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year 5, quarter 3
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Oh gods it all felt so awkward and suffocating and he didn't really know what to do and just... he had to admit that when he was finally able to look back at Prompto, notice the anger and the balled fists, that he actually felt himself relax a little. Prompto was enraged, and probably wanted to get violent. At the very least, violence was a language that Alex could understand. He opened his mouth, really just to politely, for him anyway, ask Prompto to simply not hit him in the nuts, but Noctis seemed to cut in before it could get that far. A table and a round of Whiskey for everyone. His lips thinned, and he said nothing, simply following over and taking his seat. The suffocation returned, and he simply waited for this plan to begin. Part of him just wanted the whole thing to be over and done with.
Not that it mattered. He saw the writing on the wall. He wondered if he'd be able to finish the whiskey before he had to go, at least. He hoped they'd do just fine without him, but his track record of Eosians in trouble tended to make him wonder.
Unfortunately, the behemoth in the room was brought up. As much as he would've preferred to try and talk this over later, it seemed that it was now. Here he was, thoughts unchecked, filter nowhere near as functional as he'd have liked, so he just... spoke. Trying his best to keep it in check lest it get even worse. "I know. And I'm sorry. For what that's worth at this point." He spoke with a sigh, leaning back. "I think the three of us are due for a long, uncomfortable conversation once we're done here. Because this can't continue." Something had to change. Either he and Prompto came to an uneasy truce, or they all agreed it was a bad fit and went their separate ways. Otherwise they were just going to keep exploding on each other again and again. Alex turned his head, at least facing Prompto this time. "Fortunately, it seems the people surrounding you are smart enough to ignore all the stupid shit I said about you."
Where were those Whiskeys? Hurry up, Tifa.
"Wait. A round of Whiskeys... That, that included Prompto, right? His attention snapped entirely onto Prompto as he just stared, mouth slightly ajar. He leaned a little forward in his chair as his eyes just bored holes into Prompto's face. Prompto could drink? Was he old enough? He had to be, Noctis wouldn't screw around with that, would he? His mouth opened more as he meant to say something as he continued to stare, but it closed for a moment, as if he thought of something better. And he had, to him anyway. Something more positive, less antagonistic. He could do this. Just once he could do this. "You know, Prompto..." He started. How best to word it? How could he do this without upsetting the kid--guy. No, Prompto was no child. He was just blessed with eternal fucking youth apparently.
That lucky, baby faced son of a bitch.
There was a brief pause as he looked away before nodding. "Has anyone ever told you that you'd look really cool with a beard? Because I think you would." Yeah, that'd work, right? "So would um, so would everyone else. Right, Noctis?" He punctuated, shooting a pleading look to Noctis for some back up here. The two of them were lovers, Noctis had said so. Surely Prompto would give what Noctis said some weight. At least with a beard, Prompto would look a little older. And that was when the realization hit Alex that he had taken his rage out on who he assumed was a child, and he could only slump in his chair. Gods, he really was the asshole, wasn't he?
Post by Tifa Lockhart on Mar 21, 2023 12:21:48 GMT -6
PROMISE YOU'LL COME AND SAVE ME
The conversation with Alex hadn't been too bad, but she still wasn't happy with him. There was a reason magic wasn't allowed in her bar, and it was guys like him who proved that it was a good choice. They could have just told Cindy it was a private get together, or something else besides knocking her out. Then he had the balls to ask her out, that was the icing on the cake. She would give him points for shooting his shot, but he was too far on her shit list for it to matter.
As she returned, she gave a small smile to Caius. "It was nothing, he's still a customer, even if he is a pain in the ass. Gave you guys time to work things out as well." She wasn't sure what else she would have done while they were all doing their thing anyways, besides get them more drinks. Even then, that wouldn't take up a lot of time.
It seemed as though they were starting to get back on track because they started discussing options. Tifa gave a small smile, remembering the days when her and her friends would sit around doing this exact same thing. The Aerith rescue was decently close to the same thing the boys and Cindy were doing now, except there probably wasn't a psycho scientist involved. She shuddered a little bit at thought of Hojo.
Noctis apologized to her and she looked over at his friends. "I've dealt with worse, though Alex is on his last strike so he better watch it." She watched Noctis' face fall a bit at the sight of Alex walking back in, and she didn't blame him for his order. "Coming right up." Heading behind the bar, she grabbed out five rocks glassed and put ice in them before pouring Jack Daniels in each.
As she brought them out to them, she heard them at least somewhat trying to make amends with each other. After all that had been said before, she wasn't sure if everything could be fixed between them all, especially between Alex and Prompto. She had decided to just hand them all their glasses, since they all probably needed it at this point. She handed Prompto his last, giving his shoulder a small squeeze and a smile as she went behind the bar, letting him know that everything was alright with her, and what Alex had said didn't effect her view of him.
Hopefully everything went better from here on out.
