(closed) i wish i had a spell to stand against the sadness

[happyends]

Who: Madoka, Ignis, Tony
When: Right after her post.
Where: Probably the kitchen and Tony's lab?
What: Madoka gets an unfortunate reminder of unprocessed trauma and ends up needing her dads.
Warnings: Trauma. Probably talk of young girls getting beheaded and/or eaten by monsters. Tony is probably worth a warning of his own just in case.

[ Things have been fairly good in the train up until now. Sure, the missions have been scary - especially in the beginning. That first one was just much too overwhelming for Madoka. But she's gradually grown used to them, to the point where she can handle them. She's met nice people. She's gained new friends. She's gotten adopted. Everything has been relatively good.

So much so that it's completely pulled her mind away from everything back home. Everything that she's seen in such a short timespan. Maybe it's exactly because she hasn't thought about it in so long that it hits extra hard now she's gotten a reminder of it.

Madoka completely abandons the ICP and runs, her chest tight and her heart pounding in her ears. ]

Comments

[faithfulsupport]

Hypocrite right here because Ignis doesn't share his problems. Many were the times he took on the burden of something, absolutely refusing to share whatever was wrong, even with Noctis. And he didn't ask for help on the battlefield either, instead always being the one to give to the others.

There's a genuine smile of understanding because Ignis gets it. And as Madoka goes on, that smile only increases.

"Of course darling. But sometimes sharing troubles with others helps both parties out."

But she would more than likely have a quicker 'in' with Ignis than anyone else, with the exception of Tony of course.

[happyends]

"It helps..?"

It feels hard to question that when Ignis is smiling as he says that. Madoka has never thought about it like that before though. Sharing problems always felt like a bad thing - when she herself was doing it, anyway, of course she never minds it when others do it with her. She only ever thought it would bother other people, but now Ignis is saying it can sometimes help.

It's a strange and difficult thing to come to terms with, and Madoka frowns thoughtfully as she seems to be considering it. But she's willing to give it a shot if someone as important to her as Ignis is saying it.

"Then.. I can try sharing them with you.." Not that it'll mean she can suddenly be really easily open about everything, but Madoka does want to make a real effort to try. "Will you try to share your troubles with me then too, papa..?"

[faithfulsupport]

He was the same way, not sharing his troubles yet being completely fine to share others' was part and parcel for Ignis.

There's quite the smile on his face as Madoka calls him papa. It was like having a wish come true that he didn't know that he wanted or needed.

"I will try if you will." And for her sake he would. If they both tried maybe they could actually get through this thing together.

She was worth trying for.

[happyends]

At that smile and those words it doesn't take too long for her to nod. She trusts him when he says that, after all. And even though she knows it's difficult for her to talk about these things, it at the very least seems to be the same for him.. so they can both try their best at it together. That makes it feel a bit more mangeable.

Madoka is quiet for a slight moment, but then she holds up her hand, stretching out her pinky finger.

"Do you want to make it a pinky promise?" Almost right after saying that, she seems to realise something, her eyes widening in surprise. "Um.. Have you ever made a pinky promise before?"

Ignis is just always so formal and polite, she can't be sure! He doesn't seem like a pinky promise kind of guy.

[faithfulsupport]

The dusty blonde head cocks to the side at the gesture. He's only ever seen other people do such a thing and he shook his head. "My apologies Madoka, it's not something I've ever done before." He and Noct would swear stuff to each other, but there were no pinky promises.

"But I am curious, how does one go about..engaging in such a thing?" Curious scholar is curious and just for the briefest second, there's a curious little boy looking out from behind those green eyes and glasses.

[happyends]

The girl shakes her head a little, as if she's wordlessly telling him he doesn't have to apologize for it. Ignis is probably used to doing things the more formal way, right? And pinky promises are.. well, basically the opposite of that. Maybe it's even a little childish for her to bring it up, but Madoka just can't help but really like them..

And maybe it's a good thing? At least she can let Ignis try something he's never tried before, just like with the snowman thing.

"Oh..! It's easy, don't worry. All you have to do is hook your pinky finger around mine."

[faithfulsupport]

He gave Madoka an odd look, but hesitantly lifted his hand to meet hers. Ignis stared at his hand and hooked his pinky as per instructions before placing it around the tinier pinky finger.

Green eyes looked seriously at the girl and he nodded. "I promise I will try..to talk more about things that are troubling me." He hoped against hope that he was doing this whole thing right. He wasn't sure if there were more precise language that he was supposed to be using at this point in time.

[happyends]

"I promise so too..!"

If Ignis is doing anything wrong, then there sure isn't any sign of that coming from Madoka. She just smiles at him, apparently content enough about the pinky promise. Sure, it's probably a little silly to most people to see Ignis taking something so childish so seriously, but Madoka just thinks it's kind of cute.. That's exactly what he's like, isn't it? Her often serious, but so genuine and reliable father.

Madoka lets her pinky linger like that for a moment before finally pulling it back and smiling gently at Ignis.

".. thank you. I.. think I'm feeling better now." Or at least much less on edge than when she had initially ran to him after remembering that terrible memory.

[faithfulsupport]

Just like with the snowman Ignis feels like he's catching up on some childhood rituals that he missed as a boy. Of course no boy he knew of did pinky promises but he wasn't going to complain.

Feeling a little bolder but not by much, the advisor enfolded her into his arms just for a brief moment. "Glad to hear you're feeling better. And should you ever have need of me, I will most certainly be there."

Green eyes closed and he held on for a moment longer. Reluctantly he then pulled back and smiled, looking into Madoka's eyes. "When was the last time you ate something darling? Are you hungry?"

[happyends]

The girl lets out a small, content sigh in Ignis' arms. She may be slowly starting to understand why that man back there in that icy world had mistaken them to be father and daughter even back then. The way Ignis takes care of her really is like a father, and it feels so nice and warm by this point. She really does feel safe in the hug.

And then his smile being the first thing she sees right after only makes it better. Honestly, how could she not smile right back at that? "The last time was this morning.." But then she got worked up with nerves over having to make that announcement, so she's been distracted all day since then.. "S.. So I guess I'm a little hungry."

[faithfulsupport]

Waiting on others was what Ignis did best it seemed, and he would always make the time to make sure his daughter ate, no matter what he was doing. He'd been known to cook mid battle too so that wasn't a problem either. But this wasn't that kind of time, and he told himself that before he even took on the mantle as her Dad that he would do whatever it took to always make sure that she was okay and taken care of before he did anything else.

Nodding to Madoka now, he smiled again. "Then what do you say to us heading to the kitchen and finding out what's there so that we can remedy that?"

Being a Dad was important and he was going to do the very best job of it that he could possibly do.

[happyends]

He really is doing a good job already. Madoka nods right back at him, and a moment later she gently grabs his hand to hold it. It just feels nice and reassuring while she's still recovering slightly from that huge breakdown. And she doubts at this point that Ignis would mind it in the slightest if she'd hold his hand like this.

"Okay.. Thank you, papa."

For the offer of food, yes. But also just for all of this in general. For listening to her, and giving her advice, and now even trying to cheer her up a little by distracting her.

"Let's do that."

[faithfulsupport]

He couldn't say he's used to touching and being touched this much (with Tony being the exception) but he doesn't mind it at all. If his daughter takes his hand and wants to hold it, there's no way he's going to ever say no to Madoka.

Ignis wanted to tell her it was nothing but he'd learned not to say that to his team because they took it rather hard. And all it had taken for him to realize the error of his ways with that was once.

Smiling at her now, Ignis nodded, keeping the smaller hand in his "You're quite welcome darling. Let's go make something to eat then shall we?"