![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
[ dave's honestly just running down the list of people he should call up at this point. ignis - tel, whatever - is on it. he's been gone for the last two days or so without a trace but now he's, you know.
around and alive (was he dead? dave can't even fucking tell anymore) and it's...okay, probably. ]
hey sorry on skipping out on gardening chores for a bit there
it was just an unfortunate side effect of the enforced skipping of town
can we not count it and pretend my attendance record remains perfect
i want an invite to the end of school pizza party for perfect attendance
thats a thing right
around and alive (was he dead? dave can't even fucking tell anymore) and it's...okay, probably. ]
hey sorry on skipping out on gardening chores for a bit there
it was just an unfortunate side effect of the enforced skipping of town
can we not count it and pretend my attendance record remains perfect
i want an invite to the end of school pizza party for perfect attendance
thats a thing right
Hardly cause for worry, I'm more than used to young men skipping out on their chores. It's a natural part of the youthful male condition, I think.
What do you mean by "the enforced skipping of town"?
What do you mean by "the enforced skipping of town"?
[Thankfully, he knows Ignis' hexcode from the gardening post. I don't remember if he ever gave him his fake name but let's roll with yes.]
Argentum-san, it's Minato. I was wondering if you'd be interested in doing something for Dave? After everything, I thought it might be nice to have a proper dinner for him. He said once he'd like to do something like that.
[And Ignis seems close to Dave, or close-ish anyway.]
Argentum-san, it's Minato. I was wondering if you'd be interested in doing something for Dave? After everything, I thought it might be nice to have a proper dinner for him. He said once he'd like to do something like that.
[And Ignis seems close to Dave, or close-ish anyway.]
After everything...yes, I'm sure I could see fit to assist with that. Do you have a menu picked out yet?
[ It's the kind of dream that wrecks you in the most profound of ways; the kind that reaches deep inside and breaks your heart, when tears come freely and grief reminds you that no, it's never really gone, no matter how sunny the days are. He dreams of Insomnia, his dad, the last meeting on the steps and a million ways this could have gone.
His dad, giving his life for his people even as he condemns so many of them to death at the same time, murdered by the Empire.
Noctis doesn't realise that he's crying when he wakes, when tears are drying on his face but it's formed a large, wet patch on Ignis' shirt. He wakes hollow and aching, words caught in his throat.
It's the kind of dream that tears daylight away, saps at hope and keeps you trapped in its shifting confines even after waking. Noctis doesn't understand why. He opens his eyes, the comfortable, familiar sound of Ignis' heart beating in his ear, steady and reassuring, and his arms tighten around him.
He should stop this, he's no longer a child -- he should deal with this the way adults do, and yet. Ignis should be up by now, right? He's usually either gently rousing him awake or extricating himself in the mornings if he thinks Noctis needs more time to sleep. But today? Today feels strange. like something's come in the night and hollowed him out. Is Ignis feeling the same? Is this kind of feeling infectious? ]
Your shirt's wet.
His dad, giving his life for his people even as he condemns so many of them to death at the same time, murdered by the Empire.
Noctis doesn't realise that he's crying when he wakes, when tears are drying on his face but it's formed a large, wet patch on Ignis' shirt. He wakes hollow and aching, words caught in his throat.
It's the kind of dream that tears daylight away, saps at hope and keeps you trapped in its shifting confines even after waking. Noctis doesn't understand why. He opens his eyes, the comfortable, familiar sound of Ignis' heart beating in his ear, steady and reassuring, and his arms tighten around him.
He should stop this, he's no longer a child -- he should deal with this the way adults do, and yet. Ignis should be up by now, right? He's usually either gently rousing him awake or extricating himself in the mornings if he thinks Noctis needs more time to sleep. But today? Today feels strange. like something's come in the night and hollowed him out. Is Ignis feeling the same? Is this kind of feeling infectious? ]
Your shirt's wet.
[Never let it be said that the prince — his king — his prince doesn't have a gift for understatement.
