[That was so worth it. He took delight in her reaction, watching and grinning like a proud fool till she was ready to speak. At the last part he laughed and was sorely tempted to plant a kiss on that cute red head of hers. (He won't, he does have *some* sense of boundaries).]
It's actually just an acronym I use for distinguishing my suits from each other. Which.. hasn't been a problem in a long time with only the one suit here. The real 'person' you should meet though, is Friday.
Friday, this is Pyra. She's one of our new friends here.
[A light blue beam of light was sent out from the helmet and runs over Pyra very briefly with a brrrzzz sound. Afterward, a female voice speaks in a friendly tone.]
Pleasure to meet you, Pyra. Tony, she looks similar to Madoka Kaname-Scientia- Stark.
[Tony's cheeks flush slightly and he puts a hand over his face. Whoops..]
[ She goes still as soon as the line of light scans over her, her expression flickering from one of surprise to one of apprehension...
And then one of a bit of shock.
"Pleasure to meet you, Pyra. Tony, she looks similar to Madoka Kaname-Scientia- Stark."
There is much to unpack in this single statement. First, the AI. Second, this Madoka Kaname-- one of his daughters? Third, Scientia-Stark. Fourth, that she apparently looks like said daughter. ]
[ Drawing in a breath, she steps forward and... gingerly holds out a hand to the suit. She puts on her best polite smile for the AI, speaking. ] Friday, is it...? It's wonderful to meet you, too.
[ From her periphery, she catches Tony covering his face. Smiling quietly to herself at that, she addresses the AI again. ]
[The suit/ Friday politely shakes her hand, careful to be gentle and keep the grip loose enough that if the girl became afraid at any point she could pull away.]
Yes, it is an acronym but also used as my name.
[The AI laughs softly and the suit shakes its head.]
Though Mr. Stark has often referred to his machines as 'baby' it has never been in a parental sense. I'm more of a personal assistant, than biologically linked. There is still bond-
Alright, alright, that's enough Friday.
[Tony interrupted and came over to take the tray.]
Go do something useful before I make you vacuum in pearls again. Sorry about that, Pyra. Uh.. let's get this stuff out of the way first. What do you want for your basket? A plate or..
[ There's still a bond, even if Tony doesn't consider his AI that he created a daughter... Interested, she smiles, but doesn't inquire more. Another day, perhaps.
When Tony interrupts and dismisses Friday, Pyra turns back to look at him, bringing out the basket and nodding. ] A tray would be nice. [ And whenever he gets that, she'll go ahead and bring out the various cookies for their liking. It's probably more than either of them can eat, but she doesn't mind.
Once that's settled-- ]
Wherever we sit... do you mind if we hold hands? To help this world. [ As awkward as touch can be, making it casual... with the belief that they will help the world-- it's obvious that it's important to her. ]
[Tony gets her a tray and because she's fussing with the cookies, he finishes making their tea. He gestures for her to follow him back to the living room where it was more comfortable, but her question throws him off and with a shrug, he offers his hand.]
Sure, if you'd like. I'm sorry for all of that, I didn't realize Friday was going to be such a blabber mouth. We were talking about something important and I don't want to derail us from that.
[Settling on the couch, he would normally take one side and would expect her to take the other or even the loveseat, but that wasn't very practical with their hands tied together.]
[ She places the tray of cookies beside his platter with the tea, sitting down upon the couch with him, and it's then that she takes her hand in his. ] Oh, I don't mind...
It's tangentially related, isn't it? Of what is considered family and not. I've found that... my own definition has evolved since coming here.
[ --Which would be the 'trust, love, and acceptance' bits she had mentioned before. ]
[Tony nodded, it was even if he hadn't intended to get into that now.]
I figured when you didn't have an immediate answer. Tell me about it.
[This wasn't his usual joke of wanting to score a few tidbits of information from her as part of a game, but really asking. To be fair, even that game they played was well intended. He wanted to get to know her to be her friend and to help her out.]
