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.
at adventu, we believe that colorful story and plots far outweigh the need for a battle system. rp should be about the writing, the fun, and the creativity. you will see that the only system on our site is the encouragement to create amazing adventures with other members. welcome to adventu... how will you arrive?
year 5, quarter 3
Welcome one and all to our beautiful new skin! This marks the visual era of Adventu 4.0, our 4th and by far best design we've had. 3.0 suited our needs for a very long time, but as things are evolving around the site (and all for the better thanks to all of you), it was time for a new, sleek change. The Resource Site celebrity Pharaoh Leep was the amazing mastermind behind this with minor collaborations from your resident moogle. It's one-of-a-kind and suited specifically for Adventu. Click the image for a super easy new skin guide for a visual tour!
Final Fantasy Adventu is a roleplaying forum inspired by the Final Fantasy series. Images on the site are edited by KUPO of FF:A with all source material belonging to their respective artists (i.e. Square Enix, Pixiv Fantasia, etc). The board lyrics are from the Final Fantasy song "Otherworld" composed by Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by The Black Mages II.
The current skin was made by Pharaoh Leap of Pixel Perfect. Outside of that, individual posts and characters belong to their creators, and we claim no ownership to what which is not ours. Thank you for stopping by.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Jun 11, 2024 15:57:11 GMT -6
Caius Lucis Caelum
It was over. The Kings were gone. The visions had stopped. Caius felt the chill of the ring’s space disappear, and even if part of him wanted the late King to explain himself – part of his anxiety still went with it. But it didn’t stop the pain in his chest. It didn’t stop how he felt. How hurt he felt, how pained he felt.
How -betrayed- he felt.
Caius would take hundreds of battles, a gauntlet of them, one after another until he keeled over – over this. He didn’t want this, he didn’t want to feel this. He didn’t want to remember any of this. But it was there now, and he couldn’t take the genie out of the bottle. All he could do was stare forward, the stream of tears starting to stain poor Cindy’s living room. He wasn’t even sobbing anymore, he just… Stared blankly, as if he were in a dream. Gods, did he wish this was a dream.
But Noctis speaking up said no, this was not a dream. This was his reality to live with now, and Caius slowly turned to look to him. Slowly, he wiped his face, trying to keep the reserved gait he always had with Noctis, even just subconsciously… But he didn’t have the strength anymore.
“I… I guess, yes.”
It was a weak answer to his question. Caius didn’t know the answers to what Noctis was asking, because quite frankly, Caius didn’t know who he was anymore either. How could he, when his entire life had just been turned on its head like that? He finally let go of the breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding, as he tried, tried very hard, to find some level of lucidity in this.
“I’m… S-s-I’m sorry. For yelling. At your dad.”
No, there was no composure to be kept. He couldn’t do it. All of this was just too much. Combined with everything that he had come here in the first place to handle, it was far too much. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean…”
He didn’t mean to lash out. It had just… Happened. Again. Like it had back in Sonora. Why was he like this now? Why couldn’t he reign himself in as he had for years? Why, to Noctis of all people, who he owed the world to – couldn’t he go back to being that person? He was supposed to be supporting Noctis in ensuring he got back to Eos safely, not… Him trying to help him in whatever the hell this was. Not him yelling at Noctis, or his dad or… Any of this. Caius lowered his head and clenched his fists, not sure if he was more frustrated at the Kings, the Gods, or himself.
“I got mad. At the kings. Because they refused to help against the scourge. And… And then…” he tried to formulate some kind of explanation. Some indicator of where his head was at, some level of apology. He couldn’t justify what he had done, even if part of him resented the idea that he felt he had to. He hadn’t yelled at Noctis, he had yelled at those incompetent, selfish, arrogant kings and the man who had indirectly killed his mother. They did that, why should he have to apologize?
But Regis was still Noct’s father, and one he had still only just lost recently. This was for Noctis, and nothing else.
“Everything just… I don’t know. I think I lost that first memory when I came here. I started regaining some memories over time, starting about a year ago. But those came quietly, that one…”
Didn't. It was painful. The most pain he had ever felt.
“The second one, I’ve… I knew it was there. But I uh… I… I don’t know how to explain this. But I think I’ve been unconsciously repressing the details of that for the last decade. For the longest time, it was probably the only way I could cope. I was alone, my family was gone, I couldn’t trust anybody after what those bandits did. I kept everyone at arm’s length, for years, until I came to Zephon. I just… Squashed it down, until now. Until it just... Hit me. Just like that.”
The weight left his chest a bit as he just let it all out. His fists unclenched and his arms fell to their sides.
