#Prompto and Noctis’s friendship is very important to me!!!!

[ultimablades]

Also can’t stop thinking about how Noctis wrote “I made a friend” at the top of this photo of him and Prompto.

I am thinking about him today

[noxtivagus]

randomly thinking of ffxv n it influenced me sm fr i love the character's names so much

[nothing-but-dreamy]

VALUED

Pairing: Chocobros x Reader

Words: 2.683

Warnings: fluff, friendship

Synopsis: Yn doubts herself and then, it's good to have a bunch of good friends nearby to remind her that she's valued by them.

"Hey, pretty doll. Why are you with these guys? Join me instead. I'm more fun than them.", a guy, dressed in dusty shorts and an old t-shirt, leaning casually against a boarding, called out with a smug smile as yn and her friends passed him.

Usually, she ignored provocations or flirting like this but this time, Yn sized the guy up, looking doubting about his statement, "I would rather love to die on the spot.", she answered, turning around to continue her way to the motel where the group was currently staying to help out with some hunts before they would continue their journey.

"Uhh, harsh words from such a little girl.", the guy said grinning.

Within one second, Yn stopped and jumped at the guy, casted one of her daggers out of nowhere to press it dangerously close against his throat, "Who do you call 'little girl', huh?", she hissed while staring into his shock-filled eyes.

"Yn!", Gladio called out, reaching her with just three strides of his long legs to drag her away from the guy who was white as salt, "What are you doing?"

Yn was trembling in his strong grip to get free, "He called me little girl. So, let me go!", she hissed through gritted teeth, stemming against his hold once again.

"No!", he boomed with his deep voice, "First, you have to calm down.", Gladio demanded. He was struggling with keeping her in place. Not because she would be that strong rather because he didn't mean to hurt her.

"But he's an asshole!", Yn argued angrily, wiggling under Gladio's hands.

"Hey!", the guy called out as he found his voice again.

"Yes, he is but still.", Gladio said, ignoring the guy's complaint.

"Hey, I can hear you!", the guy called out again but he got silenced by Gladio's angry glance shot at him.

"And you should leave or I will release her after all.", Gladio commanded and the guy disappeared.

As he was gone, Gladio released Yn but was also watching out that she stayed where she was, "What the hell was that? You can't attack random people with daggers.", Gladio said admonishingly, crossing his arms over his chest but his expression softened as he saw her sad glance glued to the ground.

Softly, Gladio placed his index finger under her chin, "Yn, that wasn't just because they called you 'little girl', right? You never did something like this before."

But instead of answering, yn just shrugged with her shoulders and looked away again.

"If it was because of that, you know that none of us sees you like this, right? You're an important part of our group.", Gladio said, calming in hope he got through to her.

"But sometimes it doesn't feel like that. None of you really need me. It's not that I would be useful. All of you are much better fighters than I am. With bigger swords or better skills.", Yn said glumly and because Gladio stayed silent, she took it as an agreement, passed him and the others to go back to the motel room.

Disbelieving, Gladio stared after her. Almost shocked, he watched how one of his best friends went away with slumped shoulders, a hanging head and her hands buried deep into the pockets of her jeans.

"What just happened?", Ignis asked confused as he stepped next to Gladio.

"Is something wrong with her?"Prompto asked, concerned as he also watched Yn walking away. Noctis joined as well, frowning about the unusual behavior. They had watched the scene because they were sure Gladio would be able to handle that. Somehow, they were wrong...

"I have no idea...", Gladio said confused, scratching the back of his neck. Since he knew her, Yn was the best female fighter he had met. Yes, she was smaller but extremely fast. Faster than Ignis and Prompto when she was fighting against creatures and enemies. Yes, she used daggers just like Ignis but she wasn't less deadly with them.

There was no reason for her to feel … useless.

Gladio was still staring after Yn even as she was already out of sight as Ignis stepped in front of him, "We should do something to help her.", he said, tapping with his index finger against his lips, trying to find an idea.

"But what could we do?", Prompto asked, "I always thought she knows how important she is to us-"

"It's not about us. You heard her. She is doubting her fighting skills.", Gladio pointed out. Slowly but surely, he understood what might be going on with her. Even as a King's Shield, he had been at the same point. He just had fought through it.

"So, what are you suggesting? Shall we train with her?", Prompto asked naively that this would fix things.

"Actually, I might have an idea.", Noctis said and pulled a piece of paper out of the back pocket of his pants.

***

Yn sat on her bed in the motel room she shared with the boys and let her legs slowly dangling over the edge while she stared out of the window. Behind the glass was nothing to be seen but sand, dust and a bunch of bushes. The blue sky was cloudless. The weather was sunny and cheerful. The complete opposite to her current mood.