What had roused him from his slumber was, unsurprisingly, the first of Noct's quiet sobs; that's a response that's been hardwired into him since Noct was a child, that when he cries, Ignis needs to snap to attention, to assess the situation, to respond. Once upon a time it had been minor, inconsequential things — a bedtime too early for Noct's toddler sensibilities, an intolerable separation as the byproduct of Noct's first day of school. But sometimes it had been other things, genuine fears.
He remembers a wealth of nights when Noct was eight years old, after the Marilith but before he'd left for Tenebrae, when he'd been fearful and withdrawn during the day, and had sobbed at night. He remembers leaving his own room to sneak into Noct's, crawling beneath the covers next to him, holding him just like he is now.
They're older, the both of them, but some things haven't changed. This hasn't. This won't.
So he's already awake and waiting for the moment Noct has roused himself enough to speak, and he knows that Noct is touchy in the extreme about people laying hands on his back, but he hopes this will be a forgivable exception; he's rubbing Noct's back softly, high on the spine near his shoulderblades, tangling up in him as much as he can to try to afford the security of a warm familiar body until Noct is awake again.
He sounds dull and wrung-out, when he finally speaks. It leaves Ignis feeling like someone's reached inside him and scooped him out, too.]
It'll dry.
[Quiet. Gentle. Easy.]
We're in our room. The one we're sharing in the canal district of the gray little town we've both lived in for the past two months.
[Just in case he needs that anchor, to shake off his dreams and remind himself of what's real and what's phantoms.]
You're safe. Nothing's going to harm you, Noct. Not while I'm here.
What had roused him from his slumber was, unsurprisingly, the first of Noct's quiet sobs; that's a response that's been hardwired into him since Noct was a child, that when he cries, Ignis needs to snap to attention, to assess the situation, to respond. Once upon a time it had been minor, inconsequential things — a bedtime too early for Noct's toddler sensibilities, an intolerable separation as the byproduct of Noct's first day of school. But sometimes it had been other things, genuine fears.
He remembers a wealth of nights when Noct was eight years old, after the Marilith but before he'd left for Tenebrae, when he'd been fearful and withdrawn during the day, and had sobbed at night. He remembers leaving his own room to sneak into Noct's, crawling beneath the covers next to him, holding him just like he is now.
They're older, the both of them, but some things haven't changed. This hasn't. This won't.
So he's already awake and waiting for the moment Noct has roused himself enough to speak, and he knows that Noct is touchy in the extreme about people laying hands on his back, but he hopes this will be a forgivable exception; he's rubbing Noct's back softly, high on the spine near his shoulderblades, tangling up in him as much as he can to try to afford the security of a warm familiar body until Noct is awake again.
He sounds dull and wrung-out, when he finally speaks. It leaves Ignis feeling like someone's reached inside him and scooped him out, too.]
It'll dry.
[Quiet. Gentle. Easy.]
We're in our room. The one we're sharing in the canal district of the gray little town we've both lived in for the past two months.
[Just in case he needs that anchor, to shake off his dreams and remind himself of what's real and what's phantoms.]
You're safe. Nothing's going to harm you, Noct. Not while I'm here.
so
i met a guy named argentum who may have been looking for you fyi
i assume he found you all bc he seemed fine at the whole tournament thing
also
do you want to help me find/kill a sumo monster
(editors note apparently the monster is in fact a spider woman
false name advertising)
i met a guy named argentum who may have been looking for you fyi
i assume he found you all bc he seemed fine at the whole tournament thing
also
do you want to help me find/kill a sumo monster
(editors note apparently the monster is in fact a spider woman
false name advertising)
Ah. So you met Prompto, then. That's good to hear; I'm glad he encountered trustworthy people upon his arrival.
And I suppose I could see fit to do that. I've something of a knack for killing spiders, and I've always thought of myself as rather a ladykiller as well.
:)
And I suppose I could see fit to do that. I've something of a knack for killing spiders, and I've always thought of myself as rather a ladykiller as well.