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Caius looked back at him. It was a kind of startled look like the one you get when the teacher calls on you in class but you were just doodling moogles in your notebook. Prompto felt a little bad, making him look like that, but Caius’ expression changed as quickly as it had come on. He was a soldier, alright -- a glaive actually. Ready for anything.
Man, they were so cool.
But Caius didn’t tell Alex to go take a hike. Instead he settled on a compromise which…wasn’t bad. Caius’ idea wasn’t a bad one at all, really, but Prompto couldn’t help it when his face dropped in disappointment. He’d been hoping that after everything that had happened that they’d all be as against working with this guy as he was. They’d seen what he was like. They’d all watched as he’d…
Well, as he’d backed Prompto into a corner and tried to scare him. That’s what.
And Prompto had been scared. Not of Alex, exactly. It wasn't like big guys getting in his face was a new thing. Gladio did it all the time, but that was different. That was really different.
But Caius had a plan. He even looked at Prompto encouragingly when he got to Alex’s part in it, and Prompto tried to return it with a smile. He couldn’t smile, really, but he hoped it was the thought that counted. Like a “hey, I don’t agree with you and I’m still really shook up but I appreciate that you’re thinking about me” kind of smile. Caius seemed to understand Alex’s personality pretty spot on too. Alex liked being loud, making noise, being the center of attention. It wasn’t a bad plan. But still…
Noctis stepped in next. Actually, he stepped in front of Prompto. Prompto looked at him in surprise and felt heat rise up to his already flushed face.
’The first thing you do is run and hide behind Noctis after you do your typical lashing out! That might work with Ignis and Gladio, but I am a hell of a lot scarier than they could ever be!’
Was…that what was happening here? Was Alex right? As soon as there was a sign of trouble, Noctis stepped in to help. He stepped right in front of him like he was saying, ‘You want to get to him, you gotta get through me!’ Normally, Prompto would’ve appreciated something like that, but this time…
This time it just made the shame rise up even faster. He couldn’t stand up for himself. He’d never been able to, really. Not when he was a kid at school and the bigger, stronger kids tripped him and he ended up with scrapes on the sidewalk. Not when he was Noctis’ bestie and no one dared laugh at him anymore, but that was just because Noctis was around. Not now either. Prompto glanced away, hoping the dejection didn’t reach his voice.
Noctis asked what he thought. He told him he trusted him. But Prompto couldn’t quite look him in the eye. ”Ignis and Gladio matter right now,” he muttered back to Noctis. ”If Caius thinks it’ll work better with Alex then…we’ll save them together.”
It wasn’t what he wanted to say. He wanted to say that Alex was deranged. He was the kind of guy who would make you hot chocolate one minute then start digging into you the next. He was the kind of guy who would get offended if he wasn’t the big star of the show. He was the kind of guy who would back a man into a corner, threaten him, storm out, then come in acting like looking sorry for himself was all he needed to make it right. But Prompto wasn’t used to being the one making decisions, and Caius was so confident and cool that it was easy to follow him. Noctis seemed to think they could work together so…
So who was Prompto to disagree?
Alex took a seat at the table. Noctis had ordered a round of whiskey. He’d also said something about Cindy that made Prompto look at her in surprise, but they were a little past that at this point. Cindy? A getaway driver? It made him want to protest that she didn’t need to get anywhere near something as dangerous as this, but he could see that look in her eye that told him she was dead set on it so all he could manage was a ”Wha-? But-!” before he thought it was better to shut up and accept what everyone else had apparently already accepted. That’s what he got for hiding away in a bathroom while everyone else was making decisions.
He really, really did worry about Cindy though. Maybe they’d talk later. Or he’d get Noctis to talk to her later. He'd never said the right things around Cindy.
Prompto didn’t have much time to linger on the question because Alex had started talking. Again. Part of Prompto had kind of expected that he’d just sit there quietly seeing as he’d managed to piss off everyone here, but that just wasn’t Alex’s way. He started off talking to Noctis, saying he was sorry and all that and that they needed to talk heart to heart after this. Prompto swallowed and made sure he wasn’t looking at him so he wouldn’t see his nerves acting up.
They needed to have a conversation with Alex? Why? So he could get passive-aggressive again? So he could try to hit them right where it hurt? So he could get aggressive-aggressive? At least if they were gonna do it, it’d be somewhere without a magic barrier where Prompto could get his guns if he needed them. He wasn’t about to be backed into a corner again.
He wasn’t some weak, cowering nobody. He wasn’t…
Tifa returned with the round of whiskeys and handed everyone their glasses. Prompto took his without thinking about it, numb to everything until he felt a little squeeze on his shoulder and looked up in surprise to see Tifa smiling at him. So…she didn’t think he was a creep after all? Prompto couldn’t help but smile back, invigorated by something he couldn’t quite put a word on. They’d all seen him get torn apart, but nobody seemed to think any worse about him. Not even Tifa who he didn’t even know that well.
