#(currently ignoring that this is probably because a demon oc of mine is a redhead)

[felikatze]

the sheer validation i feel rn over valier being a natural redhead when his demon appearance is never described. epic win for me

[alia-turin]

Title: Broken Bonds [Chapter VII] Previous chapters: Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI AO3

Characters:

OC, Libertus Ostium, Cor Leonis,  Luche Lazarus (mentioned), Titus Drautos | Glauca (mentioned), Nyx Ulric (mentioned), Gladiolus Amicitia, Crowe Altius (mentioned), Iris Amicitia, Prompto, Ignis

Warning:

This one is very much SFW, no kinky stuff.

Notes

So Cor finally learns from Gentiana where Noct is, three t-shirts joke makes cameo

Tagging: @birdsandivoryy  @yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy @jojopitcher@fromunseeliecourt @lazarustrashpit @littlestfangirl @kairakara101 (tagging you because some time ago you asked me to tag you on Luche related stuff, that’s not 100% related to him, but there is something related to him in pretty much every chapter)

If you want to be tagged (or untagged) please do let me know. Tagging is not some exlusive club, so I’m absolutely not bothered by your requests to be tagged.

Ada was walking down the Lestallum streets, tired and absentminded. She had spent three days in the wastelands trying to find more meteor pieces and other resources they needed. She was also avoiding everyone especially the Marshal and Libertus hence her choice to spend all that time outside of Lestallum instead of returning.

“Did you hear?” her ears caught a conversation between two of the towns people. “Some black-haired witch told the Marshal to stop looking for the prince. Now he is calling off all the hunters and crownsguard. That’s some trick if you ask me and he fell right into the trap.”

Ada slowed down her pace to hear the whole thing and stared at the men until they noticed her and looked back at her. She quickly pretended she wasn’t listening to them, last thing she needed was another outburst of the townspeople against the treacherous glaive.

She had planned to go to her apartment, rest couple of hours and then leave again, but given that information she went looking for Libertus. She found him close to the barricades barking orders at some new recruits. Ada patiently waited for him to finish, she wasn’t getting in the middle of that.

“Well, well look who is back.” He gave her a warm hug as if he hasn’t seen her in months. “I was almost worried the Marshal killed you and hid your corpse somewhere.”

“I just wanted to get some things done.” It wasn’t technically a lie if there was some truth in it. Maybe a half lie.

“Right. You have a lot of things to tell me.” Libertus grabbed her and pulled her aside, in one of the tinny alleys where no one could hear them. “So, the Marshal?”

“That can wait. What’s that about black-haired witch and the prince?” Ada knew she wouldn’t be able to avoid talking about Cor with Libertus, but the other matter was more pressing in her mind.

“Don’t know much. I know the rumor which you have heard apparently. The other thing I know is that the Marshal suspended the search for the prince which caused a bit of drama from his highness’ retainers, but eventually they calmed down. Wanted to speak with the Marshal but Monica hinted it’s not a good time.”

Things were bad then if Gladio and the rest were involved in that. Part of Ada had hoped that was just some town’s talk, gossip and rumors but little to no truth. And what was all that about black-haired witch? Part of her was happy no one had started rumor of redheaded witch or she might be burning on a stake somewhere with all the love people around had for the Kingsglaive.

“I will check on him.” Ada tried to leave without talking any further with him but he grabbed her wrist.

“Oh, no you are not going now. You were absent for three days, not a single word where were you going and not even telling me how that date with the Marshal went.” Libertus moved so he could block her way out of there.

“I don’t know what to tell you it was good…it was fun and he is great…” She really didn’t know what else to tell him. The only person she ever talked with about dates and such was Crowe.

“Anything in particular…any details...” Libertus was acting like a teenager trying to get information from his buddies and that entrained her a lot. They all used to do that back in Insomnia, tease each other and make fun of each other. Sticking the nose in other’s personal business was just natural.  

“For some reason he wears three t-shirts.” She finally said, that was the most innocent things he could think about.

“Three t-shirts.” He lifted three fingers in front of her eyes. “So, you saw him naked or you just stopped at the second t-shirt?” he was laughing at that point.

“No, I saw him naked...” that was a childish conversation but somewhere deep in her she was enjoying it too much.

“And it was so bad that you ran out of town on extended vacation?” he was still laughing.

“No, it was…” that was hard to explain. “It was good. It was great, he is great. He is not the reason I have been avoiding everything.” Loneliness was an addiction and she has been walking for couple of weeks now on the that thin line that stood between shutting herself out and allowing people to walk in her life again. The Marshal had reminded her how good it was to finally be free of that isolation, but loneliness was a drug, one it was hard to get rid of.

“You need to move on.” Libertus wasn’t laughing anymore, he was his friendly, loving self. “I know how hard it is to move on, I waited for Nyx almost a year before I moved on, but you need to do it, or that will kill you.”

“I know.” She forced a smile on her lips and place her hand on his shoulder. “Thank you. You are a good friend.”

They parted ways like that, he still had things to do and she wanted to check on Cor. Probably it was just her imagination but whole Lestallum seemed strangely quit. People were usually busy with stuff or just hanging around but now it seemed like everybody was on their own, and minding their own business.

Ada walked in the hotel, Monica was hanging around by the reception.

“I would advice against…” she started but Ada gave her a friendly smile and continued walking towards the Marshal’s office at which the other woman just nodded.

