[ he does feel himself bristling; his magic, indeed. ]
[ soren's explanation leaves him feeling a twinge of unease; once again, he must explain this to himself in terms of what is to gain - that surely, even at first blush he might doubt, his future self must have sound reasoning for it. the dragon prince, likely, would serve as fuel for something great. soldiers should go into battle perfectly understanding death to be a possibility, he thinks, putting their lives on the line to avoid or achieve an outcome. ]
[ after a moment, there's a minute nod, something like a sigh. ]
Did I have something else with me all the while? ... An insect.
Your little bug pal? Wait... he's like, huge by then. Goes from sitting on you ear to hanging over your shoulders. [gives Soren the SHIVERS just thinking of that thing, too creepy, too yikes]
What was that thing, anyways? You call him a family-er or something. I don't know that is.
[ viren appears perplexed for a brief second, gaze darting as he reflects on that - huge? he would wonder if that should mean it's becoming stronger. through their bond? ]
[ hm. he doesn't thankfully have opportunity to reflect much further, when the the use of family-er jars him from his thoughts. immediately jumping on that, ]
Familiar. [ a pause, as he answers his own question. ah. ] ... Not dissimilar from the familiars, here. Where one cycles magic through it, and the Witch should find it stabilizing, and in turn - be stronger for it.
Whatever it does, you talk to it like nonstop. [not that Soren was listening in, his father had made it clear he wasn't welcome to traveling in close and easedropping on... bugpal time.]
Doesn't matter, goes over the cliff with you, so... [splat probably, unless it grew wings and fluttered on away last second]
[ well, there's a detail viren hadn't yet pressed for, as, for some reason, he'd simply assumed soren had ran him through with that beloved blade of his. his eyes widen. viren draws upon circumstances, comes to a conclusion. ]
You pushed me off the Storm Spire?
[ good gods. depending on the height from, if that's the case — forget even finding a body. ]
[Soren's... not sure exactly what lie to go with. Working out some gruesome details of that event would be good to decide on, be consistent with, but that's not what's important. He answers simply, instead]
[ they've skimmed this topic, yes, this idea of not having a choice in either of paths. his eyes flashing, viren's facade slips. how many times has he told himself, over and over again, that he never had a choice in how things had ended? that there wasn't any other way? at this point, he cant be certain of what's certain between them any longer, ]
But I do? And all my choices are wrong, Soren?
[ viren has to bite his tongue, ground himself; if pushed, he feels himself on the brink of snapping once again. ]
You— never understood in the first place, if that's what you think.
I wanted to believe in you! I always have! [he stops himself, lowering his voice given they're in public and having a yelling match is just going to draw onlookers. Soren takes a breath in before lifting his head high again]
You're willing to sacrifice me, turn me into one of those monsters just to... I dunno- show off? Prove something to others... I'm not some ingredient for you to use in a spell! I'm your son! [whoops, loud again... he adds, bitter and just... sad]
Or. I was your son. I don't know when you forgot about that...
[ something about the scenario that soren describes, deep within, doesn't sit well with viren - perhaps it's that he can't immediately make perfect sense of that attempt, forces himself to extrapolate based on what little he knows of the situation. it makes him uneasy. his posture becomes more assertive as soren raises his voice, and through grit fangs, ]
I didn't forget.
[ perhaps, it'd been a showing of good will (by turning someone into a monster)? perhaps, prove to others what lengths he was willing to go, by sacrificing his son? was that trustworthy? whether viren likes it or not, in an effort to make sense of the future, he listens. ]
[ the empty hand at his side curls and uncurls into a fist. ]
If you didn't forget then you simply stopped caring. I don't know what's worse. [puff, trying to brush off just how hurt he is and not exactly succeeding. Just hearing Claudia's name stings, too. Time didn't make it less raw, not the amount that has passed just yet. Maybe one day... but that's not going to be soon. Especially not with his father here to pick at the wound]
You lie to her. You lie about sending me to kill the princes, so she won't believe me. So, yeah, she stays and I go.
[ viren's eyes grow wide at soren's words; for all of his careful nuance and subtlety, for all his calculated plans, his son could really handle matters as about as delicately as he would expect: like a bull in a china shop. it's that morally repugnant, he knows, that he feels he's left without options in how to handle this.
thus, to repeat, ]
I don't lie to anyone, Soren. [ he doesn't even need context. he'd been so very intentional in his past words, for the precise purpose of avoiding the consequences of this confrontation. ] That she stays by my side --
[ he feels his spine prickle with irritation, only tempered by the warm thought of his daughter's loyalty. ]
You're right. It does. [Soren is quick to admit, but there's no remorse in his voice, only disappointment. A tone Viren adopted with him, but now turned against his own father, albeit thoughtlessly.]
She'll do anything for you. Even if she knows it's wrong, she believes in you. [more firm, more biting]
I wish you still deserved that. I really wanted to be wrong about you, dad.
[ it's insulting enough that viren has to pause to consider his answer, with how many points he wants to argue. he would have to reflect on claudia's loyalty (his sweet, beloved daughter, who he'd raised right) at another time and place. his reptilian eyes flash, the hand at his side clenching and unclenching as he struggles with this. ]
[ finally, ultimately, keeping soren in the corner of his sight, he turns away; with a huff, ]
Thankfully, you don't decide on what I deserve —
[ even if he-- did? did, decide on what he got. how funny, he thinks bitterly to himself: that he should enrich soren with the very dark magic he detests, only to pay for it twice over. ]
I see that your judgment is still hopelessly clouded... If you have nothing more to say for yourself, then we're through here.
