Entry tags:
☍ BLINDSIDE.
Who Noctis & co.
What It's the Space Jam™... I mean, Noctis' daily activities + some Ardyn punching.
Where Fayren, Nova City, Everglade.
When Late February.
Warnings Violence, but the good kind where you beat up a big jerk. Also FFXV spoils everywhere.
CRYSTALLINE CHILL. ( OTA! )
WHAT LIES WITHIN. ( CLOSED TO CR )
THE AGGRESSORS. ( CLOSED )
WILDCARD. ( OTA )
What It's the Space Jam™... I mean, Noctis' daily activities + some Ardyn punching.
Where Fayren, Nova City, Everglade.
When Late February.
Warnings Violence, but the good kind where you beat up a big jerk. Also FFXV spoils everywhere.
CRYSTALLINE CHILL. ( OTA! )
( it's just another day at the office, and by office, that means the docks of fayren.
but so far, the fish weren't biting and as he reeled in his line again, noct inspected his hook, seemingly engrossed in thought. he probably won't even notice you at first if you sneak up on him, wondering aloud if maybe he should try some— )
Different bait, I guess? But the mackerel were really into this stuff yesterday...
WHAT LIES WITHIN. ( CLOSED TO CR )
( the procrastinator prince could probably have been added to his long list of titles at this point. but he'd been putting this off for long enough. it was possible that some of them already knew the secret he had been keeping, gladio and luna especially, but...
it was time to face the music. which is why, he'll approach each of his loved ones today in order to ask... ) Hey... ( while the back of his neck anxiously. ) Can I— talk to you?
THE AGGRESSORS. ( CLOSED )
Everglade, [coordinates].
We'll be waiting.
( —had been the simple message he'd sent ardyn. this place was already on fire anyway, right?
plus he would probably feel right at home among the creeps and freaks around here. noctis felt empowered with his entourage at his back, and as he glanced up from his phone one last time, he looked back at them, a reassuring nod and a smile for all of you that had come with him.
he was sure that this time, they would have the upper hand.
trust in him, like he trusts in each and every one of you. )
WILDCARD. ( OTA )
( feel free to run into prince charmless anywhere else! )

You all know what exactly this one is for...
Ah, but such idle and trivial thoughts could wait and be visited upon anon. After all, they were quite literally awaiting his presence in what may as well have been considered his back yard these past couple of months. He never did quite like those starter apartments. Never utilized their comforts save for during that blizzard... No, he quite preferred this place. Especially as those fires began to rage. Home, sweet home.
Ignis would likely be the first to sense his presence in the distance, what with that little tune he hummed under his breath. He hardly needed to keep it secret. After all... he was invited.
And, don't be rude, Noct. For to them, you and your little entourage are the ones who are the freaks.
When Ardyn steps into sight, it is fairly obvious that, despite his demeanor, he isn't so naive as to think there will be a simple exchange of words. The black wing-like shield firmly attached to his left arm
but then, where else would it be since he has nowhere else to put it?, a smirk forming once topaz eyes spy the little group in the distance.]Hello there~ [He greets them with the same farcical hospitality he only vaguely recalls.] Good day to you all, and might I say what a pleasant surprise it is for you to practically come to me? Why, I nearly expected a long trek after how long you have kept me waiting for your word, Noctis.
[How kind of the boy. Truly, he would have to reciprocate such a thoughtful gesture.]
Now then, I trust you have told them why we are here?
[It is both a request for confirmation, and to see just how much that camaraderie will serve them once they truly begin.]
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That voice, that sickly sweet attempt at hospitality that sends a shiver down his spine because he knows that it's all an act, a slimy act and his voice is only full of mocking and malice.
He can't stand before Ardyn, he just can't, but he promised to be at Noct's side and that's where he'll be. He hovers, slightly behind his best friend, trying to keep his anxiety at bay, just hoping Ardyn will keep his mouth shut because he doesn't want to hear any of his vitriol.
