izunia lucis callout

[founderinglight]

you will pry twinzunia from my cold dead hands let's do this

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[founderinglight]

I can only hope that some things haven't changed too much.

[scourgingstars]

Some things, no. You're still my brother, after all.

[founderinglight]

[Ah, the warmth that gives him - ]

Always. Yours alone.

[scourgingstars]

That’s right. [Ardyn leaned his head against his brother’s, smiling faintly.] We’re two halves never meant to be split apart, my beloved little brother.

[founderinglight]

[And that -

Yeah he's just gonna. Decay into crying now.

Because he is loved, by at least this Ardyn, who can't even seem to believe that anything can go wrong, and -

It hurts so much, to know that that belief is misplaced. That things go so, so very wrong.]

The sun and the stars are the - the same thing, after all.

[scourgingstars]

Exactly. [Ardyn kept running a gentle hand through his twin’s hair, holding him tightly and just...letting him work out endless ages that the would-be Chosen hadn’t even begun to live through.] You’re alright—I’m here, I’ll not leave you.

[founderinglight]

[He makes a hiccuping sob and finally buries his face into Ardyn's shoulder, letting it all out.

This Ardyn can only offer him comfort, not forgiveness, but even comfort is something that Izunia has been denied - has denied himself - for far too long.]

...I love you. Even if - even if this changes nothing, if you remember none of this - I love you. I would tear down the very stars themselves to make you happy. I would tear down the sun and usher in that eternal night myself if it eased your pain for even a day, I would destroy the kingdom with my own two hands for you, I...

I would bear it all in your place if I could.

[scourgingstars]

You know I would want none of that. Least of all to have you stand where I do and bear what I carry. I love you dearly and would gladly be crushed beneath the endless night if it means that you should avoid such suffering. You are and shall ever be part of my heart, and there is nothing I would turn from if it meant protecting you.

[founderinglight]

And I suffer far more for having harmed you by mistake than I would under the weight of ten thousand daemons and here we go again.

[Tiniest laugh. They just keep getting caught in this circular discussion.]

[scourgingstars]

I’m sorry. But we could have worse problems than caring too much for each other.

[founderinglight]

I don't know, we kind of managed to instigate an eventual apocalypse by doing do.

[scourgingstars]

From the sound of it, that was likely to have been mostly my fault.

[founderinglight]

Except that the insanity that led to it was mostly my fault, therefore we are splitting the blame equally and fairly.

[scourgingstars]

Are we really going to start arguing about this?

[founderinglight]

No, we are sharing the blame equally and there is no argument allowed.

[scourgingstars]

If that's what it will take to let you smile once more, then I'll simply have to accept that.

[founderinglight]

And to think that it only took two thousand years for you to not argue with me on such things.

[scourgingstars]

Don't be stupid, I'm only twenty. Although, it looks like I'm likely to age pretty well if you're still any indication.

[founderinglight]

Mm, we did get off lucky on that front. This is...

[He pauses, and pulls away slightly to examine himself.]

...Thirty-five, thirty-six, somewhere in there. About where you got stuck, for the record.

[Izunia Lucis Caelum died the same day as his brother.]

[scourgingstars]

Well, I could certainly do worse.

...So, I've got just about fifteen years left, is that it?

[founderinglight]

Given what you're doing, I think it's surprising that you got that long. The line of Oracles usually only manages twenty-five or so once they take up their duties, and the Scourge is not near as widespread after -

[He cuts himself off with an almost audible snap of the jaw.]

[scourgingstars]

...good. That's a relief to hear. As long as I'm able to keep others from suffering, then...at least some part of me can be satisfied with that.

[founderinglight]

...Even if you end up spreading it further in the end?

[Because UM. He hasn't really talked about the Night, has he.]

[scourgingstars]

...

I don't know. I...if all I'm doing now is just prolonging the inevitable, isn't that in itself worth something?

[founderinglight]

...I don't know, Ardyn. That's an answer you'll have to come to for yourself.

[Does he dare tell Ardyn exactly how far he went, how many people died?

How can he possibly do that to his brother, and risk destroying him again? But if Ardyn asks, he won't beat around the bush.]

...For what it's worth, humanity does survive. We truly are the most tenacious species.