#after finding out about red chocobos i just decided to roll with it

[nights-at-crystarium]

Paprika doesn't appear in the comic for a long while, but now you know the real wol :>

[whitherliliesbloom]

birds of a feather

[ ffxivwrite2021 ] ★ [ masterlist ] ★ [ prompt #16 - crane ]

[ illya & friends ] ★ [ 1,847 words ]  ★ [ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ] features ancientechos’ laurelis and two of my other ocs.

crane: a tall, long-legged, long-necked bird, typically with white or grey plumage

though their species varies as much as the colors of their plumages, birds of a feather flock the warrior of light together

“So...” Sigfred’s puzzled expression is framed by the furrowing of his eyebrows as he looks down at the young woman as she tries and fails to protectively shield her newest little companion away from his view. “You decided your aviary isn’t quite populated enough, did you?”

He says little, but the creature stood a good two feet taller than the comparably tiny lalafellin in front of it, the red tuff that crowned its head not helping it stay out of sight and unnoticeable either.

Of course, even if the peculiar thing hadn’t been almost the size of a small hyuran child or had striking plumage, it wouldn’t distract anybody from the fact that the lanky, majestic creature Illya had herded back home was yet another bird - a wild crane hailing from the far east.

“It wasn’t my decision to make.” Illya frowns, shaking her head while she idly raises her hand to rest upon the crane’s head, stroking it gently. “She just followed me back.”

“All the way from Yanxia?” The disbelief in his voice is his understandable, as is the skeptical crossing of his arms. He has trouble believing that a wild animal would doggedly tail Illya thousands of miles away from it’s natural habitat. Though his cynicism quickly fades when his scarlet eyes meet starlit ones, and he is reminded of the supernatural affinity the girl has with feathered creatures when a pigeon casually flutters over and lands on top of her head. 

He cannot tell if the lack of the wild animal’s natural fear of people when it came to Illya was more absurd, or the fact that she seemed completely nonchalant about the way a bird was nesting atop her hair. 

“Yes.” She answers, voice dipping slightly in pitch to convey her seriousness. “Hien had quite a struggle to chase her off the boat.” 

Evidently, the Prince of Doma had failed spectacularly... and as if self-aware, the crane puffs it’s chest out and tilts her head high into the sky. 

Next to Sigfred, the bard’s shoulder shakes in mirth, his loud guffaw echoing through the shroud of trees and causing the pigeon that had been peacefully resting on Illya’s head to flee, much to her unspoken chagrin. 

“Gods, I’m not even surprised anymore.” Wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eyes, E’lija finally speaks in between choked laughter. “Illya brings home a new bird like every other day.”

Heat spreads across the young lady’s face, though as if sensing her embarrassment, the cockatiel that had been sitting quietly upon the branch of Illya’s wisteria tree flys over before landing on her shoulder, now nudging it’s head against her cheek.

“I-I... I don’t choose to, most of the time at least... Plus, if I take good care of them, there shouldn’t be a problem. Isn’t that right, Orion?”

The cockatiel bobs its head up and down, much to the utter shock of E’lija who throws his arms up.

“W-wha- It can understand her??”

Orion doesn’t spare even a second to pause before turning it’s head to lock his beady, round eyes upon the miqo’te before his beak parts to voice his detest towards the man who would embarrass his master.

“Piss off.”

“IT CAN TALK?!?!” E’lija so very nearly falls off his fold up chair, threatening to take the cups of coffee and biscuits onto the floor with him.  “WHERE- Where did it learn that from???” 

“.....Estinien.” Illya frowns, lifting her index finger to poke at the cockatiel’s forehead in disapproval. “He got into a fight... well... argument with Orion. It wasn’t pretty.”

She really should find a way to tactfully ask the man to cut his expletives down... or at least not feel the raging urge to get into a debate with a mere bird, lest she have a harder and harder time convincing people that she was not in fact the one responsible for teaching her pet cockatiel how to yell ‘Thal’s balls’ in a guest’s ear. 

Sigfred merely hums, his hands stroking his chin as he narrows his eyes at the crane. 

“What kind of crane is it, anyway? We didn’t see a lot of it’s kind back in Doma.”

“It’s a Manchurian crane - one of the rarest species of cranes in the world, I believe. It’s particularly highly revered in the far east... which was why I had to hide her below deck while we were sailing by Kugane.”

His interest piqued, the redhead straightens himself and adjusts his hat before leaning back into his seat. 

“Why’s that?”

“Um... well, if I remember right, it symbolizes good fortune, longevity and immortality.”

E’lija has to stop his jaw from dropping so low that it’d collide with the table. Archons, and this apparently rare crane from the far east that represented god given virtues has now taken a liking to Illya so much it’d leave Doma to stalk her all the way back to Eorzea?

Internally, he wonders what sort of karma he must have to obtain such divine blessings. 

With a clear of his throat, Sigfred steers the conversation back on track.

“So what now? What do you plan on doing next with it?”

“I-I.... I don’t... I don’t know? She’s stubborn... wouldn’t budge for anyone. I had thought maybe letting her see just how different the shroud is from Yanxia, she’d want to go home but...”

A hearty, more pleasant giggle rings out next to her, and Illya turns to look at a pink-haired miqo’te who she had assumed would be too pre-occupied with cuddling her baby dodo to have paid attention to her conversation with her other party mates.

Laurelis still is, to an extent... her arms wrapped tightly around the plump, round creature as it lets out an occasional squawk. But as usual, when it came to the topic of animal adoption and welfare, she was ever the first to jump to contribute to the topic.

“Why don’t you just adopt her then? You already know how to take care of other birds so... just one more won’t make much of a change, would it?”

That was the exact mindset that would lead Laurelis to have an ever growing household of cats and dogs that she’d find on her travels... but Illya thinks pointing out the irony to that would only get lost to her dear friend. 

“Well... I... I have my reservations.” 

Illya turns behind to look back at the crane as it stares intently back at her. Whatever that was going through it’s head, it certainly had no intention of returning where it came from... But that in itself was a bit of a problem.

“Manchurians cranes are an endangered species... I’m not sure I’m qualified enough to take care of one, let alone adopt and keep one for the rest of it’s life, when it should rightfully be wild.” 

There was a drip of hypocrisy in her statement, certainly. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s had to shelter a wild animal only to be forced into a position of adopting it - and it didn’t just apply to birds either. 

But caring and raising a species at danger of going extinct was an entirely different issue that she rightfully felt she had no place dabbling in - not without professional training, at least... and the twelve knows when she’d find an expert in the matter willing to teach her.

Ethical concerns aside, Illya also struggled to find a concrete reason for why she absolutely had to keep this beautiful creature in her home. 

For most of the other animals she’d adopted, they had been rescued in some form or the other. Hazel for example, the brown sparrow that she had found with broken wings near Bentbranch Meadows a few summers ago. Though Illya had full intentions to release her as soon as she healed from her injuries, the little sparrow grew attached and has rarely ever left her side since. 

She’d struggled to find an adopter who would be willing to take in her mobirdly obese chocobo chick Lawrence, due perhaps to their reservations in regards to providing for his demanding diet. And likewise, the hunting hawk that she’d met upon a pirate ship had been abandoned after losing it’s eye... and his protectiveness over not just herself, but anyone he knew to be someone Illya cared for, made it difficult to even find ways to put adverts for his adoption. 

Illya had thought the reason why birds seemed to flock to and very often stay by her side had been for the simple fact that she’d saved them... and that their attachment to the one who saved them made it impossible for them to part from her. 

The Manchurian crane however, would perhaps be the clearest proof that her affinity with birds was... unnatural, to say the least. 

Not that she minded, of course... Because for as much as she would bring doubt to her own abilities to care for the animals under her care, she did secretly have a soft spot for birds that perhaps made it hard for her to give her feathered friends as much as it would be for them to find a new home. 

“Maybe I could foster it for a while before bring it back to Doma.” Illya hums, but hears Laurelis whine pitifully in response.

“But she’s clearly attached to you! I’m sure she’ll be happiest by your side. At the end of the day, her happiness and wellbeing is the most important, right? I’m sure you’ll do just fine, Illya!” 

The miqo’te points out, gesturing to the yard full of birds who roosted quietly - from Lawrence who was now rolling about in his little playpen full of sand, to Captain Blackbeak who sat vigilantly atop the purple mailbox decorated with golden leaves and stars that sat right outside her yard. 

Illya hears hazel singing from where she sat on the roof of the pagoda, and the nudging of the crane’s beak against her face, as if both voicing their agreement for Laurelis’ words... and Illya lets out a heaving sigh that was copied comically by the cockatiel on her shoulder.

“I-I’ll think about it.” Though there’s still a hint of hesitation, the fact Illya was willing to even consider was enough to cause Laurelis to break out into a grin, lifting her hands up to clap in delight.

“Oh goodie! Now think of a name for her!”

“N-now??” With widened eyes of gleaming lavender stars, Illya parts her mouth and shakes her head frantically. “W-when I’m put on the spot like that I can’t--... I can’t think of anything-”

“Oh!” Evidently more than happy to suggest some ideas, E’lija blurts out. “I have some ideas! How about... Queen crane! Or... Immortal Nancy! Or-”

“Shut up stupid! Shut up stupid!”

Bouncing up and down, Orion squeals out, causing the bard to finally collapse off of his chair and spill his milk coffee, which Illya is certain that Lawrence would be more than happy to hop over and drink off the floor.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Four: War (Gladiolus x Reader) Chapter One

A/n: Welcome to the final book in the Four Horsemen series! It has taken way too long and I apologize! As in the other books, your hair color is predetermined based off which Horseman you pose as, but feel free to change it! Enough chatter from me. Let's get right into the story! Love you all!!! ••••••••••••••••••••

Prompto stared wide-eyed at the wanted poster of Deadeye that was on display at Wiz Chocobo Post. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat when Noctis told him they'd be hunting down the deadly behemoth. "You seriously think we can take this thing down?"

Noctis shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

"Dude!" The blonde whined at his best friend's nonchalant attitude toward the deadly situation.

"Hey, you wanna ride the chocobos? Then we've got no choice."

"Noct is correct," Ignis spoke up as he and Gladio walked over to join the two younger boys. "In order for us to gain access to the chocobos, we must execute this beast."

"Enough chitchat. Let's get moving," Gladio stated. "You've got enough items, right, Your Highness?"

The ravenette rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah..."

The royal retinue left the chocobo outpost and headed to where Deadeye's den was located-the Nebulawood. It wasn't far from Wiz Chocobo Post as it was a five-minute hike from the outpost. Before they could even locate the entrance to the Nebulawood, they could hear the sound of trees snapping and slamming against the ground.

Finding the entrance to the Nebulawood, the four exceeded caution as they could hear even more trees falling in the distance. Eventually, they stumbled upon a narrow passageway they could crawl through.

Gladio grabbed Noctis and yanked him back before he could enter the crawlspace. Offering to go first, the shield proceeded to enter the crawlspace and lead the way. Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis followed after him, keeping their voices down when hearing a menacing growl.

Halfway through the crawlspace, the boys spotted Deadeye. The large behemoth stalked past them, failing to notice their presence. However, the beast's nose scrunched up as it smelt an unfamiliar scent. It immediately turned around and crept toward the crawlspace.

Seeing this, Gladio stopped Noctis just in time. Deadeye shoves its snout into an opening and roars. When seeing its sharp teeth, the shield noticed a round, red object lodged between two of them.

Suddenly, the royal retinues' attention was drawn to the behemoth when a sword came out of nowhere and plunged into the side of its neck. Deadeye cried out, yanking its snout out of the hole.

"What the...?" Noctis murmured, eyes glued to the sword.

"Hurry up," Gladio hissed.

The four made it out of the crawlspace and were greeted by the sound of Deadeye's thunderous roar. Alongside the beast, they heard someone yell at the top of their lungs. The group froze after realizing it was human.

"Who'd be crazy enough to come here by themselves?" Prompto asked.

"Perhaps the person who wounded the behemoth," Ignis said.

"We're gonna help them, right?"

"If we get to them before they become behemoth bait," Gladio stated.

Following the sounds of battle, the group made their way through the area of the Nebulawood that was shrouded with a heavy fog.

After pausing through the dense fog and managing to locate Deadeye's den, they climbed over a fence and stared at the ruins before looking toward the battle unfolding down below.

A young woman with fiery red locks and (e/c) eyes wielded a sword with a crimson blade. Her attire was strange and out of place.

(A/n: I imagined the outfit without the ears on the hood and the mask. And before I forget... I DO NOT OWN ANY IMAGES USED IN THIS STORY! Please go support the original artists if you like their work.)

She nimbly dodged the behemoth's attacks before leaping forward and striking. Her blade sliced off Deadeye's other horn and destroyed its other eye. Swinging its claws around blindly, the behemoth tried to strike the girl. When its claw got close enough, she sidestepped and swung her sword upward, slicing off a couple of its toes.

Seeing the appendages fall to the ground, Prompto backed away from the ledge. "So, uh... We gonna help her?"

Gladio crossed his arms as he continued to watch the fight. "Looks like she can handle this herself."

"Yeah, but..."

"Nah, it's fine," Noctis replied, his eyes glued to the battle. He watched the girl swing her blade, but his eyes widen in shock when she exchanges her blade for a javelin. He saw the familiar crystal-like shards that engulfed her weapons when they switched. Unlike his, they were a bright crimson. He blinked in bewilderment. "Did you guys just see that?"

"Quite so," Ignis answered.

"Wait, is she a member of the crownsguard?" Prompto asked.

"No way," Gladio responded. "I'm pretty sure we'd remember a firecracker like her if she was."

"Then what's with the shards?"

"I am curious as well," the advisor spoke up.

All of a sudden, the girl's javelin was set ablaze. She charged toward Deadeye, ducking under his flailing claws and eyeing its chest. She jammed the blazing javelin into the behemoth's chest, discharging the flame. The fire consumed its body, frying it to a crisp. Yanking the javelin out of Deadeye's chest, she dispelled it with a heavy sigh before stepping back to prevent from being crushed by the corpse.

Seeing it was finally dead, the redhead kicked the behemoth's head. "Dammit... Where is it?" Her attention was drawn to the royal retinue when they hopped down from the cliff and joined her. She watched them with a glare, keeping her distance and remaining silent.

"You lookin' for something?" Gladio asked, shattering the silence.

"You really think I'm going to tell you?" She scoffed.

"Let me guess: it's red and round." Her eyes widen, which made him smirk. "Looks like I hit the nail on the head. It's stuck between its teeth."

The redhead turned her attention back to the carcass of the behemoth and walked over to its mouth. Summoning a crimson-bladed dagger, she examined Deadeye's mouth and found what she'd been looking for. "About damn time." Using the dagger, she picked the orb out from the beast's teeth and wiped it off with a disgusted look. "Of course it's covered in slobber..."

Dispelling the dagger, she grabbed Noctis' attention. "Hey, where did you-?"

"Sorry, can't talk," she interrupted him. "I'm a busy person." She sauntered off, her hips swaying as she did so.

"Hey!" The prince shouted. "Wait a minute!"

"Aaand she's gone," Prompto sighed. "What do we do now?"

"Return to Wiz. We must inform him of the behemoth's downfall," Ignis replied.

"We're not gonna take the award money, are we?"

The strategist shook his head. "No."

"After all, we weren't the ones to kill Deadeye," Gladio added. "Let's get goin'." The four left the ruins and headed back to Wiz Chocobo Post.

Back at the chocobo outpost, Noctis told Wiz of Deadeye's death. The old man tried to give him the reward for slaying the beast, but he refused.

Before Wiz could ask why, a familiar redhead made another appearance. "Just take the money. I wasn't planning on using it."

Noctis turned around in disbelief. "You're really not going to take it?"

"That's what I was implying," she groaned. "Hurry up and take it or I'll give it to someone else."

"Okay..." Noctis told Wiz of his decision and took the gil from the man. When he spun back around, he saw the redhead was gone. "Dammit..."

From across the chocobo ranch, Gladio had watched the exchange between Noctis and the mysterious girl. He watched her walk away and decided to follow her a little ways down the road. He called out to her, happy it made her stop. "You just gonna walk away?"

The redhead crossed her arms with a scowl as she faced him. "You just gonna follow me if I do?"

The shield held up his hand in defense. "Take it easy, firecracker."

"Do not call me that," she hissed.

He smirked. "Feisty."

She clenched her fist. "You're pissing me off. I'm pretty sure you've somewhere else to be. Y'know, a place called Lestallum? Or are those big muscles to make up for how small your brain is?"

Gladio wasn't fazed by the insult, but he was flabbergasted at what she said. "How'd you know that?"

Now it was her turn to smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know, Gladiolus Amicitia."

Without another word, she walked away. Gladio watched her as she vanished down the road and out of sight. Still in shock, he returned to his friends and they rode away from the chocobo ranch.

<------------<<<<<

The next day, the royal retinue arrived in Lestallum. Ignis parked the car and everyone headed to the main thoroughfare. Gladio received a call from Iris, letting him know she was staying at the Leville. Deciding to not keep her waiting, they headed to the hotel.

When reaching the courtyard outside the Leville, the ground begins shaking. The four boys brace themselves to prevent from falling. "Whoa, do you feel that?" Noctis questioned.

"You mean the earthquake?" Gladio inquired.

Suddenly, Noctis grabs his head and winces. Images of Titan flash through his mind. After a moment, the visions abate and Noctis shakes his head. He wasn't worried about what he saw.

Gladio noticed the boy's discomfort and asked, "What's wrong?"

"My head just started throbbing," the raven-haired boy answered.

Prompto glanced at his best friend with concern. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Continuing forth, the group enter the Leville. They stand in the lobby and wait for a couple minutes. When Iris comes trotting down the stair, she smiled at her older brother. "Gladdy!"

"Iris," Gladio called out to his sister.

She then casted her smile toward the others. "Look at you guys, holding your own out there."

"What can I say? You look good," Prompto complimented her.

"All things considered. You guys are staying here, right?"

"That's the plan," Ignis said.

"When you have time, we have catching up to do," Gladio stated.

"I've got time now. Come on up!" Iris cheered.

The four boys follow Iris upstairs. They enter one of the rooms with a young boy and an old man inside. Gladio recognizes them and called out, "Jared and Talcott! Is it good to see you."

"Prince Noctis! Iris is safe with me!" Talcott proclaimed confidently.

"Please excuse my grandson. He has yet to learn his manners," Jared apologized.

Noctis smirked at the young boy. "I like it."

"Your Highness is very kind, but we shan't impose. A very good night to you, Your Highness."

Jared and Talcott leave the room and Iris closes the door behind them. She and the boys then all take a seat. Noctis was the first to speak up. "So Iris, what was it like inside the Crown City?"

She frowned. "Not pretty. The Citadel took a beating. But a lot of outlying neighborhoods made it through in one piece."

"The empire had tactical targets in mind," Ignis stated.

"We wouldn't have made it out if it wasn't for (Y/n)."

Noctis' brows furrowed together in confusion. "Who's (Y/n)?"

"I'm not really sure myself. She showed up just before the empire attacked and escorted us out of the city," Iris answered. "We owe her our lives."

"(Y/n)..." Ignis murmured the name.

Noctis looked toward his advisor. "What's up, Specs?"

"I believe I've heard such a name from his late Majesty."

"Really?"

"Though I am uncertain."

Gladio looked back at his sister. "Think we could meet this (Y/n)?"

"Definitely!" Iris flew to her feet. "She should be somewhere near the outlook. Follow me!" She acted as the royal retinues' guide, escorting them out of the hotel and to the outlook.

Arriving at their destination, they saw only one person. They had a hood pulled over their head. Iris recognizes the person and shouted, "(Y/n)!"

The person turned in their direction, pulling down their hood and revealing fiery locks. Prompto's mouth fell agape. "No way..."

Iris looked over at the blonde. "You know her?"

"Not personally, no," Noctis responded.

The mysterious girl, now known as (Y/n), smirked. "Well, well, I didn't expect to see you four again so soon."

"Neither did we, firecracker," Gladio chortled, grinning.

The girl's smirk morphed into a scowl. "Do you want me to kick your ass? Because I will."

Iris glanced between her brother and the redhead. "How do you all know each other?"

"We somewhat met yesterday at the chocobo ranch," Prompto responded.

(Y/n) tore her gaze from the shield and glanced up at the sky. "It's getting late. I'm heading out."

"You tryin' to make another quick exit like you did yesterday?" The brute asked.

"For your information, I've got important things to do. That behemoth yesterday was a minor setback. If you're so eager to talk to me, I'll be back in the morning."

The five watch her leave. Prompto made a comment once she was gone. "She's, uh...interesting."

"I'll say," Gladio chuckled.

"Anyway," Iris chimed in. "You guys are probably tired from the drive. Why don't you take a day to relax?"

"A long nap does sound nice," Noctis confesses.

"When does it not to you?" The shield retorts.

The boy waves him off before heading back to the Leville with Prompto, Ignis, and Iris. Gladio glances in the direction (Y/n) walked before following the others.

<------------<<<<<

The next morning, Noctis went on a tour with Iris while Prompto and Ignis went shopping. Gladio, who'd been itching to talk to (Y/n), searched for the redhead. He wandered around Lestallum for a little while until he found the girl where they talked yesterday-the outlook. She was sitting on the stone railing, gazing down at the scarlet orb in her palm. Her head shot up when hearing him approach. "I swear to the Astrals, if you call me that ridiculous nickname I'll toss you off the nearest bridge."

Gladio, even though he'd only known her for two days, was starting to enjoy her fiery attitude. "As much as I would love to, I'm here to thank you and not piss you off."

"Oh?" She hummed in curiosity. "What do you want to thank me for?"

"For saving Iris, Talcott, and Jared."

"It was only coincidental," she muttered.

"Still, you saved 'em. So, thanks," he said. "Why were you in the city anyway?"

She looked away. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

She arched a brow. "Excuse me?"

Galdio repeated himself. "Try me."

A sigh fell from her lips. "My sisters and I were summoned by your late King to help with evacuation."

Of course, this made the brute even more confused. "Really? His Majesty thought four sisters could evacuate the entire city?"

"I haven't gotten to the last part," she groaned. "Are you familiar with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?"

"Yeah." Gladio couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't tell me you and these sisters you're talkin' about are the Four Horsemen. They're just a scary story to tell kids to freak 'em out."

(Y/n) pinched the bridge of her nose. "I told you you wouldn't believe me. What was even the point in trying to tell you? You mortals don't even know the real story of the Four Horsemen..." She hopped off the railing and walked past Gladio.

Before she was out of reach, the shield grabbed her wrist and stopped her from leaving. "I'll admit, I don't believe you. Think you could do somethin' that'll convince me?"

"Like what? Summon my horse, vanish in a puff of smoke, stab myself, burn something?"

"Uh..."

The redhead stared into his amber eyes. "You think I'm crazy. To be honest, I didn't expect much." She yanked her arm out of his grasp. "Why did I even think I could try?"

"Fine, I'll bite. Let's say you and your sisters are the Four Horsemen. What did you mean by mortals don't even know the real story?" Gladio asked.

"You wanna bear the truth? Fine."

***

Four souls were pulled from the four corners of Hell, gifted with abilities no human, god, nor daemon could comprehend. Each soul was given one of four aliases that accompanied their powers-War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. Now dubbed the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by the Daemon King, Aeshema, they were sent to a world between the living and the dead known as the Inner Sanctum-a domain where the Four Horsemen would reside and keep order of the monsters who relish to break the seal preventing them from entering the world of the living and quenching their bloodlust.

With the seal preventing the monsters from escaping to the land of the living shattered, the Horsemen were tasked with traveling to the bustling world to hunt down the monsters that escaped and kill them before humans fell victim to their bloodlust. Once each Horseman slew their share of the monsters, they would be granted passage back to the Inner Sanctum.

Once the Four Horsemen reached the gateway and entered the portal, they arrived in the land of the living. Famine, Death, Pestilence, and War went their separate ways and disguised themselves as humans in order to walk among the living and hunt down the monsters incognito without startling the lives around them.

***

Gladio stated at (Y/n) in disbelief. The redhead rolled her eyes. "You wanted the true tale, you got it. I'm a warrior, not a storyteller."

"Isn't it missing details?" He asked.

"Well, yeah. It's still in the making. That's why it kinda sounds incomplete." Even though she knew he didn't believe her, she went into deeper detail. "In order for me to return to the Inner Sanctum, I must slay a pack of bunyips and a dullahan that escaped. In order to complete my mission, I can't dawdle around here and perform tricks like a dog just to try and convince you I'm a Horseman. Besides, I don't care if you believe me or don't. It doesn't change my mission. Have fun escorting His Highness to Altissia." (Y/n), once again, gave Gladio the cold shoulder and left.

[miss-tc-nova]

A SOLDIER’s Memories - Cloud Strife x Fem!Reader Pt 2

Originally inspired by Panic! At the Disco’s Hurricane, I love this chapter! It also could’ve been much longer with the chocobo race, but that was kinda needless. Last note: I LOVE INFANTRY CLOUD! He’s so adorable! 

