Snuggle.

"What's the immortalization process like? I assume that you being you, de-aging is an option along with just freezing someone at a specific age?"

"Mm? Yeah."

"So we don't need to drop everything to go find my parents on the continent as quickly as possible. Just making sure."

He laughs. "Yeah, there's no rush."

"Yeah. I mean, I'd want to spare my parents the pain of arthritis and the like, so maybe some rush. But not a very pressing rush."

Pet pet. "You're very sweet."

"I love my parents! I would like them to be around forever, and not in any kind of personal discomfort while they're around. Is that noteworthy? That doesn't feel very groundbreaking in levels of sweetness."

"Mm, it's not groundbreaking by itself but it's an example of you being sweet." Snuggle.

"Oh, all right. Fair enough." Snuggle.

Snuggle! Lovely warm soft cozy snuggles.

"... Did you actually throw some guy off a roof?" she wonders, idly.

"Hmm? Yeah."

"Why?"

She probably shouldn't find this kind of funny, because someone did actually die, but. It's just such a ridiculous way to die, and it's hard to say that it was unexpected. The Emperor does not throw someone off of a roof randomly.

"He was really annoying."

...

She should not giggle. It's a very serious thing that should be treated seriously.

She giggles anyway.

"What did he do?"

"He treated me like an idiot. An easily manipulated idiot. And when I told him to either stop or get lost, he did neither. And then I lost my temper. I kind of wish I had better self-control, but on the other hand I feel like it would've been really easy for him to avoid that outcome if he could just have let go of his dream of an Emperor-shaped lever with which to rearrange the world into a shape more to his liking."

"Oh dear," she says, kissing his temple. "I think I agree, actually? That probably makes me a terrible person. It sounds like he did not have enough self preservation instinct. I mean, yes, more self-control for you, but. Why would he ever treat the most powerful man in the world like an idiot."

"He couldn't figure out why anyone would have what I have and not use it the way he'd use it unless they were just too stupid to notice the opportunity."

"That's a failing of intelligence on his part, then," she sniffs.

"It certainly didn't turn out well for him."

Snort.

"Shit, I'm going to start giggling again. I don't want to giggle again, except actually this is kind of funny."

He laughs and hugs her.

Hug! Snuggle.

"I wonder if I'll have the patience to be able to - I don't know. Run interference for you. Herd the idiots away from you, so you don't lose your temper and throw someone off a roof."

"You're certainly welcome to try. But the way I interact with the government of my empire is set up to minimize the amount of nonsense I have to put up with, so the ones who get through despite that are usually the most persistent."

"Oh, charming. Well. Maybe that's a problem that's amenable to throwing my brother at it. He's better at people than I am. Or maybe not." Snuggle.