#bvqbv

[cha0ticmimzy]

Chapter IX: A Car, a Torch, a Death

Author’s Notes: It’s spicy. It’s sad. It’s painful. It’s soft. This chapter is a mixture of a lot of things and I enjoyed writing it, so I hope you all enjoy reading it. Word Count: 5933 Warnings: It’s spicy from the get go. NSFW content (nudity, mentions of sex).  Rating: Mature

“I began to understand why God died.”-Twenty One Pilots

           “Don’t stop,” the blond gasped out, hands entangled within midnight locks. Teeth grazed along a freckled neck, threatening to pierce skin. The headboard of the bed thumped against the wall, echoing through the room, mingling with the sound of skin hitting against damp skin, of soft gasps and long moans.

           “I don’t plan on it.” The vampire responded, bloody hues clouded with lust as his thrusts gained speed, pulling free a high moan from the human beneath him. He could smell him, could smell the blood pumping through his veins. Could feel how warm and soft he was, pliant. It would be so easy to feed from him right now. Just one little bite, that’s all.

           “I’m gonna-” the blond choked out, gasping as he reached his peak, body tensing, shaking. The vampire stilled within him, reveling in the way he clenched and spasmed around his length. So warm, so soft. Rouge gaze met with not cornflower blue, but lilac rimmed with amethyst; such a riveting combination, such an inhuman color.

           Inhuman.

“We’ll have extra security from Tenebrae coming in within the next few days, so we can go over the protocols then. Until then, however, we need to go over a few rules,” Drautos spoke, voice loud and clear through the training hall. They had all paused in the middle of weight training when he’d come in with not one, not two, but three large bags filled with the dreaded uniforms that they would be forced to wear. “Yes, we have different uniforms. Yes, you have to wear them. No, you cannot customize them, Furia.”

           A round of soft laughter filled the room as the man called out slumped down upon the bench with a pout.

           “Now, moving on: the King has announced that the Gallery will be open to the public during the day of the event. This is a rarity, and the public will jump at the chance to get inside the Citadel. This cannot happen.” There had been an incident once, years ago, when a human managed to get past security and wandered the halls of the Citadel.

           He never saw the light of day again.

           “Due to this, we will be spread thin. I won’t force you to work both the day and the night, however, should you choose to do so, you will receive compensation for your time.” A ripple moved through the group. Compensation could mean anything from a day off to extra pay. It was definitely worth the risk. “HOWEVER,” Titus’ voice boomed, silence the murmurs, “the king has asked for a select few to be assigned to the Gala to keep an eye on things. Ulric, Altius, Lazarus- you three will work the Gala, and you will keep an eye upon the crown prince and Lady Lunafreya. Lady Sylva has her own personal guard already, as does the Lord Ravus and his fiancé.”

           “Sir,” Nyx spoke up, brow furrowing, “what is it that his majesty wants us to do, exactly?”

           “Keep an eye on the prince and Lady Lunafreya; there’s tension between the two and given the disaster that happened nearly a decade ago at the Gala, we’d prefer to keep things as calm and non-dramatical as possible.” And to make sure that the prince didn’t have another slip up; that didn’t need to be said aloud, however. “You’re dismissed for the day to make arrangements with the Citadel tailor if your uniform does not fit.” With that, Drautos left the room, and barely a minute passed before the Glaive all but launched themselves at the garment bags.

           Crowe got to it first, ripping them open and reading the labels out loud. “Wow, these are fancy,” she mumbled, holding her own up. It was similar in make to their normal uniforms; black and silver, jacket and pants. However, she realized that her own was lacking… Pants. “A dress. I have to wear a- Nyx, I swear to the Six, if you don’t STOP laughing I can and will punch you through that wall!”

           “Wow, a dress? Regis really is going all out.”

           “I’m not wearing a dress.”

           “Yes, you are,” Nyx replied, holding his own uniform up. A deep violet band had been sewn into the left sleeve, showing that he wasn’t a shifter like the rest of the Kingsglaive. “If I have to wear a monkey suit, you get to wear a dress.”

           “But-”

           “And just think,” Pelna chimed in, coming up behind his mate, his arms wrapping around her waist, “I get to see you in a dress. And we get to dance. And you get to drink. And we get to dance.”

           “Get a ROOM.” Tredd booed, grabbing his uniform and slinging it over his shoulder.

           “We say that to you all the time and yet you’re still here.”

           “Fuck off, Ulric.”

           “You offering?”

           “CHILDREN.” Libertus broke the pair up, keeping a steady hand upon Nyx’s forearm, keeping him from stepping closer to the redhead. “Calm yourselves. You’re both pretty.”

           Nyx sighed, shaking Libertus’ hand off so he could grab hold of his uniform and hold it up. It was similar to their normal work uniform, only more… Dressy? He couldn’t decide what made it different. Perhaps it was the fact that the make was more delicate, the fabric being more akin to velvet rather than the rough leather. Silver threading took place of the metal normally in place, and delicate buttons lined the left side, each one with Insomnia’s symbol engraved into the metal. “Wonder how much this cost?”

           “Don’t wanna know,” Libertus replied, pulling on the suit jacket. He made a face as he moved, feeling the strain in the shoulders. “Nope, nope, nope. We gotta fix this. A trip to Mister Scientia is in need if I’m gonna wear this monkey jacket.” He attempted to pull it off, only to pause, eyes widening as he realized his arms were stuck. “Nyx- Nyx, babe, help. I can’t- stop laughing you dick help me out of this before it rips!”

           “Calm down, you oaf,” Nyx teased between laughs as he pulled the jacket the rest of the way off before holding it out, only to have it snatched away by Libertus. “C’mon, let’s go. I need to drop off some documents with Clarus, anyways.”

           “Finally finish your report?” Luche asked, a brow raising as he folded his uniform over his shoulder. “I finished mine yesterday- didn’t really want to revisit that hell, but…”

           “Yeah,” Nyx sighed, shaking his head. “The footage that my body cam caught… I still can’t figure out what that thing was.” A grave silence fell across the room as memories of their mission a week and a half ago. Even after watching and re-watching the footage, he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever that creature had been, it was old and dangerous. “Either way, it was terrifying.”

           “It looked like-” Axis began, only to be cut off by Luche.

           “Don’t.” Luche interrupted, shaking his head at Axis. “That’s impossible, you and I both know that. We all know that. That isn’t possible because they don’t exist any longer. That was hundreds of years ago, before the last war, even.”

           “Right…” Nyx frowned, brow quirking as he glanced between the two. Hooking an arm through Libertus’ own, he pulled his lover closer. “We’re gonna… Head up to see Scientia. Don’t burn down the rec room.”

           “Damn!” Pelna cursed jokingly. “There goes my plans for the evening.”

           “I always knew you were a hidden arsonist!” Nyx shot back with a wink before leading Libertus out of the room, their uniforms in hand. Once outside, the door firmly shut behind him, he paused. “That was weird, right?”

           “Yup. But maybe Luche’s spooked, still. I mean, I know you couldn’t pick up the scent we could, but that thing was more of an Alpha than Drautos was. I wanted to roll over and bare my neck…” Shaking his head, Libertus let a shudder dance through him. “Whatever the Nifs are working on, it’s dangerous.”

           “Right. Listen-… I need to talk to Clarus. About what we saw. Because we saw what that thing was, and I know it’s impossible-”

           Libertus interrupted him with a swift kiss and a reassuring smile. “Go do what you gotta do. I’m gonna got get poked accidentally with some needles and complain about wearing a uniform.”

           “I’ll walk you up?”

           “Whatta charmer!”

           Sunlight peeked through the curtains, dancing across his face. Noctis was already awake, sitting beside the blond. His freckles weren’t just on his face- they were all over. He’d tried to kiss them all last night, but… That would have been impossible. Hell, last night seemed impossible, but Prompto was still sound asleep in his bed. His hair was a mess of a blond spikes, and his neck was covered in bruises left from Noctis’ lips.

           It brought a smile to the prince’s lips.

           Yawning, he fell back against the pillows, listening the steady breaths Prompto released beside him. He didn’t wanna wake him, not yet. He needed rest- humans needed sleep, right? Or was it dangerous if they got too much? He remembered watching a news story about how too much sleep was dangerous- was Prompto getting too much sleep now?

           … Where was Ignis when he needed him?

           “If y’stare any harder I might turn t’stone…” Came the sleepy voice of Prompto, startling Noctis so bad he nearly leaped off the bed.

           “Sorry,” Noctis apologized, cheeks flushing. “How do you… Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”

           “Mm,” Prompto hummed, rolling over onto his back and stretching. “My back sorta does, but my back always hurts so that’s nothing new- is that breakfast? It smells wonderful!” Prompto rapidly changed the subject, sitting up and all but crawling over Noctis to get at the tray beside the bed.

           A laugh bubbled free from Noctis as he held still, watching the blond in amusement. “They brought it in about an hour ago. It should still be warm…. I dunno what they made.” He got his answer right after as Prompto raised the lid to reveal a plate of French toast and berries. A moan slipped free from Prompto as he pulled the plate off the cart and onto the bed, settling it down between them. Silence fell as Prompto began to stuff his face, eyes closed as if he were basking in the taste.

           “That’s it. I’m stealing your chef. I need this in my life every day all day.” Prompto moaned around a mouth full of food. Noctis hummed, stealing a strawberry. Sure, they couldn’t eat a lot of human food, but a few little bites here and there didn’t cause that much damage.

           Prompto fell silent again, focused on eating. Noctis found himself thinking on the events that transpired; the kiss- which evolved into more kissing. The touches, the way Prompto looked beneath him, how he felt, how he sounded. It made his skin tingle, just thinking about it. But that tingle dissipated when the thought of Prompto’s eyes came to the forefront of his mind. Right now, they were their normal sky blue; gorgeous and light. But last night, they were lilac and rimmed with amethyst. They weren’t blue, they weren’t normal.

           Did Prompto know?

           Mouth opening, he was about to ask when a swift knock sounded upon his door. Groaning inwardly, Noctis sat up. “Enter.”

           “Good afternoon, Noct, Prompto,” Ignis called as he made his way into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. “Noctis, you’re needed in the council. There’s been…” He faltered, something that was rare to see from the normally put-together man. “There’s been an altercation.”

           A chill danced down Noctis’ spine. “What happened?”

           “It’s better if-”

           “No. Tell me before I get down there.” He all but demanded, already climbing out of bed. He silently thanked the Six he managed to put on underwear before falling asleep last night. “I want to be prepared, and since you’re so shaken up, it must be bad.”

           Prompto shifted on the bed, pulling the sheets closer, sinking in on himself. The tension in the room had rose, putting him on edge.

           “There was an attack in Tenerbae. The remaining members of the royal family were not in any danger, but…” Ignis sighed, running a hand through his hair, ruffling the carefully groomed brunet locks. “Lady Aurora’s parents were murdered.”

           Noctis dropped the brush he’d been holding, his eyes wide as he stared at the mahogany top of his desk. Prompto wanted to reach out, to say something, anything, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it- not with everything in him screaming for him to run. Noctis’ back was tensed, anger flowing off him.

“Get a maid to bring Prompto some clothes.” He finally spoke as he pulled on a simple black hoodie and yanked on a pair of jeans. Turning to the blond, he gave a small smile. “I’m sorry- I… This- I gotta go. I’ll try to catch you before dinner, but…” Shoulders rising in a small shrug, he suddenly looked unsure.

“Noctis, we need to go.”

“Right-” clearing his throat, the prince straightened himself. He went to walk forward before suddenly changing his mind and walked to the edge of the bed. Soft, cool hands reached out, cupping Prompto’s cheeks, holding him in place as he placed one, two, three soft kisses against his lips. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Alright…” Prompto sighed, smiling, as Noctis withdrew. The prince left quickly after pulling on a pair of shoes, the door closing behind him. And then he was alone.