Over and over again, her mind played through the attack on that random guy. And each time, she winced at the memory. Never before, she had attacked someone randomly just because of some teasing. And it wasn't just the 'little girl' thing. It had been the glances back in Insomnia as she had trained with different weapons to extend her skills. She heard the whispers behind her back when she walked next to Gladio who was so much taller than herself while they were discussing new move sets. Then, she left with her friends and even then, someone had asked her if this journey would be the right thing for such a small, pretty girl. As if her height and appearance would be everything that mattered.

With a swift move, Yn casted her daggers into her hands. Kukris. She never had seen such beautiful blades like these two with all their ornaments and detailed engravings. She felt honored as King Regis had given them to her. She felt blessed to be able to wield them to defend and to protect the Prince and her other friends. But nevertheless, sometimes, it felt as if it wasn't enough.

Since they had passed the secure wall of their home, Yn was doubting herself. None of the boys gave her the feeling to be useless. She did it on her own. Years of training and dedication to be a good fighter went south as she saw how good the others were on the field. All of them had much more training and even Noctis was able to wield a greatsword - which Yn couldn’t even move one bit.

While she stared at her daggers, tears were building in her eyes and as she blinked, hot teardrops were falling on the daggers. Angry about herself, she casted them away. Now, she didn't even feel worthy to own them...

"Here you are!", Gladio said as he opened the door of the motel room.

Quickly, Yn wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her black sweatshirt before she turned around, facing all four boys standing in front of her. She was sure they would notice that she had cried but they said nothing about it, "What is it?", she asked carefully, not knowing what would come next.

It was Prompto who answered her question as he jumped on the bed to land next to her, flinging his arm around her shoulders, "Noctis got asked for help by Tikka. A delivery of green beans went missing and we shall take a look if we can find it."

Amused, yn looked from Prompto at Noctis, "You wanna rescue green beans? You?"

"Yeah... I know. Come on, we hit the road.", Noctis said and left the room, followed by Ignis.

Prompto jumped from the bed and ran after them, "On the way, we can check if we find anything interesting so I can take a photo."

"If not, you can take selfies ... as usual.", Noctis teased and because they were already out of sight, yn just heard their bickering.

At the door, Gladio waited for yn, "You know, if you wanna talk about something, I'm there for you.", he said softly, checking on her but stayed silent.

Yn smiled up at him, already feeling better again, "Thanks. I will talk to you just … give me some time."

***

"Just green beans, huh? Green beans my ass.", yn stated as she watched Bulettes emerging form the small wood they just had passed. The four tall, very heavy and very angry animals aimed for her and her friends.

Gladio was already casting his great sword, wielding it over his head, "Come on, a little fight will keep us slinky and flexible.", he said and nudged her shoulder with his own before he smirked at her.

With a grin, yn looked up at the tall guy, "Slinky and flexible aren't words I would use to describe you, big guy.", she said teasingly.

"Ouch, no need to be mean.", Gladio called out, playfully hurt before they both aimed for the first animal.

Quickly, the calm and beautiful meadow changed into a raging battlefield. Gladio and Yn ran to the first animal and even before Gladio could make the first hit, he squatted down and offered Yn his hand and arm. Grinning, she stepped on his arm, one foot on his hand, balancing while casting her daggers and tensing up her muscles before Gladio gave her a push to throw her on top of the animal. Yn landed perfect on the back. Quickly, she found her balance again and while Gladio slammed his great sword into the skin of the animal, Yn swirled her Kukris and sank them into the throat and neck of the raging Bulette. The Kukris stuck but instead to pull them out, Yn spun them around until the animal fell to the ground.

Lifeless.

Yn jumped from the carcass with a flip and landed light-footed in front of Gladio who grinned impressed, "One down, three to go. Come on, I guess the others need our help."

"Yn, over here!", Noctis called out and Yn followed him immediately. Noctis was ready for a warp-attack that would give the opportunity of a blitz attack. Noctis warped with his KINGSBLADE against the animal and bounced back next to Yn. They nodded, taking a run-up of a few steps and while Noctis let himself drop on one knee to attack the feet of the Bulette, Yn ran and stepped on Noctis' back to jump against the broad enemy to thrust her daggers between its ribs into the heart. She stayed a few moments longer to make sure the creature was dead. As it fell lifeless to the ground, Yn stemmed her feet against the ribcage and pulled out her daggers.

Yn was just about to catch her breath as Prompto called her over, "Yn, I could need your help."