Gold Saucer Magic

                I stuff the clothes into a bag and, just as I get it zipped up, there’s a knock on the door. Brushing hair from my face, I pull the door open, surprised to find the infantry chocobo on the other side.

                “You’re not Zack,” I state bluntly.

                He avoids eye contact while a hand plays at the nape of his neck. “Uh, yeah. About that, Zack says he can’t come. So he’s sending me.”

                “What?”

                “They gave him a last minute mission so he gave me the tickets and said I should take you.” As proof, the blonde holds up the pair of tickets.

                I put a hand on my hip. “Well that’s honestly an upgrade for me, but are you sure you’re okay with that? It’s a three day trip.”

                I love when he’s bashful. “Yeah. I only had one mission and one of the other guys agreed to cover it for me.”

                A smile blooms. “Great. Then let’s get going.”

                Oh that poor chocobo. Since our first mission, the duo dynamic I had with Zack balanced out with the addition of the level headed boy, and not just on missions. He always tried his best to keep our antics somewhat mild, but he usually just ended up being dragged along; though he did take Sephiroth up on his word and shot Zack once. Granted, Zack was about to blow everyone up by accident, so they made up pretty quickly. As for the two of us, I find hanging out with Cloud usually ends up being my favorite part of the day. I find myself seeking him out on bad days; his calm demeanor talking me down from my emotions. He’s a huge, sweet softie and I love it. But he still suffers from motion sickness.

                After one very sick boat ride and a questionable cable car, we arrive at the astounding Gold Sauce, only to find out our room has a single queen bed. There’s a bit of heckling the front desk, but the room is the only one available: it’s that or nothing. We’ve got no choice. I grumble all the while Cloud drags me out to find dinner and quell my anger. I have to admit, the show after dinner did get me to laugh.

                I stare down at the single bed, my annoyance working up again. Cloud puts a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, it’s alright. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

                “There’s no way in hell I’m letting you sleep on the floor,” I huff, sitting on the edge of the bed. “That’s gross.”

                “Really. It’s fine.”

                I take a deep breath and try to remember why we’re here anyway. With a devilish grin, I look to my friend. “You afraid of sharing a bed with me?”

                The reaction is instant and entertaining. With a bright red face, he stammers, “N-No! I didn’t want to be rude! I just-”

                I throw a pillow. “Shut up, turn off the light, and get in the bed.” Crawling up the bed, I make sure to leave plenty of room for him. The light flickers off and, after a moment, I can feel movement on the other side and the blanket pulls a bit. “Silly chocobo.”