He felt warmer, thinking like that. He didn’t even watch Tifa’s tiny leather skirt as she headed back to the bar counter. He gripped his glass tighter.
He could do this.
Prompto sat down at the table just as Alex turned his attention to him again, looking weirdly thoughtful. Prompto gave him a strange look, waiting for the rest. When Alex did go on, Prompto could only stare at him in utter confusion. ”Uh…?” He glanced at Noctis uncertainly. Was…was that really how he wanted to start this? Telling Prompto to grow a beard?
Prompto had been thinking of growing one every once in a while, but it had never really worked out for him. First it would start all scraggly and that wasn’t good for anyone. So he’d shave it and hope his abs and the tone on his biceps would do the rest. But that didn’t really matter because this was coming from Alex and it was coming out of absolutely nowhere.
”I, uh…No? Nobody’s said that,” he finally managed before he looked down at the straight whiskey in his hand. This was supposed to make people feel better, right? He braced himself and took a long drink of it, wincing and coughing as it hit his throat. Man, that burned! He could already see Gladio making fun of him and patting him on the back way too hard and then he’d start choking and Gladio would tell him to man up and finish his drink. But Gladio wasn’t here so it was just Prompto, coughing and making faces until the whiskey finally burned its way all the way down to his stomach.
Yup, that settled it. Whiskey was not a Prompto kind of drink. Whiskey was a Gladio kind of drink. It was a Caius kind of drink. Maybe a Noctis kind of drink on a special day. Prompto preferred the light and fruity stuff, maybe with a bit of mint, and he wasn’t ashamed of saying so!
Except right now. Right now he was pretty damn ashamed to say it. But the whiskey wasn’t the point right now. Right now, it was time for a plan.
”U-um. Okay.” He cleared his throat and it burned. When would that whiskey make him feel better again? ”I like Caius’ idea. Me and Noctis are used to sneaking. I mean, we’re used to sneaking when he can warp which he won’t be able to do, but I once took out a whole MT base by myself, no magic needed. I’ve been thinking a lot about this. And I’ve got the info from Cissnei right here!”
He opened up his winter coat and pulled the folded up, slightly wrinkled papers out of an interior pocket before he unfolded them and placed them on the table, trying his best to straighten them out a bit. They were worse for wear by now, but he hadn’t wanted them to get wet with all the snow so…
Who cared if they were kinda wrinkly?
”I’ve got a map of the place here. And over here I’ve got a schedule of their supply shipments. I was thinking me and Noctis hide in one of those supply trucks which would take us right past security into here, the shipping bay.” He pointed at a large room on the map. ”I’ll need a gun that shoots actual bullets since mine won’t work inside, and Noct will have to get his sword out before we get in. Or maybe daggers would be quieter? Noct can use a lot of weapons so I’ll leave that up to him. Anyway, once the truck starts getting unloaded, we jump out for a sneak attack. I’ll leave most of the fighting up to Noctis since gunshots’ll get attention, but if we run into any quieter tech I can use on the way, I’ll switch out for that. I can figure out just about any tech I can get my hands on.”
Prompto sat up a little straighter, feeling a burst of confidence he wasn’t used to feeling. He wasn’t the best fighter, sure, but there hadn’t been a Niflheim weapon they’d found that he hadn’t gotten a feel for in like five minutes tops. He wondered if that maybe had something to do with where he came from, but he didn’t let himself think about it too hard this time. He’d figured out Lucian weapons pretty fast too. He just liked tech. That’s all there was to it.
He hoped.
”There’ll probably be some proper guards at the docks so once we take them out, we can steal their stuff and hope their clothes fit and aren’t too covered in blood which would kind of give us away. They’ll probably have keycards and stuff too which can get us around the place. The cell blocks are over here.” He pointed again. ”But we’ve got no way of knowing which have Ignis and Gladio or if our cards would even work there, so instead, I think we want to go over here to the control room. Might need a few more keycards along the way, but that’s what surprise attacks are for. Anyway, once we’re in the control room, I should be able to do my business and figure out how to open doors and maybe take down that magic barrier. Doesn’t matter which doors I open. I can just open all of them. But I want to do it while Ignis and Gladio are in the prison yard which is right here.”
Prompto took a deep breath. He did feel somehow…warmer so maybe that was the whiskey’s doing. Mostly he just felt good talking out a plan. Being kinda sorta in charge. Showing off how much work he’d put in and how much thought he’d put into it. He wasn’t used to feeling smart, but he felt like it now and it was a nice feeling for once.
”When I was with that witch and saw them in the first place, it was around twelve-thirty in the afternoon. Which means that that’s probably where they’ll be on a Wednesday at twelve-thirty. That solves the whole ‘finding them’ problem, and if we get all the doors open in the cell blocks too then that’ll cause some chaos. Cue behemoth and Alex attack. That kinda trouble might be a bad time for Ignis and Gladio, but that’s why me and Noctis’ll have to get to them fast. Getting out of there depends on what doors I got open, but there’s the supply bay or there’s this door at the fighting ring. I think that’s where they take the bodies. The front door is probably a bad idea. But…that’s what I’ve got!”