:)
[ He's heard about this guy on the grapevine. It feels like it's been so long since he's had anything like a decent meal, and something actually cooked sounds divine. While Josuke isn't shameless enough to mooch off of people who might actually be nice (he cares a lot less if those people are assholes), perhaps he'll have something to offer in exchange for the food. ]
Hey. Is this Mr. Ignis? [ making an effort to sound polite ]
Hey. Is this Mr. Ignis? [ making an effort to sound polite ]
Oh? Have you taken a bite out of a deer recently, then?
[Hey, Iggy, are you cooking? Have you missed your favorite blond hanging out at the counter while you work? Because here he is, scrubbed clean and ready for breakfast, leaning back against the counter just like the old days.]
Mornin', Iggy. [Prompto yawns and gets comfortable.] Mmmm, smells delicious. You're spoiling us forever, dude. How'd you sleep?
Mornin', Iggy. [Prompto yawns and gets comfortable.] Mmmm, smells delicious. You're spoiling us forever, dude. How'd you sleep?
[Isn't he always cooking, really? This morning's experiment appears to be some sort of excellent-smelling vegetable hash with venison bacon.]
Oh, approximately the usual, I'd say. I've no complaints.
[Given that pretty much every one of his nights now has its quality of sleep decided by "whether or not Noct has a nightmare".]
And yourself, Prompto?
Oh, approximately the usual, I'd say. I've no complaints.
[Given that pretty much every one of his nights now has its quality of sleep decided by "whether or not Noct has a nightmare".]
And yourself, Prompto?
Good afternoon,
My name is Clark Kent, and I'm recently arrived. I was told that you're handling a good portion of the farming supervision?
I was wondering if I could lend my assistance. I grew up on a family farm, so I'm familiar with growing most vegetables and with handling a variety of farm animals.
Obviously, if you've got everything covered, I don't want to be of any bother, but I thought I'd offer since it seems as if things are still in the processes of getting set up. Also, if I've got the wrong individual, I'm sorry to have bothered you.
Thank you.
My name is Clark Kent, and I'm recently arrived. I was told that you're handling a good portion of the farming supervision?
I was wondering if I could lend my assistance. I grew up on a family farm, so I'm familiar with growing most vegetables and with handling a variety of farm animals.
Obviously, if you've got everything covered, I don't want to be of any bother, but I thought I'd offer since it seems as if things are still in the processes of getting set up. Also, if I've got the wrong individual, I'm sorry to have bothered you.
Thank you.
Good afternoon. I presume Mr. Kent is an acceptable form of address?
I must say, I very much appreciate the formal missive — it's rare to encounter someone these days with an appropriate sense of ceremony and decorum. But moving on to the meat of your concern, as it were, I am indeed one of the...I suppose you could call it "founders" of the garden project. I had most of the seed crop with me, and Dave Strider has been instrumental in seeing them grow.
However, neither one of us has any particular expertise in farming generally; my area of interest has mostly been with the preparation of the produce, so it's safe to say that Dave and I have largely been winging it and hoping for the best. Someone with real practical knowledge of the art would be an undeniable asset to the cause.
In short: you have the right individual and you are the very antithesis of a bother with your request, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
Charmed,
Ignis Scientia
(sometimes Tellus Argentum)
I must say, I very much appreciate the formal missive — it's rare to encounter someone these days with an appropriate sense of ceremony and decorum. But moving on to the meat of your concern, as it were, I am indeed one of the...I suppose you could call it "founders" of the garden project. I had most of the seed crop with me, and Dave Strider has been instrumental in seeing them grow.
However, neither one of us has any particular expertise in farming generally; my area of interest has mostly been with the preparation of the produce, so it's safe to say that Dave and I have largely been winging it and hoping for the best. Someone with real practical knowledge of the art would be an undeniable asset to the cause.
In short: you have the right individual and you are the very antithesis of a bother with your request, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
Charmed,
Ignis Scientia
(sometimes Tellus Argentum)
Back here, Noct!
