rookshire | Ashes to ashes, mountains will always need to be climbed

[This was fine. This was fine. This was fine.]

[Maybe if he thought the same thing over and over he could pretend he wasn't curled up on the floor in blinding pain next to a very concerned black chocobo. Gods, but this cyclical nonsense had gotten old immediately and Ardyn wasn't sure how many more months of it he'd be able to tolerate before he snapped into incoherent madness entirely.]

[If nothing else, the fact that Ignis and Noctis weren't present was the only upside. Had either of them been aware he was in such a state, he'd be mortified in the former case and enraged in the latter.]

[Ah--hadn't he said he would do something when he had better control of his powers? What...was it again? Something about...something about ice magic--right, the tigerlily. Dazedly, he held out a hand and struggled to call up even a spark of magic; concentration was harder when he could barely see straight.]

[It's one thing knowing Ardyn is miserable but he usually tries to suck it up and put on a brave face for Ignis. Or at least enough of one that Gladio wasn't really aware of just how awful things were for his firestarter. Things are quiet for now, at least, but the others should be making it out to the city soon enough.

Gladio sinks down to one knee in front of Ardyn. He moves slowly and deliberately, sliding his hand into Ardyn's and giving it a gentle squeeze.]

Don't worry about the magic for now. We'll get plenty of water soon enough. Just gonna need you to pull it all out of the armiger.

[Ardyn flinched at the touch to his hand but didn't seem to find the energy to pull back, curling in on himself in a combination of pain and detesting being seen like this at all.]

...can't concentrate. It'll be a- [He broke off in a sudden ragged breath, coughing against his other hand.] ...a miracle if I can even get anything back out again.

[For a moment Gladio's instinct is to move to rub his back while he coughs but with how much he hurts the thought is immediately dismissed.]

Shhh... relax, Ardyn. [He bites his lip, frowning a little. They need to stock up on water as much as they can. Even the pool is getting low at this point with everyone bathing out of it and using it for everything but drinking. The whole point was to have two teams working at it.]

You want me to see if Noct and Prompto can handle things? I don't want you hurting yourself if we can help it...

Shut up, you talk too much. I already have a headache, I don't- [Another quickly muffled cough.] -don't need to hear your nonsense on top of it.

[For a moment Ardyn just tried to catch his breath, Hresvelgr preening gently at violet-streaked hair.]

It's fine. Worst case scenario, Ignis can get it out when they return and...we'll just deal with whatever Prompto comes up with on this side until then. It isn't as though space is limited.

[It's nothing short of torture. Watching Ardyn struggle so much and knowing that even if he did scoop the redhead up into his arms and cradle him it wouldn't help.]

If this place works the same as the islands then space is definitely limited. 's why I suggested doing the chain in the first place.

[He makes a compromise with himself, reaching out to lightly brush a few wayward strands of violet streaked hair out of Ardyn's face where Hresvelgr's knocked it askew.]

Is there anything I can do to make this easier on you?

You can start by n-not asking foolish questions. There’s nothing I can do about it but pry what I can out of the Armiger when I’m able, so don’t—

[Annoyance flared up, and the scourge with it; Ardyn’s snapped response was cut off in a harshly pained sound as he clutched at his head with corruption-stained hands.]

...don’t...tell him. [He managed that between ragged breaths, gold eyes shut tightly.] If you do then I s-swear no one will find your body.

[Seeing him hurting so much absolutely breaks Gladio's heart and he has a moment where he wants to just say forget it, it's not worth it. But Leo curled up in the corner, wilting and lethargic says otherwise. It's enough to have the Shield leaning in to rest his hands lightly over Ardyn's utterly heedless of the blackening streaks spreading over his skin. He keeps the contact light, just a brush of warm fingers against the back of his hands.]

Ardyn...

[One word, just his name but it's heavy with worry and guilt that he can't be of more use.

But he could be... if only Ardyn would trust him enough-

The very idea of asking is a leaden weight in his gut, uncertainty making him hesitate for a long moment.]

Let me do it? You can revoke it as soon as we're done but let me help you?

