Welcome to Adventu, your final fantasy rp haven. adventu focuses on both canon and original characters from different worlds and timelines that have all been pulled to the world of zephon: a familiar final fantasy-styled land where all adventurers will fight, explore, and make new personal connections.
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year 5, quarter 3
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[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Here it was. The moment of truth. Prompto hadn’t really thought much about what he’d do once he actually found Noctis other than hug him and never leave his side again. Maybe another time and place, that’s exactly what would’ve happened, nothing more and nothing less, but with the fate of Gladio and Ignis hanging over them both…
Well, that kind of soured things, didn’t it?
”Er, yeah. I made it out…alive.” That was all he could say about Cissnei’s little death trap of a bar. Or was it a strip club? He still didn’t know the right word for it, but Prompto sure wasn’t going to tell Noctis anything that happened in there that he didn’t need to know. ”And hey! She wants to help! So we’re on track there.”
Optimism was the spice of life, as they said. Or at least, he thought that’s what they said. Optimism wasn’t a spice he was used to around here.
”Isn’t it though?” Prompto rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. More snow ruffled out between his fingers and melted, leaving them wet. ”I swear, I thought I was in Niflheim at first. This is where I, uh, landed? Fell through a portal? I don’t know. And I thought, ’Oh hey. I’m still in Niflheim, I guess. Why’s the sun out? And where the hell’s everybody else?’ But it’s not Niflheim. Still gives me the creeps walking around it though.”
He was rambling. Or maybe he was just procrastinating. He didn’t want to talk about what he’d seen of their friends or what he’d learned from Cissnei. It was just too…grim. He didn’t like grim. He wanted more than anything to just have this moment with his best friend. After everything he’d gone through, he thought he deserved that, didn’t he?
Prompto was so invested in their conversation, in his own thoughts, in Noctis just being there across from him that he couldn’t help but jump when the waitress came by. He didn’t know this was that kind of place. A place with waitresses. He probably should have guessed from the menu on the table that he totally hadn’t looked at even a little bit. Noctis ordered some mulled wine (What did that mean, anyway? Mulled?) and then looked expectantly at him.
”Uh…” Prompto looked desperately down at the menu that, without opening it, was like a lifeboat still all tied up to a sinking ship. Then he looked at the waitress who was distractingly pretty with her blonde curls, and he swallowed before sheepishly asking if they had any hot chocolate. He felt like a kid, asking that way. And asking what he asked. Noctis was getting wine for Bahamut’s sake! So adult. So cool. But Prompto had never liked wine. And he didn’t know enough about other bar drinks to pick something on the fly.
The waitress responded that they had a peppermint spiked cocoa and Prompto nodded feverishly. ”Yeah, that! That sounds…good.” Then she left and Prompto sank into the booth, shoulders slumped, utterly defeated. ”Do we even have the gil for this? Tell me you’ve got gil.”
They’d had plenty of money before just from doing hunts and killing monsters and stuff, but no one ever trusted Prompto to hold onto it. He didn’t know if gil from Eos would be accepted here anyway. Probably not. Interplanetary rules and all that.
”What kind of help could we call? I mean, we could probably get Caius. He’s helpful, and like, a glaive so he’d be in on it. Probably.”
He imagined that conversation. ’Hey, do you want to be in on our suicide run to help our friends that you don’t know? It’ll be great!’ Caius might do it because of Noctis though. The prince of Lucis would have more than a little sway over a glaive.
Prompto bit his lip. If they were already talking about allies then it was probably time that he came clean. He didn’t want to. He wished he could just sip cocoa with his buddy and relish the luck that had brought them together again, but that wouldn’t be fair to their other friends, would it? And they were a group. Almost like a family. Noctis, Gladio, Ignis. They were more of a family to Prompto than he’d ever had growing up, at any rate.
”Hey, uh. Before we talk strategy and stuff, you should probably know…what we’re up against.” Prompto took a deep, shuddering breath and sat up straight again. His knuckles were white on the sticky wooden table between them. ”So I actually saw them. It was a weird magic thing, don’t ask. But I was looking for you and I guess it didn’t work quite right because trying to find you led me to them. I guess cause we’re all crownsguard and use your power and stuff. Anyway, I saw them. They were in this big prison in the middle of nowhere, all icy and cold, somewhere north of the city, I think. There was this big dome around the place. Cissnei said they’ve got an anti-magic field on it so maybe that was that. Guards everywhere. Towers with mini-guns and snipers. That kind of thing.”