“I… Don’t think I can do that anymore. I’ve already tried. I didn’t want to remember that. I still don't want to.”
That was the worst thing of all, really. He didn’t need to know any of this, and he didn’t need those events at the forefront of his mind. He had a life here that he was happy with, and one that he had come here to ensure would continue being happy. The people who had caused this were no longer alive to answer for it. They had either long passed, or in the case of the bandits?...
… He couldn’t remember. Another repressed memory? He didn’t know. He didn’t dare try to remember it, and pushed the thought away as quickly as it came.
“I don’t… Know what to think about us being related. I don’t know what that makes me as far as Lucis goes. I don’t even know if it matters” Caius admitted then. In the end, did it really? This didn’t magically make him hold anymore importance than the little he already held before. He wasn’t the Chosen King, or anything at all really. Because… “I wasn’t chosen by the crystal. All I was chosen to do…”
He looked down at his hands. Accepting this fact would probably be the hardest of all.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Caius was…not doing great, and part of Noctis felt bad at the way that he had posed those questions like he was interrogating the man. He didn’t mean to—he was just so bewildered and confused, and he felt like he needed to know how to place all of this in terms of his life and family history. When had all of this happened, and why hadn’t anyone ever said anything to him about it?
One of the first things Caius did though was stutter out an apology for yelling at his dad, and that more than anything made Noctis take a deep breath and try to calm down. None of this was Caius’ fault, and he needed to get a handle on his own emotions before he could help someone else with theirs. “It’s okay. The mystic deserved it, and it’s not like I’ve never yelled at my dad before,” he said a little quieter as he tried to pose his questions in a less accusatory way. “Can you clarify all that for me though? He wanted your family to live away from Insomnia?” That…didn’t sit too well. Maybe his dad was trying to protect their extended family from being targeted by Niflheim or something, but living outside of the capital came with the drawback of being outside of the wall’s protection. Caius’ family hadn’t died to daemons or anything, but bandits weren’t exactly running amok inside Insomnia. It would have been better to keep them closer. Not for the first time, he wished he could know what his dad had been thinking. First the treaty and now this.
Caius also explained the difference between the two memories Noct had witnessed—that he thought he’d just naturally forgotten the first one and mentally repressed the second. He also stressed that he didn’t want to relive it anymore, which made the prince nod. “I’ve heard of stuff like that happening. And I get it, we don’t have to talk about that part…” There were definitely moments of his own life that Noctis didn’t want to ever relive. His retainers being slaughtered by the marlith. His dad running away with him while Tenebrae fell around them. Luna being stabbed while he couldn’t do a single thing about it.
And now he was dwelling on those. Great. He really needed to pull himself together.
Caius added that he didn’t really know how this made them related and that he didn’t know if it even really mattered in terms of Lucis. That last part ruffled Noct a bit, and he frowned over at the blond man. “...It matters to me.” Until recently he’d thought that he didn’t have any family left. And then he’d thought that the only family he had left was Ardyn, which was somehow so much worse than just being alone. If he had some kind of other extended relation, then he really wanted to know about it. Especially since he already knew Caius.
The final straw though was when Caius pointed out that he hadn’t been chosen by the crystal and that he’d only been meant to disappear. “...Screw that,” Noctis said, clenching his jaw as he glanced down at the ring again. “And forget the crystal. I was only chosen because I was in the direct line of kings. Not because I’m any more or less worthy than you. Plus the version of me that gave you magic isn’t here, so it’s your own as far as I’m concerned.” Caius wasn’t his kingsglaive. At least not really. Noct himself only had three crownsguard so far, whatever he might do in the future. So as long as they were on Zephon, the glaive’s magic really was his own in a sense.
“And I’m not letting you disappear from history, you got that?” The prince had to basically look up to meet Caius’ gaze—why did he and Gladio have to be so tall?—but he did his best to stand up straight. “This family has too many secrets, and I’m sick of it. If I’m supposed to end everything, then I say I want you there. You have just as much of a right to be there in Lucis as the rest of us. You lost everything too.” Noctis didn’t know if they’d ever find a way home, or if he’d ever be ready to confront Ardyn without spending more time in the crystal. But in this case he hoped it was the thought that counted.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Jun 29, 2024 10:25:43 GMT -6
Caius Lucis Caelum
Noctis was, as ever, understanding. Sure, the initial framing had felt like an interrogation, but Noctis had realized his mistake and tried again. Something that Caius had noticed and would set him at ease – just a little bit. Noctis continued on, deciding not to get too into the horrific parts of those memories, and then claiming that in fact, it mattered to him. Caius didn’t really know what to say, not at first. He just… Kind of stared at the floor, or at his hands, words not coming to him for a time. But when Noctis said that it mattered to him, his breath hitched.
