[no one gets (air)left behind]

[founderinglight]

[The police have taken your Mastermind, and the spaceport is yours, it seems, for the time being, without any further interruptions.

Except...

Why is there another ship parked at the door? (The door, it should be noted, furthest from the police cruiser.)

There's one more person who intends to put on an appearance today, it seems.

-> Investigate?]

[[Welcome to the Airleft Bonus Continuity CMO and catchall post! For those who aren't familiar, the TLDR of Airleft is "Airlocked, but a bit to the left." The short version is that this one time, at Space Mall, Church and Ardyn ran into someone very familiar... Running basically the shittier version of Armigod. Wanna meet space dad's actual bro? Now's your chance.]]

Comments

[founderinglight]

Have I said anything of the sort, Ardyn?

[A matching sigh, an unconsciously mirrored gesture.]

The ball's in your court, as they say.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[A tug on Ardyn's hand.] Let's get out of here. We don't need to be here.

...The fuck are you wearing, anyway? [Yes he's just now noticed.]

[burninglight]

...from the look of it, a handmade Lucian royal raiment.

[founderinglight]

I'm fortunate enough to not have needed your measurements.

[It's said a little too flatly and sadly to be a joke.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

The fuck is a raiment, it looks like a half-cape.

[burninglight]

You're both idiots.

[founderinglight]

Idiots who love you in our own fucking idiotic, maladaptive ways.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Your face is maladaptive.

[burninglight]

Children, behave, I am in no mood for this right now.

[founderinglight]

I'm not a child, Ardyn, I'm only five minutes younger than you.

[Two thousand years old a child he is not. Talk to your eight year old.]

Regardless, it's your question, Ardyn. In my heart, I want the same thing I always have.

...There is one more thing.

[motherfucking_ghost]

There's always one more thing.

[burninglight]

No kidding.

What is it, Izunia?

[founderinglight]

Do you remember the theory I posited to you in the Denny's as to how I'm here at all?

[He's understand if not, it was an offhand comment at three in the morning.]

When you died, I... got a very good indication that my assessment was correct. I lost physical form and the only reason I didn't disappear entirely was by drawing from Noctis' latent connection to the Ring, and even that was strained almost to nothing by the time you were, I assume, uploaded to the simulation. I'm hardly eager to test it the other way, but the most likely scenario is that I'm only a part of this world as long as you are.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[He stares at Izunia. Then looks at Ardyn.]

Was that English? Did that make sense to you?

[burninglight]

I still don't know what English is, Leonard. And I can't quite remember that theory offhand. But I would estimate that means when I die, so does my brother.

[founderinglight]

Essentially, yes, with a side of "oaths sworn on the Crystal should be taken very seriously."

...It wasn't pleasant.

[motherfucking_ghost]

...Well, what happens if he dies?

[burninglight]

...

I don't know.

[founderinglight]

...I'd prefer not to test it. That is a question about my apparent conditional mortality that I can do without an answer to.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I've already had to let one murderous fuckshit go today.

[burninglight]

I'm not dying again anytime soon, and I'm not comfortable with the concept that I might drop dead if you ran afoul of some unfortunate accident a few galaxies away.

[founderinglight]

I doubt that would happen. The oath was that I wouldn't go without you, not that I'd take you with me. More likely it would be my turn at some extremely uncomfortable temporary death.

[Which is probably a subject that's still kind of traumatic for both of them so let's just Not?]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[...Listen he still has a bottle in his hand. We could test this out. We could test it right now. He looks at Ardyn. TEST IT?]

[burninglight]

...He's not worth it.

[The tension and anger drained out of Ardyn's shoulders, iron grip on Church's hand loosening slightly.]

I don't...want this to keep going. I don't want to keep hating everyone and everything that's ever turned on me. I'm so fucking tired and I just want to move on with my life.

[founderinglight]

[Then don't.

But he bites it back, saying nothing, daring to hope.]