Again.

He fell back into the multitude of pillows, sinking into the soft mattress. The bed was easily three times the size of his back at his apartment, and far softer. And, he noted as he rolled over, it smelled of Noctis. Soap, of woodsmoke, of a sharp tang of ozone and something sugary sweet. A smile curled his lips as he buried himself beneath the sheets. Maybe a nap wouldn’t hurt…

“Don’t touch me.” Aurora hissed as soon as Noctis opened the door. Ravus took a quick step back, hands up. She was seething with rage; her normally sapphire eyes had deepened in color, resembling an angry ocean more than a gem. The anger was palpable in the room; even Sylva seemed to be put on edge. “They are dead and you refuse to do a damned thing. Sylva, I will not beg. I will not ask again. I am demanding that you retaliate against them!”

“Against who?” Noctis finally spoke up, flinching as Aurora spun around to face him. She still had tears falling, and her hair that was normally curled elegantly fell around her face and shoulders in dramatic waves. “Who did this?”

“Niflheim,” she growled out, hands- no, entire body shaking with the anger she felt. “Those damned bastards did this. They attacked Galahd, and now they strike at the holiest country? How can you sit on your-”

“Aurora!” Ravus interjected finally, and it was as if all her control finally slipped. She crumbled to the floor, falling upon her knees and leaning over, her hands curled into fists upon the floor. Ravus knelt beside her, his arm wrapping around her, pulling her to him. It hurt to see such a strong, happy woman completely wrecked. Her sobs made her entire body shake, and as Noctis watched, he could see tears trailing down Ravus’ face.

Attention turned towards the two coven leaders, he took notice in the way Sylva seemed to be made of stone- not reacting to what was happening at all. His father, on the other hand, looked ready to commit murder. “Within this room are the only ones who know of this tragedy.” Looking around, Noctis took in the faces: Cor and Clarus behind his father, Nyx beside the door, Ignis and Gladio behind him, Lunafreya and Drautos behind Sylva. Twelve people, total. The rest of the Glaive, the remainder of the council, Lady Sylva’s security- none of them knew.

Aside from Prompto.

“Tomorrow, we will make an announcement of this attack. During this, we will address the attack on Galahd as well. Niflheim will be brought forth for trial.” Regis paused, giving Sylva a pointed look. Noctis couldn’t help but wonder what that was about… “For genocide and for murder of a royal clan. We will seek justice. We will not stoop to their levels; war is not what we are searching for. We are looking for an answer.”

“I want blood.” Aurora muttered into Ravus’ chest, though it was loud enough for everyone in the council room to hear. “I want the one who executed my mother and father. I want to show them how it feels.”

“That’s the anger talking, love,” Ravus murmured, brushing his fingers through her hair. “… Though I agree. I’d like to see the one who gave the final killing blow brought to trial and persecuted-”

“Executed.”

“Executed.” Ravus finished, leveling his mother with a hard stare. Noctis watched as Sylva simply raised her wine glass to her lips and took a long sip.

“We can talk of that after tomorrow. You’re all dismissed. Noctis, come with me; we need to speak.” With that, the room cleared out relatively quickly, Clarus, Cor, Nyx, and Drautos being the only ones left behind to act as guards for them. “We cannot enter into another war, you understand this. You know how crippling the last war had been. Insomnia nearly fell had it not been for the surprise attack Tenebrae launched against Niflheim. I fear this is their retaliation for that attack.”

“But that was… What, over a hundred years ago? Before I was even born, so almost two hundred? And they’re still angry?” Noctis asked, confusion evident in his voice. “Why attack now?”

“They’re working on some sort of secret weapon. During our reconnaissance to Galahd, we were attacked by Niflheim airships. There was…” Nyx faltered, brows furrowing. “Something in the forest. It’s impossible, I know, but there was a shifter in the forest. One that wasn’t like us- now, that is. It resembled the original shifters. Like the werewolves of old.”

“How is that possible?” Alarm caused his voice to pitch upwards, much to Noctis’ annoyance.

“We don’t know,” Cor spoke up. “We’ve sent agents to Niflheim over the years, but none of them have ever returned. I assume they were taken hostage, defected, or took their own lives before Niflheim had the chance.” A grim silence spread through the room.

“I’ve reached out to Iedolas Aldercapt; he’s the president of Niflheim.” Regis broke the silence, voice soft. “He has agreed to meet during the upcoming Gala. It’s a risk, but that was the only way he would agree- if we did this during the Gala.”

“He’s planning something.” Clarus stated harshly.

“I know. Which is why I’m going to make sure we have our best on guard during the Gala. Drautos, I want you to remove your Glaives from patrolling the morning. The Insomnian police force can handle the public,” Regis ordered, magenta hues focused on the marble floor beneath their feet.

“Of course, your majesty.”

“I want Lazarus and Altius to be on the Gala floor at all times. Khara will be on the upper floor with Arra, Ostium and Furia in the gardens. Nyx will remain near Noctis or Lunafreya at all times- when Noctis is not with Gladiolus or Ignis, Nyx will be with him. Any other time, he will be with Lunafreya. We cannot have her injured.”

“Sir?” Nyx interrupted, brows raised.

“I fear they will attempt to strike at Lady Lunafreya. Lady Sylva is too much an obvious target, and Lord Ravus is an accomplished warrior that would be too difficult to fight.” Noctis shifted nervously. His father really had thought everything through already, hadn’t he? “We must be prepared for the worst. If an attempt is pulled, we will default to Alpha Phase One.”

“Which is?” Noctis asked, leaning against the edge of the oak table. “If I’m here, it involves me. What’s this… Alpha-whatever?”

“Alpha Phase One,” Regis began, shooting his son an amused glance, “is a plan of escape that only a few know. And I will keep it that way.” His tone was final.

“So I don’t get to know it?”

“No.”

“… Ouch.”

“You have your own escape route that Gladiolus and Ignis know and will take should something happen.”

“They know it?” Noctis asked in surprise. “And I don’t?”

“Exactly.” Regis replied smugly.

“Rude.”

“I think you’ll survive.”

“You shouldn’t be here!” Titus hissed as he closed his apartment door, quickly locking it. Ater shrugged, perfectly comfortable with sitting atop the counter. “Do you realize how much trouble I could get in? You aren’t supposed to be seen here.”

“And no one saw me.” She replied simply, sliding off the counter. “You stress too much, babe. No one saw me. I even went as far as using prosthetics.” She waved a hand to the mess on the kitchen table. “It was a pain in the ass to get on and off. Oh, and disposable contacts. And a wig. I made sure I wasn’t recognized.”

Groaning softly, the general ran a hand over his face. “You’re going to be the death of me, you realize this?” He muttered as he walked closer, hands coming to rest upon the vampire’s hips, pulling her close. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“They sent me out before they dispatched the Gloriam clan.” Her voice was soft as she reached up to cup his cheek, his scruff scratching at her palm. Icy hues took in the dark shadows beneath his eyes. “I didn’t know what they had planned. I don’t even know what- or who- they sent out. It wasn’t me, or Highwind. I would know- I was out drinking with her when we got the news.”

“Well, shit.” Sighing, Drautos released her and began to work on removing his coat. “Regis is pissed. They do realize that they didn’t get the entire clan, right?”

“… They didn’t?”

His blood froze in his veins as he turned slowly, taking in the genuine surprise that splayed across Ater’s face. “… They didn’t realize Aurora was still here.” He whispered, panic settling in. His heart began a tap dance within his chest. “Who authorized the attack?”

“Aldercapt.”

“That idiot!” Hand banged against the counter, the wood releasing a groan in protest. “He moves without thinking and creates a mess that I have to clean up.” Drawing in a slow, deep breath, he forced himself to relax. It wouldn’t be good to shift in his apartment. “Regis is going to address the public in the morning about the attack on Galahd and the murder of the Gloriam clan.”

“Shit.” Ater mumbled, biting on her thumb. This managed to mess everything up. “What of the girl?”

“Aurora?”

“Yes.”

“She’s untouchable, especially now. She’s engaged to Ravus, and we all know what the Lord is capable of. He saw battle when he was a barely an adult. He killed. He’s ruthless and dangerous.” Drautos shook his head, jaw working. “Iedolas is coming to Insomnia in a week… Why are you here? Had he planned on coming here?”

“He wanted me to come and check in on you. Watch- since you haven’t been sending in your reports…” Ater trailed off, shrugging. “And to get familiar with the city.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s planning something. I don’t know what it is- I can’t ever get him alone to talk to him, that scoundrel of a man is always there, whispering in his ear. I don’t trust him, Titus. I don’t like him. He’s… Wrong.” Shuddering, she moved closer, her arms coming to wrap around his middle. Cold fingertips slipped beneath his shirt, nails just barely dragging across the skin of his back.

“Ardyn is dangerous,” Drautos agreed, fingers trailing down her spine, hooking in the waistband of her pants. “But now that you’re here, I don’t have to rely on phone calls or texts.” He murmured, leaning down to steal a fierce kiss. A surprised noise escaped Ater before she reached up, holding onto his shirt, pulling him closer. His teeth grazed her lip, and her fangs pierced his own. Blood welled up between them, the kiss growing far more messy, animalistic. His hands wandered lower, grasping her rear, squeezing, pulling her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he held her up with one arm. His free hand slipped beneath her shirt, preparing to unclip her bra, only to be met with bare skin. A laugh melted into the kiss from Ater.

“I didn’t bother with one.” She whispered, pulling back to lick at her lips. Blood smeared down her chin, across her lips. He could feel blood across his own chin, in his mouth. But a growl of approval slipped free as she pulled her shirt off, over her head. “I’m not wearing any underwear, either.” She added, watching as his pupils dilated. He leaned down, pressing a kiss within the valley of her breasts. A soft breath left her, her head tilting back as he pressed more kisses against the soft skin before pulling a nipple into his mouth. His tongue laved against it before he bit down gently.

“Good.”

“It’s late, my lord.” Cor murmured in lieu of announcing himself as he entered the study. Regis sat in a plush armchair before the wall of floor to ceiling windows, gazing out across Insomnia. “You need to rest. It’s been a long day…” The room was softly lit due to the fire burning within the large fireplace. It smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg; warmth.

Regis hummed in response, slowly swirling the remnants of his glass of bloodwine. “Sylva is planning a coup d'é-tat.” He spoke simply, listening to way Cor’s footsteps paused. Even from here, across the large room, he could hear the way his friend- no, lover’s- heart skipped a beat.

“Sir?” He asked, as if he hadn’t heard him correctly. “How do you…?”

“She isn’t the only one with spies within the ranks.” Came the soft answer as Regis rose from his seat. Standing there, back illuminated by the fire slowly dying in the fireplace- it brought Cor back to their first time together. So many years ago, he’d been so young, and Regis had been so very gentle and kind. Strong. Smart. Heartbroken.

“You have Aurora working for you, then.”

“Yes,” Regis replied, turning to face the human. Cor had changed out of his uniform and into a pair of sweat pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Ready to sleep, and yet he came to check on him. It warmed his heart. “I had made an agreement with her shortly before her engagement to Ravus. He knows, as well.”

“And Lady Lunafreya…?”

“Is a pawn in Sylva’s game.”

“That poor, poor girl.”

“A shame. She was once so gentle.”

“And now she’s the perfect blade for her mother to weild.”

Silence fell as Cor moved closer, stepping around the desk to stand beside his king. Glacier hues stared out upon the city below; it never stopped moving, never stopped advancing. Never slept. The feeling of Regis moving closer, stepping in behind him, made a shudder dance through his skin. He leaned back against the vampire, head resting upon his shoulder. Regis, I turn, wrapped his arms around his middle, leaned his head against Cor’s. Together they stood, watching the city, as the last embers died out.

“Take me to bed, Cor.”

