[ Noctis is coming after him! He's seen the exchange with fury, with dread and worry, but Prompto... Prompto is riled up and angry and Noctis is sure he's horrified, too, and maybe it's Ignis' influence but Noctis forces himself to be the calmer one.
After all that he's heard of what Ardyn will do, they have to be careful -- and what is to stop Ardyn from hurting others if Noctis comes for him?
He climbs up to the roof, working to quell his own frantic, angry thoughts. Prompto needs him, his best friend needs him right now, and he has to come through for him. ]
[Prompto flinches when he hears someone come up, and the only reason he relaxes at all is because he forces himself to, sighing a long breath out over the edge of the roof where he sits. He doesn't raise his head. Actually, he lets it hang a little lower.]
Hey, Noct.
[Hatred isn't something that goes away, but the clenched-jaw fury of it has eroded to queasy, baleful dread. He rests one hand in the cup of the other and picks slowly at his wristband.]
Uh, don't know if you saw, but Ardyn's pulling the same, friendly "man of no consequence" crap he tried with us. So we're gonna have a hard time convincing people to steer clear of him.
[ Noctis notices. He sees a lot more than people give him credit for, but he wouldn't have it any other way -- he would rather be underestimated, even if it sometimes sticks in his craw.
Now, however, it's about Prompto and everything that just unfurled, words and unpleasant reminders of what will come for Noctis rattling around in his head. Ardyn kills Luna, and Ardyn hurts Prompto. It all comes down to the man, in the end.
He gently reaches for him and puts a hand on his shoulder. ]
Yeah, I know. But you did what you could, buddy.
[ He says softly. He's roiling inside, itching to fight, to do something, anything -- to take Ardyn out so he wouldn't hurt anyone else again, but it wouldn't be smart. ]
The thing is... we gotta steer him away from people. Make sure he doesn't hurt them.
[ he doesn't forget his time with prompto in his heartscape, the part of Prompto that was hell-bent on keeping him safe. but it -- it hurts, in so many ways.
In a perfect world, Ardyn comes for him, and only him. He takes a deep breath. ]
[Prompto gestures with both hands without sitting up.]
Yeah, but it's gonna look bad for us if he plays nice instead. Remember Titan? And stopping Ravus that first time? It's easy for him, it's like a game, jerking us around.
[ Yeah. Yeah, it will definitely look bad on them. ]
So we play nice, too.
[ And it's killing him to say it, it really is. The last thing Noctis wants to do is play nice, and it shows. Noctis looks disgusted, but he's more preoccupied with what this whole thing is doing to Prompto than anything else. ]
And... listen. He's dredged up a lot of terrible, unforgivable things for you, but -- I don't want you to go and confront him or anything, okay? Not without us.
[ Noctis takes a deep breath, looking back at him. He can't even begin to imagine the depth of Prompto's hate and distress -- he feels largely the same, but this impacts his best friend in different ways. ]
I don't want him to hurt you. Or have an excuse to hurt you. We have to find a way to take him down so that he doesn't pose a threat to other people here. The ones we care about. [ As much as it pains him to admit it. ] I think... Ignis might have an idea of how to deal with it.
The shooty-slicey thing doesn't work, Gladio and I tried.
[Prompto thinks about it, then holds up a finger.]
As long as that quest is up, we could switch bodies with him and, I dunno, run it right into the harbor? ...Wait, no, then he'd have one of our bodies, that's no good. That's no good at all. I officially ban me from ideas, no more ideas from Prompto.
[He sighs again and finally returns the contact with a little bump of his own.]
I--I'm trying to be careful, but. I did tell him when I came from. It was the only way I could get him to tell me when he's from. [He shakes his head, looking at his hands.] He's ahead of all of us, Noct. I'm pretty sure, at least.
[ So he's ahead of all of them -- Noctis has more or less come to terms with the fact that this place seems to ignore the linear nature of timelines, but what's troubling is this: what does Ardyn want? What's his plan? And is Prompto putting himself in his crosshairs just by speaking out like that?
His gaze flickers down to Prompto's wrist then, and he's quiet for a few moments. ]
Whatever his game is, we need to find out so we know how to deal with him.