She turned her head before she spurted over to her friend. Prompto already had drawn his gun, firing at the beast but as Yn stopped next to him, they nodded at each other with a grin, turning over so they were standing back to back before Prompto was aiming for the animal again. Yn did the same with her daggers. From the corner of her eyes, she waited for his sign. As Prompto nodded with a grin, he fired his gun the same moment Yn threw her Kukri. The shot staggered the animal in its way towards them. It became slower while Yn's dagger penetrated the skull of the animal. The Bulette stumbled over its feet, fell to the ground and slid a small way before it stopped in front of their feet.

As yn thought it would be over, Ignis called her over to him, "Come on, I need you for the finisher.", he called out. With a huge grin on her lips, Yn ran towards him. Gladio and Noctis had made the animal already tired. Ignis and Yn bumped their fists against each other, stepped back and ran then to the animal to attack it at the same time with their daggers before they landed side by side on the other side elegantly on their knees. Everything happened so fast, that the Bulette needed a moment to realize that it had no chance anymore and so, it fell lifeless to the ground.

All five friends were breathless but alive, unharmed and happy. With a rapid pulse, Yn turned around to look at the scene of battle while she casted the daggers away.

Ignis inspected the corpses, "We should take something with us before we find a good spot for camping and cooking.", he said and Prompto already joined him to help with the preparations.

***

Two hours later, the tent was built, the food was cooked and eaten and Prompto, Ignis and Noctis stretched themselves, the sign that they were ready for the night. One by one, they called it a night until just Gladio and Yn were left behind, sitting at the crackling campfire in silence observing the calming flames.

Yn watched how small sparks danced endlessly into the dark blue night sky. Stars were scattered over the firmament like millions of diamonds. Her eyes stayed glued to the stars while she smiled softly, "I know what you all did today.", she whispered, breaking the silence.

"What... what do you mean?", Gladio asked, trying to sound convincing but it wasn't working very well, he saw it in her face.

"There never were any green beans, right?", Yn pointed out, still looking to the stars.

Gladio chuckled low, scratching the back of his neck before he looked apologetically at her, "Actually, no... not really."

"I thought that it was a bit odd for Noctis to run around to search for a bunch of vegetables.", Yn said before she looked into Gladio's face, "Thank you.", she whispered sheepishly.

Gladio laid his arm around her shoulders, "You're welcome, sweetheart. You're valued here. Always. We wanted to show you that.", he whispered before he pressed a soft kiss on top of her hair. He pulled her against his side where she snuggled against his chest. It wasn't the first time that they were seeking comfort in each other but this time it felt more important.

Gladio rested his head on top of hers and looked back into the flames, "We have your back, no matter what. You know, I've been there as well. I also had doubts about myself. I guess that's normal. You just have to remember what you're capable of. We trust you all blindly because we know what you are able to do.", Gladio said low.

A single tear was rolling down Yn's cheek by his words and suddenly, everything that had happened looked stupid and odd. Quickly, Yn wiped the tears away, "I feel so stupid.", she whispered.

Gladio straightened himself to look at her, "You don't have to. It's human to doubt oneself from time to time. And the next time, when you feel like this, just come to me. Talk with me. You don't have to go through this alone. Size isn't all that matters.", Gladio said with a smirk.

Yn felt touched by this big, cuddly teddy bear and so, she threw herself against his solid body with her arms flung around his middle. Gladio mimicked her move and embraced her back, "And by the way, you have the perfect size to lean and to snuggle against me like this. That's a good start, don't you think?", he chuckled but Yn couldn't answer.

"Cuddle time!", Prompto called out and within one second, Gladio and Yn were attacked by Prompto, Ignis and Noctis. Buried underneath her friends, Yn felt her confidence coming back.

She felt valued.

[mushroom-daydreamer]

Massive Episode Prompto Analysis Part I/VI!

Final Fantasy XV is actually really good. I really liked the characters, their arcs, the lore, and the themes of friendship, different kinds of love, inheriting the consequences of your parent’s misdeeds, and ALSO acceptance of responsibility. Can you tell I really like this game? 

So I have a LOT of thoughts about Episode Prompto. He’s probably my favorite character in the game, and I think he really was explored as a character in his dlc in a way that I found really satisfying! So here we go. Buckle up, buttercup. 

Prompto Character Analysis

At the beginning of the game, Prompto is quickly established as the “funny” one in the group. He is constantly cracking jokes and breaking any attention that comes up in the group. He grew up as a commoner, and is really new to this whole Royal-Retinue-Bodyguard thing; he is inexperienced in fighting and expresses anxiety in tense situations. I didn’t initially think that I would like his character at all. I immediately pegged him as the annoying comic relief who would get shooed out of the plot as soon as things got serious. 

Boy, was I wrong about that! 