[The call is coming from the open door that leads through to the backyard, which is slightly unusual, up until you notice the glimpses of plumage that keep moving around just outside the back door.]
Aurorean demanded a grooming, so it's fallen to me to oblige.
[The call is coming from the open door that leads through to the backyard, which is slightly unusual, up until you notice the glimpses of plumage that keep moving around just outside the back door.]
Aurorean demanded a grooming, so it's fallen to me to oblige.
[Meanwhile, in bed, Ignis stirs and rolls over and immediately regrets it as a sharp pain burns its way up his arm, underneath the hastily-applied bandages covering it over. Still, despite the displeasure, he orients on Noct's voice and rubs at his eyes with his good arm, clearing the sleep out of them and blinking twice to bring the room into focus.]
Noct...?
Noct...?
Guren said as much, on the forum. Dave and John, as well.
Are you all right?
Are you all right?
[ He can't sleep.
The bed's emptier without Ignis in it, and Noctis isn't sure when it's happened that two or one in a bed doesn't seem right anymore. It's always the three of them tangled together, Noctis unwilling to leave the other two to their own devices, and the other two, hopefully vice versa.
It's the dead of night, and he's thinking about the look in Ignis' eyes, the way his words break when he tells him what Noctis has so desperately needed to hear, and how Noctis has turned it down anyway -- not for his own sake but for Ignis' own, because the last thing he wants to do is hurt the person he loves so deeply, so fiercely that his chest still aches even now.
But a king has to make difficult decisions and live with them, no matter how terrifying they are.
Now, however, right now Noctis isn't a king. Right now he's twenty years old and acutely aware of Ignis sleeping on the couch outside, only barely fitting a person of his height. He tries to go back to sleep, of course, out of pride and stubbornness, but it doesn't feel right.
It doesn't feel right, not curling up against Ignis' chest, to hear the steady beat of his heart and remind himself that he's still alive, and eventually, he makes his way outside. Ignis is startlingly handsome in repose, but this time there's a book on his chest -- he didn't even bother removing his glasses; he must've fallen asleep halfway, and Noctis hesitates for a moment, blanket heavy around his shoulders as he shuffles closer, uncertain.
He owes Ignis an apology, surely. He owes Ignis so many things.
He's leaning down now, delicately trying to peel the book off of him so that he can at least sleep more comfortably. ]
[All the stories that exist in this town are fairy tales. It seems sort of fitting, in a way that he can't quite name, but lately it's just seemed mocking — every page filled with handsome princes and princesses in despair, with destinies at play and happy endings waiting at the turn of the last page. It's hard not to wonder if someday the tale of Prince Noctis won't end up being a story told to children and children's children in Insomnia, in its own right. All the trappings are already there, frankly, just waiting for someone to spin it.
(He wonders who he would be, in the telling of that story. He's a side character, that's for certain, and he suspects the adjective most attached to his role would end up being "helpless".)
The one that sticks with him in the book, however, is Sleeping Beauty. It's not hard to see why: a cruel destiny meted out at birth, a young royal fated to die, a king who wished it weren't so but proved helpless to act against it. And there, then, the three good fairies who accompany the royal, who want the best and want to help, the one remaining one who hadn't granted her gift yet —
She wasn't able to spare the babe its curse. She could only make it so it wouldn't claim the child with death.
Those are the motifs whirling around and around in his head when he eventually falls asleep, uncomfortable on the couch because he's abandoned the bedroom for the sake of giving Noct his space. He's the one who'd walked away, and as far as Ignis is concerned, until he comes back on his own, he's entitled to all the space Ignis can give him.
It hurts, the separation, but he's used to this sort of sacrifice.
So he sleeps on the couch, dreaming fitfully at best and shallowly at worst, and so it's no real surprise that when something starts to move the book left resting on his chest, he rouses from the motion, stirred out of sleep by it.]
Mm...?