                I hear a sigh, smile to myself, and drift to sleep.

~~~~~ 

                I become aware of my body and the pleasant warmth around me. I snuggle against the source behind me and sigh. A weight on my leg snakes around my waist.

                That’s when my brain snaps wide awake. I try to get a grip on my rapid thoughts which ultimately lead me to how comfortable I feel. In fact, this is probably the most peaceful I’ve ever felt; it’s safe. Hoping to indulge in the moment a while longer, I relax and just let it go, falling back into a peaceful doze.

                The boy stirring brings me back to consciousness. There’s a light gasp and the arm flies away, but I’m too tired to tease him just yet. I didn’t foresee him gingerly replacing his hand on my side though. There’s a flurry of butterflies in my stomach when he pulls me even closer. I’m terrified he can hear my heartbeat but he relaxes. Once I’m sure my heart won’t burst from my chest, I too return to the serenity of snoozing just a bit longer.

                Eventually, we have to get up. The moment I start to stretch, Cloud disappears with a jolt. Rubbing at my eye, I sit up and gently shake the blonde. “Wake up, you sleepy chocobo.”

                Without turning back, he replies, “I’m up.” I can just see how red his ear is and grin.

                With breakfast out of the way, we set out to wander the park, starting with the arcade area. We pass by a windowed wall where people are shooting at targets. What catches my attention though, is the chocobo plushies hanging across the top.

                “Oh I need one of those!” I point them out to Cloud and drag him closer. Apparently, the goal of the game is to shoot out the entire star in the paper. After only the first few shots, I quickly realize I won’t be winning that.

                Just as I raise the pellet gun again, a hand reaches out, raising the barrel a bit. “You need to line up the sights,” Cloud says, pointing out the two points on the barrel. “And you want to pull the trigger just before you breathe in.” Next, he bumps the back of the firearm higher up my shoulder. “Try that.”

                I do significantly better, but I still don’t beat the game. “Damn,” I mutter.

                “You picked it up pretty quickly,” comments my friend, handing the game keeper another handful of gil. I never thought Cloud had a smug bone in his body, but that smirk makes me worried that Zack and I have corrupted this pure little chocobo. Also, my heart might explode. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

                I stare, slack jawed, as Cloud perfectly carves out the star with ammo to spare. Setting the rifle down, he turns back to me, still wearing that sly smile.

                “What the hell was that?!”

                “It’s not the first time I’ve held a pellet gun,” he confesses, some of that smugness fading.

                It clicks. “That’s right. You’re a country bumpkin.”

                “Shooting tin cans is a favorite pass time of my hometown.” The man running the game places a plush on the counter. He holds it out for me. “Oh, here. You wanted one, right?”

                Grinning like an idiot, I wrap my arms around it. I can’t help hiding my face in it, knowing that there’s a blush rising. “He’s so cute. And he looks like you.”

                His face goes blank. “Gee. Thanks.”

                I giggle. “Thanks Cloud.”

                We resume our wandering, have lunch, and generally enjoy the park. Then we stumble upon Chocobo Square.

                I squeal, picking up the pace. “Oh my god! Cloud! I found your people!”

                “I’m never going to shake this chocobo thing, am I,” he sighs.

                The birds race past the fence. “This is so cool!”

                “You can try it if you want.” Cloud points out the signup counter. My smiling gasp confirms my excitement. “Have fun.”

                I grab his arm. “Oh come on! Come with me!”

                “I’m good.”

                “Please!” The longer he stares, the more uncomfortable he gets and he caves. Before long, we’re saddled up in the stalls. “You gonna be okay there, bird boy?” Cloud rolls his eyes. “Wanna make a bet?”

                At first, I expect him to back down, but he shrugs. “Sure.”

                “Loser buys dinner.”

                “That’s it?”

                “Come on. I was trying to be nice,” I goad.

                He thinks on it. “How about an unconditional favor.” I tilt my head. “Loser owes the winner a favor whenever they request it. No exceptions.” That smirk comes back. “They just do it.”

                “Ooo! I like it.” The red light flashes and I tense. “Don’t let your motion sickness get in the way.”

                Cloud leans forward and the light goes orange. “You’re not winning this one.”

                The light turns green and the stalls burst open. It was so close, neck and neck the entire way, but ultimately, I lose.

                “I’m beginning to think you’re cheating,” I say, following the winner from the stables.

                “You’re just mad you owe me a favor.”

                “Speaking of which, when is that happening?” We head for the food court.

                “Dunno. Think I’ll hold off for a while, save it for when I really need something.” Smug, mischievous; perhaps we really did corrupt our innocent Cloud.

                “Now that’s just rude.”

                I pay for dinner as promised and we stroll for awhile until Cloud decides on our next attraction: the gondola. The hanging craft seems popular this time of night but we eventually board. I pat the seat beside me which he takes.

                “Hey, picture!” I blurt out, holding up my phone. Cloud doesn’t get a chance to figure out what I said by the time I snap the picture, giving an adorable, innocent face. “Nice.”

                “You didn’t give me any warning,” he protests, only to be met with laughter.

                “Well I like it. I think I’ll have a copy printed.”

                “I wish you wouldn’t.” The scenery of the glowing Gold Saucer is beautiful and we watch in silence until he speaks again. “Did you…notice anything weird this morning?”

                Of course I think about our morning cuddle, but he thinks I didn’t notice and I don’t know if I’m prepared for that level of flustered Cloud, or flustered me.

                “No. Why?”

                “Uh, nothing. I must’ve dreamt it.”

                Not exactly.

                A loud boom goes off and I flinch, prepared for a fight. I’m filled with dismay when Cloud laughs, putting a hand on my shoulder.

                “Calm down. It’s just fireworks.”

                “O-Oh. Right.” A hand nervously sifts through my hair before hiding my face against it. As the firework show goes, I think about just how amazing today has been; I need to give Zack my thanks for this later.

                “You okay?”

                I peer up at him, once again captured in the depths of his eyes. But I look away before I can be pulled in. “Yeah. Thanks for coming with me. I think this is the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

                “Birthday?! Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

                I shrug. “It just didn’t seem important. I preferred remember this as a great day with a great person rather than the day I was born. Honestly, I’d probably be working if Zack hadn’t stuck his nose in my business. I’d be pissed that he ditched me if he hadn’t sent a better replacement.”

            ��   Cloud’s voice, soft and warm, is right by my ear. “I’m glad you had fun then.”

                I don’t really think about it, but I lean against Cloud. “I really did. Thank you.”

                The firework show continues and eventually slips from my mind. My thoughts venture down the rabbit hole, coming up with bolder and bolder ideas until I drag my gaze back to Cloud. I didn’t expect him to be so close and hesitate. The pink dancing across his nose and I can tell he’s unsure as well. Steeling my nerves, I turn towards him, slipping a hand onto his chest. By the fabric of his shirt, I pull him closer, feeling his heart pound beneath my fist.

                “H-Hey.” His voice is barely above a whisper. “What are we doing?” Despite the question, it’s clear he knows.

                I’m not much louder. “You stupid chocobo.”

                His lips are softer than I imagined with a slight chill from the night air. He doesn’t pull away, but seems hesitant. I give him several brief kisses, practically begging him for something. He takes it, that hand moving from my shoulder to my lower back to pull me in and kissing back. It’s naïve, like this is his first kiss but he’s as eager as a starving man. I always thought maybe I was the wolf in this relationship; maybe I was wrong, not that it matters. He’s got no idea just how much of a mess I am inside, but I’m in love. In love with someone so kind and genuine that I never had a chance.

                Breaking away, I stay close, trying to rein in my breath, my heart, everything.

                “Are you okay?” he asks, breathing just as heavily.

                A breathy laugh escapes me. “Never better.”

                “Good.” His lips to my forehead don’t exactly help. “Now did you call me a stupid chocobo?”

                “Yeah you dumb bird,” I reply, leaning back to get a better look at his face when I tell him, “And no, you did not dream what happened this morning. You were spooning me.”

                His eyes go wide and his entire body tenses.

                I pinch his cheeks. “And here I thought you’d be little spoon.”

                “I can’t help I move in my sleep!” He swats my hands away.

                Giggling, I slip my hands into his hair and pull his face closer. “I liked it, almost as much as I like you.”

                Another one of those breath-taking smiles appears. “I like you too…a lot.”

                I’m definitely going to have to thank Zack for the best birthday ever. 

[reddeaddamnation]

Imagine them finding out you’re a demigod [Chocobros + more]

Warnings: Mary-Sueish [Y/N]?, the post consists of short one-shots, spoilers, some are more angsty and others are on the funny side

Noctis Lucis Caelum

He couldn’t believe it...even if he saw it with his own eyes. [Y/N], the daughter of Ifrit going against her own father in combat. They spoke in a language Noctis could hardly understand, as flames danced around them, engulfing the palace’s courtyard and turning it into an inferno of fire. Balls of flame flew all around and Noctis could hardly keep up with dodging them. [Y/N] interfered into the battle just in time and told them to back away and let her handle it. “You can’t do it alone!” the king yelled, worriedly, clueless about her true power and origin until she just smirked and lunged at Ifrit, flame covering her entire body and crashed into his chest roughly, knocking him back. “Fight fire with fire, as they say.” Prompto stated jokingly and for the first time Noctis wondered how he can joke in a time like this.

The fight went on and Noctis couldn’t look away or move even if he was out in the open. Words he briefly understood filled his mind. “You were a mistake!” Ifrit’s voice boomed, shaking the ground with anger “You are not my child!” Noctis felt someone tug at his hand and pull him away from a fireball, which flew straight towards him. “Get away!” [Y/N] screamed in human tongue, before intense white fires started radiating from her body, forming a large, pulsating ball around her. That was the last thing Noctis saw before the four broke into a run, and shortly after, the ball exploded, setting fire to everything around it.

“Get underground!“ Ignis yelled “Quick!“ This was a fight against time. If they didn’t outrun the flames, which chased them, they were done for. Noctis felt the burning heat against his exposed skin, which grew hotter and hotter as the inferno closed in. Luckily, the subway station was nearby and the four didn’t think twice. They lunged themselves down the stairs, rolling down them, until they hit the cold ground. The king laid there, basking in the coolness of the concrete, panting heavily and wondering how he managed to survive. He could still faintly hear fireballs bashing against something and loud voiced, though his ears were screaming, his vision was blurry. 

Some time later, the sounds finally stopped and the first to speak was Gladio “Come on, let’s go see what happened.” Slowly, Noctis stood up and the four slowly submerged from the underground. Everything was back to normal (or at least relatively normal, due to the current situation) and the fires were completely out. As they cautiously walked back to the courtyard, the first thing they saw was [Y/N]’s smaller figure on her knees next to Ifrit’s body, which was laying on the ground, unconscious. Her quiet sobs could be heard as she raised a burning red metal sword and with a scream, plunged it in his chest.

Noctis was speechless. He couldn’t imagine what she would be feeling in such a moment...going against your own father must be hard to overcome. [Y/N] stood there, sobbing quietly until she noticed their presence. She looked at them and smiled through tears, before standing up and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “Hey guys.” she murmured “I hope I didn’t hurt you.” In that moment, Noctis desired nothing more than to comfort her, to show her that everything was going to be okay... That he was thankful for her bravery and for what she did to help them.

In several large steps, he walked up to her and pulled her into an embrace and did what he never had the bravery to do ever since he met her. He kissed her lips passionately, intensely, mind blank. [Y/N] was shocked for a moment, but a moment later brought her hands up to wrap around his neck and kissed him back. “I won’t let you die, Noct.” she murmured between kisses “We will find another way. We will bring the light back to the world.”

Prompto Argentum

When the commotion in Altissia happened and all Prompto was busy with was trying to save his life, while fighting imperial soldiers, protect any civilian that got lost and have his friends’ backs all the while avoiding being drowned AND to help Noct fight Leviathan, he didn’t expect to be knocked down by the falling body of someone, who drenched him in water and didn’t even apologize for it when they got off of him! Prom knew that in such a moment being knocked over and drenched was the least of his problems, but he was ready to confront the person when he opened his eyes and sat up... until he saw the face of... “An angel!” he exclaimed quietly, staring up at the girl with a goofy smile and dreamy eyes.

She barely even noticed him, as she was too busy staring down Leviathan with the angry expression of a rebellious child. The goddess was angrily speaking to her in an unknown language, but the girl obviously understood every word. “No! I’m not going back!” she yelled in a childish manner “And you can’t make me!” Prompto completely forgot about the angry serpent, which was now looming over him, as he was too busy staring at the fiery girl. “But mother...!” she whined. Mother? No way, she was the daughter of Leviathan?! But she looked so... human. “I want to see the world of humans! I’m a part of it, even if you don’t want to admit it!” The serpent spoke something in a more calm manner, or at least that was what Prom thought. “Ugh, yes!” The girl groaned “I promise not to get killed and I promise to come back before you wake up and decide to kill me yourself for being late.”

The serpent spoke again one last time, before averting her attention back to the matter at hand. In the meantime, Prompto stood up and shot a smile “Woah.” he started “I bet only you can talk down the Leviathan and get away with it.” She turned around, now calmer and smiled in a way that made Prom’s knees weak. “Oh, that was just my mother.” she stated, as if it was just a normal fact “She gets soo overprotective. Anyway, I’m [Y/N]. Nice to meet you. And you are?” Prompto grinned again and stared at her like he never wants to look at another face again. “M-me? I-I’m... I-I-I’m beautiful...Wait! I mean, I’m Prompto... You’re beautiful.” he babbled, a blushing mess, which made her giggle and sent the poor boy’s heart flying. “Thanks. You’re so funny. And sweet.”

He knew he had some explaining to do to the boys. Explaining was even softly said when they saw him, struggling to answer all her questions and keeping her from tripping and falling over the ruins of the city. “Uh... Hey guys, this is...” Prom spoke with an awkward smile, but [Y/N] cut him off “[Y/N], daughter of Leviathan.” she answered with a smile. The three boys just stared with shocked expressions for a long moment, before yelling out in unison “What?!”

[Y/N] proved to be quite a curious and fun person, always asking questions about the world and ready to try out new things. When they left the island, she insisted on seeing the continent and made it clear that she doesn’t take no for an answer. She was also a very skilled fighter for someone who has never been in the world of mortals and proved it by drowning an entire iron giant in a tornado of water she gathered from the nearby lake. And day by day, Prompto fell deeper in love and couldn’t look away from her even for a minute.

“Ah, she’s perfect.“ he murmured, as he watched her feed a chocobo, petting it and laughing “I knew it was meant to be as soon as she knocked me over back in Altissia...“ he leaned his head on his hands, a dreamy smile on his lips. “Haha, I’ve never seen a creature this sweet before!“ she laughed, hugging the chocobo around the neck. “She even likes chocobos as much as me...“ They were currently at the Wiz chocobo resort taking a break after a long ride from Lestallum. The boys were sat at one of the tables while [Y/N] was playing around with the birds. “Hey, Prom!“ she exclaimed, looking at him with the smile he loves so much “Take a photo!“ He immediately jumped, reaching for his camera, ready to do everything she asks.

Ever since they met, she had always been closer to Prompto. When she needed something, she always asked him and when she had questions, he was the first person she spoke to. Of course, she didn’t mind talking to the others, but Prom was the first thing she saw when she came to the mortal realm, so of course she would be attached to him more. When they were camping, she always put her sleeping bag close to his, shared all her findings with him (Prom will always cherish the gemstone she proudly gave him) and she even ‘commanded’ him to sit in the back seat of the Regalia so she could nap on him while they were on the road. “Got me thinking...” Gladio spoke, chuckling through a teasing smirk watching his friend scurry towards his crush “When you get married, what are your kids gonna be? Quarter gods?” 

Prom stopped in his tracks, blushed and let out a yelp sound, looking at Gladio angrily. He was about to answer, but his beloved master cut him off. “Prom!” she barked in a bossy tone. “Ah, coming!” he stuttered and started running towards her again. 

Ignis Scientia

Ignis had never seen such piercingly cold beauty befitting only the Glacian. And the company thought his glare was scary... She wasn’t afraid to put anyone in their place no matter who... He will always remember how she conjured an icy spear and impaled five imperial soldiers at once without batting an eye. She also wasn’t afraid to destroy a hunter, who dared call them bad hunters, by saying countless of hurtful words, which quite literally left him crying.

But of course, everyone has a weakness. And that of the daughter of the Glacian was indeed Ignis Scentia. When they were together, her icy shell was melted and the real person behind it was shown. The smiling, intelligent, warm girl, who openly talked about her feelings and showed her affection for her lover. 

“Lestallum is beautiful at night.“ she stated, staring at the night sky over the fence of the balcony in their hotel. Ignis came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist “Indeed.“ he agreed “But not as beautiful as you.“ His cheeky remark made her giggle and turn around to peck his lips “You’re so gallant, my love.“ 

The day they met, Ignis never thought this woman would have such an impact on him. Gentiana led her to them and said that [Y/N] can help them along the way and even play an important role in the salvation of the world. That was a time when neither they nor [Y/N[ knew who Gentiana was and who’s child the demigodess is. She didn’t even know who she was back then! 

But when they found out, it was already too late. The train ride to Tenebrae was the worst memory Ignis will ever have. In hope of protecting him and Gladio, she went face to face with the villain himself - Ardyn Izunia. And even though Ignis had lost his vision, it was as if the sight of Ardyn’s blade stabbing through her chest vividly flashed before his ill eyes. And it would stay there forever.

Instead of collapsing on the ground, the girl hugged her knees, levitating off the ground, as a prism of crystal ice isolated her in a shell no blade could pierce. Then, in a flurry of snowflakes, the crystal let out a popping sound and Gladio exclaimed that she had disappeared. In that moment, Ignis thought this was the end... he would never hear her voice again. But her beauty, her smile will always be burned into his mind. And he was happy she was the last thing he saw before he went blind...

Ten long years passed since then and Ignis was never the same man. He hoped that [Y/N] wasn’t dead... that she was just healing and gaining strength. But slowly he felt himself lose hope as time went by and the days became shorter. He contemplated looking for her, but where would he even start, especially in such dangerous times when daemons fearlessly prowled behind every corner, on every road, in every field... 

Then, as if a miracle had happened, ten years later, he heard the all too familiar voice call him softly. “Ignis...?” Hammerhead was quiet. Everyone was asleep. Gladio and Prompto hadn’t returned from their mission yet and Ignis was alone. After spending some time cooking himself a meal, he decided to head for bed himself. He didn’t know how long he was asleep for, but some time later a soft hand caressing his cheek awoke him.

Immediately, he bolted up and frantically started looking around, as if his vision would return to aid him against the unknown intruder. But when he heard her voice, for the first time this rational, logical man wondered if he was dreaming, if her voice was real and not just an illusion of his mind or worse - a daemon. “[Y-Y/N]?” he hesitantly asked. “I’m back, love. I’m sorry for keeping you waiting for so long.” She spoke and the man found himself wielding a new hope. He hesitantly reached to touch her face in the dark and felt her lean against it. “I thought you were dead.” he stuttered, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

“In that moment the Glacian saved me. She kept me safe until I was strong enough to leave again.“ The girl explained “I’m sorry I left you back in the train. If it makes you feel better, I never stopped thinking about you.“ Ignis shook his head, swallowing up a sob, before speaking “No...no. Don’t apologize. The important thing is that you are alive. What I have been hoping for...I was so afraid...“ Her lips cut him off with a soft kiss and there was no doubt. This was [Y/N].

Without thinking, Ignis pulled away from the kiss and blurted out a question that shocked her. “Will you marry me, [Y/N]?” A long silence stepped in, during which Ignis’ heart was pounding in his chest. He thought she was going to reject him, but she was just so shocked by the proposal, mouth agape and wide eyes with a deep blush covering her cheeks. “Ignis...I...” she scoffed disbelievingly, before throwing her arms around his neck “Yes, yes I will!”

Perhaps the current situation wasn’t the best time for a wedding, but they were going to make the best of it. When Noctis appeared, Ignis promised her that they will bring light back into the world together. And he felt stronger than ever. 

“You know... When Gentiana...uh...Shiva...my mother...“ [Y/N] cleared her throat “When she told me about you lot, I was a bit skeptical. But now I’m sure I made the right decision.“ she kissed her husband’s cheek with a grin “Because we saved the world...And I met the love of my life along the way.” 

Gladiolus Amicitia

Never in his life had Gladio been so smitten by someone before. The only thing he could say when he saw the one and only daughter of Bahamut single-handedly slash a red giant in half with a greatsword, all the while making smug, cocky remarks was “Where have you been all my life?” This powerful woman who can one punch any man who doubted her all the way to oblivion, chug an entire beer in one go the way he never even dreamed of, beat him up in hand-to-hand combat like he was the scrawniest child, beat him in arm wrestling as well and have him struggle to not lose, while she stared him down with a smirk without breaking a sweat and speak her mind, not caring about anyone’s opinion had this grown-ass man putty whenever she was around. This godly woman who liked to smugly call herself ‘the baddest bitch in Eos’ had Gladio follow her around, ready to do her bidding like a small puppy. And the way she wielded that sword...

“Rise and shine everyone!“ she yelled one morning, turning on the lights in the hotel room they were staying at in Lestallum “We gotta train for that bounty hunt later.“ A variety of groans could be heard, as the boys stirred in their bed, trying to get the light out of their face. What time was it? And the guys thought Gladio’s schedule was bad... “You handle this one, Gladio.“ Noctis murmured, burying his face in his pillow. “Can I at least get five minutes?“ Gladio rasped, voice still hoarse from sleep. “Alright, but if you’re not done in five minutes, I’ll be back to beat your ass.“ she warned, before giving him a quick peck on the lips and exited the room. 

The boys would tease him at first about his crush on the scary demigodess but of course, they knew better than to make it obvious in front of her. Nobody teases her and gets away with it. But Gladio paid them no mind. At the end of the day, they would all start complaining about how the training sessions with her are so hard. Especially Prom and Noct, who could barely stand on their feet after she was done with them.

Gladio lazily got out of bed and rubbed the sleep away from his eyes. After spending his gifted five minutes in preparing himself, he exited the room and made his way downstairs to the foyer of the hotel, where she was waiting. “What’s the plan?” he asked, catching her attention. “How about a little bet?” she grinned devilishly “If I beat you this time, you will go on a date with me.” Her initiative stunned Gladio, but his confidence was quick to come back and soon a smirk of his own stretched across his lips “Babe, I’d more than gladly go on a date with you even without all this.”

[Y/N]’s grin widened even more and she slowly walked over to him, swaying her hips along the way “That so?” she tilted her head on the side “So you’re admitting your crush on me Iggy was talking about?” Damn Ignis... Gladio thought Couldn’t keep his mouth shut... “Well...” he stuttered slightly, looking away “I’m not gonna lie, you know.” he scoffed, glancing briefly in her eyes. “Because I like you too, Gladio.” she confessed “I think we’d be great for each other.” 

In that moment, Gladio praised, thanked and practically worshiped Bahamut for blessing him with a woman such as [Y/N]. Because indeed, she was a blessing. All those thoughts ran through his head, but he was too smitten and surprised to say anything out loud. “Well?” she urged “Say something already!” Gladio grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief as he dipped down to plant a kiss on her lips, leaving her shocked and oh, is that a blush he sees? “How’s that instead of words?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest proudly. “You...caught me off guard is all.” she rolled her eyes in return.

“Listen, how about we grab something to drink after the training? Maybe sit at that restaurant you like so much? My treat.“ He offered. “You know, Gladio, that sounds like a plan.“ 

Ravus Nox Fleuret

“Don’t strain yourself...“ Ravus murmured softly, yet worry coated his tone when his lover was overcome by yet another fit of intense, heartbreaking coughs. She was abnormally pale and could hardly stand up from the bed she was laying on. Just several days ago she could barely stay conscious and now at least she spent less time asleep and had enough strength to speak. Ravus took this as a sign that she was getting better. 

When Ravus found her, laying unconscious on the ground among the rubble that was once an Imperial fort, surrounded by Noctis and company Ravus felt an immense fit of rage taking over him, along with worry if she was alright and his heart was slowly breaking the more he watched her in this condition. “What have you done?!” he yelled, storming up to Noctis “You know she isn’t supposed to use her powers!”

“I didn’t do anything! I told her not to do it, but we almost got killed and she saw this as the only way to get out of the situation!“ Noctis defended, anger overcoming him as well, along with the worry whether his friend was alright. “You exploit her kind heart and because of that she nearly lost her life multiple times because of you!“ Ravus knew what happened. The large black cloud, angrily throwing lightning bolts all around it could be seen from hundreds of miles away. And he knew... The daughter of the storm god Ramuh unleashed her powers like never before and destroyed the imperial fort and everything around it.

“I refuse to pick up the pieces after every time you mess something up and risk [Y/N]’s life because of it! I will not let this happen again.“ Ravus concluded, gathering the unconscious girl in his arms and turning his back on Noctis. Everything around them was turned into a wasteland after the raging storm. In the blink of an eye, Ravus was gone, along with [Y/N].

“My dear, what in Eos made you attempt such a stunt?“ he asked her, voice filled with pain. “It was...the will of...Ramuh...“ she rasped quietly. Of course, the cruelty of the gods wasn’t exclusive even for their children... Why Ramuh would make his daughter protect a stranger to her with her own life was beyond him. Wasn’t a father supposed to be a protector? A guardian? God or not. Ravus bit his lip and gently held her hand.

“What if I lost you?“ he whispered, as if the very thought of saying it out loud would make it happen. “Ravus...“ she smiled weakly “I love you.“ Ravus choked out a sob and hunched over in pain, covering his eyes with his hand. He swore to protect her, the one he loved with every fiber of his being and here she was, bedridden with barely enough strength to speak. He felt weak, like he failed... “And... you will never lose me...“ her last words came faintly, because her eyes started closing and soon she drifted off to sleep again.

Ravus never left her side for a minute. He wanted to hold her, but was afraid she might break. So he had to settle with a gentle peck on the lips, as he caressed her cheek and combed his hand through her hair “Rest now, treasure.” he whispered “You have done enough.”

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret

Titan knew his time was coming and Lunafreya sensed it too. “You must protect her, mortal.” his voice boomed in her ears and for a short time, she was confused as to what he was referring to. But then, the shock on her face was eminent when the earth god’s chest started glowing and the small figure of a woman emerged from inside it among the soft glow of white light. Luna’s eyes followed the figure as it glided through the air towards her. 

Luna caught the girl just before she hit the ground and the light around her disappeared. She was unconscious. The blonde’s head snapped up at Titan, expecting answers and they weren’t late. “My daughter.” Titan spoke again “Perhaps even my successor.” Lunafreya looked at the girl again, the shock still visible on her face. But this was the will of the earth god and she wanted to fulfill it.

By the time the unknown girl opened her eyes, they were already far from the meteor. Luna decided there was no point in traveling until she had awoken. ”Where am I?” she asked, sitting up from her laying position. Her eyes traveled to the blonde woman sitting next to her and she was quite surprised and bewitched by her beauty. The sun behind her formed a halo around her and made her locks shine like pure gold. Her blue eyes sparkled like the sun’s rays reflecting on water.

“You are safe. In Eos.“ her voice was like silk, soft and reassuring “What is your name?“ The demigoddess took a moment to answer, as she was still sulking in her beauty “It’s...[Y/N].“ Luna smiled kindly “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Lunafreya.“ she introduced herself and [Y/N] found herself grinning goofily up at her “Lunafreya...“ she repeated, liking how the name sounded.

“Do you know where you come from?“ Luna asked, to which [Y/N] shook her head. “All I know is my father Titan. He wanted to protect me from the world and that’s everything I’ve ever known.“ Lunafreya reached to touch her hand gently. Her touch sent a pleasant shiver up [Y/N]’s spine. “It’s alright. I will help and protect you now.“ And she will. She promised it to Titan and now to this beautiful girl which had so much to learn from the world.

