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Character(s): Laharl and this time really anyone. lol
Content: Locked in his own dungeon... but he has visitation rights, at least.
Setting: Netherworld Floor, dungeon of the Overlord's Castle
Time: Night
Warnings: Unhappy demon
Note: Multi-threaded! And derp apologies for another post already ^^;

He still couldn't believe his father had left him locked in the dungeon. He'd been here at least an hour he thought, but he wasn't really sure. It was impossible to tell the passage of time way down here. With only a few torches, the dungeon was dark, no outside light reaching it.

Laharl sat huddled in a corner at the front of the cell, looking horribly unhappy, for numerous reasons. The first was, of course, the whole reason he was down here in the first place. The whole incident replayed in his head, over and over. There wasn't really anything he could have done differently... except perhaps NOT letting on to others what he was considering. As for his dad... he wasn't really sure how to feel about his father's actions. Not to say he wasn't angry about the whole thing--he was, but... Laharl couldn't forget the apologetic and regretful look on his father's face. He hadn't really wanted to do this. His... father was trying to protect him? The whole thing was hard to digest.

The second was, despite his father having loosened his scarf so he could get eventually free, after struggling and rolling around trying to do so, he'd only managed to do the complete opposite. Frustrated and exhausted, he'd finally just given up for the time being, and huddled up where he now was.

The third thing was just simply being stuck down here alone. Sometimes he valued his alone time, but he wasn't enjoying it right now in the least. And especially not when being down here was stirring up memories of when the Organization had captured him. That was definitely not something he needed to be reminded of now.

With still no intentions of backing down, Laharl had no idea how long he'd end up stuck down here. It certainly seemed like it could be awhile, much to his chargin, as he wasn't sure how he'd even get through a night of this, much less days or longer.

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Laharl struggled for a moment, finally just rolling onto his side, so he could at least look up at his mother, shock still written all over his face. He couldn't believe she'd just done that. His expression grew more upset and panicked at her words. She was leaving? "B-but...!"

"The more help he has, the sooner you can be released," she told him. "I know you want to solve this because of Flonne, but that's why as your parents we... can't allow you to." She sat down and leaned her back against the bars. "If anything were to happen to you, what..." She trailed off and glanced away.

For a brief moment there he was so sure she was about to leave, he'd hear the cell door slam and he'd be alone, stuck on the ground, unable to move... Larxene looming over him, while he struggled...

The assault of memories had let out an involuntary gasp, jolting. He looked momentarily shaken as he focused back on the here and now. No the door hadn't been touched. His mom was still here with him. She'd sat down and was talking, though he'd missed half of what she said.

"N-nothing's going to happen to me. Don't underestimate me!" he told her, trying to calm himself in the meanwhile. Had she noticed?

She frowned at him. While she hadn't been watching him, her gaze jerked back. Had something...

"I'll never underestimate you, Laharl. I'm certain that you're stronger than your father already. That's why I'm worried."

She hadn't, it seemed. The moment had passed and he returned to trying to get himself upright.

Confusion passed over his face, however. His goal was to be a stronger and better Overlord than his father. He wasn't so sure he was there yet, but as happy as it made him that his mother thought he had surpassed his father, he didn't understand why that would worry her.

"Huh...? Why?"

Knock over your first mountain, let's see how that goes... just as long as that mountain isn't this very castle holding everyone.

"I think you might end up underestimating yourself and getting hurt because of it. That, and others... I know you don't think it's possible, but... The risk is too great."

Underestimating himself? He'd never been accused of that before. He wasn't quite sure what to think of that.

By this point, he'd finally managed to get upright again, and looked surprisingly relieved for it.

"But... I know how to control my power, Mom! I destroyed the human's entire armada without killing any of them!" he told her, only realizing mid-way she proooobably didn't know about that. There was still so much he needed to tell her.

...What?

Well at least he didn't kill any of them, not that Gwen would take exception to it, given her previous line of work on Earth.

Still.

No, really, "What?" Honestly she just sounds, startled and confused.

Yeah, seemed he hadn't ever told her about that, and neither had his Old Man, it seemed.

"The human world got so messed up and overpopulated, they decided to try taking over the Netherworld with a 2 million spaceship armada. Obviously I couldn't let that happen," he explained, hoping she could somewhat understand. The human world was probably a lot different from when she was last there, given that was a very long time ago in human terms of time.

"Anyways, the point is... I can handle these things. I have to be able to," he said softly, his sense of duty to his crown stronger than perhaps many really believed. "Because I'm the Overlord."

Spaceships? You know what... she didn't need to know right now.

"Yes, you do have to handle them," she replied. She felt a wave of pride, new and old thoughts coupling together. It made her want to return to her husband's side, because it was where she should be.