Prompto wraps his arms around himself and his fingers pinch his sides to keep himself ground and focused. He's not going to be afraid, or cowardly. What is the worst Ardyn can do to him?
His friends are there, at his back.
He's going to be fine.]
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for the sake of those that were here with him, he wouldn't falter. they had all suffered at the hands of this man... now, it was time to take something back. )
Yeah, well, we had some business to take care of. Family business. ( he lowers his head just slightly, leveling his gaze on ardyn, eyes unmoving as he looked to make contact with the sinister ones across the way. ) Isn't that right... Ardyn Lucis Caelum?
and you didn't even bring Starbucks... /tsks
It makes him sick, and yet he simply smiles the same false smile. At least, until Noct drops the name given to him at birth by the very god who cast him down and forbade his Ascension. He blinks, the facade slipping as both eyebrows raise towards his hairline.]
Ah, now there's a name few have so much as dared to utter in ages. [Ardyn laughs; sincerely laughs, as he lifts a hand to remove his hat. Temporarily hiding the demented grin behind his sleeve.]
Now... How do you know that name? [He ponders aloud.] Did I perhaps mention it to you, as I had planned? Or, was it your lovely bride?
[Because he was not the first to call him by that name in the last two thousand years. Another had, in a rather private conversation: Lunafreya.]
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His life isn't nearly as interesting as Ardyn's. He looks between them, surprised, but wisely keeps his mouth shut.]
/brings starbucks but not for ardyn
Her head tilts up slightly at the mention of Ardyn's true name. Her eyes narrow at reference to her, but still, Lunafreya remains a quiet source of strength for the Chosen King and his Crownsguard. ]
for you uncle, we have the off-brand starscourgebucks
he wanted so badly to be the king both luna and prompto deserved. )
It was you. ( his gaze is unmoving, watching ardyn closely... ) A healer to the people. Ostracized and daemonized... But— there's more to it than that, isn't there?
( much more sinister things... )
getting him his own blend... how sweet of you, nephew
That certainly explains a lot. He chuckles.]
But of course, Noct. After all, when I planned on informing you of our familial ties would be a point where time was short. [Ardyn takes a few steps closer, not once showing a flicker of concern as he waves it off...] Yet let us not leave your dear friend in the dark.
[His amber gaze falls upon Prompto as he says it. After all, Lady Lunafreya likely knew this story long before Noctis ever did. It was, after all, expunged from history by his brother's line.]
Long ago, in an age long passed, an incurable scourge ravaged mankind. A tiny menace, twisting man and beast into monsters— daemons, as they were later called. In the land of Lucis lived a savior that could cure the afflicted, but at a cost. [He replaces his hat, and in the process, lets slip the illusion of a normal man beneath the brim of his hat. The scourge itself oozing down his cheeks.] His own body took upon that which he healed from his people, that countless lives be spared. Yet a jealous king, one not yet chosen by the Crystal demonized this healer of the people and cast him into exile. Making a true monster of him.
[And yet, all he can do is shrug. To hide his rage.]
Prompto hopes he got a latte.
If we wanted a history lesson, we could've gone back to school. [He rolls his eyes]
I don't think anyone made a monster out of you, I think you did that on your own.
[His tone is cold and he glares. He knows just how evil Ardyn is, at least he feels like it.] Maybe no one would hate you if you weren't being...you!
Luna is kinda more a teavana gal...
A man who took the plan made by the Draconian into his own hands. Who would defy the fate that was given unto his bloodline.
[ It is all she says for now. ]
ok let me write this down, latte for prompto, tea for luna... and death for ardyn?? is that right?
teeth bare behind slightly curled lips, a quiet, sharp inhale to mark his repugnance. all throughout his journey, all the time he had built up his hatred and disgust for ardyn... he hadn't been expecting such a tainted history. tragic, he might have considered it, if not for all the sins the chancellor had committed in the ages that followed him...
there's a slight lean to prompto's side as ardyn focused on him to speak, then a dip of his head the other way towards luna as she said her piece. many sacrificed all for the King, so must the King sacrifice himself for all... now, more than ever, bahamut's words resounded within him.
as he looks to ardyn once more, there's something alight in the crystal blue of his eyes. )
There's no way a jester could ever sit upon the throne.
yeah, that sounds highly accurate.