Very soon in the game, Prompto shows more depth than just being a flat comic relief character. When things get serious early on in the game, he is somber and actually acts very maturely, while still acting as the “heart” of the group. 

It becomes very apparent that interpersonal relationships are extremely important to Prompto. He’s insecure and likes frequent validation that yes, his friends like him. 

Prompto also isn’t actually as extraverted as he initially seems, and that’s something that I really like about how his character is portrayed. Just because a character is talkative around their friends doesn’t mean that they’re an extravert. In fact, I interpret Prompto’s personality as being very shy and introverted. Some introverts can be boisterous and chatty while with their small group of close friends, while also being painfully shy in other social situations. Take his crush on Cindy, for example. People often say, “she doesn’t even give him the time of day!” to which I raise, until the Hallowed Hill of Hammerhead tour, he hasn’t exchanged words with her onscreen. When he does have the chance to talk to her in the tour, he is shy and stammers his way through a conversation. Another example where it’s a little more obvious, is if you stay at the hotel in Old Lestallum, or at least I think it’s Old Lestallum. Prompto is having a chat with Noctis about how he feels inferior to the others in the group. He says he’s not good at cooking like Ignis, and also that he’s not good with people, like Gladio. Though Prompto has the potential to be friendly and outgoing when he’s in a good mood, there are times when he is very withdrawn and even morose. 

Sometimes as you’re wandering the map at sunset, he’ll sadly say “Something sad about sunsets” and it kind of baffles the others to hear him say something so melancholy. Which brings me to the next point. 

Prompto seems to be struggling with some degree of anxiety and depression. People who struggle with these mental health problems often have a bright, cheery side that looks out for their loved ones far more than they look out for or take care of themselves. This definitely fits Prompto, who spends all his energy making sure his friends are feeling good and laughing, then the second he’s alone he is quiet, introspective, and beating himself up. 

Most of his issues stem from the stress of hiding his origins and true nature as a clone, but he also just seems more naturally inclined toward anxiety and depressive feelings. This is due to his upbringing, feeling unwanted and neglected by his adopted parents, and also feeling like a social misfit due to his size as a child and his shy, introverted nature. It’s also just a sad fluke of brain chemistry. 

So those are some general thoughts on his personality and role in the group before I get into the really heavy stuff in part two.

[sparklecryptid]

In what Carmen thinks is the most awkward reunion ever - Noctis, Luna, and the others all but herd Carmen into the Citadel while barking orders to soldiers and medics and when Carmen takes a step forward to integrate himself with the professional medical staff Luna places a dainty hand on Carmen's shoulder to stop him.

"Exactly how many people have you healed this month?" Luna asks in a way that tells Carmen she knows that Carmen is either near or over his limit.

When Carmen shoots Luna a look she smiles in a way that would be pleasant to anyone else. To Carmen it just looks threatening. He feels like he's seventeen again and being scolded by Ignis for drinking eight energy drinks in a row.

Not that Ignis knew the reason Carmen did so was because Luche had come back so badly wounded Carmen had to use more magic than he had ever used up till that point to stitch his brother together and make sure Luche didn't die. The only reason Carmen had went to school after is because Carmen had a scholarship to maintain.

Hence the energy drinks. Hence Prompto and Noctis ratting him out to Ignis.

Carmen wonders if Luna and Ignis have been sharing tips on how to make people feel guilty. It wouldn't surprise him.

"I have a few left in me," Carmen says, lying like a liar who lies.

Predictably Luna does not believe him.

Quest Updated! System chirps as Luna's sharp nails dig into Carmen's jacket, To gain final <Main Quest Rewards> follow the Oracle and King into the Citadel!

Fuck off, Carmen thinks and allows himself to be dragged away from the scene by an irate Oracle.

-

They find themselves in a very fancy room in the Citadel. Then again all rooms in the Citadel are fancy and all rooms in the Citadel make Carmen uncomfortable. The sheer opulence of the rooms has always had Carmen thinking of his and Luche's dinky apartment in Little Galahd.

The room they are in is the size of that apartment. Carmen keeps his face expressionless as he spies a fire place that would cover the cost of a house. He catalogues each item in the room in order to avoid looking at his former friends.

As if that alone will make this less awkward than it already is. Noctis is a King of one country and Luna is the Queen of another. Ignis and Gladio and Prompto and Ravus hold important positions in their government. Surely they don't have time for whatever this is?

Apparently they do have time, because Prompto and Ravus walk into the room just as Carmen finishes calculating how much everything in this room must cost - too much really - and Carmen does not attempt to sink into the couch he is crowded on by Ignis and Luna because Carmen is a grown ass adult.

And then Prompto sees him and Carmen watches as Prompto's face becomes a careful mask and oh.

Right.

