bladeascent | Sticks & Bones // IC Inbox

[ ...It is too late to take any of this back now, even if his mind now reverberates with a concern that threatens to drown him. On the one hand, he's right. This was freeing from that guilt that's been shackled to him. However, the other hand now holds a desperation to get things back to the status quo. He's held this in him for so long, why now? He just needed to wait until after the Archdemon War ended. That was what he kept telling himself. He just needed to not fail.

Why could he not do even this much?

The light in Ras' chest dims as he feels a new weight against him. He loves Vildred, and he can only imagine after he's pondered on this for a while, he isn't going to be happy with Ras. He should've kept quiet. He should've just convinced them that they're in a similar situation to Ain and that white haired Elsword. He should've... he should've... ]

...If I do not change much from how I am now, to the Ras you know, than that scares him. Losing you frightens him more than failing Orbis. I've never told you, in any of the worlds. Because I was disappointed in myself, but beyond that, because... I feared you trying to take the place of one of the Heirs self-sacrificially if you had learned... [ His voice cracks a moment, making him pause as his hands ball into fists against his thighs, trying to recollect himself. This only partially works, as his voice wobbles slightly as he continues. ] ...if you had learned that Diche cannot bring the Heirs to the new world.

[He so confidently wants to declare that, if he were an Heir, he would get it right. There would be no sacrifice, because they obviously would have won the war. ...sadly, Vildred knows better now than to expect that of himself — if they had failed in several other timelines, it wouldn't matter if he was made an Heir or not. It would just...

Be.

In the same way Vildred doesn't see much of a point to living without Ras, Ras quite clearly sees the same for him. It's as touching as it is damning. If only one of them dies, what does the other do? He would rather it be himself, but like his fierce need to protect Ras beyond the obvious, that's a thought laced with greed as well.

Vildred takes a breath, scoots across the thin gap of mattress separating them, and places a hand on Ras' head — as Ras may remember he did several timelines ago, and Vildred... doesn't remember at all. He wiggles the other man's skull around playfully, trying and failing in spectacular fashion to break the tension.]

C'mon, you know I would've listened if you'd just told me "no" and given a reason why.

[But his hand drops here. If they fail their current timeline, it means Rinak doesn't come back, and... Well. Either way, in Vildred's mind, she was never coming back to begin with. The dead don't do that. A second chance, third, fourth, is nice on the tin — but when you don't know you have it, death carries a certain finality. This discussion definitely wouldn't have helped Robin feel any better. It definitely wouldn't have stopped Victorika from pacting with Ziegfried. It's just... death. Death is death.

And it isn't as though Vildred has memories of his.]

...I might have tried, yeah. Knowing me. It's starting to sound like I'm not that different from the "me" that you knew. Have I really been the same person in every timeline?

Did we meet in all of them?

[ The touch, at least, gets Ras to pick his head up. And then he's... rattled?

Hey-

Ras lets out a simple "uh" until he stops, the faintest hint of red on his cheeks. That could be attributed to the fact that his eyes look suspiciously glassy, though... ]

...There are some differences, but your personality has mostly remained the same.

And... yes. I... You were the first human to... treat me as you do. As something that is neither the cause or the absolution to the problems that befell them. [ He fidgets. Even now, even with such a revealing secret, he's still treating Ras so kindly. He has no reason to, either. It isn't like this Ras is his. ] When I learned that is how I was perceived, I had distanced myself, as to not hurt anyone. To only fight, and disregard humans. But it made me wonder... why I was doing this. I wondered if I truly loved humans, or if I did simply because I embodied Diche's will.

It was... a fairly dark time.

...

But then I met you. And you helped me realize that... I do love humans. And... so I had to make sure you stayed with me, lest I lose sight of myself again.

Edited 2025-10-30 07:47 (UTC)

Fair warning for future you, then: I'm probably the reason you learned to be so mouthy.

[Or Krau. It could've been both of them. Maybe a bit of the girls' mafia roleplay...

He sees that Ras is, if not crying, on the verge of it. Vildred carefully rubs circles into his back, trying to comfort him. Brave as ever, to charge into the unknown with his head held high, even though he still has so many questions. All of them are morbid, and all of them can be asked later. It wouldn't be right to start digging into how he died and how the timelines failed and how Diche's magic even works when they'd only just touched on the topic of there being multiple timelines in the first place.

Still...]

I swore I'd protect you, apparently in every timeline we've shared. Of course I'm staying with you. There isn't much point in seeing Orbis without you. When we win, and we will win this time, [whatever happened to not making lofty promises, Vildred?] I'll show you the world you got to save. And if I have to take a few hits for you along the way, I promise they won't be lethal.

[That is not comforting, boy.]

But if you've been the same throughout all of this, I'd say you're still "my" Ras. If nothing else, you're definitely mine now that we're sharing this timeline together, and... If I haven't really changed much, I'm still technically yours, too. I'm just a few steps ahead for once.

[ Unfortunately, Vildred, even if you physically comfort Ras, you cannot expect him to keep it together when you go and say that. He was honestly expecting Vildred to sigh heavily and say he doesn't want to deal with something so serious, or get upset and tell Ras he needs some alone time to think, or... anything other than just kindness and affection. Perhaps it's stupid of him to have not. Kind and affectionate is what Vildred always is with him, after all.

He does not cry, in the sense that no sounds are made, but there are tears that slip from the corners of his eyes. After a moment or two or trying to think of something to say... instead, Ras just leans forward to take Vildred in for a hug. ]

[Poor Ras. Vildred is, of course, receptive to this. He wraps his arms around Ras' much smaller frame and holds him gently, laying his cheek atop the Covenant's head, rubbing his back slowly. Even if they're from other timelines, it doesn't matter, not really. This is still Ras, and apparently, Vildred is still Vildred. All the questions swimming around in the back of his skull are unimportant.

He sways side to side, mimicking the way his mother would rock him when he was tiny and having a fit about something. He wonders if that sort of thing helps or not.]

Hey... everything will be fine, okay?

[There's a lot more to figure out along the way to make it so — questions hanging in suspense, tasks idle, ways to get home not yet found, but... Vildred still feels confident making that promise anyway.]

[ It won’t be. Ras had a feeling that Vildred being Not His meant he’d fail his Orbis again, but… he’s already grappled with that before. It isn’t okay.

However, he won’t turn away Vildred’s comfort. He just lies his head on Vildred’s shoulder with a tiny nod, holding him tightly, as if he might disappear otherwise. ]

Okay. [ … ] Can I still stay here with you tonight? [ Man who fully expected to be kicked out like: ]

What, you thought I'd take over our room? Ras, you live here.

[So yes he can stay,]

You're not getting rid of me that easily. Tragically, I'm making you spend another timeline with me and my really good jokes.

[ Fantastic news, because Ras doesn't want to let go of Vildred now. He did not think this would affect him so much...? He is usually not the sort of person to get overly emotional.

But maybe it truly is because he cares so much about Vildred...?

...

Vildred may have to pry Ras off. ]

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