The glaive brought his sleeve back to his eyes again as Noctis went on to proclaim that he was only chosen through happenstance, and that Caius’ magic was his own since his king wasn’t here. He didn’t like being reminded that his king wasn’t here, but it was a reality that he was going to have to accept. Still, as much as Noctis tried to say that, it was still Noctis in front of him. He didn’t think he would ever be able to fully separate the two. And he proved why as he claimed that he wouldn’t let Caius disappear. Caius found himself trying to breathe, in and out, in and out… Trying to keep himself held together, but it was getting harder to.
Noctis wanted him there. Wanted him to be there when he ended the darkness. It was a sweet gesture, even if it was well too late for that, and it got what almost counted as a laugh out of Caius. He couldn’t be there now, not the Caius that was here anyway. This Caius was dead and gone, and lived a happy enough life in Zephon. Still… If at least one version of him could be accepted by his only remaining living family and have someone to lean on, someone looking out for him, maybe things would turn out better for at least one Caius. That thought gave him at least a sliver of comfort.
“I was there, Noctis. Maybe not in the same way as your crownsguard, but I did my best,” Caius spoke softly then. “And… Sure, maybe I didn’t know where I came from, and maybe I wasn’t the most sociable person in the world. But I was happy. I was happy because you gave me a chance to do something, after all those years alone with nothing. To trust myself around people again, and maybe it took me coming to Zephon to fully see the fruits of that, but… I am who I am because of you. It may have been a different you, sure. But I haven’t forgotten that.”
Right, he had asked for an explanation. Caius took a deep breath, trying to settle himself somewhat before doing his best to search his thoughts for the answers he sought. He managed to turn and meet Noctis’ gaze, at least.
“By what I remember, thanks to the kings bringing that back to the forefront – It sounds like the prophecy specifically called the Chosen King the last. The last King… The last of the Lucian line. Which didn’t exactly spell good things for your father, or myself and my family. So my mother, and her family, were sent out of Insomnia.”
That was something he didn’t really want to clarify, if Caius was being honest. He had refrained from saying that part out loud to Regis for that same specific reason.
Because it indirectly put the blame for Caius’ pain on Noctis. On the very prophecy that had appointed him. And Caius didn’t want to place that burden on his shoulders. But it seemed he didn’t have a choice now.
“Maybe your father thought it would save them, I don’t know. I don’t know if your father and my mom were close or not, but it sounds like she used to live in Insomnia, maybe in the Citadel. Then they found out that the prophecy was coming to fruition and… That was that. I didn’t know where my mom came from, and I don’t remember Insomnia at all before it fell. I was probably brought to that farm when I was really young, and then we just… Existed, as chocobo farmers. Never even saw the Crown City in person until I was an adult.”
And in hindsight, there was the reason. They had been hiding, far, far away from the Crown City. Where none would find them. “We drove out to Lestallum sometimes, but my mother’s surname was never mentioned and nobody knew where she came from. And we were so out of the way and had so few visitors, I don’t think they made a lot of money. I think Regis was paying to keep them there – I didn’t realize until the Dragonblades that it was strange my family managed to stay in business.”
These next few memories were easier to talk about, but strange as well, considering he had scarcely opened up about how he had grown up. “It was quiet, there wasn’t a lot to do and we didn’t really have a lot of luxuries. But I was… Happy enough, I suppose. We wanted for nothing, and scarcely suffered. I loved the chocobos, I spent every day taking care of them and bonding with them. If I had the time to raise one, I would probably hatch an egg or two myself, as I do miss it. My mom said she used to maintain a garden somewhere, and we spent hours working on a new one. She…” he trailed off, taking a deep breath after his breath hitched, and he rubbed his eyes again. He refused to openly cry in front of Noctis again, but talking about these things would do that. “... She told me she had always dreamed of growing sylleblossoms from Tenebrae. I remember I told her that when I was old enough, I’d ride a chocobo all the way out to Tenebrae to get seeds for her.”
He choked out a small laugh. “Of course, Tenebrae was an ocean away and in Imperial territory, but I didn’t care. None of that mattered to me… But the smile on her face when I said it did. And I told myself I’d make sure to make that smile even bigger when I actually brought those seeds home.”
Caius chewed on his lip a bit as he let the words rattle through his head for a few moments before continuing on. What he was about to say though, was going to flare up the bad memories, but at this point? It was best that Noctis understood.