“Of course, your majesty.”

Prompto had been playing a game on his phone when Noctis came back to his room. Dinner had been delivered three hours earlier, along with an apology from Noctis. Some sort of meeting happened, and he couldn’t leave until it was over. Which was fine! Prompto had plenty to do! Update his Instagram, play games on his phone, snoop through Noctis’ drawers (he was a boxer brief guy, apparently), and look through the books that lined the wall. Prompto knew that the Citadel had its own library, but Noctis had his own personal one within his bedroom.

He may have spent too long looking through the comic books.

“Is Aurora alright?” He meant to say hello, how are you, but he needed to know. She was such a kind, sweet girl. For her to be hit with this…

Noctis sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he toed off his shoes. “No. She’s… Angry. Sad. Grieving. I spent the last two hours with her and Ravus. She tore up their bedroom- literally.” Prompto’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. She’s mostly mad at Sylva for not doing anything. Or suggesting any action. Dad took it upon himself to decide to make a public statement…”

“Why isn’t Lady Sylva doing anything?” That was confusing. Prompto scooted to the edge of the bed, feet barely grazing the floor as he watched Noctis move about, pulling the hoodie off. “Isn’t Aurora Tenebraen?”

“She is. I don’t know why Sylva isn’t doing anything- she barely spoke during the council meeting. I dunno. The entire situation is just… Weird and bad.” Shrugging, Noctis slipped into the en suite. “I had them bring you dinner- did you eat? Did you like it?”

“I did!” Prompto called back, grinning. “I had to have that girl- Crowe? She was the one who came with the maid. I had to have her help me figure out how to eat lobster tail… I’d never had it before.”

“Really?” Noctis poked his head out, brows raised, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.

A snort spilled free from Prompto as he nodded. “Yeah. But it was good! And that linguine was so good. I swear I’m going to steal your cook.”

“Nah, you can’t have Iggy.”

“IGNIS COOKED THAT?!” He hadn’t meant to be so loud, but he couldn’t help it. Finding out that Ignis cooked that entire meal was surprising.

“Yeah, he’s been trained to be my personal chef. Lowers the risk of being poisoned.” Noctis answered, coming back into the room with an amused smile. “Since that’s a thing that happens to royals.”

“Oh…” Right. That was a thing that Noctis had to worry about. “… You have a lot of books.” He changed the subject easily as Noctis pulled open a drawer, rummaging around before pulling a pair of sleeping pants out.

Tugging his jeans off (and nearly falling in the process), he glanced over to the book shelves that took up an entire wall. “Yeah- dad used to read to me as a kid, and it just… Stuck. I only like fiction. Like… Magic. That kind of thing.”

A sudden question popped into Prompto’s mind. “Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons?” He asked, watching as Noctis paused, pants pulled back up.

“… No.”

“You’d love it! It’s sort of like… If the characters from Lord of the Rings clashed with Dragon Age.” Prompto attempted to explain, and received a laugh in response as Noctis settled down onto the bed before collapsing backwards. “I’m serious! It’s really fun, too. You can make your own character and there’s always detailed stories…”

“Prom?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“… Stay the night with me.”

Prompto froze, cheeks flushing at the request. “I… You sure?” He asked, fidgeting with the hem of the pajama top that had been brought for him. It was too big, but that was perfect. “I mean, I can go back to my room-”

“I’m sure.” Noctis replied, reaching out to tug on the edge of Prompto’s shirt. “Not to… Not to have sex. But just- I don’t wanna be alone. And I sleep better with someone beside me.” He explained almost shyly, not meeting Prompto’s questioning gaze. “If you don’t want to, I won’t force you, but-”

“I do!” Prompto exclaimed, before quickly backpedaling. “I mean, I’d love to. I’m good. I like it here. I like… I like being with you. Near you.” He wiggled in place for a moment before falling back on the bed beside the vampire.

“Good.” Noctis nodded, pulling Prompto closer. “I just wanna lay here. Today was… Rough.”

“Alright,” Prompto hummed, lacing their fingers together. “Then we can just lay here- as long as you want to, Noct.”

Noctis nodded, eyes closing. Prompto shifted, tucking his head into the crook of the other’s neck. It was nice, to just lay with one another. Prompto hadn’t realized how much he wanted, no, craved this. This softness, this warmth. Slowly, he tangled his legs with Noctis’, who hummed and cracked open an eye. He pulled his hand free to clap twice, and the lights dimmed by themselves.

“… That is so cool.”

“I know, right?” Noctis grinned as he took Prompto’s hand into his own once more, giving it a gentle squeeze. He felt the blond yawn against his shoulder and answered it with one of his own. “I’m glad you’re here, Prom.”

“Me, too.” Prompto murmured, pressing a tiny kiss just below his ear. Within minutes, the pair had fallen asleep.

Neither one noticed the way the bedroom door opened slowly, letting in the shadows of the hallway.

Her breaths came fast, panicked. Running, running; why did the family have to put in a maze in their garden? She could hear the water lapping against the shore; she was so close to finding the exit! The sound of growls behind her made her run faster, ignoring the way her feet bled, the way her dress was torn to shreds. She’d been there when they arrived. She’d hidden, contorting herself to fit into the hiding hole in the Lady of the house’s closet.

They thought they got everyone.

The little Lady was not here. She was gone, in Insomnia. They didn’t know that. They couldn’t know that. They wouldn’t know that. She wouldn’t tell them.

She thought they were all gone. She came out, and it was quiet. She went into the sitting room and found their bodies there. She didn’t scream; she couldn’t scream. Her vocal chords had been damaged when she was little. She couldn’t make a sound, even if she tried.

Then she saw it. It was big, and scary. Its fur was dark brown, and it smelled bad. Like rotting bodies. It had seen her, and it stared at her, golden eyes seeming far too human like. It was big, too; easily reaching her shoulders. And then she ran, and it followed, crashing through the house.

It hunted her through the maze, and it was still hunting her. Right, left, right, and she should be out!

No. No, no, no. No, this couldn’t be. There was supposed to be the exit here, not a dead end! Turning, she looked about frantically. She couldn’t climb through the bushes; the thorns would tear her to pieces before she even made it to the top. The sound of a growl made her freeze, her entire body shaking.

It was here.

She turned, slowly, coming face to face with the beast. It was… Smiling. Smiling in a far too human way. No shifter should look that human, like it was a human sewn into bear skin. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she backed up against the hedge, feeling thorns press into her back. It advanced. For the first time since she was three years old, she managed to make a noise.

She screamed as its teeth closed around her throat.

[libertyskrollz-blog]

#libertyskrollz #psychedelicart #blotterartist #deadhead #psychonaut #rockposterartist #hightimes #420lifestyle #trippyart #digitalart #digitalblotterart #hiphop #beastcoast #newyork #makeartnotwar @libertyskrollz.com #brooklyn #thebigapple #ilovenewyork #conscioushiphop #rap #joeybadass https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvqbv-oDrkl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1tjgq0ijvgk32

[superchthonic]

She's a snuggler. #prancestagram #calico #cat #lovemuffin

[awesome-shirley-fan]

Check out my latest #podcast https://www.podbean.com/eau/pb-bvqbv-bc15d5 on #Podbean

[cha0ticmimzy]

Chapter VIII: Dinner For...

Author’s Notes: Can we appreciate that word count? But this chapter is relatively tame. Though, the next chapter gets spicy and I’m READY TO POST IT after I read through it to make sure I didn’t mess up. BUT IN THIS CHAPTER you see a little bit of politics, a little bit of dorkiness, some DANCING.  Word Count: 4567 Warnings: None. Rating: Mature.

This was a good dinner enough, to be sure, but it was not a dinner to ask a man to.

The walk down to the formal dining hall was full of chatter from Aurora, talking about herself, Ravus, the family, how Insomnia differs from Tenebrae. She asked about his family (he’d become an expert at lying about his family by the age of fifteen), if he had any pets (she was excited to learn about his corgi), if he had any hobbies or talents. It had helped to relax him, truly- as did the warm hand upon the small of his back. Finally, he worked up the courage to ask the question that had been eating at him.

“Why aren’t you like, freezing to the touch?” He asked, brows furrowing as he looked over to his right, where Ravus walked. “Like, I thought all vampires were supposed to the cold- like a dead body?” His cheeks flushed a dark red as a snort of amusement escaped Ravus.

“While we are, technically, dead- we are not fully dead. Our body still holds blood within it. There’s a long-winded explanation I could give and the full science behind it, why we’re able to breed, why we still require blood- but that would take longer than we currently have.” Ravus explained, before removing his hand and stepping forward. Prompto startled, eyes wide as he realized that the mahogany doors they were at lead to the formal dining hall. Oh.

“You’ll be fine, Prompto. Remember, elbows off the table, back straight, and wait until everyone is served before eating. Sit across from Noctis, not beside. Rise when Regis and Sylva arrive, and do not sit until they have.” Aurora whispered to him, her lips almost brushing against his ear. He nodded, eyes wide, blood rushing in his ears. He felt Aurora squeeze his shoulders before the doors were opened, revealing the massive formal dining room.

On the wall to the far left, a large fireplace in the shape of a lion’s maw sat, a fire crackling softly within it. A few small chandeliers hung from the domed ceiling- which was so high that he could barely see the top, he noted. The chandeliers hung low enough to cast decent lighting, but not low enough to touch. At least, not without standing on the table. Or a chair. Or the shoulders of a very tall man. They were small- at least, smaller than the one that hung over the long oak table. Each one was made of glass, a perfect, smaller replica of the large one hanging low- low enough to touch. To the far right lay a set of double doors- no doubt, leading to the kitchen. He could smell food cooking- his stomach rumbled, but he found himself wondering just what was being cooked behind those doors. The floor was a deep, rich mahogany that shined, freshly polished, as if shoes had never before touched its surface. The walls were a deep maroon, golden trim work acting as an accent.

The table itself was a piece of artwork, the color such a rich, deep brown, it was nearly black. There were places set up- one at each end, and then five chairs on either side of the table. As they approached, he took note of who was there already. A man, one of the ones he’d seen with the king, and Lady Lunafreya. Aurora took him by the arm and lead him to his place, across from where he assumed Noctis would be sitting. She took her seat beside him, placing herself between him and Ravus. Lunafreya sat beside the large seat at the end, no doubt where the Lady Sylva would sit.

His stomach was filled with butterflies holding razor blades.

“Calm down,” Aurora murmured, reaching beneath the table to give his hand a quick squeeze. “It’ll all be fine. Just breathe.”

Breathe, right. He could do that. Breathe in, and then out. Maybe. Watch him be the first human without asthma to completely fail at breathing like a normal person would.

“So, you are the troublemaker?” The soft voice held a thicker accent than Ravus’ own but made Prompto nearly leap out of his seat. Cornflower blue hues widened as he turned, meeting the lavender gaze of Lunafreya. Her eyes held more of a red hue than Ravus’ did. “We’ve not formally met yet. I’m Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, second in line to the throne of Tenebrae, and the next Priestess.” She introduced, flashing a smile that bordered on threatening.

“Right- I’m, ah. Prompto Argentum, your highness.” He greeted, giving her a nervous grin in response. Luna hummed, sharpened nails painted a delicate ivory tapping upon the table top.

“You’re… Different.” She began, leaning forward. “The way you smell is-”

“There they are!” Aurora quickly interjected, rising from her seat as Noctis made his way in with Ignis and Gladiolus training behind. Noctis looked… Amazing. The suit he wore was simple- black and dark grey pinstripe, a black button-down shirt beneath, with a tie of the richest navy. His hair had been tamed somewhat, less of the bedhead mess it’d been earlier. Ignis wore a suit of maroon, which was surprisingly flattering; it made the green of his eyes stand out behind the black, thin rimmed glasses. Behind them trailed the big guy- Gladio? He wore a deep grey suit with a tie that matched Ignis’ suit- and, now that Prompto looked closer, he realized that Ignis wore a bowtie the same color of Gladio’s suit.