Prompto looked down at his gloved hands. The place had felt so much like…Gralea. Like those metal towers and corridors where Prompto had found himself alone. Like the place where Prompto should have stayed if fate hadn’t shown up to steal him away to Lucis. He shook the thought away the best he could, but the darkness wouldn’t leave him, settling somewhere in his throat.
”They were in bad shape. Real bad shape. I could hardly recognize Gladio, he was beat up so bad. Ignis wasn’t so beat up, but he was skinny. Skinnier than usual, I mean, and being blind in a place like that…” Prompto swallowed. ”I don’t know if they’ll last much longer, Noct. I mean, they’re fighters. And it looks like Gladio’s really been fighting, but…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence. The darkness in his throat wouldn’t let him.
”A-anyway. That’s when I started trying to get people together. I went and found Caius cause somebody told me a glaive was in Torensten and I thought he might help. Then he sent me to Cissnei. And…now I’m here. It’s crazy even thinking about breaking into a place like that, but we can’t just leave them there. We just can’t…”
His voice broke. Damn it. Prompto rubbed his eye with the back of his hand and finally looked at Noctis to see what he thought. He knew he’d agree.
”So…that’s that, I guess. Everything I know. Sorry it’s not much to work with.”
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Prompto confirmed that he’d made it out alive from Cissnei’s place, but Noctis didn’t like something about his tone of voice when he said it. It basically confirmed that she had all of their secrets tucked away for safe-keeping now, but Noctis let it go and didn’t push his friend any further on the topic. The damage was done. Might as well not make Prompto recount it.
“You woke up here too?” Noctis asked with a frown as Prompto explained how Sonora was the place where he’d first arrived on Zephon. “I mean, I was outside of the city at least, but still. Talk about a coincidence. Especially when Ignis and Gladio are here…” He wasn’t loving the thought that there really could be some kind of connection between Sonora and Niflheim, but that was an investigation for another day. Their friends came first before they even thought about going home.
Prompto fumbled like a fish out of water when the waitress came over, which was the only reason Noctis even noticed that she was conventionally pretty. Come to think of it, maybe it was better that Tifa wasn’t here. Even he might not be able to save Prompto from that heart attack waiting to happen. Thankfully though, his friend managed to order some spiked hot chocolate. Once the waitress had left, he weakly asked if they had the money for this, and Noctis laughed a little under his breath.
“Yeah, our gil’s worthless here apparently, but I’ve been doing some jobs for the Rising Stones while I waited around to see if you’d show up. So I have a bit of money, don’t worry.” He’d met Caius during a fishing quest actually, but that was probably a story for another time. Prompto was getting more serious anyway, since he seemed ready to talk about Ignis and Gladio now. He asked what help they’d even be able to gather, and Noctis nodded slowly at his suggestion of Caius.
“He wants to keep his role minor since he’s got a group to look out for in Torensten, but he’s still down to help. So he’d be a great choice. Then what about Alex? He’s great in a crisis, and I think he’d be willing to take the risk for us.” He’d only known the blond man for a couple of weeks, but Noctis already considered them to be friends honestly. Though apparently he’d known him longer than that if Alex was to be believed.
Prompto then told him about everything that he’d…seen? It was some kind of magic apparently, but Prompto told him not to ask, so Noctis kept his mouth shut. Even when his tale got dark and the prince had to look down at the table instead of looking his friend in the eye. “No, you-...you did good, man. We wouldn't even know if not for you.” There wasn’t a lot to be optimistic about, but he did his best. “We’ve infiltrated a ton of imperial bases. We’ll have to treat it like that. I don’t like the sound of that anti-magic field though.” He’d normally stealth his way around by doing warp-strike kills, but it didn’t sound like that would be an option. “We’ll…figure something out though. We’ll never leave them.” At that point, the waitress came over to drop off their drinks, and Noctis just hoped that she didn’t notice how red both of their eyes had probably gotten.
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] ”Wait, what?”
Prompto was so caught up in his telling of the story and in his own grim mood that he almost missed exactly where Noctis had picked up some extra gil from. The…Rising Stones? Wait a minute, but that would mean…
Yeah, it was totally confirmed. Noctis told him that Caius would help which was a no-brainer and then went on to suggest somebody else. A somebody that Prompto had thought he’d left far, far behind him.