[ With her free hand, she reaches for one of the cups of tea. ]
It was a few months after I arrived, with Prompto. What makes a family? Trust, love, accepting them... [ And Prompto had been away from his home for years. Surely he's had time to think of what it means to have a family, and then... given his origins, his answer holds even more weight. ] Ah, and also-- doing anything for them.
Were you from the same place as Prompto was? The Fleet?
[He wasn't taking this lightly. He had already figured out in the short period of time of knowing this girl how little she liked to give away, but here she was very slowly and cautiously setting down a card or two so he could understand her better. He knew she was like a fawn and if he pushed too hard or reacted too strongly, she would spook and likely clam up again. That didn't mean he wouldn't push a little bit though, just to encourage her along.]
Mm-mm. [ She shakes her head, then looks at him. Her smile is quiet. ]
That makes you have more in common with Prompto, doesn't it? [ Him being from a world before this one, for starters. And then, also, a good foundation of family. ]
[ She nods again, this time in the affirmative, and then looks forward. Family, they all are. ] So... On the way here, I thought about this-- ah, just a little...
[ A pause, and she looks back to him. Her fingers curl over his hand, her touch little more meaningful.
At last, she bridges back to the initial topic, not of family, not of what makes a family, but the one she asked to talk about with company in person: ] It's scary, isn't it? Thinking of losing them. [ Or in his case, having already lost. ]
[And Tony Stark knew he'd just achieved another impossible. After how reluctant Pyra had been with giving him a straight answer the last time they'd talked, he'd honestly hadn't quite believed he'd get her to open up, but here she was.
He smiled and nodded again, hearing both what she was saying and what he suspected she wasn't. Prompto had been brought up because he symbolized found family. He was the one who coined it or introduced the term to her. He could see the love for the sweet, blonde man on her face and knew the feeling- for the same soul. He loved Prompto too and it didn't matter to him if the memories were slightly different. Who cared? They both had the same golden heart. She must also have it with the other two. They were a close duo of duos, as they should be.
He just had to help them understand it was okay to open their family of four to a family of five.. or perhaps even six, though he was less important than Gladio.]
They're the single greatest source of strength and weakness a person can have. But, they also make you do the right thing, even if that means losing them. It's still worth it if it matters enough.
[ She remains quiet as he speaks, taking in his words as she watches his smile as he says them. That he can smile, throughout it all... it means something.
Cautiously, ]
You didn't lose that strength... do you? When they're gone. [ Or, conversely, when he had left them by being brought to another world. ]
No. But.. to be fair, I've had a while to get used to this.
[He picked up his tea and took a sip.]
Time was hard to measure on the train, so I'm not entirely sure how long I've been gone from my family but I've had time to come to terms with my fate there. Unless I find my wife and daughter here or some other world, I won't see them again. It's..
[He gestured with his hand like he was chopping something or cutting it off. He shrugged like it was no big deal but of course there was pain. There would never not be pain when thinking of losing Pepper and Morgan.]
They get to live and so does the rest of the world so.. it's worth it.
[ And this... she didn't expect. In her mind, she had thought him losing others would meant those he left behind on the Voidtrekker, not--
"I've had time to come to terms with my fate there."
--this.
And from the context of it, it seems that it was a sacrifice on his part, one in which his loved ones as well as the world remain alive and intact. It's a conflict she can understand, painfully so... and it's something that she knows to be the soundest decision, should there be no other way to save the world and those one loves. (Coincidentally, he's not the only one she's heard about that must sacrifice themselves for their world.)
But where does that leave him, now taken from his world and placed in this one, not being able to see those he loves? Still "worth it", as he puts it. She lifts her hand from his, and instead... she raises it, slowly, and reaches for his cheek. Warm palm to his skin, she angles his face a bit more towards her, bright eyes searching his expression in silence.