Yes, as I'm sure they who rewrote history for their convenience would agree. For that is all it is: a lie to cover an inconvenient truth that has been whispered in the shadows for ages.
[He won't even deign to respond to the Oracle's false claims of plans lain down by a god that only knows war. Instead focusing on Noct's statement.]
Really? Is that so? [Any sort of amusement drains away from him, the scowl apparent even at a distance.]
The crystal uses you, drains you of your life. It plays you all for fools. Yet you stand here, firm in the beliefs spoon-fed to you since birth. Perhaps you ought to take a long look in the mirror, Noctis.
Make Ardyn's extra death. Can't be too careful.
[Ardyn is laughing, that's never good. He doesn't like it, not even a little bit, and he just frowns at him.]
Everything you say is bullshit anyway. There's nothing about it that we should believe. It's nothing but hot air.
[Prompto moves closer to Noctis' side, careful and to the point, if Ardyn does want to do more than talk, well, he's going to have to go through him to get to Noct. It's just the way it is. Anything for his best friend.]
It's not the crystal that makes you a monster, it's everything you've done. If you didn't want to be a monster, you probably shouldn't act like one.
room for more death, got it.
as prompto steps closer, he closes his eyes to reflect briefly. affording himself the moment thanks to the faith he had in those beside him.
it hadn't been until insomnia's fall, until the loss of regis... promopto's capture, ignis and lunafreya... that the truth of it all had finally become clear. all things that had happened... by the hand of ardyn.
his way of... helping noctis ascend. the thing he had said he had been aiming for all along...
the things the chancellor said, they weren't inehrently wrong. they were even some of the king-to-be's greatest fears, but here, now, he would stand strong in his conviction, because— )
But if my fate means stopping you, then... ( the engine blade materializes in a raised hand, taking its shape horizontally in front of noctis, a burning intensity in the crystal blue of his eyes. ) Even though I've made mistakes, it's not to late to do that much.
sorry for the delay; too much death
[Ardyn watches the small gathering closely, before he tuts his tongue at Noct's summoning of his blade.]
Oh, Noct...
[He holds his arms to his sides, raising his hands into the air that, in any other normal circumstance, would look as though he is surrendering before the fight even begins.
Except, these are anything but normal circumstances, and, unlike back on Eos, he knows his incorporeal form is severely limited. Thus, once his hands reach midway, they stop rising entirely. Amber eyes flickering between the three of them as the sudden and loud shattering noise of the Armiger being called forth echoes through the clearing.]
Alas, killing you here will bring me scant satisfaction... and I will not rest until you and your precious Crystal are no more. Perhaps I should start with the little gunman? Or your bride?
[And with the raising and slight gesture of his right hand, red crystalline versions of the the royal arms they'd painstakingly gathered shoot forth, aiming between both Prompto and Lunafreya without him so much as moving a single half-step.]
Yeah, I think we ordered too much. Let's dial that back to just Ardyn.
He hadn't connected the name to the armiger. Why does Ardyn have an armiger? And he's drawn his weapon against Noct.
This is his job. Gladio and Ignis aren't here, this is what he's here for. Prompto moves to place his hand on Noctis' chest, not shoving him back but using him as leverage to stand between him and Ardyn.
Even if it wasn't his job, he absolutely would protect his friend, and his bride. He owes Noct everything.
Prompto raises his gun, looking down the sights.]
I'm tired of hearing your bullshit. Just. Try it.
[He might be afraid, this might be incredibly, incurably stupid, but he's going to do it anyway.
He needs to step back, and now he'll give Noctis a proper shove if his king allows it, allows him to do what he's sworn to do and moves his finger to the trigger.]