”You’ve met Alex?” Prompto stared at him, mouth gaping. ”No way…”
What were the odds? Seriously, the odds were like…nothing, right? He’d taken a statistics class once. He’d been really bad at it. Couldn’t remember a single thing about it now and he’d only passed because of Ignis’ help, but still. He knew enough to know that Noctis working with the Stones and knowing Alex the same way he had was like…way improbable. So improbable that it bordered on disbelief. Or suspicion. Yeah, Prompto was kinda leaning towards the latter.
He wanted to call Noctis out on it. He wanted to tell him that heck no they shouldn’t ask Alex for help. The man was like a creepy stalker or something, hunting them all down one by one on the streets of Sonora and bringing them back to his broken base that he called a guild. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t say any of that because he heard the emotion in Noctis’ voice as he thought about their lost friends.
Prompto’s eyes lowered. Whatever pain he felt thinking about Ignis and Gladio (and it was a lot), it must have been nothing compared to Noctis. Prompto had met them in high school mostly just because they were always around his friend. Ignis had helped him pass his classes. Gladio would play videogames with him and push him around for being so small. In the end, they’d both helped him pass the Crownsguard qualifications – Ignis with his book smarts and Gladio at the gym. Prompto had proved his own skills at the shooting range. They’d both believed in him or at least pretended to for Noctis’ sake. Then they’d all taken their trip together, a somber affair that they’d all made almost fun just by being together.
Ignis and Gladio meant a lot to him. They were Prompto’s friends. But to Noct, they were family.
Prompto averted his eyes so Noctis wouldn’t know he saw the tears welling up there. ”Never,” Prompto agreed earnestly. ”They’d do the same for us, right?”
Or at least, they’d do the same for Noct. If it had been Noctis in prison, the two Crownsguard wouldn’t sleep until he was free again. He didn’t know so much that they’d come just for Prompto, but that was alright by him. He liked to think that they’d be relieved to know that Noct wasn’t alone right now. That he and Prompto had found each other. Prompto might not have been the best guard, but he was one. He’d passed the test. He’d proven himself in the field. He wanted to believe that having him around was a far shot better than nothing.
Their drinks came. Their hot, steaming drinks. The waitress placed the deep red wine in front of Noctis and a mug of hot cocoa in front of Prompto. It looked really nice even if it didn’t have any whipped cream. That was the least of Prompto’s worries right now though.
Once she left, he started talking again. Earnestly. Seriously.
”You know I’ve got your back, right?” He tried to look his friend straight on. It didn’t matter if Noctis was crying or not. In fact, if he was, that was all the more reason to offer support. ”No matter what happens. We’ll do this together.”
Truer words had never been spoken in his entire life. He hoped Noctis understood.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Prompto seemed in disbelief that he’d met Alex too, which made Noctis laugh a little under his breath. “Sorry, did I not mention that yet? Yeah, it’s a long story, but he helped me out of a tough spot. I mean. It was my own fault.” Warping on top of a moving taxi and asking for help probably hadn’t been the smartest plan, but he’d been desperate and cold on the side of a road. Anyway, it had all worked out. Except that they’d ended up having to steal the taxi when the driver called the cops on him. And then they’d driven it off a cliff because Alex thought all cars could fly.
Yeah, maybe it was better not to finish the story.
The mood soured after that anyway when they were both left to think about Ignis and Gladio who were suffering out in the same cold they’d just been complaining about. Meanwhile Specs was blind because Noctis hadn’t been strong enough in Altissia, and who knows what they were doing to him now. Gladio would be strong for as long as possible, sure, but even he had his limits. And when that happened-..
Shit. His vision was getting blurry, and from the way Prompto suddenly seemed to find the tabletop super interesting, his friend had probably noticed. All he said though was that of course they’d rescue the two of them, because in the reverse situation they’d do the same for them. “They’d do it a lot more efficiently too,” Noctis agreed with a short laugh. “It just feels weird to be apart from them, you know? They usually kinda hover…” Particularly Ignis. It was their literal job to look after him, so Noctis tried not to groan about it too much, but now that it was gone…he missed it. He’d even take being woken up early and hauled off to train. He just wanted them all back together.
The waitress left their drinks in front of them, and Noctis took a grateful gulp of wine. It was hotter than he’d expected though, and he ended up burning his tongue. Ow. Well at least that was a decent distraction from too many feelings.