[Prompto swallows. Looks down again. After a while, he manages a tiny nod.]
I know you won't, buddy.
[But that isn't the problem. He drops his hands into his lap, then picks them up to start picking at the edges of his wristband again.]
I can take care of myself if it comes to it, you know. But I need you to keep yourself safe, too, okay? I'm not... It's...
[Chewing his lip, struggling to find the right words, Prompto squints off into the distance and then lets his head hang.]
If he takes you away again, if he hurts you, I.
[That's it, right there. In that reality, with Noct lost, Noct in pain--how can Prompto even contemplate living like that? He knots his hands together and pushes them between his knees, shakes his head, and rocks a little.]
You can't know what it was like. Fighting so hard to get back to you, and then. And then. Knowing I was the trap, and... he got you. And you weren't there anymore. I can't. Not again, Noct. I can't.
[ They're veering into dangerous territory, territory that Noctis had always tried to shy away from, the very real shadow of his future, the fact that he would be asked to give his life, and maybe that would be the prelude to... whatever it is.
He doesn't know, aside from what he's been told, and he's been struggling with it. He remembers Prompto in his heartscape, how he'd said that he had to accept all of him too, even the one that would fight to keep him safe.
He swallows hard, and feels guilty that maybe it's a good thing Prompto isn't looking at him -- the last thing Noctis wants to do is make this even more difficult than it already is. ]
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timeasmymeasure
after ardyn.
Date: 2019-03-15 12:35 am (UTC)After all that he's heard of what Ardyn will do, they have to be careful -- and what is to stop Ardyn from hurting others if Noctis comes for him?
He climbs up to the roof, working to quell his own frantic, angry thoughts. Prompto needs him, his best friend needs him right now, and he has to come through for him. ]
Prompto?
no subject
Date: 2019-03-15 12:44 am (UTC)Hey, Noct.
[Hatred isn't something that goes away, but the clenched-jaw fury of it has eroded to queasy, baleful dread. He rests one hand in the cup of the other and picks slowly at his wristband.]
Uh, don't know if you saw, but Ardyn's pulling the same, friendly "man of no consequence" crap he tried with us. So we're gonna have a hard time convincing people to steer clear of him.
[Pick, pick.]
no subject
Date: 2019-03-15 05:06 pm (UTC)Now, however, it's about Prompto and everything that just unfurled, words and unpleasant reminders of what will come for Noctis rattling around in his head. Ardyn kills Luna, and Ardyn hurts Prompto. It all comes down to the man, in the end.
He gently reaches for him and puts a hand on his shoulder. ]
Yeah, I know. But you did what you could, buddy.
[ He says softly. He's roiling inside, itching to fight, to do something, anything -- to take Ardyn out so he wouldn't hurt anyone else again, but it wouldn't be smart. ]
The thing is... we gotta steer him away from people. Make sure he doesn't hurt them.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-15 05:12 pm (UTC)But we can't fight him. There's nothing we can do to make him listen to us, right?
[He kicks his feet slightly, moody.]
We don't even know what he really wants. That stuff about fighting for Niflheim, that's bullshit. Everyone on Niflheim's side is dead.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 03:43 am (UTC)We wait, and find out. [ He says finally. But more importantly... ] I won't let him hurt you again, Prompto.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 03:50 am (UTC)The one I'm worried about is you, dude.
[For precisely this reason. Buddy, honestly.]
You're the one he's after. He's got no reason to bother with small fry like me unless he hurts you by doing it.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 03:55 am (UTC)In a perfect world, Ardyn comes for him, and only him. He takes a deep breath. ]
Well, he's got me. He knows I'm here, now.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 03:59 am (UTC)[He flops on his back on the roof, making a noise somewhere between a quiet wail and a loud groan before covering his face with both hands.]
You know, now he's gonna spend all his time trying to torture you, right? He'd've found out you're here eventually but it didn't have to be now!