“I uh. Never did get to do that though. Never had a chance to go to Tenebrae” he spoke quietly as his gaze fell again. “When the signing ceremony happened, all military personnel were called back to Insomnia. If any had been alerted to our existence and had visited to check on us at any point, they didn’t after that. I don’t even know if Regis told any of them we were still alive, much less out on some chocobo farm in the middle of nowhere. Then we were under Imperial rule, but they never found us. Then the darkness came, and we were close enough to the Lestallum that we had enough power, enough light, to keep the daemons away. At least… Until they came.”
Another deep breath, gritted teeth, and memories he didn’t want to repeat. Noctis said he didn’t have to, but if Caius was going to tell Noctis the truth of it all, it was best he were thorough. “They took our home for themselves, took our chocobos, and beat us. Claimed if we didn’t do what they said, they’d kill us one by one, starting with my little sister and my mom. Said if we cooperated, they’d get to live. But… It was all a lie. We didn’t know it at the time, but they were hired specifically to make us suffer. By someone who had a grudge against my dad from back when he worked for your father. I…” Caius trailed off as he tried to regain his breath and his composure, but it was getting hard to keep it. He couldn’t put the genie back in the bottle, he knew, all he could do was face it. But reliving it was hard.
And so was reliving his guilt.
“I… Helped them rob people. And kill people. I was too young to do much at first, so they used me as bait to lure people in. When they caught my father teaching me how to use a firearm, as part of a bid to escape, they punished me by having me open fire on people they robbed, or else they'd hurt my little sister if I didn't. They… Reveled, in breaking me. In making a child kill people, over, and over again. Until one day we finally tried to make our escape. But we were caught, we were tortured, our home was burned with us in it, and…”
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Caius gave a shaky laugh before pointing out that he had been at the siege on the capital. He’d told the story of fighting Ifrit to Noctis before, so the prince immediately knew what he was talking about, even if that hadn’t been what he meant. He wanted this version of Caius to be able to come home with the four of them someday, but maybe he had a point that it would be weird to have two of the same person running around. Time shenanigans were strange.
He also had to rub his neck and glance to the side a little sheepishly when Caius attributed who he was now to him and what he’d done for the kingsglaive. That brought up a lot of feelings that he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with. “If I ever make it back, then…I’ll do my best to do the same again,” he promised. That prompted a small smile as he wondered about the ramifications of that. “Makes me wonder if we’re stuck in a time loop though where I show up here and meet you, get old, and then go back and meet your younger self before you come here.” Not the most intelligent thing to say, but hopefully it would lighten the mood a little.
Caius did manage to pull himself together as he explained that he believed the citadel had been paying for them to live out on that farm in order to keep them safe from the prophecy. That earned a wince from the prince, but he did his best to stay objective on that front. “...So my dad thought he was keeping you safe,” he acknowledged as he let out a breath. “If he thought that marked everyone else in the family’s deaths…” It made sense on a level that was also incredibly depressing. “I was a kid when the old kings told him that I’d be the one to end it, so…the timeline lines up.” As much as he didn’t want it to.
The blond man also outlined some of the time on the chocobo farm where he’d grown up, and the prince chuckled a little as he described how he’d loved raising them. “I guess that explains Vordun.” He must have known how to hatch an egg pretty well at least. His expression changed to a frown though as Caius explained how he’d wanted to plant sylleblossoms for his mother and never gotten the chance to. “...I’d have liked to see that. A field of them in Lucis. Sorry you never got to see Tenebrae.” Luna had pressed them in between the pages of the book they used to write back and forth with, and there had been a final one that she’d left in there after she’d died. The thought made Noctis bite his lip as he weighed whether or not to say anything before giving in. “I have a pressed one still. I want to show it to Luna if she really might be here, but after that…maybe the seeds are still good.” Better late than never to start a field of flowers, right?
Caius finished out his tale by explaining what had happened to his family. It was all incredibly messed up, and Noctis wasn’t entirely sure what to say. He didn’t think there was anything he could say that would make the man feel better, but he did his best. “...Some people just take joy in other people’s suffering. Ardyn’s like that. Those people were like that. But you’re not like that. Whatever you had to do to survive.”
There was one more thing he needed to say, but he couldn’t do it while standing. Letting out a breath, he knelt down lower than it was usually proper for a prince to kneel, even if he knew that would probably startle Caius. “Our line failed you. And I’m sorry for that. I’m the only one left to take responsibility, and I say screw that line of the prophecy. I recognize you, Caius Lucis Caelum.” And then he absolutely ruined the moment by showing his youth again as he glanced up a little uncertainly. “Er. If you like your current last name, that’s cool too. It’s the principle, you know?”
