stubbornly clings on to his own flower like a toddler to their security blanket.)

"Of course I do. I got used to the train style of clothes, but these remind me of back home." .. kind of. But it's close enough that it feels closer to a different fashion brand more like a different fashion era. "But I'm not sure this is the best place to try anything on to see if it fits."

[blitzcheer]

"I'm not telling you to strip in the middle of the street," come on, as if he would suggest that! "--but we can look around, can't we? There's gotta be a clothes shop in town. Unless you wanna keep looking at the stalls first."

Which they can do, it's not like there's any rush. There's some colourful treats near where they're walking now that slows Tidus's pace, eyeing the fudge and toffee on display, the prices per grams (or whatever that is, in Irivar-land). Ohhh, when's the last time they had fudge?

[flatteries]

Hey, do you blame a guy for imagining Tidus may ask him that when Tidus seems to have zero trouble with showing off his jock body to the world? At least Inigo trusts him enough to know that Tidus is being serious about this and that there's no risk of having to expose skin to people here.

Which means anxieties are quickly smoothed over before they even form. Instead Inigo follows the other guy's gaze when he realises Tidus is slowing down, taking a few steps back to be next to him again.

"Are you hungry?"

It's just an innocent question, okay! Because they should get some if Tidus wants some of the sweets on display here. It doesn't have anything to do with Inigo's mental image of Tidus's stomach being a black hole-- not this time, at least.

[blitzcheer]

This isn't about his vortex stomach when they just ate, bro?? That's sus.

"No-" But Tidus doesn't take any offence to it, his gaze lingering on the sweets a second longer before looking back to Inigo. "But do you want to get some? --For us," he explains quickly, "but for the rest of the train too. We should look around more for stuff to get for the train... but I just remembered. Webs made me help her sell her fabric to buy items for the train. And they're always having a party or some together every other month."

If for the teams or otherwise.

"What do you think? We can look around more," he reasons.

[flatteries]

You can't throw him out of the airlock, bro.

"Sure!" There's easy agreement. Really, maybe he shouldn't be calling the shots here, since it's technically Tidus's money that they're throwing around.. But surely it can't hurt their budget to get some of these, right? Especially when Tidus seems to have enough reasons to get them in the first place.

Not to mention that they caught his friend's eye, and just that by itself is enough for Inigo to want to let him have some.

He gently bumps his shoulder against Tidus's.

"Treat yourself. And the train, I suppose." There's a beat, some silence, and only then he adds: "Though I have to admit that I have absolutely no idea what this tastes like."

These don't look like any sweets he's had on the train before, and back home there hadn't been any in the first place, so..

[blitzcheer]

"Me neither. That's why we should try some!"

Who cares about if they'll like it or not if they buy enough to share out the rest? But now's the question of how to even begin to purchase it from a stall like this, laid out in boxes. Fudge and toffee sit in cube blocks, milk parfis, and bite-sized snacks coated well in icing sugar.

Tidus starts to figure out the pricing ("How much for bags of everything? How many do you sell?"), finds out what they're even put in and asks for a couple too. Not dissimilar from the bags given to them when they ask for the standard mixed sweets, and he hands them over to Inigo.

... Well, he's about to, until Tidus pays attention to the fact Inigo's still holding those flowers. So first, he'll put his hands on that and...poof! Good bye, flower pot!

Now, where were they. "Here, pick some for us. Pick what you like! I'll sort the money for the rest."

Their snacks are in your hands, bro.

[flatteries]

Tidus, he swears to Naga, there better not be anything weird happening to his precious flowers in that messy hammerspace of yours!

Though it's not a thought that lasts very long as his attention is turned towards the snacks and sweets. He does pick out some that look interesting to him, but in all actuality, his mind is only half on it.

Because he looks at the bag Tidus gave him, and a plan hatches in his mind. He waits until the bag is filled and Tidus is busy paying the sweets seller.

"Tidus? Which one do you think will taste the best?"

He doesn't wait for an answer. Because that's not the point. All he wants is for Tidus to turn his head and open his mouth to give an answer.

Which means his mouth is now prime real estate for Inigo to push a piece of fudge right into it with one finger - and even letting said finger linger on Tidus's lips once it reaches them before finally pulling his hand away.

"Here, why don't you try it first, darling?"

REVENGE.

[blitzcheer]

Have you ever seen so many snacks disappear into the nowhere of hammerspace?? Let's hope Tidus remembers them all by the time they become relevant! (hint: he won't)

But there's the start of a syllable that comes out as Tidus turns his head, whatever he was about to say eaten up by the fudge that takes its spot in his mouth. Tidus blinks, looking down at the finger, or actually trying to look at the fudge - and then he starts chewing to figure out the taste, a small 'oh!' as he realises what it is.

The joke goes over his head. Instead, he reaches into Inigo's bag to take another small cube of fudge, holding it up near to Inigo's lips.

"Want a piece back, honey?" he offers, tone dripping as sweet as the pet name.

[flatteries]

How come he isn't winning this.

Inigo was so convinced this plan was perfect. He remembers the last time the two of them indulged in a game of gay chicken, and he knows exactly how that went! That might just have been the only time he ever won in a competition with Tidus! How come he isn't budging as easily this time, huh?

Ugh. Okay. You can do this, Inigo. Just take a breath, and take in that honey like it's nothing. You're strong! No weird gay feelings getting in the way of a game of gay chicken here!

He smiles as sweetly as he can right about now, hoping no blush will appear on his cheeks. "Is my knight going to handfeed me?"