“Glad to see you survived.” Gladio teased as he rounded the table, taking the seat beside Prompto. Ignis sat across from Gladio, and Noctis took the seat directly across from Prompto. “No hard feelings from earlier, yeah?” He asked, thick arm draping over the back of his chair.

“I do hope you’ll forgive my earlier actions,” Ignis spoke softly as he settled into his chair, head tilting to the side. “I’m afraid I acted purely on instincts.”

“Yeah, no, it’s fine!” Prompto quickly replied, voice pitched higher than what he’d intended to sound. Cheeks flushing, he looked away, focusing instead upon the table. A silence fell over the table, the only sound that of the cooks working, fixing their food. Glancing up, he caught Noctis staring at him, causing the prince to startle and sit up straighter. Cute, he thought to himself, a smile curling the edges of his lips upwards.

Ravus cleared his throat, drawing attention towards the silverette. “So, Noctis,” he began leaning forward with a mischievous glint to his lavender eyes. “I’m curious- did you purposefully dress up tonight for our esteemed guest?” He teased, drawing forth a laugh from around the table, Gladio’s being the loudest. Prompto watched in awe as Noctis’ cheeks darkened in hue.

“I dressed up because I wanted to.” The prince defended himself with a pout, slumping back in his seat as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Liar, you spent over an hour trying to figure out what tie color would be best.” Gladio replied with a smirk, mirroring Ravus as he leaned forward, though his smirk seemed far harsher compared to Ravus’. Noctis slumped further down, lip jutting out in a pout.

“Well,” Aurora interjected, coming to Noctis’ defense. “I think that the prince looks rather handsome tonight! It certainly is a pleasant change.” Prompto couldn’t help but smile and nod in agreement, watching as Noctis’ eyes widened, his confidence returning as he straightened up slightly. “Though, I’d love to fix your hair-”

“Get up.” Lunafreya interrupted. Her voice was soft, her words barely heard and yet seeming to boom through the room simultaneously. Quickly, they all rose to their feet, the sound of chairs scraping along a marble floor echoing out, creating a harsh chorus. A moment passed before the door opened, revealing the men that had been with Regis that first night. He couldn’t recall their names… Though the woman that walked alongside Regis was what made Prompto freeze.

Lady Sylva Nox Fleuret, Queen Regent of Tenebrae. She stood tall and proud, her shoulders squared, chin raised. Her dress was a fitted evening gown of white, flowing down to the floor. She looked ethereal, her skin almost seeming to glow in the golden light of the formal dining room. She wore no crown, instead letting her hair flow long and free down past her shoulders, stick straight and pale blonde. Her lips were tinted a curious color, not quite red but not quite purple, somewhere in the middle, and her eyes were ringed with black kohl. She commanded the room in a way that Prompto had never witnessed. As for the men she walked with…

King Regis stood tall and proud despite the prominent limp. Before Prompto had been born, there had been a great battle, one that Regis was injured in, causing his leg to be injured grievously. Rumor has it, that he’s lucky he was able to keep it. Yet despite that, he was still handsome, a charming smile upon his lips, his facial hair trimmed to perfection, wine red hues glinting with humor. He wore a suit of onyx, the button down beneath the jacket solid black, accompanied by a solid, wine red tie. A metal brace encircled his left knee, and a menacing cane was clutched in his right hand.

The men behind him were in suits, as well; the one with the dark brown hair and intense blue eyes wore a suit of navy and black, with a sky black tie. He was lean, slight, but he had a subtle strength to his movements. His companion wore a suit of ash grey that did absolutely nothing to hide the muscles that lurked beneath. Now that Prompto looked closer, he noted that the larger of the two held quite the resemblance to Gladio; perhaps he was his father? That would make sense…

Regis walked completely around the table, pulling out Lady Sylva’s chair before pushing it in for her, before going to his own chair. All together, they took their seats. A silence crept across the room, and Prompto felt the sudden urge to start fidgeting, his left leg tensing beneath the table.

“Shall we begin?” Regis asked, a smile curling his lips. As if on cue, the doors to the kitchen opened, and food began to pour out, carried upon silver trays. The servants- or would it be wait staff? Prompto wasn’t sure- moved with startling ease despite the heavy trays they carried. “I do hope you enjoy pasta, Prompto.” Regis spoke up, causing Prompto to startle. “Linguine Carbonara is the only thing we could all agree on.” He joked, causing a soft round of laughter to fill the room.

“It’s my favorite.” Prompto managed to get out, offering a nervous, small smile. Beside him, Aurora reached over, patting him on the hand twice before reaching out, taking hold of her freshly filled wine glass. At first, he thought it was simply red wine. However, upon closer inspection, he realized it was far too thick to be considered a wine, and his stomach churned at that realization. Blood. They were drinking blood. Though, the man in the navy suit who came in with Regis had his glass filled with actual wine; red, Prompto noted. So… Was he human?

“So, Prompto,” the smooth, silken voice of Lady Sylva had his head turning, meeting the deep red violet gaze of the vampire. “Noctis mentioned that you’re a photographer. How long have you been interested in it?” A normal topic. Prompto released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“Since I was a kid. My mom bought me my first camera when I was eight- it was one of those simple little digital cameras.” He replied with a flush, flashing a bright smile. “And from then on, I fell in love with it. I… At my apartment, I have a small collection of antique cameras, actually.”

“Antique cameras?” Ravus asked, a brow raising in curiosity. “How many do you have?”

“The last time I checked, it was around six or seven. They can get pretty expensive, so I don’t get to get every single one I see.”

“Do they still work?” Came Lunafreya’s voice as she leaned forward, resting her chin upon her hand.

“Some do- some of them are missing parts, one of them’s missing it’s lens, and you just… You can’t, y’know, find the lens for it anywhere anymore. They don’t make them anymore.” Prompto explained, only to pause as his plate was set before him. The pasta looked perfect- picture perfect. And the salad that came with it looked almost fake with how green the lettuce was, how perfect the parmesan shavings were.

“You work for the Insomnia Times, correct?” Regis asked, voice soft, velveteen. Prompto managed a nod, watching as the king cut into- something. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what the meat was made of. “Do you like it there?”

“Yeah- yes, it’s nice. I have a good position; I work as a field photographer, so I’ll go out and get pictures of accidents or events.”

“So, you’re like a glorified paparazzi?” Gladio asked, amusement evident in his tone. It made Prompto pause, cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

“I wouldn’t-”

“I think that’s an amazing job.” Noctis spoke up, gaze trained not on Prompto, but on Gladio. “Someone needs to be out there, documenting what’s happening. Otherwise, history wouldn’t be recorded.” An uneasy silence settled across the table as Noctis and Gladio had a silent battle with their eyes, daring the other to speak up.

“Well,” the man with the shaved head spoke up, clearing his throat. “As lovely as this all is, we should eat before our food goes cold.”

“Yes, we should!” Aurora agreed, perking up.

Regis took hold of his wine glass and raised it up, causing those at the table to mimic him. “A toast- to our new friend, to new routes opening, and to the history that is about to be made.” Quietly, the members of the dinner agreed before beginning to dig into their food.

The pasta was heavenly. The sauce was perfect. Prompto found himself eating slower than he normally would because he wished to savor the food. That, and to distract himself from the fact that on either side of him sat a vampire, who was eating- what he desperately hoped- was a slab of extremely rare cooked meat. Cornflower blue hues glanced from his own plate to across the table, catching Noctis staring at him. A smile curled his lips as he watched Noctis panic, magenta hues widening as his cheeks colored. A soft snort escaped Prompto, prompting Aurora to look up and watch the scene unfold.

“So, Noctis,” she spoke up, causing the prince to send her a desperate look that Prompto read as “please don’t do this”. The woman had no sympathy. “How long do you plan on housing Prompto here?” She asked, causing all eyes to suddenly be glued on the pair of boys. Noctis shifted in his seat, frowning.

 “As long as he wishes to stay.” He answered with a shrug, directing his gaze back towards Prompto.

“And you, Prompto? How long do you wish to stay?” Aurora asked, head tilting to the side to study him. Swallowing the pasta that remained in his mouth, he thought over the question.

“Well… I mean, I wouldn’t mind staying for a few days? But I have a job, and my dog, and my plants…” He trailed off, shrugging. “So, a few days, maybe four? At most.” He decided with a nod. Though, he noticed the way Noctis’ shoulders seemed to sag at his answer. Brow raising, he opened his mouth to ask, only to be interrupted by Ravus.

“You’ll be attending the Gala, I assume?”

 “Gala?” Prompto echoed, eyes widening in surprise. “I… Hadn’t planned on it? It’s invitation only, and I’m just a- a commoner-”

“Nonsense!” Ravus shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he leaned back, before staring Noctis down. “Noctis will invite you. Won’t you?”

“Of course.” Noctis replied with a scowl, before wiping the expression from his face. “Only if you want to attend, though.”

“I… It’d be an honor!”

“Good.”

As dinner continued, the conversation topics easing from one into another. Prompto felt himself relaxing, even laughing as the bald man- Clarus, Gladio’s father, he’d been told- recalled a story with Regis and a man named Weskham, who was not in attendance. By the time dinner was finished, he’d relaxed into the way they worked. He’d been in the middle of laughing when the feeling of a foot creeping along the inside of his calf made him freeze, cheeks heating up. It couldn’t be Aurora nor Gladio, which left…

 Noctis.

Sparing the other a quick glance, he found the prince staring at him once more. Only, this time, he didn’t look away. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on his face. Swallowing around a suddenly dry mouth and throat, he reached out for his wine glass, only to knock it, and Gladio’s, over accidentally. A sound of surprise escaped him as he reached out, and before anyone else could react, had grasped both glasses and set them right once more.

Silence filled the room.

“Impressive… Reflexes.” Gladio commented, golden hues wide in surprise. Prompto gave a nervous titter of laughter, withdrawing his hand. His heart beat hard within his chest, blood rushing through his veins, echoing in his ears.

“I do believe we should all retire for the evening.” Regis broke the stunned silence, gaze locked upon Prompto.

“I agree,” Sylva echoed, slowly rising from her seat. Regis rose from his, and as one, the rest of the table rose. Lunafreya joined Sylva this time, looping her arm with her mother’s. Regis was flanked by Clarus and Cor as the left the dining room together. Prompto could just make out the murmured tones of conversation as the door closed, leaving the remaining six within.

Ravus cleared his throat as he stepped away from the table, hand outstretched to take Aurora’s. “That was entertaining, to say the least. Who knew you had such good reflexes?” His tone was joking, thought the tension didn’t waver within the room.

  “I have an idea!” Aurora declared, leaning into Ravus with a giddy grin before she turned her attention to the four still standing awkwardly at the table. “Come to the ballroom with us!”

“The… Ballroom?” Noctis questioned, a brow raising. “Aren’t they decorating for the Gala?”

“They are, but they should be done for the night. And the night is still young! Plus,” her smile turned mischievous, wicked, as she stepped over to Prompto, draping her arms over his shoulders. “Prompto most likely doesn’t know how to dance- properly.”

“She has a point,” Ignis chimed in, a smirk pulling at his lips. “You will need to know how to dance for the Gala.”

“I-… If Noctis wants to?” Prompto answered uncertainly, looking over at Noctis who looked, for lack of a better term, like a deer in the headlights. It prompted a snort to escape him, which caused Aurora to let out a giggle.

A sigh left Noctis before he shrugged, hands sliding into the pockets of his jacket. “Why not?”

A cheer left Aurora as she quickly linked her arm with Prompto. Together, the pair led the men from the dining room, giggling and laughing. Perhaps it was the wine, or maybe leftover nerves spilling over, but Prompto hadn’t felt this excited in a while. Aurora paused them as she looked over her shoulder, lip jutting out in a pout. “They’re so slow.”