...You don’t make a single godsdamned bit of sense. You claim to care for some unknowable reason, yet-...yet you won’t ask until there’s some need for it? You’ve not even reconnected to the damnable prince’s magic at all, do you give a solitary fuck about either of us or do you so fear rejection that you would sooner walk on eggshells in perpetuity?

[Frustration made the pounding in his head and the acid in his veins a thousand times worse, so Ardyn paused long enough to struggle to collect himself. Breathe, repress it, focus on the present place and time. At length he forced himself up on unsteady arms, pushed to a sitting position with a scowl that was mostly pain and a little anger.]

...I’ll do it because I’m not fool enough to ignore the pragmatic approach for the sake of my pride. But this is my condition: I’m tired of seeing His Majesty wander about like a kicked puppy because he doesn’t understand why either of you like me any more than I do. Frankly, the whole situation is literally and by definition ’sickening’. So if you don’t end up talking to him like you’re both godsdamned adults and taking his instead like you actually care about him, then I really, actually, not making any witty banter, will kill you.

I don’t like the little brat. But if you turn away from him for my sake or any other’s, you’re nothing but a traitor and worthless to me.

Edited (missed a word ) 2019-08-13 17:56 (UTC)

[This is what he'd been expecting every time he talked to Noctis. This is what he'd been berating himself for over and over again. This was the blame he knew he deserved...

From the wrong person and for all the wrong reasons.

At first Gladio flinches back, Ardyn's words striking a little too close to home. Fear of rejection? Of course. He'd had his position handed to him on a silver platter and he'd spent his entirely life desperately trying to be worthy of that title. It's why he'd faced Gilgamesh in the first place.

A title he now longer bore, officially dismissed from his duty to the Crown. Sacrificing all he'd fought his whole life for because of love. And now here was Ardyn throwing it back in his face.

A flinch that turns into a scowl, equal parts hurt and furious.]

You're the ones that keep telling me not to push and the one fucking thing I respect your boundaries on you call me a coward for?

[It takes him a moment to look away, to force his breath to even out and blink away tears. It takes every ounce of self control he has not to shout or cry or any other of a dozen explosive reactions but to instead stay put and grind out words.]

I have talked to Noct and I am continuously talking to Noct but you're not the only one that needs fucking time, you self centered ass.

He dismissed me. What part of that don't you get, Ardyn? I can't use his magic. I don't deserve that kind of trust from him and I've been trying to earn that trust from you for ages.

[It's a losing battle, swallowing hard, trying to keep going like there aren't tears in his eyes regardless of how pissed he is at Ardyn's callousness.]

I am a traitor. Too in love with you and Iggy to protect him and too devoted to him to deserve you. There's no way this goes without me betraying someone.

'Not pushing' and 'asking a simple question' aren't the same thing. I'm not made of porcelain and neither am I a feral daemon just yet; just asking how I felt about the idea of giving you the Armiger wouldn't have broken me or gotten you killed.

[Deep breath, slow exhale. He'd had a far easier time keeping the scourge in check as a human, but now when anger was practically his sole nature...it was so much more difficult. Even with the frustration restrained and his voice as even as possible, corruption still crept along his skin and up his throat.]

You're a damned fool, is what you are. For that matter, so am I. As is everyone else involved in this disaster. You're an idiot, I'm too broken to know what I'm meant to do, Noctis is unfortunately right to be even a fraction as infuriated as he is--honestly, I think Ignis and Prompto are the only sane people in this whole building.

...I know that no matter how this unfolds, someone's liable to be miserable. And I'm trying to actually give a damn about what an unmitigated disaster this is, but it's nigh impossible when that comes with the prerequisite of both understanding and caring about the first thing to do with mortal sentiment.

I can't...do this, Gladiolus. I simply can't, and no matter how much of an effort I make it's going to keep coming back to this.

Ardyn... Yeah it's a shit situation just like we always knew it would be but its a sacrifice we're willing to make to keep you in our lives and at our sides. You don't have to understand why or empathize with it or anything just acknowledge that it's what we want and what we're going to do.

[He sighs heavily, runs a hand through his hair, completely fucks up the braid Ignis had done for him last night and just yanks the tie out to loosen it all so he can shove his hand through it in annoyance.]