Carmen left them. He left them without so much as a goodbye. He had left Luche to deliver his letters - a cowards way out - and had said that they would probably meet again. Carmen deserves the coldness in which they treat him with now but-

Something aches in his chest. He can't deny that it doesn't hurt. Their friendship had already been falling apart before Carmen left to join Ravus and Luna on a suicidal attempt to cure Ardyn of the Scourge. It wasn't only Carmen's fault things ended up the way they did.

Privately Carmen knows the four must have known each other in their previous life - he has seen the lightning scars on each of their bodies. He knows what they mean - but if they needed time or space or no longer wanted his friendship they didn't have to shut him out the way they did.

Still, Carmen was the one who eventually left. He's the one who changed his number and ignored his social media. Carmen can't say he's not at fault for the way things turned out either.

Carmen lets out a breath and turns to meet Luna's gaze.

"Is there a reason I'm here?"

Ravus scoffs, marches over to where Carmen is sitting and whacks him over the head with his metal arm.

"Ow!"

"You deserve it." Luna crosses her arms and stares at Carmen who pretends to not notice the way her eyes suddenly glisten. "We watched you die."

Carmen winces. He sees how the others in the room stiffen at Luna's words and wonders if they had known of Luna's connection to him.

Probably not. Luna isn't the type to gossip.

"I said I'd come back." Carmen's defence is weak even to his ears. He spares a glance at Ravus and immediately debates if jumping out a window is still an option.

Ravus is furious. His eyes narrowed and mouth shut tight as if to stop himself from saying anything rash.

"And yet you didn't make yourself known when you did come back," Ravus says hotly, "Did you intend to make us believe you weren't ever going to come back?"

"Neither of you needed me," Carmen shoots back, "I came back to find Luna a Queen and you her right hand. Why would I interfere with your lives when neither of you needed me anymore?"

Ravus looks like he's about to punch Carmen in the face. Carmen doesn't care.

"Is that why you didn't come back?" Noctis is the one who speaks this time and Carmen feels his heart lurch in his chest, "Because you didn't think anyone needed you?"

Carmen waves his hand dismissively.

"You lot obviously didn't." I died for you, he wants to say, I died because I couldn't bear the thought of you with a sword in your chest. I died in your place because I am selfish. I died because I wanted you to live. "And Luche knew where I was and what I was doing. There was no reason for me to come back."

Preview of a thing I might write or might not write lemme know what you think

Carmen groans as a familiar ding sounds from a System he hoped he’d never have to hear from again.

“Fuck off,” he mutters and buries his face into his pillow, “You said we were finished.”

New Quest! The System chirps, oblivious to Carmen’s desire to throttle it. Head to Insomnia to collect your final <Main Quest Reward>.

That gets Carmen’s attention. He lifts his head up from the array of pillows he has scattered around his bed and blinks blearily at the hovering message box in front of him.

“I thought we were done with the Main Quest rewards?” Carmen asks and presses accept on the quest box, “What’s this new one about?”

Because User 000 had completed <Optional Requirements> before this System was activated there was a delay in processing those rewards! Please head to Insomnia as soon as possible to enjoy the fruits of your labour!

“Yeah, yeah,” Carmen waves the System off and rolls off his bed and onto his feet, “You’re lucky I’m close enough to Insomnia I can make it there tomorrow.”

This System is very lucky to have an accommodating user such as yourself!

“Save the flattery,” Carmen says, and digs through his duffel bag for a change of clothes, “Do I at least get to know what the rewards are?”

This System cannot divulge the rewards until you are at the site to acquire them.

“Of course you can’t.”

-

New Quest! The System chimes, Heal the injured! Progress: 5/15.

A bit late, Carmen thinks bitterly as he diverts his attention into healing those wounded by the blast. It’s an automatic reaction at this point - moving to aid the injured and ignoring their weak gasps as the light from his hand and heals their wounds. It’s instinctual for him to help. Carmen knows he isn’t the type to leave someone to suffer.

Even without the stupid quest.

He doesn’t realize that he’s moved through the crowd of people - or that a bigger crowd is growing to watch him - as he heals those that need it. Carmen doesn’t focus on anything other than the task at hand until his System chimes at a quest complete and Carmen hears the crunch of gravel beside him.

“Huh,” a familiar rumble of a voice says, “That’s not something you see every day.”

Carmen jolts as if struck by lightning and Gladio holds his hands up to show he means no threat.

“Easy there,” Gladio says and Carmen is glad there’s no recognition in his eyes. Perhaps he can play the scared healer act up a a bit, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Carmen huffs and pushes himself to his feet while offering a hand to the man that broke his leg after debris fell on him. Others had moved the debris - Carmen had saved the man’s leg.