“And what about Titan?“ [Y/N] asked. Luna bit her lip, wondering what to say. It would be a rather dangerous shock to tell her the truth so soon and she was afraid that the girl would blindly want to go back to the meteor, oblivious to the dangers there. “He entrusted you to me. I am the Oracle.“ was the answer that came from Luna.

[Y/N] beamed “Oracle? Will you tell me all about it? And where will we go from here?” her questions made the blonde giggle softly. “You will see. A whole entire world is waiting for you.”

[atopearth]

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2 - The Beauty and Wackiness of Wall Market (Ch 8-11)

Btw, I forgot to mention it in the previous post but danggg, Aerith’s house is as beautiful as I imagined it to be. I always loved how it was a nice house surrounded by flowers and water, and I think the remake really nailed the atmosphere and beauty of it. It felt so tranquil and soothing. Lmao at Aerith trying to get Cloud to high five with her when they successfully work together to go through the shortcut to Sector 7. It’s hilarious how Cloud feels bad about not doing it since she looks so disappointed hahaha. HAHAHA, I love how Cloud decided to high five her but she didn’t realise until he awkwardly let his hands down hahahaha, Cloud is so adorable! Lmao at Aerith apologising for not getting it at the right timing and Cloud pretending to be dumb🥺🤣 I love how Aerith got him to high five her at the end of the walk. And lollll at those three robber “brothers”(?), yes, I realised that I could kick them around when they pretended to be dead after getting defeated by Cloud and Aerith, so yes, I did spend some time kicking them HAHAHA. It was stupid but funny okay?! I love how they added that bit because I always hated the random battle appearance of thieves in the original, they kept stealing my good items and money! But now it’s more of a fun yet ridiculous experience at the same time haha.

It’s kinda interesting how Aerith tells Cloud about Zack but Cloud isn’t able to hear his name properly. But it was really cute how she scooted closer to him when they sat down on the slide at the park. Omggg lmao at actually being able to play in the park, I never knew I needed to see Cloud going on a slide because that was so awesome! Yes, I’ll admit I went on it more times than I should have because I just found it hilarious that the stoic Cloud was on a slide like a big child hahahhaa. I always wished that I could play with it in the original, so that was super cool! They really put effort into the most useless things lmao. Outrageous that we don’t get to play on the swing though, that would have been so cool and fun!! Kinda sad now T_T It was so sweet when Cloud and Aerith were awkwardly saying goodbye to each other, I found it so endearing how Cloud was so ready to take her home if she told him she needed him to walk her back. Despite how tiring it may be to follow Aerith’s pace, he definitely finds her company enjoyable. I find it rather random that Cloud actually gets to talk to Tifa when she’s on the carriage to go to Don Corneo, but I guess it’s nice to see Aerith tell him that if Tifa’s important to him, he should really chase after her and protect her (since Corneo is dodgy), I guess despite my gripes with some things, it is nice that Aerith still plays the role of motivating Cloud to be more open with his feelings and doing what he wants rather than what he thinks he should do.

Wall Market is so wacky and lawless, I love it. It looks so good and everything nostalgic about it is there, it’s so awesome. It’s crazy how stuff like the pharmacy, the materia store, the bar, the clothing shop and the squats place is pretty much exactly like the original! It’s so awesome! HAHAHA, I love how when the promoters try to get Cloud to spend the night at the inn with Aerith, you can ask “how much?” and Aerith calls you out for it lolll. I mean, I had to try, right? LOL at Fat Chocobo, it’s so huge, that moogle was ugly btw. Lmao at Cloud enjoying the hand massage more than he thought he would hahaha. It was so cute seeing him flex it in such a dazed state hahaha. Madam M is pretty cute and hilarious though, loved it when she was so mad that Corneo intervened and made Cloud and Aerith fight an extra round in the Corneo Cup loll. Btw, if you’re curious, yes, I admit that I spent some time kicking the thief brothers around the stadium again LOL. Don’t judge me. I also spent some time admiring the flowers and signs Cloud and Aerith increasingly got after winning each round. The underground battle Coliseum was more fun than I thought though, not too hard and I think the announcers and audience really make the experience so great, I was so hyped even though I was the one fighting haha. The cartoon mini Corneo is hilariously cute. Lmao that the house monster became a boss though! Like, c’mon, now he’s not cute anymore! He’s still annoying though LOL. I had no idea how I was supposed to be killing him so it took me a while to realise what I needed to do after finally using Assess loll. A flying house with a shield is notttt fun!  The idea was hilarious though.

As for the squatting game lolll, that was relatively easy, took me a few tries to get used to it though hahaha. Leslie (the guy at the door blocking you from going to Corneo) is so nice, he legit tells Cloud and Aerith to not go for the audition because he knows how terrible of an experience it is for these women. I’m surprised. Awww, we don’t actually go to get the materials for Cloud’s dress?? That’s no fun! I wanted the clothing shop owner to find meaning in his life again by making dresses for men like Cloud lolll! And the aggressive customer that goes all quiet and just says “...you’re weird” when he sees Cloud dressed up as a girl was such a highlight! The wacky banter between the clothing shop owner and his son talking about this new business line in the original was so funny tooo! Honeybee Inn is fancier than I thought though, like wow, all that extravagance. I guess it’s good that Andrea liked Cloud and recommended him to Corneo haha. But omg, Aerith is absolutely stunning, definitely better than Tifa’s dress imo. Her hair is so beautiful too! Madam M did a good job! I loved how even Cloud was surprised how beautiful she was, also gotta love how Johnny rolled the red carpet for her lmao. AND I will proudly admit, I tried to peek when Madam M said she was going to dress Aerith up hahahaha. Anyway, by not making the dress for Cloud, you kinda miss out on how much Aerith enjoyed dressing up Cloud in the original and how much she teased him, so that’s kinda sad, but I guess Cloud’s cute so it’s okay lmao. Also kinda miss how confident and playful she was to pick her own dress and show it off like the boss she was though. 

LOL at that dancing game, it was so weirdly ridiculous since when you do the practice, Cloud literally moves with his sword hahaha. I really wanted to enjoy the dance instead of focusing on hitting buttons though! Especially since some were so hard to see, like seriouslyyyyy! It was really nice to see how much Aerith was enjoying herself watching Cloud and them dance, she’s such a party lover. The dance was pretty awesome in itself though, and Andrea really made Cloud look great, that tiara man! It was so funny when you get to annoy female Cloud with Aerith and keep calling his name but he ignores you hahahaha. LOL at the random passerby guy saying his girlfriend can be the most beautiful in the world, but Cloud is the most beautiful in the universe hahahaha.

Loll at the Don Corneo jukebox thing in his mansion hahahah. As usual, it’s so cute to see Cloud embarrassed and trying to ignore the fact that he’s dressed up like a girl in front of Tifa hahaha. Awww, the original was so much more funny when it came to Don Corneo picking one of them, it was hilarious in the original when Don Corneo would try to look at Cloud’s face properly but Cloud would turn his face the other way lmao. I guess it’s nice to see Tifa and Aerith kick some ass though? Hahaha, so cute how they’re both like, we need to save Cloud! Lol. The “reject room” was more funny in the original though, the guys used to follow you around like zombies before you beat them up haha. I guess we should be impressed that Leslie was able to hold the Buster sword with one hand to give it back to Aerith and them? Ahahah. Honestly though, I think that Wall Market felt the most nostalgic to me, I mean, seeing the noodle place where Cloud could eat, the depressed clothing store owner, the guy that’s stuck in the toilet at the bar, the shooting machine gun that’s supposed to give you something good later on and everything, it just felt so heartwarming. Even the squats were a welcome sight haha. So, even though I feel like they could have added more interactions here, the Coliseum and stuff were enjoyable in their own ways I guess haha, I’m happy enough to just see everything in the background tbh.

Okay, so I realised that PS4 screenshots don’t work like the Nintendo Switch, you actually have to hold the button or press triangle to save it, omg!! And yes, I was mad and sad, so I did a speed run through the first 9 chapters just to get them again lmao. Yes, I was dedicated, and stubborn lol. But omg, I ended up discovering new things! Which is not good! Lol. I realised (unfortunately) that there are different dresses for Cloud, Aerith and Tifa!! OMG. Incoming the shock of my life when I saw Aerith in a peasant dress!! I was like wow, Madam M was such a con artist, she literally took 990,000 of that 1 million gil prize from the Corneo Cup to give my girl Aerith the cheapest dress she could find. I guess I should have known when I did different quests and realised that there is that quest that makes you run around helping the clothing shop owner get back on his feet, and you kinda do the same thing as the original where you help out the sick guy in the bar etc, but I had hope… I really wanted better screenshots of Aerith’s extravagant dress!!😫😫 On that note though, I’m pretty disappointed in the change in the clothing shop owner’s motivations, I can’t believe they changed it to him wanting to go to the Honeybee Inn for inspiration omg!!! I’m so sad and mad. I honestly really loved the original because I found it understandable yet hilarious that what made the clothing shop owner stand up on his feet again was finding inspiration with dressing up Cloud in a dress. I also loved how much more Aerith interacted with Cloud here in Wall Market and teased him and helped him with everything. Now it just feels kinda…cheap. 

Sigh, anyway, somehow I got Cloud’s other dress (the purple one with black bows and his braids, so what the original FFVII dress would look the most like in high quality I guess) as well, like what did I do different?! Anyway, I kinda googled it, and apparently you had to do all those Aerith side quests to get the best dress, sigh, this is what happens when you speed run I guess. And lolll Tifa’s one doesn’t change even if you don’t do her side quests, it’s only when you do them that you get the option to choose the other (uglier imo) dresses. And Cloud’s one…I have no idea, apparently it depends on whether you do the Chocobo Sam or Madam M side quests thing, but I’m not sure how I ended up getting it. All I remember for the tiara dress is that I chose “no deal” for the coin toss with Sam, said no to Johnny at Honeybee Inn and I did the standard course for the massage. Whereas for the braids look, I chose “heads” for the coin toss, did the luxurious hand massage and just completely ignored the side quest to follow Johnny. So yeah…whatever I guess lol, just bear with my dodgy screenshots then hahaha. Or maybe I’ll just get my bro to do them for me when he plays haha! (My bro didn’t end up playing it, the traitorrr, so yes, dodgy screenshots it is~)

I’m glad the sewers weren’t as tedious than the original haha, but the water pump thing was so confusing! I legit didn’t get it lmao, took me a while to realise what I needed to do, sigh, maybe I’m just stupid LOL, I was like, what is Aerith’s role in this?! The needle moved so fast I didn’t realise I was supposed to stop it inside the red part hahahha. I also very much enjoyed turning into a frog with Cloud, I mean, having a frog with a mini Buster Sword jump around blowing bubbles or whatever was hilarious to the max LOL. I guess it’s kinda cute how Aerith and Tifa are bonding through this journey together, and it’s sweet how Aerith is trying to encourage and comfort Tifa by getting her to think about what they can do after they save Sector 7 from Shinra. It’s saddening though, that because of Avalanche, Shinra is planning to kill all these people to make a sort of representation that this is what happens when you go against them whilst falsely showing to the world that these eco-terrorists are willing to destroy a whole plate to achieve their purposes. Even Reno who doesn’t feel like he has the right to feel that way anymore considering the work he does feels a bit uncomfortable with it. On the other hand, the train graveyard was as tedious as usual, not as dangerous as the original though.The place is so creepy btw! Lol. In the original, it had a more solemn atmosphere where I felt like it showed the remains of a past gone, but here, it just feels scary with the ghosts etc lol. Although I guess with how Aerith reacts to it all, it is saddening that these ghosts seem to have just been really lonely and wanted to play hide and seek with Cloud and them after finally getting to see people come here. Honestly though, that vending machine here playing music!! It scared me with the loud music LOL. Small Aerith is probably the cutest tbh! It was so cute when young her was sad and lonely about not being found by other people(ghost showing her sad memories), and then Cloud and Tifa find her and save her in reality, it’s kinda corny, but it’s cute and rather sweet haha.

Okay, I was going to talk about CH 12-14 here as well but somehow the post got too long so I’ll leave it for the next part lolll. I guess me gushing over the beauty of Aerith whilst complaining about my clothing shop owner being demoted into a sleazy guy took up a lot of the post huh? Seriously though, regardless of the changes, I still really enjoyed it because I think the changes made it flow nicely in its own way, and really, I love the whole idea of the Corneo Cup and expanding the role of the Honeybee Inn in the story so I don’t mind the reinterpretation that it went through. I mean, some details were lost and it’s saddening, but at the same time, it was still rather fun and refreshing in its own way. I’d say my biggest gripe is that Corneo is more creepy than funny and that kinda kills the whole mood, but then again, the remake has been more “serious” so it’s understandable. I still got to see Aerith bond with Cloud on the slide (one of my favourite moments), and I got to see how breathtaking Aerith was in her dress, so it’s a win! I think I could spend all day marvelling at how detailed and beautiful Wall Market is tbh. I spent a lot of time looking for the restaurant to see if I could order food and other nostalgic things, and the remake really fit it all in rather nicely! So really, I complain a lot but I still loved it :P

P.S Ms Folia (orphanage teacher?) being a Honeybee girl because her dream is to become a dancer was SO RANDOM and silly lmaoo. Also no idea why I’m hearing a rendition of Farm Boy in Wall Market, it’s so random! And yes, I got lost in Wall Market a lot lolll. I also found it hilarious to see Johnny’s father around everywhere, whether it be in the inn wandering where he can find Johnny, or be it him playing around in the Honeybee Inn even though he’s supposed to be finding his son LOL. Now we know why Johnny is the way he is~

[currebunz]

You Can Touch Stars Chapter 4

AO3 link

Cold, was the first thing you felt. Upon waking, you realized it wasn't just the air that was cold. The ground beneath you was wet from the rain that fell upon it. Your back was damp from lying in a puddle, but you thought little of it. Even the air felt wet, getting dry was pointless. First, you needed to find out where you were.

You rose to your feet and began walking along the stone walkway. The area around you flourished with life, greens and browns of nature filling your view. The sky was dark with clouds, yielding little to no sunlight for you. As you walked, you noticed that the walkway led to a large castle-like structure. The building looked old but taken care of. Despite this, it was empty. Not a soul was in sight but the furnishings looked almost new. It wasn't until you heard a sniffle did you realize you weren't alone.

Following the muffled sound, you ducked into a room to find a girl with her head down. She looked a little older than you, but the way she wept made her more relatable. Her long blonde hair curtained her shoulders, making it clear she was also wet from the rain. As you drew closer, she looked up and gasped. "Who are you?" her voice trembled slightly as if unsure whether to be brave or frightened. You paused before answering, wondering if anyone else was really here.

"I'm just passing through, this is a dream after all" you admitted in a bashful way. Now that you thought about it, was she really part of your dream? "A dream? that would make sense" she continued as she wiped the tears from her face. The way she spoke made you think of a princess. "I-I suppose you are just a manifestation of my dreams" her voice faltered again, this time in disappointment. "N-no! I'm real, well, as real as a dream can be" you began to get flustered at the idea of sharing a dream with a complete stranger. You've only heard of these kinds of things happening under intimate situations such as soul-mates. "That means we're sharing dreams? How odd" this earned you a small giggle from her.

You took this as a sign to approach and walked closer. As you drew near, you could see she her dress was soaked through. "You must be cold, I'll get something" you frantically glanced around the room for a blanket or coat. your eyes locked onto a large pile of cloth and grabbed it quickly, you brought it over to her and draped it around her shoulders. The entire time, she watched you with bright blue eyes. "There, feeling a bit better?" you asked with a small smile. She nodded before holding her arm out for you, drawing the blanket out. "I think it would be best if you joined me though" she gave you a soft smile as she spoke.

You slid onto the couch beside her and took the end of the blanket and draped it around you. The rain outside grew loud as more came down. "This rain is just dreadful, nothing good comes anymore" you heard her sigh. Before you could speak, thunder boomed and the wind picked up. Rain flew in through the windows and archways of the building, nearly taking your blanket away. You wrapped your arms around her tightly, bring her into an embrace. You ducked her head close to hers, watching her twist her eyes shut. "Why?! Why is it always like this?!" she screamed. You nudged her head with yours before calling out. "If you run from rain, it will only chase you!" she opened her eyes and held your gaze. "Let it pass and the sun will come again" you continued with resolving sound.

After a few minutes, the wind began to die down. The room you were in was soaked and reeked of rain. You dropped the blanket down and glanced around. A few items lay overturned from the wind, otherwise, the room was the same as you entered. "See, it passed" you sighed in relief. True to your words, sunlight trickled into the room. You took her by the hand and pulled her into a standing position. "C'mon, let's go look" you urged her to the nearest archway, leading out to a small garden. The clouds above parted for the incoming sunlight, allowing a rainbow to penetrate the sky. It was a sight that should've have been common, but somehow it looked more mystical than usual.

"It's beautiful" you heard her whisper, causing you to nod in agreement. "A good way to end a dream" you spoke up releasing her hand. She turned to you almost in a panic. "Does it really have to end?" she took hold of your hand again, squeezing tightly. "Afraid so, I have school in the morning" you laughed. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand as laughter overcame her. "You are a student? that must be fun" she sounded wistful as she spoke. "I take it you aren't then" the shake of her head confirmed your accusation. "I'm afraid not, I haven't the luxury" she seemed to be avoiding talking about her. "Well, maybe later I can tell you more about it and you can tell me more about you" she perked up as you spoke.

"Later?" she gave you a questioning look. "Yeah later, let's do this again," you said sheepishly. She thought for a moment before nodding with you. "Yes, let's do this again, I very much enjoyed your company" she gave you a bright smile. You saw her swallow hard before speaking. "I must know your name, though, I want to be a bit selfish" she demanded. "My name is [Name], what about you?" she seemed a bit shocked at your question but relaxed. "Can you call me Luna?" she asked. "Luna rolls right off the tongue!" you laughed. "Yes, it does!" she laughed along with you.

When it came to Noctis, you knew little about him. Sure he was a prince, but there was more to him than that. He was a sleepyhead, but he was smart. He didn't eat healthily, but neither did you or Prompto. Did he have any habits? Other than dozing off. Your mind was wracked with this until you decided to take action. This time as your trio left school, you joined in on Noctis's skipping his duties. "You're gonna come to the arcade too? sweet!" Prompto expressed delight in you joining in while Noctis hid a small smile. "I'm only in it for the games" you shot back earning a laugh from both boys.

As you entered the arcade, you took note of how large it was. Insomnia was a big city, but this arcade was so large it baffled you. "So what do you play here?" you asked with slight interest. "Mostly shooting games," Noctis said finding his favorite right away. "The crane games are rigged I swear!" Prompto groaned. You watched Noctis hand Prompto his bag and start up the game. You had to admit he was pretty skilled at this game, he looked like he was showing off a bit, though. You began to grow tired of watching and wandered off near the crane games. Inside were rows and piles of various plush figures. The bright forms of yellow Chocobos caught your eye.

"You like Chocobos too?" Prompto piped up as he zeroed in on the crane game as well. "Yeah, it's really cute" your eye lit up as you reached for the stick. "Careful, it's super difficult and takes lo-" "got it" Prompto's voice caught in his throat as he watched you win the plush. "And there it is" he frowned as you pulled your Chocobo free from the box. "I must be a pro then" you smiled snuggling the plush. "Yeah" he agreed in a melancholy way. You stared at him for a bit before holding your plush out to him. "Do you want me to win you one?" you saw him debate with himself before answering. "N-no, if anything I should have won one for you" Prompto shifted his stance nervously. "Then let me give you this" you placed the Chocobo plush on top of Noctis's bag. "R-really?!" his cheeks flushed red as you nodded. A moment was shared between you both, Prompto blushing and you smiling.

"So this is where you both went" Noctis annoyed voice caught both of your attention. "Ehehehe..." Prompto laughed nervously and avoided Noctis's gaze. "Sorry, I got bored of watching you win so much" you laughed as Noctis pouted. "If you wanted a Chocobo so badly, you could've just asked me to win you one" he sighed walking up to the machine. Both you and Prompto exchanged looks before staying quiet about the previous plush you won. Noctis expertly maneuvered the crane and plucked up another Chocobo. Noctis shoved it into your arms and looked off to the side. "Well? take it already" he muttered under his breath. You clutched the plush and held it tightly. "Thank you Noct" you smiled. A faint blush crossed his cheeks as he coughed out a "yeah".

The three of you walked the same way to where your paths broke off. Prompto left first, holding up the plush you gave him. "See you later!" he yelled happily waving the Chocobo about. Just as before you could leave, sirens went off in the area around you. "That's the hurricane warning system," Noctis said quietly. He glanced at you before taking your hand. "C'mon" he urged you to follow him as he broke into a sprint. He stopped in front of an expensive apartment, glancing at the guard in front. Noctis pulled you into the elevator, swiping a card to make it ascend. He was quiet the whole ride up, making you nervous. When he finally stopped at a door, you decided to speak. "Is this where you live?" you asked. He opened the door and stared at you. "Yeah, home away from home" he smiled.

You entered the apartment and took your shoes off. It was well furnished and clean. "Ignis must be here" Noctis groaned kicking his shoes off. A pair of expensive-looking shoes were already in place, most likely Ignis's shoes. You followed Noctis into the living area and saw a man seated at the table. He turned to you both and rested his gaze upon you. "You don't usually bring guests," he said. Noctis grimaced and went to the couch. "Since when did it matter?" he grumbled. Silence passed and you shifted awkwardly in place. "A host shouldn't leave his guest waiting" Ignis stood up and walked over to you. "My name is Ignis, would you like a refreshment?" he asked. "Yes, please," you said from behind your Chocobo. Something about him made you a bit flustered like you were being treated like royalty.

"You can sit over here" Noctis patted the spot beside him on the couch. You walked over and took a seat next to him. "Is Ignis your butler or something?" you asked. "Not a chance, more like my nanny," Noctis said dryly. "He seems nice" you smiled as Ignis came over to you both with drinks. He pushed up his glasses and stared at Noctis. "I hope you don't expect to keep your guest overnight," Ignis said with a crossed look. "It's not like there isn't a giant hurricane outside" Noctis argued. A moment of silence passed before Ignis sighed and turned away. "Fine, I'll prepare enough for three," Ignis said as he walked away. "Do think about sleeping arrangements, Noct" he added quickly.

"Yeah, yeah" Noctis groaned. You cocked a brow and stared at Noctis. "What?" he shot back. "What were you thinking about bringing me here?" you asked. Noctis faltered for a moment before giving you an annoyed look. "I was thinking my place was closer, I didn't want you getting caught in the storm is all" he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Is that right?" you pressed him with a small grin. "Geez! lay off already!" Noctis yelled out in a flustered mess.

Even though you didn't know everything when it came to Noctis, you knew one thing for sure. He cares about you, he really does.

[platonicone]

Devotion - Story of the Oracle and her Shield

Chapter 11 - Qualms of heart

Why do we do things even if it hurts us? I wonder…

Once she was done cleaning his wound, they resumed their journey. They did not know what dangers awaited them.

Neither dared to speak as each was consumed recollecting the events of the morning. The silence in the car was deafening.

Luna noticed Leon’s expressions and she could tell that he was troubled by the possible death of their peers. She too was distraught, but one thing she was good at was making other people forget about their sorrows. She made it a point to normalize the situation whenever possible.

Sulking on the events of the past would not help their current situation, so Luna decided the break the ice. “Should we stop at a nearby outpost to get cleaned up?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he responded briefly.

“Leon, hygiene is very important. The importance of brushing, flossing, and showering daily, cannot be overstated,” she narrated to him as if talking to a child. She tried to lighten the situation.

He let go of one of his hands from the steering for an epic facepalm. “I know that. I meant stopping at the outpost is not a good idea.”

She laughed before indulging him further. “Why do you think so?”

“When a fugitive is on the run, the first thing we do to track them down is to set a checkpoint at their basic necessities. Food, water, and shelter. If the Empire wants to find you, then they will certainly keep tabs on nearby outposts,” he elucidated, like a seasoned mercenary.

“Can’t we just use their amenities?” she complained.

“I don’t think it’s worth the risk. Besides, the nearest outpost is still a few miles away. It will be a while before we reach there,” he replied.

“Aww, I really wanted to freshen up,” she grumbled.

“It’s not exactly princess standard, but we are driving right next to the river,” he suggested, expecting an affirmative reply. He knew very well how to push her buttons. Anything he suggested that she couldn’t do because of her being a princess automatically became a dare for her.

“River would do just fine,” she replied, as expected. Leon’s lips automatically curled up in his silent victory.

“As you wish,” he said, looking for a decent spot to take a break.

After a while, they came to a secluded area where their car could easily be hidden in the bushes.

“Open the trunk, please,” she requested, and he obliged. She made her way to the trunk and started fumbling around with her bags.

“I am going to scout the area to make sure it is safe. Don’t venture too far from here. Call me if you need me,” he instructed.

“Yes, boss,” she replied playfully with a mock salute. Once he left, she went back to fishing her luggage.

He cleared out the area of a few stragglers Saberclaws.

After scouting the area thoroughly, he returned to the car. “It should be safe here for now. Right behind those rocks, there is a small waterfall in a secluded area. Even the water downstream from there is not too deep. Over there are some coconut palm trees right along the riverfront making it a suitable location to relax if you want,” he described, pointing at each location.

It wasn’t until he finished his scouting report that he saw Luna holding many things in her hands. She had a towel, travel kit, clothes, and a few other things. “Where are you going with all that?” he questioned, pointing at many things in her hand.

“Right behind those rocks there is a small waterfall in a secluded area,” she said mimicking his voice. “I am going to go there to brush my teeth, take a bath, and get changed.”

It was time for another facepalm. “If you haven’t noticed we are on the run for our lives,” he said seriously.

“If you haven’t noticed, I am still in my nightdress. I don’t want to die wearing a chocobo pajama.” Somehow her tone left no room for further argument.

“You have strange priorities,” he commented, shaking his head.

“Now I’ll go take a bath over there and you stand here and watch guard,” she commanded.

“No.”

“Good,” she said before realizing that he had not agreed to her terms. “What do you mean, no?”

“It means I am not going to stand here to watch guard,” he asserted, as his eyes scanned the area once more. “I will stand by that rock.”

“You pervert, you just want to be close enough so you can look,” she accused, narrowing her eyes.

He gave himself a facepalm before explaining his rationale. “I just want to be close enough so I can hear you scream. There is a waterfall over there, and if you haven’t noticed it generates a lot of noise. If something were to happen and if you were to scream, I won’t hear it all the way out here. If I stand over there, then I can at least hear you or warn you if required.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” she admitted sheepishly.

They made their way towards the waterfall, making small talks. “If you need me, just yell ice-cream,” he suggested.

“Ice-cream?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s our code word. I’ll come charging in if you say the code word.”

“Why can’t I just yell help like a normal person?”

“You could,” he said with a shrug. “But it's not fun.”

“You have a very weird idea of fun,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Once Leon reached his designated location he announced, “I guess I can use this time to do my daily exercise.” He looked at a branch of a nearby tree and wondered if he could use it for pull-ups.

“Alright, and remember no peeking,” she said in a playful voice.

“If you say it one more time, then I’ll make it a point to look,” he warned.

She pulled an imaginary zipper on her lips.

She disappeared from sight as Leon got busy exercising. Exercise and training were two of his favorite things. He is usually very focused during these activities and often loses track of time. However, today, his mind kept on thinking about the events that had transpired so far. But if there was one thing he prides on, that was his discipline. The more his mind wandered, the harder he trained. He avoided all distraction; he worked out as a man possessed.

A familiar voice fake coughed to break his concentration. “Do you train this rigorously every day?”

He stopped doing his pushups and looked at the friendly intruder. She wore a carmine-pink and white top held up by a string that wraps around her neck. Underneath the top, she wore a double layer flare skirt. The top layer was light pink with a white stripe while the bottom layer was plain white. She wore paler brown boots. Her long hair was styled in a braid down her back, with curls on either side of her face, framing her face. A red ribbon tied her hair together. She looked beautiful.

“Yes. I train like this even when I am sick. The discipline of mind and body is essential for a soldier,” he remarked, catching his breath, getting back on his feet.