Post by Caius Dragelion on Jul 9, 2024 21:35:36 GMT -6
Caius Lucis Caelum
“I know. You made me proud once, Noctis… I have all the faith that you’ll do it again” Caius promised him quietly, flashing what could have qualified for a small smile. “Just… Try to keep in mind that I was a handful back then. I was younger than you are now, and was willing to throw myself at the Infernian with no magic at my command” came out in some shaky attempt at humor. He had forgotten a lot, but he hadn’t forgotten what he had been like back then. He had improved a bit in the years that followed, but it had been Celes, Yuna and them that had brought out the potential instilled in him through Noctis’ giving him a chance. He took a deep breath, wiping his eyes again with a bit more desperation in his body language as he imagined the possibility that maybe, just maybe… Even just one version of him on Eos could find the happiness of having a family again. It was too late for him here, he knew that. This Noctis was from a completely different time, it was physically impossible for Caius as he was, to go back with him. But…
“Part of me really does hope that if you do go back, you'll remember all of this. Either way, I’ll be waiting for you there.”
With his story told, Caius finally relaxed his shoulders a bit. Perhaps it was about time he had gotten the whole story out. Time that he finally stopped hiding all of this from Noctis, in some bid to protect him. But everything was out now, he didn’t have to hide anymore. Noctis brought up that he had a pressed flower still, and that if it still held seeds…
“I’d like that,” Caius answered quietly, leaning against the wall. “I have a… Friend. We promised that one day, if this world were ever safer, we’d start a garden. And an animal sanctuary. All in one. It was silly, and… We were drunk, and I don’t think she was serious. But maybe someday we’ll start that garden. And I’d like for those seeds to start it. I think she’d like them. I think my mom would like that too, wherever she is."
But the last thing he had expected Noctis, His Highness, to do – was kneel. Caius’ eyes widened and he immediately moved forward to get him to stop: Only to be stopped cold by what Noctis then said.
He couldn’t hold it anymore.
Caius let the tears start falling this time, there was nothing that he could do to stop it. His hands shook uncontrollably as he cried. But after a few moments, he, even with tears running down his face, reached down to pull Noctis to his feet.
“Thank you, Noctis. It means the world. I mean that.”
Caius didn’t really know how to hug someone, so he placed a hand on Noctis’ shoulder and hung his head. “I think… At least going forward. Caius Dragelion will continue to be my name. Under that name, even if it was only for a short time — my parents raised me with everything they had. No matter how bad it got, or how raw a deal they got, they made sure I was happy for as long as they could. I want to honor them for that.”
Caius Dragelion had been his name for as long as he could remember, and he was happy for it to stay that way. It was the only real bit of normalcy he had left, really. “Maybe someday I’ll go by both. I… Need time, I think,” Caius admitted, taking a deep breath as he started wiping his face again and trying to breathe to calm himself. “To process everything. To try and learn to forgive my… Our – forebears. The pain they’ve caused me, it’s… Honestly, it’s difficult to handle even now. I won’t lie to you, I’m still angry. Even if I know what Regis intended, the prophecy and all that it caused led to a cruel and painful end for my family. That’s going to take time. But if I do reach that point, it won’t be for them. It’ll be for you – because I want to be able to call you my family.”
Seeming to come to some sort of resolution, Caius slowed his breath as he finally raised his head a little to look Noctis in the face. “Before I can call myself a Lucis Caelum, even if just to call you kin — I need to learn to forgive myself too. For the people that died because of me. Because I couldn’t protect my family when they needed me… I need to find myself worthy of the names Dragelion and Lucis Caelum both. And I think I need to start by avenging my family, while also protecting the one I have found. When the scourge in that parasite is vanquished… That bastard, the one tied to the scourge who set up my family’s murder will come out of hiding, I know it. When he does, I’ll put an end to this.”
That resolution brought a more determined expression and gait, as the Caius he knew seemed to finally start to peek out again, just a little. “I may not be the Chosen King. I’m not a chosen anything, really. But our line’s sacred duty is clear, even if the Kings of Yore don’t see it. They may not care about purging the starscourge’s taint from Zephon — but if my time in Eos is over, then I will do my duty for Zephon as I would for Lucis. And that is to ensure that no scourge will ever again threaten this star.”
Perhaps this was the promise that motivated a choice he would make at a point after this? Either way, after a few moments his gaze softened.
“When that time comes. I would be honored if you considered me family.”
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Caius expressed confidence that Noctis would make him proud if he ever found a way back, which made the prince rub at his neck self-consciously. He knew that the blond man spoke more from experience than anything else, but it still felt odd to have someone other than his three friends believe in him that much. Thankfully Caius lightened the mood with a joke about how he’d used to be before becoming a kingsglaive, which made Noct chuckle. “It’ll be weird to be the mature one for a change then. I’ll try to go easy on you though.” He was a bit of a chaos magnet himself at this point in his life, but he liked to think that he was getting better over time. He was definitely more responsible than when he’d first set off in the Regalia. It was hard not to be with everything that had happened.