(He wonders who he would be, in the telling of that story. He's a side character, that's for certain, and he suspects the adjective most attached to his role would end up being "helpless".)
The one that sticks with him in the book, however, is Sleeping Beauty. It's not hard to see why: a cruel destiny meted out at birth, a young royal fated to die, a king who wished it weren't so but proved helpless to act against it. And there, then, the three good fairies who accompany the royal, who want the best and want to help, the one remaining one who hadn't granted her gift yet —
She wasn't able to spare the babe its curse. She could only make it so it wouldn't claim the child with death.
Those are the motifs whirling around and around in his head when he eventually falls asleep, uncomfortable on the couch because he's abandoned the bedroom for the sake of giving Noct his space. He's the one who'd walked away, and as far as Ignis is concerned, until he comes back on his own, he's entitled to all the space Ignis can give him.
It hurts, the separation, but he's used to this sort of sacrifice.
So he sleeps on the couch, dreaming fitfully at best and shallowly at worst, and so it's no real surprise that when something starts to move the book left resting on his chest, he rouses from the motion, stirred out of sleep by it.]
Mm...?
The apple quest meaning the one where someone is meant to shoot an apple off of someone else's head?
btw i was supposed to be an mt but i'm not so there that's my secret.
also sorry for that time you found cat hair all over the passenger seat of your car after you let noct borrow it. that was me. i couldn't tell you because i didn't have a license and i knew you'd get mad if i drove it. good news is she waited until after i got her out of your car to give birth so little miracles right??
so yeah i think that's everything.
also sorry for that time you found cat hair all over the passenger seat of your car after you let noct borrow it. that was me. i couldn't tell you because i didn't have a license and i knew you'd get mad if i drove it. good news is she waited until after i got her out of your car to give birth so little miracles right??
so yeah i think that's everything.
Edited 2018-07-13 01:52 (UTC)
u been spotted by.........the $ MONEY GOO$E $
send the $ MONEY GOO$E $ to 3 people or u get scorched
[ So they have a cat now. Well, more specifically, it's Ignis' cat, him being the one who's adopted the cat and named her. She's Pearl, the newest addition to their little family and so, so very gorgeous and feisty that Noctis is immediately enamored.
When they head back to Chroma, settling back into the home they've made for the past few months, Noctis is more than happy to play with the cat, setting her up in their room while Ignis makes the coffee. Rubbing her under her chin absently, he's plucking different makeshift toys for her to play with and inspect. First being a small vial of something or other that belongs to Ignis. It looks harmless enough, right? ]
You know, I think we're gonna eat like kings for awhile. Look at all the fish we had to lug back.
[ And for a weird little pocket... whatever it was, it's pretty impressive. ]
When they head back to Chroma, settling back into the home they've made for the past few months, Noctis is more than happy to play with the cat, setting her up in their room while Ignis makes the coffee. Rubbing her under her chin absently, he's plucking different makeshift toys for her to play with and inspect. First being a small vial of something or other that belongs to Ignis. It looks harmless enough, right? ]
You know, I think we're gonna eat like kings for awhile. Look at all the fish we had to lug back.
[ And for a weird little pocket... whatever it was, it's pretty impressive. ]
Edited 2018-07-27 14:55 (UTC)
[He's not at all a cat person — not in the way that Noctis and Prompto are, at least — but when the question had arisen of whether or not to bring the cat along with them upon their departure from Galdin Quay, it had truly seemed to be a no-brainer to simply scoop the fuzzy little darling up and carry her along with them. And now here she is, white-furred with black feet and face, and Noct is already doting on her, which seems to be the appropriate state of things.]
And I'm so pleased for it, too. Between the fish you caught and Coctura's paella, that was a vacation well worth making, I think.
[Especially for the paella. He's humming as he gets his coffee together.]
And I'm so pleased for it, too. Between the fish you caught and Coctura's paella, that was a vacation well worth making, I think.
[Especially for the paella. He's humming as he gets his coffee together.]
