genessia | First Snap - [Video

I haven't seen you guys in a little while?

[That's true enough, and certainly not since he'd arrived.]

You okay Noct?

[He is supposed to be protecting him, technically.]

I... I'm— yeah. ( not very good at lying, for one.
scratching at the back of his head nervously, he instead tries to focus on what his friend is saying. )

What's... the last thing you remember, then? And— where are you? We should re-group.

[Well why not? Prompto's going to lie as much as Noctis is.]

That's good.

Um, w-well. [He's fidgeting a little, mentally cursing his nerves for flaring at the worst times.]

I was waiting to meet up with you guys at, uh, Zagnautus Keep.

[That's the most innocuous way to put it, and if Noctis doesn't know what he's talking about, he's fine with it.]

( his eyes drop to the side at that, and he closes them briefly.
the pain that his friends had suffered all to see him through, especially in that place... it all hit close to home. too close.

but what could he say? 'thank you' or 'sorry' didn't seem like they could even cut it. )

That's... yeah. That sounds about right. ( since the last thing he remembered was getting a big ole crystal hug.
when he finally opens his eyes again, he looks over at the video feed, focused on prompto's face. )

You okay?

[Honestly even if he wants to blame Noctis, the blame is misplaced. Everything that happened was orchestrated by some evil dick who Prompto is very glad to be leaving behind at the moment.

There's nothing anyone can say to make it better, but it's not their fault. He can't even hold himself responsible because he tried his hardest.]

Yeah. Uh huh.

[Not at all, not in the slightest, but he's not there and that's enough for now.]

( all of those thoughts are echoed in noctis' silence.
he's never been good with words and in a situation like this, well, he was even worse. )

... I'm coming to get you.

( maybe he doesn't even know where to go. but he's going. he'll be there. he'll figure it out. anything for his best friend. anything... so that he doesn't have to hear that sadness in his voice anymore. )

[This is so wrong and backwards and he shouldn't be coming to get him. Cor would say he'd done his duty like he was supposed to. He's supposed to be protecting Noct, not the other way around.

But he's human and Noctis is his best friend and they'd done everything together for five years and he can't help but see him as more than just the prince - or the king now, he supposes.]

I'm getting inside. It's...yeah, okay.

[It's crazy, it's dangerous, there are monsters, he should be protecting him, but he wants his best friend at his side. It's selfish. Cor would be so disappointed in him.]

There's a room for me, here, but I'll wait up for you.

[As if they're planning a sleepover.]

( there isn't another transmission from the prince as he heads towards the lodgings he spent his first nights in genessia in, too. the clerks at the desk didn't put up a fight when he asked for prompto by name, and shortly after, he's face-to-face with the door that his friend is probably behind.

noctis pauses— takes a deep breath— and finally gives it a hearty knock. )

Hey. ( he's so, so good with words. ) It's me.

[He briefly debates not opening the door and then mentally kicks himself. It's just Noct, after all and he leans against the doorframe. He's exhausted, he's covered in bruises, has a nice deep gash on the side of his head, and his gun hasn't gone back into the armiger since he got there.]

Hey dude. [He's just as good at words, but the door's open and he's free to come in.]

( as soon as the door finally swings open, noct's bright blue eyes are all over prompto. from the bruises to the cut, to the gun and then... to the floor. to the door frame he passes through, to anything else he can focus on instead.

those injuries... he had to assume... they were the ones he'd caused, throwing his closest friend from a speeding train.

the guilt weighing on his shoulders made itself known again, with a slight hunch. )

I—... ( shit. SHIT. what can he even say... )

You look awful.

[No Noct, these injuries weren't inflicted by what he did, he can take a fall.]

I...I know.

[He closes the door behind Noct so he can take a seat again, he's stiff and it's harder to move, now that the adrenaline is gone. Noct looks like he's feeling guilty and he reaches out to him, brushing fingers against Noct's hand.]

I've been captured at Zegnautus for...I don't know how long. [He sucks in a breath.] In the Chancellor's hands.

( his gaze is still everywhere and nowhere, up until prompto reaches out towards him. and that's when he stiffens, listening to what he says, and that same hand that was held balled into a fist, shaking.

so his assumption had been wrong from the sounds of it but after hearing that the chancellor was involved, which only meant that it was probably even worse than he'd imagined. his attempt at humour seemed to be falling flat in the strained air between them with his last quip. )

Prompto, I... ( noctis clenches his teeth, even with that simple bit. it's all he can do to stop all the emotions from just... spilling out of him.
instead of saying anything else, he just pulls on that arm that had reached out for him, sinking to his knees as he wrapped his arms around his friend, squeezing him tight. )

[He's watching how upset Noct is, and he doesn't like it, it weighs heavily in his stomach like a stone sinking down, but he lets Noctis pull him easily, dropping to his knees instinctively.

He wraps his arms around Noctis, hugging him tightly, shuddering breaths coming in. He isn't quite aware of it, but tears are already sliding down his cheeks. This is his best friend, right here in his arms.

Prompto lets out a sob.]

Noct...

[He whispers and clings slightly, hiding his face against Noct's shoulder, making it a little damp.]

I sh-should tell you what I learned. About me...you can't do this...I'm...

[His fingers curl into fists, grabbing the back of Noctis' shirt.]

I'm from Niflheim. I was made there. I was going to be a...an MT.