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 04:04 am (UTC)[ Because two can play at that game! Noctis understands -- but there's no way in hell he's going to let Ardyn get away with this. ]
We're not gonna be quiet about it, and it's gonna look bad for him if any of us is hurt when he's here.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 06:10 pm (UTC)Yeah, but it's gonna look bad for us if he plays nice instead. Remember Titan? And stopping Ravus that first time? It's easy for him, it's like a game, jerking us around.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 06:19 pm (UTC)So we play nice, too.
[ And it's killing him to say it, it really is. The last thing Noctis wants to do is play nice, and it shows. Noctis looks disgusted, but he's more preoccupied with what this whole thing is doing to Prompto than anything else. ]
And... listen. He's dredged up a lot of terrible, unforgivable things for you, but -- I don't want you to go and confront him or anything, okay? Not without us.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 06:22 pm (UTC)['Cause, you know. Oops?]
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 06:23 pm (UTC)[ Noctis is groaning! ]
no subject
Date: 2019-03-16 06:27 pm (UTC)[Prompto.]
no subject
Date: 2019-03-17 03:39 am (UTC)[ Noctis takes a deep breath, looking back at him. He can't even begin to imagine the depth of Prompto's hate and distress -- he feels largely the same, but this impacts his best friend in different ways. ]
I don't want him to hurt you. Or have an excuse to hurt you. We have to find a way to take him down so that he doesn't pose a threat to other people here. The ones we care about. [ As much as it pains him to admit it. ] I think... Ignis might have an idea of how to deal with it.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-18 02:48 pm (UTC)[It's enough to get him to sit up again, still kicking his feet like a sulky teenager but capable of eye contact, at least.]
If it's "we all stay away from him forever," that's a plan I can get behind.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-19 02:24 pm (UTC)Uh. I don't think we can stay away from him forever, Prompto.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-19 02:35 pm (UTC)Well, I think it's a great idea.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-20 12:30 pm (UTC)It is. I wish we could. But we have to find a way to defeat him if he tries anything.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-20 01:17 pm (UTC)[Prompto thinks about it, then holds up a finger.]
As long as that quest is up, we could switch bodies with him and, I dunno, run it right into the harbor? ...Wait, no, then he'd have one of our bodies, that's no good. That's no good at all. I officially ban me from ideas, no more ideas from Prompto.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-23 06:05 pm (UTC)No, we shouldn't be giving him anything that he doesn't already have. And the whole network thing -- we have to be careful.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-24 04:09 pm (UTC)[He sighs again and finally returns the contact with a little bump of his own.]
I--I'm trying to be careful, but. I did tell him when I came from. It was the only way I could get him to tell me when he's from. [He shakes his head, looking at his hands.] He's ahead of all of us, Noct. I'm pretty sure, at least.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-26 03:23 pm (UTC)His gaze flickers down to Prompto's wrist then, and he's quiet for a few moments. ]
Whatever his game is, we need to find out so we know how to deal with him.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-26 03:38 pm (UTC)I know you won't, buddy.
[But that isn't the problem. He drops his hands into his lap, then picks them up to start picking at the edges of his wristband again.]
I can take care of myself if it comes to it, you know. But I need you to keep yourself safe, too, okay? I'm not... It's...
[Chewing his lip, struggling to find the right words, Prompto squints off into the distance and then lets his head hang.]
If he takes you away again, if he hurts you, I.
[That's it, right there. In that reality, with Noct lost, Noct in pain--how can Prompto even contemplate living like that? He knots his hands together and pushes them between his knees, shakes his head, and rocks a little.]
You can't know what it was like. Fighting so hard to get back to you, and then. And then. Knowing I was the trap, and... he got you. And you weren't there anymore. I can't. Not again, Noct. I can't.
no subject
Date: 2019-03-26 03:42 pm (UTC)[ They're veering into dangerous territory, territory that Noctis had always tried to shy away from, the very real shadow of his future, the fact that he would be asked to give his life, and maybe that would be the prelude to... whatever it is.
He doesn't know, aside from what he's been told, and he's been struggling with it. He remembers Prompto in his heartscape, how he'd said that he had to accept all of him too, even the one that would fight to keep him safe.
He swallows hard, and feels guilty that maybe it's a good thing Prompto isn't looking at him -- the last thing Noctis wants to do is make this even more difficult than it already is. ]
I went... in the crystal, right?
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