It was a lame ending. If he really did get the anti-magic field down then that would mean that they could all fight full power like a team and probably manage to wing it from there, but “let’s just wing it” didn’t have a great sound to it so he left that part out. Instead, he looked up at Caius and Noctis and Cindy and even Alex with a look of pride that he rarely got to show. Then he realized what he was doing and rubbed his neck as a new wave of doubt came over him.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 4, 2023 16:47:15 GMT -6
The Dragonblades
Perhaps it was best that Prompto seemed to ignore Caius' attempt to clarify what he was trying to say. Caius certainly wasn't going to protest on that matter, he wanted to just forget that he'd even tried. He was nowhere near confident in this moment. Noctis recognized it though, and joked that it was their "welcome to the gang" so to speak. Well, his was the emotional turmoil part. Cindy's was more just entering the prison break phase of things. But at least it sounded like this was nothing new for the gang... Which was actually concerning considering how long this was before Noctis had become King in his timeline.
Tifa claimed she was used to this sort of thing, and that she was happy to help. Well, if she said so. He still felt bad for putting her in this position, as he was sure most of the gang did. She certainly didn't deserve all of this. Though Noctis was braver than he was and ordered drinks for the lot. On the rocks, at that. Caius muttered something thanking at least one of the Eos pantheon for Noctis' decision to do so. He was going to need it. Caius then thanked Tifa with a gentle smile once they had a table and they had their drinks. And then didn't hesitate to take the first gulp in earnest.
Whiskey, huh? He hadn't had it before, but it was some powerful stuff. He knew he had planned a stronger drink, but the kick was something else and Caius needed a moment to handle it. Very strong, and very bitter. Seriously, this was some crazy stuff. He took a deep breath then, as he prepared himself to listen to Prompto's plan, setting the rest of the drink aside for now. If he tried drinking much more of this right away, he'd be sloshed before they could get to business. Though it was very tempting when Noctis had decided to confront Alex again. Caius refrained, however, throughout the ensuing drama.
Barely refrained at that, when Alex tried to go for the same bulls**t tactics he had with Cindy earlier before trying to put her to sleep. Caius couldn't help it as his head hit the table, and the mercenary elicited a low groan. "For Shiva's sake. If it doesn't relate to business, please shut up" he breathed out. It had to be said.
Alright. It was business time. So Caius picked himself up and got to it.
He had steeled himself, pushing all other thoughts from his mind as they got to the task at hand, even after Prompto had asked him to come up with something that kept him from Alex. Caius couldn't help the smallest smile of pride as Prompto got fully into the planning, taking charge and mapping things out like a professional. Slowly finding his confidence. Good on him.
However, Prompto clearly wasn't thrilled that he was still including Alex, and Caius gave Prompto a sympathetic look at that. But it had to be done. Like him or not, they could not afford to let their egos endanger the mission. Or Noctis, for that matter. Alex was loud and abrasive, and would be a fine distraction. Perfect for keeping Sonoran guards away from Noctis and Prompto. However, Prompto did move his part to play to after they had already freed the lads, where he felt a distraction would be best suited. Instead, Noctis and Prompto would get in by smuggling themselves.
Overall, a solid plan. And well-prepared, by the looks of his data. Though Caius did have some thoughts.
"It's a good plan. However, it may be a problem if they do search what goes through that gate. Sonora's military is as paranoid as can be, by my experiences here" Caius brought up then. "It may be better that I handle the distraction earlier, so they will rush any cargo in without searching. In order to keep it from being Behemoth food. Alex would then be what keeps them cleared away so you can make your exit, and they'll still be reeling from the behemoth attack to begin with. I also have few means of knowing when you have freed the others, and would at best have to remain nearby and hope I can hear the alarms without getting caught in the meanwhile. It would also take time for me to lure the behemoth there. They would be well aware of your jailbreak well before I get it there."
Caius scratched his beard in thought as he said this. "Of course, it would be fruitful to be able to provide distractions on both sides while you make your getaway. The combined chaos would make it easier for your group to slip out, as they would be dealing with a behemoth and Alex while also trying to answer your own breakout. So both possibilities have different benefits and risks. I trust yours and His Highness' judgement when it comes to picking which would be best."
So Noctis and Prompto had a choice to make. Either a stronger chance at getting inside with a lured behemoth that they could bring in at the exact time they need it, or increase their odds of getting out but with delayed input.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] For whatever it was worth, Alex did apologize. Noctis let out a long breath before giving him a short nod. Not quite an ‘I forgive you’ gesture, but at least ‘I hear you.’ The warrior of light also suggested that the three of them have a long, hard talk sometime. It didn’t sound like his idea of a fun afternoon, but Noctis agreed that it needed to happen. There were a lot of hurt feelings and buried tension in the mix, and he wanted to at least try to sort through it with them. “Yeah. Maybe after everything’s settled.” Adding Gladio to the situation might be like throwing gasoline on the fire, but at least Ignis might have some good advice.
