Lazy Man's CMO 2018

[bloodand]

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[scourgingstars]

[Somewhere in the Station, there is the sound of something human-sized hitting the floor, because fuck it, dimensions are in flux.]

[Investigating would yield results in the form of a very familiar violet-haired man in the simple clothes of a prisoner, worn ragged and stained black; lying apparently unconscious, the only sign of motion came from the faint wisps of black miasma trailing from a number of cuts and scrapes that seemed to very slowly be stitching themselves back together.]

[founderinglight]

[You know those days when you wake up just feeling like some bullshit is about to go down? Izunia has that feeling now.

But coming across a maybe conscious Ardyn, blatantly full of the Scourge in a way that the one he normally sees is not? That's above and beyond the bullshit line. About four different impulses wage war within him at the sight - fight or flight at the sight of the twisted healing of the Scourge at work, but also the desire to pull this Ardyn into his arms and never let go, because he's hurting, the knowledge that he might well need to defend himself because he knows when those clothes are from. For a brief, hilarious moment, the only even vaguely helpful suggestion that comes to mind is "get Ardyn, no, the other one."

It's the stupidity of that that finally makes him approach, wary and ready to warp away at an instant. This is his problem, he'll deal with it.

(The only thing stronger than fear is love. Love is the only reason worth doing anything.)

And so Izunia kneels, gently, next to his dark mirror - ]

Ardyn?

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn made a vague sound of discomfort as he started to stir, wincing instinctively as if he expected pain just by default. But when nothing apparently came...he dazedly opened yellow eyes halfway, struggling to focus in what seemed like blindingly bright lights.]

[founderinglight]

It's okay. Nothing's going to hurt you. I promise.

[Even as he says it, he realizes that if this does go badly, someone needs to know other than whatever unfortunate discovers what's left of his body. As a result, his hand is on his phone, scribbling out a very fast text to the other Ardyn -

Found Scourge you in upper hallway. Think he's from just After. Trying to deal with it. If something happens to me get everyone out.

Is it Friday? With their collective luck it's probably murder game anxiety day.]

[scourgingstars]

[Struggling to prop himself up on shaking and scraped up blackened arms, Ardyn managed to register whose voice he was hearing after a second; immediately he locked up and fell to the ground again, curling in on himself with his hands on his head like he was expecting a sword or worse.]

[founderinglight]

[Yeah, okay, trauma, they've all got it, he shouldn't be surprised but Izunia still flinches at that reaction.

There's no sword. He just holds a hand out, just shy of touching.]

It's okay. I promise, it'll be okay. You're not going back there. ...Can I touch you?

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn flinched again at the motion and voice, eyes shut tightly; he hadn't spoken in who knew how long, and no words quite managed to come out now. The best he managed was a quick shake of his head, not moving from his defensive position.]

[founderinglight]

Okay. Do you want me to get someone else?

[Because you know, maybe he doesn't want Izunia anywhere nearby until he gets his shit sorted. That's a thing they can work around.]

I'm just going to sit here on the floor by you, you can take as long as you need.

[scourgingstars]

[There was a long silence in which Ardyn didn't quite relax--he was still awaiting something, whether it was execution or for the very walls to close in and cause anguish in blue-toned runes.]

[But at length, he managed something whispered in a voice hoarse with disuse:]

...pl-...please turn th...the lights off.

[founderinglight]

...Right. Just a moment.

[He gets up and - where's the switch for this hallway - SNAP off go all the lights, except for a single orb of red that hovers next to Izunia's shoulder. It's very dim, only just bright enough to keep total darkness at bay and let Izunia, still with only human vision, see enough to not trip.

Then he comes back and sits in place again.]

[scourgingstars]

[After another long moment, Ardyn gradually and carefully began to uncurl from his position, trying again to get up and only managing to prop himself up on his forearms. Yellow eyes squinted at his dimly lit brother, the former savior looking for all the world like an abused animal waiting to be struck again.]

...Get...on with it, th-then. What...else are y-you...going to do?

[founderinglight]

I'm not going to hurt you, Ardyn. Not - not ever again.

[This is almost worse than Ardyn Tenmyouji's justified hatred. That he could understand and deal with. This? This just hurts, leaves a layer of anguish under his attempt to keep his voice calm.]

I'm sorry. There aren't words for how sorry I am.

[scourgingstars]

...

[He didn't relax or move one way or another, still watching Izunia as warily as his limited energy could manage.]

...not Angelgard. Where-...?

[founderinglight]

[Izunia, for his part, barely moves at all, only turning down the screen brightness of his phone. Which? Is probably slightly confusing for an Ardyn from a time when smart phones haven't been invented yet, but.]

...It's something of a long story. We're not in Eos at all.

[scourgingstars]

You're really not....going to...?

[founderinglight]

...There is nothing I regret more in my entire life.

[The matter of exactly how long 'entire life' is, here, can wait until Ardyn has settled down a bit more.]

[scourgingstars]

...

[Ardyn sank back to the ground, lying with his head on his arm.]

...want to go home.

[founderinglight]

...I'm sorry. But the home that you knew... It's not something that exists anymore.

[Even if it were physically possible to return, mentally, emotionally -

It cannot be taken back. It will never be the same again.]

[scourgingstars]

...

[Another long silence, as if Ardyn had passed out again. Then:]

...don't care. Anywhere, then. Don't want...to go back.

[founderinglight]

You're not going back there. Not... No matter what happens. Not as long as I have life in my body.

[scourgingstars]

...m'sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I-

[Ardyn's voice cracked harshly, and he fell silent as his shoulders started shaking.]

[founderinglight]

...Shh. Shhhh, Ardyn, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. It's okay, anaia, just take a deep breath.

[Gods take him, he is so bad at this.]

[scourgingstars]

...

[Hesitantly, Ardyn reached out with one hand from his position on the floor, not quite sure what he was seeking out in the darkness but needing it all the same]

[founderinglight]

[And that is invitation enough - Izunia is there immediately, light bobbing at his shoulder, both of his hands taking Ardyn's.

It's cold. He had known it would be, but it still sends a shiver to his spine that he's barely able to stop, as all of his brain screams at him to get away.

Shut up, brain.]

It's okay. I'm here.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn gripped his brother's hand weakly with a cold and trembling hand, back to silence for a long minute or two...]

[Which was eventually broken by the sound of strangled and hoarse half-repressed sobs against his other arm.]