... ] It's worth it. [ She repeats, finally, her voice soft. That he says it's worth it only solidifies the image of a hero. ]
It's also worth... acknowledging what it cost you. [ Specifically, his happiness, too, and contentedness of seeing his family again. While they can never be truly reunited, he should be allowed to mourn for himself. Pyra sees someone strong in him, someone who can overcome grief, but she also refuses to believe that his heart is so iron that he can dismiss his losses with but a nonchalant shrug. That would be at odds with everything he's said of his family and daughters so far. ]
[Tony lets her guide his face and smiles at her. There's something real in the smile even if there's pain to. A touch of humor.]
Gladio said you were dangerous.
[His friend had said, Pyra gets people to say things they didn't mean to share. Here he was doing the same.]
The part that's...
[Unfair? Hurts the most? Sucks? Felt like he has dumped gasoline on his skin and lit it on fire?]
.. Hardest, I guess?.. is doing it twice.
That family that you were describing is something I found on the Voidtrecker. It started with Ignis and then Gladio boarded not long after. A few stops later Noct and Prompto joined them.
[He moved his hand and tugged from under his shirt where a silver chain had been kept hidden was a tiny, skull charm that Pyra would have no doubt seen many times before on a certain advisor's neck.]
Ignis and I were partners and eventually engaged. He found a little girl in need of a family and fell head over heels for her. It was so sweet watching them together. We weren't married, but Ignis insisted she take both of our last names. He was.. as you can imagine.. very formal about those sort of things. All the boys- Gladio, Prompto, and Noct- loved her and were excited to be her uncle.
There were actually many children on board that I was close to. Only one other boy that I 'officially' adopted, but it meant something to him to have a last name he could be proud of. So..
But our family included Noct, Prompto, and Gladio. We fought together and struggled through things, particularly when Ignis vanished. I hope Noct and Prompto have someone else they can lean on when they woke to find Gladio and I were gone. Maybe they went home or somewhere else too, I don't know.
[He went quiet then, unable to say more for a few moments. Any attempt and he knew he'd break. This was kind of embarrassing pouring his heart out to someone he knew hardly at all but for whatever reason this story had to come out.]
[ The necklace he wears catches the soft light of the afternoon, glinting bright as if it smiles just as wistfully, and painfully, as Tony does. He's like Gladio, then, in that he had someone extremely close to him, then lost them when he appeared in this world. This happened twice over to Tony Stark, however, in two separate worlds, one of which he may no longer return to, given his fate.
Now he's forced into another realm while meeting the same people for whom he's cared and loved, and he needs to start all over should he wish to have a relationship with any of the ones present. The task isn't impossible, but it must hurt like knives. The hurt must come from not that he's been "forgotten"-- it's not the fault of any of those here they do not know Tony-- but that he lost the ones he knew.
...And loved. ] Gladio and you... What a truly beautiful family you all have.
[ From the start with Gladio, she's seen him be around town and active. Tony, as well. Both of them, nothing but non-stop as they learned of this place and met with person after person after person, some familiar, some not. They live with each other, they can help each other surely, but--
When have they stopped to rest, or is it that they do not know how, after coming from a cramped train that sowed so much hardship?
Her palm leaves his cheek only to return to reach for his hand, which she brings up between them and reinforces the grasp by cupping over his knuckles with her other. Scarless fingers curl around his earnestly, and she speaks. ] Have either of you grieved yet, for whom you left behind...?
[ That's the hardest part, she thinks, permitting themselves the respite to feel their losses. But, perhaps, when they do (she's presuming, of course, that they hadn't already)... it's not the end, but just the start of moving forward. ]
[It was a challenge for him to go from where he was emotionally to where Pyra was looking at the embers of what he'd had and found something beautiful in it. He didn't know what he and his roommate had become, but family was part of the title.]
He's one of the truest of friends, that's for sure.
[He could've gone on too about ways Gladio inspired him or impressed him. The man could be terribly sensitive, but that was part of his charm. He was this large, bull of a man that could quack a mountain with his roar, but had such a tender spirit underneath it all.
However, the next question brought his attention back to Pyra and he could hear the worry. It touched him that she would care so much, but he he nodded.]
Yeah, we've been working through it. I couldn't imagine having to do this alone. I wish I'd been able to come sooner for Gladio's sake, but late is better than nothing.