You just did.
But yes, you're welcome to ask me another question, if you like.
But yes, you're welcome to ask me another question, if you like.
[ Noctis won't forget it in a hurry, how Ignis looked when Noctis came for him and Nyx both. Wounded, weakened from the days of malnourishment, captives of a murderous group of sirens Noctis has never felt more motivated to kill just for that act, to slaughter the whole damn lot of them so that they never come for the people he loves again.
But Ignis is in more dire condition, and Noctis' attention had gone to him first. Ignis had cared for him, looked out for him all his life, and to see him this weakened, this powerless had broken his heart, shifted something inside of him -- providing a stark reminder that Ignis is only just human, and Noctis had just about failed to stop this from happening to him.
But first things first. He tends to Ignis as best as he can, lifting him up into his arms (the young king, after all, is much stronger than he looks) and in a rare show of command, shuts Ignis up with a firm, sharp word. He will take care of him now, and no more nonsense about how he shouldn't, blah, blah. This is not just his advisor, he's his boyfriend, and Ignis will care for himself over his dead body.
Which brings them to the state of Noctis' room. He's laid Ignis down on the bed, bringing with him warm, wet towels, a basin, and a fresh change of clothes. He's too caught up in Ignis' awful state to be nervous, and he's perched at the edge of the bed, wringing out a towel and wiping gently but firmly at his cheeks, his neck. ]
I've got something cooking on the stove, are you able to remove your clothes? I've got fresh ones for you to change into before I bring your food over.
But Ignis is in more dire condition, and Noctis' attention had gone to him first. Ignis had cared for him, looked out for him all his life, and to see him this weakened, this powerless had broken his heart, shifted something inside of him -- providing a stark reminder that Ignis is only just human, and Noctis had just about failed to stop this from happening to him.
But first things first. He tends to Ignis as best as he can, lifting him up into his arms (the young king, after all, is much stronger than he looks) and in a rare show of command, shuts Ignis up with a firm, sharp word. He will take care of him now, and no more nonsense about how he shouldn't, blah, blah. This is not just his advisor, he's his boyfriend, and Ignis will care for himself over his dead body.
Which brings them to the state of Noctis' room. He's laid Ignis down on the bed, bringing with him warm, wet towels, a basin, and a fresh change of clothes. He's too caught up in Ignis' awful state to be nervous, and he's perched at the edge of the bed, wringing out a towel and wiping gently but firmly at his cheeks, his neck. ]
I've got something cooking on the stove, are you able to remove your clothes? I've got fresh ones for you to change into before I bring your food over.
[At least they didn't take his eyes.
Self-punishing as it is, that's the wry, awful thought that plays out again and again in Ignis's head, from the time Noct finds him on the island to the point when he's carried back home again (and when did Noct get so strong, carrying him like this, the same way that he used to carry Noctis back inside after he'd fall asleep stargazing on the roof of the Citadel). He's weary and hungry and wounded; his ankle feels like it's on fire and his limbs are covered in bruises and scrapes. He feels like he's been tossed through a wringer, run over by a behemoth, and chewed on by a sahagin for good measure.
But now, in a way that still feels a little like a dream, the ordeal has come to an end. Underneath him is a soft mattress and clean blankets, not dirt and stone. The water coasting over his skin is pleasantly warm and clean, not ice-cold and murky. Noct is here, and his hands are so soft.
He can still see him, his prince, his king. At least they didn't take his eyes.]
Noct...please, I'm all right, you don't have to —
Self-punishing as it is, that's the wry, awful thought that plays out again and again in Ignis's head, from the time Noct finds him on the island to the point when he's carried back home again (and when did Noct get so strong, carrying him like this, the same way that he used to carry Noctis back inside after he'd fall asleep stargazing on the roof of the Citadel). He's weary and hungry and wounded; his ankle feels like it's on fire and his limbs are covered in bruises and scrapes. He feels like he's been tossed through a wringer, run over by a behemoth, and chewed on by a sahagin for good measure.