Can't blame me for firing first this time.
[Prompto squeezes the trigger, he's not shooting to kill but aiming for his shoulder and if Ardyn doesn't move, he's going to see just what it's like to meet a pissed off marksman.
He knows, he knows Noctis is probably going to be mad at him, and they are probably going to have words about safety but..
It's too late. He's taking his vow as Crownsguard seriously, even if he's fueled by adrenaline alone.]
/white mage intensifies
The moment the Armiger strikes out, Lunafreya slams her Trident into the ground. A barrier shines across Prompto. As for her, she simply holds the weapon out to block any coming onslaught. She would defend her life, but she was not afraid of death either. Not when she had already lived it once.
While she may not be able to summon the astrals here to fight for her King, she has her own magical properties. ]
brew game too strong... i shouldn't have fucked with ssbucks
that slight hesitation is enough to be pushed back by his friend, bearing his teeth at his ancestor's threats. but it's thanks to the sound of the bullet leaving the barrel that fuels him forward, oh hi there opening, right? he takes the opportunity, afforded to him by prompto's attack as he spears his sword ahead in the air, phasing out—
and materializing again with his sword in a horizontal, defensive position just a few inches from ardyn, ready to meet weapon with weapon. armiger with armiger! )
I'm thinking we should start with you!
crystalline chill;
"Bait" and "mackerel"... a fellow fisher?
So he stands back a bit, listening in closely for a minute while he debates the pros and cons of a quick dip in the freezing waters. Honestly, there were a heck of a lot more cons to this island kid than pros. But this guy seems to be having some trouble getting even so much as a nibble.
Riku sighs.. As if he can't believe he's actually contemplating this. Maybe he's been hanging around Demyx too much, or maybe his best friend rubbed off on him more than he thought. Either way, he's taking off his coat — so at least he'll have something warm to put back on later — and diving in. The guy will probably complain about potentially scaring the fish away, but he's far too much focused on 1) the cold, and 2) trying to sense where the fish actually are.
Something that is far harder to do with his eyesight purposely cut off, but he dare not even try to open his eyes beneath the fabric. That'd sting even worse than the cold. At least for his sake, his nose picks up something and he swims towards it — diving down and reaching out with both hands—
Next thing Noctis will notice is him surfacing a half a minute later, tossing a mackerel up to him with only one word of warning:] Catch.
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it's only thanks to his quick reflexes that he even gets a mitt on the fish, though trying to balance it (through its protests) as well as his rod (which he straight up refused to drop) was proving quite difficult. the tail is in his face, slapping him with a wet, comical sound through a disbeliving— ) Wuh! Bluh—! ( before the mackerel finally wins, breaking free and making a break back to the water.
it will probably get there too, since noct is still trying to deal with this... ) Was that really— Did you seriously just...?! ( eloquent af. )
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Yes. Yes, I did. [He smirks confidently, despite chattering teeth.] You know, it's gonna get away if you don't—
[Aaand there's the splash. Riku sighs, shaking his head as he tilts his head back down at the water. Trying to get a lead on another one.]
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he's assuming a catching-stance. if... you can even call him that. at any rate, his knees are bent and his hands are apart, and he's watching the boy's form in the water intently. prepared for the off chance that a miracle like that could even be performed twice... )
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This time he gives the guy a bit more heads up, mostly because he has to focus.]
Here goes! [Aaaand chuck! goes the fish up to the dock. Before he opens a portal inside the water, short-distance teleporting onto the dock again gasping at the cold.
... A few more fish fall out the corridor with him, but he doesn't seem to notice. He just reaches for where he put his coat, not quite able to find it as he reaches around for it with a hand.]
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he's quick to follow, knowing a thing or two about warps himself— but as he stands up tall again, he's just nodding at the bonus fish that have come along for the ride. )
Hey that's— some moves. ( even as he places the best of the catch aside, a quick glance reveals the search for that overcoat. hurrying over to grab it, and holding it out for his hand to easily find. that blindfold... ) Refreshing? Or... just freezing?
