and for the dark; and for the light

[founderinglight]

Who: Izunia and you! Especially if you are Ardyn or Maddie.
What: Birthday bros! And a few other conversations. Also, Armiger practice.
Where: Rise kitchens, library, a few other places.
When: The last few days of August and the first week of September.
Warnings: Murdergame discussion likely in Ardyn's thread; child abuse/neglect discussion likely in Maddie's.

[Aug 30; Text -> Kitchens, closed to Ardyn]

[Early afternoon comes a message from Ardyn's least favorite twin - ]

If you're still willing to participate in birthday cake production and related activities, I'll be settling up in the kitchens here in about an hour.

[Always leave him room to back out - truthfully Izunia is still extremely surprised that Ardyn agreed to the idea in the first place. But he'll be at the kitchens at the appointed hour, idly scrubbing pans and loading the dishwasher while he waits, very much not starting on the cake itself until Ardyn arrives.]

[Aug 30; Kitchens/common room, later]

[It appears that someone has set up... a surprising quantity of nicely decorated cake out? And there's also ice cream cake in the freezer. How'd that happen.

If you fail to run into the culprit, you might discover Izunia sprawled across one of the common room couches, a plate with no less than three kinds of cake on it. Most of them are the well-decorated ones, but there's also a very plain one that just says CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'VE AGED on it.

He's also keeping a particular eye out for Maddie if she passes through.]

[Library, Aug 28-Sept 3rd minus the 30th]

[Outside of his birthday celebrations - lowkey as they are - Izunia can mostly be found in the library this week. As usual, a good portion of what he can be caught reading is magic-related texts, but there's also a genuinely shocking number of children's and YA novels getting stacked up next to him, sorted into a series of piles. He seems to be churning through them in about half an hour to an hour a piece, so it's... getting to be a lot by the time he packs it in for the day each day, even with the usual amount of Nap.]

[Beach, Sept 4th, night]

[It's a very far way off from the Station that the flashes of blue light can be seen, and likely to very unusual to those who recognize their source. It's hardly just the trails and afterimages of warping and phasing that hang in the air, though. The shapes of Royal Arms hanging in the air, but also the orbs of light that are seemingly his to conjure now -

It's rare to see Izunia push himself, usually confident in his abilities, but it seems like he's doing so now. And it's suitably impressive, but something about his posture seems unsatisfied...

Hopefully, you weren't so foolish as to approach without a light, though, because if you hadn't heard, the guy flinging explosive balls of light and a variety of magical weapons around is Jumpy in the Dark.

And much later that night, you might catch him returning to the station, physically exhausted but with the usual air of warm gentleness about him, and rather a lot of sand still clinging to his clothes.]

Comments

commons

[blackestwitch]

[ Maddie can smell the cake(s) when she enters, but that's not TOO unusual. They have the stuff to make cakes, people like to eat cake, to each their own.

Despite the fact she now wants some cake, she simply finds an empty couch and collapses onto it in a gay-like manner, pulling up her feet almost immediately and pulling out her phone, casually propping her cane up next to her.

Zel will nod to Izunia, though, as he enters slightly behind Maddie. ]

[founderinglight]

[Well, in addition to the cake smell, there's also the faint scent of cinnamon cologne that Izunia's adopted lately. Zel gets a nod in return before Izunia announces himself, with the clink of a fork being set on a plate.]

Good evening, you two.

[blackestwitch]

[ Gah-- ] OH. I thought I smelled something familiar. [ IS SHE SAYING YOU SMELL?!?!?! ...No it's the cologne. ]

Hey. In a cake mood? [ She pauses... ] Wait, is it your birthday?

[founderinglight]

That it is. Not that it probably counts for much at my age.

[blackestwitch]

Hey now, every birthday is important. It's an excuse to get stuff and eat cake. [ Says the girl who's only gotten cake OR presents since arriving here. ]

[founderinglight]

Or drag your relatives into the kitchen to help you make cake.

[He sounds very pleased about that.]

Ice cream cake, even.

[blackestwitch]

You can.... you can make ice cream cake!?

[founderinglight]

[Oh no. He's blown her mind.]

I mean, yes? You pack the ice cream in a pan and then - here, try for yourself, it's vanilla ice cream over chocolate cake.