"Trust me, I understand duty. I understand kings and being on the front line." She's understood it all her life. And yet... she needed to be here, too. "But. It doesn't change that I'm your mother, and that I agree with Krichevskoy." It would never matter how old Laharl was, or how capable he was. "I can't allow you. Not yet." He wasn't going to sway her.

Laharl slumped a bit where he sat frustrated and confused. He felt almost torn... torn between listening to and obeying his parents or the overwhelming feelings inside him, that made him want to stop at nothing to find her. That damn feeling... it knotted in his stomach and made his chest clench. Believing he was doing something to help her eased it, but being stuck down here like this?

"M-Mom... I..." He didn't know what to say anymore. There hadn't been many times he'd felt this emotionally in agony and none of those times had he known how to deal with it; this time was no different. He was just at a loss and in pain. He closed his eyes, pain sweeping over his face before it was hidden behind his hair.

It hurt to see him like this. She scooted across the floor to besides him, nudging him up and putting an arm around him, and rested her head on top of his.

"Do you love her?"

Gwen knew, of course. She had always suspected, amplified by the kiss Flonne had given Laharl on the forehead, and now this. Demons have love too. But, she wasn't sure if he would admit it.

He pretty well never really felt the need for physical contact. Usually, around Flonne, he'd get it whether he wanted it or not. He'd grown used to accepting it lately, but needing it? No, not usually. Feeling his mother put an arm around him, however, made him realize just how much he'd really needed it as he was surprised to feel a sense of relief spread over him.

With his arms bound, he couldn't do anything but lean closer to her, but from him that was a pretty strong message.

His mother's question was still a weighted one for him. He wasn't sure why she was asking him. It had to be apparent, especially to her by now, right? He knew the answer inside him, but even he was still was not sure he could truly just say it. It was all the harder when all it seemed to be doing for him was causing him even more pain.

He agonized for a long moment, trying to figure out how to respond. The answer really needed to be one word, but even that wouldn't come.

"I... I-it... was so much damn easier when I didn't feel these things," he finally spoke, voice shaking.

That would likely be all she'd be able to get from him for a long time. She only hoped that he'd be able to tell Flonne, when he saw her again. When. Not if.

She smiled, glad that he couldn't see. She didn't want him to misinterpret it as though she was making fun of him.

"I know what you mean. It's all a part of growing up. Doesn't make them any easier, though."

Laharl squeezed his eyes closed. "H-how am I meant to deal with them? Especially when I can't DO anything? H-how am I..." he cut off, clenching his teeth a little with a sound of pain.

Talking about this was hard, when he was only barely holding himself together. This wasn't how he was used to dealing with emotions and he didn't even know what to do when it was things like this. When things bothered him he got angry! He blew things up! Or he'd ignore them, pretend they didn't exist. Deny them! That's how he dealt with emotions. This? This was different. They were just so strong and he was hurting. He felt the need for emotional release, but locked up down here was keeping him from it. What was he meant to do? Talk about it? Cry? Those weren't that easy to do! Not for him.

Edited 2013-02-05 23:20 (UTC)

Blowing things up wasn't going to solve everything, for one thing.

"It's hard. Holding onto those feelings are part of what makes us who we are." She wanted to tell him that he needed to use those feelings as his power, but that's part of the reason why he's in this cell in the first place. "You will be able to do something, Laharl. Use them against the Organization, when you get out of here," she said at last, hugging him a little tighter.

Was this really the best she could do for him? It was hard to be a parent, sometimes.

"Heh... Don't worry, I have lots of feelings to use against them," he uttered. It sounded like a lighter-hearted comment, but there was certainly a deeper, bitter meaning. Flonne was only the beginning really.

He leaned in a little closer as she tightened the hug, pressing his face gently into her shoulder, hiding it from her so she didn't have to see his pained face. Knowing he would be able to do something eventually didn't really help him now. "I just..." he began, before realizing he wasn't really sure what he was trying to say. "I just don't know, he finally said, shuddering a little. "I just don't know..." Laharl repeated, voice cracking a little.

Gwen didn't know what to do. She didn't know what he needed. She just curled herself around him, holding him, wishing she could find the right words to say that could take her son's pain away. It was all she found she could do, just staying with him until he slipped into a sort of troubled, exhausted sleep. It was only then that she uncurled away from him.

She dabbed a sleeve at her face, rubbing away tear trails, and placed a hand to rest atop Laharl's head for a long moment, brushing it over his hair.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as though it would help, as though it would reach him in his sleep. "But your father's waiting for me. I have to go help find the door. And then..." And then Laharl could join them.

She pulled herself away and walked to the cell door, glanced back over at him, then finally took her leave.

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