Caius also expressed hope that Noctis would remember all this if he found a way back, but the prince wasn’t sure how to answer that. No one really knew after all. There was no point in worrying about that yet though. If Caius’ timeline was still the correct one, then Noct had at least ten more years to get comfortable around Zephon.
Caius also brought up a friend that he’d been meaning to start a garden with, and Noct nodded slowly at the idea that she might be a good candidate to give the seeds to. “As long as she lets me visit the sylleblossoms she grows,” he agreed before adding on a caveat. “Assuming there’s still life left in these little guys, but…something tells me Luna’s keeping them going.” He wasn’t quite ready to hand over the flower pressed between the pages of her notebook, but he thought that he might be once he could meet the mystery girl up in Sonora. Either Luna was alive there, or it was time to keep her memory going for everyone to see. A living field of flowers was way more personal than a single dead one tucked away in a book.
Noctis had expected that him kneeling and recognizing Caius as a Lucis Caelum might startle the other man, but when he glanced up, his new family member had tears running down his face. The prince ducked his head a little sheepishly to give the kingsglaive some privacy, but Caius tugged him back up to his feet instead. For a moment he thought that the other man might hug him, but he ended up just putting a hand on his shoulder, which was honestly the most Caius thing of all. It might have made him laugh if the emotions of today weren’t really getting to him too.
Caius thanked him before saying that he intended to keep the name Dragelion for now to honor his family. “Yeah, that makes sense. Especially if that’s your dad’s real last name,” the prince acknowledged. He didn’t actually expect Caius to go by his mother’s maiden name or anything. He had just wanted to make it clear that the guy didn’t have to feel like a mistake or a pariah in this half of his family.
Come to think of it, he might have felt the same way about Ardyn had the man not been a murderous psychopath but that was a train of thought that was best unpacked later. Or never. He had managed to avoid Ardyn so far on Zephon, so he could continue to hope that the man wasn’t even here. His presence wasn’t exactly subtle after all.
Apparently Caius’ thoughts weren’t too far away from Noct’s own, as he brought up the man who had helped kill his family. His presence here had been confirmed unfortunately, unlike Ardyn’s so far, and it sounded like the blond man planned to end things with him once they’d helped Lumina. “Let me know if you need anything with that,” he offered with a slight frown. He didn’t entirely expect to be taken up on that. This was a personal revenge mission, and plus his girlfriend was probably way better in the moral support category than Noctis was. He was pretty bad at that actually. The offer was there though!
Caius vowed to drive the scourge out of Zephon before saying that he would be honored if Noctis considered him family after that. Now it was the prince’s turn to give him a startled look before smiling faintly and glancing away. His circle of family had always been small. For a long time it was just him and his dad. Then no one. And then just…Ardyn. Given all of that, he wasn’t too opposed to making his circle wider.
“...Sure thing, cuz.” They weren’t actually cousins, but the word felt appropriate somehow. He honestly wasn’t sure how exactly they were related—his dad was an only child like Noct himself was—but he was pretty certain that his grandfather Mors had a few siblings in the history books. Maybe the family had grown out from there, away from the public’s eye.
Speaking of growing…
“Honestly I just have one more question with all of this,” Noctis said, looking upward at Caius rather seriously. “...How the hell did you get so tall? That has to be from your dad’s side, right?” The prince knew exactly one full-grown man who was shorter than him, and that was Prompto. Which was definitely a low bar to clear. Pun intended.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Sept 17, 2024 11:22:35 GMT -6
Caius Lucis Caelum
“I was… Not very social, at the time. I had almost forgotten how to be” Caius admitted quietly, sheepishly scratching his head. “I had no choice but to learn to do everything myself, and rely only on myself. For the longest time, I was alone. And when I finally found a purpose, I didn’t care whether or not I died for it. The years after that, I… Tried, to fit in. But ultimately, I kept my distance. Focused on my work, never really opened up to anybody before I… Well, died.”
Caius thought back on it for a moment, frowning as he envisioned a face that had been almost lost to him. “There was an older man, the one I mentioned, who tried to help me catch up on my education. He was an archivist, I think. He was kind, and part of me wanted to talk to him about all that I had been through – to take that first step. But I wasn’t ready at the time, and… I never had the opportunity in the end. And I regret that. If… Even one version of me can find the strength to do what I could not, I think that would make me happy.”