We might end up here a thousand more times but that doesn't make it worthless, babe. [Firm and unrepentant this time. Accept his terms of endearment just this once, you know he does it for a godsdamned reason.] It's what makes it worthwhile because it might be fucked up and hurtful but we're talking and that alone is getting somewhere. We wouldn't have had this conversation even a few months ago. So we might come back and have it again next week or next month or, fuck, tomorrow but I don't care.

I'd rather have this fight a million times than give you up. So yeah, Noct is pissed and upset as he has every right to be and yeah you're an ass sometimes but so am I and the only way to work through it is to talk about it. We might have this conversation again but I'm also going to rehash the same shit with Noct again and again until he can get it too. It's what you do when you care about people. You stick around through the hard shit and find ways to compromise until you can make it work.

If that makes me a stubborn idiot? [Stubborn enough to shimmy closer despite the annoyance radiating off Ardyn and lean in in a clear request for a hug.] So be it.

[Ardyn didn’t accept so much as he simply gave out and crumpled against Gladio—feverish, unsteady, and in no state to do much else.]

...I’ve been tolerating it the best I can. ‘Care’ is a bit of a strong word for me...but I don’t hate Ignis and perhaps I hate you slightly less. That’s the only compromise I can readily offer.

[Ardyn slumps against him and Gladio is right there to wrap an arm around him, trying to keep him comfortable and supporting him as much as he can.]

And that's fine... but I care about you.

[A gentle squeeze, a low rumble of warning as he bumps his forehead gently against Ardyn's head, a light nuzzle.]

Which means, because I care, I want to help.

You’re a fool with terrible taste and worse judgement.

[Ardyn coughed into his hand again, a broken-off attempt at a laugh.]

Don’t tell him. I really will kill you if he finds out how dire it actually seems. Say to me that you won’t, and I’ll lend you my power.

We knew that.

[That part was established a long time ago, Ardyn. But he does nod, voice soft and as reassuring as he can be.]

I'll just tell him the truth. It was the only way for you to get me to shut up and stop fussing.

[He doesn't like lying, especially to Ignis, but if he phrases it casually enough he's confident Ignis won't go looking for a lie. That's the best he can offer.]

...true enough. You can even tell him I didn’t complain for an hour first.

[That time he managed a brief laugh, resting a hand on Gladio’s arm. It took a few tries, like a lighter that couldn’t quite catch flame—but after a moment the familiar spark of magic lit up between them—the same as Noctis’, and yet somehow just subtly different.]

Nah, just half an hour.

[A brief chuckle, amused despite his concern. He does suck in a breath when the magic flickers to life between them, though, something that feels so familiar and yet so different. It's been so long since he's had the magic at hand like this. Almost the entire time on the island and even though it was there he'd locked it down, muffled and ignored when there was no King to accompany it.

He rubs his fingertips together, a weak and unstable little crackle of electricity sparking but even for as unsteady as things are because of the moon phase it's sad. He's never been good at the magic, not like Ignis.]

Thank you, Ardyn.

Don’t ruin the moment by being sentimental, I can probably still punch you.

[ That actually makes him snort-laugh, the kind where stifling the laugh just does not work. ]

I'm always sentimental. Jerk.

You should know better by now. I despise sentiment and avoid it wherever possible. It’s simple logic to avoid making the same mistake twice.

[ardyn, pls.]

No idea what sort of containers they're going to be able to find so try to keep any bottles, jars, anything that can seal stocked up in the lockers, anything that's open we should try to keep in the showers so things don't get tripped over

[He can make a decent plan, really he can. Everything's gonna be fiiiiine]

Any arguments?

Sounds good to me. Should we wait until we're done to move them or think someone should run them back and forth?

[At least he was willing to follow orders.]

I'd like to get this done with as soon as possible.

We've got enough bodies on this end, pretty sure you can just unload and someone can move things out of the way.

Might end up being mostly on you though... Ardyn's... really not doing so hot.

Man, maybe we shoulda arranged it before they left. Then we coulda split up and Noct could have sent one type through and Iggy coulda sent the other type through...

[He sighed.]

Maybe we can send them a note.

Yeah that's an option... once we get things sorted out. There's some papers we could use in security if we need to. Think it's gonna take them longer to get out there than it is for us to figure out who's doing what.

