week 6

[airlockedmods]

[Even with three deaths two weeks in a row, life in the Fantasy Sweet returns to some semblance of normalcy come Sunday morning. The messes are cleaned up, the bodies are safe in the morgue (or in Kip's case, still in a liquor bottle in the garden) and with this new week comes a fresh crop of returning memories.

There is no new floor this week.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday



[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your activity for week 5, submit your memory regains and put in your threads for the Benefactors!]

Comments

[scourgingstars]

You really think you'll get anything reasonable out of this?

[misanthropicprinciple]

No, but if I try to sort my memories out any longer today, my brain's probably going to implode. And I can't do nothing.

[scourgingstars]

That's as compelling an argument as any.

['because fuck it, i guess']

[misanthropicprinciple]

Hmmm...

[Holding 'Is this a good idea?' in mind, he turns over another card, and--queen of diamonds. Red means no.]

...You learn anything new this week?

[scourgingstars]

[shoulda listened to the cards, jujubean]

...A few things.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He looks up inquisitively as he shuffles the card back in, but doesn't press. Being pushy and nosy is Church's job. Being sneaky and nosy is Junpei's. AKA, if Ardyn doesn't elaborate, he can always ask his broseph.]

[scourgingstars]

[One was pushy, one was sneaky, and one was just infuriating.]

What are you expecting? I assure you, it's nothing you need worry about.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Uh-huh. [To the cards:] Is it something I should worry about?

[Five of clubs. Oho. Junpei lifts his eyebrows.]

Black means yes.

[But he's teasing. Mostly. He really is going to ask Church.]

[scourgingstars]

...

[The annoyed look on Ardyn's face probably confirmed Junpei's question better than the cards could have.]

[misanthropicprinciple]

Should I ask?

[Eight of clubs.

Junpei looks a little smug, but it turns into something mellower as he puts the card back in the deck. He shrugs a little, shaking his head. He's not going to push the issue, but he does point out:]

You did appoint me your advisor. For advice.

[scourgingstars]

The two of you took some careless offhand comments far more seriously than you were ever meant to.

Royal advisor. To the king of Lucis, which may I remind you I am not.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Uh, no. I'm royal advisor to the king of the nerds. Which you are.

[He shuffles the cards again, happy to have something to do with his hands.]

It's okay if you don't tell me. I'll just needle Church about it later. I made him promise to keep me in the loop for, like, basically everything ever. Sucker.

[scourgingstars]

Do what you will. It doesn't matter to me in the slightest, Junpei.

[misanthropicprinciple]

...

[Ten of diamonds. It really doesn't.]

Cool. Carte blanche. [Two of hearts.] But the cards say at least you won't regret it.

[scourgingstars]

The cards don't account for the fact that I don't regret most things I've done.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Maybe they do? I don't pretend to know how this works. I'm on record for believing it doesn't and am just going along with it as long as it supports what I want to say and do anyway.

[scourgingstars]

And what about when it stops enabling your terrible decisions?

[misanthropicprinciple]

I'm perfectly capable of enabling my own terrible decisions without the heart of the cards on my side. I mean--

[Waves his robot hand. Heyo.]

[scourgingstars]

...Point taken.

[said his majesty king terrible decisions, having no ground to stand on here]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Looking at Ardyn, knowing so badly that it's a bad idea, knowing it almost more keenly than he's known that breathless triumph of pivoting around death, Junpei adds one more terrible decision to his long, branching, convoluted list.]

...Should Ardyn Izunia trust Junpei Tenmyouji as his royal advisor?

[Six of hearts. Junpei's face clouds a little at that, but then he sets his right hand on top of the deck once more and asks before Ardyn can say anything:]

Can the man in front of me right now... trust me?

[And holding his breath, he turns the card over.

Ten of spades. Ten of swords.]

[scourgingstars]

[He'd been halfway to rolling his eyes and saying something to the tune of see, I told you it was stupid as the six of hearts was turned over, but Junpei was already drawing another card before Ardyn had even opened his mouth to talk.]

[...And then he forgot he was going to say anything at all.]

[It was just random chance, obviously. That was the only reason for it, and yet Ardyn looked like the floor had just suddenly disappeared out from under him.]

1/2

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei's as dumbstruck as Ardyn for a moment. Ten of spades--highest non-face card in the suit. And it's not just an answer, but a match.

Yes, says the card, according to his goofy, arbitrary, set-five-minutes-ago rules. Yes, he can trust you.]

2/2

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Then he slams both hands over the card so the bottom half still shows through, so they both have proof it's still there, proof no one can take away.]

No takebacks! You're stuck with me!

[scourgingstars]

[He was so stupid and childish at times like these. And yet when things came down to it, Junpei had long since proven himself immeasurably strong. Resilient, too. He took the worst of situations and still kept coming back, still had the ability to remain immature while keeping himself togethe-]

[...he wasn't all that different from Noctis, wasn't he?]

[Whether it was the outburst or the sudden realization, Ardyn's exhaustion was broken by a halfhearted smile that was swiftly followed by a quiet, low chuckle.]

You're right, aren't you?

[misanthropicprinciple]

I--yes. I, uh, right. That's a thing I am. All the time.

[It's stupid. He was already embarrassed the moment the words flew out of his mouth, but he's so tired of losing friends, so frustrated with forever chasing phantoms who slip right through his fingers, pulling away faster than he can run that he just--he wants one person to stay.

(Yuuri.)

He wants all of them to stay. To be there when he reaches out.

(Church. Ardyn. Queenie. Finn.

Angel.)

When Ardyn doesn't shoot him down, when he laughs, when he says you're right, Junpei looks up at him like he's not sure his ears are working. Slowly, he straightens. Slowly, he draws his hands away from the card, leaving it free.

If you love something, let it go.

(Bullshit, Akane.)]

Hope that's not a problem for you.