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year 5, quarter 3
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[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] ”Right???” Prompto asked with maybe a little too much enthusiasm when they were still technically hiding from the law. But Noctis had mentioned Caius and how weird it was talking to him, and boy did that get a reaction out of him. Besides, hiding from the law was like…totally old hat to them by now. Sure, the guys below them were human and not MTs, but…
Same old, same old basically.
”Caius kept trying to say something weird about duplicate people or something, but I was like nah man. You’re totally from the future. He said maybe the me that’s here is a projection since obviously there’s a different me still there in the past if he’s from the future and I’m here, not there but I didn’t think that’s how that works. I mean, there are tons of theories about time travel. There’s the idea that everything’s fixed no matter what so maybe in his future we got sent back to exactly where we left off and just forgot or something. Then there’s multiverse theory which is wild. Did I ever tell you about multiverse theory? I read some books on it and watched this really cool documentary once and uh…”
What was he talking about again?
”Anyway, I’m me. I’m here. I’d definitely know if I was a projection of the real Prompto, right? And I’m not…a duplicate…” He glanced away. He really didn’t like using that word. Not about him. Not when there was a whole army that shared his face. It wasn’t at all what Caius had meant, but he still didn’t like the word anyway.
”You think I’m the real me, right?” He looked up at Noctis hopefully. If there was anyone that’d know him even better than himself, it was Noct.
He could trust him.
Noctis told him more about Tifa and this bar he knew about somehow. That “somehow” was apparently taking her fishing. And she was into it? Prompto stared at him in awe. ”She liked fishing?” he asked. That settled it. Noctis was so cool that he could get any girl into him no matter what he did. Noctis was over here batting a thousand, and Prompto still had zero points in the game. He was jealous at just how cool and attractive Noctis was without even trying, but he got it. He was Noctis. What girl wouldn’t want to be with him?
Even if he took them out fishing as his idea of a date.
”Yeah, we can catch up when we get to the bar. Definitely better than catching up here. Where it’s cold. And we could get shot.” Prompto tried for a smile. It was too cold to smile. ”Should I change too? I don’t want to take off my coat. It’s like. Really, really cold.” But Noctis was already taking off his coat and putting on his normal clothes. Prompto groaned.
”Okay, okay. I’ll do it.” He didn’t want to. He really didn’t want to. But slowly, reluctantly, he took off his hat. As if on cue, an icy wind blew past, numbing his ears and he shivered. He thought long and hard about what he’d wear instead. Why hadn’t he brought any other clothes with sleeves?
It had been to show off all the work he’d done at the gym on his shoulder muscles. Yeah, that sure hadn’t paid off in the long run.
In the end, he chose the outfit with the most layers. Baggy gray pants, big brown boots, a red tank-top and a vest that actually zipped up most of the way and shielded his neck with a stiff collar. His arms were still cold. His head was freezing without his hat. He kept his gloves on the way he always did, but they were fingerless which was great for using a touch screen if you desperately wanted to keep a glove over specifically your right hand at all times to hide the weird tattoo there, but not so great when you just wanted to keep warm in the middle of a snowy city.
Prompto shivered. ”Okay, I’m r-r-ready,” he said. ”I hope this place is close.”
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Tifa. Her voice was even nicer than her eyes. It was a good name too. That kind of name had a girlish charm that fit her perfectly. Her voice washed over him as though in a dream before what she’d actually said filtered through and he felt struck by a familiar kind of panic.
What…did they want to drink? Like…like alcohol? Crap. Prompto hadn’t been old enough to drink back in Lucis. He really didn’t know anything about the kind of drinks people ordered at bars, and while he tried to wrack his brain for what he’d heard Gladio and Ignis order when they’d all gone out together, his thinking brain might as well have been on the outer edges of the galaxy for all the good it was doing him. She was looking at him expectantly. He had to say something, right?
Just then, he felt a weight clamp down on his shoulder, and he jumped in surprise only to look over and see that it was just Caius. He was looking at him in concern, saying his name, asking him if he was sick. Prompto felt himself blush harder. Oh. Had it been that obvious? He cleared his throat and tried to answer in more than an embarrassed squeak.
It didn’t work.
