IC INBOX - PHANRIFT

[founderinglight]

one for sorrow, two for mirth
three for marriage, four for birth
five for the truth and six for lying
seven for sickness, eight for dying
nine for silver, ten for gold
eleven for a secret that shall never be told
twelve for the moon, thirteen for the sky
fourteen for the accursed unable to die
and fifteen for my heart's last desire
a new day's dawn, reborn in fire



Izunia Lucis Caelum
Keystone Station Room #11
Network @elevencrows

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

...I'm--my being here isn't helping, huh. I can go, you two will behave yourselves, you don't need a Shield for it.

[burninglight]

No- [Ardyn gripped Church's sleeve lightly, like he wanted to stop him getting up and walking out.] ...no, it's okay. Please don't go.

[founderinglight]

[Izunia scratches Verity's ears, watching them for a moment.]

...This is like the thing where you couldn't believe that I don't hate you, isn't it.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I...guess. [He's not going anywhere.] But I mean...you two get along, and he and I...don't so much.

[burninglight]

I'm fairly sure one misstep far enough in the wrong direction would be likely to end in either he or I throwing a punch, even at this point.

[founderinglight]

We get along by virtue of hard, determined work at it. And we still fall face first into each others' issues regularly. I'm just too damn stubborn to give up, as I'm sure you've noticed.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Oh. I've noticed. I'm just bad at...working at this, I guess?

[burninglight]

...You're trying. Haven't killed him yet, that counts for a lot.

[founderinglight]

Hasn't even taken his punch, not that I understand saving it.

[Izunia would rather get it done with and move on.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

You think I'm trying? Do you? Cuz I sure don't.

[burninglight]

...

[Ardyn just shrugged, leaning on Church's shoulder.]

Idiot's right, you haven't kicked his ass yet.

[founderinglight]

Which, for the record, is another item on the "wish you'd get it over with already."

Though not in front of Verity, please.

[Bonp. She loves you too dad.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

...Look, maybe I'm trying a little? But I'm trying to not fight. That's just what it ends up being. I don't want to upset Ardyn. When did this become about me?

[burninglight]

It's about you as much as it's about either of us. Comes with the territory of you and I being a package deal of sorts, beloved.

[founderinglight]

It's true. Kind of what those rings mean.

[After a moment, he sighs.]

I just don't understand what you get out of carrying such animosity constantly.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I'm not carrying anything. It's just there. Easily within reach at all times.

[burninglight]

Anger's easy to fall back on and hard to let go of. [A shrug.]

[founderinglight]

Not for me. It's exhausting to hang onto. And traumas aside, I don't like the angry me.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Anger's the easiest thing in the world, next to remembering to breathe.

[burninglight]

I think it's just a matter of keeping things balanced. You can't just drop anger like a bad habit and leave it in the dust any more than you could for any other emotion. But the other extreme of being furious at everyone and everything isn't sustainable either.

It's just...hard to keep the scales even.

[founderinglight]

[At Church, Izunia shakes his head.]

The idea of being angry like you do just hurts. Love's the only thing I can maintain that energy for.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Must be an advantage of being young that I've got plenty of energy for both.

[burninglight]

[Ardyn didn't say much after that, shifting to lean is head against Church's instead. Maybe he'd just...let them talk and wait until he had to intervene before something exploded.]

[founderinglight]

[Izunia gives Church a "not sure if serious or not" look.]

Just a personality difference, I think. I wasn't that much of an angry man younger, either, obvious exceptions aside.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[He didn't expect the guy to rise to the bait of being called an old man. Mostly he just makes a small noise of acknowledgement and reaches up to stroke Ardyn's hair.]

Seems like.