[He breathed a laugh and shook his head.]
It doesn't always come out so well. I invited Era to come over after having a poor introduction when I first arrived. I was hoping to make up for it. Damn girl ended up saying a few things that managed to hit all the wrong triggers and I ended up chasing her out of here like an angry lunatic. That's grief in one of it's finer forms.
[He kept going back and forth between being pissed at her and embarrassed for losing his temper on her.]
[ And in this time as he speaks, her eyes have misted. It seems that his words have effected her, emotionally speaking, and moved her in a way to feel sorrow for his story-- for her to mourn for their losses as well.
That they're working on it, and perhaps finding solace in each other (and defending each other from emotional harm, from the sounds of it). That does make her reassured enough to smile. She feels a bit silly for tearing up-- overly emotional, as it were-- and so she takes a steady breath in. Don't make it awkward, Pyra! ]
I don't know how you do it. Both of you have lost so much, and... [ And still he has made the time for tea and cookies and-- even jokes from time to time. She releases that breath. ]
It's good to take care of your heart, Tony. [ It's worth it, he had said. Each and every time, no matter how much the loss, it's worth it to give it time to mourn and to heal, but to also have love and family.
She takes one of her hands back, bringing it to her own chest, slight-left of the crystal, as if she could symbolize her own. ] From everything you've said... yours is extraordinary. And... precious. I'll help, if I can.
[He watched with a little concern as Pyra started looking so affected by his story. He pulled a clean cloth handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her.]
Looks like I'm off to a good start.
[He very gently bumped his shoulder against hers. He watches curiously as she puts her hand to her chest again. He remembered she did that last time too. That crystal was just so curious, but he pushed that away. She'd tell him when she was ready.]
I think this plan to make a trip for our... I feel like we should call them something. They aren't exactly my family again.. yet, but they're clearly yours. I have an invested interested though. The Eos Boys? Team Noct(is)? Well, whatever, we'll get t-shirt rights later, but once we can get them back in sync it'll make my life better because Gladio will be happier.
[Gladio deserved as much happiness as he could possibly get.]
[ She accepts the handkerchief with a smile, only using it to dab at the corner of an eye with her free hand... She's not crying! Just. She gets a little emotional for others. What he's told her is equally tragic and... heartwarming, that he continues to move forward. That's the most important, and inspiring, part.
She's certain that, eventually, he'll have family here, too, with them, since she'd like to believe that he's practically that with Gladio already (or maybe she's assuming too much-- still, optimistic!). From there, however, it'll only be a matter of time. ]
I'm not sure, but if and when they do become yours, [ Her smile grows a bit. ] ...I suppose you'll have to be called Superdad, won't you?
[Even happy tears deserved handkerchiefs! He wondered if she needed a hug, but he didn't want to overstep. He was needing to adjust still to this place and its odd social norms on personal space and touch. For now, he was emotionally present with her and he let their hands connected be enough.
He laughed at the name, finding it cute and horrifying all at once. That tended to be how good nicknames are formed, but he'd at least give her options.]
The kids used to call me Iron Dad, since my Superhero name is Iron Man but.. I don't think I had a special name from the family.
[ She is very much here, emotionally. Maybe too much. And as he gives her the options of nicknames, she nods in response. 'Iron Dad' rolls off the tongue more nicely than Superdad. ]
I've seen some photos of their campsite... Sometimes they'd have cards out. [ They couldn't always be expected to just fight daemons or train when the sun went down. ] But come to think of it, I've never asked what it was they've played.
[ Okay... okay. Her eyes have stopped misting, and she smiles. ] You look like you're good at playing cards, though.
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no subject
It's actually just an acronym I use for distinguishing my suits from each other. Which.. hasn't been a problem in a long time with only the one suit here. The real 'person' you should meet though, is Friday.
Friday, this is Pyra. She's one of our new friends here.
[A light blue beam of light was sent out from the helmet and runs over Pyra very briefly with a brrrzzz sound. Afterward, a female voice speaks in a friendly tone.]