“Impressive. I meditate and pray every day. The discipline of mind and soul is essential for an Oracle,” she responded, mirroring his statement.

“I see. Meditation is very good to focus your mind. Perhaps you can teach me your meditation technique?” he requested, wiping off the sweat from his forehead.

“I can teach you, but not until you take a bath first,” she said pinching her nose playfully.

“As you wish,” he said, as he gathered all his belongings. “Your turn to watch guard now.”

“No”

“Huh?”

“It’s my time to meditate and pray. She will watch guard,” Luna stated, pointing at Pryna at a distance.

He looked at Pryna and thought of his own pal, ‘I haven’t seen Umbra in a while.’

He nodded at Luna and made his way to his bath.

A few minutes into the meditation, Luna felt a sudden chill. She opened her eyes and was greeted by the friendly face of Genitana.

“My lady, I have come to caution you,” Gentiana stated with her eyes closed. Luna got very attentive.

“A human heart can be very treacherous. Desires not tamed can lead one astray.”

Luna knew what Gentiana was referring to. “I am committed to my cause, rest assured,” she declared with a steely resolve.

“Of that, I have little doubt. My concern is not of your goals, but your heart.”

“What of it?”

“The bond of the Oracle and her Shield has grown beyond friendship. Should this bond continue to grow unchecked, it will lead to misery and pain. When this bond is severed, it will leave behind two broken hearts: yours and his.”

“What would you have me do?”

“That is not for me to decide. Be very cautious of where your heart leads you. That is all I came to say.”

Luna nodded and Gentiana disappeared from her sight.

Luna knew that she would have to address her feelings for Leon at some point. Just not right now. She shut out any Leon and Noctis related thoughts and returned to her meditation.

After finishing his morning rituals, he came back to see her sitting still in meditation, breathing evenly and deeply. He sat quietly next to her, waiting for her to wake up.

She opened her eyes and saw him sitting next to her with his legs crossed. She noticed he was wearing a high collar sleeveless indigo shirt, black pants and boots, and black cloth covering his left leg and arm. He had a shoulder pauldron, and his chest was covered by two straps, held in place by a lion-like badge. “I am sorry. I did not realize that you were back. How long were you waiting?”

“Just a few minutes. Didn’t want to disturb you from your meditation,” he responded, getting up.

“Thank you. That is very considerate of you,” she replied, grabbing his hand to stand up.

“Shall we go?” he asked.

“No, not before we capture this moment,” she said with a smile. “Give me your phone.”

She got his phone and took a selfie to capture their journey. It was almost noontime and her stomach growled demanding attention.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“A little,” she replied.

“Hmm, we did not stock up on food. We have some chips, cookies, and soda in the car. Or we can find something in the wild to eat,” he wondered, stroking his chin thinking.

“I don’t want any junk food. But what can we get out here?” she wondered.

“I know just the thing that you would like,” he remarked, taking the lead.

After jumping through a few rocks and stepping over a few bushes, they finally made it to their desired location.

“When I came here earlier, I saw coconut palm trees. So, would you like some coconut water?” he offered.

“I would love it,” she confessed, getting excited.

“Why don’t you go get the straws from the car, I’ll work on getting the coconut,” he proposed the plan.

“You got it,” she agreed cheerfully, making her way to the car.

They meet up at the agreed site and Leon had two coconuts in his either hand. He had his pants rolled up to his knees and was barefoot, as his boots were tossed at some distance. He motioned her to follow him.

He sat by the river with his feet dipping in water. The stream of water splashed at his feet, causing rippled downstream. Luna removed her shoes and joined him. She swung her legs freely in water like a child, causing a bigger splash.

Leon had prepped the coconut prior to her arrival. He poked a hole in it with his dagger and inserted the straw and offered it to Luna.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. He nodded and continued poking a hole through another coconut; this one was for himself.

“Do you always carry that dagger with you? I noticed you had it back when we fought against Titan,” she asked curiously, looking at the dagger.

“It’s a survival knife. A dear friend of mine gave it to me as our parting gift. She said I should hold on to it so we have a reason to meet again. It’s a shame I don’t remember her anymore. I’ve been carrying it with me ever since. It has gotten me out of tough situations many times.”

“Interesting story,” she commented, before sipping her coconut.

They were sitting under the light shade of coconut palm trees, sipping coconut. Their legs freely swung in the lukewarm water. The birds sang melodious tunes and gentle breezes danced around them, providing a soothing atmosphere. To think that they were running away for their lives just a few hours ago seemed like a distant memory. Luna took their customary selfie capturing this perfect moment.

He had offered to go, but she insisted on staying there for a few more minutes.

“Leon, I can’t do this anymore. I am tired of seeing people die for my sake. I am tired to see you getting hurt for my sake. It is one thing for me to sacrifice everything I have to protect the world, but I can’t bear to watch others sacrificing themselves for me.”

“People have not sacrificed their lives for you; they did it for a cause they believed in. The only way to honor their sacrifice is to keep going on this path,” he encouraged.

“The path that I walk on only leads to more despair and dismay,” she sighed, looking at her distorted reflection in the water.

“That may be so, but it’s a worthy price for a brighter future.”

“Yeah,” she whispered quietly.

Luna hadn’t said anything for a while. She seemed distracted; he noticed.

“Everything okay?” he asked with concern.

“Leon, what would happen to us once this is over?”

He took a deep breath and begin to answer. “You will get married to your prince charming and live happily ever after. I will go back to my time and will try to pick up the pieces and make something out of it.”

“No, I mean, what would happen to us?” she choked, placing her left hand on his right hand.

Luna was torn by her current predicament. She cared about Leon deeply that much she knew. But how deep were her feelings for him, she did not know. Perhaps she knew but was too stubborn to admit it.

With their nascent relationship, Leon knew they needed to have this conversation sometime. He just didn’t think it would be today. They were more than friends, even Leon could tell. His loyalty to her was unquestioning but was it out of duty, honor, or feelings, he did not know. Perhaps he knew but did not have the courage to admit it.

“We,” he paused, trying to gather his thoughts. “We will become memories. Our time together will become past and we will reflect on it either fondly or with regret.”

“I don’t want this to end. I don’t want this to become a fragment of a forgotten memory.”

“I don’t think we have a choice in that,” Leon replied solemnly.

“I know,” she sighed with resignation. “Such is our fate,” she radiated sadness with every word.

‘What we have is something pure and beautiful. Anything further than this will just lead to more heartache.’ He decided it would be best for them to keep their distance to avoid any further attachment. But his walls crumble as soon as he saw water forming at the edge of her eyes.

He lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes. “We decide our fate by the choices we make and the actions we take. Sometimes circumstances dictate our choices, but that is okay, not everything has to go according to our wishes. It is precisely when things don’t go our way that we yearn, learn, adapt, improve, improvise, and grow. It is in this struggle that our conviction, courage, character, resilience, grit, and our bonds are tested. It is in this struggle that you realize what is worth fighting for and how much you are willing to sacrifice for it. No goal can be achieved without sacrifice. For a goal as noble as yours, saving the world from eternal darkness, if you have to sacrifice your freedom to choose, then don’t have second thoughts.”

‘I have lived most of my life like a prisoner in my own castle. I don’t care about losing my freedom. If I walk on the path I am supposed to, then I might save the world, but I will lose you in the process!’

For the first time in her life, she was not content by simply doing what was supposed to do. She loved Noctis because it was her duty. She loved Leon because she wanted to. She felt torn between her duty and her heart.

“Leon, I don’t think I have the courage to sacrifice what I am asked for,” she confessed averting her gaze.

“Luna, you are a lot stronger than you think you are. In fact, you are one of the most courageous people I have ever known. At a young age, you lost your parents, your brother defected, your kingdom lost, you were a prisoner in your own castle, and in spite of all that you never gave up. You traveled around the world, giving hope to people when you had none. You put a smile on the face of people whenever you went even though you had lost yours. You healed people even when you were hurt the most. If that is not courage, then I don’t know what is.”

‘I did all that because back then I had nothing to lose. Now I am afraid of losing you. I think I should be blunt and just say it, he is really not getting this.’

“I am neither loyal to my duties nor to my heart. It is not fair to him and it sure as hell is not fair to you. I am a horrible person,” she spoke as tears streamed down her face.

Before she could speak any further, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and continued to sob.

‘To belong to someone you can never be with and forgo the one you want to be with, such is my fate,’ she thought.

He could not bear to see her sad, so he tried to cheer her up. “Someday when I look back at our time together, I don’t want to look at it with regret. We can’t control what happens to us in the future, but we can choose what we do now. So, let’s make the best out of what we have right now. If we are to be memories, then let's make the best memories together.”

He knew fully well that he would come to regret this advice. The only thing ‘making the best of their time’ would bring him is pain. The more they stayed together, the more they liked each other and the more difficult it would be to stay apart. But if his pain is the price for her happiness, then he would gladly pay it.

His suggestion seem to briefly bring a smile back on her face. “It is so unlike you to cheer someone up, but you still did it for me, and for that, I am grateful to you,” she acknowledged, looking up at him. He just nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

“I don’t like to see you cry,” he confessed, releasing her from his hug.

“Then I promise not to cry,” she assured, wiping her tears. ‘I promise not to cry in front of you at least.’

They went back to sipping his coconut as silence accompanied them once again. It was their conscious choice not to think about the past or the future and enjoy what they had now. They resumed their journey after their long break.

They made a stop at Meldacio Hunter HQ for a delivery. Knowing that they won’t be able to say at an outpost for a while, and sleeping under the stars might be their only option, Luna purchased some groceries when Leon was busy running errands.

When Leon came back, he saw Luna wearing a cap and sunglasses. “How do I look?” she eagerly asked, as he approached the car.

“Beautiful as always,” words came out of his mouth unfiltered.

She immediately blushed at his honest response. He wished he had timed it.

“What brought about this change?” he questioned, sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Just wanted to blend in with everyone else. Also, for those who don’t know me so well, it would make a little harder to identify me in this,” she gave her rationale.

“Now you are starting to think like a fugitive on the run. I am proud of you,” he remarked casually, as he started the car.

They continued their journey with minimal hostility for now. As their car ride started getting longer, a pattern emerged. Luna would often read a book while Leon drove silently. Sometimes they would turn on the radio to listen to the news or songs. Their ride was usually quiet unless Luna initiated some conversation.

“Leon, do you miss home?” she asked unprompted.

“How can I miss something I don’t even remember?” he stated, eyes still glued to the road. “Do you?”

“Yes, I do miss my home. I miss the people of our palace and our town. I miss my bed. I miss my sylleblossom,” she listed all the things she missed. “I wonder if Maria is watering them regularly.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be home soon. You just need to finish these trials,” he suggested.

“I am not so sure about that. Once the trials are done, I don’t even know what will happen to me,” she whispered softly, looking in the distance.

“Why do you say that?” he asked. ‘Once again, she is talking with a sense of finality. What does she know that I don’t? What is she not telling me?’

“It’s nothing. Let’s not talk about it,” she averted, ending the conversation abruptly.

Looking at her pained expression, he decided not to push the topic any further.

Not wanting to spend too much time in public, they had grabbed some food on the go. They stopped by an old abandoned farmhouse to take a break and eat their lunch.

They sat on a broken bench side by side as they unpacked their sandwiches.

“Leon, what’s your favorite dish?” she asked, as she carefully took out peppers from her sandwich.

“I forgot the name. It’s that sweet you made for us at Lestallum,” he replied, carefully picking out olives from his sandwich.

“Memory lane pastry,” she recalled immediately.

“Yes, that. It was amazing,” he exclaimed, before taking a bite out of his sandwich.

“I am glad you liked it. I will make it for you again,” she offered, after chewing.

“You don’t like peppers?” he asked.

“I do, but there are too many in here,” she stated.

“Pass it on, I’ll take it,” he proposed.

“What did olives ever do to you?” she asked.

“Just don’t like them,” he said plainly.

“Can I have them?” she requested.

“Absolutely,” he gladly agreed.

“What is your favorite dish?” he asked.

“I enjoy falafel,” she remarked, after thinking.

“Your favorite drink?” she asked.

“Pina colada,” he replied enthusiastically.

“I don't like it at all," she said immediately. "However, you seem to like coconut-based flavors, don’t you?” she remarked, noticing the pattern.

“I guess I do,” he confessed. “Your favorite drink?” he inquired.

“Mango shake,” she replied gleefully. “Let me guess, your favorite ice-cream is Coconut chocolate?”

“Yes. And yours is Cookies and cream?” he guessed.

“Nope. My favorite ice-cream is pineapple orange. Maria at our manor makes this amazing ice-cream,” she recalled fondly.

“You know so much about me and I feel like I don’t know anything about you,” he stated disappointingly.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get there,” she encouraged.

They finished their meal in idle conversations like this. Once done, they made their way back to their car while having a playful banter. Ever since Luna broke down and poured her heart out, everything felt slightly different. Even though they tried their best to keep everything normal, there was always an underlying pain that accompanied their every conversation now.

Their journey continued as clouds gathered above. Leon retracted the previously open roof back to enclose the open car. Within moments rain started pouring. Luna was busy reading one of the books Lina had left in the car, ‘The Legend of Vascaroon’. Leon played some music at a very low volume and occasionally tapped his fingers along with the beats.

She reclined her seat back, taking a break from the reading.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“Sure, but do we have any?”

“I got one can of Ebony Coffee at our last stop,” she revealed, reclining her chair back up so she can reach the glove compartment in front of her.

“You are the best. I was starting to feel a bit sleepy,” he admitted.

“I wasn’t sure if you would like it or not, so I only got one,” she said, opening the can and handing it to him.

“Thanks!” he took a sip of it and it was truly great coffee. “This is fantastic, you should try it too,” he suggested, offering her the can.

She was hesitant at first, unsure of what to do. There were out of straws and there was only one can. Drinking from the top would be risky in a moving car. After evaluating all her options, she grabbed the can and took a sip from it directly. She had never shared food like this with anyone else before. It felt odd and comfortable at the same time.

But one sip of coffee made her forget all that. “Wow, this is good. We need to stock up on this.”

“I 100% agree.”

They each took a sip alternatively and quickly finished off Ebony, longing for more.

Longing for something they can't have seemed like the theme of their life.

Author's notes

The answer from the last chapter: Lina is a White SeeD who reads book to the children on the White SeeD ship.

This chapter's question: What is significant about "The Legend of Vascaroon" book and Survival knife?

Please leave a comment if you've enjoyed the story so far. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks :)

[the-seductive-historian]

I’m Not Drunk ~ Chocobros

I have been having some difficulties writing lately and this was the first idea I have had in a while. I have seen all of your requests and I'm working on them right now, I thought this would be funny even though it wasn't requested. Hope you enjoy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was one of those nights, the nights with nothing to do and when the bar in town opened that night it was all too convenient to not enjoy and let go for a while. You and your man and the rest of the boys were going to regret this in the morning. but you're all responsible adults...right...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prompto

The sunshine boy, Chocobo lover and master of photography was anything but that, when drunk. Prompto a very sensitive guy by nature with a big loving heart was exactly the opposite when drunk. The sweet sensitive boy was a fan of the fruit-flavored drinks because they didn't sting his throat he drank at least 11 until it hit him full throttle starting with a trip to the men's room to hurl he walked back out after rinsing his mouth out to find you on the dance floor. He smirked and made his way over while grabbing your ass. "Hey I know that sexy choco-ass anywhere!" he said with a confident tone in his voice. You jumped slightly and giggled as you realized it was Prompto he smiled and wrapped his arms around you his hand grabbing your ass and pulling you close he smelled of whiskey yet was still appealing as he trailed kisses down your neck. "MMM my sexy girl!" he smirked his confidence that he normally didn't have was rather attractive as he turned you around and pulled your body close to his your ass against him as he smirked not letting you go and he bites your ear softly as you started to get heated. "I'm gonna make you my personal little bitch tonight, Would you like that?" Your response was your weak knees as he held you up as you blushed. You and the sunshine drunk returned to the hotel room before the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gladio

This behemoth of a man, the king's shield was so soft when drunk he was actually clingy. He had about 2 full bottles of rum and a beer before feeling anything. He was spiraling into his feels as he grabbed you holding you close to his big body as he nuzzled into you. "Do you realize how fucking beautiful you are to me?" You blushed as he was normally lovey dovey behind closed doors never in public the PDA took you by surprise. He smiled and kissed you all over your blushing face. "Haha, what's wrong babe?" He smirked as he spread your legs and turned you around so you were sitting on his lap with your legs around him as he held you close like that like you where the man's personal porcelain doll. He cooed sweet nothings into your ear all night. You smiled as you enjoyed the comfort you found in the large man's arms even if it was in public he slowly kisses your soft lips and smiled. "I want you to know how much you mean to me babe, You mean so much to me, I care about Noctis and the boys and I have to protect him. but you...I would destroy the world if I had to just to keep you. You are my everything." The sappy fluff pouring from his mouth was really sweet as you blushed a deep red. "Come on. I'm gonna show you how much you mean to me by making you scream my name." You smiled because even though he was sweet and fluffy right now he was still Gladio.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Noctis

The normally cool somewhat nonchalant blueish black haired Noctis turned into.....well prompto... He was excitable and gitty and frequently told everyone. Noctis is a surprising lightweight With that said he was a fan of the drinks like Rum and Coke, Sprite and Vodka anything with soda in it he's ready to drink it before he was singing along to his favorite songs. You struggled to make sure he didn't jump up onto the bar. "Baaaaabe my darling future queenie, I need you to knooooow how much I loooove you." You rolled your eyes he was almost on the verge of annoying for your normally sleepy headed and lazy prince. He was a handful, you wished that the other boys didn't get so drunk to help reel him in. However, you had to admit that it was kinda cute. The short prince climbed up on the bar stool and turned you to face him with a well-planned face plant into your cleavage he smiled and hummed in content. You stared down at your prince and raised your eyebrow in confusion and let out a small laugh. "What? Leave me alone this is my favorite pillow! Mmmm so soft. " You laughed and stroked his hair as he then looked up at you and kissed you. My lovely queen, you are a vision tonight and every night. He then resumed his place in your cleavage and grabbed your wrist putting your hand on his hand for you to continue playing with his hair. You smiled at your drunken prince. He was, after all, your prince charming even when silly and drunk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ignis

Specs, the groups know it all and the one who normally gets everyone else out of trouble. He normally drank wine when he wanted to really relax but tonight he had decided that for one night he would let loose as the other guys called it. This man could hold his liquor he drank and drank and drank he favors finer drinks like Scotch, Bourbon, Hibiki, Cognac. He even owned a bottle of Cognac he kept at his apartment for very very special occasions seeing as how it was a rare vintage he paid 12,000 Gil for. Tonight he had glass after glass. around 13 glasses in, he was set for the night his shirt was untucked the few buttons at the top undone his jacket was gods know where, and his hair was down and framed his face. "My dear fellow another and no more for blondie their, Bigfoot can have more and the tiny one with his head in that poor girl's breasts is cut off as well." He slurred his words just slightly but the bartender nodded as he filled another glass Ignis took the drink and downed it quickly before turning his attention to you. He smiled a sly and predatory smile as he looked over your body. He pulled you close and smiled as he grabbed your jaw and kissed you. "Forgive me my love for being so blunt however your beauty has rendered me more than lacking in intelligence." You looked up at the man surprised at how you could understand him less when he was drunk and how his vocabulary seemed to get even more extensive. he sighed seeing your perplexed face and he smirked. " You turn me into a savage my love, One full of primal need, A need for lust, for passion, for satisfaction, for You. He said through clenched teeth in your ear as his hands roamed your body.  You leaned forward and kissed the man ready for him to take you back to the hotel as he pulled away you looked at him confused. "However, I am clearly intoxicated and must decline and you kissing me is obviously you trying to take advantage of my delicate nature..." He smiled wider than you have ever seen him smile as e burst out in laughter at his own joke. He wiped tears from his eyes and leaned against the bar as he held your hand. "Oh now, whos the serious one..my dear.." He went to grab his wallet from his jacket pocket to pay the bartender for everyone's drinks, "Oh, Oh dear, my wallet is in my jacket pocket... It has everyone's money in it. He quickly started to push through the crowded bar to search for his jacket as you laughed at how frantic he was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bonus

Prompto refused to let you leave the bedroom ;) Until you physically couldn't handle cumming anymore. Somehow his hair never once messed up and he referred to you as Chocobutt all night.

Gladio cried at some point because you are such a good person and he doesn't deserve you and he is always so scared that he s going to hurt "His delicate little angel flower from the gods"

Noctis fell asleep in your cleavage and upon waking up started to sing "What is love"...Baby don't hurt me...don't hurt me...no more... with lots of hip thrusting

Ignis eventually gave up his search to realize you had paid with his money because he put his jacket on you because you said you were cold. He proceeded to lock himself in a bathroom stall and lecture himself. about responsibility.

[sliptohk]

Prompt #8: Virtue

@tehmi-ffxiv Offered this one for today:

While Cordial was not the fastest of Eorzeans, his tremendous bulk needed little momentum to turn into a battering ram of thick muscle and heavy bone. Powering his way down the sandy slopes of a desert dune he slammed himself into the side of the lumbering wagon with a resounding crash before the bowman could let out a shout of warning. The huddled figures in the back of the wagon tumbled to the side as the axle bent from the impact, an echoing snap of the wheels bending too far as the cart rocked to the side. Unbound, the marksman tumbled off the side with a loud curse that was lost to the panicked squawking of the chocobo struggling against their traces. Even as he spat dust and clambored back to his feet, the half dozen swordsmen accompanying them sprang converged on the Hellsguard. Rolling a shoulder, the roegadyn shook the heavy wooden shield from its place and tightened the straps to his forearm just in time for the first blade to slam into the edge, near to slashing into his shoulder before he thrust his arm out to batter his attacker's face.

The driver shouted to the mercenaries that swarmed him, but wide sweeps of his macuahuitl forced them back, even as he leapt up to the bed of the wagon and launched himself forward into a mighty leap. It shook beneath the force of his jump, his target clear as he crashed down on the bowman before the unfortunate Elezen could recover enough to evade. A slam of one shield broke his nose in a great gout of blood that sent him to the earth in a bruised heap.

He was already turning, with the fight gone out of his opponent they held little interest only for an overhead swing to dent the helmet of the fastest of his pursuers before they could skewer him. The hyur's eyes rolled back as she collapsed, a line of red running thickly down her face as he stepped over the dazed body to press his assault. A sharp pain flowed up his leg, a quick glance down toward the lalafellin guardsman hacking at his knee as they failed to slice deep enough to cut tendon. With a rumbling growl, he booted the diminutive opponent hard in the chest to send them flying back a dozen fulms to tangle between the panicking chocobo that struggled to pull the broken-wheeled burden still attached to them. A few good kicks with those taloned feet and the guard gave up on struggling free and just lifted their shield above to evade those deadly razorsharp claws.

From the pained shouts it seemed to help little.

It had taken several moments to whittle down his opponents to nearly half their number, the sudden ferocity of his attack taking them off guard and Cordial had little desire to see them regain any semblance of organization. Bulling his way forward, he gave a tremendous backhand with his shield to smash another hyur against the edge of the cart to the snap of either wood or bone that folded the unfortunate man into a fetal position where he fell, before a low sweep of his weapon upended a roegadyn several fulms shorter than himself. One of his kinsmen by the look of them, but he offered them no mercy as a heavy stomp drove his head into the sand and the fight out of him.

The window had closed, the last two of his opponents shifting themselves wide as they shuffled to his sides, opting not to let themselves get sandwiched between the roegadyn and the cart like their moaning companion had foolishly done. Of the two only one held a shield, a sturdily built hyur that focused his furious gaze and dashed inward to thrust and cut with a well made longsword, goading the giant into committing to a counter attack as his companion made her way to his flank. It became a deadly test of attrition, their allies well out of the fight but their own attacks pushing the Hellsguard to move more to batter away their attacks while tempting and taunting in an attempt to open his guard. Sweat plastered Cordial's undershirt to him as he moved, only the thick leather over it keeping that precious moisture from evaporating nearly as fast as it could drip down his arms.

It felt like a dozen bells before the dagger-wielding driver lunged from the seat over the back of the wagon toward the assailant. Or at least attempted to, only for the bound figures in the back to shove into his hip with their shoulders and send him rolling into the side of the shieldsman. His attention faltered long enough for Cordial to shift at the hips and thrust his hard wooden blade forward, crushing the man's throat with the blow and turning away from the dying man to regard his last standing companion.

Licking her lips, the woman clearly decided she had more than enough, taking off at a far faster pace than the Roegadyn would be able to match up the edge of the dune he had descended. Lifting a fallen guard's sword, he hurled it after her but it went well wide of his target, not even sticking into the sand as it hit at an odd angle and just bounced and slid its way back down.

Trundling forward, he paused only long enough to slap the driver with the flat of his weapon to send him back down to the ground and set his gaze on the unconscious lalafell still trapped beneath one of the draughtbird's feet. At least they had managed to keep their shield firmly in place, the faint rise and fall of their chest giving proof they yet lived.

Gripping the edge of the broken cart, he pulled himself up to regard the group before him. Young miqo'te made up the majority, with several older tribeswomen huddling protectively over them with teeth bared threateningly. Despite the heavy knots about their limbs, the Hellsguard still returned his weapon to his hip and raised a soothing hand.

"Peace. V'zhenza?"

One of them cocked their head at the name, looking at him just as warily though at least she no longer looked willing to tear out his throat with her teeth.

"How do you know me? I have never seen your face."

"Two suns back your daughter found me camped not far from your village. Told of slavers raiding while your hunting parties were drawn north for some sort of ritual."

"Where is she?!"

As if on cue, a shaggy-haired head peeked up from the edge of the dune with a bow held in both hands. An arrow strung, but held at rest as she looked down with a happy shout that was quickly answered with one of V'zhenza's own. The girl's appearance seemed to have bled away the last of the Seekers' aggression, as Cordial neatly cut through the ropes holding them captive. They swarmed over the sides, stripping the helpless guards of their arms and what armor suited them even as the roegadyn turned his attention to the chocobo. It was quick work to cut them free, though there seemed to be nothing in the way of saddles for the pair. Even as the mother and daughter spoke rapidly between themselves, he gathered what supplies were available to offer to the youngest of the miqo'te first, before fixing makeshift bags to the back of the birds.

They did not seem to appreciate it. Not that he cared, leading them back up the dune to where his young scout stood guard. Her effectiveness clear when he saw the fallen body of the fleeing guard not twenty fulms from where she crested the top with a pair of arrows in her back.

"Ought to make good time tonight if we rest a few bells while the sun falls." Absently, he scooped up one of the miqo'te struggling to climb her way up the side with the rest of her kin and lifted her to the back of one of the mounts.

V'laika was quick to approach him, beaming up at his worn face so clearly given to only a rare smile. He favored her with one now, the dark markings on his face scrunching up into something no less terrifying thaan their normal appearance. A single roughly hewn heliodor in her hands that she offered out to him.