The shaking man accepts his hand and Carmen pulls the man to his feet.

“Thank you,” the man sobs as Carmen steps back to let the man’s family surround their loved one, “Thank you.”

Carmen smiles. Uneasy with the attention.

“There’s no need to thank me,” he says, “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

More footsteps. More of the grating sound of gravel underfoot. Carmen sighs and gets ready to greet whoever is next.

“Carmen?” A feminine voice says. It shakes on first syllable of his name. Luna. Carmen knows Luna. Carmen had left Luna behind after they cured Ardyn and got rid of the Starscourge. She and Ravus had been the best supports he could have asked for after leaving Insomnia.

Gladio stiffens beside him. Carmen grimaces as he feels eyes on him.

He eventually sighs and turns to greet someone he would have once called his sister.

“Hey Luna,” Carmen says with a strained smile as he ignores Noctis and his Ignis beside her and the way they stare, “Long time no see.”

[bramblepeltao3]

Oh hey part 2 of ? of this AU of an AU of an AU because I’m an adult and there is no one to stop me.

---

“The chronic fatigue isn’t going anywhere any time soon, but that’s okay. There are plenty of accommodations that can be made for him. I’m putting in a requisition to make the palace grounds wheelchair accessible, and if it doesn’t go through immediately I’ll just be an annoying bitch until it does. They’re getting rather sick of me up there.” Del tapped her pen on the desk, swiping on the tablet through her most recent notes. She didn’t need them, but they made her look more important and organized. “Otherwise, his physique is finally catching up to that of an average, healthy teenage boy. Though I’d appreciate it if you’d lighten up a bit on the strength training, it’s taking energy from his academics.”

Aranea stared at her from the other side of the desk, looking far off into space.

“Aaaand, you didn’t hear any of that, did you?” Del huffed.

“I did. I was just thinking….sorry about how I’ve been acting.” She crossed her arms, looking Del in the eye. “I didn’t trust you, kinda still don’t, but it’s nice to see Prompto happy again. He’s always been like a little brother to me, so, guess I got a little overprotective.”

Del felt a stab in her chest, and forced a quick smile to hide it. “I mean, isn’t ‘overprotective’ in your job description?”

“True.” Aranea relaxed into her seat. “I still don’t get your motives, but you seem like your concern is genuine. So, at least we both have that.”

“My motivations are to treat my patient until he doesn’t need me anymore.” And who knows where she’d go after that? Maybe a long vacation feet first into a volcano. “Call me idealistic, but I’m a doctor. I want to cure the sick and heal the wounded. It’s not much more complicated than that.” It was way, way more complicated than that.

And the shield could tell.

She stood up, leaned over the desk until her face was inches away from Del’s.

“Trust me, Doc, I wanna believe you.” Aranea smirked, noticing the deep red rushing over Del’s cheeks. “But I’ve been around the block here too many times. And this time, I’m not letting anyone get the jump on me.” She stood back up with a knowing glare before turning and leaving.

“Wait-” Del shot up, knocking her own chair back. 

“Oh, and the strength training was Shortcake’s idea. He insisted, actually. You want him to study ancient Altissian history instead, take it up with him and his tutor.” And she was gone, the door closing right behind her.

Del leaned a little more heavily against her desk. Maybe...maybe Aranea should know. Maybe she could help, really it couldn’t hurt could it? 

But what if she told Prompto, or what if it changed how she looked at him? What if Verstael found out? She remembered the first and only time she crossed her father so blatantly. 

No. No one needed to know. She’d just take the suspicion and blame in stride and continue her work. She already had one confidant, stressful as he was, and that would just have to be enough.

---

“A treaty?” Cor asked, looking at the young and panicked delegate’s assistant. “You can’t be serious.”

He nodded. “Marshal, Sir, the ambassador was very direct. Niflheim wishes to broker peace with Lucis.”

Bullshit.

“He wasn’t clear on the terms yet, he only said he wished for His Majesty to speak to their Emperor. And they’d like to send their prince to Insomnia as part of a goodwill tour.”

Cor felt his stomach drop. “They want to send their sixteen year old recluse over here?”

“Sir.” Monica spoke up. “I was listening on the call. It would seem they want to forge diplomatic relations between our future monarchs. I couldn’t say if it’s genuine but…”

It made sense. Noctis and Prompto were both sixteen, both royalty, and both set to inherit a generations’ old war. It was in both country's interests for the two to meet and start some sort of friendship now, if they were ever going to see peace within the next century. But inviting Imperials right into their own homes, just waltzing right through the wall like it wasn’t made specifically to keep them out. 

The risk and reward were both intense.

