[He hesitates. Regrets doing so immediately, knowing that in itself is an answer.]
Not... in any way that's tangible.
[Not yet, at least. Any lie would be hopelessly transparent, so he doesn't try, even if the truth is left unspoken. The hurt doesn't show; it's not a wound to be healed or an illness to treat. It hasn't truly pained him beyond the agony of that first wearing, and even that hadn't been formal, more a flaw that lies in him than the nature of the ring. His father's shock made it clear that such pain wasn't normal. The rest is just noise, headaches born from his inability to listen effectively.
It's subtle. It's the future, what's going to happen, once he starts using it. It's his dad's hair gone grey too young, hiding from public view so Noct wouldn't see him struggling to walk with a cane in his mid-forties. It's the death of a thousand cuts and the two-short lifespan of every royal who came before.]
no subject
Not... in any way that's tangible.
[Not yet, at least. Any lie would be hopelessly transparent, so he doesn't try, even if the truth is left unspoken. The hurt doesn't show; it's not a wound to be healed or an illness to treat. It hasn't truly pained him beyond the agony of that first wearing, and even that hadn't been formal, more a flaw that lies in him than the nature of the ring. His father's shock made it clear that such pain wasn't normal. The rest is just noise, headaches born from his inability to listen effectively.
It's subtle. It's the future, what's going to happen, once he starts using it. It's his dad's hair gone grey too young, hiding from public view so Noct wouldn't see him struggling to walk with a cane in his mid-forties. It's the death of a thousand cuts and the two-short lifespan of every royal who came before.]