[It was difficult--no, impossible for Ardyn to let go of the desire for vengeance. Someone should have paid for what they had all gone through and all those they'd lost, and as far as he was concerned someone would. Was it right to want bloody revenge on the network? The exalted savior of Lucis would disagree. Vengeance caused more problems than it solved; destroy them and risk something worse rising to take its place. Yet the Accursed would demand fires lit and blood shed, trample the network so soundly underfoot that all across the stars would look to the example and never dare tread the same path.]

[...It was difficult to prioritize what he wanted and what might someday be necessary; Ardyn was only human, after all.]

I don't know if I can completely agree with that. Not after what I've done--I'm the last person deserving of a second chance, no matter what the rest of you think.

But I already tried to discourage all of you once, and we all saw how well that went--at least two of you want to fight a god the size of a building in my defense. Possibly three, if we're to include you. Accursed scourge of an entire planet, and that barely got any of you to blink, much less turn on me.

[Despite the honest but pessimistic wording, a smile drifted across Ardyn's face.]

...You know, when I said I never had children, that wasn't a suggestion that applications were open. [He shook his head, hands gently pulling away from Yuuri's in favor of holding his arms out to her just slightly--hesitant, like he wasn't sure what he was doing.] But I'm immeasurably grateful for the family that so stubbornly adopted me.