”Huh? Oh, I’m uh. I’m okay.” Prompto slumped over, feeling dejected, but he was grateful, really, that Caius hadn’t said something worse. He was more embarrassed that he’d made him worry about him even if it was just for a second. He took a breath and tried to steady himself. Right. This wasn’t the time to be ogling bartenders, was it? They had stuff to talk about. Serious, life or death stuff. He’d just have to try to…be normal and ignore how utterly gorgeous the woman behind the bar counter was. He could do that. Right?
…Right?
Prompto had only just gotten his bearings when a voice behind him told him that no, no he couldn’t. Because that voice…he knew that voice, and even before he turned around, he wondered what strange alignment of fate had brought that voice behind him right now of all times.
”Well, well. What do we have here? What brings you two over this way?”
”C-Cindy?” Prompto jumped to his feet, turning around to see her there looking just like he remembered her. She was wearing a bigger jacket than she usually did, but yup. That was Cindy alright. His head was spinning. He felt himself go even redder if that was possible as sheer panic rose in him and strangled his throat like a python.
Had she seen him gawking at the bartender? What would she think if she had, his lovely, folksy, kind-eyed great-monkey goddess? Noctis had told him she was around once they’d had a moment to catch up, and Prompto had said that he’d want to find her as soon as all this was sorted out, but this was not what he’d meant.
”Wh-what’re you doing here?” he managed to ask before he leaned into Noctis and whispered, ”Why didn’t you tell me you invited her?”
He didn’t like her being in on the plan. Cindy was a nice girl. A really, really nice girl, and that was exactly why he didn’t want her to have any part in this. They were going on a dangerous mission, the kind that they might not come back from, and while Cindy was the best mechanic he knew and always seemed like she’d look after other people, she wasn’t a fighter. And he did not want her in danger.
”W-we were just…” Prompto started, trying to answer her question, but the words trailed off before he could come up with an answer. With Tifa behind him and Cindy in front of him, it felt a lot like being stuck between a coeurl and a garula except he’d know what to do if he was stuck between those. He’d dodge around, shooting them until either the monsters were dead or he took a hit so hard it made everything go black until Noctis tossed him a phoenix down.
But this? He couldn’t handle this. If he thought he couldn’t handle it before he extra, double couldn’t handle it now. So he just stood there, petrified, hoping beyond hope that Noctis knew what to do when he didn’t.
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Oh boy, oh man did Prompto not want to be here.
He tried to hide it. He made at least four lame jokes to Noctis on the way to the bar, three of which were puns. He wasn’t proud of it, but that’s just how it was. His mouth was moving, and he was in full “good mood so you don’t notice my bad one” mode. He didn’t like being in Sonora. The snowy streets, the tall buildings, the guards always squinting at you suspiciously with their hands on their guns, it all reminded him way too much of Niflheim, and that was not a good memory. But it wasn’t just being in Sonora that made him feel like he couldn’t keep still. It was where they were going, and more importantly, who they were going to see.
He’d tried to tell Noctis not to invite Alex. He’d really, really tried. But somehow, against all odds, they’d both met Alex, specifically while they’d been running from the Sonoran guards, and Alex had saved both of them from meeting the same fate as Gladio and Iggy. Noctis really liked the guy, and Prompto could see why. Really, he ought to have been grateful to Alex for saving Noct like that. He ought to have gotten down on his hands and knees and thanked him until everyone got awkward and told him to stand up again. But the thing with Alex was that even if he was really good in a fight and really good at helping a guy out, he was also…
Well, he was Alex.
But Noctis wanted him to be there. So here they were. Going to meet him. At a bar. It was a nice bar as far as Prompto could tell. The last time they’d been, they hadn’t met Noctis’ friend, but that was okay since it had given them a place to lay low for a little while and catch up. The bar wasn’t the problem. It was just…
Noctis stopped and turned to him, grinning. ”Back again,” he said and Prompto laughed weakly
”Yup. Can’t seem to stay away,” he said as Noctis pushed open the doors. Maybe Alex wouldn’t be there, Prompto thought. Maybe the letter hadn’t reached him. Maybe he’d looked at the letter and been like “Nah, I’ve got better things to do,” and thrown it in the trash. He was a mercenary guild leader, right? He had to have better things to do. Caius was a kingsglaive so that was different, but this was really none of Alex’s business, right? It’s not like he had any chocobo in this race. It was all strictly Eos business, and dangerous business at that. From what he’d learned, it was basically a suicide mission. So who in their right mind would get tangled up in that without a good reason?