Prompto wasn’t thrilled with involving Alex—anyone could see that, and Noctis didn’t think his best friend meant it at all when he agreed with Caius’ plan. The prince contemplated pushing back, but at the end of the day, this was for everyone’s safety. They were way more likely to succeed with Alex, whatever Prompto felt about it. He thought his best friend understood that too, and that was probably why he’d agreed in the first place. “...Alright.” With that…settled?...Noctis moved over to join the group at a corner table, so that the five of them would have some relative privacy. He wasn’t worried about Tifa of course—not after she’d told him that she used to host eco-terrorist meetings in the basement of her old bar. But just in case anyone else wandered in at this off hour.
Speaking of the bartender, Tifa brought over the round of drinks that Noctis had ordered, and he thanked her before taking a sip of the whiskey. The prince had two very opposite experiences with liquor before this: he’d once pilfered some incredibly expensive bourbon from his dad’s cabinet, and he’d also had the cheapest whiskey Lestallum had to offer. Sonora’s seemed to fall somewhere in between. It burned his throat and wasn’t smooth in the slightest, but he also didn’t completely hate himself after a drink. Noctis considered that a win.
Out of nowhere, Alex made a strange comment about how Prompto would look really cool with a beard. Since his opinion was actively solicited, Noctis squinted at his friend’s face for a moment before responding honestly. “No. But now I can’t unsee that.” The idea of Prompto with a full beard was so unsettling that Noctis did a slightly dramatic shudder before taking another drink of whiskey. Hopefully that would lighten the mood at least.
Finally they got down to business, and Noctis listened closely as Prompto outlined his plan. Honestly, he was super impressed at how thorough it was. He was going to brag about Prompto so much to Ignis and Gladio after this, but for now he just gave his own thoughts.
“Yeah, I like it. We’ll have to scout ahead to see where their supply trucks load up so we know a good spot to sneak on one, but that’s a great idea. When we attack, I’m more comfortable with my sword, but I think I’ll bring my daggers since we’re going for stealth. I guess I have to pick for a change.” He hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the ring on his middle finger. The dark stone glinted back at him as if to remind him of why he was tired all the time and would age twice as fast as a normal person. Though maybe that process would slow down since he wasn’t holding up the wall around Lucis like his dad had. It was funny, Noctis had always dreaded the day when he’d take over that burden, but now that it would never come, he didn’t know how to feel.
“I don’t want to rely on this, because I’m not sure if Sonora’s technology is like Gralea’s. But I might still be able to use the ring once we’re inside. It still worked after Ardyn blocked the rest of our magic…” Ardyn and Gralea were the last things he wanted to talk about right now, but it was important to lay all their assets on the table at least.
Noctis nodded slowly at Caius’ additional suggestion that he cause the behemoth attack on the way in rather than on the way out. “That’s true, if you’re keeping your distance then you might not know the best time to strike. And I’m sure they do scan every vehicle going in, so we need some kind of assurance against that.” That probably meant either sacrificing their dignity and crawling into a bag of apples, or having Caius strike at the beginning like he’d suggested. Personally Noctis was leaning more towards the second.
“For the way out, we’ll also need a spot for Cindy to meet us at. If you’re really sure you want to help us get away,” the prince reiterated to her. He knew she’d made up her mind, but he felt like he should give her another chance to back out just in case.
Post by Cindy Aurum on Apr 17, 2023 13:54:38 GMT -6
TEACH THEM BOYS A LESSON
Caius pointed out that the conversation that had ensued needed to happen and Cindy gave a nod. "I don't think I'll ever understand how men work." Girls usually did this same thing too, though their screaming at each was right when the problem started. Men seemed to shove it all under the bed until there was too much and they had to address it. "Better now than on the field." This would have been a terrible thing to have happen in the midst of everything.
Cindy shot a smile at Caius as they both were now near Prompto and Noctis, and she gave a wink to Noctis as he mouthed thank you to her. Caius spoke to Prompto and Cindy gave him props for trying to be helpful. Prompto seemed to have lightened up and he stated he had a plan. Cindy had never seen them in action, but she was pretty excited to be a part of it, even if it could be pretty dangerous. She wondered if this much planning went into everything they did, or if they just flew by the seat of their pants. She just left it at a little bit of both.
Tifa came back in shortly after Prompto suggested they all sit, and she did not look happy. Though she didn't seem super pissed, so that was a plus. Alex was through the door shortly after, of course acting like nothing had happened. Cindy didn't look at him though, she was not the biggest fan of him and would make that known. Of course she would still work with him in any way she had to, but she refused to speak to him otherwise.