“What was that?” Ravus called back, a brow raised. “We’re slow?”

“Oh, we can’t have that.” Ignis murmured, unbuttoning his waist coat. “Can we, Gladio?”

“No, we can’t.” The large vampire agreed, flashing a toothy grin.

Aurora released Prompto’s arm quickly before taking off in a sprint- one he would never have been able to keep up with. The trio took off after her, leaving Prompto behind to walk with Noctis.

Prompto’s eyes were wide as he stared at the retreating figures. “That’s… Fast.” A snort from Noctis brought him back to earth. Quietly, he walked alongside the Prince, enjoying the silence between them. “The architecture here is gorgeous. I-… If you don’t mind, I’d love to get some photographs of it? I know you guys don’t let paparazzi inside, so there aren’t many photos of how it looks in here. And it’s a shame, because this architecture- it’s Gothic, and calls back on some of the oldest parts of Insomnia, and I’m rambling.”

Noctis was smiling as he listened, magenta hues studying the blond. “I’ll have to clear it with dad, but… I don’t see a problem with it. I’ve been saying we need to let the public in more, instead of creating a protective barrier to keep us in and keep them out.”

“Good idea- oh. Is this the ballroom?”

“About time! Come on, slowpokes!” Gladio called out as they entered into the grand ballroom. It was in the midst of being decorated, tables set out but not yet covered, fabric sat in heaping piles of satin and silk, rich reds and deep burgundies. The ceiling was tall, and as Prompto studied it, he found that there were paintings across it, depicting the creation of man. Beautiful.

“Now, Ignis, are you alright to play?” Aurora asked, watching as Ignis took his place at the piano.

“I heal quickly. I’m fine,” he assured, though his words reminded Prompto of what had happened earlier. A grimace crossed his face.

“Good!” Clasping her hands before her chest, she turned, dress swirling out about her knees. “Ravus, you’ll teach Prompto!” She all but ordered, watching as her soon-to-be husband raised a brow.

“Me?” Ravus asked, amused.

“Him?” Prompto echoed, alarmed.

“Yes. Now, come on!” Aurora pulled Ravus to his feet, watching as he took off his suit jacket, leaving him in a vest and button down. Sleeves were rolled to his elbows as he moved to the center of the floor. “You too, Prompto!”

“Ignis,” Ravus called over his shoulder. “Play… Nocturne in E Flat Major, please. Op nine, number two, to be specific.” The sound of knuckles cracking filled the air as Ravus turned to study Prompto. A coy smile curled his lips as he slowly bent down at the waist, extending a hand in a far too elegant fashion. “May I have this dance, Prompto?”

A flush darkened Prompto’s cheeks as he reached out, placing his hand upon Ravus’ palm. “Sure…?” A chuckle escaped Ravus as he placed his hand upon the small of Prompto’s back, pulling him closer.

“Your left hand will rest upon my right shoulder- I’m leading. Keep your arm up, but not too stiff- relax, Prompto. I’m not going to bite you.” Ravus directed softly, and Prompto shifted nervously. “There we go. Now, chin up, and either keep your gaze over my left shoulder, or at me. Nowhere else. Ignis, if you’re ready?”

 “Wait, I’m not-”

“Hush,” Ravus whispered, shaking his head. “Relax and follow my lead.” His voice was so soft, Prompto noted, the accent of Tenebrae creating a soft purr in his words. He found himself relaxing as the piano notes began. Ravus stepped forward, and he stepped backward. “One, two, three. One, two, three. There we are, see? You’ve got this.”

It was easy, once he got the hang of it. Cornflower blue hues focused on Ravus’ face; his lips held a nearly perfect cupid’s bow, and he had… Freckles. They were light, but he could see them, dusted across his nose and the high points of his cheeks. And moles- more than he’d thought. And his eyes… Prompto found himself suddenly moved away, his hand still gripping Ravus, before he was pulled back. “There we go! See, a natural, you are.” Ravus praised, bringing a smile to Prompto’s lips.

The song ended, and as Ravus took a step back, he found himself floundering. “Bow,” Gladio called out, causing Prompto to frown. But Ravus dropped into a bow at the waist, and Prompto quickly followed suit.

“Very good! Noctis, your turn! Let’s make sure you still know how to lead.” Aurora teased, and Propmto would have laughed if it weren’t for the intense look upon Noctis’ face. Swallowing thickly, he held himself still as Noctis approached.

“Here, I’ll take over,” Ravus murmured softly, taking Ignis’ place at the piano. Quietly, he began to play, a soft, dark, medium paced song. Ignis didn’t want to admit it, but Ravus was better than him at the piano.

Leaning over, Gladio whispered to Aurora. “What song is he playing?”

“Franz Liszt’s Liebestraum- Love Dream.” She replied softly as she watched Noctis take Prompto into his arms, the pair easily moving together. Far more easily that he moved with Ravus.

Far more easily than she’d seen Noctis move with Lunafreya.

Prompto’s gaze was locked upon Noctis’ eyes, that intense magenta hue burning into his sole. He didn’t remember starting to dance, didn’t realize that the waltz Noctis was leading him in was far more difficult than the one he’d just gone through with Ravus. No, all he could focus on was the intensity in Noctis’ gaze. He could feel his cheeks warming, could feel his chest and neck flushing, the tips of his ears turning red. But it wasn’t from embarrassment; no, he wasn’t embarrassed in the least. His heart was beating a hard, steady rhythm within his chest.

 He wanted, no, needed to kiss Noctis. He had to. Noctis was his. He was Noctis’.

Far to soon, the song ended, but Noctis didn’t part. No, his fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, and he simply studied the blond with the freckles within his arms.

The sharp sound of clapping startled them both apart. “Well… That was… Something.” Aurora spoke, cheeks flushed a bright pink. Clearing his throat, Ravus rose from his seat and draped an arm around Aurora’s shoulders. Ignis and Gladio moved closer to one another, and it occurred to Prompto that perhaps their dance wasn’t the most appropriate.

“I… I’ll take Prompto up to his room. I’m sure he’s exhausted,” Noctis called, and before Prompto could agree, he was being all but drug out of the room by Noctis.

“Hey, hey, buddy, pal, slow down.” Prompto forced Noctis to stop, causing the other to spin around. Brows furrowing, Noctis stared Prompto down, and for a moment, Prompto wondered if he’d done something wrong.

Until Noctis surged forward and captured Prompto’s lips in a stinging, biting kiss.

Prompto wrapped his arms around Noctis’ shoulders, pulling him closer, as Noctis backed him up, caging him against the wall. He could feel the tips of Noctis’ fangs pressing into his lips, but not breaking the skin. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure how long they stood there, kissing, until he felt Noctis’ tongue brush against his lips.

“Take me to my rooms,” Prompto whispered as he pulled back from the kiss, cheeks flushed rosy, eyes glazed. A smirk curled Noctis’ lips as he leaned down, pressing one lingering kiss after the other to Prompto’s neck. A shudder danced down his spine, spreading across his skin like a cold, silk blanket.

   “Gladly.”

[cha0ticmimzy]

Chapter III: Niflheim

Author’s Note: And so we delve into the mysterious land of Niflheim. Word Count: 3885 Warnings: Mentions of violence. Rating: M

“The homeland of primordial darkness, cold, mist, and ice.”- Norse Mythology, official description of Niflheim

Snowcapped mountains surrounded the city, a natural shield from the outside world. Eternal winter laid claim to the land, the ice melting for a mere two months each year before falling upon the Empire once more. The people had adapted, had grown used to the biting wind, the snow, the darkness. One would assume that no one would dare ever live in such an inhabitable place such as Niflheim, but then again, one would also assume that anyone who would live in Galahd would be insane.

Volcanos were tricky, temperamental places to live.

Ardyn Izunia pulled the bane jacket closer to himself, chin tucked down beneath the collar as if it would aid in keeping him warm. Damn Iedolas and his harebrained idea that the walkway leading into the palace should be a mile long, surrounded by snow dusted evergreens on either side. The gold peaks of the palace gleamed in the rare glimpse of sunlight- sunlight that gleamed off the snow, assaulting the sensitive corneas of his eyes.

He really hated the snow.

“Afternoon, gentlemen,” Ardyn crooned to the guards stationed along the edge of the stairs as he all but sprinted up the steps, quickly making his way into the manor, the feeling of heat greeting him as soon as he opened the doors a welcome sensation. Slipping the gloves from his hands, jacket sliding off his shoulders, he glanced around, taking in the bustle of activity. A soundless chuckle shook his shoulders as he wove his way through the bustling secretaries and military grunts, making his way up to Aldercapt’s office. He was late, but fashionably so.

Or, that’s what he told himself.

“About damn time you showed up,” Verstael croaked from the table, a cold smile curling the elder’s lips. A scowl tugged at the corner of Ardyn’s own, but he suppressed it, instead flashing an equally cold smile at the commander. Breezing into the room, he managed to pause and bow to Aldercapt, who looked rather amused at the argument between the men.

“Pardon my late arrival, your grace. My… Informant was running late.” The auburn haired chancellor explained as he took his seat across from Verstael, to Iedolas’ right. Brows raising, he looked around the room curiously. In the corner stood a pair clothed head to toe in black cloth and silver armor, their faces obscured. “My, my- Glauca, Wraith, it certainly has been some time since I’ve seen either of your faces in this room! Tell me, how fairs our friends to the south?” Golden hues studied the pair; he honestly couldn’t remember having ever seen either’s face before.

That would need to change.

“We were just discussing that. Wraith, love, please continue,” Iedolas murmured, voice more of a light rasp than anything else these days. Oh, the torture of aging! Ardyn himself wouldn’t know how that felt- well, in theory, he did age, just not… Quickly.

“As I was saying, Tenebrae is suspicious, but not to the point of sending out any birds to scout. I’m most certain that they won’t make a move without Regis’ order-”

“They’ve done that before, dear. Before you were born,” Ardyn interrupted with a shake of his head. “They moved in quickly with the cover of a blizzard and slaughtered all of our poor, poor shifters. Though, that happened… How many years ago, Verstael?”

“One hundred and twenty.”

“Ah, yes, one hundred and twenty years ago, when the war came to an official end.” He finished, flashing a cheeky grin around the room. “And who of us was alive to even see that?” When no one answered, Ardyn nodded slowly. Oh, he’d been there. He’d been there and had watched as his brethren, as his kingdom, all came tumbling down. But no one here needed to know that.

No one at all.  At least, not yet.

“As I was saying,” Wraith began once more, through obviously gritted teeth behind the black cloth that hid her face from view, “They will not make a move without Regis’ order, due to Regis now overseeing the Glaive. Aside from that, there’s also the fact that the Fleuret coven is currently residing within Insomnia on a vacation of sorts.”

“He wouldn’t risk sending out any sort of armada right now. Not when everything is peaceful and the people are prospering.” Glauca added in, shifting, the should of metal rubbing against leather whispering through the room.

“Good, good… Now, tell me, Ardyn, what did your little informant tell you?” Iedolas probed, turning the attention from the pair in the corner to the man dressed rather flamboyantly in royal hues of reds and golds.

“Well…” Ardyn began, straightening up in his chair, resembling a lion standing over his pride. “He said that there is a boy that matches the description that works for him in Insomnia. Blond hair, blue eyes, freckles… He’s quiet, and he used to have a brother… Verstael, didn’t your escaped experiment have a brother? Oh, what was his name…” Ardyn trailed off, golden hues zeroing in on the scientist. The temperature in the room seemed to drop as the man shifted, jaw clenching.