He didn’t know if Noctis would be able to help him, the other him, get there. He didn’t even know if Noctis would remember any of this. But even if it was an impossible dream, it was one he wanted to try and hold onto. Noctis gave the condition that he would like to be able to visit the flowers, and Caius nodded to that. “With how beautiful they are, I think she’ll agree to that” Caius answered, not sure why Celes wouldn’t want to let someone who valued the flowers see them. She was a very big flower person, he doubted she’d pass up having someone like that come around.
Well… Besides the fact she didn’t seem keen on others knowing about it. Not that it stopped her from publicly obsessing over the flowers at that restaurant. But given these flowers’ ties to Luna, maybe she would make an exception. Something to talk to her about, if they ever got around to that garden. Caius nodded in thanks to Noctis’ offer about helping with Lumina, and the revenge plot. He honestly didn’t want to bring Noctis along for the latter, considering they had almost killed Noctis in front of him once already. But if circumstances made it necessary, well…
Caius breathed out a small laugh when Noctis called him “cuz”. What even was their relation? Because at this point, he had no idea. But… The acknowledgement meant a great deal to him, and Caius had to prematurely wipe his eye with his sleeve before it could start watering again.
“Thanks, Noct.”
And that, right there, was the breakthrough. An actual break in Caius’ strictly held together professionalism, especially in regards to Noctis. He had never, ever called him by nickname, not once. It had always been “Your Highness”, or “Noctis”. There had always been that barrier, born of respect for who he had been in Caius’ timeline. Yet one that perhaps kept Noctis just a touch at arm’s length, unable to treat him with the same affections as he had with Celes, Yuna or Lumina. Or “Cel” and “Lumey” as he had called two of those. Addressing Noctis with any sort of nickname was a sign that perhaps this barrier had finally been broken.
Caius’ reserved laugh was then broken by Noctis’ question, turning into something far more full-bellied. “My mother was probably around your height, with dark hair. My little sister was the same, but my brother and I took more after our father. I towered over my mother by the time I was eight.”
Which also said he was much taller than Noctis by that age too, but he didn’t want to say it directly.
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Caius seemed to be feeling a little better after Noctis had knelt and officially recognized him. Maybe Cindy’s living room wasn’t the most formal of settings to do that in, but they were far away from their kingdom, and it had been more about the principle than anything anyway. Noct was saying that he didn’t mind if they wanted to consider each other family, and he hoped he’d made that clear.
For his part, Caius talked a little more about the person that he’d been before coming to Zephon. “...Yeah. I wish you’d gotten to open up to him too,” he said in reference to the archivist that he’d gotten somewhat close to. “I’ll see what I can do if I ever find a way home. Er. Maybe sometime you should tell me about that assassination attempt you stopped though. All things considered.” Changing things for Caius would only do so much good if he still died right in front of the prince while protecting him. That would be a terrible end after supposedly defeating Ardyn and restoring the dawn.
Caius didn’t think it would be a problem for him to be able to visit the sylleblossoms, so Noctis nodded his agreement. “Then…maybe I’ll hand it over when everything slows down.” That would be beyond hard. It wasn’t easy to let go, but he stood by his original thought that a field of flowers was a much better testament to Luna’s memory than anything else he could do with her final gift on his own.
His estranged relative laughed a little at being called ‘cuz,’ and Noctis pretended not to notice the way he wiped his arm on his sleeve. They’d all been there before after all, and Caius was having a rough time of it. Still, he was surprised when the man thanked him by using his nickname. He was used to hearing it from his friends—and even from Ardyn at this point as creepy as that always was—but the kingsglaive still called him ‘your highness’ more than anything else. Honestly, it was really nice to see him finally loosen up. It had probably been hard for him to see Noctis casually when the king that he had known had been so much older than him. But here? They were pretty much the same age, and Noctis hadn’t earned the right yet to be called king of anything. But he would someday, if he had anything to say about it. Until that day, he didn’t care what Caius or anyone else called him.
Thankfully Noct managed to break the tension even more with a joke about Caius’ height that made him laugh. Caius confirmed that his tallness came from his father’s side, which made the prince let out an over-exaggerated sigh. “Between you and Gladio, I think I’m the odd one out over here when it comes to Lucians. Do you think the crystal stunted my growth?” Not a serious joke, but it was pretty draining come to think of it.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Oct 12, 2024 18:26:30 GMT -6
Caius Lucis Caelum
Yeah. That would have been nice. Caius could only really nod in thanks. What was there to say to that? Of course he wanted to have been able to open up to him, but… It was too late now. It was too late to change anything. He had to live with it, all of it. Especially his mistakes. He had done his best to rebuild his life here and try to be better than when he first came here, but there was so much that haunted him. More, it seemed, than he ever could have possibly imagined. Though Caius’ expression grew a touch colder when Noctis brought up the assassination attempt. He had mentioned it in passing during his apology back in Sonora, but he supposed he hadn’t been able to talk about it too much with how worked up everyone was.