Caius seemed to redeem himself with his words of wisdom, then offered some more to the plan. It seemed that everything was finally starting to come together, and that Alex and the boys wouldn't have to work too closely together. Noctis did state that she didn't have to build anything, which was good because she didn't have much time anyways, but she knew that she would be looking around the area the next day to find something perfect.
Noctis apologized to Tifa and then ordered a round of whiskey, which sounded great. Then he addressed Alex very sternly and Cindy finally got to see the Noctis that was to be king one day. She had always seen carefree and accident prone Noctis and the gang, now she was going to see them in action. Well, half of them at least. Hopefully the other two weren't too bad. She gave Alex a little bit of credit for admitting he screwed up, but then he was going on about Prompto having a beard? Well that was random.
The whiskeys were on the table, and she watched Prompto as everything unfolded. She was making sure that he was alright, and there were some points where she wasn't quite sure. He then spoke, but there wasn't much confidence in his voice as he agreed to everything. He was then looking at her once it was mentioned she would be involved, and he did not seem thrilled about that at all. She gave him a small smile and reached over to squeeze his hand, letting him know she knew what she was doing.
Cindy took her whiskey drink as Prompto did, wincing only slightly at the burn she felt. She didn't hate whiskey, but it certainly wasn't her favorite drink. She had to giggle a little bit at Prompto as he drank his whiskey. "Yeah, it burns a little. You get used to it. Eventually." She had done the same thing when she drank it for the first time, so she didn't blame Prompto at all for his reaction. Except it seemed to open him up a lot, and he just went off with his plan.
The boys were talking, and she was keeping up for the most part. Fortunately for her, she only needed to know the end of everything. Basically once they were in the vehicle, she would just get the heck out of there. Or maybe she would already be driving by and they could hop in and they could just go. Rolling her eyes, she looked Noctis dead in the face. "Yes, I am sure. I know y'all will be able to keep us safe, so just leave the drivin' to me."
Fortunately, Alex was able to perk up some and be dragged out of his spiraling heel realization when Prompto actually got to the plan part of the, well, plan. Mostly. When Caius did tell him to shut up, Alex wordlessly flashed him two raised fingers without looking at him. He was pretty sure that one was cultural, so maybe it'd go over their heads. Maybe. But he was impressed with how much detail Prompto had gone into. From what he knew of the guy, not a child, by the by, he had figured Prompto would just flub and come up with some generic go get 'em plan and he'd do all the actual heavy lifting. This, well, he was still doing heavy stuff, but it was clear Prompto had gone through no small amount of effort. "Huh." He made a noise of acknowledgement. "Wish you were around for Lacus Litore. Would've lost a lot less people." That had been a generic go get 'em plan, and they had lost too many people for him to find any comfort in the victory. But victory in Bozja was only ever bittersweet.
His job was simple enough; break things. He could do that. He thought for a moment to the elaborate backstories he had concocted for Noctis and Prompto in his suitcase and realized it was all wasted effort. Yozora, exiled prince avenging the death of his wife and Rex Colt, bounty hunting killing machine, would never see the light of day. He had been pretty sure Prompto would've loved that last one. Maybe he'd give the two of them the papers once this was all said and done. That way it wouldn't have gone completely to waste. "I'd advise against killing so you're not being hunted afterwards, but that's already going to happen. All I can say is; do whatever you feel lets your conscience rest easy." As for him? He was there to break, not kill. If he had his way, the guards that were unlucky enough, or maybe lucky enough, honestly, would probably be walking away from all of this in one piece.
It also meant he'd be making an enemy of Sonora. Eh. He could just say he was Caius or something. Let him take the heat. If Caius wanted to be dumb about it, then let it be so. "Also, luring in a Behemoth is an awful idea. Those beauties summon meteors, and they're not picky on where they fling them. All of this goes up in smoke if Noctis and Prompto go squish because they got an unlucky celestial object dropped on them." There was a huff and a mumbling, with two notable words being "mercenaries" and "amateurs" before he took another drink of his whiskey. "Also, Behemoths are territorial apex predators. Unless you do something completely brainless like steal one of their pups, they'll abandon the chase as you're just not worth eating. Never mind that it's Winter and most of them are hunkering down in dens right now. Females especially, considering we're in birthing season. You're not getting one to the prison." Magnificent creatures. Truly. Getting to see one in action was always a treat. Alex blinked and looked at the others. He shrugged awkwardly with a cough. "They were common where I grew up. Hunting one was considered proof of a hero." The New World was... not the safest place to raise a child, really. But an expedition was an expedition.