Pleasure to meet you, Pyra. Tony, she looks similar to Madoka Kaname-Scientia- Stark.
[Tony's cheeks flush slightly and he puts a hand over his face. Whoops..]
Yes, yes she does.
1/2
And then one of a bit of shock.
"Pleasure to meet you, Pyra. Tony, she looks similar to Madoka Kaname-Scientia- Stark."
There is much to unpack in this single statement. First, the AI. Second, this Madoka Kaname-- one of his daughters? Third, Scientia-Stark. Fourth, that she apparently looks like said daughter. ]
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[ From her periphery, she catches Tony covering his face. Smiling quietly to herself at that, she addresses the AI again. ]
Do you count as one of his daughters, too?
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Yes, it is an acronym but also used as my name.
[The AI laughs softly and the suit shakes its head.]
Though Mr. Stark has often referred to his machines as 'baby' it has never been in a parental sense. I'm more of a personal assistant, than biologically linked. There is still bond-
Alright, alright, that's enough Friday.
[Tony interrupted and came over to take the tray.]
Go do something useful before I make you vacuum in pearls again. Sorry about that, Pyra. Uh.. let's get this stuff out of the way first. What do you want for your basket? A plate or..
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When Tony interrupts and dismisses Friday, Pyra turns back to look at him, bringing out the basket and nodding. ] A tray would be nice. [ And whenever he gets that, she'll go ahead and bring out the various cookies for their liking. It's probably more than either of them can eat, but she doesn't mind.
Once that's settled-- ]
Wherever we sit... do you mind if we hold hands? To help this world. [ As awkward as touch can be, making it casual... with the belief that they will help the world-- it's obvious that it's important to her. ]
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Sure, if you'd like. I'm sorry for all of that, I didn't realize Friday was going to be such a blabber mouth. We were talking about something important and I don't want to derail us from that.
[Settling on the couch, he would normally take one side and would expect her to take the other or even the loveseat, but that wasn't very practical with their hands
tiedtogether.]no subject
It's tangentially related, isn't it? Of what is considered family and not. I've found that... my own definition has evolved since coming here.
[ --Which would be the 'trust, love, and acceptance' bits she had mentioned before. ]
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I figured when you didn't have an immediate answer. Tell me about it.
[This wasn't his usual joke of wanting to score a few tidbits of information from her as part of a game, but really asking. To be fair, even that game they played was well intended. He wanted to get to know her to be her friend and to help her out.]
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It was a few months after I arrived, with Prompto. What makes a family? Trust, love, accepting them... [ And Prompto had been away from his home for years. Surely he's had time to think of what it means to have a family, and then... given his origins, his answer holds even more weight. ] Ah, and also-- doing anything for them.
[ Quietly, she tries the tea he had prepared. ]
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[He wasn't taking this lightly. He had already figured out in the short period of time of knowing this girl how little she liked to give away, but here she was very slowly and cautiously setting down a card or two so he could understand her better. He knew she was like a fawn and if he pushed too hard or reacted too strongly, she would spook and likely clam up again. That didn't mean he wouldn't push a little bit though, just to encourage her along.]
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That makes you have more in common with Prompto, doesn't it? [ Him being from a world before this one, for starters. And then, also, a good foundation of family. ]
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Perhaps, but you mentioned him because he's family to you, right? Or is just Noctis?
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[ A pause, and she looks back to him. Her fingers curl over his hand, her touch little more meaningful.
At last, she bridges back to the initial topic, not of family, not of what makes a family, but the one she asked to talk about with company in person: ] It's scary, isn't it? Thinking of losing them. [ Or in his case, having already lost. ]
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He smiled and nodded again, hearing both what she was saying and what he suspected she wasn't. Prompto had been brought up because he symbolized found family. He was the one who coined it or introduced the term to her. He could see the love for the sweet, blonde man on her face and knew the feeling- for the same soul. He loved Prompto too and it didn't matter to him if the memories were slightly different. Who cared? They both had the same golden heart. She must also have it with the other two. They were a close duo of duos, as they should be.