[There's the faint sound of an Armiger summoning and then he stands to bring the cake over- the plate he sets on the armrest near her is very definitely cold.]

[blackestwitch]

I thought... like you needed special equipment or something. And only Dairy Queen and Walmart had access to the technology. You can just - just make it?

[ ICE. CREAM. CAKE.

She eatin' it. ]

And it stays cold in your armiger, too? Whoa.

[founderinglight]

It's a little difficult to get the shaped ice cream out of a metal pan, but modern silicone is a wonder for it.

[He grins.]

One of the most useful things about the Armiger is that it's completely time-static - the ice cream doesn't meltand my morning coffee doesn't get cold.

[blackestwitch]

I'd make a comment on that being OP, but if I'm getting ice cream cake out of it I'll let it slide.

[ ICE. CREAM. CAKE. ]

[founderinglight]

It's also ideal for easy breakfast in bed.

[Why bother getting up when you can just conjure breakfast.]

Actually, that was something I wanted to talk to you about.

[blackestwitch]

...I'm fine without breakfast in bed. I usually grab oatmeal.

[founderinglight]

Mm, yes, that isn't exactly breakfast-in-bed friendly. Between you and I, I've had to chase Astolfo out a time or two for trying to get away with syrup.

[NO STICKY IN BED, LITTLE MOON.]

[blackestwitch]

So if not to offer me breakfast, what did you want to talk about?

[founderinglight]

A different sort of offer.

[And she can't see him, squaring his shoulders against the awkwardness, but there's a careful measure in his tone that she can probably pick up on.]

You don't need to give me any details, but, well, I can tell that the people who should have taken care of you haven't done so. And you're certainly old enough that you don't need someone trying to step into those shoes.

The power granted by the Armiger is something that can't be taken away once it's been given. It's... a promise, between two people, to stick by each other. To never abandon each other.

[Scattered thoughts, bring them to order.]

I don't want to presume, but... If you wanted that promise, I wouldn't actually mind being called 'Grandpa' again.

1/2

[blackestwitch]

Wha- [ She interjects with that somewhat early into his explanation, once she figures out what he's saying, but then she's quiet, properly digesting it.

There's a long silence following, her cake almost entirely forgotten.

Her father is - okay, objectively, she knows he hasn't been great. He's mistreated her, he ignored her existence, blamed her for... so many things. Despite that, she's worked so hard to be worthy of his approval, and he's still never given it to her.

And now she has adults in her life who are willing to. Give some of that to her. Jail. Izunia. Zel, she guesses, although she's not sure if he properly counts given everything. (He does.)

But is it okay? It's.... it feels wrong. It feels like she's putting him out, even though he's the one who made the offer. It's... ]

[blackestwitch]

Are you really okay with that?

[founderinglight]

I wouldn't offer if I wasn't.

[And that has... certainty, and a bit of affection, in his voice. He can't give every child who needs one a home, someone to rely on. But he can start with where he is, with the people in front of him.]

[blackestwitch]

[ It's a promise of... forever. Not to throw her away.

How could he be so sure?

But he was. He said as much - plainly, simply, and with conviction. ]

....I think I'd. Like that.

[founderinglight]

I had the feeling.

[It's warm and just a little more relaxed.]

Give me your hand a moment?

[blackestwitch]

All right. [ There's a little hesitation, because, well, this isn't an every day sort of thing, now is it?

But she offers her hand. Palm up, she isn't really sure how she's supposed to be doing this. ]

[founderinglight]

[Palm up works. She'll hear him move before he takes her hand in his, and the tingle of energy is distinctive. Magical, but a different kind of magic from hers, a connection that twists and widens briefly before settling in alongside.]

Calling things up is mostly an act of thought - imagining the particular object you're looking for. Certain distractible people tend to have a bit of trouble with it, but it's not all that hard.

[blackestwitch]

....Okay. I definitely feel... something.

So it's like.... [ She thinks about what Izunia would have. Something she knows he has for sure, and something she can..... well, not visualize, but imagine.

She has an idea. Now imagine... The cold, the texture....

Pop. A piece of ice cream cake appears over her other hand. But it lands on the edges of her fingers, and slips off. ]


...Ah.

[founderinglight]

Well! Accidents aside, you've just about got it. Just remember the grip next time and possibly a plate.