But now, in a way that still feels a little like a dream, the ordeal has come to an end. Underneath him is a soft mattress and clean blankets, not dirt and stone. The water coasting over his skin is pleasantly warm and clean, not ice-cold and murky. Noct is here, and his hands are so soft.
He can still see him, his prince, his king. At least they didn't take his eyes.]
Noct...please, I'm all right, you don't have to —
we don't have to thread this at all, but i want ignis to have this memory from damian at some point in passing time between them:
this which sort of fades into this so ignis can bother him later and ask him about the CUTLESS CUTLASS laughs
lmk if you want me to list any emotions ignis would feel but it'd be pretty basic to what you can get from that, knowing damian has a big affection for alfred despite being so grumpy
p.s. his hair looks about like this in awash right now bc he hasnt had it cut since being at home
this which sort of fades into this so ignis can bother him later and ask him about the CUTLESS CUTLASS laughs
lmk if you want me to list any emotions ignis would feel but it'd be pretty basic to what you can get from that, knowing damian has a big affection for alfred despite being so grumpy
p.s. his hair looks about like this in awash right now bc he hasnt had it cut since being at home
[ Noctis finds his way home to Ignis, eventually -- thanks to Prompto's intervention. He's tired, muddy, bloody (the blood isn't his, don't worry), and he's pretty sure he looks like something a hundred coeurls dragged in.
He's acutely aware of the fact that he, too, is in desperate need of a bath; one isn't clean after a few days in the wild, and so Noctis lingers in the doorway when he finds him, reluctant to get too close. It's on the tip of his tongue to apologise if Ignis has worried for him, if his sudden departure had caused distress, but he really had needed that time away, the days alone just to work off the worst of it.
He's not necessarily the poster boy of all that's good and perfect, but he's holding it together, and maybe that's all anyone really needs to do. ]
I'm home.
[ He says softly. He'd be back, like he promised Ignis in the short, curt going away note. He doesn't come closer, self-conscious of his own state of mess. He feels like a hundred years old and a thousand sorrows deep, whatever the hell that means, but he's glad to see Ignis again. ]
He's acutely aware of the fact that he, too, is in desperate need of a bath; one isn't clean after a few days in the wild, and so Noctis lingers in the doorway when he finds him, reluctant to get too close. It's on the tip of his tongue to apologise if Ignis has worried for him, if his sudden departure had caused distress, but he really had needed that time away, the days alone just to work off the worst of it.
He's not necessarily the poster boy of all that's good and perfect, but he's holding it together, and maybe that's all anyone really needs to do. ]
I'm home.
[ He says softly. He'd be back, like he promised Ignis in the short, curt going away note. He doesn't come closer, self-conscious of his own state of mess. He feels like a hundred years old and a thousand sorrows deep, whatever the hell that means, but he's glad to see Ignis again. ]
[That note is really the only reason why Ignis hasn't been worried out of his mind, these past few days, and even with the note he's still been...largely worried out of his mind, um. It's a delicate balance between understanding that Noctis needs his space and needing, desperately, to be present to protect him; as it is, he's tried his damnedest to calm his protesting nerves and have faith in Noctis to be able to take care of himself, and to get home when it's time to come home.
Now, it seems, that time has come. He wants to jump to his feet, to run to him and take him in his arms — filth be damned — but he makes himself go slowly instead, soft like the tone that Noctis has chosen, and draws near to have a look at him.]
And with a fine layer of dirt on you, I see. I can draw you a bath, if you like.
[He reaches into his pocket, finding a handkerchief, and uses it to wipe off Noct's cheek (don't think about the blood don't think about the blood it's not his blood don't think about the blood) so that he can bend, shakily, to touch a kiss against it.]
Now, it seems, that time has come. He wants to jump to his feet, to run to him and take him in his arms — filth be damned — but he makes himself go slowly instead, soft like the tone that Noctis has chosen, and draws near to have a look at him.]