“Oh, right- he was named after the Trickster, wasn’t he? Loqi, that was his name…”

“Loqi Tummelt. The other one hadn’t been given a name yet- he was still in the testing stages when that brat took him and fled.” Verstael hissed out, hands smoothing over the surface of the table. His hands were pale, scarred, the signs of endless hours in the lab evident.

“Glauca, Wraith- I want you both in Insomnia… I want you two to find the escaped experiments… Without them, Niflheim will fall.” With that, Iedolas stood, which prompted for the other occupants to quickly rise as well and bow, holding position until the Emperor walked out, Verstael following suit. Ardyn lingered, watching as the secretaries scattered, running off to inform everyone of what they’ve learned, no doubt.

They’re all mice. Scattering so quickly, so easily.

Pawns in a game of thrones.

Humming under his breath, he made his way over to the pair who were talking quietly with one another, though the conversation seemed to halt once he was within earshot. “Oh, no, don’t stop on account of me.” He taunted, reaching out as if to touch the edge of the mask covering Wraith’s face. So close…

Her hand shot out, an iron grip wrapping around his wrist, the edges of claw-like hand guards digging into his skin. “Did I say you could come near me, or touch me, Izunia?” She hissed, voice lilted with the Tenebraen accent. “I did not. Touch me again and I will have your head resting on a spike, you disgusting mongrel.”

“Oho, Glauca, you need to keep a tighter leash on this one.” Ardyn mused, all but ripping his arm free, ignoring the sting from skin being ripped open. Oh, well. It would heal shortly. “Otherwise, she might end up in an unsightly position… And we wouldn’t want that, would we?” Humming once more, he breezed from the room, head held high, a pep in his step.

“I hate him.”

‘Oh, darling, everyone hates me. I’m the reason the war began, after all.’

“Explain to me again why we have to listen to that disgusting man once more?” The woman asked, pulling the black fabric mask from her face, icy hues falling closed as she allowed her skin to breathe. The man beside her let out a snort of laughter, removing his own helm before running a hand through his short, brown hair.

“Because we owe him our lives. He’s the reason you’re alive, Ater- or, should I say, Wraith?” He replied, glancing down at the petite vampire with a fond smile, whiskey hues surveying her appearance as she undressed. The scars that stretched down her back were a painful reminder of just what sort of beast he was, what sort of beast they had made him to be. If she had been human, he would have killed her.

He almost did kill her, even so.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Titus- or, should I say, Glauca,” Ater snapped back, undoing the metal hand guards and allowing them to fall onto the hotel bed. “… So, Insomnia. I’ve never been there… What’s it like? I heard it’s the City that Never Sleeps…” She trailed off, untying her black hair from the bun it had been in, allowing it to cascade down to the small of her back in gentle waves.

“It’s a lot louder than Tenebrae, and more… Free. Regis reigns over it, sure, but the public has a loose leash. The blood banks are more taboo here than in Tenebrae, as well.” Sighing, he pulled the metal-enforced shirt over his head, relief flooding through him as the weight disappeared. “It’s a corrupt place, really… Now that I think of it, it’d be right up your alley.” Reaching over, he traced a finger down her spine, watching the way a shiver followed in its path.

“We don’t have time for this- I need to get back to Tenebrae before hauling ass to Insomnia, and you,” Ater paused, turning to place a hand in the center of Titus’ chest, directly over three gnarled scars, “need to return to Insomnia before I do. We can’t have Regis getting curious, now can we?” She purred, lifting up onto her toes to place a kiss against the corner of Drautos’ lips.

He turned his head, capturing her lips in a kiss before she could pull away, a hand coming up to grasp the back of her neck, holding her in place. Deepening the kiss, he ran his tongue along her lip before pulling back, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. Ater huffed, reaching up to pat his cheek.

“I’ll see when you when I get to Insomnia, alright? Stay safe, stay hidden.” Ater murmured, brows furrowing as she dropped her hand and stepped back, shoulders squaring. Slipping back into the persona known as Wraith, an assassin hidden within the shadows. Sighing, he stepped aside and let her slip past, starting to redress in traveling clothes. Black on black on black- no metal in sight, though he knew for a fact that her bots were lined with metal, and the undershirt she was pulling on had reinforced leather that could at least dampen the damage of a fist. Seeing her slip so easily into the Wraith sent a chill down his spine, though he knew he was the exact same when it came to becoming Glauca. Drautos sometimes wondered which side of her was the real Ater.

Sometimes he wondered which side was the real one- Wraith and Glauca or Drautos and Ater?

The halls echoed with each footstep, a reminder of how the times have changed. Once, these halls teemed with activity. Once, these halls held the images of his ancestors, the line of the Lucis Caelum, before they were tainted. Tainted because of what his father did. Tainted, forever cursed. The archways before him lead into a grand ballroom- or, what was once a grand ballroom, no doubt.

Now, all that stood was a ruined marble floor, marble columns, and a ceiling that no longer existed. The sky was now the ceiling, and snow had gathered on the floor in drifts, icicles hanging from the broken off pieces of what was once a domed ceiling. Oh, the parties that had been held in this hall! He could remember listening to the string quartet in the corner, the voices of the royal families and their friends drifting, mingling.

Now, all Ardyn could see were the stains of the fallen beneath the snow drifts.

His jaw clenched as memories of that night drifted into the forefront of his memory. There had been a ceasefire declared between Niflheim and Tenebrae. An entire ball had been thrown together, and all of Niflheim had turned out. Insomnia had politely declined the invitation, stating they wished them all well, but they needed to focus on grieving King Mors’ death. Tenebrae had also declined, but had given no formal explanation.

That in and of itself should have sent up warning signs, but all attention was on the ball and the end of the war.

The blizzard had rolled in during the most auspicious of times, cloaking Niflheim within its wintry grasp. But that didn’t stop the populous from donning their finest of dress and suits, making their way to the grand palace for the night’s events. The ball was a sign of the war finally coming to an end after all these years, a sign of peace and tranquility.

Ardyn had been groomed and made to look presentable once more, dressed impeccably in a suit of dark maroon and gold. Somnus had come in and reminded him once more of their time being pressed, which was no real worry. Fashionably late, as always.

The wind was cold, colder than any wind he’d ever felt before in his life. It cut him to the bone, and sounded as if the skies itself were crying, howling, screaming into the dark night. It sent a chill through him, his hair standing on end. But the wine he was offered the moment he entered through the large golden doors warmed him; wine imported from the northern most portion of Tenebrae.

As time passed, it seemed to slow. The dancers moved in dazzling circles, Ardyn amongst them dancing with first one girl in a dress of gold, then another in a gown of red, over and over until the faces began to blur. The time of his life, he’d thought to himself. It was a relief, to be away from the carnage of the battlefield, to be celebrating with his people.

Then, the doors were shutting.

He’d thought nothing of it- if anything, it would keep the warmth within the ballroom and keep the chill of eternal winter outside. In fact, he was certain that was what everyone was thinking. The more warmth, the better. Shifters they may be, but not all of them were fit for the cold. He himself was gifted with being able to handle the chill of winter, but others…

That was why there was a colony of werewolves in Galahd, where winter never reached and summer reigned supreme.

He thought nothing of the way the girl in the blue dress, hair the color of silver, of mercury, lead him off of the floor and to the side, a smile of promise upon her blood red lips. The way her violet eyes danced with mischief behind the ornate ivory mask that graced her cheeks. No, his mind was far away, drunken and swimming. He didn’t register something had happened, something was wrong, until she leaned forward and her lips brushed against his cheek.

“That was for my father, Achilleus.” She had whispered into his ear as the pain began to settle into his stomach, and as he looked from the flawless face, the tears streaming down it, to his stomach, where a blade of black was pulling free from his clothes. Blood had already begun to bloom out, turning the maroon darker, almost black. He made a croaking sound- he tried to cry out, to yell, to warn everyone that Tenebrae was here.

That Tenebrae had come, and brought swift revenge with them.

He’d slipped to the floor, hands grasping at his stomach, and watched in horror as the flames in the ornate fireplace grew higher and higher until the embers began to roll out, and with them came the horrid screams and the scent of burning flesh. The torches had been doused, and all Ardyn could see were the burning corpses of his people. He wanted to get up, to move- but his limbs wouldn’t listen to him. It was as if he was chained to the ground, as if lead had been poured into his veins.

Somnus was fighting, was trying to shift, his skin beginning to tear- but he was stopping, unable to finish the shift. His teeth had already fallen out, the muzzle of a grey wolf ripping free of his face, the human skin pushing back, blood running like tiny rivers across his maw, his eyes- the eyes of a wolf had overtaken those of a human. But the human skin was still there, the shift unfinished. And then, he was falling, falling, the sword pulling free from his back. He hadn’t made a sound, not one, but Ardyn knew- he knew the pain that it must have caused.

And as if that wasn’t bad as is, that damned silver haired bitch lowered a torch to his corpse- to SOMNUS’ CORPSE- and lit it aflame. And then she just stood, and watched.

They all stood and just watched as they burned. As his people burned. He could hear the screams from outside, the townsfolk screaming. Gods have mercy, they were slaughtering them all. Tenebrae had come and reaped all their souls like the damned soulless bastards they were.

“Somnus-SOMNUS. Don’t…” Ardyn croaked, lurching forward to half crawl, half slide towards the shifter, towards his mate. Even if they acted as if they hated one another, it was never true. Not behind closed doors; he could never hate his prince. He barely noticed the boots that were walking slowly beside him, nor the blade whose tip drug along the ground. He reached out with shaking hands before he was roughly dragged backwards by his ankles. A ragged scream wretched free from his lungs as the wound in his stomach tore more and more, ripping open.

He flipped himself over, staring up at the young face looming over him, lilac hues surveying his prone form. The left side of his body seemed to be burned- had he caught fire? Good. He could reach up, he could punch- but his energy had already been spent just crawling over here. Now- now, he was at the mercy of this… This vampire. “You… You killed my father. Achilleus. I watched you rip his head from his shoulders. I was there. A son should never have to watch his father die, don’t you think? I find this… Beautiful. A beautiful play of revenge worthy of song. Remember my name- I refuse to kill you. I want you to tell of this day. Ravus Nox-Fleuret. Remember my name, filthy mutt.”

The man, no, the boy sneered down at him as he straightened, the tip of the blade dragging slowly across Ardyn’s throat. Not pressing down, not tearing the skin- only a threat. His mind was fogging over- was the dagger poisoned? That would make sense, because his hearing was going out as well. Or maybe he’d simply lost too much blood. Either way, shadows were creeping in at the edges of his vision as he watched the group of Tenebraen vampires walk out, leaving the doors open, allowing the winter to find solace in this temple of burning corpses.

“Somnus… Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me alone in this world… please… don’t…”

Ardyn shifted, reaching up to wipe the single tear that had fallen down his cheek. A scowl turned his lips downward as he turned sharply on his heel, stalking away and out of the ruins. They would pay. All of Tenebrae would pay for the sins their monarchs had committed against the good, innocent people of Niflheim. He remembered waking days afterwards, nearly frozen and to the sounds of weeping mothers. The sight of houses burned to the ground and of the funeral piers of those not having perished in the flames.

They had reached out to Insomnia for aid, and received no response.

Tenebrae would pay. Sylva Nox-Fleuret would pay. Ravus Nox-Fleuret would pay.

They would burn, just as his love had, just has his people had. Just as his empire had.

“Ardyn, could I spare a moment of your time? I need to go over where we will be sending our troops…” The voice of Aranea Highwind called to him, making him pause in his steps, a cold smile curling his lips upward. Yes, Tenebrae would pay in blood and bone, and so would Insomnia, and soon.

“Why, of course, my dear….”