"Your payment, Hunter Cordial."

"Just Cord, Laika." Resting a massive hand over both of hers, he gently pushed it back to her, "My part is not yet done, child. Freed and home were the terms. I will take no payment before."

From several steps back Zhenza watched curiously, a faint frown on her face as she looked toward the Hellsguard, though she only approached once her daughter had returned the stone to her pocket and moved off to look over the supplies before the youngest among her kin could begin greedily devouring the foodstuffs available.

"You risk your life for a stone?" There was a hiss to her words, but he had come to realize it was no challenge. Simply their mannerisms.

"Its what she had." He offered that iron smile to her, much as he had to her daughter, "A fair accord, gave my word to her."

"This does not make sense."

"Suppose not."

Glaring down at the sprawled forms below, the miqo'te snarled, "What of them? Do we kill them?"

"Leave them to the desert. Wounded and without weapons or water it will be hard penance for their crimes. If they stay strong they will survive it."

"Very well. Azeyma will bleach their bones."

It was well into their third day of travel before the group arrived home. Fresh food and water in his pack from the grateful tribe as Cordial finally accepted the worthless stone. A swelling pleasure in his chest as he made good his word, the trinket finding a place among others in the bottom of his pack where so many other meager offerings had already gathered.

[thedarkrose17]

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum Characters: Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia Additional Tags: Mutual Pining, Eventual Relationships, Accidental Baby Acquisition Summary:

The first thing Prompto wakes up to is concerned voices and someone fussing or whining.

It takes a few moments to sit up, adjust in the tent and glance around. It’s just Ignis, Gladio and a fussing baby. He blinks and looks again. The baby wasn’t here last night. ☆ ☆ ☆ A.k.a The astrals get tired of Prompto and Noctis' pining and decide to try and get them together

Read under the cut or on the link :)

Noctis is almost asleep when he hears a familiar squeak.  He yawns and grabs his phone, unlocking it and checking the text.

‘He's cute (ᗒᗨᗕ)’

“Both of them are.” Noctis mutters back.

Noctis smiles and looks around for the familiar furry face and finds Carbuncle on the floor, legs too tiny to get him on the bed.

The Prince slowly and carefully frees his arm from around Prompto before carefully helping the tiny fennec fox up onto the bed.

He gets an emoji with heart eyes in response and chuckles quietly.

“Not dating.” Noctis mutters, another message coming through his phone.

‘Shame (╥_╥)’

‘Baby's cute though (* >ω<)’

Noctis nods and gently rubs Solis’ back.

“I feel like I'm texting Iris and not a magic messenger.”

‘Rude ( ︶︿︶)_╭∩╮’

Noctis makes the most inhuman sound a person can ever make at the reply, Ignis even gives him a weird look for that. Gladio meanwhile tries not to laugh.

Noctis chooses to ignore them and reply to Carbuncle instead.

“What the fuck...You actually flipped me off.” He whispers.

‘(◕‿◕✿)’

“...You're a little shit. You know that.”

Noctis sighs and reaches out to touch him. Carbuncle carefully walks closer and sniffs Solis. Solis doesn't even stir.

‘(T⌓T) He's sick

“He's got a cold.” Noctis replies, sighing. “Hopefully he'll be alright in a few days.”

‘(╯°▽°)╯ ┻━┻ it's not fair!’

“Yep exactly.”

‘He's brave.’

“He is?”

‘He crawled over and pet me. When you first met me as a baby, you wailed.’

Noctis blushes and groans. “He takes after Prompto then, rushing off to pet soft animals.”

Carbuncle gently nuzzles Solis and Noctis gently scratches behind Carbuncle’s ear. He yawns and Carbuncle copies him moments later.

Solis slowly wakes up with a tiny yawn. He sniffles, blinking sleepily before he notices Carbuncle. Solis stares and grabs at the fennec fox with a tiny coo. He sneezes and whines before grabbing onto Carbuncle’s ear.

Noctis stares, mouth open slightly as he does. Solis can see Carbuncle. Just like he can. Honestly he doesn’t know if he should feel stressed by this or relieved.

“...I didn’t actually tell you his name.”

‘Nope!’

“Solis.” he replies and glances at his son. “And that’s Carbuncle….You’ll probably not be able to remember that or pronounce that for a while...So Carby for now...And you probably have no idea what I’m saying.”

Solis whines and clings to Noctis with one hand and Carbuncle’s ear with the other. He lets out an excited shriek before he starts coughing, Noctis carefully rubs his back and gently kisses his head.

‘Fatherhood suits you (* >ω<)’

Noctis smiles softly and glances at Solis.

“He’s a little ray of sunshine.”

‘(ᗒᗨᗕ) So pure.’

“Mmm?” a familiar voice groggily speaks up next to him and Carbuncle disappears much to Solis’ dislike as he whines about it.

Prompto yawns and gently reaches up, stroking Solis’ cheek.

“How’s my little soybean?” he yawns as Noctis huffs.

“No bean names.” he grumbles and Prompto tiredly smirks. “He’s not been awake long. Still has a cold.”

Prompto leans up, planting a kiss on Solis’ cheek. “My poor sunbeam.”

Solis whines and the boys attempt to soothe him.

* * *

A week later thankfully the cold is gone and everyone is relieved. Solis had cried a lot during his cold, it had been stressful and honestly heartbreaking at times to see him so miserable but now he was back to normal.

Noctis has put him in a little grey baby grow with “Ready player 3.” wrote across it, controller at the side, along with little cartoon chocobo face socks. Prompto claimed to have died the moment he saw it, the “I saw a cute thing” voice coming out the moment he saw Solis.

Ignis told them about a festival in Altissia, the chocobo moogle festival he’d heard about and Prompto almost yells about having to go as soon as possible. Solis squeals just happy to contribute to the conversation in his own little way.

Noctis looks like he’s not fully awake yet. He’s yawned about four times now, scratched at his stomach/happy trail which Prompto almost short circuited over and complained about the sun asking if it could turn the brightness down.

Ignis actually chuckled and agreed it would be a nice break for them all. Gladio asks if Iris can tag along and Ignis smiles.

“It would be a delight to have her.” the advisor says and Gladio shoots her a text. He gains a reply moments later of keysmashes and crying emojis. He takes that as a positive response.

“She’ll be here in five.” the shield replies, Noctis catches sight of the text and looks confused.

“You understood that?” he asks with a yawn.

“I’ve seen enough of it from Prompto.” Gladio replies.

“Hey! Check the internet, people do it.” Prompto huffs.

“Some of the lgbt youth online do it Gladio. I don’t actually know why.” Ignis says.

“...Iggy you’re twenty two, I’m twenty three. We’re all “youth.” still.” Gladio says putting an arm around him.

Ignis leans into it and rubs an one of his eyes. “I mean younger than us Gladio.”

“Small, bi and ready to try at your service.” Prompto replies, standing up straight. He’d salute if he wasn’t holding his precious sunbeam.

“Small, gay and ready to decay. It’s 6am, I’m practically a zombie.” Noctis mutters. “Small, ace and wielding a mace can work occasionally  too.”

Gladio snorts and rolls his eyes and Ignis sighs.

“Neither of you are small.” Ignis huffs.

* * *

Iris comes in with her luggage and a smile on her face.

She wore a black short sleeved shirt with red roses on it,some rounded sunglasses over her eyes, black shorts and knee high cat socks with her regular boots.  

The boys are wearing more casual outfits too. Noctis is the only one wearing his chocobo moogle festival outfit since he’s the only one who has one. Gladio meanwhile has decided today is a shirtless kind of day much to the complaints of Prompto, Noctis and Iris.

She asks if she can get a t-shirt from the festival when they get there and Gladio replies with a simple “We’ll see.” He’ll probably get her one.

Ignis during this decides to pull out his phone and check the weather forecast for the day.

The forecast apparently is set to be a nice hot day. Clear skies and warm temperatures until the evening. Perfect day for a trip.

* * *

They’d packed up and checked out by 7, finally reached Galdin by 9 and quickly headed down to the docks, heading up onto the royal vessel.

Iris stared up at the boat, slowly pushing her shades up onto her head. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever been on a boat before, she moves to step on before Prompto yells, causing her to freeze.

“Wait!” Prompto yells, handing Noctis baby Solis and rushing off leaving everyone except Solis confused.

Solis seems more focused on a seagull flying around. He flails in Noctis’ arms until Gladio speaks up.

Iris unfreezes and glances over, pulling her shades back down and heading over to Ignis.

“He’s starin’ at a seagull, I think he wants you to too. Or he has no idea what it is.” Gladio says.

Noctis looks confused until he spots it, and gently bounces on his feet with Solis in his arms.

“It’s a seagull. Smaller than the other bird at the hotel. Way smaller. These just steal food if they can.”

“One tried stealing my ice cream when I was five.” Iris chirps in.

“I saw one steal chips from a store online.’” Gladio adds making Noctis look back at him sceptical.

“It’s surprisingly real.” Ignis chirps in causing Noctis to whistle.

“Wow.”

Solis bleps, getting a little squirmy in Noctis’ arms.

“Should we go hunt for Prom?”

“Relax. Kid’s probably taking a piss.” Gladio mutters.

“Gladdy!” Iris cries.

“Gladiolus!” Ignis huffs.

“...What?”

“Oh shit! He brought out the first name.” Noctis says with a smirk.

“Noctis!” Ignis huffs. “Infant present. I would prefer you both either watch  your language and not be crass or cover his ears.”

“To be honest I think he’s staring at the tourists...Or like five seconds from needing a change.”

Iris glances over. “Nope...He’s definitely staring.”

* * *

Prompto rushes back five minutes later, tripping up over his own feet on the dock. Luckily Gladio grabs his arm and heaves him up before he faceplants. He blushes and thanks Gladio.

The blonde has a very tiny hat, it seems to have a blue band around it filled with doodles of cartoony fish along with a bottle in his pants pocket.

Iris coos at how cute and small the hat is.

“All they had was fish themed hats.” Prompto says, carefully putting the hat on Solis’ head. “There we go~ Protect you a little from the sun...I got him sunscreen but...Um do we have sunscreen for us?”

“We have some stocked on the boat..” Ignis states and lets Noctis lead the way onto the boat but Noctis lets Iris on first before following her on.

“This is gonna be Sol’s first boat ride.” Gladio says and Prompto in front of him gasps.

“...Do people celebrate that? Would it be weird if I celebrated that?”

“You got excited about his first hotel stay.” Gladio adds. “So maybe not?”

“I’m celebrating it then~” Prompto replies planting a kiss on Solis’ hat.

Solis clings to Prompto and attempts to take off a sock. Noctis heads over and carefully stops him, he boops Solis on the nose and Solis grabs for him.

Prompto smiles and carefully hands Solis over to Noctis. Solis makes a happy squeal loud enough for the rest on the boat to hear him. He earns some smiles and awws from Iris and Prompto.

* * *

Noctis hands Solis back to Prompto so he can steer the boat.

Prompto seems happy enough to sit Solis on his lap and hold him close. Solis meanwhile seems fascinated by Prompto’s glove, he stares at it and attempts to grip onto said glove.

Ignis was sat next to Iris, the duo surprisingly drifting off during their journey and Gladio was reading.

Solis gets whiny the longer they stay on the sea and Prompto decides to lie down on the surprisingly comfortable sofas with Solis. The duo yawn and end up napping together.

Gladio throws a blanket over the sofa to shield them from the sun or try to and neither of the pair stir from this, maybe 6am was too early of a start for them.

Gladio hears Noctis yawn from the captain’s seat and heads in.

“Hey princess.”

“Hey.” Noctis blinks tiredly and glances over at him before his eyes return to the sea.

“Tired?” Gladio asks and Noctis nods.

“I was on baby duty last night. Prom’s stomach was acting up so he slept it off.” Noctis yawns and Gladio places his hand on his shoulder. “Alright stop the boat. Someone else is taking over.”

Noctis doesn’t even protest, he brings the boat to a stop and rubs at his eyes. “...Controls are pretty easy.” he mutters as Gladio scoops him up out of the seat and carries him back to the others.

He’s pretty much asleep in Gladio’s arms by the time Gladio realises there’s nowhere for the prince to lie other than the floor.

So for now he gets put there, near Prompto’s little sofa while Gladio decides to take over controlling the boat, he’s swiftly banned from continuing the moment Ignis wakes up.

Noctis after that is placed where Ignis was. He naps the rest of the trip near Iris.

* * *

They splash out for a more expensive room, they’re on the rare occasion allowed to nap due to the long boat trip and the fact they have a few hours until the festival.

Ignis decides instead to leave the room and browse the sights with Gladio and Iris in tow. Prompto is sure Iris only went to give him, Noctis and Solis some alone time.

Noctis sits on the bed, taking off his boots and putting them at the side of the bed before lying down on said bed.

Prompto smiles at the sight and heads over with Solis in his arms. He bites his lip before speaking up.

“Can you take Sol for a sec?”

Noctis sits up and carefully takes Solis from Prompto. Solis whines and Prompto feels guilty so much so he attempts to explain himself to the baby.

“I’ll be back like super quick ok? Just stay with Noct ok?” Prompto says, planting a kiss on Solis’ head. “Be good for daddy ok?”

Noctis blushes a little and gently soothes their son who honestly doesn’t understand any of this. Prompto is going to kill him one day. He’s only making the crush he has on him much worse at this point.

“You forgot to go pi-Pee before we left huh?” Noctis asks earning a whine from his best friend in the process.

“I thought I could hold it! But I’m dying.” he whines at the Prince who snorts a little. “Go on. We’ll be ok.”

Solis looks at Prompto and whines and Prompto looks conflicted as he heads into the bathroom.

Solis wails and Noctis hears a heartbroken cry of “I’m sorry!” practically yelled from the bathroom.

Noctis tries to get Solis’ attention, trying to distract him until Prompto returns.  He hums to him and gently rubs his back and when that fails, he sings which gets Solis’ attention immediately. It’s something from anime but Solis doesn’t know that.

He smiles when Solis calms down and hears the bathroom door open moments later, a flustered blonde quickly coming out.

“Papa’s here buddy don’t wo-” he pauses and looks over at Solis and Noctis, mouth slightly open. “You’re a baby whisperer too huh?” he mutters.

“He likes singing.” Noctis replies, smiling before sitting up. “Can you take him back for a second? I have to pi-”

“Sure!” Prompto interrupts and blushes, apologising before taking Solis back and sitting on the bed with him.  “You think your dad would have had a bathroom on that boat.”

Noctis gets up and agrees, heading over to the bathroom, opening the door but pausing when Prompto speaks again.

“Blue Exorcist.” the blonde mutters.

“Huh?”

“You were singing something from Blue Exorcist to him.”

“...Oh yeah? What one?” Noctis replies with a smirk. No point in denying it.

“Itteki no Eikyou.” Prompto replies, sticking his tongue out. “We're a magical girl and boy anime house only mister.”

Noctis laughs a little and rolls his eyes before heading into the bathroom. “Like you’ve ever watched one.”

“Hey! I’ve watched-”

“Other than Sailor Moon.” Noctis replies from behind the door.

Prompto covers Solis’ ears before Noctis hears him clearly say “Fuck you.” with a snort which makes Noctis laugh.

* * *

Solis wailed again. It was a fairly short cry as Prompto decided to finish the anime song Noctis previously sang to the baby.

The song seemed to calm Solis and Prompto was so focused on soothing Solis with the song he almost missed Noctis come out of the bathroom.

“You finished the song?” Noctis asks, startling Prompto.

“Dude! Warn a guy first.” Prompto gasps and then makes a sound of confirmation to his question.

Noctis heads over and Prompto scoots up before lying down with Solis. Solis seems happy when Noctis lies next to them. He yawns and smiles a toothless smile.

“Hey sunshine.” Noctis mutters to him and he’s rewarded with their baby flailing. To Noctis it looks like an attempt at dancing honestly. It’s weirdly cute.

Prompting laughs quietly and carefully puts Solis between them. The baby sneezes and looks like an Anak in the headlights, prompting Prompto to blow a raspberry at him wondering how he'll react.

Solis jumps and stares up at Prompto looking utterly confused or as confused as a baby could look.

Prompto blows another raspberry at Solis and Solis rewards him with a burp.

“Nice.” Prompto mutters with a snort making Noctis laugh.

* * *

They undress Solis down to his nappy due to the room being a little warm and worrying the baby might overheat. Said baby attempts to crawl off in the process but the duo manage to keep him in one spot.

Then they decide to undress down themselves to just their boxers. They leave a balcony door open for a breeze, too lazy to put air conditioning on before napping together for a few hours, Solis safely in Prompto's arms.

* * *

Prompto awakes to cooing and yawns, carefully sitting up and gently holding Solis close. Solis naps peacefully, Prompto smiles and kisses his head.

Prompto spots Iris and the boys in the room and yawns wide. Iris at that point notices he's awake and rushes over, not phased by him and Noctis being half naked.

“I got you guys something.” she says with a smile and Prompto feels a chill from the breeze. He seems confused before glancing down and panicking, looking back at Iris with a look of embarrassment on his face.

“Y-You did?...Um...Can I just wake him up and we'll um look more...Presentable?” he nervously asks and Iris laughs a little.

“Sure! Do you want me to take Solis?” she asks and Prompto nods, carefully handing the sleeping baby over.

“H-He'll wake up pretty soon. He's due a feed.” Prompto stutters before elbowing Noctis when Iris heads over to Ignis and Gladio. “Dude wake up!” Prompto whisper yells to the Prince.

Noctis doesn't react.

* * *

It takes several attempts but Prompto manages to wake up Noctis and the duo quickly get re dressed.

The duo head over to the kitchen  where Ignis has set out some sandwiches for the group. Prompto smiles and the duo thank him, grabbing a sandwich each before Iris comes over with Solis.

Solis seems fascinated by her hair, attempting to reach while he clings to her shirt with his other hand.

“Hi buddy~” Prompto coos after he takes his first bite.

Noctis wiggles his fingers at Solis who giggles a little, Prompto nearly chokes over it so much Noctis thumps his back.

“T-That almost k-killed me.” Prompto gasps. “Cuteness overload.”

Noctis rolls his eyes and smiles at Solis. “That's Prompto speak for he's ok just being dramatic.” he mutters to Solis with a smirk, he laughs when he hears a dramatic gasp from Prompto.

“How dare you.” he says in his sassy voice, pulling a face and making Solis giggle harder than before, making Prompto and Noctis start laughing too. “Oh em gee, adorbs.” he mutters, Noctis making a noise of agreement around his sandwich as he takes a bite.

“Gladdy?” Iris looks over at her brother who's currently half way through his second sandwich.

“What?” he asks, mouth full to which Ignis sighs at.

“Can you take this little cutie?” she coos at the baby and Gladio carefully takes him.

Solis clings to him as Iris rushes off, quickly returning with a few bags. She thrusts the tiniest one at Prompto.

“It's for Solis but I got ones for you guys too.” she says with a smile. “I hope you like them.”

Prompto quickly finishes his sandwich and fishes in the little bag. He's weirdly excited as he carefully pulls out a tiny Moogle onesie.

His eyes light up as he looks at it. There's a little hood, with a tiny pom-pom antenna and little purple wings. It's adorable and he can't wait to put Solis in it.

Noctis stares, zoning out trying to imagine the baby in his little onesie. Maybe they can put him in it later, he’ll probably gain a new home screen on his mobile from it.

“Wait...We have ones too?” Noctis asks moments later.

Iris nods and grins, pulling one out identical to Solis’ but adult sized.  Prompto gasps and looks over at Noctis.

“Dude we have to.” he mutters and Noctis can't bring himself to say no.

“Later. After the festival.”  Noctis mutters. “Just no pictures of me.”

Prompto pouts but agrees as he holds his onesie. He smiles at Iris and gives her a hug or a side hug.

“Send me pics later of them.” she whispers to Prompto.

“Will do.” he whispers back.

* * *

They all head out later for the festival, Noctis carrying Solis while Prompto has the nappy bag across his shoulder along with his camera in hand.

The group part ways. Ignis heading off with Gladio and Iris. The duo seemed rather content to be around each other and Iris seemed happy enough to be around that even if her brother had his arm around the chef’s waist.

Prompto meanwhile walked around with Noctis and Solis, practically beaming when someone commented on how cute their son was. Noctis being Noctis had no idea how to respond to such so he awkwardly thanked people and agreed with them.

Solis just sat in the baby carrier on his dad's chest and was plain adorable. The usual honestly. Until they had to take a detour and go hunt for a bathroom to change him. He was grumpy at that time and rightfully so.

The trio after that continued to roam around the festival, Noctis explaining what happened last time he came and watching Prompto's eyes light up. He didn't miss the slightly betrayed look Prompto gave him when chocobo chicks was brought up.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that which only lasted for a few moments before Prompto spoke up again.

“...Do you think Gladio and Iggy seemed glad to like abandon us?” he asks and Noctis sighs before nodding.

“Gladio put his arm around Iggy, Prom.” Noctis replied. “So yeah.”

“Oh em gee! I thought I was seeing things!” Prompto gasps.

“Nope. Totally had his arm around him.” Noctis replies popping the p.  He smirks a little.

“...You think they're…”

“Dating?” Noctis asks and Prompto nods. “They've been close for years. Wouldn't surprise me.”

Prompto grins and pulls out his phone. “I'm totally asking them...What if they're married?”

“Prom, neither have rings.”

“Maybe they're allergic.”

“I think we'd know if they was.” Noctis adds.

Prompto gestures to the baby and his ears, Noctis catching on quickly and covering Solis’ ears much to the baby's dislike.

“...Suddenly all the fuck eyes make sense.” Prompto mutters and Noctis wheezes.

“...What?”  he asks trying not to laugh.

“I'd see them like giving each other bedroom eyes sometimes. Usually when they thought we was asleep or like busy. At first I thought it was just a weird staring contest”

“Gods if they've been keeping a relationship a secret from me I'll be pissed.” Noctis replies. “Like it's not a big deal but I figure they'd like tell us.”

Prompto pouts and agree.

“Anyway let's enjoy the festival.” Noctis says  leading the way. Prompto nods and follows him.

* * *

The trio explore, wandering around as Prompto takes pictures of the sights.

They walk around for a while before Prompto carefully pulls Noctis to a stop, bouncing on his feet a little as he does.

“Hey...I gotta go…” he mutters and Noctis gestures to a nearby bathroom with his head.

“There's one over there Prom.”

Prompto sighs with relief and rushes off.

“Bee are bee!” Prompto yells as he practically sprints off.

Noctis watches him with a smile before looking down at Solis.

“That's your father right there. He's a nerd but I love him..He's my nerd.” Noctis mutters to his baby son. “..Least you can't tell him I said that.”

Solis sneezes and whines, Noctis mutters comfort to him before the duo fall silent as the wait for Prompto. Solis flails on occasion which Noctis finds cute honestly.

He zones out, focusing on the baby. He smiles and gently runs a hand through feathery blonde baby hair. He's so out of it, he misses the mascot coming closer.

He hears a familiar caw and tenses up, eyes widening in fear. Noctis glances up his fears confirmed when he sees Kenny Crow.  He freezes honestly, breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Don't come closer. Don't come closer.” Noctis mutters to himself.

Solis wiggles in the baby carrier on Noctis’ chest. He grumbles and frowns. Noctis can't comfort him, too frozen as he stares at Kenny Crow.

Solis continues to frown and wiggle and Noctis comes to realise this is how Solis expresses anger. Wiggles.  Anger wiggles he calls it in his mind.

The baby continues his anger wiggles which in turn makes Kenny come over not realising what the wiggles mean. Noctis feels sick honestly.

The mascot attempts to talk to the terrified Prince and the baby, unaware he's the source of the Prince's fear.

“Noct?”  a familiar friendly voice speaks up before the person heads over. Prompto. He looks at Noctis, noticing how terrified he looks.

He notices Kenny and it all makes sense.  He also notices that Solis has stopped wiggling but he's managed to notice Kenny. The baby stares looking terrified before he wails loudly and Prompto realises at that point he has to be the knight in shining armour.

He apologises to Kenny Crow and quickly takes Noctis and Solis says far away from the mascot. Far enough for the duo to relax and calm down.

He carefully leads them to a table outside of a food joint and sighs.

“I'm sorry.” Prompto says.

“Why? You got us away from that daemon.” Noctis mutters. “I should be thanking you.”

Prompto smiles softly offering a hand to Noctis to hold. “Don't thank me. My boys was scared, I was just taking you both out of that.”

Noctis grabs his hand and squeezes it. “Can we sit here for a few seconds?”

Prompto nods and looks at Solis.

“It sucks he got scared.”

“Fear is a normal response to Kenny.” Noctis mutters and Prompto smirks.

“I like him.”

“You like birds.” Noctis replies.  “That's why.”

Prompto smiles and sighs.

“I just don't find him scary.” Prompto says, rubbing his thumb against Noctis’ hand. “I'll protect you both from him. Don't worry.”

Noctis smiles softly.

“Thanks.”

* * *

Noctis bottle feeds Solis while they sit there, Solis suckles greedily which prompts Prompto to speak up.

“Dude he'll get gas if you let him suckle so quick. He'll be uncomfortable.”

Noctis repositions Solis and adjusts the bottle, Solis suckles slower much to Noctis and Prompto’s relief.

“There's a Chocobo mascot wandering around. I think you'll like it if you're fine with dancing a Chocobo dance in front of people.”

Prompto blushes but looks excited. Noctis can see a spark in his eyes.

“We'll go find them after I burp him.” Noctis adds, laughing to himself as Prompto does his adorable little victory tune.

* * *

It takes longer than expected to burp Solis. Noctis wonders if the baby is dragging the waiting around process out or if said baby is having a difficult time.

Unfortunately Solis throws up a little during the process. Noctis’ face draining of colour the moment he gets baby vomit on his sleeve.

“Prom..We have an issue here.” Noctis speaks up and Prompto quickly rummages in the nappy bag, pulling out baby wipes.

He winces and opens the pack, carefully heading over and wiping Noctis’ sleeve and Solis’ mouth with wet wipes.

“He’s not sick right?” Prompto asks and Noctis shakes his head.

“He’s not fussing...Still want to see that mascot?”

Prompto practically beams and nods, rushing off the moment Noctis stands. The royal smiles as he watches him and then glances down at Solis who flails excitedly.

“He makes it hard not to get excited huh?” he mutters to his son who squeals in response. Noctis laughs and follows the direction Prompto went.

* * *

They catch up fairly quickly, Prompto having decided to wait for them and the small family head down to the Chocobo mascot.

Prompto beams when said mascot notices them, he beams a little more when the Chocobo mascot waves at them.

Prompto gets called over to do the dance and honestly Noctis has never seen someone so excited.

Solis flails a little as he stares at the sight, he seems fascinated, he squeals and giggles when the dance starts and gets more vocal than he has been before when Prompto copies the dance.

Noctis likes to think that this is a baby version of cheering Prompto on that or Solis is just making noises because he doesn’t know how to deal with emotions. He snaps a few photos off Prompto’s camera, Solis attempting to grab the camera from his little baby carrier.

The mascot hugs Prompto who returns it eagerly and the trio are on their way waving the mascot bye. Or Prompto is, Noctis just says bye awkwardly and prays the mascot wasn’t the same person from his visit previously.

Up next they head to the chocobo races. Noctis deciding his knight in shining armour deserves another treat.

“You sure you don’t want a go?” Prompto asks.

“Nah I’ll stay on baby duty.” Noctis replies. Plus his back is aching a little and last thing he wants is to annoy it further.

Prompto asks if he’s sure it’s ok he just goes and Noctis nods.

“Just go have fun.” he says with a smile , glancing down at Solis who’s looking at one of the nearby Chocobos. He’s not completely sure of the adult ones yet.

Noctis strokes his soft blonde baby hair and smiles making his way over to the course to cheer on Prompto as he’s lead away to pick a Chocobo.

* * *

Prompto had sped through the course in lightning time. Noctis is sure he beat his score from the last time but all that is forgotten the moment he sees Prompto’s bright smile.

Prompto coos over the race Chocobo, giving her a scritch and little cuddle before bidding her goodbye as he hands her back to her owner.

“How was it?” Noctis asks, already knowing the answer.

“Amazing! Noct she’s two and her name is Butterscotch and I would die for her.” the gunner cries.

“Don’t die, I need you for this parenting deal.”

Prompto blushes and smiles.

“No plan to.” he says, biting his lip. “Now let’s go to the prize counter!”

* * *

They get back into their hotel room at seven pm. The baby carrier is quickly removed from Noctis’ chest the moment Solis is out of it with a sigh of relief.

Solis is placed into a cot before Prompto and Noctis begin to undress.  Prompto without hesitation slips into the moogle onesie Iris got him.

“Aah~ Dude it’s so soft and warm~” he gasps and that’s enough to make Noctis change into his.

Prompto grins and grabs his phone, flicking on his camera app.

“Say Kupo!” he says with a grin, he puts an arm around Noct and the prince reluctantly says it as Prompto takes the photo, then sends the selfie to Iris.

After that they quickly change Solis before dressing him in his moogle onesie too. The duo freeze for a second before Prompto takes many photos, some going to Iris.

“Hey can you send one to me? I want one as my lockscreen.” Noctis asks.

Prompto smiles and quickly sends a couple for him to choose from.

* * *

They end up ordering room service. Ignis will kill them when he finds out they’re sure but for now it’s a good idea to have ice cream and catch a film on the hotel room’s tv.

Prompto snuggles up to Noctis’ side and Noctis puts an arm around him to get a little more comfortable. He tells himself it’s fine and Prompto looks comfortable and content at his side so he shouldn’t worry.

Prompto’s texting on the advert break. He’s texting Iris and gushing over the baby with her, among other things.

“She’s calling us old for being in bed at seven.” Prompto mutters.

“Tell her we’re only five years older than her.”

Prompto texts back and stretches against Noctis.

“Should I ask about Gladnis?”

“Glad...Nis?” Noctis asks, confused.

“Yeah...Like a couple name. People combine names together.”  Prompto replies.

“Oh that explains some stuff...Yeah ask.”

Prompto grins and texts back, gasping moments later.

“...What? What is it?” Noctis asks.

“...They’ve been dating since they was in high school.”

“What the fuck...How did I not know?”

“Iris says we’re just oblivious.”

Noctis huffs and carefully gets up, Prompto whines and reaches out for him.

“Noo you were comfy.” he huffs before pouting.

Noctis rolls his eyes and smiles.

“I’ll forgot something. I'll be back.” he says heading over to Solis’ cot. Said baby is wiggling around with a frown. “He’s angry.”

“How do you know?” Prompto asks.

“He wiggles and frowns.” Noctis says reaching over to open a drawer on the nightstand.

Prompto gasps and quickly heads over, he laughs a little at the sight and gently strokes Solis’ cheek.

“Dude...This is adorable.” he mutters. “Gods...Noct he’s too cute.”

Noctis smiles and agrees, pulling out the little Carbuncle statue from the drawer and placing it in Solis’ cot.

“Don’t be too grumpy for Carbuncle ok? He’ll let me know how you were.” Noctis mutters and plants a kiss on Solis’ head.

“Yeah be nice to….Carbuncle???? Why haven’t I seen him?” Prompto mutters, planting a kiss on Solis’ head. The kisses seemed to have quelled the baby’s anger who currently is staring at the statue.