They stepped inside, and for a moment, Prompto just appreciated the sudden rush of warmth on his face. He sighed, wiping melting snow from his cheeks as he looked around at the nice little hole-in-the-wall bar that somehow managed to feel kind of cozy. There weren’t many people here at this time of day, something that Noctis had planned out, so it didn’t take him long to notice Caius up at the bar counter with his long blonde hair, looking almost as uncomfortable as Prompto felt. He looked funny without his armor, but he guessed it was so he’d fit in better, wearing a black suit that he must have gotten somewhere in Sonora. Prompto gave him a little wave, grinning weakly in greeting.
But Noctis was talking to both the men at the bar which brought Prompto’s attention to the other guy sitting several stools away, and his smile fell at the sight of him. He hadn’t noticed Alex at first since he was also dressed in a more Sonoran style, but yeah. That was definitely him. ’Who in their right mind would get tangled up in this without a good reason?’ Alex would. Of course he would.
From all that Alex had said, he’d probably say something like how none of this was a big deal and he’d done about fifty prison breaks in life or something. Prompto tried not to look uncomfortable as Noctis took the lead on conversation so he got the chance to just…stand there next to him. It was nice having someone else to do the talking for him. He didn’t trust what would come out of his mouth right now.
Noctis walked up and picked a stool for himself between the two men. Prompto followed him awkwardly and chose the one right next to Noctis. It really said a lot about just how worried he was, just how distracted he was by this awkward reunion, just how utterly out of his own head he was that he didn’t notice the bartender until they were literally seated at the bar. It said a lot because once his eyes found her.
Oh. Oh man they did not want to leave.
So that was Tifa? That was Noctis’ friend? Why hadn’t he warned him? Why hadn’t he mentioned that she was just so…so…
”Hi…” Prompto managed to squeak out. His throat felt like it was strangling itself. Whatever feelings he’d had were gone, evaporated in an instant by the sheer burning force of her beauty. Looking at her was like looking at the sun, but he just couldn’t look away.
Her face. Her face was so cute with its soft angles and small smile and kind eyes, perfectly framed by long dark hair that couldn’t hide the girlish glint of her dangling earrings. She wore a tank top over what looked like a sports bra with a little leather mini-skirt held up on belted suspenders. He couldn’t see the bottom of the mini-skirt with the bar counter in the way which was a shame, but he could see her tank top which was cut off under the bra so he could also see her perfectly sculpted stomach and the curve of her waist and her breasts which were just…
He was pretty sure he’d gone red. His blood was pumping in all the wrong ways. He tried to talk, couldn’t manage it, and cleared his throat as he leaned in just a little closer on the bar counter. ”I’m, uh. I’m Prompto. You’re…”Beautiful. Gorgeous. A goddess among us mortal men.”...Tifa, right?”
Why hadn’t Noctis warned him? he thought again. A woman like this…A woman like this was dangerous. He’d do anything for a woman like this. He wished he could snap a photo, but that would be creepy, right? Definite creep behavior, that was. So he restrained himself no matter how hard his fingers ached for his camera.
And just like that, all thought of Alex, of Sonora, or his friends being tortured in a frozen prison were gone. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all.
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Noctis didn’t sound too worried. That was a relief because Prompto was really worried. He wasn’t worried about the height of the roof he was looking over – he was used to heights, hanging out with Noctis as much as he did – but he was worried about…just about everything else. He was worried that the guards might decide to look up and spot them behind the sign. He was worried that other guards, guards with big guns he might add, might find them once they got moving. He was worried about how they were going to find a way out of the city now that they’d caused a commotion, and he was worried about freezing to death before they managed it.
But Noctis didn’t sound too worried. As long as Noctis wasn’t worried then Prompto probably didn’t have to be either.
Prompto laughed nervously when Noctis told him about his first time warping. ”That must’ve been a trip,” he said. ”Er, literally! Wherever you ended up warping to.”
Man, the power of kings was crazy. And kind of scary. Prompto was glad he didn’t have to worry about anything like that.
Nope. Just cloning and mad science on his end. You know. The usual.
”Huh?” Prompto looked over in surprise as Noctis told him his story. He wasn’t surprised that he didn’t have papers to get into the city or that he warped over the wall. That was all par for the course around here. But the other parts…
”Recently? Wait, you’ve met Caius?”
Noctis got here…recently. But wait, Prompto had been here for…Well, he didn’t think he could count it on his fingers but like. A while. Maybe even a year soon. He thought it had been pretty cold when he’d woken up on the side of the road and hitched a ride to Sonora that first time. But then, it was always cold in Sonora. He wondered if there were calendars somewhere that he could look at.
