caughtinanetwork | video;

Entry tags:

video; | evening

[Well, so much for feeling better finally.

Ioder looks a bit worried when he comes up on the network this evening. He's fidgeting, tugging at little strands of blonde below his ear and looking for all the world like an anxious child waiting for news of something.]

Ah... just... in case anyone is looking for her, my cousin Estellise seems to have left. Her name is no longer on the residency list and I can't get through to her voice mail.

[He forces a smile, though, as if trying to convince himself of something that he's struggling to believe is true.]

But... I'm sure it's just temporary. Yuri came back, after all.

[There's a little more fidgeting, and the forced smile quickly fades. He hesitates, but after a moment he reaches forward and turns the feed off]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...H-home... [Dhaos isn't really thinking when he answers; it's simply an automatic response to a question. Still, it raises some hope that perhaps there is some small part of him that does not believe that he is completely undeserving of happiness.]

[And Ioder really doesn't want him to be alone. Still, he's polite enough, even in his own upset, to at least ask.]

... can... I come over? If that's... if that's alright with you...

[He hesitates for a moment, warring between the urge to hang up and not bother Ioder with his failures, and the urge allow the young emperor to comfort him in order to make the younger man feel better. Finally, he manages a nod. It's not for his sake; really it's not. It's all to give his friend a piece of mind.

The small sobs have stopped for the moment, settling into the occasional hiccup instead. The tears continue to flow fairly steadily.]

[Which is, of course, the exact opposite of how Ioder sees it. His friend is hurting - has been hurting for who knows how long - and even if he can't make it all go away he at least wants to do something.

Even if that something is as simple as physically being near him.]

I will... be there shortly.

[He hangs up, putting on a jacket with trembling hands, barely taking enough time to compose himself before leaving the house. The tears have stopped for now, but his face is still red and he continues to sniffle as he walks.

His feet move quickly - not quite running but walking faster than he normally would. Thankfully, even with the lack of times he's been to where Dhaos lives, he doesn't get lost, and soon enough he's at the door knocking.

As soon as Dhaos opens the door for him, he'll find the tiny emperor flung at him in a hug, face buried in his chest and arms around him tight.]

[It takes a few minutes after Ioder hangs up to compose himself enough to leave his room. He would rather that nobody asks him any further questions. Granted, he's sure Zelos would leave him be, but Zelda would be sure to ask so many more questions than he's really ready to deal with at the moment.

It's less than a minute after he finally emerges that he finds himself in the front entryway with an armful of crying emperor. He stands there awkwardly for a moment before he has the presence of mind to close the door. It is only another moment or two before his own tears start up again.]

[He just wanted to repeat "I'm sorry" over and over again, but he knew that wasn't going to help at all. Granted he didn't know what he could do to help, he just... wanted to be there for Dhaos.

Eventually, though, a single "I'm sorry" did escape in a muffled mutter, mostly because he couldn't really think of anything else say, and because he hadn't intended to make the tears start all over again.]

[Dhaos doesn't respond, although he does bury his face in Ioder's hair and sob. He cries for all those that had been lost in the great tragedy, for those friends he had lost on Aselia, for Karion, for Derris-Kharlan... For everyone, he finally is able to properly grieve.]

[As much as his own heart was breaking, Ioder knew Dhoas needed it, probably more than Ioder ever would. There had been people lost in his own life time, but never on the level Dhaos had faced, and never as close to him as the ones in the princes' life had been.

So he remained quiet, even as his own tears continued to fall, simply letting the two of them cry in the entry way without saying a word.

At least until he started to feel a bit of a headache starting behind his eyes.]

... m... maybe we should move somewhere else... ?

[He sniffles a little, finally managing to calm down. Dhaos releases Ioder from the hug.]

Y-yes, I suppose we've occupied the hallway long enough... My room is this way.

[With that, he turns and slowly makes his way down the hall and through the living room until they finally reach his room. As it's a little lacking in chairs (aside from the large beanbag he'd discovered in a shop a while back and had taken a shine to), Dhaos sits on the edge of the bed, politely waiting for Ioder to take a seat.]

[There was a weird passing thought, one that Ioder couldn't place the cause of, to grab his Dhaos' hand as he followed. He didn't, and he dismissed the thought quickly, but the fact that it had occurred to him at all lingered in the back of his mind anyway.

He follows quietly, keeping his attention on Dhaos as he walks, and taking the seat next to him on the bed. He's silent for a short time before finally asking softly]

... do you... feel any better... ?

[Does he feel better...? After a moment of thought, Dhaos is surprised to conclude that the answer is "yes."]

...Somewhat.

[He offers Ioder a small smile.]

...Thank you.