[cha0ticmimzy]

Chapter VII: Dressing

Author’s Notes: Shortest chapter I’ve written. Prompto has troubles and needs Aurora and Ravus to help. Word Count: 1014 Warnings: None

“I’m sorry, I just- I don’t normally dress up and I didn’t know who else to call-” Prompto blabbed, standing in the middle of the bedroom in a pair of black trousers. “I just- I don’t know what I’m doing.” He whined, hands coming up to cover his face. Aurora tutted, walking over and taking his hands in her own, pulling them away from his face to reveal wide blue eyes and rosy cheeks.

“Calm down! Ravus will help you. Darling, find him a shirt.” Aurora spoke calmly, keeping hold of Prompto’s hands as Ravus walked past towards the closet. “Now, your skin tone… Perhaps something lighter? Unless there’s a deep red- red would look marvelous on him. Oh! There- that dark grey button down- no, no, the one beside that one, with the- yes!” She grinned, incisors in full view, reminding Prompto that she wasn’t just an upper-class woman- that she could kill him if she wanted.

“Yes, that grey will go perfectly with those wonderful blue eyes and that blond hair of yours.” Nodding, she took a step back so that Ravus could take her place, holding the silken shirt up to Prompto’s torso. “Perfect!” She clapped her hands together in glee. Prompto reached up, taking the shirt from Ravus’ hands- brushing against surprisingly warm skin. Huh- he’d always thought that vampires would be freezing. Pulling the shirt on, he managed to button it quickly, leaving the top few unbuttoned.

  “No, no.” Ravus tutted, reaching up to button the shirt all the way to the top. “You’re eating dinner with royalty, you cannot look casual.” He reprimanded gently before pushing Prompto’s head up gently with a finger under his chin. “Be careful not to cut yourself at dinner, elbows off the table- and sit across from Noctis, not beside him. That seat is reserved for Ignis Scientia. I do hope you know the difference between your silver ware…” He trailed off as he reached up, brushing blond bangs aside. “… Your hair needs taming. Aurora?”

“Already ready. Sit, sit! We’ve got to get you all nice and pretty!” She all but squealed, pushing down on Prompto’s shoulders, urging him to sit on the edge of the bed. Prompto almost stumbled, sitting down hard on the edge of the bed, looking up at the woman with wide eyes. “Your eyes are the prettiest I’ve ever seen! They’re almost purple with how blue they are!” She exclaimed, cupping his chin to hold him in place. “Now, to fix that hair of yours… Have you ever tried spiking it?”

“Spiking…?” Prompto asked, eyes widening. “No, I haven’t. Do you think it’ll look okay?” He asked, brows furrowing as he tried to look past the woman to see his reflection. She moved quickly, blocking his path.

“Then we’re doing it!” She decided with a triumphant grin. Ravus hummed from his spot against the wall, watching as his betrothed began to work. Her fingers were nimble in Prompto’s hair, brushing out the thick blond locks. She worked the comb through, carefully beginning to section out the strands into chunks. One hand reached out, dipping into the pomade she’d found. Carefully, she spread it through, sculpting the strands to swoop upwards rather than stand straight upwards. The lower layers were combed down, falling along the side of his face rather than across his forehead.

The entire process took little more than ten minutes, given how often Aurora had to style her own hair. “Tada!” She exclaimed, moving aside so that Prompto could see his reflection. Eyes widening in surprise, he reached up to touch the spikes, expecting them to be hard as a rock but finding them to be surprisingly soft. “The pomade I used is meant to simply hold, not to stick or anything like that.”

“I like it,” Prompto replied softly, eyes wide in surprise. “I like it a lot!” He grinned, turning his attention back to the brunette. “Thank you so much. I’m… I’m sorry for asking the maid to get you two-” he was promptly hushed by the look Aurora sent him. His cheeks flushed as he quickly looked down, worrying his bottom lip.

“I’m glad you called upon us,” Aurora replied as she stood, brushing off the dark silk. “I so rarely get the pleasure of doing someone else’s hair! Ravus likes to keep his hair like it is…” She pouted, arms crossing over her chest. Behind him, he could hear Ravus let out an amused snort as he moved forward.

Quietly, he reached around Prompto, draping a deep sapphire tie around his neck. “This matches Noctis’ eyes and goes well with the suit. It’ll bring out the blue in your eyes, as well.” He murmured, coming around to the front before kneeling before the human.

“It’s really pretty…” Prompto spoke softly, eyes glued to the silk fabric before looking up at Ravus’ face. This close, he could see the beauty marks that speckled his face, as well as the freckles that were almost hidden due to the pale parlor of his skin. His eyes were beautiful- lilac, deeper at the edges of the iris, lighter near the center. His lips were soft-looking, and his hair was brushed back, bangs pushed away from his face. Beautiful, Prompto decided.

“There.” Ravus nodded, slowly rising. The tie had been tied and adjusted perfectly. Aurora clasped her hands together, pressing them against her chest.

“Now, dinner?” She asked, grinning, incisors peeking through once more. Prompto swallowed harshly before nodding and standing on shaky legs. He was about to, quite literally, dine with vampires. All of them were vampires. The knowledge hadn’t really settled in until that moment, but now… Ravus placed a hand in the small of his back, gently urging him forward. Eyes wide, he left the bedroom, Aurora closing the door behind them. “Oh, it’s been so long since we’ve had a human guest! This is exciting!” She cooed, looping her arm through Prompto’s. He was stuck.

They had him stuck. He had nowhere to run even if he wanted to.

[cha0ticmimzy]

Chapter IV: Work

Author’s Notes: A little reprieve, and a peek into Propmto’s personal life. Plus, a small shock, and a connection is made. Word Count: 2391 Warnings: None for this chapter. Rating: Teen for this chapter.

“We live in an age where everything is staged.”-Jon Bellion, Woke The F*ck Up

“So, listen…” Dino began, making Prompto freeze and look down at his keyboard, suddenly overwhelm with guilt. “Look, I ain’t mad at ya or anythin’, but… I gotta know, did ya manage to get any pictures? I know you were all cooped up in a hospital room an’ all but…” Dino trailed off, leaning his hip against Prompto’s desk. Dino wasn’t a really imposing man, not really, but he could be unnerving when he wanted to be. Especially with how light his eyes were. They were almost unearthly, if he were being honest.

Oh, right. Photographs.

“Yeah! Yeah, I got some- hang on…” Pushing his glasses up his nose, he quickly turned his attention to his computer, pulling up the file with a nervous grin. He hadn’t even had the time to look through the photographs yet, let alone retouch any of them. In fact, ever since his accidental meeting with Regis and then being threatened by Gladiolus, all he’d done was sleep. Then again, considering how he had still been healing, that wasn’t very shocking.

“Lemme just…” Tongue poking out from between his lips, he double clicked and brought up the first picture of the cars arriving before the Citadel. The next was a close-up shot of the bodyguard whose name he knew now to be Nyx Ulric- actually, the next few shots were of him. He could hear Dino whistling softly in surprise behind him, making him sit up straighter, pride swelling up within his chest. “Told ya I’d get them,” he teased, looking up at his boss as the next picture came up, this one of Sylva, Lunafreya, Ravus, and his fiancée, Aurora. “The girl’s name is Aurora; family’s upper class Tenebraen, fiancée to Ravus Nox Fleuret.”

“Ya did good, kid. I’m impressed. Go in and retouch some of ‘em, and then send t’me.” Dino praised with a grin, reaching down to ruffle Prompto’s hair before leaving Prompto’s office, pulling his phone out. Prompto leaned back in his chair, a bright grin on his face as he nodded to himself.

“Hell yes I did good. There ain’t a better photographer in Insomnia than me!” He whispered, doing a little dance in his chair before accidentally pushing his chair back, prompting a squeak to escape him as he spun quickly. “NONONONO- Aw, man. I just got those magazines organized!” He whined, watching as the pile fell to the floor.

“Aurora’s her name. Didn’t get much else outta him, but I’ve got pictures. That is, if you got money…”

“Don’t you worry, you’ll get your money. As soon as I have those pictures…”

“Right, right. Whattya want wit’ him anyways? He ain’t no one, not that I can tell. Family ain’t rich and he ain’t a looker…”

“Don’t worry yourself with what I want. You just send those images along to me, pet.”

“Yessir.” Dino sighed, ending the call with a frown as he pocketed his phone. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking over his shoulder at the blond. Oh, well. It wasn’t his problem. Not now, anyways. Maybe later. Maybe not. He’d decide when he got his money.

“So, then I sort of… Fumbled my words? And it was just- they were so intense, Cindy! So. Fricken. Intense.” Prompto whined, collapsing down onto the red leather couch beside the mechanic, who let out a soft laugh.

“Well, whaddya expect? They ain’t your run of the mill folk, now.” She replied with a shrug as she reached over, grabbing a container of fried rice. “But I’on want you t’go near ‘em anymore, y’hear? Vamps and shifters- they ain’t good news, Prom.” Sighing, she shrugged, reaching over Prompto’s leg to grab hold of a separate container containing lamb in black pepper sauce. “I’m jus’ tryin’ ta look out for you, you know that.”

“I know, I know…” Prompto muttered, grabbing a container of Chow Fun and dumping the contents of his own General Tsao’s Chicken and ginger beef into, quickly mixing the contents together. “But- Cindy, you wouldn’t believe the way these guys look! Like, ho my god. Noctis’ eyes are so… Pretty? And the girl- Aurora- was so nice and gentle! She even petted my head, Cindy!” He whined, leaning over to all but rest majority of his weight on the blond.

“Buddy, I ain’t gonna argue with you. They are very pretty, even I can’t deny that. But I still want you t’be careful.” Sighing, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his temple, making Prompto freeze up, cheeks flushing as he quickly sat up and reached for the remote. “Oh, oh! My favorite show is on! Amber’s Anatomy!” She squealed, hunkering down into the couch with a bright grin. “I wanna know if Amber White is gonna go with McDreary or if she gonna leave him behind!”

“I have no idea what you just said but okay,” Prompto shrugged, stuffing his face with noodles and chicken and beef, groaning at the taste. Gods above, he loved takeout more than anything. Though, Galahdian takeout was far better, he’d settle for classic Insomnian. “Okay, so who’s who?”

“Okay, so, Amber is the lead character, righ’? And she’s a doctor who gets all tangled up in a messy love triangle with Doctor Terrier and this other lady, and her mother was a doctor, too! And then there’s…”

He’d ended up crashing on Cindy’s couch, Cindy falling asleep in the recliner, the sounds of Amber’s Anatomy in the background. By the time morning came, Cindy was already in the shower singing along to some old country song, and Prompto was left to throw out all their trash from the night before. They’d fallen asleep before they could manage to save any of the takeout, sadly.

Humming, he went to work cleaning, picking up the boxes and tossing them into the trash bag. The sound of the bathroom door opening made him look up, only to catch Cindy shuffling out in a bright blue, fuzzy robe, her hair hanging in damp ringlets around her face. Wow, she looked like an angel…

“Aw, shuga! You don’ gotta go an’ clean up all this by yourself!” Cindy cooed, a grin spreading across her lips as she leaned against the bathroom door. “But it is most definitely a welcome gesture.” Yawning, she made her way over to her bedroom the door falling shut behind her. “I can whip us up some grub after I get dressed!” She hollered, making Prompto pause, box of rice almost tipping over.

“Sure, sounds great!” He yelled back, going back to his job of lifting the trash bag out of the trash and tying it closed. Lifting it up with a grunt, he walked over to the trash chute and let it fall down before turning and leaning against the wall with a yawn. Normally, he’d go for a run now, but the promise of Cindy’s cooking kept him here. A skip day wouldn’t hurt, right? Right. At least, that was his reasoning.

“Now, what’re we feelin’ this mornin’? Personally, I wanna scarf down some omlettes…”

Breakfast done, kitchen cleaned, Prompto was about to head out when a knock on the door made him pause. “C’n ya get that?” Cindy called from her bedroom. “I would but I got half a face of makeup on and I don’ wanna scare no ones!” Snorting, the blond rolled his eyes and set his bag down, walking over to the front door. He looked through the peephole, only to be greeted with the sight of a red and black sweater. And a rather… Ample. Chest. Coughing, he quickly unlatched the lock and swung the door open, cornflower blue hues widening at the sight.