“Then I suppose we’ll have to inform His Majesty of this development.”

The prince of Niflheim walking through the doors of the city; Mors was surely rolling in his grave at the thought. But then, the latest intel on the boy stated he was still having health troubles despite obvious improvements. So it stood to reason that any delegation that came with the prince would have to include…

“And discuss negotiation tactics.”

---

“No way. No fucking way.” Del yelled before colliding her fist into the punching bag. She didn’t often engage in physical training, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She needed to be at her best both mentally and physically if she was going to see her work through. She couldn’t keep relying on the chancellor to protect her forever.

“You’re not being asked, you’re being ordered.” The man who couldn’t be more than an intern on the chain of importance said, unflinching as she continued to pummel the bag swinging from the ceiling.

“He’s not fit to travel that far. I’m not signing off on those orders, it would be a breach of ethics. And you can take that back to your Emperor. I don’t give a shit.” 

“Refusing to sign will be noted as an admission of failure in your duty to tend to the prince’s health.” He stated flatly.

She gave one last hard punch before turning to face the man.

“Excuse me?” Del seethed. “Letting him travel for days on end on a train, a boat, over a desert and into a city full of people who want him dead would be a failure of my duty.” 

“I don’t pretend to know what it is you do, Doctor, I am merely stating a fact. So once again, please sign this release form.” The man was unnervingly lacking in emotion.

“You can shove that form right up yo-”

“How dare you speak to a lady of the nobility with such impunity!” A voice from behind cut her off. A voice she knew. 

Oh Gods. Not this guy.

“Do you have even the slightest idea in your thick skull who this woman is? Because if you did, you would surely show more respect.” The kid, dressed in his dorky high school gym clothes with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, intruded into the adult conversation.

“I am speaking to the prince’s personal physician, Doctor Besithia, and she is refusing to comply with the Emperor’s orders.” The man replied as if this was a completely normal thing to happen. 

“Loqi, I swear to the fucking Gods, what are you doing?” Del rubbed her hands between her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she’d run into this guy again but she really hoped it wouldn’t be this soon.

“There is no need for the doctor to sign a release, she’s going with the prince to Insomnia.”

“Ha! Okay, wow, this is certainly not the correct venue for either of you to be making these decisions for me.” She said, standing there in her gym shorts and sports bra, sweaty and red. 

“His Imperial Highness put me in charge of the delegation, I’ve already made arrangements for you to be part of it.” Loqi said with unearned confidence. “You have nothing to fear from the Lucians, my lady, Highwind and I will be there to protect you.”

“I’ll have to draft a new form then.” The man muttered before leaving.

“Yeah, whatever, okay, what delegation? What the fuck is even going on and why out of everyone possible were you put in charge of it?” What she really wanted to scream was why was this guy put in charge of anything involving her?

“The Emperor wishes to broker a peace treaty with the Lucians, and plans to send his highness prince Prompto to act as ambassador.” Loqi said, making a show of averting his eyes from her.

“Oh, okay. So the prince who has no experience with foreign relations or, well, being around more than three people at a time is going to go into the heart of the country we’ve been at war with for decades, and you’re in charge of the whole thing?” Del asked.

“That is correct, my lady.”

Del sighed. “So it’s a death trap.”

“My lady I can assure you no Lucian will even so much as touch you during this tour. Not even their Immortal. And I welcome him to try.”

“Oh Gods you’re still on about that, fucking shit, dude.”

Ten years ago Delphia made the biggest mistake of her life. She’d been sent away to a strict private academy after her father discovered the second biggest mistake of her life. And there, she met Loqi Tummelt. A boy one year below her who was creepily obsessed with Cor Leonis. And one day, in an attempt to make him shut the fuck up for just one gods damned minute, she’d made the mistake of telling the kid she’d met The Immortal.

“Yeah, he’s an idiot and not that impressive like at all, so can you please cool it with this weird obsession?” She remembered telling him.

She’d been extra mean on purpose, as she did with everyone she met during that time, to make sure he’d never want to speak to her ever again.

But this kid, this freaking kid, all he heard was ‘I’ve met your weird rival hero’. And that was it. He refused to leave her alone since.

Medical school was nice specifically because he wasn’t there.

But now he was here.

Great.

He made a show of looking around, seemingly to make sure they were alone.

“I know your secret, my lady, and though I cannot begin to understand I will protect it with my life.”

Her what?

“I didn’t mean to overhear, but whatever reason you must hide the truth of your birth, it doesn’t change who you are.”

Her WHAT?

“I’ll show you, Princess Delphia.” He whispered. “Soon, I’ll prove to you and everyone else once and for all my true strength. And then, I’ll finally be worthy of taking your hand.”