“He’s only appeared to me and Solis. I don’t know why he likes making me look crazy by showing up on photos and not letting others see him.”

“Do they like each other?” Prompto asks.

Noctis nods and smiles. “He made it clear he thinks Sol is cute.”

Prompto beams and looks down at Solis. He holds onto the cot looking at their son, who’s staring up at him sleepily.

“Sleep. You’ll be sleepy and cranky if you don’t.” Prompto mutters.

“Also Carby’s waiting for you.” Noctis adds. Solis coos and yawns, Noctis strokes his cheek. “Yeah he’s waiting.”

Solis drifts off soon after, Prompto and Noctis heading back to curl up on the bed and watch their film. They return to their snuggling position and quietly talk to each other once it ends and a new one starts.

They might end up having a film marathon for hours. It extends past when Gladio, Ignis and Iris return at ten and even well past when the trio call it a night.

The boys are sleepy come the fifth or sixth film. They’ve lost count how many have played. They’re honestly blending together at this point plus they’re kind of stuffed due to the fact they ordered a large pizza and shared it together.

Prompto at this point is sluggishly pressed against Noctis and the royal is on his back, occasionally rubbing his stomach just as sluggish.

Prompto blinks slowly. He yawns and grunts. He wonders if the pizza was too much. Prompto hears a yawn right next to him and decides at that point film night is probably drawing to a close.

Neither have the time to turn the TV off. They just attempt to get comfortable and snuggle more against each other. Prompto’s almost asleep when he feels a kiss against his head. He drifts off with a smile on his face.

[kivaember]

Prompt #21: Repast

“You’re scrawnier than I thought.”

“Elezen are naturally lean,” Aymeric replied amicably, trying not to be put off by the intense, near-predatory stare boring into him, “We do not pile on muscle easily like you Xaela.”

“Hmm,” said his companion.

His companion being, specifically, Aza’s mother. She was tall for a Xaela woman, built like a destrier Chocobo with a brusque temperament to match, and possessing long, grey-streaked hair scraped back into a loose ponytail. She looked young for her supposed sixty years, even with the harsh lines pulling at the corners of her mouth and crinkling the corners of her eyes, and her body still looked strong and sturdy beneath her sturdy hunting tunics.

Strong enough to snap him over her knee like a twig, if Aza’s whispered warnings before they stepped into the yurt were anything to go by. He wasn’t keen to test if that had been an exaggeration or not – not only out of fear of discovering that prodigious strength was true, but because getting into a physical fight with his partner’s mother probably wasn’t the correct way to go about this.

“Aym’s pretty built beneath that armour,” Aza piped up at his side, “He’s Lord Commander of Ishgard’s military force, so he has to be strong for it.”

Aza’s mother, Atani, hummed again, her gaze taking on a shrewd edge to it, “Lord Commander…” she repeated, her voice thick with the accent of the Steppe. She knew Eorzean Common surprisingly well, despite Aza confessing it wasn’t her second or even third language, “Is that like a khagan?”

Aymeric glanced at Aza questioningly.

“Uh, yeah. Kinda,” Aza scratched his cheek in a clearly nervous gesture, “He’s the strongest warrior, leads the Ishgardian warriors into battle. Smart too, and, umm...”

Truthfully, Aymeric would place Estinien and several others above himself in terms of martial strength and intelligence, but he said nothing as Atani, once more, hummed and let the matter drop entirely – just in time for their last companion, Aza’s father, Aruci, to sweep next to their table and set down a large, steaming pot in the middle: the family hotpot Aza promised him when inviting him to the meal.  

“Atani, stop intimidating the poor boy,” Aruci chided gently, easing himself down on the floor with creaking knees, “He’s here as our guest.”

“If he finds this intimidating, then he’s too soft, isn’t he?” Atani said idly, then shot Aymeric’s way almost lazily, “Are you intimidated?”

“Not particularly,” Aymeric said truthfully. Compared to Nidhogg, or even Hraesvelgr, Atani’s intimidation was tolerable and like water off a mudpuppy’s back. There was only so much your glares could do when lacking the terrifying jaws of a furious, hungry dragon to go with it, “Mildly threatened, perhaps, but not intimidated.”

“Hah!” Atani leaned back, slapping a hand on her thigh, “Oh, I like this one,” she said to Aza, pointing rudely at Aymeric, “He’s bold.”

“Don’t I know it,” Aza grumbled, but he was looking pleased and incredibly relieved. No doubt he was happy this whole meeting was going so well – and that no one had been stabbed yet, an alarming possibility that was allegedly common with Xaela tribes in these situations according to Aza. It was why his partner had been so insistent he wore light armour for the meal, even if the noble upbringing in Aymeric squirmed at the perceived insult of it.

“You know, Aza speaks very warmly of you,” Aruci said in a surprisingly gentle, placid tone as he began spooning out the hotpot into everyone’s respective bowls. His hands were rough, calloused and gnarled, but still steady and strong. Aza mentioned he was a renowned crafter, and it showed, “Every time he comes home, he’s always eager to share affectionate tales about you.”

“And Bluebird the risqué ones,” Atani added teasingly, her mouth curving into a very Bluebird-esque smile when Aza turned an adorable shade of red, “Oh, come now, my little Coeurl, don’t be shy! It’s good to have a partner that satisfies you both emotionally and-”

“Okay!” Aza said a little too loudly, waving his hands frantically, “Can we please not talk about my sex life at the dinner table?”  

“I guess it is a poor subject to start off with,” Atani admitted grudgingly, her focus sliding back to Aym with her smile shifting back into too-predatory, “Instead, why not tell us how you two came together? Aza has been so secretive about it…”

At that, Aymeric and Aza shared a brief look. Their ‘coming together’ had been due to copious amounts of alcohol, Aza puking on his boots after publicly confessing his love on top of a table at a dinner party, followed by a very awkward conversation during the unpleasant throes of being hungover. There had been nothing romantic about it – it had been raw, emotionally exhausting, yet… good, in an odd way.

Of course, Aza avoided him for three weeks afterwards before Aymeric could pin him down and get a straight answer out of him regarding what they were but, well, that hungover, emotional talk had been the real start to their… relationship. Sort of.  

There was no pretty or gentle way to explain this, though. It had been a mess from start to finish.

“Um, well…” Aza cleared his throat, his left ear flicking nervously, “Bluebird didn’t tell you?”

“Your sister has a big mouth on many things,” Atani said bluntly, “But even she can be discreet about others. She hasn’t told us.”

“Oh,” Aza looked as surprised as Aymeric felt, “Well, uhhh, so… we got together after a… party…”

Aymeric had to hide a helpless smile behind his hand. Aza was such a terrible liar, and his partner stuttered and awkwardly talked around the unsavoury parts of the story under his mother’s far too knowing gaze.

“…and then we decided to give it a shot,” Aza finished his highly abridged and redacted tale, “And here we are, two years later.”

“Two years later,” Atani echoed, sharing a look with her husband, “Well, you really do seem happy.”

“I am,” Aza said firmly, sitting up straighter and looking his mother straight in the eyes, “I’m very happy with Aym. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Well. Well. Aymeric was suddenly very glad he had a bowl of hotpot to distract himself with at that bold declaration. His heart felt like it was doing something very squishy and potentially medically fatal, unable to stop the no doubt stupid, lovesick smile curling his mouth. There was something so good to hear that, if only because Aza had been so sad and lonely at the beginning, almost lost and hesitant to get attached and love. To hear him boldly declare his happiness now was…

“I can see that…” Atani murmured very softly, and something complicated flickered across her expression.

Aruci settled a hand over Atani’s, giving it a squeeze, “We’re happy for you, Aza. You’ve come a long way since we first took you in. We’re both proud of you.”

Atani gave herself a bit of a shake, motherly warmth filling her expression and chasing away the shadows that had lurked there, “So very proud. I always knew you had the better taste in men than your sister-”

“Mom,” Aza protested, his face was bright red at this point and his eyes suspiciously teary.

“-I mean, he’s leagues better than that Felyx,” Atani finished with a roll of her eyes, “Do you know Felyx, Aymeric?”

Aymeric knew Felyx very well. Bluebird had delighted in telling him that Aza’s fellow adventurer used to be a ‘fuck buddy’ when his relationship with his partner had been new and tentative. Looking back, he suspected Bluebird had been testing him, gauging his jealousy – Aymeric didn’t care. Aza wasn’t the disloyal sort, and whatever was between him and Felyx was no longer sexual. He had simply filed that fact away as an interesting piece of trivia and never thought about it in depth again.  

“We’ve met,” he said simply, “He gets around, from what I hear.”

“He’s not that bad,” Aza grumbled, “Just because he’s open about being poly-”

“Your sister wanted to marry him,” Atani said flatly, and Aza choked on the rest of his words.

“W-W-W-Wh-” Aza coughed and drew in a deep breath… if only to shriek; “What!?”

“Huh,” Aymeric said, trying to see it and failing. Bluebird, wanting to marry someone? It boggled the mind.

“Hah! I see Bluebird didn’t tell you that story!” Atani chortled, slapping her thigh, “Aruci, love, tell Aza about that disaster.”

“Oh, come now, let’s not embarrass her. She’s not even here to defend herself-”

“You have to tell me!” Aza breathed, looking torn between morbid fascination and utter delight, “Please, Dad!”

Aruci sighed, and groaned when Atani playfully ribbed him, but he gave in with a, “Well, three years back…”

“Three years!? That recent!?”

“Let him finish,” Atani scolded.

Aymeric leaned back slightly, relieved that focus had shifted from him to this humiliating tale of Bluebird’s ill-advised marriage proposal. The hotpot was good, he found, his gaze drawn to Aza as his partner drank in the embarrassing story about his sister, admiring how openly happy and relaxed and carefree he was. He looked younger, happier, basking in the presence of his family, adopted or not…

He felt an odd twinge, then – not quite longing but… a realisation that he was missing something he never truly had. Lord Borel had been a good guardian, but he had never been a father. Kind and affectionate, yes, but his love was not unconditional, and there was always an edge of political posturing when it came to Aymeric. He had long made peace with the fact that he had been a chess piece on the board that was Ishgardian politics, and that he never really knew what a proper family was.

But this… hmm. It probably felt a little like this.

Yes, a little.

Content with that, Aymeric settled in, finding contentment in being accepted into the small circle that was Aza’s family, if only for today.

[rikkuwritestuff]

Happy Accidents Ch 2

Locating Prompto was not a grueling task. His dedication to photography landed him the head photographer position not only on the school newspaper but also Chief Photographer in yearbook. Was he over loaded with extracurriculars? Yes, to the point that he had turned to one of the few exchange students to help him with his foreign studies and Niflheim language class while the other was his science partner. He needed these extra credits, the volunteering references, top grades, and the best test scores he could get if he was ever going to be accepted into the Royal University of Art in Tenebrae. Sure it would be far from home, but that did not matter since his parents where rarely, if ever, home when he was, and RUA at Tenebrae had the only Photography Department worthy of prestige and affordable outside of Accordio University. With all this extra work he had to do, it was becoming a real pain in his ass to get into. Prompto had dreams, and those dreams including attending RUA Tenebrae.

Even if it was a long shot, Prompto would not count himself out even if he did apply to The South Insomnia Institute, whose tiny underfunded fine arts department was still better than the nonexistent one at the University of Insomnia. After all don’t count your chocobo’s till they’re hatched; to reach his dreams Prompto placed his chocobo eggs in any basket he could find even if he had two years to go to prepare, that was two years for him to build up volunteer hours, extra curriculars, and even sports which was just another reason he had went to Loqi Tummelt, the Niflheim student that had not just exchanged into the school, his family happened to be the Imperial Ambassadors, the face of Gralea in the country of Lucis.

Oddly enough, for being of noble birth the young Tummelt and Prompto had turn out to be fast friends, Loqi once commenting that Prompto reminded him of someone and of his country nor did it hurt that Loqi was not to terrible to look at and that accent.

Oh Ifrit, that accent.

Prompto shook his head, lifting the 8x10 from the acetic acid careful to not drop and ruin the developing image. It was a beautiful shot one that he would treasure forever and that’s why Prompto felt the need to take his time and properly develop the image, not just fiddle around in IMPShope to adjust the tone, saturations, and hue. Noctis, Prompto smiled remember the thin fog that had risen from damp earth a few days ago, always made a perfect subject. Even if the Prince was not aware that his picture had been taken but that morning had been perfect. A late summer rain shower had rushed in, a heavy squall, that instantly cooled the air with full droplets of rain before it moved on. In the aftermath the warm earth, littered with early autumn leaves, steamed puffs of fog rising and casting an ethereal scene over the school quad, the Prince and another student having taken refugee under one of the trees that clung to its barely green leaves.

Staring into the finishing wash at the image as it cleared, Prompto breathe in and held the breath for a millisecond, respiring his crush on the Prince. His future was physically laying before him, Photography, so his dedication to it came before his dumb crush on Prince Noctis. With that went his obsession of being good enough, thin enough, perfect enough for Noctis which had taken over once, so now these next four years where dedicated to him, his self and elevating Prompto to reach those goals. Admittance to Tenebrae’s Royal University of Art and whatever else may come, not only would he reach that goal, but he would smash it.

His biggest hurdle would be the extra curriculars, track tryouts were tomorrow afternoon, and even with his growth spurt and the exhaustive workout routine, Prompto could only hope to get on the competition team. On top of that the Ardent High Photography Club was going to be him and two senior girls, Luna and Stella Nox Fleuret, twins and guest of the crown city that had decided to continue their education as well as the photography club from last year. Now all they needed was a fourth member to qualify for the school rush later in the week and become a full-fledged Ardent High Club.

He would work out how to fit in the school newspaper, it may be hard with track, photography club and his regular academics, but his needs and the newspaper’s had aligned and having a photographer that was eager to take on any assignment, even if that meant staying later on Friday nights for football games, was nothing if it got him closer to an acceptance letter.

Aware of the long nights and days ahead of him, Prompto poked the picture, submerging it down into the bath. I can do this, I got it down. Beside the extra curriculars, and school work and his weekend job at his neighborhood Bakery and fresh meat deli, a job he wasn’t legally allowed to have due to age but got anyway due to ‘familial connections’, Prompto wouldn’t have time to worry about Noctis and his disgustingly perfect face or if he was thin enough for the Prince to even glance at. Prompto was already running at twenty-seven out of twenty-four hours, no time for Noctis or to even think of just becoming his friend.

As the picture bathed, Prompto leaned against the wall a small notebook in hand as he added up his calories for that day. He may not need to be thin for Noctis, but he needed to get thinner for track.

Tropical Kale Smoothie, Peanut butter and crackers, egg, and avocado sandwich. Three plus four plus one ninety. Prompto winced, “Eight hundred…that whole bottle of sweet green tea, one thousand and twenty. And it’s not even lunch.” Pen scribbling over paper, face contorted in disgust as himself for eating two many calories, Prompto scrutinized the drying ink with unhidden disgust. “No wonder.” His arm dropped, hand brushing his sides where he still had some layer of fat on his stomach. Lost in thought, hand still rubbing over the rolls of his stomach and the upper half of thick thighs, Prompto did not hear the knob jiggling until it was to late and the door was slammed inward. The highest pitched scream erupted from his mouth, eyes wide as he stared at his assailant.

Aranea Highwind, a new resident transfer from Niflheim, stood in the doorway narrowed eyes glaring into the darkened room trying to locate him. “Oh, there you are.” She smiled, her ears moving back and up, although her tone sounded like finding Prompto was the least interesting thing she had done all day

“Uh… hi?” Prompto swallowed, tucking his note book into the back pocket of his pants. “Can I help you?” Face cast in shadow, Arena’s smile fell as stepped into the room. Behind her he could see a group or girls but could not hear their muffles whispers only their laughter and giggles. The girls tried to peer around the imposing senior even as Aranea kept her figure in front of Prompto.

“Um,” cheeks burning from the sudden attention he was getting and didn’t want, Prompto rubbed at his wrist, “Is there something you need?” He stood on his tip toes to look past Aranea, the girls beamed at him and waved. With his sudden change, even if it was not as drastic as it felt now, Prompto knew he would garner some attention, a few of the guys in P.E. gave him high fives, some asking what he had done to lose so much weight so fast. But this, at least ten girls if his quick sweep of the room outside the black room was accurate, was not what he had expected.

Aranea leaned against the wall, her red nails tapping the wall between them, “Rumor has it that you and Prince Noctis are attending the Festival of Shiva Friday.” Prompto raised a brow, of course he was going. He needed to take pictures of one of Insomnia’s largest festival for the school newspaper.

“Well, yeah.”

The loud gasp, heard around Eos, filled the room behind Aranea. “Together?” Arana leaned in, whispering the word between them.

What the fuck?

What the actual fuck?

What the fucking, fuck fuck?

Prompto coughed, brain running wild with this news. For a moment he felt like he was dumping information, like tiny Prompto’s where running through his brain setting everything but his ability to experience shock on fire. His throat tightened and he inhaled deeply remembering to breath. As calm as he could voice trembling still, Prompto leaned forward, “who told you that?”

“Noctis did!” One girl shouted as she dissolved into a mess of giggles.

“Oh” Prompto’s face turned red, thankfully the red light of the dark room was still on so none of those girls saw him flushed. “Noct, he told you that?” He stuttered, even if they could not see his blush, they would hear his embarrassment.

“Right after he told us you were his boyfriend, shortcake.”

What the, Prompto looked up at Aranea, Noctis told the female populace of the school that they, Prompto the fat chubby chunk and Noctis the Prince of Lucis and his wet dream, where dating. Prompto’s hesitation and the way his eyes darted from Aranea to the floor and back, he hoped his hesitation came off as shyness of being found out, not that he had no idea what was going on. As Prompto wondered why Noctis would pick him over one of the two Adonises he was normal seen with, Specs and Muscles, a little part inside of Prompto would always be carved out for Noctis – tiny and insignificant- Noctis would always have a place.

With that little place threatening to grow ten times in size, Prompto couldn’t, wouldn’t, leave Noctis to the devices of these girls. Brows furrowing together, Prompto looked up at Aranea, tears forming along his lashes, “he said we were going to keep it secret.” Aranea had to lean in to catch what Prompto had said, so he stated it louder, this time for all the girls to hear his heartbreak. Their secret, even if it was not real Prompto would surely act like it was.

Aranea nodded, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder, it seemed to satisfy Aranea at least. Turning to the group of girls behind her, she waved them out. “Let’s leave him be, ladies.”

Once the door was closed again and Prompto stood in the red light of the room slumped again the wall, Prompto rubbed at his eyes to dry them. “What the fuck is going on?”

[his-pair-of-spare-glasses]

Ah I love these How about... No. 5 "Why are you helping me? With Gil and Ardyn

Hello my dear and thank you for prompting!You actually make me post Gilgardyn writing for the first time and I very much hope you will like it. It ran a bit away from me, so prepare for a little wall of text.

It’s an encounter though, so not thaaaat much going on but I still hope it’s okay. I almost forgot about the prompt while writing this.

Of Gravitation and Warmth

Another sun was painting the sky in tired reds and oranges, ready to dim down and give way to the night. Chilly nights, especially outside the capital. Countless times Ardyn had cursed himself for not having learned how to make a fire. Well, there was nothing left but to cover himself in layers of clothing, only to shed them during day time. He had decided to call it “style”, just for a nicer ring to his absence of ignition skill.

Those nights on the road were particularly chilly, if not for the lack of fire then for the absence of company. Of course, Ardyn led a life of a traveler, ready to head wherever direction the darker power was pulling his strings in. It had been that way ever since he had first felt that mysterious tugging and learned the power he had. The power to alleviate the darkness. The power to heal people’s souls.

Ardyn, having led a life without a goal, no clear path to walk upon had been more than glad to have found his calling. He had loved being around people, the more when he was able to help them, humour them perhaps. His little brother had always told him that he had a peculiar sense of humour and he took his pride in it. That was why being in the next village, the next town was a true celebration, sometimes smaller, sometimes bigger but always a delight.

Yet, those warm words and cheers made the intervals in between long and cold. One might have even said lonely, but Ardyn didn’t want to go as far. And they were a necessity, probably even amplifying the warm feeling he would get when entering the next town. Or so he tried to reason about it.

But he couldn’t deny that even the kindness he was met with had grown to carry a distant chill. The people were joyful, yes, they welcomed the Healer and his miracles. And they had come to worship him. Which was where the actual problem might have been. Ardyn had been put up on an imaginary throne, something divine to love but to love from afar. Maybe even something to fear.

“Oh my. I wonder what makes me ponder about such things lately. I shouldn’t, am I not right, my loveable plumed companion?”, the man cooed, scratching the soft spot under the beak of his Chocobo, receiving an affectionate “kweh” in return.Ardyn would continue to do what felt right, even if it meant enduring the cold for a while.

The while was over with the next morning. Deserts heat up rather quickly but Ardyn had made the choice to wander the less accessed parts of the continent. There had to be people not knowing yet that they needed him and this couldn’t stay that way. Even if it meant to cross a desert.

“Well, what makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well”, Ardyn hummed, lifting up his spirits as usual while strapping some of his clothing layers onto his riding bird.It was just when the sun was about to burn down too hot for Ardyn’s taste that he arrived in a village. Probably a big one for hot-desert-land standards, with cubic houses made from clay to preserve whatever chill the nights would leave behind for the day and store the heat of day to keep the nights warm.

“Charming little town”, Ardyn murmured to himself scanning over the scenery, content curving his lips. Apparently the word of the Healer had not spread that far. All he received was one or the other glance, curious ones, yes, but more indifferent than excited. An excellent place to work his magic and bring happiness, should he find someone in need.

But first: the well.It was easily found, right up the main street and then turning right to reach the market place - a common place to have a well and a most fitting one as well (Ardyn held back his snort at that thought). He got into talking with one of the elderly women after asking for permission to take some water (manners had to be respected after all). No surprises as there seemed to be some victims to the plague in this town as well, one of them being her grandchild.

“Would you be so kind and let me see her?”, Ardyn smiled at the woman, who was staring back at him with wide eyes.

“But young man, I wouldn’t want you to fall victim to the sickness. A traveler like you should stay of good health.”

Ardyn placed a gentle hand on her shoulders.“Do not fret, milady. The sickness is the reason for my travels.”

The woman’s wish to help her grandchild won over her incredulity and made her believe in Ardyn’s words. She guided him through town, making for her house.It really was a charming village, a little too hot and dusty for Ardyn’s likings but the people seemed friendly.

A curious sight caught the Healer’s eye on the way. In the shadows of a small back alley, a tall and built figure was committed to something that looked like training. Ardyn could not see his face as he had turned his back on him, but he had long silver hair that swayed with every movement. And his attire appeared to be a little too warm for the surroundings. The metal and cloth basically covered everything of the man’s body.Another voyager? Ardyn’s mind lingered a moment until the woman urged him to proceed.

The Scourge had hit the poor little child in a rather ugly way, dusting black blotches or dying skin over her face, a hint of tar glistening in the corner of her mouth.“Hello there young girl”, Ardyn approached the girl, who shied away from him under the blanket. “Now, don’t hide from me, would you? I have come to see you.”

A pair of anxious eyes reappeared from behind the blanket.“But mommy says I cannot see anyone.”

“Well, in that case, how about you close your eyes? You wouldn’t have to see me then, would you?”, Ardyn returned with a wink.

The little girl actually chuckled, much to her grandmother’s surprise. And she really closed her eyes, Gods this was endearing.

“You’re a good girl”, Ardyn murmured, approaching the girl. “Let me offer you something, a present if you will.”

And then he let his magic work. Magic or whatever kind of power it was. He liked to think of it as magic. Anything else might be scary. His hands traced along the face of the child, chasing the pulsating energy that was pulsing through her body. Gladly enough Ardyn could make out the source and started pulling on its imaginary string, the same way it seemed to pull on him.It was a straining procedure and Ardyn had the impression that its toll grew heavier on him every time. But then again maybe this was just due to him traveling so much. When he started healing in the capital it hadn’t been so bad after all. But who was he to complain about a task being exhausting. He created miracles after all.

The good news spread throughout the village like wildfire. That a healer had come to take away their burdens. The poor child’s house shouldn’t be the last Ardyn visited that day. People gathered around him, waited in front of a victim’s house, peeking through doors and windows to see it happen. It was the well known ruckus and Ardyn enjoyed seeing all those faces lighting up, their burdens lifted.

“You!!!”

Ardyn started as a man yelled outside.

“What are you doing here! You are not wanted here, filthy son of a street rat!”

Confused and curious what was going on, he asked the man in front of him for patience as he turned to look out of the window.A group of people had formed some kind of wall, seemingly in defense of the house. Behind this wall there was that same stranger again, the tall one with the pretty hair. Much to Ardyn’s surprise he was wearing an iron mask.

Despite being more than well built and appearing to be a strong warrior of some kind, he ducked his head as the villagers were starting to throw pebbles and stones and made a quick retreat, disappearing into one of the smaller streets.

“Please, do not pay him any attention”, a woman near to him apologised. “We try to keep him from your sight, so please do not fear for your safety.”Ardyn didn’t quite understand what was going on but he was more than interested in finding out. Later. When he was alone again.

Which was the case at sundown, after he had been offered a place to stay the night. On his way to look after his Chocobo (poor thing had to wait for him near the well all day) he spotted him.“Ah, the masked man dressed in a patchwork rug - a stylish one as I might add”, Ardyn greeted the stranger who was sitting on the remains of a wall, all by himself.

The man jerked his head around, visibly caught off guard despite lacking facial features.“Are you sure you’re in the place of mocking me? I suggest you have a look in the mirror”, he returned with a deeper voice and more salt than Ardyn had imagined.

Ardyn twisted his upper body and took one (more or less) gracious turn so the layers he had added to his coat would swing with the movement.“It surely gets cold at night and we don’t want to fall ill, do we? Let us say we fancy the same style”, he returned with an inviting gesture of his hand.“And whom do I have the pleasure of being talking to, if I may ask?”

“Oh great, a prater”, he murmured, his sigh audible against the metal.“It’s not a pleasure, I can assure.”

“Then it is not. But that still doesn’t provide me with a name.”

Ardyn was sure the man in front of him was rolling his eyes. He couldn’t see him, but he could imagine it pretty vividly.

“I don’t owe you anything”, the tall man rumbled back, turning his face away again.

“Ah-ah, not now, you don’t but maybe you will”, Ardyn shot back with a wry smirk, hopping onto the stones next to the stranger who immediately moved away a few inches.“I saw you today, back there at that house and I wondered what brought you here. The name is Ardyn, by the way.”

“That is none of your concern”, the tall man snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, I’m sure it is”, Ardyn nodded. “Or are you trying to tell me it is not when you could just have walked away instead of hearing me out?”

He was met with silence but the stranger didn’t leave.

“I do take this as a yes?”Ardyn hopped off the little wall again and rounded it in order to have a closer look at the man’s face. Mask.

“Well, if you’re not willing to talk, could you maybe reveal your face? To ‘face me’, if you will?”If fingerguns had been a thing for Ardyn, this would have been the perfect moment but he was not very fond of them. A tad too ridiculous. But he had to crack open this fellow, or else he would not be able to help with whatever was plaguing him. And he was a particularly hard one. The girl earlier had been easier to please.

Another moment of silence passed as Ardyn was watching the man, defiant eyes searching for their counterparts behind the dark slits.

“The village will not like it.”

Ardyn shrugged.”Very considerate, thank you. But I am a traveler. A rather impatient one and I will not dwell in this place for much longer than this night.”

Another metallic sigh.

“Now, come on. No need for restraint?”

The man let his hands drop into his lap. Armoured hands, as Ardyn noticed, probably clad in the same metal that was also hiding his face.

“I don’t understand you”, the masked man shook his head.

“Oh, did I not make myself clear enough? Very well then.”Ardyn opened his arms in invitation.“Ask away.”

“The people told you to stay away from me. Why are you helping me?”

Ardyn tilted his head.“Because helping people is my calling. And I daresay I’m pretty good at it. If you let me, that is.”

Silence again.

Just as Ardyn was about to say something, anything really to get their awkward conversation somewhere, the masked man spoke up again. This time, his tone was softer, stripped from hostility.

“The villagers were talking about you. They told you could heal.”

“The plague, you mean?”

The white haired man nodded.

Ardyn frowned.“But, do you need that sort of healing? You certainly look far livelier than any of the victims I ever treated. And I don’t sense it in you.”

“Sense it?”

