week 1

[airlockedmods]

Week 1

[After the reveal of their handsome and well-dressed but stern-looking Overseer on Sunday, the Champions were left to their own devices in investigating the mall to their hearts' content. At around 10 pm every night the lights in all the shops will go down and the sturdy metal grates over the doors of the restaurants will go down. The stores will remain unlocked, though.

On Monday morning, a buzzing alarm chirps at them again from their PIPs at 7 am on the dot. There's also a pop-up message waiting for them: a notice announcing Xander will be holding office hours

Enjoy your week, Champions.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Comments

[burninglight]

...

Give me your arm and I'll tell you the truth of the matter.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I can get Noctis to do this, too. He just doesn't have as tender a touch as you do.

[He really wants to be petulant. Tell him the truth of the matter and he'll give his arm. But...with a frown, he offers it up.]

[burninglight]

Noctis does most things better than I can.

[For a moment, that was all Ardyn said; he undid the bandages and set himself to making sure the wound was kept clean and healing correctly in distant, thoughtful silence. Then, finally:]

In ancient times my world was one beset by a terrible plague without remedy or cure. There were none who could stop it, and a grand civilization crumbled beneath its weight.

A healer emerged from the ashes of that civilization, granted the divine magic to heal the scourge and save the people. He worked tirelessly, knowing only how to be selfless for the sake of others. But he could not eradicate the dark plague, only able to bear it for the sake of others. The scourge was malice made manifest, and in carrying it so others would not, the healer was slowly driven mad and became something other than human.

My proper name is Ardyn Lucis Caelum, and without that scourge in my head I feel a compulsion I can not explain. I both care nothing for any of you, and yet the instinct of a healer forced me to help when I saw you and Nari injured.

I helped you because my human self knows no other way to live.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Why does he have to speak like that, it makes things harder for him to digest. But digest he does, sitting in relative silence save for the wincing he does at the changing of the bandages.]

So you were a doctor even back then. But the shit you healed made you go crazy and immortal cuz you like...brought it...into you?

So you don't actually care. Not really. You're just going through the motions like muscle memory.

[burninglight]

I don't know. Were it solely a matter of going through the motions, I could ignore that and I'd not be here. Yet here I am, helping you and checking on Nari as if I...

[He trailed off, yellow eyes focused on his work rather than look up.]

...I don't understand this at all, Church.

[motherfucking_ghost]

You don't know if you actually give a fuck or not? Are you for fucking serious right now?

[burninglight]

I haven't felt emotion beyond hate and fury in two thousand years. How am I to know what anything feels like or how to define it?

[motherfucking_ghost]

Something other than hate is pretty obvious that it's not indifference or hate! So I guess that means you actually care, because what else could it be?

[burninglight]

...

[His hands went still for a second, hesitating as Ardyn processed that before picking back up as if moving automatically.]

Caring about others is dangerous. I don't plan to be stupid enough to make such a mistake again.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[He looks over at Ardyn, firmly not looking down at his arm, nope, no thanks, not today, some other time.]

But you're here.

[burninglight]

[Gold eyes were tired and distant, showing an age well beyond anything he resembled. Still he watched the careful motions of his own hands, refusing to look up at Church with that exhausted stare.]

...I'm here.

[motherfucking_ghost]

So are you being stupid about someone you don't even know even if you might know him because fuck knows if any of this shit is right, or are you just weak enough being human again that you can't actually fight impulses yet?

Let me guess, you don't know.

[burninglight]

...

[The fact that he didn't answer was an answer itself.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that you actually give a fuck apart from the fact that our profiles are connected and we wanna figure out why if that's not the case.

[burninglight]

I told you...I don't know any other way to live as a mortal. Whether I care or not, regardless of what sense tells me, I can't stand by and allow people to suffer. I've been looking after you and Nari alike, even knowing I've no reason to.

I hate that. I swore never to be such a selfless fool again, and yet some part of me finds this natural.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Yeah yeah, cuz you played doctor for people way back aeons ago, and then you got fucked up and hated people, and blah blah blah.

Have you at least been resting?

[burninglight]

...Yes and no. I find sleeping has become more difficult as of late.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Because you're not used to needing sleep or...did something happen?

[burninglight]

...

I would rather not talk about it.

[motherfucking_ghost]

So something happened. Okay. Cool. But bodies need sleep is all I'm saying.

[burninglight]

I will be fine.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Really, you're really gonna pull that right now? Maybe you're capable of worry, sure, but so's everyone else.

[burninglight]

If you're going to question why I care, I should ask the same of you.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Because I relatively get human emotions, and if I'm gonna hate someone, I feel like I need a reason to?

[burninglight]

I'm a murderer. An inhuman monster, endless and eternal. I've manipulated and overthrown at least two governments as well as ended a world for the sake of naught but vengeance.

Is that enough, or shall I continue?