Prompto suddenly told him that he had his back, and Noctis glanced up at him in surprise. They’d been best friends for a long time now, but they honestly didn’t say stuff like that as often as they probably should. Maybe he should change that though. Especially after everything that had happened in Gralea. He could lose anyone at any time, and he was more than aware of that now.
“I know, man,” he said a little quietly, making sure to subtly rub his eyes with his glove before he finally looked up at him. “Like Cid always said. You guys are my brothers.”
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Prompto let out a short, uncomfortable laugh to hide the feelings that welled up in his throat. They were like brothers. Prompto didn’t know what to say to that. Maybe this was why they didn’t talk about sappy stuff much. But Noctis had called him his brother. Him. Prompto. Sure, he knew Noct had basically grown up with Gladio and Iggy. They’d had that big brother dynamic since the moment he’d met them, but…
Prompto? He was just some guy. Some kid who had been bold enough to walk right up to Noctis and pretend they’d never met before. Some nobody who Noctis had decided he liked enough to keep around for some reason. And now Noct considered him right there with his guards who were practically family.
Shit. Now his eyes were getting blurry. Prompto lowered them and with a small smile just said, ”Heh. Thanks.”
The mug of hot, steaming cocoa came in and out of focus in front of him. For some reason, Prompto didn’t feel so much like drinking it anymore.
”They were the ones that always knew what they were doing,” Prompto admitted for reasons that were beyond him. ”It’s kinda scary going it just the two of us. You know? It’s like…I’ve gotta be me. And I’ve gotta think ahead like Ignis. And protect you like Gladio. Cause it’s just me. I wasn’t ever any good at this to begin with.”
The words tumbled out of him all on their own. Just him having too many feelings. Just his big mouth running without anyone telling it to. Business as usual in his dumb brain. Prompto cleared his throat and picked up the cocoa more to distract himself than anything. He liked the warmth of it in his hands even if it didn’t really seep so well through the leather of his fingerless gloves.
”I just mean…They’d want me to do it right, you know? Now that we’re together. I don’t want to let them down.”
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Prompto looked a bit like he was struggling after Noctis called them brothers, so now it was the prince’s turn to busy himself with his wine and pretend he didn’t notice any tears. Eventually his friend got it together enough to thank him, but Noctis just shook his head. “It’s the truth.” Simple, but he didn’t have anything else to add. He’d meant every word.
Prompto suddenly confessed in an outpouring of words that he was really anxious to be the only crownsguard around Noctis. It sounded like he felt like he had to do it all, which made the prince frown in surprise. He hadn’t really thought about Prompto feeling like it was all on his shoulders to protect him now. He hadn’t seen much of the blond boy’s crownsguard training, so to him, traveling with Prompto just felt like being on a trip with his best friend. But maybe Prompto took his oaths more seriously than Noct had realized. It was a strange realization.
“Ignis would tell you otherwise, but you don’t have to protect me too much. I do alright,” Noctis said with a slight upturn of his lips. That was the biggest lie after Gralea, but they both seemed determined not to dwell too much on what was happening to Eos right now. They had to take things one step at a time. “I don’t expect you to be them. Just be you. You’ve never let them down.” Except for maybe that time he’d crashed the Regalia in Duscae, but Prompto probably didn’t need to be reminded of that right now.
“Maybe we won’t do things as good as they would, but I know we’ll get it done.” Noctis wasn’t even trying to sound confident necessarily. It was just that, to him, there were no other options. He’d never leave Ignis and Gladio behind, so it was rescue them or die trying. Somehow he didn’t think Prompto would want to hear that part though when he was already freaking out about being a good crownsguard and protecting Noctis.
“For real though. I know…this is a job for you too now. But I’m just glad you’re here.” It was a little strange treating Prompto like a crownsguard, but that’s what he was. Even if he didn’t seem all that confident in his role yet.
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Prompto knew he shouldn’t have said anything. He knew it before he opened his stupid mouth. He knew it as the words tumbled out anyway. He knew it even more as Noctis responded, looking just a little more downcast and as he stumbled over the words that made Prompto’s heart sink straight to his stomach.
”It’s not a job!” he protested almost as soon as Noctis said it. Then he paused and added, ”Well I guess it is, but like. Come on. I never even got paid.” He tried for a smile. A joke. Of course he was joking at a time like this. Stupid Prompto, always making light of everything even when it was the damage that he’d caused.