She knocked once, there was no sound or anything coming from there so she just walked in. As soon as she saw the state of his office, she walked in quickly and closed the door behind herself. One of the bookshelves was pushed down, all the books and items that had been on it have fallen on the floor. The papers and maps from his desk were also on the ground, some of them ripped. The chair which was usually behind his desk was either kicked or thrown to the other end of the room. Cor was sitting on his desk, holding his right hand which was bleeding.

“What happened?” Ada rushed towards him and grabbed his hand, it didn’t seem too bad, the blood was coming from bruised knuckles.

“You are back.” He completely ignored her question and the state that his office was in.

“Let me look at that.” She ran her fingers gently over his skin until green light appeared around them. The spell acted immediately. Few seconds later the bruises on his hand were gone, only the dried blood was left.

“Thank you.” He moved his fingers, then clenched them in a fist and eventually relaxed them. “Doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Is that because of let me quote ‘a black-haired witch who told you to stop looking or the prince?” Ada wanted to hug him and tell him things would be okay, but she was guilty of disappearing without a trace so she was going to leave the first step in that regard to him.

“Black haired-witch?” He looked confused.

“It’s what the people around town say.”

“How…” he didn’t finish that sentence just gave a frustrated sigh. “It’s not a black-haired witch. It was the messenger of the gods. She told me to stop looking for the prince, and that when the time is right he will appear at Angelgard. That it is not up to me or anyone else, I assume she means his friends, to find him, but he will come when he is ready.” She could feel the anger in him as he was saying that. Then he continued without Ada asking him anything which was surpassing. “I have served three kings, and I failed each one of them in a different way. Cor the Immortal.” He smirked. “More like Cor the Unable.”

“You are blaming yourself for too much.” She reached for the hand she had just healed and held it in hers.

“Am I? According to everyone I’m the most skillful swordsman, deadliest man on the star. My skills are nothing if I cannot use them in protection of my king.” He said all that with his eyes fix fixed somewhere in the distance but not at her.

“Look at me.” She lifted his chin and forced him to look her in the eyes. “Your duty is not just to your king. That’s part of your duty, as it is part of mine. King or no king you still have duty toward his kingdom and the people who live in it. The prince is not dead. He will be back, if the messenger of the gods says he will be back, it will happen. You can sit here and destroy the whole hotel in anger, or do something useful. Didn’t you tell me something like that few weeks ago?”

They stood like that for a while, his eyes pinned on hers.  

“I’m terrible at following my own advice.” He finally said.

“Then follow mine.” She moved her hand to his chest, placing it just over his heart. “The prince will be back. It’s up to you if he will be back to a graveyard filled with demons, or to something that reminds civilization.”

“Thank you. I needed that.” He kissed her forehead.

“Plus, the list of people to blame for the current situation is very long and you are not even on top of it. I believe even I am head of you.” She smiled, hoping that this stupid joke will change the mood in the room a bit.  

“Let’s not make a competition out of that, I have been around longer than you and I might be able to come up with few more points.” He moved his hands on her waist pulling her closer to him. “Would you stay tonight with me?”

“I…” she started and then closed her mouth. Nervously she bit her lips and realized that answer was taking her longer than it should. “I will stay. I will also help you clean that mess here.”

 “He likes you” Crowe elbowed her and Ada almost spit her beer in the other woman’s face.

“Who?”

“Luche! Come on haven’t you noticed the way he looks at you?” Crowe literary pointed at the four guys playing billiard. “He is imagining you naked every time he turns his head that way.”

“Bull. Shit.” Ada drank from the bottle. In all fairness she didn’t mind seeing him naked. “He might be imagining you naked.”

“He looks at me as ‘one of the guys’, that certainly is not ‘one of the guys’ look.”

Ada attempted to say something but then Nyx came to their table and interrupted her.

“Hey Pelna and Axis are leaving and we need two players, want to join?”

“I don’t know how to play.” Ada said which made Crowe and Nyx stare at her.

“You have never played billiard?” Nyx finally asked looking for conformation if he heard right.

“Well…you know we don’t have that in Galahd….” She stared making an excuse.

“Okay we need to teach you.” Crowe pulled her up grabbing both of their beers.

“Luche, why you never taught her how to play billard?” Nyx shouted at the other man.

The other man just shrugged but threw a one of the billiard sticks at Ada.

“There is first time for everything.” He had already arranged the balls on the pool table in a neat triangle. “I’ll play with her, I’m better than the two of you combined anyway.”

Nyx and Crowe snorted loudly in disagreement at the exact same time. Luche started explaining the rules, but she remembered very little of what he said. Every time her eyes fell on his, she wondered if what Crowe had said was true.

“Okay bend down.” She followed the instruction bending over the table. He came just behind her, helping her place the stick correctly. “Now you need to hit them hard but not too hard.”

Ada followed the instruction but as soon as the she aimed the room went completely dark. That wasn’t right, that wasn’t how things worked out, that…

…dim light came on and she saw Luche standing in front of her, the pool table was gone, gun pointed at Crowe’s head.

“She deserved it.” Those were the exact same words he had told her that night when they fought.

“Don’t do it, she was your friend!” Ada screamed.

Luche just shrugged and pulled the trigger, Crowe’s blood and brains flying all over the place.

  Ada opened her eyes the mental image of gore still appearing in her mind even after she was awake. She could feel Cor’s rhythmic breathing behind her, at least one of them was getting some sleep. Carefully she sneaked out of the bed and gathered her clothing from the floor. She needed some fresh air.