week 7

[airlockedmods]

[For the first time in several weeks there is no new memorial in the garden. No new body in the morgue, no bloody mess for the roombas to clean. Choromatsu is still in need of time to heal and constant vigilance but he's alive. They're all alive for once on a Sunday and, even with the terrible realizations their returning memories may bring, there's a sense of hope for the first time in a long time.

There is no new floor this week.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday



[ooc: Don't forget to to turn in your activity for week 6, submit your memory regains and put in your threads for the Benefactors!]

Comments

cw: suicide

[scourgingstars]

I... [Ardyn looked away, clearly worried more than self-conscious. It didn't seem like anyone else had it, but...]

I snapped, Church. After last night, I couldn't handle living as some barely-human thing and constantly letting spite make me think all of you would betray me. I thought 'if they'll abandon some inhuman thing for all it's done, how long until they see I'm no different?' I thought about killing myself outright just to see if I could even die. But instead I...talked to PAL, last night.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[If he had room to recoil, he would--not because of Ardyn, god no, but just because of the surprise, the sharp slap of guilt he felt at that. His hands pull back, hovering awkwardly in the air.]

I...th--is this because of me?

[scourgingstars]

You think it's so easy to get into my head that even you can do it? [Ardyn laughed, but it came out forced and a little pained.]

It's because of everything. Because living like that seemed like worse torture than living as a human knowing everything I've done. Because if I should actually die here, I'm damn well going to do it as myself.

...because damn it, all of you deserve better than to deal with the fallen son of Lucis.

[motherfucking_ghost]

You said you might go crazy, that if you went back and you remembered everything you did, you might--

You bargained a deal with the fucking artificial devil?

cw: even more suicidal ideation

[scourgingstars]

What else was I supposed to do? [There was a note of sharp desperation to that, both of them clearly well past the end of their rope at this point.]

Either I kept living as that, pushing all of you further and further away and either waiting to die or killing myself, or I risk insanity for the slim chance that the result would be someone that could actually do something here.

I took a stupid risk that may yet backfire. I know that, and you don't need to tell me how careless I was. But I'm trusting in my Kingsglaive to keep me from going over the edge into complete and utter madness until I can help us get out of here.

You said you believed Ardyn Lucis Caelum still had a chance. Now that he's standing in front of you, are you going to believe in me now?

Because I'm telling you outright: if I have your support as the Shield, you'll have mine as the king.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[There's no going back now. He's here. He's here, in front of Church, asking for his help, and it's the most sure thing he's ever decided, even over joining Wash's crusade.

Because if nothing else, this is how important he is, to Ardyn, and to the group. He can't back out now, can't give in. Can't let PAL tear them all apart no matter how much it feels like the gaping fucking Texas-sized hole in his chest is widening and widening. Because...because the hole feels like it's filling, too, a little bit at a time.

He cups Ardyn's right hand in both of his, lifting it to his lips so he can kiss the ring. The ring of the king. In deference to the man standing before him.]

...Normally this is the part in royal-related shit where the underling says something like 'long live the king', but that's not, uh, that's not really gonna fly here, so.

I'm here for you.

......And I know you're here for me, too.

[scourgingstars]

...

[He really was stupid. They all were, a fallen bitter savior with his immature, doubtful shield and their hotheaded, reckless adviser.]

[A fitting disaster for the ashes of the burned line of Lucis.]

Until the end, no matter what may yet go wrong or right. I'm with you.

[motherfucking_ghost]

There's just one more really, really important question, though.

Where is it?

[scourgingstars]

That's the only problem; he swore not to transfer it to anyone, and as far as I've seen that might have even been honest. There was mention of putting it in a bottle, and I think he made some joke about a paperweight.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Sealed evil in a can, that's pretty--

...

It's. uh. Did you say paperweight? Cuz. it's. in the dumbwaiter.

[scourgingstars]

...That wasn't a joke-? Wait, he just left it there?

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

[motherfucking_ghost]

It's in glass? Like heavy...paperweighty glass. Is it actually in there, because it's definitely black and also all kinds of other colors. 's kinda pretty for being evil. [kind of like ardyn] I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be yours or not so I left it there???

[scourgingstars]

I can't imagine it's anywhere else, at this point. Though I also didn't think he could fit millions of daemons into a paperweight.

[motherfucking_ghost]

...If it breaks we're all fucked, aren't we?

[scourgingstars]

...Actually, I'm not sure. PAL said a few strange things last night, not the least of which was that he and the network 'quarantined a contagion.' If it truly was contagious, what happened to Junpei should have infected at least one of you.

[Beat.]

...But just to be sure, absolutely under no circumstances are we going to break it.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Absofuckinglutely not.

[So that's settled. So this is all a thing that's happening this morning. Everything is happening a lot this morning.]

...Junpei's going to want to talk to me, but he's dealing with Yuuri, Heart should get checked on and probably Queenie. Ari's being Ari, Nishi's being Nishi, Clarith's being Clarith.

So what do we do now, before I go...have coffee or something to wake me up before the adrenaline wears off?

[scourgingstars]

I told Junpei to meet us back at our room later tonight once Yuuri's taken care of, and asked Arianna to see to who she could.

['let them handle it for five minutes', in other words.]

Are you alright?

[motherfucking_ghost]

[He laughs a little, not the...maddening noise he'd made earlier, but honest. Tired. But honest.]

Absofuckinglutely not.

[C'mere, you big lug, Church is gonna tug him in for a hug.]

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn brought his arms up with hardly a thought, returning it immediately.]

In that respect, we're all on the same page.