Okay, I'll send him something. Open stuff for me, closed stuff to Ardyn?

...

Uh, someone can sit in the other room with me or something, right?

[He wouldn't feel comfortable being alone.]

The journey to the city was a hot one but, thankfully, it wasn't as long as it had been when Rook had first settled in the sand. The sand bike that Prompto had found and brought back had cut the time in half, not to mention how much energy it saved from not having to walk that far in the heat. It had allowed for a bit more exploration and resource savaging and now...

Well, now it was almost on empty, according to the gauge in the console. This was going to be one of the last rides they'd get unless they found a way to refuel it. Soon. Especially since this particular ride was carrying so much extra weight. It was built to carry one, they'd made it work with two, but Scott had rigged up one of the empty lockers to act as a kind of sled, dragging it behind them with a rope made of twisted sheets. It wasn't the safest thing in the world, but Scott drove carefully so as to not dislodge the passengers on the makeshift sled.

Carefully enough, in fact, that they made it to the city proper before the 'rope' came away with a ripping sound that was far too loud in the unnatural silence.

"Shit! Hang on, guys!"

This was a horrible idea.

Fortunately, this was Noctis, so he was always up for varying levels of horrible ideas. Normally he was even the one coming up with them.

Everything was working out great. They didn't have to walk at least one way. Could save their energy for actually making their way through the city and the eventual long slog back in case they didn't find any extra fuel.

At least until the sound of the sheet ripping echoed far too loudly into the vast emptiness that surrounded them. And they had about five seconds, if that, before it gave way completely and he and Ignis were sent flying along with the heavy hunk of metal they were currently using.

Noctis had always been quick to react. One of his only true strong suits. And it only took one of those seconds to grab Ignis' hand. Another to pull him in as close as possible. Another two, maybe, to summon engine blade and toss it in the opposite direction.

Warping with both of them took far more energy than it normally would have, and his aim was incredibly terrible. But at least they landed in a near by sand dune instead of being flung out and to who knows where.

After he does the only reasonable thing. Which is to shake the sand from his head and reach out to help pull Ignis up.

"Well. That was close."

As a tactician, Ignis hates when he is stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. On one hand, a long walk to and from the city in the heat and arid conditions is not going to be good for any of them and will drastically slow process toward their goal. On the other hand, considering sheets are only so strong, the idea of dragging a locker attached to one, while creative, is hardly safe. As least sharing the ride with Noctis brings him some comfort since he trusts his friend without question. If something goes wrong, he knows Noct will do his best to help him out. He just needs to be ready to go with whatever happens. That is why, when he first catches the sound of the sheet tearing and feels Noctis pull on his hand, he doesn't resist in the slightest, merely goes along for the ride that, while wild and hardly controlled, is a lot better than having a heavy steal locker fall on either of them.

After they land, he does the best to brush the sand off himself as he can before taking Noctis' hand, grateful for the assistance back to his feet.

"Close, but it could have been much worse. Thank you. Are you all right?"

It's not a particularly well thought out tactic. Then again, almost nothing Noctis ever did fell into that category. But it had gotten them out of the way of the line of fire. Or of a heavy chunk of metal landing directly on top of them.

He only currently had two potions and he really didn't feel like wasting them both within the first hour of this trip.

"You know I've always got your back." And now he was also probably going to play the part of seeing-eye Noctis. At least until they got back to the group. "I'm fine. Just took a lot out of me."

As soon as Scott has gotten the bike mostly stopped, Asch jumps off the back and lands roughly in the sand before sprinting over to the pair. His face and hair are still mostly hidden beneath the sheet wrapped around his head to ward off sun and sand, but the concern is clear enough in his body posture.

His tone could use some work, but then, it usually could. "Are you two alright?" comes out as more of a demand, but his tone softens once he's close enough to actually see them clearly. "No injuries?"

She stopped the bike as quickly as she could, but considering how soft the traction was under the oversized tires, she still had to coast several feet before she could safely come to a complete stop. It left her the last to the party, which meant that she could see them moving freely as she dismounted. So while she had started off intending to rush over to check for injuries, she instead simply walked over with a purpose.