Granted, they weren’t much better now, were they? But at least now, they had time. There was no jailbreak in front of them this time. They had all the time they needed to work through… Whatever this was.
“Yeah. Guess I should” Caius remarked quietly, taking a deep breath as he considered where to even begin with that. At least the agreement on the flower thing, being able to loosen up, and the jokes about Noct’s height helped him relax a bit. “I may not have received any matter of the gods’ blessing, but if the tradeoff is height, I guess I can live with that” Caius surprisingly responded with a joke of his own. It would have been cruel if Caius had been spurned the way he had been – only to also be short on top of it.
Though the question of the assassination attempt did keep rattling in there. Caius supposed after mentioning it back in Sonora, it was about time he told Noctis at least some of it.
“The assailant is a man called Cortez, I think he said. I don’t remember all the details as it was a few years ago that I encountered him on Zephon, but he was a researcher for your family. Same division as my father, they worked together I think. But Cortez got caught conducting some kind of experiment – with demons. The same kind of experiments that the Empire was doing. He wanted to use it to restore people to life, but… The starscourge isn’t like that. My father discovered him experimenting on researchers that had gone missing, busted him to your father. He was freed by the Empire, and continued his research with them. I don’t know anything more of his history – up until he told me he was the one who hired those brigands to slaughter my family. Revenge for my father having him imprisoned. But when he tried to kill you, and then when he wound up on Zephon, he had been consumed by the starscourge. Not too different from how the archives depicted Adagium as being like. Killing him likely brought an end to one of the last traces of the scourge on Eos, but… Also brought him here.”
There was more to it, of course. But it was a difficult subject, and Caius wasn’t sure about going through the whole thing when he had already just suffered a great deal of trauma he still had to process.
“I uh. I think I would rather go into more detail about my death and the Zephon encounter later – if that’s ok” Caius admitted in almost a whisper, accompanied by a deep breath to try and steady himself. “First part was relevant to what I told you today. I don’t know if I’m getting through the rest sober.”
[attr=class,lyric1]i am noctis, prince of lucis and
[attr=class,lyric2]king of fishing
[attr=class,bulk] Caius joked that his height was a fair trade-off for not receiving the gods’ blessing, which almost made Noctis choke. “Yeah, yeah. Rub it in,” he said with a faint smile before shaking his head. “Anyway, trust me. You’re better off without the gods’ attention.” At this point, the blessing of the astrals was starting to look more like a curse than anything else. Particularly with what Caius had told him of Ardyn’s story. Still, with everything that had been brought to light today, it was looking like the blond man was next in line to the Lucian throne after Noct himself. He really needed to try to keep the astrals’ attention off of his last remaining family member. Let alone Ardyn’s attention.
Caius started to tell him a little more about the man who had tried to assassinate him back on Eos, and everything that he heard just made Noctis frown more. “Someone like that worked at the Citadel?” It was yet another thing that his father had never told him about, but maybe he hadn’t wanted Noct to know that those kinds of experiments had happened in their own backyard. The prince had probably been a kid at the time it all happened anyway.
Cortez was apparently also responsible for killing Caius’ family since his dad had been the one to initially get him arrested. And that was…a lot to take in. Especially considering that he’d apparently finished the job if he’d wound up killing Caius in the botched assassination attempt. “This guy’s a real piece of shit,” the prince said rather bluntly, frowning more at the description of how he was apparently consumed by the starscourge. “That’s really weird if we brought back the dawn in Eos. But if it happened to him here on Zephon…” That would make sense when the scourge was confirmed to be in Zephon. Ardyn likely had a lot to do with that, but if defeating this Cortez guy could help reduce the scourge even a little bit…
Honestly, it sounded a little like what had happened to Ravus when he had been turned into a daemon. Except Ravus had begged them to stop him, and Cortez had welcomed the change. What a creep.
Caius stopped his tale there and said that he’d rather tell him about his actual death over a strong drink. “Hey, fair enough,” Noct said, waving his hand to show that it was fine. “I at least know who to look out for now. That’s good enough for me.” The blond man was starting to look a little dead on his feet anyway. “This has been…a lot. You need a break? I know you just came initially to tell me about the scourge threat, and uh. Message definitely received.” The conversation had veered wildly off course from there, but Noct couldn’t say that he regretted it. He was learning more about his family history than he’d known existed. Caius just looked like he desperately needed to sleep this off.