He just had to help them understand it was okay to open their family of four to a family of five.. or perhaps even six, though he was less important than Gladio.]
They're the single greatest source of strength and weakness a person can have. But, they also make you do the right thing, even if that means losing them. It's still worth it if it matters enough.
no subject
Cautiously, ]
You didn't lose that strength... do you? When they're gone. [ Or, conversely, when he had left them by being brought to another world. ]
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[He picked up his tea and took a sip.]
Time was hard to measure on the train, so I'm not entirely sure how long I've been gone from my family but I've had time to come to terms with my fate there. Unless I find my wife and daughter here or some other world, I won't see them again. It's..
[He gestured with his hand like he was chopping something or cutting it off. He shrugged like it was no big deal but of course there was pain. There would never not be pain when thinking of losing Pepper and Morgan.]
They get to live and so does the rest of the world so.. it's worth it.
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"I've had time to come to terms with my fate there."
--this.
And from the context of it, it seems that it was a sacrifice on his part, one in which his loved ones as well as the world remain alive and intact. It's a conflict she can understand, painfully so... and it's something that she knows to be the soundest decision, should there be no other way to save the world and those one loves. (Coincidentally, he's not the only one she's heard about that must sacrifice themselves for their world.)
But where does that leave him, now taken from his world and placed in this one, not being able to see those he loves? Still "worth it", as he puts it. She lifts her hand from his, and instead... she raises it, slowly, and reaches for his cheek. Warm palm to his skin, she angles his face a bit more towards her, bright eyes searching his expression in silence.
... ] It's worth it. [ She repeats, finally, her voice soft. That he says it's worth it only solidifies the image of a hero. ]
It's also worth... acknowledging what it cost you. [ Specifically, his happiness, too, and contentedness of seeing his family again. While they can never be truly reunited, he should be allowed to mourn for himself. Pyra sees someone strong in him, someone who can overcome grief, but she also refuses to believe that his heart is so iron that he can dismiss his losses with but a nonchalant shrug. That would be at odds with everything he's said of his family and daughters so far. ]
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Gladio said you were dangerous.
[His friend had said, Pyra gets people to say things they didn't mean to share. Here he was doing the same.]
The part that's...
[Unfair? Hurts the most? Sucks? Felt like he has dumped gasoline on his skin and lit it on fire?]
.. Hardest, I guess?.. is doing it twice.
That family that you were describing is something I found on the Voidtrecker. It started with Ignis and then Gladio boarded not long after. A few stops later Noct and Prompto joined them.
[He moved his hand and tugged from under his shirt where a silver chain had been kept hidden was a tiny, skull charm that Pyra would have no doubt seen many times before on a certain advisor's neck.]
Ignis and I were partners and eventually engaged. He found a little girl in need of a family and fell head over heels for her. It was so sweet watching them together. We weren't married, but Ignis insisted she take both of our last names. He was.. as you can imagine.. very formal about those sort of things. All the boys- Gladio, Prompto, and Noct- loved her and were excited to be her uncle.
There were actually many children on board that I was close to. Only one other boy that I 'officially' adopted, but it meant something to him to have a last name he could be proud of. So..
But our family included Noct, Prompto, and Gladio. We fought together and struggled through things, particularly when Ignis vanished. I hope Noct and Prompto have someone else they can lean on when they woke to find Gladio and I were gone. Maybe they went home or somewhere else too, I don't know.
[He went quiet then, unable to say more for a few moments. Any attempt and he knew he'd break. This was kind of embarrassing pouring his heart out to someone he knew hardly at all but for whatever reason this story had to come out.]
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Now he's forced into another realm while meeting the same people for whom he's cared and loved, and he needs to start all over should he wish to have a relationship with any of the ones present. The task isn't impossible, but it must hurt like knives. The hurt must come from not that he's been "forgotten"-- it's not the fault of any of those here they do not know Tony-- but that he lost the ones he knew.
...And loved. ] Gladio and you... What a truly beautiful family you all have.