Oh man, that was so not the point.
”Uh. I know a few places around here…” Well, he knew Cissnei’s office which was definitely closed by now and the bar where she worked which was not a place he wanted to go back to. He was surprised he’d made it out of there in one piece. ”Not any good ones though. I think Cissnei’s busy.”
Thankfully, Noctis did know a place. Somehow. Didn’t he just get here? Didn’t matter. Prompto lit up at his suggestion. ”Yeah, that sounds good! If you know somebody. Who’s Tifa? Is she cute?”
Why was that the first thing out of his mouth? He should’ve asked if the bar was safe. That would’ve been the better question. But then, that still left him wondering…
Was she cute though?
”We can talk when we get there. I really wanna know how you know Caius, and uh. I should probably get you up to speed on Iggy and Gladio. But let’s find this place first. I’m freezing.”
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Noctis clapped his gloved hand into Prompto’s own, and it felt so normal, so familiar, so right that Prompto couldn’t help but grin despite the approaching danger. Prompto helped to pull him to his feet (or at least, he thought he helped though Noctis probably didn’t need it), but instead of letting go and summoning his sword to his hand like Prompto would have expected, Noctis just laughed. It was a quiet laugh, the kind like he had a plan. And he still hadn’t let go of his hand.
”Good,” Noctis said, his grip tightening. ”You better hold onto it then.”
”Wha-?” was all Prompto had time to say before he noticed the sword in Noctis’ other hand and he looked up at him in alarm. ”Oh no. Oh no no no, you’re not about to-?”
Then Noctis threw the sword and everything else was gone in a flash of blue light.
Prompto screamed. It was more of a yelp, really, a short sound that was swallowed completely by the warping space around them as his stomach flipped over itself like a gymnast and he was thrust forward with the force of a rocket engine through the night sky. Then as abruptly as it had started, it ended with a sudden smack against something rough and cold and hard as sandpaper. Prompto skidded to a stop, groaning as his own guts caught up to him.
Noctis spoke from far away or maybe it was from right next to him? Definitely from right next to him. Only now did he finally let go of his hand.
”I feel like I might hurl,” Prompto said, sounding every bit as pitiful as he felt, ”But yeah. I’m cool.”
Prompto shook his head as though that might get it back on straight. Once his vision stopped swimming, he noticed the shingles buried in the snow under his hands. The sky was closer now too, and below them, he heard gasps and murmured voices. They were on a roof then. He noticed Noctis flat on his stomach, hiding behind some kind of sign and Prompto clumsily followed suit. He shivered against the cold.
”You think they’ll see us up here?” he whispered. ”Man, what a way to make an impression. Is that what it always feels like to warp? I don’t know how you do it!” He glanced back down at the street and the people and yup those were some guards coming towards the spot where they’d been. There was some kind of excitable conversation happening below them. It didn’t look friendly.
”So, uh. You got a plan? Cause I was just gonna leave, but I don’t think they like you all that much.” He looked over at Noctis. ”What’d you do, anyway?”
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Despite Prompto’s crazy proposal for a stranger no less, Zack didn’t seem any less enthused than…well, than when Prompto had seen him with anything before. ”Heh.” Prompto couldn’t help a smile back when Zack smiled his way. There was just something about him. It was like he’d done this a million times before even though they were both somewhere they’d never been, doing stuff neither of them could have ever dreamed of.
Or maybe it was only Prompto who couldn’t have dreamed of it. Maybe Zack just had a bigger imagination.
”Thanks, man. I mean it. We don’t even really know each other, but I hate going alone and…” That was more than he needed to know, wasn’t it? Prompto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. ”Maybe we can try not to hurt anyone though? The guys there are mean, but they’re just doing their job, right? They’re still human.”
Not like the MTs. Prompto swallowed. There were a lot of thoughts that wanted to follow that thought. But he didn’t want to think those thoughts so he didn’t. They’d sneak up on him later anyway.
”Alright! I know a room around here. I stayed there when I was here last time, I think. I don’t know if I had the money to cover it myself anyway.” He tried for a stronger smile than last time and thought that he nailed it. He was pretty good at pretending nothing was wrong. He had a lot of practice in it.
”Just follow me!” he said as though he hadn’t gotten lost about a thousand times by now. But he was really starting to get it now. He thought. He hoped.
