week 4

[airlockedmods]

[Just like the previous week the status quo is restored with frighteningly quick efficiency. PAL still makes the morning and night time announcements through the PIP on each Champion's arm, and still the Champion unitards are freshly laundered and re-hung each morning in their closets. Even the glass roses Choromatsu and Takumi broke after the trial in their fit of anger have been replaced with fresh ones. All signs that there was anything amiss this weekend are completely gone.

There's a new floor to explore, their "reward" for a job well done.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday



[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your AC for week 3, submit your memory regains and put in your threads for the Benefactors!]

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

Ardyn. [He lays a very serious hand on his shoulder.] I don't know if this is a thing you have in your world, but I want you to consider these next words very carefully. Boy band.

[scourgingstars]

Let me rephrase.

Nothing I could ever possibly do would surpass the level of popularity I'm used to.

[he is literally jesus lucian christ, church]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[listen he doesn't know how Real that is] Okay, but then let me rephrase: instead of being a king to a country or a planet, you could get loved by a galaxy of people.

...Which, if they're able to still watch, I guess a lot of them already do love you, so. Maybe it's a moot point.

[scourgingstars]

That is a little tempting, isn't it? But I think I'd rather win them over with my natural charm instead of making an active effort. Wouldn't that be a little more meaningful?

[motherfucking_ghost]

And you've got natural charm in spades. Hell, I'd argue you had plenty going for you even before shit went wonky. [Won't point out to the guy who feels it every day that said charm was probably so practiced that it didn't matter if it was real or not. It's real now.] So now it's doubled or tripled on that charm.

And you can drink. With taste. I mean, you'll kill your tastebuds soon enough like that but hey...

[scourgingstars]

Of course I can drink. [he said, throwing back that glass like it was nothing as the mark of someone who makes Terrible Decisions] Who's really going to tell the Chosen King not to?

[turns out ardyn is a very good actor who is, at the moment, not acting.]

But I think I've a winning personality even without the authority behind it.

[motherfucking_ghost]

My kingliest of dudes, I'm pretty sure at least half of us would tell you not to. I mean, I'm not gonna tell you not to, because I actually want you to enjoy all this shit again, but I'm just saying...maybe don't use Junpei as a role model for your liver.

[LIKE MAYBE DON'T JUST SHOOT DOWN FIREBALL WHISKEY LIKE THAT but get fucked Church is gonna grab his own drink, because if you think he's not at least casually drinking in a karaoke bar, you are mistaken as fuck.]

To winning personalities and tunes that transcend the multiverse?

[scourgingstars]

My brother's enough of a terrible damper on anything enjoyable, I hardly need it from half of you as well.

[fire is a stage one spell. firaga is third. ergo, firagaball from the middle of goddamn niflheim may be worse and ardyn lucis caelum makes terrible decisions.]

To charming friends that tolerate one another for some reason.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Ooo, I'm charming now, huh? Pretty sure Q'd agree with you on that one. Gotta admit, it's not usually a word associated with me, but then again, back home I'm surrounded by assholes who wouldn't know charming if it shot them with a sniper rifle.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn laughed lightly, giving Church the sharp smirk of a definite troublemaker.]

I've met plenty of individuals vastly less interesting than you. I think 'charming' a fitting word for you.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[If this is how Ardyn is normally--how he's supposed to be--then is it any god damn wonder he and Junpei get along with him so well?]

I'd say that more interesting doesn't have to mean charming, but no. I'm gonna take the compliment and run with it. Charming. And handsome, don't forget handsome. Humble. Incredibly and utterly humble. A god damn delight to know.

[stop him before he goes too far]

[scourgingstars]

[ardyn both invented and refined the art of being Incredibly Extra]

Truly, you improve the lives of all around you merely by existing. A talent any monarch could envy.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Do you also envy that I'm a most excellent dancer of the poles?

[Just watch him, Ardyn. Watch him stick his leggy out real far and throw his head back and give the Chosen King a shiteating smile. He's trying not to dissolve into absolute giggles already.]

[scourgingstars]

Please spare us all that particular display. You have no idea how tempting it is to just trip you right now.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Psh, you're just jealous because you don't have the thunder thighs to keep you up there.

[Yes, he may just--yep, there he goes, bent over laughing at the idea and yes he knows he's bad at it.]

Listen, it was Junpei's fault. All I was gonna do was dance and strip to loud pumping sexy music. I wasn't going to involve poles at all. That doesn't sound better at all, does it.

[scourgingstars]

You're much more charming when you talk less.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Yeah, well, sucks to be you, there's not a whole lot that gets me to shut the hell up. [He's smirking around his drink because take that. You chose your shield, now you gotta live with your regerts.]

1/3

[scourgingstars]

Is that right?

[As Church was occupied with his drink, he might possibly have overlooked the spark of Sudden Trouble coming to Ardyn's eyes.]

[scourgingstars]

[And as soon as that drink was out of the way, Ardyn moved suddenly to catch Church's face in one hand. He leaned a little closer, already low voice turning to a sharp and confrontational growl not entirely matching the devilish grin on his face.]

That sounds like a challenge to me.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn let go in favor of that hand moving to the back of Church's head and sharply pulling him forward.]

[Congratulations, Church. You can now tell people the king of Lucis tastes like cinnamon and makes terrible choices when drunk (or sober).]

[misanthropicprinciple]

Ohhh SHIT!

[EVEN 10% JUNPEI IS 1100% PUMPED FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT!!!]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[It's the sort of thing he should have seen coming. It was the perfect setup. The kind where he'd expect Tucker to make some shitass comment, or for Donut to make it weird, or for Tex to reveal something that belongs a little more in bed than in the open.

It's not the sort of thing he saw coming from the king of Lucis. For all the fun he's able to have now, and the clear enjoyable trouble he seems to be, taking Church up on the minor challenge and just grabbing his face and kissing the shit out of him is...

...well, yeah, Ardyn won that challenge fair and fucking square. And ridiculously quickly. The jerk forward almost makes him tip entirely out of his seat; there is definitely a little arm flailing until his hands find Ardyn's chair just so he can keep some semblance of balance. Hoo boy is he off balance! Just from the pulling. Not the kiss. Obviously.

He wants to say something. He does! He wants to wreck this challenge and suggest he try a little harder. But his brain sure is a buzz right now. Hold on. It'll come to him. Just let him reboot a little, and...aaaaand since he's already halfway into Ardyn's seat, maybe King Fuckboy's lap has room for him.

Yes it does. Fancy that. Oh, and he's finally though up something to say.]

Touche, your majesty.

[scourgingstars]

[what a coincidence, there is indeed space enough here for church. be careful, you might fall. maybe you should have an arm around your waist to steady you.]

How many times do I have to remind all of you?

[That low growl was back, with it the smirk that was more pronounced than ever.]

My name is Ardyn.

[motherfucking_ghost]

What was that? Did you say your name's horndog? Because you sure seem like one. [Oh my, look at him doing all that useless talking again. Also you bet your ass he's gonna start running fingers through that mane of hair while he's got the chance. Wouldn't you?] Quite the different side of you tonight. Making up for some lost time, huh?

[scourgingstars]

Very funny--is that wishful thinking on your part?