The Age Up/Down Meme

[kingshaming]

Look, most of our characters have lots of backstory to take advantage of, or headcanons for their future. This is the place to use it!

Prompts

1) People are suddenly shifting ages on the good ship Teremity! It's probably space waves and will fix itself in a day or two, so enjoy reliving your mispent youth.

2) You were always this age! Nothing bad is happening and you all already know each other and it's all cute af. A fluff option.

3) You are this age... and going through your round (or a remixed version) of your Airlocked season. Not for the REALLY young age downs!

Comments

[scourgingstars]

While the fact that you may not like me has scarcely evaded my notice, you don't seem the type for regicide.

[Like most teenagers--most of which didn't have untold divine power (formerly) at their beck and call--Ardyn was clearly reckless enough to take stupid risks, accepting the float that was handed to him.]

All the same, the gesture is surprisingly kind of you.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Tenmyouji snorts and takes a big sip of his own float, moving over to sit at Ardyn's desk without an invitation.]

Nothing personal. I don't like any of you people. Wouldn't trust you as far as I can throw you, which, at my age?

[He shrugs stiffly.]

Ain't much.

[scourgingstars]

[A short laugh left Ardyn in response as he leaned back against the wall for lack of an unoccupied chair.]

Some would call honesty like that refreshing. Not many, but I'm sure someone would.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Age before beauty, kid.]

Humph. Not you, huh? You're more of the 'fake it till you make it' type, aren't you.

[scourgingstars]

[There went the eyebrow raise again, not-yet-yellow eyes watching from over that glass with something sharp to them.]

I'm not certain I understand your meaning.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Don't bullshit me. I'm almost four times your age, don't think I don't recognize a tryhard hero when I see one. That announcement today shook you up or I'm a dancing monkey.

[scourgingstars]

My, and here you've had me fooled all along. I didn't know dancing monkeys could talk.

[there's a library this time or we're gonna be into Lucian Zoology 201 for hours]

[misanthropicprinciple]

Yeah, ook ook, asshole. You'd be surprised what can pass as human these days.

[But let's not talk about Virtue's Last Reward.]

Look. You can talk to me knowing I got no one to share any of your shit with, or you can deal with me accusing you the second a body hits the floor. You may not believe it, but I used to be a detective. I can be real persuasive when it counts. Your choice.

[scourgingstars]

You are more than welcome to accuse me if you will; know only that your skilled persuasion will kill every single one of us if you do.

[Ardyn dropped the casual demeanor in a matter of seconds, setting the half-empty float aside and straightening up to his full height (a lanky teenager still growing into a too-tall, too-thin frame) with a sharp and focused stare.]

I will not be intimidated, by you or those reigning over this game. And when blood is spilled, it will not be by the hand of a Lucian.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Sluuurrrrp.]

Then do you wanna talk about it? Because none of that means shit to me, kid. I can't trust what I don't know, and right now all I know's what I saw.

[And if nothing else, Tenmyouji knows how to roll a perception check.]

...I got no intention of dying here. My grandson's waiting for me to get back home.

[scourgingstars]

... [Ardyn's right hand curled into a loose fist before relaxing again, a nervous gesture that only served to call attention to the ring on his hand. He folded his arms, a frown gradually coming to his face.]

My world can not afford for my life to end here. Nothing they offer is worth that risk.

[misanthropicprinciple]

...Not even if what they offer is your world? Or its future?

[scourgingstars]

I am my world's future.

[It was more than likely strange to hear that without a trace of arrogance, especially from a scrawny kid dressed like the king of the Black goddamn Parade. Ardyn said it as though it were objective fact, the same as the sky being blue.]

My planet is...very, very ill. It bears a plague only I hold the power to cure the people of, and only I will have the power to banish it entirely.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Hm.

[Tenmyouji's fingers tighten around his glass.]

I've heard talk like that before. And when the talk led to action, it didn't turn out so well.

[scourgingstars]

Meaning what, specifically? You ask me to confide in you and respond with something such as that--I rather feel as though I'm being mocked at the moment.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He considers his glass a long moment, then looks up at Ardyn, eyes hard and measuring. Finally, without breaking eye contact, he says:]

A 'plague' of sorts wiped out most of my planet's population. And the ones who tried to stop it... turned into monsters themselves, justifying their crimes in the name of 'saving' people.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn stared right back without hesitation; the casual child was entirely gone, replaced by someone that looked far older than merely eighteen.]

I am sorry to hear that. Truly--I am. But the only way to avert such a fate for my world is through my own actions. If I do nothing, then I doom an entire planet and its people including myself to death.

[misanthropicprinciple]

And the action you have to take is what, exactly? If it's not killing all of us for the free ride home.

[scourgingstars]

That is none of your concern. It has no bearing on any of you, as I've no intention of killing anyone.

[misanthropicprinciple]

...Fair enough. Guess I'd have no reason to care if it doesn't affect us.

[Except this ornery old man very clearly does care, for once.]

It does affect you, though. Right? Something like the fate of the world hanging over you, that's something they can use to move you against us eventually, if this 'different future' bullshit doesn't do it for you.

[scourgingstars]

It's my entire world at stake, of course it affects me. But I'm telling you I am not so weak of will or cowardly enough to betray anyone here. My kingdom will not find salvation through betrayal.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Hm. If you say so.

[He's so convinced. Now, though, he gets up, since it doesn't seem that pressing the matter will get him anywhere.]</small You ever change your mind about talking about it with someone, you know where to find me. I'd be curious to hear how you'd do it, given the similarities in our situation. Later, then.

[scourgingstars]

...Don't regard me as though I am some child, Tenmyouji. I hardly need guidance or counsel as though I were your grandson myself.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He snorts.]

You're, what. Sixteen?

[scourgingstars]

Eighteen. I have been king of Lucis for two years.