[ You know that voice she had when he was first done telling her about all the shit that went down in Eos and she sounded personally offended and like she was considering hauling off and fighting an entire country in the streets?
It's back. ]
What would be the point of sticking that number at the end of your name if you weren't named after your father? Is-- is that really just how it works in Eos?!
Your worlds are the ones with ridiculous things like rabbits, don't start with me.
[Ardyn sighed, running a hand through his hair.]
Following royal naming conventions she wouldn't have, no. I think-... [He trailed off, uncertain.] Father's name started with an A, and hers...hers was with an I, that was as close to naming the two of us after them as it came. I-...Ia--Iacinthina, that was it. I'm almost certain of it.
[ He's almost certain. That terrible thought about what it would be like to realize you'd forgotten your own parents is so close to being a reality that she almost regrets asking.
Maybe that's why, rather than respond with another question she finds herself saying -- ]
Our parents did the same thing -- or um, something like that anyway. Ruu-chan and me... both of us were named after our mother. Ryoko. They picked out our names using the kanji in hers.
[ It's the first time she's said much of anything about her parents since all of this began and even Yuuri looks a little startled to find the words coming out of her mouth. ]
Mm. It's, um-- it's not the same character in all of our names but it's the same meaning. "Distant". I'm still not sure why they decided to name us like that but... I guess it ended up being appropriate.
[ Does she sound just a little bitter? Surely you're imagining things. ]
[ "Distant" is about right for her tone now, though. ]
Maybe not for us, but... hm. [ she's frowning a little, like she's trying to work out if it's somehow untoward of her to admit what she's about to say. ] She wasn't a bad mother -- she worked very hard and she loved me and Ruu-chan very much. I know that.
But I always felt... a little more like a guest on her best behaviour rather than her daughter. Does that make sense?
I was royalty, dear, of course it makes sense. [Ardyn leaned over and rested his head on one hand with a halfhearted smile.]
I can't recall having any negative memories of my parents, but...Father was the Founder King before all else, I think. There was a certain level of decorum expected of the crown prince that was not always easy to maintain.
...Though I can't quite imagine feeling that way when it's not necessary of your position.
It was... I honestly can't really understand why it felt like that. It wasn't like anyone ever told us that's how things had to be. But I think maybe we got told one too many times just how busy they both were. Especially once I got old enough to look after Ruu-chan while they were out.
I used to think things like "Mom and Dad are already so busy, so I have to be on my best behaviour". I didn't want to cause them any more trouble. Or something like that, anyway.
[ Ah, headpat. It's enough to make her expression soften a little bit. ]
Maybe not. It's probably a little silly, thinking back on it now but... but I was only thirteen. Maybe fourteen. Once you get something into your head at that age it's hard to make it unstick.
[ She's softening things a bit. She's not talking about the phone calls, the apologies for their absence, the sighs and "I'm sorry things are so busy, but it can't really be helped. You'll be a good, grown-up girl and keep yourself out of trouble, won't you?" the few times she'd bothered asking if either of them would be home on time. Because in her eyes, it really isn't something that needs mentioning. It was just the way things were.
That and... for all the time that's passed and the distance there'd been, they'd still been her parents. Even talking this frankly about them feels a little disrespectful. ]
That's why I always did my best to make sure Ruu-chan never felt like that. Not with me, at least. And I... I hope it worked.
... I guess we'll find out for sure once go and find Ruu-chan.
[ she says it with a smile but those sure aren't the words of someone fully confident in their big sistering skills. ]
But that's going to be... interesting, don't you think? It was strange enough for us to get used to all this -- space, the future. Everything else. I just hope it doesn't unsettle her too much after everything she's already been through.
[ She cracks another smile. It's small but it's a real one this time and she reaches her hand out to him again. It's not where she intended this conversation to drift. But it means that Ardyn isn't worrying himself ragged over Airlocked! so she can't say she minds. ]
... What do you think we'll all do, when this is over? I've been... thinking about that a lot lately. I mean, we can't just stay here forever, can we? We're going to have to move on eventually but actually doing that is going to be a bit of a mess...
...I'm not entirely sure. [He took Yuuri's hand with his own, the black ring feeling just a little heavy as Ardyn considered the options.] My planet is out of the question; even were I to want to return and in the hypothetical best case scenario, I doubt Noctis would ever allow that.
[which...fair.]
I'm not entirely certain what Junpei's world is like, but offhand that's sounded like the safest choice as far as I've heard.
Mmm. I'd like to be safe. After all this, I mean. But I wonder...
[ She trusts Junpei of course -- if he says his world is safe then she doesn't doubt for a second that it is. But she wonders how it would feel to suddenly be back in a Japan full of living, breathing people. Seeing a city when she's so used to ruins.
Is there a Yuuri Wakasa in his world? Is there a place for this Yuuri Wakasa in Japan of 2028? ]
I mean. It'd be a little hard to just set up a new life in a completely different world. Unless we somehow registered as citizens somewhere we'd be living off the grid for the rest of our lives.
Something like that is far easier to arrange than you think.
[Said the immortal with a legitimate driver's license.]