“Oh yes. I can sense where the sickness lies”, Ardyn explained. “It’s like a constant force, pulling me into the direction I have to go. A call, if you like. But I don’t sense this pull from you.”

“Oh…”The tall man lowered his head.“So maybe they have been right then. Maybe it’s not the sickness and I am just a cursed being after all.”

“Cursed?”Now that was something new. Ardyn had never talked to a cursed person before. How could he help this miserable fellow?

“You’re leaving tomorrow you say, so I can as well show you. It makes no difference.”

To Ardyn’s surprise, the man brought up his hand to his face and (he couldn’t believe it) lifted his iron face guard. The moment the mask came down, Ardyn felt a pull so strong that it almost swept him off his feet. He crouched for a moment, trying to regain his balance but the pull was steady and grew stronger by minute.

“Hey, are you alright?”

Ardyn looked up into a piercing pair of pale eyes in the purplish colour of evening clouds, framed by worried brows. It would have been a beautiful sight, if not for the black, thick liquid that was taking up half of the eye’s white and wallowing down his tanned cheeks, mixing with whatever it was that oozed out of the corner of his mouth. And that aching pull that felt like it could tear his whole body apart.

“I wronged you, my friend”, Ardyn barely breathed, eyes opened wide in shock. He had never seen a case that bad. “How are you still able to stand?”

The man helped him up, supporting him with one arm.“The training helps. At least I am not as weak as some of the villagers are. Or have been, I should say now. Although sometimes I feel like I’m not myself. Like I’m losing my mind.”He ran one hand over the mask.“I barely remember those moments though. I only notice when I wake up, when I come back. The villagers fear me. I tried to protect them from the me I do not know by wearing an armour and covering my skin, sealing away what might be dangerous to them. But nothing would ever be the same again. I’m an outcast and this is my curse.”

Ardyn’s hands were shaking as he brought them up to cup the face of the stranger, still trying to keep the pulling sensation in check.“You have no idea”, he whispered aghast.

“Stay away, you will corrupt!”, the unmasked panicked as he realized that the black vile substance was staining Ardyn’s hands.

But no human strength could have won against the power of the Healer’s connection to the Scourge. The man managed to force down Ardyn’s hands from his face but in the next moment the Healer gave in to the crushing gravity of the calling.

Ardyn leaped for the stranger’s body, wrapping both of his arms around him and pressing his forehead against his shoulders. He could feel the plague burning through the other’s veins.

“Poor soul”, Ardyn whispered, overwhelmed and with tears in his eyes.“You shall know relief.”

Ardyn drew a shaky breath, focused on the imaginary strings (there were just so many of them) and started pulling.

When the first rays of sunlight crept up from behind the dunes Ardyn woke. His whole body felt sore and he could have slept for a whole century if it wasn’t for the heat. Why was he lying in bed fully clad anyways? No. First of all, how did he get here?

The Healer sat up, every muscle screaming in protest and scanned the room. It was the place he had been offered to stay at, so this at least was right. Ardyn absently ran a lazy hand through his purplish-red locks.Ah. Right. The masked one.

The hand slid down and over his face, grazing the faint stubble that had appeared on his chin over night.He must have collapsed from exhaustion, there was no other explanation. Well, at least he hadn’t been murdered on the street. That would have been a lamentable end.

Ardyn recalled the man’s face, strained and tormented by the Scourge but still… Those eyes, bright and ready to fight, ready to live. He was a good man, Ardyn was sure of it. And impressed, not to say the least. He couldn’t remember if he had been able to cure him, but he hoped so. Not knowing somehow filled him with melancholy.

That feeling of melancholy was immediately forgotten as Ardyn saw the familiar patchwork rug ensemble feeding his Chocobo.

“Oh good morning to you”, Ardyn approached him. He was still unmasked as he noticed, exhaustion visible on his face but the aftermath of what had been cursing through his body erased.“Maybe it is the morning light, but you do have a quite healthy complexion today”, he continued as he petted the head of his feathered companion.

“You seem fine”, the man stated.

Ardyn had a look at himself.“Yes. Yes, you could say that.”The aching parts covering basically his whole body aside, he really was.

“Good.”

There it was again, the delightful awkward silence. The other probably wasn’t the talking kind of person.

“Say, Ardyn, was it?”

The smaller one turned his head towards the unmasked. His face was indeed a pretty fair one. The dusk hadn’t betrayed his eyes. Nor had the Scourge.“Hm?”

“Is that… healing practise of yours a… common one? Not that I would question your methods, but…”

If Ardyn didn’t know it better, he would have thought that the other man was being flustered. Which couldn’t possibly be the case. Such as he himself wasn’t when he thought back about what might have been called either daring or labeled as sexual harrassment. If it hadn’t been for the greater good that was. Which it had been.Ardyn could have blamed it on the sickness. It wouldn’t even have been a lie. But for some reason he didn’t feel like it.

“Oh, you see, special cases deserve special treatment”, Ardyn returned instead, a genuine smile on his face.“And you reminded me of myself, in a way. Less exceptional, of course”, he added quickly. Who was he to pour out his lonely heart to a complete stranger?

“Well then, I must bid you farewell now”, Ardyn swept into a deep bow. “It turned out to be a pleasure to have met you.”

“Gilgamesh.”

“Beg you pardon?”

“You asked for my name.”

Ardyn found himself baffled.“Now this is quite a lovely name”, he stated as nonchalant as his surprise let him.“A little long for me to remember though, I fear. Would you mind shortening it down to… Gil? Gil does sound like somebody that could be friend of mine?”

“Gilgamesh”, the white haired man grumbled and shoved something onto Ardyn’s face that made his vision go black.

When Ardyn pulled it down again he saw what it was. A hat in classic black and a rather fancy cut which was casting a nice shadow onto his face.

“It gets hot in the desert”, Gilgamesh stated. “ The sun is strong. You should be careful of heat strokes.”

“Aah, now that is something I was still missing. Thank you kindly, Gil. Greeting will be much easier from now on too.”Ardyn hadn’t expected Gilgamesh to be that thoughtful.“Well then, it is time for to leave this village behind.”

“Where are we going?”

“We?”Ardyn stopped mounting his Chocobo half-way. It was only then when he noticed the knee high bag at Gilgamesh’s feet, poorly strapped together with all kinds of ropes and belts.“Why are we suddenly traveling together?”

Gilgamesh heaved his bag over his shoulder, his expression as rigid as the mask he had been wearing.“You saved my life, so I happen to owe you something after all. If I am of use.”

Ardyn pondered for a moment until his eyes finally lit up.“Gil, can you start fires?”

Gilgamesh frowned.“I hope you asking that question does not mean what I think it means.”

“But can you?”

“Yes?”Gilgamesh’s eyeroll was as perfect as Ardyn had imagined it.

The Healer flung his leg over the Chocobo and gave him a nudge to start trotting.“I congratulate you for choosing the best company there is on all Eos”, he fluted, accompanied by a generous gesture.“We will be heading south from now on. I hope you don’t mind walking, there is only one Chocobo after all.”

Ardyn could hear Gilgamesh muttering incomprehensible complains while he was trying to catch up behind him.A content smile adorned his face. The nights would be warm from now on.

[hanalwayssolo]

Of Prophets and How They Save The World

A/N: First of the three-part thing I wrote feat. a pre-game Ardyn, which I’ve had since December. This all started thanks to this fanart I came across c/o @clave-razon, then I set this story idea aside for awhile, but then I saw another brilliant fanart, this time a WIP from @hanatsuki89 and I’m like, I gotta get my shit together haaaah anyway

Link in AO3 | Tagging some fellas per usual: @eternallydaydreaming2015 @lazarustrashpit @bleucommelhiver @louisvuittontrashbags @hypaalicious @mooshinspace @animakupo @noboomoon 

Ardyn rarely counts the days he is away from the Crown City, but today, he is starting to feel the weight of the time that has passed.

Perhaps the unusually blazing climate is to blame. Ardyn is no stranger to the tropical regions in Lucis, but this year has been hotter than the Infernian’s fickle flame. The season has transformed the roads of Cleigne into a parched wasteland, the soil cracked and bone-dry in the searing heat. In his growing discomfort, Ardyn rolls the sleeves of his loose white dress shirt that now sloppily clings to his frame thanks to his own sweat, and he ties his red-violet hair into a messy bun. Nero, his ever faithful chocobo companion, can even sense his unease that the majestic black bird descends to a slow trot down the dusty road.

Behind Ardyn, Gilgamesh steers his own ride—an equally majestic golden chocobo named Weiss—and sidles up to him.

“My lord, the next town should already be nearby. I apologize if the route we have taken has caused you any inconvenience.” Gilgamesh politely offers, bowing his head. Despite his daunting appearance, Gilgamesh’s display of his gentle courtesies and utmost propriety directly contrasts his massive height, broad shoulders, and striking amber eyes; even his long silver hair parted like braided curtains on both sides of his face does little to help encourage a less menacing look.

Ardyn faces Gilgamesh with a cheeky smile. “My dear friend, there’s no need for you to apologize on behalf of the machinations of nature. It is what it is.”

“But are you exhausted, my lord?”

Ardyn hesitates, but he lies, “No, I’m perfectly fine, Gilgamesh. I appreciate your concern—“

Nero lets out a loud kweh! that Ardyn pulls into a halt. Gilgamesh finds it difficult not to laugh.

“It seems that the bird only knows how to tell the truth,” Gilgamesh says, amused. “We’ve been on a long journey, after all.”

Four months, three weeks, two days...

Ardyn sighs and offers no response, and he fails to notice that Gilgamesh is keenly watching him. The weight of four months, three weeks, and two days begin to manifest in Ardyn’s face; his eyes reflect a heavy weariness, his lips tighten to an exhaustion he refuses to acknowledge.

It is true that Ardyn embarked on this noble expedition for a genuinely good cause; for months, he dedicated his time traveling from one bustling town to another, visiting houses of people afflicted by the unknown malady rampantly spreading all throughout Eos, and blessing them with his gift of healing. He treats them all with profound care, and not once did Ardyn fail to welcome the wounded and weary at his feet, the sick and dying, the lost and uncared for.

His stubborn younger brother insisted that Ardyn did not need to bear the burden of their powers alone; but with his stubbornness directly proportional to his own, Ardyn still pursued this rigorous journey, despite knowing that the eleven-year-old Somnus is right. His brother might still be a child, but Ardyn found him too wise and brazen for his age. He loves him for it, and fiercely so.

Let me protect you, brother. Let this burden be my cross to carry.

And if he could only allow himself one moment, or a fraction of an hour, or a breath of a second, Ardyn would admit how much he misses his brother. Or just simply how tired he truly is, how he condemns the frailty of his own flesh, how he wants to strip away his body’s limitations, to rid himself of his own weakness when people around him are suffering and dying and—

“My lord?” Gilgamesh finally cleaves the silence with the sudden sharpness of his voice. He is still looking at Ardyn, confused and concerned. “We shouldn’t be much farther now. Are you—”

“You worry too much, my friend,” Ardyn chews and swallows all of his inhibitions into a flashy smile. He pats Gilgamesh on the back before he pulls in Nero's reins, galloping away, leaving his trusted steward’s worries to wither at the corner of his mouth.

Your trembling hands are calloused as the day your lover left without a word.

Not that it matters now, anyway. What matters now is that your hands quiver and shake that you lose your grip around the porcelain bowl, slipping away from your fingertips, and gracelessly meeting the concrete floor with a wild crash. Your bandaged forearms are burning without fire, and you bite the inside of your cheek as you shuffle around your little hut in a frenzy, searching for that vial of remedy you had personally concocted to relieve the pain, if only temporarily.

But you cannot seem to find it. So instead, you whisper a sincere prayer to the Six to grant you a swift death.

You have been enduring this scourge—or blight or daemon’s curse or whatever name the villagers of Lestallum have decided to coin this monstrous disease—since the day your lover discovered the patches of ghastly gray erupting from your skin. The same day they probably decided should be the last day to be around you because, well, what’s the point in staying with a person about to die, anyway?

Again, it doesn’t matter now. You squeeze your eyes shut, hoping that the pain either subsides or kills you in a moment’s time.

But the sound of a hundred footsteps and excited voices jolt you out of your silent suffering.

You drag your feet and you press an ear against your front door. You cannot bring yourself to open it and let the people see your current state, so you only listen. “The Healer is in town!” You hear someone announce amongst the collective chatter, and your heart stops.

Lestallum may be a small canyon town, but with the occasional mercenaries and peddlers passing through, it is no surprise that the news about this Healer have been circulating around to both travelers and townsfolk alike. Even someone like you who live far off the main thoroughfare and all the way on the outskirts of the town have heard about this Healer. Revered and respected by many, people claim that the man works miracles. They say that with just his touch, the blind could finally see, the cripple could walk, the deaf could hear.

The ones with the scourge are reported to be cured, too.

Gods be good, if this is hope...

You are, in every way, a skeptic right to the bone. But today, you decide to take your chances and gamble on otherworldly wonders and miracles and whatever this Healer has to offer.

So you snatch your cloak and you bolt out of your door, still throbbing in the agonizing pain. Past through the barren fields, past the baked pastures, and past dry stone huts and wooden houses and withered trees, you run across the sweltering road. From afar, you can see the crowd gathering like a wake of vultures over a carcass, all squawking in morbid anticipation. You try to squeeze your way in, only to fail miserably.

“If I may so humbly request everyone to please settle down,” a booming voice suddenly commands, and like some sort of sorcery, the townspeople fall into hushed whispers. You tiptoe to get a better look behind the menacing voice, but you are only able to glimpse, even for a mere second, a gigantic armored man with beautiful silver hair and frighteningly piercing eyes.

Is he… the Healer?

Another voice speaks up, and it is not the silver-haired man.

“We thank you all for such a warm welcome,” the voice starts, and whatever the person says next gets drowned by people hollering and cheering. Piqued with intense curiosity, you back away from the crowd and you find yourself climbing on top of the roof of a nearby house. Not your finest moment, you admit, but desperate times call for very desperate measures.

At this distance, you spot the Healer’s face among the throng of spectators.

You are somehow surprised to find that the man possesses a young face: comely and handsome, with the exception of his striking velvety hair. The armored man stands on guard beside him, hovering menacingly, as if ready to shred anyone who dares to pose a threat. And yet, despite his efforts, the Healer seems to pay him no mind as he welcomes a sick man infected with the scourge with open arms.

And with all honesty, you did not exactly prepare yourself to witness something so… strangely ordinary.

Perhaps you should not have expected the Healer to perform some sort of spectacle or riveting spell out of his so-called miracles. There is no bolt of thunder nor a single spark of flame, nor did the earth part beneath his feet.

And yet, there’s something so gripping in this strange ordinariness. One by one, he attends to the needs of anyone who comes to him, and he beckons for them to come closer with such patience and gentleness, treating them with a benevolent kindness, like he owns a well of affection inside of him that never runs out. He carries children with utmost care, holds the sick with unfailing compassion, touches the foreheads of men and women who seek his blessing, and he does all of these things—these strangely, brutally ordinary things—over and over, repeatedly as if in a perpetual loop, all with a solemn smile on his beautiful face. And the people walk away crying out of joy and gratitude, having been freed and cured of their afflictions with the simplest of his touch.

It is a bizarre sight to behold, watching these people from all walks of life celebrate and rejoice that it made you lose track of time. Like being engulfed in a trance that makes everything feel so possible, or infinite. Little by little, you mindlessly watch as more people come forward and walk away, until the waves of people begin to ebb, happily retreating to their homes, and the Healer and his steward start to march away, about to leave town…

Gods be damned, I am a fucking idiot!

“Wait!” You yell as the pair already depart riding their chocobos. In your panic, you hastily climb down from the roof that you scrape your knee—an additional pain to your many other pains, which by now you have no time to pay any attention to—and you break into a desperate run.

“Wait, please—“ you yell again in between heaving breaths, but they cannot seem to hear you. They are already halfway outside the town, and you are still running to catch up...

Until you see that they stutter into a halt.

Unlike your broken porcelain bowl, the Healer staggers to his side, slowly slipping away from the saddle of his black chocobo, his body gracelessly meeting the ground with a quiet thud.

For what it’s worth, Ardyn is pretty certain he has not returned yet to the Crown City, but he finds himself in his room. He knows it’s his room when he immediately recognizes the desk drowning in multitudes of books and scrolls, the dusty shelves behind it, and the unmade bed at the corner where his brother is now sitting.

“Why do you always push yourself too hard, brother?” Somnus asks, his voice low and lonely. He raises his head and looks at Ardyn, his dark blue eyes curious and searching.

But Ardyn only responds to his brother’s question with a faint smile. He approaches the boy and wraps him in a tight embrace.

“I’m fine,” Ardyn finally says, pulling away and ruffling his brother’s well-kept raven-black hair.

Somnus protests with a groan, “No, you’re not fine. You’re sick.” He stares at Ardyn and in a whisper, he tells him, “Please come home.”

“But I am home, Somnus—“

“Please don’t go, brother.”

In a blink of an eye, Somnus’ gentle face changes to something grotesque—eyes bleeding black, his skin paler, mouth foaming with blood.

Terror washes over Ardyn and he seizes Somnus’ face. But with his touch, the image of his brother only blurs before him. And he tries to scream but his voice would not come out, and the silence only grows around him until he is completely devoured by darkness.

Ardyn wakes up thrashing in a cold sweat with the fullest intent of killing you.

Well, at least that’s what it feels like when he has his hand wrapped around your neck, wringing the life out of you. But Ardyn does not mean you any harm, and you know it; for the past few days, you have been watching him restlessly drift between consciousness and his nightmares, and right now, you just happen to be within the perimeter of his worst nightmare yet.

And it’s a good thing that Gilgamesh is quick on his feet. He hurriedly steps in between the both of you and he pulls Ardyn back.

“My lord, let go—“

“Where am I?!” Ardyn demands in a hysterical fit. “And Somnus, is he—“

“Your… brother is... not here,” you cough out, and you struggle to explain as you try to pry Ardyn’s hands off your neck, “And… you’re… in my house…”

Ardyn turns to you, and in an instant, he calms down and he returns to his senses. He drops his hands, and the realization of what he has just done finally dawns on him that his face reddens in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—” Ardyn falters, and he looks at Gilgamesh. And then at you. After a painful second, he sheepishly asks, “How long have I been... asleep?”

You and Gilgamesh trade a knowing look.

Gilgamesh clears his throat and answers, “It’s been five days, my lord. Our host has generously taken their time to take care of you.”

Gilgamesh begins to explain what happened. A flash of urgency crosses Ardyn’s pale face. Like drawing strength from an empty pit, he weakly smiles at you and croaks, “Thank you… for your hospitality. But I believe we must go—”

Before Gilgamesh could even protest at Ardyn's ridiculous suggestion, you beat him to it. “Are you mad?” You return Ardyn’s smile with a frown. “You’re still burning with fever. Look at you.”

Ardyn sighs, “But you have done so much for me—us—that I can’t bother you any much longer—”

“With all due respect,” you curtly interrupt, “refusing to receive help when you are in dire need of one is not an act of selflessness but an act of foolishness. I understand you are in a hurry, but wouldn’t it be best that you rest for the long journey ahead?”

Ardyn does not answer. Gilgamesh is stunned by your audacity, and he only nods in agreement.

Before the silence could stretch any longer, Ardyn politely asks, “May I know your name?”

This time, it is you who do not answer. Ardyn steps closer to you, and you notice him eyeing your bandage-covered forearms. You turn away, and you can feel his amber eyes burning a hole at your back. After a while, you say, “I’m afraid my name is of little importance.”

“How come?”

“Because I’m just a nobody,” you respond, albeit a little too tartly. You face him and offer him an empty smile before you take your leave.

[onceuponaprime]

Very self indulgent little drabble since I am now very invested in A’vett and his dearest dreamy knight. I’m finally going to write all the XIV things I’ve been wanting too. Its what these kids of mine deserve. And Naoh’ra, who I borrowed from @drakochan.

But yeah I wanted to write A’vett’s first trip to Coerthas, which he hated, and his first meeting with Haurchefant, which he very much enjoyed. 

A’vett had learned a few things since he had begun traipsing after the Warrior of Light. The most important was, that despite his size and infamy, the man was a slippery bastard and easy to lose track of. The second that came to mind at present, was that A’vett was a man not built for cold. He shivered, pulling his meager winter coat tighter around him as Roselia trudged her way slowly through the snow, fat flakes of ice covering her pink feathers. He had the feeling the chocobo was no happier to be here than he was. Of course, falling behind wasn’t all bad, he had been absent when the Waking Sands had been attacked, and while he held some concern for those missing, he was no less relieved to have been meeting with Keiveaux at the time. It took some time, but he’d finally tracked Blackthorne down to Coerthas of all places. It felt like it had been ages since he’d left the Observatorium, directed further North through a steady snowfall that still hadn’t let up. Just as he was beginning to consider which best way to dramatically freeze to death he caught sight of high dark walls reaching for the cloudy heavens. With a cheer that turned to a sneeze, A’vett nudged his mount to faster close the distance between the cruel wilderness and the blissful thought of shelter.

Inside the Camp the snow nearly seemed lighter, and A’vett dismounted to a minor crunch beneath his boots. His nose was painfully cold, as was the rest of him, and locating the stables took far longer than normal without his sense of smell to aid him. He recognized Dalien’s big brown bird almost immediately, a mage’s bonnet wrapped around the bird’s head to keep him warm but still easily recognizable. A’vett would have rolled his eyes had Roselia’s own barding not been equally selected for the cold, more so than his own ensemble. When he had finished boarding her, paying a handsome fee to ensure her comfort, he made his way back out into the cold. There were plenty of Ishgardian knight's roaming about, and it was fairly easy to catch one’s attention.

“I am looking for a friend, Ser Knight. Rather tall fellow, burly, red hair, seen him by chance?” It came out far less charming than intended when his face felt frozen, and he was sure he was nearly blue.

“Oh aye, he’s meeting with the commander at the moment in the- wait you can’t just barge into the-!” A’vett shut the great iron door behind him with some difficulty, has hands week, and was immediately greeted by the warmth within. Not one to make a simple entrance he spun around, eyes finding Dalien almost immediately.

“You’re a hard man to find, Dalien Blackthorne, but don’t think I’d let you slip away so easily!”

At his ostentatious entrance a sudden silence filled the room and a few things happened all at once. A loud groan from the right revealed Naoh’ra, the other bard leaning so far back in his seat out he risked slipping out of it. The group of shirtless men to the left of the space, that somehow A’vett had failed to notice upon entering the room, resume a series of exercises that would have been far more distracting were it not for everything else. Dalien simply sighed, that long sort of exasperation that was nearly synonymous with A’vett’s own name. Lastly, and easily the most important when looking back, the man seated at the desk at the far end of the room gets to his feet.

“Friend of yours?”

“Uh, I guess you could say that,” Dalien replied with a shrug. The man stood, an Elezen garbed in a knight’s armor, handsome in his own way, arms open wide and his smile warm and welcoming.

“Well then, any friend of yours is a friend of mine! Come in, take a seat, we’ll get you something warm.” A’vett gaped, stunned even as a chair was pulled out for him at the table, near the glowing hearth. Not willing to question good fortune and gracious hosts he walked further into the room and took a seat, the fire crackling at his back working to dethaw him, his face slowly and painfully adjusting to the change in temperature.

“Thank you,” he finally managed to say as a steaming cup was handed to him in no time at all. There must have been a kettle over the fire, A’vett thought, unless magic could handle something so simple.  

His focus quickly returned to Dalien and the man he assumed to be the commander as they resumed whatever discussion they were having before he barged in.

“Like I said, we’ll let you know what we find.” He and the Elezen clapped each other on the shoulder, and then Dalien turned to walk out the door, Naoh’ra close behind.

“Leaving already? But I’ve only just arrived! Let a man enjoy some warmth and comfort before dragging him back out into the snow!”

“You don’t have to come with us,” Naoh’ra said with a keen look.

“We’ll be back within the day, weather permitting.” The big man shrugged, as if it wasn’t cold as death outside. A’vett wrinkled his nose at him in distaste, was there anywhere in Eorzea he was unwilling to go? A’vett was starting to doubt that, he’d have to add that to his ballad when all this traipsing about was finished.

“You are more than welcome to stay here,” the Elezen said before A’vett could complain further and he blinked up at him in surprise.

“I-” A’vett began. He cast an unsure glance at Dalien who was no longer looking at him and already near the door, adjusting his coat and staff with a fond smile and a shake of his head. A’vett opened his mouth to mutter some excuse and follow his fellow adventurers out the door when the knight spoke again.

“Please, I insist. Never let it be said that Camp Dragonhead did not provide rest and warmth to those in need.” Well it was hard to argue with that, especially coupled with the smooth sound of his voice.

“I suppose I could use a warm rest,” he replied, and the man beamed.

“Haurchefant Greystone of House Fortemps,” he swept into an elegant bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” A bow? For him? Now that was something new. Something he very much appreciated.

“Oh I am sure the pleasure is mine,” he said, leaning forward with a grin and almost spilled the hot drink that he was still holding all over his lap.

“A’vett-” Dalien said, more an exasperated groan than a reprimand. Naoh’ra laughed, muttering something low in Dalien’s ear and then they were gone with a wave in his direction, and the inside of the building fell back into the comforting din of conversation.

Instead of gapping after them, their departure too swift for him to follow, he smiled awkwardly at Haurchefant and lifted his cup before taking a deep drink, unfortunately forgetting that it was in fact piping hot. Sputtering from the sudden shock of heat he was deciding how best to make himself disappear to prevent further embarrassment when a hand landed on his back and patted him through his rather embarrassing coughing fit.

“Are you alright? Perhaps I should have asked if you cared for hot chocolate, we have tea if you prefer?” A’vett shook his head, finally catching his breath enough to speak, but not before taking a much more measured sip. With time to savor it he found he quite enjoyed the taste, and he felt himself relax as the warmth began to seep into his core.

“No, I simply drank too quickly. This is actually quite good,” he assured. Haurchefant gave him a pleased look and pulled a nearby chair over to sit close.

“I’m glad to hear it! Now I hope you don’t mind my company for a moment, but it’s not every day a friend of Dalien Blackthorne’s walks through my door.”

“A friend and avid recorder of his exploits. A’vett Daanbathi, bard like no other.” He waved his free hand out with a flippant flourish, waiting for the typical laughter, and looking over when there was none. Instead Haurchefant had leaned in close, a look of open interest on his face that would have made A’vett blush had his cheeks not already been dusted red by his trek in the cold.

“Truly? I would love to hear all you care to share. As much as I enjoy our dear mutual friend he has the worst tendency to say little of his own exploits.”

“That he does,” A’vett replied eagerly, the temptation of gossip impossible to pass up, especially with such a handsome partner in banter. “I on the other hand have no such reservations, and would be happy to share whatever your heart desires.”

“Such a generous offer! Though I must warn you my heart can be a greedy thing, especially in such charming company.” Haurchefant winked and sat back to listen. He winked… at him… beat him at his own game before A’vett had even begun to play. That dazzling smile still in place and painfully genuine and for once A’vett couldn’t find any words to say. So he smiled back, struck stupid in an instant.

“Absolutely,” He replied, which was utterly nonsensical to say but he was still trying to think straight let alone speak.

Haurchefant goaded him no further, patiently waiting for him to share well known secrets with plain curiosity. Finally he found his words again, and he did what he did best, and spun the charming Elezen only the most exciting and least embellished tales of the Warrior of Light’s exploits, and some of his own, until Haurchefant was called away to business.

“Forgive my sudden departure, A’vett, it has truly been a pleasure.”

“Ah of course, it was nice. Uh, a very nice talk. You are a great audience.” Words that would haunt him on his deathbed. Great audience? Nice talk? Where was his eloquence? Stolen by this damn charming bastard of a knight with the ease of an Ul’dahn pickpocket.

“You are always welcome, my friend.” He bowed again and damn if that didn’t make A’vett’s heart flutter. “Feel free to stop by whenever you have the time, I am eager to hear more of your wondrous tales.”

“And I have plenty to tell.” And he’d have even more if he caught up to Dalien and Naoh’ra.

Now undeterred by the cold he made his way to the door, casting one last sneaking look at Haurchefant over his shoulder, bent over the map of Coerthas currently sitting on his desk and talking in hushed tones with one of his men. Somehow he caught A’vett’s gaze out of the corner of his eye and smiled at him without halting his conversation. Struck once more by that strange fluttering feeling again A’vett smiled and waved dumbly until Haurchefant returned his attention to his work. Right, he had a story to catch, a legend to record, a song to write. Perhaps when he returned with his not so constant companions he’d sing his best song for the camp. The quiet cold of the camp could use a song, and he wouldn’t say no to being in Haurchefant’s company once more.