[Ioder returns the smile, though it's weak. He fidgets, not really liking the silence even if it is better than crying.]

... I remember you sang to me once, when I was upset...

Yes...?

[Dhaos tilts his head to the side a little, curious as to where Ioder was going with this.]

... my voice isn't as pleasant as yours, but... I wouldn't mind trying to return the favor. If you're alright with that, I mean...

Edited 2012-10-03 23:29 (UTC)

...I would like that.

[Ioder nodded, fidgeting on the bed. He cleared his throat, taking a moment to remember the words to the song he had been thinking of recently.

It seemed fitting, at the very least.

But his voice shakes a little as he sings it, emotions welling up again as he lets the words flow with the tune.]

Another day slips by
I feel the wind
the sky is crying
I'm standing alone before an endlessly long night
The beat of my heart is echoing around me

Now the perfect world you prayed for,
I see it in your eyes
You watch the beauty fall to pieces
As darkness surrounds you
Every single answer inside turns into a lie
You fight the pain that is threatening
As you hopelessly cry

Carry on
Every one of us every soul inside is bleeding
Finally the broken silence begins to slip away
Every pain every tear every breath I take
Stolen by the darkness but I'm hanging on
For a morning that will never dawn

So take a look above at the heavens overhead
Just like the way the night embraces all the stars
I'll always be right here, arms open wide
If you would let me in your broken heart,

Beneath the shining stars in the heavens overhead
I'll stand until I've shed every tear that I can cry
"Through the endless night, you'll find a way"
I close my eyes and hear
a gentle voice within me

I look into your eyes and see there's a dream you've long forgotten
And the days you thought were over is what's holding you back now,
If you only look inside yourself for the strength to let go
You'll finally see the night fade away,

Carry on
Every one of us every soul inside is praying
Trying to spread our broken wings as we struggle to fly
Tracing stars just beyond our fingertips
In the relentless rain our screams are softly killed
And so I sing this song

Carry on
Every one of us every soul inside is living
A dream we abandoned in the past, together again
Even if it should never come true
In the relentless rain, I pray that you will hear
This song I sing for you

Take a look above at the heavens overhead
Just like the way the night embraces all the stars
I'll always be right here, arms open wide
If you would let me in your broken heart

Beneath the shining stars in the heavens overhead
I'll stand until I've shed every tear that I can cry
"Through the endless night, you'll find a way"
I close my eyes and hear
a gentle voice within me
within me...

[Throughout the song, Dhaos listens quietly. Perhaps Ioder's voice isn't the most beautiful in the world, but the emotion in it is genuine, and it captures Dhaos' full attention.

As the song goes on, he feels an odd sort of...warmth spreading through him. What is...?

His thoughts are interrupted by the song's end. The prince smiles at Ioder and proceeds to give him another hug.]

Thank you...

[Perhaps he couldn't identify that oddly familiar emotion, but... For now, just to be with his best friend is more important to him.]

[By the end, his voice has cracked a few times, tears barely held back long enough to get through the song. Even if it's just a song he heard somewhere before, enough times to recall the words, he still believes much of it to be true.

And like Dhaos, there's a stranger feeling, a fluttering in his chest and an almost nervous tightening in his stomach, but joined by a warmth that feels comforting, welcoming yet some how still distant. It lasts only a moment, but it leaves him silently wondering.

Once he's pulled back in to Dhaos' arms though, it simply fades. He nods, offering a sad smile up at the prince.]

I'm sorry I can't do much else...

That my best friend is here for me is enough.

[And indeed it is. It's a break from the stress and anxiety going around the entirety of the city, especially in the house, and the guilt he almost constantly feels weighing upon him is lessened when someone is there to distract him from his thoughts.]

I'm glad I can help then...

[Ioder sighs tiredly, leaning against Dhaos. He smiles, but it's weaker than usual, betraying just how heavy the loss of his cousin is weighing on him.

But at least he was able to help Dhaos. That is a victory, in his mind.]

I can stay, if you want. It's not as if I have anywhere to be...

[Dhaos just continues to smile.]

Of course you can stay.

[After all, it's not terribly difficult to see that Ioder needs the company as much as he does at the moment.]

Okay.

[Ioder smiled back at that.]

[Happy that Ioder is not leaving for the time being, Dhaos hugs him a little closer. He seems almost as if he is content enough to start purring if the emperor were to start petting his hair or something similar.]

[Of course he doesn't really think to do something like that, but... well, there is a lot of hair there to play with, which he starts to do without really thinking.]

[...Yep, that sure is a purring Demon King. Congratulations Ioder, you have just discovered something only Zelda previously knew.]

[Video | Filter]

[Video | Filter]

[Video | Filter]

[Video | Filter]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]