”I-I mean it though. Half the time I forget I’m a Crownsguard at all. I don’t feel like one. I’m just…you know. Your friend.” Prompto looked down into his hot chocolate and watched the darkened swirls. Then he lifted the mug and took a long drink. It was sweet and thick and bitter and minty and so hot it scalded his mouth a little, but it warmed him up and made sure his mouth couldn’t run on its own and make any more mistakes.
Back in Insomnia, he’d wanted to be a Crownsguard more than anything. He’d worked hard for it, even training with Gladio and Ignis without Noctis knowing. Keeping that secret had been hard when Prompto wasn’t someone who could keep a secret to save his life, but he hadn’t wanted Noctis to get his hopes up or worse – think that Prompto had only ever stayed around him to make a name for himself.
He’d done it because he knew that one day Noctis would be the king of Lucis, and kings of Lucis couldn’t hang around nobodies they’d met in high school. They also couldn’t share an apartment with said nobody and play videogames until dawn and go around the city to find just the right place for a group selfie.
Prompto had loved everything about their friendship, but he’d known it couldn’t last. Not unless Prompto himself made a change. He’d do anything to make it last.
He'd never thought of himself as a Crownsguard. Not really. But when the day came to take his vows, he’d meant every word of them. Was he willing to give his life for Noctis’? He wouldn’t even hesitate.
When Prompto finally lowered the mug of cocoa, he thought he had his thoughts straight. He hoped so anyway.
”What I mean is…I made a promise, you know? To Iggy and Gladio and…your dad.” Prompto glanced away. ”I haven’t always done it right. Let’s be real, I was always the weakest link. I don’t make the plans or go in all crazy with a sword. I’d be dead a hundred times if you couldn’t use a phoenix down.” He watched his cocoa like it might have all the answers to life itself. Maybe it did, somewhere in its vanilla swirls.
”I’ve always just followed them. Now they’re gone. And…And I’m just really…” Prompto swallowed. Shit, his eyes were burning.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Prompto protested that being a crownsguard wasn’t a job for him, and then he made a joke that he’d never even gotten paid. Noctis nearly choked on his wine, and he brought a hand up to his face to cough a little as he laughed. “I never even thought about that. I bet the crown owes you three a fortune in back pay.” Odds are that would never get paid out though. Not unless Insomnia was restored and its economy rose from the ashes. Suddenly the joke seemed less funny when Noctis thought of it that way.
Prompto went on to say that half the time he forgot he even was a crownsguard. “I do too,” the prince admitted, glancing across the table at him. “But I think that’s a good thing. Even Gladio and Ignis make it hard to forget.” He loved them of course, but they would always put his safety and their duty above what he wanted. It was just what they’d both been raised to prioritize. Not so much with Prompto, and that was refreshing as hell when it came to his guards.
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to feel when I heard you wanted to be a crownsguard,” Noctis said, rubbing the back of his neck with his gloved hand. “Not because I didn’t want you around or anything. I just…liked having someone who wasn’t connected to the palace. And I didn’t know how that would change things between us.” Not as much as he’d thought it would, and it was good that Prompto knew how to defend himself now. His worries had probably just been Noctis being self-conscious about losing the only person who was around him simply because they wanted to be. That was hard to come by when you were a prince.
Prompto brought up his vows, and Noctis glanced away as he mentioned his dad. “That’s what phoenix downs are for,” he said weakly, so he didn’t have to dwell on Prompto’s crownsguard initiation. That ceremony had been one of the last times he’d seen his dad. “I don’t mind making them. Especially if it keeps you from getting hurt.”
His friend was staring at his cocoa, and Noctis lowered his own eyes when he realized that Prompto looked close to tears. “You won’t let me down,” he said quietly. “You’ve always been there for me. Even after I threw you off a train.” He didn’t know if he wanted to talk about Ardyn now, but he was willing to touch on it. “We’re doing this together. Even if it all goes to shit, that’s not just on your shoulders. It’s on mine too.”
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] ”Heh.” Prompto couldn’t help the softest, saddest, weakest attempt at a laugh in his life. Noctis was being so…honest. And he was saying nice things about him that made his ears burn. It didn’t feel right, somebody saying nice things about him like that. He was the group fuck-up and he knew it. The guys were always ribbing him. The good kind of ribbing. The kind that came from friends with a nudge and a pat on the shoulder, but still. He was the one who crashed cars and complained too much and made the dumb jokes and always went down first in a fight. He was the one with the least training, the least experience, the least brains.