But they talked of geting in. Slipping in via the trucks, but not getting caught when they searched. Alex nodded. Made sense. "As for sneaking into a place undetected... from my experience? There's simply no substitute for the humble box." The box was unassuming. The box kept you safe. If stealth was the goal, there would be no more a stalwart companion than the box. Sure, there were some who had laughed at him when he used it, but they tended to shut up. At least Thancred understood. He wouldn't comment on Prompto having a real gun, though. Part of him just wondered, in the back of his head, if Prompto would have actually shot him had he been able to pull that pistol out, of if he would have merely threatened Alex with it. Perhaps if Prompto had shot him, they would have been cool, now that he thought about it. Not like he hadn't been shot before.
Though it was more what Noctis said that caught his attention; he had a magic ring that could apparently work even when magic was blocked? His brows perked at the mention. He shrugged, taking a sip of the whiskey. Which he then followed up with a gulp. "Hey, Noct. Why not try using it in here? It's the same technology, right? Better to find out now than when you're being shot at." He suggested. What could possibly go wrong? Really, if he had something like that, he'd have been pretty happy about it. And the getaway driver was settled, at least. Mostly. He was sure he could have been the driver too, he was a fine one. Noctis could attest to that.
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Prompto’s smile slipped as he kept on rubbing his neck, waiting. He couldn’t look any of them in the eye after he finished laying out his plan. He’d felt so confident in the moment, finally telling them all what he’d come up with like he was the head of a group project in high school or something. And they’d all quietly listened without interrupting or anything which was nice of them but…
But his heart was pounding and he thought his cheeks might have turned red again. He couldn’t stand waiting.
”Yeah, I like it.”
Prompto looked up in surprise. Noctis liked it? He couldn’t help but beam as Noctis went on to add his own thoughts followed by a domino effect of everyone else chipping in. They all liked his plan. It felt like a weight had melted off his shoulders. They had all the information that he knew. They had the base idea he’d come up with. Now he could let them handle the rest.
He didn’t make for a good leader. He didn’t want to be one. That was way too much pressure. But following? He could do that just fine.
Caius and Alex argued about the whole behemoth thing, but he didn’t mind. That wasn’t part of his plan originally anyway, and they could sort everything out however they wanted. Alex was…weird about it all. He wasn’t even totally sure that he liked the plan since he never said so. He just said he wished Prompto was around for…something. Then told them not to kill anybody.
”I mean, yeah. Duh.” Prompto said, rubbing his neck again uncomfortably. He didn’t like killing someone any more than the next guy. In fact, all that long way through Lucis and Altissia and Gralea, they’d just been killing monsters and MTs. Which were…not people.
Not people at all.
The conversation was still going. No time for thoughts like that. He tried to push it away the way he always did, but the mood still stuck and he knew it’d just come back when he was least expecting it. Stupid thoughts. Always breaking out when he told them to stay put.
He hoped Noctis didn’t notice.
It was Noctis that got him to perk up again, or at least the mention of him. Noctis mentioned that he could still use the ring when Ardyn had blocked the rest of his magic which was a good point, but then Alex wanted him to try it. Right here. Prompto sat straight up, giving him a look like he was crazy.
”Hey, no. We don’t need to do that. He shouldn’t use it any more than he has to! Plus, do you know what that thing can do? That’d be totally bad news, right Noctis?”
They’d all traveled across the world to get the ring. They’d had to get the ring. The ring was special. It was something Noctis needed if he was gonna be a king of Lucis and stuff, but that didn’t mean that Prompto had to like the ring. Because every time Noctis used it, it hurt him.
Plus, he didn’t think Tifa would like it if Noctis tore a fabric through a reality in her bar. Or instantly disintegrated somebody. Or if they got in a fight so he could use Holy which might just destroy half the bar with it. Yeah, that was a big no go.
”We’ll do just fine without it. With my guns and Noctis’ sword or daggers or whatever, we’ve got this! And uh…if we’re really screwed, that’ll be our Plan B. But we don’t gotta test it now. I don’t know if anything can block that thing. So…”
Just like before, he was running out of steam. All he could do was look at Noctis and hope he agreed. ”So whatever you want to do, Noct. But I not being your test dummy. You can use it on Alex if you’ve gotta.” He grinned weakly. Because they both knew exactly what that’d do to Alex. And they were both not cool with killing people. Even people who they wanted to punch in the face a lot of the time.
He just really hoped Noctis didn’t think he was for real. Then he’d feel really bad when Alex was shot into the void of outer space.
Post by Caius Dragelion on May 4, 2023 17:54:06 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Caius wasn't really big on majorly strong and bitter drinks like this either, didn't like the taste much. But he wasn't going to complain about a strong drink with everything that was going on either. So at this point, Caius had some drink in him, he had calmed down a bit now that they were getting down to business and Alex wasn't trying and failing to make his situation with Prompto better. Things were moving along, and Noctis was on board with the plan. Alex however, pointed out some things about Behemoths. Whether he meant this world's or Zephon's, Caius had no clue. But he also knew that he hadn't really fought behemoths much in cold weather, so he wouldn't have known either way about their wintertime habits. And unfortunately, it was always bloody cold in Sonora. Which would be a problem, because that distraction was their best bet for sneaking Noctis and Prompto inside.