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Zack laughed at Prompto’s question. It was a fond kind of laugh, the kind when you thought of a friend. Which made sense. Since Prompto had asked him about his friends and all.
Prompto nodded, trying to commit it all to memory. Long silver hair and a big sword. Big guy, long black hair. Red hair and good at speeches. Then there was one who was blonde and liked hair gel. That last one kind of sounded like him come to think of it. Maybe they could talk about how to style the best spikes or something. Prompto hadn’t really found any products that really worked for him since he got here, but maybe Zack’s friend would…
Would…
There was that train of thought leaving the station again, no matter what he wanted. Prompto had the feeling he’d already forgotten half the people Zack had told him about and it hadn’t even been a full minute since he’d been told.
”Er, right! I’ll keep an eye out! Guess all I have to do is talk about you a lot and if they know you, they’ll just say so!” That was the best plan he had, anyway. There was no way he’d remember everything.
But then the conversation turned to where he was going and Prompto scuffed his shoe on the ground, not really sure how to answer. ”I’m, uh. Well I was headed to Sonora, but I think it might be too dark now. Where I’m from, daemons come out at night. Like real scary monsters. Anyway, I don’t like walking around outside a town at night if I can help it so I guess I was planning on heading out in the morning at this rate. I’ve got a little money. I’ll probably get a room if you wanna share.”
That sounded good. It was the least he could do if Zack was offering to come along. Sonora was not a great place to be headed.
It was, in fact, maybe the worst of all the places.
”Sonora’s real cold and real mean if you’ve never been. It’s about the last place I want to go, but I’ve got friends in trouble there. I think. So I’ve gotta try to help them, you know? So tomorrow, I’m headed to the border. Then I think you can take a train to the city then…I’ll figure something out, I guess. They don’t usually let people in the city so easy.”
Prompto rubbed his neck sheepishly. ”You still want to come along?”
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Everything was cold and wet and it hurt. He thought he could hear the icy wind howling above him as the crowd grumbled and muttered but it was all muffled by the snow packed over his ears. Good thing he was wearing a hat, he thought, before the thought was banished by another thought. Or a voice, really. One that seemed to drift down to him as though from a dream.
”...Prompto?”
Prompto blinked up at him, and there he was. Noctis. Laughing. Then Noctis spun around and fell back right next to him, sending up a flurry of snow between them before Noctis turned towards him and flashed him a casual grin. ”Hey.”
Now it was Prompto’s turn to laugh. ”What’re you doing?” he asked, pushing a handful of snow towards him like he was splashing him with water. ”I was worried about you, you know! Did you fall or something cause I heard-!”
What he heard was loud voices demanding something about an intruder. Which seemed to really mean something to Noctis because his friend thrust himself upright, looking embarrassed.
”Huh?” Prompto sat up too, looking between Noctis and the quickly thinning crowd. Yeah, those were guards alright. The nasty kind too, like the ones that had chased him into that shopping mall where he’d found Alex. ”Oh. Oh yeah, we gotta go then. Those guys mean business!” Prompto scrambled to his feet and offered Noctis a hand up. He probably didn’t need it, but it was the thought that counted, right?
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] Okay, so Cissnei was real serious about the whole “breaking under pressure” thing. Like. Real serious. So serious that she climbed onto his lap and ran a finger across his chin. Prompto shivered. Was this what Cissnei did to make a point? Because boy oh boy, she was making it. Or she would have been if he could focus on a single thing she was saying. Right now, he was just scared that she’d shift around too much because his lap was not a great place to be hovering. He really, really didn’t want her feeling anything that was happening in that area right now…
But he got the gist of what she meant. They were doing something real dangerous. If he talked, everybody would be in real trouble. Noted. Finally, blessedly, she got off him and he let out a sigh of relief. Whatever torture the Sonorans came up with, it couldn’t be worse than what Cissnei herself was doing to him.
Unless the Sonoran torturers were like…really sexy. Probably not though.
Cissnei was walking around the room now, looking thoughtful, and Prompto took the sweet reprieve as a chance to breathe and think and try to collect himself again. She answered his questions. Kind of. Not really, but she at least told him something.
”Oh yeah. Iggy’s great at baking. That sounds like him.”
He too would have accepted Ignis’ pastries as payment for whatever work he wanted. They were delicious.