And with a fine layer of dirt on you, I see. I can draw you a bath, if you like.
[He reaches into his pocket, finding a handkerchief, and uses it to wipe off Noct's cheek (don't think about the blood don't think about the blood it's not his blood don't think about the blood) so that he can bend, shakily, to touch a kiss against it.]
iggy?
i think i need your advice about something. but it's not about me so i don't know how much i'm allowed to say.
i think i need your advice about something. but it's not about me so i don't know how much i'm allowed to say.
Prompto?
That's perfectly fine, we can try hypotheticals, if you'd rather. What's troubling you?
That's perfectly fine, we can try hypotheticals, if you'd rather. What's troubling you?
[It's a quiet morning, and Prompto's come down to clean pans and utensils as Ignis cooks so there's less to clean up later. He made a point of it, actually, without getting to his point at all, until now, when there isn't anything to clean anymore and he's just leaning idly against the counter, folding his dishcloth.
Ahem-hem.]
By the way, I think you should know Noct thinks you're good enough at kissing to give lessons.
[SO CASUAL. He's pink around the cheeks.]
Ahem-hem.]
By the way, I think you should know Noct thinks you're good enough at kissing to give lessons.
[SO CASUAL. He's pink around the cheeks.]
[Truly, it is by skill and grace alone that Ignis does not scald his fucking hand off as, while transferring a truly breathtaking amount of handmade pasta into a big pot of boiling-ass water, Prompto drops a bombshell like that one upon him.]
...Oh?
[He's beauty, he's grace, it's a miracle he was able to respond in the first place.]
That, ah. Came up in conversation, then?
...Oh?
[He's beauty, he's grace, it's a miracle he was able to respond in the first place.]
That, ah. Came up in conversation, then?
[ sooooooooooo, it's early evening and Noctis has just come home bearing fish, like he's spent hours out and has brought food home as some sort of apology. He's been feeling bad and guilty all day, so let's just go with this, okay.
He's bringing the fish to Ignis in the kitchen, a touch sheepish and awkward and a whole lot of Guilty. He shouldn't have kissed someone else, much less their friend, the fluffy chocobro they both love -- Noctis is pretty sure that while they might discuss Prompto's merits from time to time during their makeout sessions and have relatively obliquely broached the subject of other people and crushes, Noctis is pretty sure this didn't extend to kissing his best friend.
So might as well fess up, now. He even harvested a small bag of Ignis' coffee as an apology. ]
Uh. Hey. We gotta talk about a thing.
He's bringing the fish to Ignis in the kitchen, a touch sheepish and awkward and a whole lot of Guilty. He shouldn't have kissed someone else, much less their friend, the fluffy chocobro they both love -- Noctis is pretty sure that while they might discuss Prompto's merits from time to time during their makeout sessions and have relatively obliquely broached the subject of other people and crushes, Noctis is pretty sure this didn't extend to kissing his best friend.
So might as well fess up, now. He even harvested a small bag of Ignis' coffee as an apology. ]
Uh. Hey. We gotta talk about a thing.
[And guess who had a feeling that Noctis might be swinging by sooner or later to have exactly this conversation, being that 1) Prompto has already tipped him off to What Happened At The Ice Castle™ and 2) he knows Noctis.
Really, it's kind of funny that they both come to find him when he's in the kitchen. In part because it says something about how much time he actually spends in there, and in part because apparently the kitchen is just the designated area for serious conversations.]
Oh? Very well, I'm all ears. What would you like to talk about?
Really, it's kind of funny that they both come to find him when he's in the kitchen. In part because it says something about how much time he actually spends in there, and in part because apparently the kitchen is just the designated area for serious conversations.]
Oh? Very well, I'm all ears. What would you like to talk about?
Perhaps so, but you couldn't be messaging me like this if you'd remained that way, so I have to admit I'm a bit grateful for the return to normalcy.
What was all that about, by the by?
What was all that about, by the by?
Page 1 of 2