A call for help~

[piercetheheart]

Alright... it kinda goes against everything I know to do this but the Bunny god needs our help and I'm not going to sit around here and be useless.

[He sounds pissed of and upset but he's here and he's asking dammit.]

Anyone here have enough healing magic to patch up a puncture wound in someone's abdomen? Like a deep one?

And assuming I can get a hold of anyone we've got shit to clear out.

Hey, Tim! Lets find some shit for that restaurant.

Comments

[piercetheheart]

I... [There's a long pause and he honestly sounds so defeated.] don't know.

[scourgingstars]

Well, when you figure it out, the offer's open. I'm not going anywhere.

[piercetheheart]

What do you get out of it?

[scourgingstars]

Nothing. But if you want to make this an exchange, I think we can do that.

[piercetheheart]

I don't like the idea of owing a favor to you of all people.

[scourgingstars]

No, nothing like that. A single trade, nothing more.

I heal your stab wound, you tell me what happened in the Tempering Grounds. And don't deny it--I know that's where you went, back then.

[piercetheheart]

[There's an inhale of breath, a brief pause, and then, slowly.]

Fine... but not until tonight. We're already wasting daylight.

[scourgingstars]

That's fine. I don't work well in sunlight anyway. Take your time, it's not as though I can sleep.

[piercetheheart]

[He's not entirely sure what to say to that so he doesn't. He simply stuffs the stone into the pocket of his pants, shoves the whole thing into his knapsack and heads for the mana pool.

When he steps out he is, unfortunately for Ardyn, still running around in the sad excuse for a loincloth that Prompto gave him to get by until he could wear pants again. It doesn't take long for Gladio to spot Ardyn but, even though they'd discussed it he's still a little wary of actually approaching the other man.]

[scourgingstars]

...What in the hell are you wearing.

[He seemed harmless enough, sitting by the mana pool with Hresvelgr curled up beside him.]

[piercetheheart]

The only thing anyone had that wasn't going to put pressure on the hole in my guts.

[True enough he had the loincloth slung low on his hips. It sat below the section of bandages that covered so much of his belly.

Ardyn, harmless. That's hilarious. But he does have a cute bird so there's that going for him at least. At least when Gladio approaches he is careful to stay a decent enough distance away that he's not going to accidentally flash Ardyn.]

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn sighed and rolled his eyes, motion visible under that insufferably present hat.]

Come over here and sit down. It'll just take a moment.

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio mimics the action, sighing as well but he does settle himself beside Ardyn, opposite Hresvelgr.]

Right... How does this work? [Because the only healing Noct has is making energy drinks into something out of a fucking video game.]

[scourgingstars]

It works by you holding still and being quiet so I can concentrate.

[Ardyn took off the everpresent fingerless gloves to reveal scattered and old scars on his hands, one of which reached over to hover over the bandages; this would go more quickly with direct contact, but he expected Gladio would take his arm off if he tried. Those were a pain to regenerate.]

[After a second or two, there was a glow of light from his hand; warm and golden like morning sunlight. Gradually, the puncture stitched itself together under the sensation of warmth, Ardyn's free hand pulling his hat down to hide his expression.]

[The layers hid it well, but as Gladio's wound healed a black stain began to appear on Ardyn's clothes in the same place, as if it were Ardyn that had been stabbed instead.]

[piercetheheart]

[Still and quiet he could do. Usually. This was a fairly unusual occurrence, having his mortal enemy healing a wound from a friend he'd had a miscommunication with.
It's curious though, watching that golden light spill from Ardyn's hand, feeling his body knit itself back together.

He doesn't think anything of the way Ardyn adjusts his hat but, if anything, lifting his arm makes it more apparent that he's bleeding and Gladio's eyes go wide. He reaches down and snatches Ardyn's hand away from his abdomen, fingers holding firmly to his wrist.]

Are you insane!? [He doesn't mean to yell but it's loud and a little panicked and unless Ardyn stops him he's reaching to pull his jacket, and hopefully a few more layers, out of the way.] You didn't tell me you-

[scourgingstars]

Don't. [Ardyn's voice was sharp, slapping Gladio's hand away to press his own to his side.] It's fine; it'll be gone in a moment.

[The black miasma that passed for blood was already evaporating even under Ardyn's hand, though the bleeding itself hadn't yet stopped.]

...I told you. Monsters are created, not born.

[piercetheheart]

[Slowly Gladio sits back on his heels, watching black ooze from the wound in something between horror and sympathy. He actually looks at Ardyn for a long moment, head still reeling with all of the new information he has about the other man but-

Especially after this there's one thing that he has to tell Ardyn. He waits until he's certain the wound will heal on it's own. The he hasn't been healed just to have someone else suffer in his place. Not that it isn't painful, that much is rather apparent, but if Ardyn is injured for weeks over this he'll never forgive himself.

Eventually, though, he relaxes, sits back and refuses to meet his eyes.]

I'm sorry. For- [A gesture at Ardyn's blackened hand.] and... I tricked you.

[scourgingstars]

...What are you talking about?

[The pain didn't seem to bother Ardyn too much; either because he didn't feel it or just because he was hiding it.]

[piercetheheart]

Last week... I- [He never expected to have to explain any of this to him. And he's still watching carefully, just in case something goes wrong and Ardyn isn't as okay as he says he'll be.]

After everything with the dreams I just wanted to understand. So I went to talk to you.

But without you knowing it was me.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn frowned, somewhere between annoyed and confused. The black stain in his clothes continued to evaporate in the thin smokelike trails characteristic of Starscourge, though it was gradually lessening.]

What? When was that?

[piercetheheart]

You won't remember. It... it's part of the enchantment. You wouldn't recognize me or remember the conversation, not really.

I figured if I just walked up you'd tell me to get the fuck off your lawn. I... didn't want you to just mock me for not getting it so I used this stupid mask thing I got so you wouldn't know it was me.

[scourgingstars]

And what, might I ask, was so vital that you decided to just magic away all recollection of the incident?

Which, I might add, is considerably rude.

[piercetheheart]

Think I don't know that!?

[He doesn't mean to snap and he flinches as soon as the words leave his mouth. Fuck he really should just stop talking.]

I just wanted to understand... both sides, I guess. It wasn't about making you forget it was about getting you to talk in the first place. You'd say more to a goddamn stranger than to me unless there was something you had to lord over me.

[And that has his breath catching, amber eyes flashing wide for a second as he realizes the hole he's backed himself into and then he drops his gaze, looks away. Oh Ardyn had the biggest thing to hold over his head now and he'd just gone and put his foot in his mouth all over again.]

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn finally pulled his hand away, black miasma disappearing from his skin and clothes as he pulled the gloves back on to cover scarred and calloused hands.]

...So what happened?

[piercetheheart]

You made a lot of metaphors and found something to lord over me anyway.

[Maybe he shouldn't have started this. This was stupid and awful and Ardyn was fine now, he should just go meet Tim and forget this shit too.

This would be so much easier if it wasn't like talking to two different people.]