( he can feel it. feel that shuddering, feel the hot dampness at his shoulder from the tears... which is exactly why noctis grinds his teeth harder into one another. he can't lose it completely. he needs to be strong for the both of them.

it's... what a king would do.
he grip tightens even more. )

That doesn't matter! ( he seethes through clenched teeth. ) None of that matters. Prompto you're just— ( he doesn't even hesitate, doesn't even think about the words that come tumbling from his mouth, before his mind can even catch up. ) You're you.

( but more than just being a king, this is his friend.
and so the tears rolled down his cheeks, too. and cid's words came back to him. the people by his side, they were so much more than just bodyguards. they were... )

You're my brother.

Edited 2017-12-24 03:28 (UTC)

[His grip tightens because he can't believe quite what he's hearing and he's shaking his head slightly, of course it matters, he's the enemy, he's probably not human and here he is running around with the King of Lucis like he has any right, like the Astrals would let him have something so precious.

He opens his mouth to argue, to point out the flaws, everything that's wrong with that sentence and his mind comes to a full stop.

You're my brother. That's what Noct said and he lets out a shuddering sob.]

Noct...I...[He sucks in a breath, unsteady and wet.]

Yeah. Yeah me too Noct. Me too. I just...are y-you sure? I'm a Niff, Noct.

( pulling up his nose, noctis loosens his arms, grabbing the blond by his shoulders, and gently squeezing them, with a tightening intensity as he speaks— )

You're Prompto. Prompto Argentum. We've been friends since high school, even though we really met in elementary. Remember? You remember, don't you? That's who you are. Who cares... where you came from?

[He looks at Noctis, his eyes still damp and watery and he nods slowly.]

I haven't forgotten. I haven't.

[He uses his gloves to wipe the tears from his cheeks.]

You sounded like a real king there, Noct. [A bit of a smile, he's trying to get ahold of himself.

He pauses and puts his hand over his bracelet.]

Do you...want to see it?

( a real king? could he really be...
there's a quick swipe of his wrist guard across his face to do the same, sniffing again as he replaced the hand back on prompto's shoulder. without saying anything, he looked down at the wrist that he indicated.

if it was something his friend was willing to share with him, then he wouldn't look away. maybe better than anyone, he knew that you couldn't shy away from your destiny, you had to face it head on...

noctis would help prompto get through his. assure him as many times as he needed, and silent still, he gave a small nod. )

Edited 2017-12-24 05:36 (UTC)

[He's looking for that nod and he gets it, and he should have shown Noct, but he never knew before, what it meant.

He reaches down, the bracelet he got from Noctis when he got accepted into the Crownsguard to replace his sweat band, it's finally unclipped and he pulls the leather away.

His skin is unmarred, lucky considering the damage he'd done to himself, and in all its glory is the magitek barcode. 'NH-01987' in one direction and '0006-0204' upside down to it. Surprisingly, neither was his designation when he was that child in Niflheim being experimented on and them trying to take away his humanity.

A barcode. Like he's a product on a shelf.]

( mts... they could be frightening, grotesque... but the boy sitting here in front of him was so far from any of those things. they'd laughed together for years, fought together side by side.

and so, when he looked down... there was nothing scary about this number. nothing off-putting about it at all. this was just one more thing that would make prompto... prompto. )

Well, I think Gladio's still got you beat in the ink department. Not that a full back piece is easy to compete with, right? ( there's a chuckle, forced at first, but gaining momentum as he followed up prompto's last attempt at a smile. )

[He doesn't realize he's holding his breath until Noct speaks and the response is so innocuous, and normal and dorky like his life isn't falling apart in front of his eyes.

Prompto can't help but laugh, looking caught off guard and then he raises that hand and swats at his best friend's chest lightly.]

That...you are such a dork.

No more than you. ( it's his best material at the moment okay?? he moves to defend himself from the half-hearted wrath of prompto, releasing him finally. and with that, the ball in the pit of his stomach started to unravel little by little.

and with that, he picks himself back up again, sniffing roughly one last time, and reaching down to offer his friend a hand, too. )

Just... remember you don't have to face this alone. Any of it. Because... we're not going to get separated again. I'll always come back for you.

[Another little giggle escapes, because he knows he's as big a dork as Noct is, and he takes that hand, getting up. He has a long way to go, there's a lot of hurt and darkness still lingering, pulling at him.

But Noctis got him to laugh, for a moment.]

Never again. Ever at your side, Noct. [He promises, his fist coming up to his chest in a salute, even though he doesn't bow, but he offers him a fistbump when he's done.]

I don't want to go back. [He breathes.]

( it was the sound of that laughter... that was something noctis never wanted to lose. he had meant what he said, every word of it, especially the part where none of it mattered.

there's a tinge of something— pride? at the salute. yea... he was proud to have prompto in his crownsguard. his glaive... and as his friend. )

Whenever we go from here, we go together.

[Prompto is more than pleased to salute Noct, when he's earned it, and he's properly earned it in this moment, he's a very good king, and he has strength when Prompto doesn't. He's not used to being so down, so wrecked, but he's been at Ardyn's mercy and the Chancellor knows exactly which buttons to push, and how awful to make him feel, and even to make it all worse.]

Together sounds good. [Please don't send him back to the Keep, he can't take it. He knows he can't. He's strong, he knows that, but there's a limit to how much a person can handle.]

[He offers an uneasy smile.]

Sorry I got captured. It...I screwed up.

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First Snap - [Video - Night time]

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