She hadn’t found Noctis which was sad, but not surprising. Then the conversation turned to him, and she looked surprised as he told her what he could do. Was she even a little…impressed? Maybe? A little?
”Oh yeah, definitely. I’m like a recircuiting machine! Except I’m the one doing the recircuiting to the machines. You know?” Why couldn’t he stop talking? ”But yeah, I should be able to handle it. And…I guess you’re right. No use messing with stuff we don’t understand. I’ll just shut down what we need.”
She didn’t know Yuna, but left that part to him. And then she had another suggestion. ”Alex? Wait, you know Alex? How does he know about any of this?” Prompto groaned. He’d left Alex behind for a reason. He hadn’t told Alex any of this for a reason. How had he even…?
”Okay. Yeah, I mean. I guess we need somebody else, but I don’t know about him. He’s kinda…” He waved his hands around vaguely. ”Weird.”
It was, of course, a bit of a stretch for Prompto of all people to call anyone weird, but he thought Alex deserved it. Prompto had been called weird a lot in his life. In school mostly. Also by his friends. Also probably other people, but that didn’t matter because compared to Prompto, Alex was really weird, and that was saying something.
Cissnei sighed. She asked if he had anywhere to stay and offered him her…flat?
”Huh?” Prompto blinked. ”You want me to stay…with you?” Oh. Oh man. That sounded kinda heavy. But he rubbed the back of his neck, biting his tongue nervously. ”I mean, I don’t have anywhere to stay. And I don’t have a lot of money. So I guess…that would work?”
He really hoped she didn’t have anything else in mind at her “flat.” Usually he’d have jumped at the slightest chance of something spicy happening with a girl like her, but a girl like her was scary as it turned out, and really he just wanted to sleep.
[attr=class,lyric1]gonna keep on keeping on the only
[attr=class,lyric2]way i know how
[attr=class,bulk] ’I wish…for my friend.’
’I wish…for my best, best, best friend in the whole world.’
’I wish…’
Prompto was out of breath from all the jogging. It wasn’t that he couldn’t keep running for a while, but the cold air was sharp on his lungs, and he wasn’t just jogging, but also dodging around crowds and praying to the Astrals and shifting impatiently in place at every crosswalk that was cursed enough not to let him pass right away. He was getting closer though, he thought. He hoped. He could see the wall of the city rising up above him now and it felt a little bit like home. Insomnia was all about its walls too.
There were gasps ahead of him. Someone screamed. The crowds near the wall came to a sudden stop in pairs and bunches and he heard a cry, ”He jumped!”
”Wha-...?” Prompto slowed to a stop near the blockade of people, frowning and panting and trying to catch his breath. All around him, there were whispers.
”...-from the wall. How did he even get up there?”
”Is he dead?”
”Crazy bastard. What did he think he was doing?
”Excuse me! Coming through! Sorry…” Prompto pushed his way past the crowd, shoving people aside as nicely as he could, but it still got him dirty looks. He couldn’t feel the magic anymore, but his curiosity pulled him forward like a fish on a line, and it had its hooks in deep. He knew he’d felt it around here, and the crowd’s words kept playing over and over again like a warped record on repeat.
’Is he dead? Is he dead? Is he dead?’
Then he saw the figure on the ground. It was definitely human, all twisted up in its own limbs and lying on the ground. Its clothes were ripped up and red blood trickled from the rips in the denim jeans and jacket. The crowd had formed a kind of semi circle around the man, all packed in with no one daring to go too close. But wait, Prompto knew that big dumb vest. And the jacket. And the ruffled silver-black hair and-
”N-Noctis?” Prompto staggered into the open semi-circle, staring as his breath caught and cold adrenaline froze him solid. ’Is he dead? Is he dead? Is he-?’
Then the figure moved. And groaned. And Prompto felt that adrenaline shoot straight through his heart as he let out a cry of relief and shot towards him like a bullet. ”Noctis!”
He wasn’t thinking anymore. There wasn’t anything to think about. Just Noctis, right there. Noctis, hurt on the ground. There wasn’t anything else that mattered, he thought, before his foot caught on a patch of ice and he slipped and managed to barely catch his balance with a sharp yelp and then he was stumbling forward, arms waving around, until he finally felt gravity take hold and-
”Wooooah!” He toppled into a snowbank next to Noctis and was suddenly immersed in the icy cold slush. He winced. ”Ow…”
Maybe it was better to keep thinking about what he was doing after all.
