[He uttered that single word so softly that it might as well have been caught in a breath.
Linhardt tugged his hand away as well, startled by Ardyn's reaction, and instead grasped his hands together in his lap.
His mind was reeling with revelations and each new bit of horrifying information. To hear that Ardyn had been imprisoned on a deserted island for those two thousand years was probably the most shocking part of all for how terrible it was to image.
Such a huge amount of time. Even for someone like Linhardt who valued his time alone, he couldn't even begin to fathom what that might have felt like. Who needed daemons to drive one to destruction when they had that?]
I should have realized.
[He whispered to himself, unsure why the thought hadn't occurred to him at all. Why would Ardyn wait so long for revenge if he had been free for so long? He had been imprisoned instead, and all of those horrible emotions had nothing to do but grow and grow until they were suddenly released back into the world.]
He won't. He wouldn't.
[At least he was convinced of that much. Noctis wanted to make sure Ardyn was no longer the threat he once was. Surely he wouldn't care if he planned to simply lock him up again.]
But I think I understand why you feel that way, now.
[Why he might be eager to die. There were stories that taught the lesson that immortality was more of a curse than a blessing. They were cautionary tales that Linhardt never really thought had a basis in reality. The sort of stories that taught you to 'be careful what you wished for.'
Well, Ardyn obviously never wished for his curse. No wonder he felt so much hatred toward Lucis and the gods.
But he was mortal now, wasn't he? Even if King Noctis wanted to imprison him for another two thousand years, he wouldn't be able to.]
I don't know if I can help change your mind. I'm nothing special.
[He wasn't a particularly happy person. His abilities made him little more than a tool that people dragged along on their missions with healing items in short supply. He never had a say, because when he objected earlier on, the people he did care about would explain why he needed to use his 'gift' to help the others around the area survive.
Eventually he stopped commenting on the pain he suffered with the use of his magic. Sleeping and naps were the best escape from the world, and he began embracing whatever it was that caused him to slip into dreams without warning. Even now, just trying to understand what Ardyn went through was making him feel exhausted in a way that suggested he was likely to fall asleep at any moment.]
All I can do is listen to you. And... [A few seconds passed where it looked like Linhardt might have drifted off. But then he blinked a few times, furrowed his brow, and continued speaking.]
...Would you allow me to come back tomorrow? We can talk more, and I can bring you something else you want.
no subject
[He uttered that single word so softly that it might as well have been caught in a breath.
Linhardt tugged his hand away as well, startled by Ardyn's reaction, and instead grasped his hands together in his lap.
His mind was reeling with revelations and each new bit of horrifying information. To hear that Ardyn had been imprisoned on a deserted island for those two thousand years was probably the most shocking part of all for how terrible it was to image.
Such a huge amount of time. Even for someone like Linhardt who valued his time alone, he couldn't even begin to fathom what that might have felt like. Who needed daemons to drive one to destruction when they had that?]
I should have realized.
[He whispered to himself, unsure why the thought hadn't occurred to him at all. Why would Ardyn wait so long for revenge if he had been free for so long? He had been imprisoned instead, and all of those horrible emotions had nothing to do but grow and grow until they were suddenly released back into the world.]
He won't. He wouldn't.
[At least he was convinced of that much. Noctis wanted to make sure Ardyn was no longer the threat he once was. Surely he wouldn't care if he planned to simply lock him up again.]
But I think I understand why you feel that way, now.
[Why he might be eager to die. There were stories that taught the lesson that immortality was more of a curse than a blessing. They were cautionary tales that Linhardt never really thought had a basis in reality. The sort of stories that taught you to 'be careful what you wished for.'
Well, Ardyn obviously never wished for his curse. No wonder he felt so much hatred toward Lucis and the gods.
But he was mortal now, wasn't he? Even if King Noctis wanted to imprison him for another two thousand years, he wouldn't be able to.]
I don't know if I can help change your mind. I'm nothing special.
[He wasn't a particularly happy person. His abilities made him little more than a tool that people dragged along on their missions with healing items in short supply. He never had a say, because when he objected earlier on, the people he did care about would explain why he needed to use his 'gift' to help the others around the area survive.
Eventually he stopped commenting on the pain he suffered with the use of his magic. Sleeping and naps were the best escape from the world, and he began embracing whatever it was that caused him to slip into dreams without warning. Even now, just trying to understand what Ardyn went through was making him feel exhausted in a way that suggested he was likely to fall asleep at any moment.]
All I can do is listen to you. And... [A few seconds passed where it looked like Linhardt might have drifted off. But then he blinked a few times, furrowed his brow, and continued speaking.]
...Would you allow me to come back tomorrow? We can talk more, and I can bring you something else you want.