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[He drops his hand from his face and smiles weakly, but with genuine gratitude.]

Thank you.

He loves deeply, over and over, no matter how many times it wounds him. I have not his strength. But he is like my own heart, and when I see him so wounded, it is an arrow to my breast.

He will put our needs and those of others before his own. I am frustrated with my own state that I cannot even stop him from that right now.

So I must ask your help instead.

For the record he did also ask me to take care of you. You two really are quite the pair, aren't you.

[ he sighs ]

He's better than I am at diverting attention from himself, and so far I've hardly ever been a match to him. But I'll try to get him to take care of himself.

[He laughs a little, fond and tired.]

Look how much we both rely on you. My, how embarrassing.

But I am... while not all right, I am resilient. He is as well, really but... I would rather spare him feeling alone even for a moment. Even if you cannot get him to talk, if you are just there with him he will be the better for it. He takes great comfort in your company.

I'm starting to think my being a quick study is becoming a curse. Everyone's expecting me to be far better at emotions than I am. Though for you two, I hardly mind.

Being there is about the bare minimum I can do, but I know not many clear even that simple bar, so. I won't discard the importance of it.

Being with him is all I do expect. It really is enough, whatever you think of it.

Well. Objectively I know the presence of someone you love is a great comfort, and hardly anything more is needed.

I've been alone for most of my life, after all.

But I admit part of me still would like to be able to do more. For the both of you, actually. It's not rational.

I do understand. Trying to figure out what to do for those you love... that is just part of loving them.

Even I hardly know the right answer for how to do more.

And I do wish I did. For Hades and you. Vergil as well, when I am not so furious with him.

So you are angry with him.

Yes. Not for untempering me, though I do wish I know why he did, but for taking me from Hades at the last.

[ Considering the state Hades was in at the end of it all, he can see why ]

I suppose that's fair. ... I was tempered, by the way. I couldn't join you because of that - I wasn't in control of my thoughts and actions.

I just froze.

I had not even known you were in the dream, I think.

[He hasn't thought about it, but of course Five hasn't been acting like he doesn't know what happened so of course he was there?]

I am sorry. That that's how things happened and you experienced it with us.

[ I forgot to mention in this entire thread that he's now wearing the earring emet gave him the dream so there is that too but w/e!!!!!!! ]

It wasn't pleasant, but to be honest I would rather know the full extent of it than not.

Knowing the context means I might be able to help you with a solution.

[He's definitely noticed it he will just comment on it another time, when Five least suspects it.]

Hmm. I would rather you know the full context as well. I am afraid... That there will be no solution unless we have outside help.

...How strange for me to admit, when it is Hades who is always seeking another path. So long have I been convinced that we could solve things on our own, once my faith in mortals was spent to its last.

Considering how long you lived I don't find it surprising, even without taking tempering in account.

Indeed. Hades is strong in ways I am not.

But... Well, for all their foolishness Vergil and Absinthe have provided useful information.

For one, that tempering can be undone by something less than death is something I had not considered.

And perhaps the corruption of Zodiark may teach me something. I just do not yet know what.

[He pushes himself upright, raking his his fingers through his hair.]

I wish I felt I had time to think and analyze and consider. I have not felt so pressed for time since the Final Days--such a mortal thing to feel.

Confronting Absinthe about the corruption is likely the best next step now. But that is something that you'll have to do — you know the rules of your own world far better than I do.

I am not surprised he was capable. Not truly. Though I wonder if he would have so easy a time in the waking world.

No, I just...

[He sighs in frustration.]

If his affliction can override a primal's will, than that means it is possible. But is his the only thing that may? What if we could devise a method to subjugate a primal to one's will? That... Is not outside the realm of possibility, not in theory. Egis are merely the sliver of a primal enslaved to a summoner's will. But Zodiark's will was vast enough to overcome even the Convocation, so what would be required to make of Him a tamed summon and not what He is?

That is not the angle I most wish to pursue but I would greatly like to consider it as a failsafe. At the very least it might be something even the tempered could consider acceptable to investigate further.

That aside, even if we did find a way to fix the world, to untemper us and leave us with a perfect existence, Zodiark was the solution to a problem we still don't know the origin of. There is no way to prevent its recurrence without Him, or without knowing where it came from or why. Why was our star sick? Even if I could return in time to study it at leisure there is no telling if I would find success in identifying the cause let alone an alternate solution.

... The commission wasn't just able to travel through time, but to freeze it as well.

If you were able to do that for as long as you need, do you think you could find the cause?

...

[He does stop to think about it.]

There is no guarantee it would help but it certainly could only improve our chances to find and fix the cause.

How was this done? By the commission I mean.

Unfortunately I cannot answer that.

I know it's technology based. They have access to far more resources than my world normally has, and if I had to guess I imagine it's a specific trick The Handler was able to pull through her briefcase.

I need to confront the Commission sooner or later, if I am to save the world. And my theory on traveling through worlds wasn't just part of an illusion — I do believe it's possible, for both Vergil and myself.

So it'll be a matter of mastering that, taking down the Commission, and figuring out how they can pull that. Not easy, but, well. Worth a shot.

No, I agree. Given your own and Vergil's powers the issue of world travel should be solvable--Hades and I can do so but it requires not having flesh. An inconvenience at minimum to beings who rather rely on it to continue existence. And I am not sure we would not get lost ourselves in the rift between worlds, without a fixed destination.

Ah--but if it is only a matter of all that!

My how we increase our workload. I wonder if it would be better to work on your world before turning to ours.

The dead in my time will not get deader at this point. If it would be possible to assist you directly I do wonder if that might be for the best.

The assumption has always been you go your way and we go ours, taking our shared knowledge with us respectively, meeting up again when all is well. But that may be the entirely wrong way to go about it.

Edited 2020-08-10 20:23 (UTC)

Previously I would have said taking separate paths would have been better — you do have to prioritize your world.

But if not only knowledge but power gained through my world can assist you, then that changes everything. You're right that your people won't get any deader, so time is less of a pressing issue for you.

I'd like to think I can handle Vanya and the end of the world, but if it's the commission we're dealing with, then the extra assistance would be welcomed — and it would increase the chances of our success considerably.

They exist out of time and their resources are vast. Even with the combined efforts of my family, which isn't a given, we may be no match for them. Like I said. Your assistance would tip things in our favor by a considerable margin - and that would mean gaining access to their technology and research.

Edited 2020-08-10 20:30 (UTC)

It can never hurt to have more allies. While I would not want to interfere where you did not wish it, I would greatly like to have your back in your fight regardless of whether the end result would help benefit my world.

Though I confess it is more for having you present than any gain of power or technology. Nothing we acquire on any number of worlds across the whole of creation will be as valuable as you, yourself.

[ oh no. that's incredibly sweet and he's honestly touched to hear, even if it's not surprising ]

... Thanks, Lahabrea.

I won't deny having you with me would also be of great comfort, all the more so since both you and Hades are far more reasonable than my siblings.

But your world and your people should still be your priority, so I'm only taking this in consideration if it is useful to you, after all.

Then let me be more clear.

We shall have need of you, Five Hargreeves, if our world is ever to truly be saved. Not your abilities or what technology you offer, but you, as our friend and ally and the one of us most likely to be in his right mind, that we yet trust.

If it would allow us to have you with us when we will need you, I would change my priorities. To help and guard your star for even a hundred lifetimes if you so wished.

I do not think we can reach a good fate for my world or my people without you.

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