[ viren nearly does a doubletake, but the look that soren garners is so completely baffled -- all traces of anger and hurt slipping, for just a moment, from his expression. it's a confusing vow that, for him, escapes reason, or even any previous entangled emotions. his eyebrows pinch together, but then he grimaces, expression rehardening. ]
[ while he doesn't want to deign this with a response, he wouldn't know how to respond, either. ]
[ with a growl, viren tosses up an annoyed hand, like he's swiping at the air at nothing. he turns again, his coat fluttering (dramatically, how he prefers it) about his heels, and storms off. ]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2020-07-24 09:50 pm (UTC)[ soren's explanation leaves him feeling a twinge of unease; once again, he must explain this to himself in terms of what is to gain - that surely, even at first blush he might doubt, his future self must have sound reasoning for it. the dragon prince, likely, would serve as fuel for something great. soldiers should go into battle perfectly understanding death to be a possibility, he thinks, putting their lives on the line to avoid or achieve an outcome. ]
[ after a moment, there's a minute nod, something like a sigh. ]
Did I have something else with me all the while? ... An insect.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-25 09:00 pm (UTC)What was that thing, anyways? You call him a family-er or something. I don't know that is.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-01 02:21 am (UTC)[ viren appears perplexed for a brief second, gaze darting as he reflects on that - huge? he would wonder if that should mean it's becoming stronger. through their bond? ]
[ hm. he doesn't thankfully have opportunity to reflect much further, when the the use of family-er jars him from his thoughts. immediately jumping on that, ]
Familiar. [ a pause, as he answers his own question. ah. ] ... Not dissimilar from the familiars, here. Where one cycles magic through it, and the Witch should find it stabilizing, and in turn - be stronger for it.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-02 01:09 am (UTC)Doesn't matter, goes over the cliff with you, so... [splat probably, unless it grew wings and fluttered on away last second]
no subject
Date: 2020-08-02 01:27 am (UTC)You pushed me off the Storm Spire?
[ good gods. depending on the height from, if that's the case — forget even finding a body. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-08-02 02:43 am (UTC)Yeah. I... had to. You gave me no choice, dad.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 02:10 am (UTC)[ they've skimmed this topic, yes, this idea of not having a choice in either of paths. his eyes flashing, viren's facade slips. how many times has he told himself, over and over again, that he never had a choice in how things had ended? that there wasn't any other way? at this point, he cant be certain of what's certain between them any longer, ]
But I do? And all my choices are wrong, Soren?
[ viren has to bite his tongue, ground himself; if pushed, he feels himself on the brink of snapping once again. ]
You— never understood in the first place, if that's what you think.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 03:10 am (UTC)You're willing to sacrifice me, turn me into one of those monsters just to... I dunno- show off? Prove something to others... I'm not some ingredient for you to use in a spell! I'm your son! [whoops, loud again... he adds, bitter and just... sad]
Or. I was your son. I don't know when you forgot about that...
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 03:30 am (UTC)I didn't forget.
[ perhaps, it'd been a showing of good will (by turning someone into a monster)? perhaps, prove to others what lengths he was willing to go, by sacrificing his son? was that trustworthy? whether viren likes it or not, in an effort to make sense of the future, he listens. ]
[ the empty hand at his side curls and uncurls into a fist. ]
[ finally, more quietly, ]
Claudia, then? She hadn't left me?
no subject
Date: 2020-08-08 03:37 am (UTC)You lie to her. You lie about sending me to kill the princes, so she won't believe me. So, yeah, she stays and I go.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-30 02:47 am (UTC)thus, to repeat, ]
I don't lie to anyone, Soren. [ he doesn't even need context. he'd been so very intentional in his past words, for the precise purpose of avoiding the consequences of this confrontation. ] That she stays by my side --
[ he feels his spine prickle with irritation, only tempered by the warm thought of his daughter's loyalty. ]
Says a lot about both of your characters.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-30 02:59 am (UTC)She'll do anything for you. Even if she knows it's wrong, she believes in you. [more firm, more biting]
I wish you still deserved that. I really wanted to be wrong about you, dad.
no subject
Date: 2020-09-02 11:54 pm (UTC)[ finally, ultimately, keeping soren in the corner of his sight, he turns away; with a huff, ]
Thankfully, you don't decide on what I deserve —
[ even if he-- did? did, decide on what he got. how funny, he thinks bitterly to himself: that he should enrich soren with the very dark magic he detests, only to pay for it twice over. ]
I see that your judgment is still hopelessly clouded... If you have nothing more to say for yourself, then we're through here.
1/2
Date: 2020-09-06 07:28 pm (UTC)You're going to stay here. I'm going to make sure of that. However I can, whatever it takes. I want you to live...
no subject
Date: 2020-09-06 07:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-09-06 08:07 pm (UTC)[ while he doesn't want to deign this with a response, he wouldn't know how to respond, either. ]
[ with a growl, viren tosses up an annoyed hand, like he's swiping at the air at nothing. he turns again, his coat fluttering (dramatically, how he prefers it) about his heels, and storms off. ]