spira_rp | Will I find something in there to give me just what I need

There were advantages to having a reputation for being a brat.

For one thing, no one thought that Kadaj might be useful to whatever powerplaying machinations they had on the go. He wasn't important enough to be in anyone's way, and he wasn't significant enough to court. He was just there. Being a brat. He wasn't powerful enough for anyone to worry about him, or even give him much thought.

So when people approached Kadaj they were either really far up a particular infamous creek for allies, or they were just genuinely being nice. Or perhaps curious.

Kadaj wasn't one hundred percent on where the Lucians fell on that spectrum. The stuffy nerd had been working his ass off befriending everyone and anyone that crossed his path. He lived in the kitchen more than Nel, but unlike Nel, seemed to enjoy being there. The guy had missed his calling as a restaurant cook and somehow ended up being sent to make nice with the sort of dickheads Khamja attracted.

The big brawny one had concentrated on making an impression on the girls. Well, it was either effort or the fact he dressed like some lost leather daddy and constantly had his muscles out. He was affable once you got past the rough tough guy look, though. Kadaj kind of liked him.

He was still on the fence about the nerd.

So when Gladio had asked about seeing a summoning, Kadaj hadn't seen reason to refuse. Aeons weren't really a thing on Jylland. Tayuya had been pretty sure that there weren't any Fayths there, and without the War history it sort of figured.

It also gave Kadaj a bit of a chance to show off, and he wasn't about to turn that down.

The underground training facility was nicely deserted, and despite the sand the weather had been set to the 'probably the Calm Lands' setting, so the projected skies were clear, and the wind was low.

Tayuya twirled her flute between her fingers. They'd made sure to leave their audience far enough back that they wouldn't get covered in debris. "Ready?" he asked Tayuya, unsheathing Souba. Working with Even had improved his magical ability, and, not that he was ready to admit it, his tactical acumen, but you had to work with Aeons to improve your bond, just like you did a Zanpakuto.

Threaded | Flat

Ignis had done most of the donkey work when it came to forging alliances within the clan. He'd spoken to the important people, rubbed shoulders with the types of folk who terrified other members for whatever reason. He'd charmed and schmoozed and cooked and generally put every ounce of his training as Prince Noctis's future Hang to the test amongst some of the most deplorable people in Spira and it had worked, for the most part.

Gladio... had chatted to the girls, hung around being more idle about things. He'd not zeroed in on the powerful, nor had he sought out the influential. Instead, he'd kept his ear to the ground and mingled with the minions, a job more befitting his station as a bodyguard.

Kadaj was an odd case. He was a proper member of the Clan, but somebody who mingled more readily with the underlings of others. Gladio had discovered that he was only recently a full member, promoted from underling rather than coming in at that level to begin with. That had knocked value somewhat, but that hadn't stopped Gladio finding him interesting enough to chat to. The minions seemed to know more of what was going on within the Clan than the real members, anyway.

He'd also learned some personal details. One of them was that Kadaj was a Summoner. The class didn't exist on Jylland, entirely due to a lack of Fayths to commune with, rather than a lack of movement between the continents, as was the case with Alchemists.

It had sounded very interesting, so they'd chatted about it and before too long, had arranged to see him and one of the other Summoners train.

Of course, that had introduced them to the underground training facility, which was mindblowing, all things considered. Below ground, much like the Desert Palace itself, but lower, with its own fake sky and borrowed weather. It was incredible.

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