DUNGEON LOG - TELOVIA MINES

[phantasmods]

The day dawns bright and early - the same as most every expedition. The only difference is that you'll need to take the teleportation pad to Lodestone as a starting point - the gliders and drones are already there. There's clouds on the horizon, though, so if you're going to take a glider and go, you'd better get going.

There's some new additions, though, to the usual group of androids seeing you off. Tau is checking over the drones ready to carry those who can't or won't use the gliders, and Muon is practicing opening and collapsing the wings of a glider with bright yellow sails. She grins at anyone who approaches, shooting them a thumbs up.

"Don't worry about getting lost or falling behind! As long as Tau's here, they'll keep us all together."

And with that bit of bright cheer, it's off towards the mountains you go...

----

From the air, the remains of the mining town are almost impossible to tell from any other part of the forest. The trees - especially the old ones - are much thinner, and that's really the only sign of what's below.

But Muon's bright yellow glider, leading the way, dips down into the treeline before landing in an open space, and anyone who isn't paying enough attention to follow will feel their glider being herded in the same direction by Tau's power - control not outright taken, but more of a nudge, like, hey buddy it's this way. The group lands just beyond the border of the Fissure - a tiny stable spot in whatever's left of this world.

And a good thing, too, because landing in the Fissure itself could prove quite difficult...

Comments

[founderinglight]

And the way that Ardyn and I would go about that understanding is wholly different, almost exactly in opposition. He needs to not talk about it, because for him talking about it brings it back. And that's as far into his reasoning as I can understand, because I do need to talk about things, I need to let it drain from me so that it doesn't build up. Ardyn has a closet, I an infected wound.

Intellectually, I can know that that's his reason. And I know that it's so much that it's overwhelming - even the edited-for-mass-consumption version is. But I can't understand, emotionally, because the thought of doing it the way he does just makes me hurt.

[motherfucking_ghost]

That's cuz he's way more fucked up than you and represses everything cuz he's pretty sure he will literally go insane.

[Trust Church to at least be blunt.]

Where are you up to?

[founderinglight]

Asking which of us is more fucked up is like asking which side of the ocean has more water, if you ask me.

[Namely - it's a meaningless question. They're both screwed up beyond repair.]

...Queenie came back.

[That says... Pretty much all it needs to say, doesn't it?]

So, almost to the end, at least in this season.

[motherfucking_ghost]

So you've been blasting through it.

You know I'm okay with you watching it, right?

[founderinglight]

Hardly, by comparison. I could probably have cleared it at twice the speed if I didn't share a room, though I don't think my heart could have taken it much faster than that.

[Another sigh and hand run through his hair.]

No, I didn't.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Well...there you go. It's fine. I dunno how the others feel, but I don't think there should be any problem.

[founderinglight]

I'll believe that when it happens.

[He's not dumb, he knows Yuuri thinks he's a problem jsut for existing.]

But I'm glad to hear it from at least one person.

[motherfucking_ghost]

At least he thought I would be mad, and I'm not. He was fucking beside himself with agony over not telling us. I guess Yuuri's upset? Or she was? I don't know.

[founderinglight]

[Yeah that's about who he expected to have the most problem with it.]

He is - and I say this with love - a complete idiot sometimes.

[Still, Izunia seems remarkably cheered. Ardyn actually told someone, something for once in his life. That makes for a remarkably happy, anxiety-soothed Izunia.]

I'm still not going to talk about it unless someone else brings it up first, but I suppose at least now I don't have to kick myself so much over accidentally humming Stand By Me in front of someone.

[motherfucking_ghost]

You should still feel free to kick yourself. Repeatedly. With tremendous force.

[founderinglight]

[Well that relatively amicable conversation was nice while it lasted. Izunia sighs.]

What is even the point of your performative dickishness at this point?

[motherfucking_ghost]

You mean the general dickishness because I'm an asshole, or specifically the dickishness to you?

[founderinglight]

The latter, considering that outside of that I don't consider you an asshole much at all.

[Which will probably send him into reboot mode again.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

That's just cuz you've seen me with Ardyn and also at my absolute lowest, at least for that season, so you know I'm not an evil dickwad, just an annoyance.

But you I hate, so. I dunno why you act like you're surprised.

[founderinglight]

I'm not surprised. That's the entire point. I don't need you to repeat it every time we're vaguely getting along.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I didn't repeat it until you asked. You're the one that doesn't fucking understand me anyway. Maybe this place will be good for us! I'm almost tolerable when I'm not speaking, after all!

[founderinglight]

... Oh, for the love of...

[He buries his face in his hands.]

Why is it only the worst of what I say that you actually believe?

[motherfucking_ghost]

Why do you think I only believe the worst of what you say? There's plenty that you say that I believe. [He fiddles with the cannon in his hands.] Not everything, obviously.

[founderinglight]

Like what.

[Money. Mouth. Let's see it.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

Like most things? That you regret the shit you did to Ardyn. That you genuinely like me in spite of every indication and reason to the contrary.

[founderinglight]

...Thank you.

[Because those are the important things.]

Though I still don't understand why you think I wouldn't like you. Especially now.

[motherfucking_ghost]

I don't understand why I would ever think you would like me. All of your reasons have been complete bullshit. I mean I believe you believe it, I believe you do actually, for some fucked up reason or another, like me. I don't understand why. Just because I'm technically family? That's not good enough.

[founderinglight]

[Izunia rubs at his face, briefly, trying to find the words.]

It's not just that you're family. You're Ardyn's family. You represent a miracle at such distant odds they're incomprehensible, the miracle in which my brother finds any happiness at all in the end.

Out of all of that darkness, he chose you, and you all chose to stand by him. Is that enough for love?

[When the night is come...]

...I don't know. But it's enough to give someone a chance. And the person you are...

Forget Airlocked, forget everything else. In just this moment - you could have walked by. I never would have known you were there.

[And that person is someone that Izunia is glad to call family.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

...Well. [fuck] Maybe next time I will.

[founderinglight]

Somehow, I doubt that.

[Just because he has to learn to see doesn't mean he's incapable.]

But I have no regrets about my decision to try.