“Is Cindy home?” The woman asked, jade hues sizing him up. Prompto suddenly felt incredibly small compared to this woman- her piercing gaze, the silver hair that was tied up in a high pony tail, the menacing motorcycle boots… “Hey, kid. If Cindy isn’t home, just tell me instead of staring at me like you’ve never seen a woman before.”

Startling, Prompto quickly took a step back. “Ye-yeah, she’s in her room…” He trailed off, watching as the woman stepped past him with a smirk, throwing a wink in his direction. Squeaking in a rather unmanly way, he quickly shut the door and watched her poke her head into Cindy’s bedroom, prompting a squeal of delight.

“Aranea! I didn’t know you’d be in today!” Cindy exclaimed, and threw her arms around Aranea’s shoulders. Oh. Oh. So this was Cindy’s girlfriend- the motorcycle girl. The one who worked as a battlefield photographer. The one that Prompto may or may not have been extremely jealous over when he first found out that Cindy wasn’t interested in men at all. “Prompto, c’mere! I wan’ ya t’meet Aranea!” Cindy yelled, and without realizing it, he was moving towards the pair.

“Aranea, meet Prompto! He’s my buddy- I’ve known him for over six years now!” Cindy introduced with a grin, winking at Prompto. “Prompto, meet Aranea. Y’know we’ve been dating for over a year now- the light of my life.” She flushed, leaning into Aranea. “I’ve been wantin’ y’all to meet for a while now! But with Aranea’s crazy schedulin’ and yer crazy schedulin’… At least y’all getta meet now!”

Prompto shifted, flashing a small smile before holding his hand out. “Nice to meet you!” He managed to get out before Aranea took hold of his hand in a strong grip.

“Like wise.” She replied in a smooth voice that sent chills across his skin. Something seemed… Familiar about her. He couldn’t place it, though. Oh, well. It wasn’t important. “Anyway, I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by to see my favorite girl.” She explained, leaning over to peck Cindy’s cheek.

Clearing his throat, Prompto rubbed the back of his head and began backing away. “I’ll just leave you guys alone…” With that, he quickly grabbed his bag and quickly left the apartment, the sound of Cindy hollering ‘bye’ echoing in the hallway. He couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity from his conscience- that woman, Aranea… He knew he had seen her before. Her voice, her eyes… They were so familiar.

Maybe he was just imagining things. Maybe he’d seen her in a crowd once, or maybe at a party. Yeah, that was it.

… Hopefully.

­­­­­­­­­­­The rest of his day was uneventful, what with it being Saturday and all, he hadn’t needed to go into work. Though, he could have spent it going through all the pictures he’d taken before the accident, but… Nah. Instead, he’d gone out and treated himself to a sushi dinner, making sure to stop by the market on the way home to pick up food for breakfast (and some spare fish for the cats at the apartment complex).

Being home now, with Insolo curled up against him, was comforting. To be surrounded with familiarity. He was warm, and comfortable, and his bed was comfortable and the rain hitting against the glass of his window was perfect…

He fell asleep.

Or, at least, he thought he was asleep. But he was… Outside? And there was snow on the ground, and all around him. This wasn’t the park- or, well, anywhere he was familiar with. At least, not personally. Was this Niflheim? The layout looked the same form the pictures he’d seen in high school. But he wasn’t cold- shouldn’t he be cold? It was snowy, the wind was blowing- he could hear it howling.

Wait…

That wasn’t the wind.

Spinning around, he came face to face with a large black wolf, eyes as black as it’s fur. He tried to scream, but no noise came out. No noise, even as the light began to fade and the wolf began to lurk closer and closer. He fell to his knees, ready to accept his fate when a new sound ripped through the air. A cry. A baby’s cry. He pushed himself up, spinning around, looking for the wolf but not finding him. Brows furrowing, he turned, and stilled. Two babies, swaddled up, were left on a large flat stone.

He walked closer to them, snow crunching beneath his feet, a hand outstretched. But something wasn’t right- they weren’t moving. They weren’t making any noise. It wasn’t right. When he reached them, he leaned closer, and quickly moved back, eyes widening in surprise. They were babies, yes- but their throats were… Their throats were ripped out. Blood stained their blankets, and the stone around them. A growl sounded over his shoulder, making him turn. “You were never supposed to leave.” The jaws came down, closing around his throat-

Prompto jolted awake, sitting up in bed with the remnants of a yell leaving his lips. He quickly slipped from his head and ran to the bathroom, doubling over the toilet to dry heave. His heart was pounding in his chest- was he having a heart attack? Or just an anxiety attack? He didn’t know, he didn’t care. But it hurt.

Pushing up from the toilet, he stepped over to the sink and ran the tap cold, cupping the water in his hands and splashing his face with it. Looking up at his reflection, he startled, surprised at the… Lilac? Hues that stared back at him. Blinking, he leaned forward, only to see that his eyes were back to their normal blue…

Shaking his head, he shuffled back to his bed, calling Insolo back to cuddle. Maybe he was just… Sleep deprived. Yeah. That would make sense- people started to hallucinate when they were sleep deprived! That’s what was wrong.

“It’s him. I’m certain of it.” The woman spoke into the phone quietly, black coat pulled tight around her, cloaking her in the shadows. “Blond hair, blue eyes, freckles… What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing. Do nothing. Raise no suspicion. We got what we wanted.” The voice replied, sounding relieved and stressed at the same time. The woman nodded and ended the call, slipping her phone back into a pocket in her coat.

“Come back to bed,” the voice of her lover called, pulling her back into the apartment with a smile curling her lips, jade hues dancing in amusement.

[cha0ticmimzy]

YEETS

Guess who has 100 followers now? Hi, hello, I love you all. I'm finally working on my FFXV fics again, so I'll be posting those. And I have some major DA:I fics in the work I'll be posting.

So hi, hello, I'm back.

Come @ me with any requests for FFXV or Dragon Age: Inquisition! I write anything.

....please.

[cha0ticmimzy]

Snippet of future chapter: Bis Vivit Que Bene Vivit

"This is where Old Niflheim once stood," Ardyn explained, hands clasped behind his back as he took slow, measured steps. Ater shifted, pulling her black cowl tighter around herself. She could feel the dread that seemed to cling to the air, memories of what she'd learned of the massacre when she was younger jumping to the forefront of her mind. The forest was almost silent aside from the wind and the distant sound of water. All forms of animal life seemed to have left.

A forest of bones.

"Mind you, there didn't use to be this forest here. It grew as the years passed. This area was once clear..." His voice trailed off as he paused, expression softening as they entered into a lone-standing tower. "This was there the royals once stayed. The Grande Palace. It had been glorious- so I've been told." Ardyn commented as Ater gazed upwards. No doubt it had once been beautiful, she thought, with stained glass ceilings. But all that stood was this lonely tower.

"This place holds death." She spoke, breath fogging in the air as she stepped outside, surveying the wooded area. "It is as if Hel herself lives here." Something crunched beneath her foot, making her jump as she looked down. Crystalline hues widened in alarm at the sight of a broken femur bone beneath her boot. Oops.

"It was once beautiful, before the Tenebraen rats ruined it all. Now... Now there is nothing but death and decay, sorrow and mourning." Ardyn clicked his tongue, looking down at the petite assassin. Oh, how she resembled him so. But there was no blood relation between them. He'd made sure of that, going through all of her records and researching her family.

"Why did you bring me here?" Ater questioned, crouching down to run her fingers over damp moss. The moss that coated the ground flourished here; no doubt thanks to decay that was beneath their feet.

"A mere history lesson, is all. And..." He reached down, taking hold of her hair and jerking her head back, drawing forth a gasp and a scowl. "A reminder of who you are indebted to, dearest Ater. Do not go astray, unless you wish to end up like everyone here did, lying six feet beneath the ground with trees sprouting through your corpse." His voice had turned darker, the once charming golden hues now darker, the scelra seeming to bleed from white into black. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

[cha0ticmimzy]

“So… The Nox Fleuret family…” Prompto broke the silence, looking at the stack of books, then to Nyx in curiosity. “What are they, anyways? I mean, I get that they’re the most peaceful and all but… I dunno. Something seems off about them?” “Off is putting it lightly.” Nyx snorted, leaning back in his chair to reach over and poke Ignis. “This is your department, glasses. I don’t know enough about them.” “Right… well,” clearing his throat, Ignis turned his attention to Prompto, “Ravus Nox Fleuret is the eldest son, and heir to the throne. He’s… He was present at the end of the war- I believe he fought in it himself. I was too young, as was Gladiolus. But Ravus…” “Ravus is the epitome of the word serpent in the best way possible. He’s cunning, charming, and ruthless when need be.” Noctis chimed in, shrugging. “He’s… Dangerous. Him and Aurora make a good couple- they’re both dangerous in their own right. I’ve never seen Ravus mad, but from what I’ve heard, it’s a terrifying sight to see. Dad tells me he fought by Ravus’ side during the war, and the way Ravus wielded a blade could make most men piss themselves in fear. The song of swords sings to him, according to dad.” Aka I make more aesthetics for the fic instead of, you know, finishing chapter four. This time, the two sides of Lord Ravus Nox Fleuret.  I’m gonna love writing the Nox Fleuret history in this.

[cha0ticmimzy]

“I do believe you’re wrong, dear.” Aurora murmured, glancing from the red-tinged horizon to the man beside her, a smirk curling at her lips. “I think your mother plans on advancing no matter what Regis wants to do.”

“And that is why I worry… I was there the last time we went to war. I saw the way my mother is when blood is spilt… I’d rather not deal with that once more,” Ravus replied with a soft sigh, reaching our to capture a strand of brunette hair between his fingers.

“You’re mother will be fine. I’ll be there.” Aurora attempted to calm, flashing a bright smile only to receive a grim look in return.

“That, my songbird, is why I worry.”

Hi yes I love writing these two a lot. Little glimpse into the future chapters of BVQBV.

[cha0ticmimzy]

“Aurora Mane Gloriam, also known as the Bird of Tenebrae. Fiancée to Ravus Nox Fleuret.” Ignis paused, glancing from Lunafreya, then towards Prompto, who seemed to be sitting on the edge of his seat as he learned. “... And one of the most dangerous women in Lady Sylva’s council.”  aka Aurora was an old OC of mine and I needed to fill in some gaps for BVQBV. But her story fit in easily. Plus, I love her.

Suck it.

[cha0ticmimzy]

“Don’t be an idiot.” Drautos growled, shaking his head. “There’s no way in hell you’ll get out of there alive.”

“Good.” Ater replied, grinning. “Not like I was ever alive to being with, right?”

aka my other OC, Ater, whose backstory was so old that it isn’t even on my current laptop. But she fit perfectly into one of the roles I needed filled.

Deal with it.

[cha0ticmimzy]

I just

I love how I have specific parts of the fic completely fleshed out & written

But when it comes to the filler parts

I can't figure out how the fuck to write them.

@ my muse: please work with me I NEED TO WRITE these fuckin PromNoct and Gladio/Aranea/Ignis and LuNyxNoct scENES GOD DAMN IT.

[cha0ticmimzy]

Thinking...

I'm realizing that I'm probably gonna make some folk upset with the way I plan on writing certain characters in this fic. The more I plot out, the more... Dark it becomes. And the darker sides of the characters come out. And I know a lot of folk think of, say, Prompto as this innocent creme puff. And I'm not writing him that way. Just like I'm not writing Sylva Nox Fleuret as a gentle caring woman. Every single character in this fic has a darker side to them. And it will be shown.

And I'm not sorry.