Ardbert's starting to settle in. He feels good enough to be out on his own and making his own friendships independently from either of them. Being alive seems more real every day.
Being alive means that your steps make sound against the wood and being able to let out an audible gasp as you stops in front of you door and see it properly for the first time. Loud enough for the responsible party to hear it if he only listens for it. Or for your heart to suddenly hammer as you reach out and touch the stained glass, tracing the mountains.
His mouth is partially open. The corner of his eyes burn. Something deep within him settles. Ardbert closes his mouth forcibly and rubs at his eyes with the palms of his hands, then the tips of his fingers, staring at the door again. Only then does he enter his room after a long delay to look at the door from the other side.
He flicks the light on and admires the door some more before heading back out into the hall and shutting the door behind him. Ardbert stays there for a while, simply taking in the view.
This is home.
Eventually his brain notes the light coming out of Emet-Selch's door and he forces his gaze to look at it instead. He didn't need to do this. There was no benefit for him. Yet he had out of a simple awareness that, subconsciously, Ardbert had felt a less important member of the house with a normal door. Even though he had rationalized and understood that he simply wasn't there when the originals were made.
Part of him has felt like a useless third wheel since he got here. Era could never know—it would wound her too deeply to know that Ardbert hadn't fully felt like he belonged. He still doesn't, but now he knows, knows, that it won't always be that way. Era wasn't the only one that had to accept his presence.
Ardbert feels that swell of emotion again as he continues looking towards Hades door. He could wait until he was fully in command of his emotions, but the Ascian deserves to see how much he's moved by the effort. Let him gloat if he wishes.
He knocks on the door, slightly embarrassed when his voice cracks on a name that finally feels easier to say. "Hades?"
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Being alive means that your steps make sound against the wood and being able to let out an audible gasp as you stops in front of you door and see it properly for the first time. Loud enough for the responsible party to hear it if he only listens for it. Or for your heart to suddenly hammer as you reach out and touch the stained glass, tracing the mountains.
His mouth is partially open. The corner of his eyes burn. Something deep within him settles. Ardbert closes his mouth forcibly and rubs at his eyes with the palms of his hands, then the tips of his fingers, staring at the door again. Only then does he enter his room after a long delay to look at the door from the other side.
He flicks the light on and admires the door some more before heading back out into the hall and shutting the door behind him. Ardbert stays there for a while, simply taking in the view.
This is home.
Eventually his brain notes the light coming out of Emet-Selch's door and he forces his gaze to look at it instead. He didn't need to do this. There was no benefit for him. Yet he had out of a simple awareness that, subconsciously, Ardbert had felt a less important member of the house with a normal door. Even though he had rationalized and understood that he simply wasn't there when the originals were made.
Part of him has felt like a useless third wheel since he got here. Era could never know—it would wound her too deeply to know that Ardbert hadn't fully felt like he belonged. He still doesn't, but now he knows, knows, that it won't always be that way. Era wasn't the only one that had to accept his presence.
Ardbert feels that swell of emotion again as he continues looking towards Hades door. He could wait until he was fully in command of his emotions, but the Ascian deserves to see how much he's moved by the effort. Let him gloat if he wishes.
He knocks on the door, slightly embarrassed when his voice cracks on a name that finally feels easier to say. "Hades?"