"Then we need an alternative. We can't risk Noctis and Prompto getting caught before they even get inside" Caius pointed out. "Nor should we be using Warp and Phase in plain sight if at all possible. It's too easy to recognize, which is why I would rather you two not get caught using it before you can even get into the prison. Once you're in, you can disable cameras and anything that could be used to identify you. Speaking of..."
Caius fished out a handful of ski masks, sliding them across the table. He'd procured spares in case they had more than just the three of them, so there was enough for Alex and Cindy as well. "I've spent some time lacing them with material that should throw off their scanners if they attempt facial identification with any technology that can get through the fabric. They're not very comfortable, but I'm not a miracle worker unfortunately."
He looked to Alex, at that. "Make sure you have yours on tightly. If you're going to be the inside distraction, your risk of being identified is higher. This should help, but I would disable any surveillance equipment that you find."
But Caius was also vehemently against testing the Ring in here. Especially considering what Noctis had said it could do before their fight. Yeah, no thanks. "Please don't" came a flat answer. "What we do need however, is to figure out where the anti-magic field is being powered. And disable it. That'll better your odds of escape if you can fight at full strength. If you can steal its core while you're at it, even better. I have a friend who needs a military grade field to trap a monster here from her world with abilities with similar destructive capabilities as Adagium... But I can detail that later. The priority still, however, is ensuring the best odds of getting your friends out alive, and making a clean getaway."
Which still left the issue of actually getting in. Vordun didn't do well in cold weather and was too easy to recognize, so that wouldn't work. And Caius couldn't attack directly or risk being identified.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Cindy looked him dead in the face and said she was 100% sure about helping out, so Noctis had to laugh and wave his arms in defeat. “Alright, I’ll stop asking. Thanks Cindy. We’ll need a safe spot for you to wait with the car then. Maybe near the fighting ring door that Prompto mentioned? If they remove bodies through there, then there probably won’t be too many workers hanging around unless there’s a fight currently going on.” Death made people uncomfortable, for better or worse. They might as well use that to their advantage.
Alex seemed on board with most of the plan, but he raised objections to bringing a behemoth into things. A monster that large would be a tad unpredictable, though Noctis nearly choked on his whisky when Alex pointed out they could summon meteors. “They do what now? That’s a thing here?” They were pretty horrifying beasts, but he was pretty sure that he’d never seen one call down a ball of rock and metal from space. Honestly, Noctis had never seen a Meteor at all outside of the one that Titan held up at the Disc of Cauthess, and that massive crystal shard didn’t seem like the best point of comparison for other space rocks.
If behemoths really did have a Meteor spell under their belts, then Noctis understood Alex’s concerns. The blond mercenary also seemed to have a strange amount of knowledge about behemoths though. He just kept spouting more and more facts until the prince was openly staring at him, deciding that moments like these were why he and Alex had become friends in the first place. He was a pretty weird guy, which Noctis could usually appreciate. “Don’t tell me you hunted behemoths as a kid.” That would explain a lot, actually.
Caius seemed open to changing up his plan, but pointed out that they would need some kind of distraction in its place. He also handed out ski masks, which made it look like they were all about to go rob a bank. The prince appreciated the gift more though when the kingsglaive explained that the material would throw off any scanners that Sonora had. “Oh, that’s a good thought. Thank you,” he said appreciatively as he took one. He also had to suppress a snort as Alex said that they should hide in a box in the back of the supply truck. He had a feeling that the warrior of light had done that same thing on more than one occasion. “I’m fine with crawling in a box, but a distraction would still be good in case they scan everything that goes in.” He considered his whiskey a bit contemplatively before spitballing a few ideas. “There’s always setting a fire, but I guess it’s hard to control how that will spread. Attacking at the front door would definitely draw attention away from the supply gate, but that would be too dangerous for just one or two people. I guess is there anything we have that would work from a distance?”
It might take a lot to capture an entire prison’s attention. It was enough to make Noctis shoot a weak grin at Prompto. “If only my covenants with the gods were still good here. Where’s Ramuh when you need him?”
Usually not anywhere, to be honest. The astrals liked to show up on their terms anyway, but it was a nice thought.
Alex suggested that Noctis test out the ring in the bar, since the anti-magic technology was similar to what they would encounter in the gulag. Prompto and Caius were both quick to shoot that down though, which made Noctis rub the back of his neck as he glanced down at the deceptively innocent thing on his finger again. “...Yeah. It’s a good idea, but I should probably just try not to count on it. I don’t want to hurt anyone in here. Death and Alterna are pretty destructive, and you’d have to punch me in the face first if you want me to cast Holy.” Alternatively, he supposed that he could also try to raise a Wall like the one that was around Insomnia, but Noctis had never tried it before, and he didn’t even know if it was possible without the magic amplifiers that surrounded the city. So that test was out too.