A little creative misdirection, occasionally a bit of illusion magic, and you have a perfectly functional life without the slightest hint of a concrete background.
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The second king of -- that's not how names work.
[ she sounds so offended. ]
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Why would over one hundred kings have the same name, that's asinine!
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[ You know that voice she had when he was first done telling her about all the shit that went down in Eos and she sounded personally offended and like she was considering hauling off and fighting an entire country in the streets?
It's back. ]
What would be the point of sticking that number at the end of your name if you weren't named after your father? Is-- is that really just how it works in Eos?!
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[DON'T YELL AT HIM HE'S SO CONFUSED]
I-I don't know, take it up with Father or Bahamut, I had nothing to do with it!
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[ Yuuri Wakasa: twelve years old, apparently. ]
Then what about your mother? She didn't have any unnecessary numbers in her name, did she?
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[Ardyn sighed, running a hand through his hair.]
Following royal naming conventions she wouldn't have, no. I think-... [He trailed off, uncertain.] Father's name started with an A, and hers...hers was with an I, that was as close to naming the two of us after them as it came. I-...Ia--Iacinthina, that was it. I'm almost certain of it.
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Maybe that's why, rather than respond with another question she finds herself saying -- ]
Our parents did the same thing -- or um, something like that anyway. Ruu-chan and me... both of us were named after our mother. Ryoko. They picked out our names using the kanji in hers.
[ It's the first time she's said much of anything about her parents since all of this began and even Yuuri looks a little startled to find the words coming out of her mouth. ]
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[ Does she sound just a little bitter? Surely you're imagining things. ]
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I don't think it did. Perhaps it was suitable once, but right now you're the farthest thing from 'distant' I can imagine.
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[ "Distant" is about right for her tone now, though. ]
Maybe not for us, but... hm. [ she's frowning a little, like she's trying to work out if it's somehow untoward of her to admit what she's about to say. ] She wasn't a bad mother -- she worked very hard and she loved me and Ruu-chan very much. I know that.
But I always felt... a little more like a guest on her best behaviour rather than her daughter. Does that make sense?
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I can't recall having any negative memories of my parents, but...Father was the Founder King before all else, I think. There was a certain level of decorum expected of the crown prince that was not always easy to maintain.
...Though I can't quite imagine feeling that way when it's not necessary of your position.
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It was... I honestly can't really understand why it felt like that. It wasn't like anyone ever told us that's how things had to be. But I think maybe we got told one too many times just how busy they both were. Especially once I got old enough to look after Ruu-chan while they were out.
I used to think things like "Mom and Dad are already so busy, so I have to be on my best behaviour". I didn't want to cause them any more trouble. Or something like that, anyway.
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...You don't strike me as one to cause that sort of trouble.
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Maybe not. It's probably a little silly, thinking back on it now but... but I was only thirteen. Maybe fourteen. Once you get something into your head at that age it's hard to make it unstick.
[ She's softening things a bit. She's not talking about the phone calls, the apologies for their absence, the sighs and "I'm sorry things are so busy, but it can't really be helped. You'll be a good, grown-up girl and keep yourself out of trouble, won't you?" the few times she'd bothered asking if either of them would be home on time. Because in her eyes, it really isn't something that needs mentioning. It was just the way things were.
That and... for all the time that's passed and the distance there'd been, they'd still been her parents. Even talking this frankly about them feels a little disrespectful. ]
That's why I always did my best to make sure Ruu-chan never felt like that. Not with me, at least. And I... I hope it worked.
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[...That much, he still remembered.]
I don't have any doubt you did spectacularly.
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[ she says it with a smile but those sure aren't the words of someone fully confident in their big sistering skills. ]
But that's going to be... interesting, don't you think? It was strange enough for us to get used to all this -- space, the future. Everything else. I just hope it doesn't unsettle her too much after everything she's already been through.
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... What do you think we'll all do, when this is over? I've been... thinking about that a lot lately. I mean, we can't just stay here forever, can we? We're going to have to move on eventually but actually doing that is going to be a bit of a mess...
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[which...fair.]
I'm not entirely certain what Junpei's world is like, but offhand that's sounded like the safest choice as far as I've heard.
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[ She trusts Junpei of course -- if he says his world is safe then she doesn't doubt for a second that it is. But she wonders how it would feel to suddenly be back in a Japan full of living, breathing people. Seeing a city when she's so used to ruins.
Is there a Yuuri Wakasa in his world? Is there a place for this Yuuri Wakasa in Japan of 2028? ]
I mean. It'd be a little hard to just set up a new life in a completely different world. Unless we somehow registered as citizens somewhere we'd be living off the grid for the rest of our lives.
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[Said the immortal with a legitimate driver's license.]
A little creative misdirection, occasionally a bit of illusion magic, and you have a perfectly functional life without the slightest hint of a concrete background.
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It's really that easy... I could even finish school, if I wanted. Maybe not high school, but it'd be nice to be able to go to college...
[ Maybe she'd actually be able to pursue a career she actually wants rather than "whatever's more convenient for my family". Just imagine. ]
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[He laughed halfheartedly, squeezing Yuuri's hand lightly.]
If that's what you want, we'll see if we can't figure the logistics out once this is all over.