( they probably shouldn't stay out here long... )
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[It's a curt reply, his hand still searching for his overcoat when he hears the steps and freezes — okay, maybe that was a poor choice of words, but he does indeed pause. Tilting his head up with lips barely parted as he notices something about the man those footsteps belong to.
'This— this light.'
He shakes the thoughts and memories from his mind, pursing his lips as he reaches in front of him— accepting his coat from this stranger. He's quick to throw it around himself.]
Ah... Little of column A. Little of column B. [He smirks faintly.] Been a while since I went fishing. Couldn't resist.
[He pauses as he fits his arms into the sleeves, holding a hand close to his chest as a small flame forms within it. He can't tell if it's dark or normal fire (spoilers: it's normal fire), but it's warm and that's all that matters to him.] Thanks.
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at least until that flame forms within the guy's hand. that makes him pause for a second, too. elemancy, maybe...? )
Why don't we... head somewhere a little warmer? Thanks to you, with all this— ( he's back to lifting the day's catch. ) That more than makes the day's quota.
I'd... be interested in hearing about how you came up with a technique like that, heh.
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He nods, oblivious to the pause. Or, maybe just more mindful of not drawing attention to it.]
... Yeah. [He chuckles faintly, carefully moving to his feet - lest he accidentally burn himself. That would be fun to deal with.] Sounds like a plan.
[He shrugs at the curiosity. He'll share that once they're somewhere warm, but he'll at least introduce himself.] Riku.
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Follow me, I know a place. ( as he sets off in the direction of the drunken monkey, he glances back just once... maybe twice, to make sure riku was still there. maybe that blindfold reminded him a little of someone else... a habit he'd developed since the fodina mines...
shaking the thoughts out of his mind's eye, he realized maybe a warning was in order. ) It's a bit... rough around the edges, but no one should bother us there, at least. Plus, it's warm.
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You wouldn't happen to know Prompto, would you? [He asks, snuffing out the little fire in his hands as they walk.] He... talks about you a lot.
[No joke. He lost count at about eight mentions in their first meeting alone. Yet he follows, despite a few moments of stumbling. He isn't familiar with this route, and sometimes his boots catch something he isn't expecting. Yet he's able to keep up at a normal pace.
That faint smirk returns at the warning.] Don't worry. I can take care of myself if pressed.
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after the first stumble... he may have slowed his steps just a little. hopefully not enough to be noticed but, well, he couldn't help it. that warm feeling he had just felt hollowed itself out slightly with the shift in thoughts.
maybe a change in topic would shift them back. ) Don't think you're the one I'd have to worry about. Were those... some kind of warp-strikes you used?
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He walks slouching over anyway, so it likely isn't that noticeable when he bows his head as he notices Noct slowing down his pace. His sense of smell is far sharper than hearing, but... It isn't hard to notice the slight hesitation.]
Teleport, actually. Been working on it recently. [Or, rather - doing so of his own power, not something handed to him by that hag.] Along with that fire spell.
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there's a glance towards the hand that had been holding the flame just moments ago, and he has to wonder— ) Working on it? ( but it's more like he's musing aloud, until he adds his question. ) You didn't have to absorb it from anywhere, first?
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Yeah. [There's a long pause as he thinks on how to answer the question, because, technically? It's complicated.] I— yes, and no.
I was told I already had the potential, that she was only awakening the power sleeping within me... but I trust her word about as far as I could throw her. [After all, everything else that witch said was a lie.]
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there was a flash of the crystal in noct's head, which prompted a thoughtful nod. ) Let me guess, mostly creepy, sort of helpful, all-around bad news? ( he just might know the type. )
Well, this is it. ( he stops outside the pub— nodding towards the doors, then moving to push one open. ) Didn't even freeze to death trying to get here.
( you're still talking, at least. that's probably a good sign. )