R4 Viewing Party - no crying til the end (if you can help it)

[serrata]

I'm sure this is fine.

WELCOME TO THE R4 LIVEWATCH: AIRLOCKED REACH EDITION

Comments

[scourgingstars]

The last words we exchanged were...a bit complicated.

[Which was code for 'are fucking haunting me every day of my life'.]

So I think I'd like to try again, if she would allow it.

[misanthropicprinciple]

From what she said, she probably will. ...Especially if she's anything like Noct.

[Has he even taken that free punch yet?]

[scourgingstars]

...

Have you ever heard of someone showing their own murderer sympathy?

[misanthropicprinciple]

[JunpeiLaughingAloneWithZeroEscape.jpg]

It's, uh, not typical.

[scourgingstars]

No, no it isn't. And there's...something I've not told anyone. Before I do, I should explain one thing--as the Oracle, Lunafreya had the same healing power as myself without the...obvious drawback.

[Ardyn glanced off to the side, hesitant to say even that much.]

That was half the reason I killed her; in healing the Starscourge she was holding back an eternal night. But when I did, she- [For just a second his voice broke off, like even confessing to what had happened before Lunafreya died was some insurmountable task somehow.] ...That healing power activated, and I think she must have begun to realize what I was. I had just stabbed her, yet she looked directly at me with a smile and-

[That time his voice cracked, Ardyn putting his head in his hands and staring at the table. Why had things ever come to this and gone that far? Why did Lunafreya and Prompto of all people have to die while Ardyn survived when no one deserved or wanted it less? He took a slow, shaking breath and forced out the words that had repeated themselves over and over in his mind since the day he'd remembered them.]

'When the prophecy is fulfilled...all in thrall to darkness shall know peace.' That was the last thing she said to me.

[misanthropicprinciple]

[Junpei reaches over and puts his hand on Ardyn's shoulder, firm and warm. He's here, Dad. He's not going anywhere. His voice is even and sure.]

She sounds fucking insane.

[scourgingstars]

She was exactly what I was once--what I wanted to be or should have been, at least.

So yes. 'Fucking insanity' comes with the territory of being a healer like that.

[misanthropicprinciple]

You should definitely talk, then. For both your sakes, not just yours. That's something no human being was ever meant to be.

[Teach Lunafreya Nox Fleuret to flip off the gods and walk backwards into hell, Dad.]

[scourgingstars]

It won't be possible to convince her of that, I'm certain. But I think that I would still like to talk to her, even if just to apologize for everything I was back then.

[misanthropicprinciple]

...You gonna give her a free punch, too?

[scourgingstars]

I would, but she'd likely not accept it. Prompto gets a free hit as long as he doesn't shoot me again.

[misanthropicprinciple]

He looks like he'd break his arm if he took a swing at you.

[scourgingstars]

Probably, but it's the best he's getting because I don't care to get shot at when I can't survive it anymore.

[misanthropicprinciple]

I'm kind of surprised he survived shooting you. When did that even happen?

[scourgingstars]

Oh...about ten years ago, right after Noct's Shield hit me in the throat with a greatsword.

[A shrug.]

I was in a reasonably decent mood that day by my standards, so I didn't bother killing them.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Truly a pillar of beneficence. A model of mercy.

[scourgingstars]

A psychotic immortal with better things to do, luckily.

[misanthropicprinciple]

Yeah, that's what I said. Same difference.

[Ten years, though, huh?]

Did you ever figure out when he's from? I know he doesn't match up with you and Noct.