He didn’t deserve to have nice things said about him like that. He didn’t deserve Noctis telling him he wouldn’t let him down like it was a fact and not a question. He didn’t deserve that little acknowledgement – ’You’ve always been there for me. Even after I threw you off a train.’
And all Prompto could say to that was just…a laugh. A little laugh. The softest, saddest, weakest attempt at a laugh in his life. What else was he supposed to say?
’Of course I’ve been there. Please don’t leave me again. I need to be there. I’d rather die than leave your side.’
Yeah. He’d get roasted so hard for that. Not exactly up to the standards of the bro code.
”I want to help as much as I can,” he said instead. ”I mean, I know it’s not much, but you always had a lot to carry. No one ever expected anything from me. So…”
So what? He didn’t know where he was going with this.
”Sorry. About the Crownsguard thing.” Yeah, that was a great idea. Don’t know where you’re going? Pivot to something else. ”I knew you liked having somebody who wasn’t from the palace. But…I got talked to sometimes. About how you were the prince and couldn’t keep hanging out with some kid who worked at a camera shop forever…”
Prompto rubbed his neck. He’d never actually talked to Noctis about the whole Crownsguard thing before. Why he did it. How Noctis felt about it. It was just “Surprise! I’m here forever now! And working for your dad! Turns out I’m great with guns. Weird, huh?”
The bro code didn’t allow a lot of talks like this. With tears and truth and hot cocoa.
”I didn’t wanna tell you, but those guys from the palace were always giving me a hard time. Cause, you know, we got an apartment and you were working with me at a camera store and they had to work extra hard to keep you safe.” Prompto rubbed his neck, keeping his eyes trained on the minty hot cocoa. ”I mean. I know you wanted to do all that, but they acted like I’d stole you away from your dad or something. So I asked Ignis about joining up. And man, it was hard. Iggy and Gladio both helped, but I’m pretty sure I thought my whole body was broke after I trained with Gladio the first time.”
He laughed again. Louder this time. They both knew how Gladio could be.
”But then I did it. But I never told you I was gonna do it. So…sorry for that.” His face was red. His ears were red. Was it from the cold? Or the feeling like he wanted to sink into a hole? His stupid pale face. It always told on him when he felt like that.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Prompto actually apologized for applying to the crownsguard, but before Noctis could even unpack that, he also mentioned that people from the palace had given him a hard time. “Seriously?” He shouldn’t have been surprised. Other than Ignis and Gladio, no one had even pretended to understand his decision to move out of the citadel. He’d hoped they’d have the decency not to bother his friends about it though. Apparently not.
“You didn’t steal me from my dad,” Noctis muttered, his eyes dropping down to the ring on his finger. “The wall and the prophecy did that way before you came into the picture.” That was heavier than he usually liked to be, but it was the truth. Maintaining the wall had been slowly killing his dad, and there had been nothing Noct could do about it. Then the king had always encouraged him to live a more normal life. He had been the first prince in generations to attend a public school, and his dad hadn’t fought his decision to get his own apartment either. Noctis couldn’t say that he regretted spending time outside of the citadel, but it did hurt to remember how much he had been avoiding his father.
Still, Noct couldn’t help but laugh weakly at Prompto’s description of his first training session with Gladio. “Yeah, that’s pretty much how it goes. You’re pretty slippery at least.” It was his friend’s greatest skill on the battlefield outside of his tech skills. He’d always assumed that Ignis had helped him with that, but maybe it had developed more naturally from dodging Gladio’s blows. That would do it too.
Prompto apologized again, and this time Noctis intercepted and shook his head. “Honestly it might be better you didn’t tell me. I might have been mad,” he admitted. “Since it was already too late, I was just upset. The crownsguard don’t really quit or switch jobs. I didn’t want you to be stuck around the citadel for the rest of your life like-...”Like me.
The wine was making him far too honest. Noctis let out a slow breath before waving his hand. “I guess it doesn’t matter now that we’re here. We’re like anyone else. No princes or guards.” Just a year or two ago, it would have been everything that Noctis wanted on a silver platter. Now, with his dad dead and his kingdom in ashes, he just felt like a failure. He couldn’t even try to save Insomnia, and if Caius was to be believed, then Eos was being plunged into darkness right now. He’d never wanted to embrace responsibility so much now that he no longer had any. It was a cruel irony.
“So don’t feel like it’s all on you. We’ll find somewhere to stay here and work out what to do for Ignis and Gladio, okay?” He definitely needed to write to Caius and Alex to let them know he’d found Prompto at least.