[ From the start with Gladio, she's seen him be around town and active. Tony, as well. Both of them, nothing but non-stop as they learned of this place and met with person after person after person, some familiar, some not. They live with each other, they can help each other surely, but--
When have they stopped to rest, or is it that they do not know how, after coming from a cramped train that sowed so much hardship?
Her palm leaves his cheek only to return to reach for his hand, which she brings up between them and reinforces the grasp by cupping over his knuckles with her other. Scarless fingers curl around his earnestly, and she speaks. ] Have either of you grieved yet, for whom you left behind...?
[ That's the hardest part, she thinks, permitting themselves the respite to feel their losses. But, perhaps, when they do (she's presuming, of course, that they hadn't already)... it's not the end, but just the start of moving forward. ]
no subject
He's one of the truest of friends, that's for sure.
[He could've gone on too about ways Gladio inspired him or impressed him. The man could be terribly sensitive, but that was part of his charm. He was this large, bull of a man that could quack a mountain with his roar, but had such a tender spirit underneath it all.
However, the next question brought his attention back to Pyra and he could hear the worry. It touched him that she would care so much, but he he nodded.]
Yeah, we've been working through it. I couldn't imagine having to do this alone. I wish I'd been able to come sooner for Gladio's sake, but late is better than nothing.
[He breathed a laugh and shook his head.]
It doesn't always come out so well. I invited Era to come over after having a poor introduction when I first arrived. I was hoping to make up for it. Damn girl ended up saying a few things that managed to hit all the wrong triggers and I ended up chasing her out of here like an angry lunatic. That's grief in one of it's finer forms.
[He kept going back and forth between being pissed at her and embarrassed for losing his temper on her.]
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That they're working on it, and perhaps finding solace in each other (and defending each other from emotional harm, from the sounds of it). That does make her reassured enough to smile. She feels a bit silly for tearing up-- overly emotional, as it were-- and so she takes a steady breath in. Don't make it awkward, Pyra! ]
I don't know how you do it. Both of you have lost so much, and... [ And still he has made the time for tea and cookies and-- even jokes from time to time. She releases that breath. ]
It's good to take care of your heart, Tony. [ It's worth it, he had said. Each and every time, no matter how much the loss, it's worth it to give it time to mourn and to heal, but to also have love and family.
She takes one of her hands back, bringing it to her own chest, slight-left of the crystal, as if she could symbolize her own. ] From everything you've said... yours is extraordinary. And... precious. I'll help, if I can.
no subject
Looks like I'm off to a good start.
[He very gently bumped his shoulder against hers. He watches curiously as she puts her hand to her chest again. He remembered she did that last time too. That crystal was just so curious, but he pushed that away. She'd tell him when she was ready.]
I think this plan to make a trip for our... I feel like we should call them something. They aren't exactly my family again.. yet, but they're clearly yours. I have an invested interested though. The Eos Boys? Team Noct(is)? Well, whatever, we'll get t-shirt rights later, but once we can get them back in sync it'll make my life better because Gladio will be happier.
[Gladio deserved as much happiness as he could possibly get.]
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She's certain that, eventually, he'll have family here, too, with them, since she'd like to believe that he's practically that with Gladio already (or maybe she's assuming too much-- still, optimistic!). From there, however, it'll only be a matter of time. ]
I'm not sure, but if and when they do become yours, [ Her smile grows a bit. ] ...I suppose you'll have to be called Superdad, won't you?
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He laughed at the name, finding it cute and horrifying all at once. That tended to be how good nicknames are formed, but he'd at least give her options.]
The kids used to call me Iron Dad, since my Superhero name is Iron Man but.. I don't think I had a special name from the family.
Hmm.. do you know if they like cards? Like poker?
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I've seen some photos of their campsite... Sometimes they'd have cards out. [ They couldn't always be expected to just fight daemons or train when the sun went down. ] But come to think of it, I've never asked what it was they've played.
[ Okay... okay. Her eyes have stopped misting, and she smiles. ] You look like you're good at playing cards, though.
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Wrap?
yup yup