"Well, you two look a lot less broken than the locker..."

She pointed at another sand dune. There was what looked like a street light in the middle of that one, however, and the locker had hit it in such a way that they weren't getting it off again without some serious effort.

"Looks like my plan of looking for a gas station is going to extend to finding a trailer for this thing. We're most of the way there, at least? Asch, you alright getting them the rest of the way?"

"We're covered in sand, but you are correct. No injuries thanks to Noct's quick thinking." The grateful look on his face fades, though, when Scott makes her suggestion.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to split the group up. Not when we don't know what is possibly out there waiting for us," he means no insult to Scott, of course. He just has no fondness for taking unnecessary risk, "It would be safer if we all went looking for a trailer and gas after we finish with the water."

"I think we should listen to Iggy." It would probably go a lot faster if they divided and conquered, but he trusted Ignis's advice above everything else.

"We're gonna need you to watch our backs while we get the water anyway."

"You're right. It would be a lot safer." She nodded, readily agreeing with Ignis' point. But that didn't keep her from continuing. "But we have no idea how long the water is going to take with how spotty your all's hammer space thing is, and I don't know about you, but I don't really want to be stuck here overnight. Plus, the bike will last longer if there's only one person on it and I'd rather not wander around the city on foot on a time limit."

You don't have to like it, Iggy, but her logic is sound.

"How far out are we from where you saw the water treatment plant?"

"About half a mile, maybe a little farther," he answers, looking thoughtful. Taking into account the changes to go around some of the more difficult terrain, given Ignis... "Not more than a full mile."

He pauses, and then glances at Ignis. "I agree with Scott. As far as I've been able to tell, the insects are the only danger around here except for shifting rubble." Not an immediate danger for her, at least. "If there's been something else hiding this long, somehow, then we're not likely to disturb it now if it hasn't already been disturbed."

While the look Ignis gives Noctis is grateful--it feels good to have him at his back again--the look he gives Asch is anything but. Scott is stubborn and that's not exactly a bad thing, except for now when he really doesn't feel it is wise for anyone to be alone. Giving her back up is not what they need if they are going to change her mind.

"The insects are danger enough considering how little we know about them."

He presses his lips into a thin line and then speaks again only after a long moment of thought, "Three hours. The heat of the day will be setting in then and I want you back to check in with us even if you haven't found anything. You can go back out again later once things have cooled down if necessary."

"Don't know about you guys but over grown bugs and falling rubble sounds pretty dangerous to me." He really wishes they could have brought Prompto or Gladio. Noctis had never viewed Ignis as a weakness. There was no one he had ever trusted more to have his back.

But if they were busy and their attention was in their task, it was going to be a lot easier for them to be taken by surprise.

"Three hours. Or I'm gonna come looking for you." And no one wants the amount of complaining that's going to entail.

Carefully, he places his hand on Ignis upper back, just like he had seen Prompto do all of those times.

"Let's get going. Don't want to keep them waiting."

Their fussing was cute and Scott smirked as she turned to stroll back to the bike.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be back. I swear, you're almost as bad as 'Bastion...."

Then she was swinging a leg over the seat and coaxing the sputtering engine back to life. It wasn't going to be long for this world if she didn't find some gas. One last wave in their direction, then she was letting out the throttle and gone around the bulk of a building.

"If you get in trouble, just start screaming," Asch says, and amazingly enough it actually is a joke, if the faintest hint of a smile and the tone is anything to go by.

Once Scott is gone, though, it's back to business. He glances at both of the others, before turning his attention more solidly on Ignis. "How confident are you feeling?" he asks. "The route I've been using cuts directly through some of the rubble, but there's longer ways around if you don't feel up for it."

Ignis blindly watches in the direction Scott takes off in. He still doesn't like her going off on her own, but the long gaze is more to give him time to push aside the anger Asch's 'joke' causes than anything.

Wow, everything is just pushing his buttons today, isn't it? Then again, he hates dangerous situations he can't fully plan for and this is most certainly that.

"The shorter route will be fine. Noctis will be at my side."

Ashes to ashes, mountains will always need to be climbed

Rook Side

cw: jrpg illness

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