HER

WHAT

Del instinctively pulled both hands up to the sides of her face. “Okay, first off all it's Doctor. I am Doctor Besithia to you. I did not bust my ass in school to not be called Doctor. And whatever it is you think you overheard, you didn’t. I’m not a-”

...Loqi was the one who eavesdropped on them all those months ago. He heard her call Prompto her brother. And that was his takeaway. 

Fuck.

FUCK!

“You little shit, you were eavesdropping on me.” 

“Your secret is safe, I swear it. Now. Please be packed and prepared to depart for Lucis by this coming Sunday. The journey will be long, and we’ll require your expertise to ensure the prince’s safety.” He bowed. 

And he left.

And after a moment, finally alone in the quiet walls of the gym, Delphia screamed.

---

Prompto could scream. A whole week spent preparing himself mentally for this trip wasn’t enough. He just could not account for the absolute rush of emotion he would feel stepping onto a train for the first time.

It hadn’t even begun to move yet. 

But it’s what the train represented that mattered. His second chance. His more certain future. His tiny little taste of freedom. It was all here, packed and loaded on to this train. This was something he knew he could never, ever forget.

But just to be on the safe side…

“Hey Nea, say cheese!” He chirped before taking a perfectly terribly timed selfie.

Aranea blinked before frowning at him. “Alright, whose bright idea was it to give Shortcake a camera?”

“Uncle Ardyn!” Prompto said, full of joy. He rarely got to see the chancellor but when he did the man was always bringing him the best gifts.

Doctor Del looked at him with surprise from across the train car.

“Ooh, Del, gotta get one with you too!” He slid over next to her, lifting his camera. “Smile!” Prompto said before clicking the shutter.

“You’re in high spirits today.” Aranea looked at him with a smile.

He shot back up, standing between the two of them. “Yeah, I’m just...I’m really optimistic. I know this trip is gonna be great.” The destination, well...that was left to be seen. He felt a rush of embarrassment wash over him, like everyone in the train car was staring at him. Probably because they were. 

“I’m glad you’re well enough to enjoy this, Prompto.” Del said, also smiling.

Okay, now he was super embarrassed.”Couldn’t of done it without you girls!” He said, pointing at his doctor and his shield.

...the much older than him doctor and shield who were full grown women he just called girls.

“I-I mean…”

“Sit down, Shortcake, you look like you’re gonna pass out.”

He did so, and took some time to look out the window as the sound of steam releasing hissed and the train began to move with a jolt. The scenery began to move past him, faster and faster, until he thought they couldn’t possibly go any faster.

And then somehow they did.

It wasn’t long before the motion began to sit wrong in his stomach, and he thought perhaps he should spend some time going through the enormous notebook of intel that was handed to him just this morning.

He opened it and looked at the first page. A dossier on Lucis’ prince. Noctis Lucis Caelum. He was only a couple of months older than Prompto, which was a relief. If he was way older or younger this would’ve been a weird visit. He turned the page and suddenly, he was face to face with him. A photograph of prince Noctis: dark hair, mysterious eyes, an obvious build of muscle and good health.

Prompto felt himself begin to sweat even on this air conditioned train. Who was he fooling? While he’d spent the last eight years bed ridden and alone, this prince was surely doing what princes are supposed to do. Training, studying, a perfect skincare routine, maybe he was even good at art and dancing! Noctis just looked like the perfect model of nobility.

And here was Prompto. Pale skin, droopy hair, red dots all over his face, weak, talentless, and far behind in anything academic a prince should be skilled in by sixteen. He frowned at his reflection in the window. This was a mistake. Surely, it had to be. He couldn’t even compare to Noctis. The Insomnian court would take one look at him, laugh, and send the delegation back. Then they’d just wait for him to take the throne one day so they could easily overthrow him.

That’s exactly what was going to happen.

His downward thought spiral was interrupted by the sound of the train car door slamming open. The leader of this mission, General Loqi Tummelt, stepped in. He was still dressed in his military finery even though they weren’t due in Lucis for a long while yet. He seemed like that kinda guy though, the sort who took a lot of pride in his heritage and rank. No wonder his father trusted him with such a precarious mission!

“Your Imperial highness, ladies, or journey has-”

“Doctor.”

Prompto looked over at Del, who had interrupted the man with little regard for his status.

“We’ve been over this. Address me as doctor before my gender, please and thank you.” She frowned.

“Yeah, actually. You’ll address me as Commodore, Tummelt. Unlike Lemon Tart over there, I’m not even a noblewoman. So get your shit together before you open your mouth again.”

Prompto felt like he might just shrink from the awkwardness taking place around him.

“Just Prompto is fine!” He blurted out before realizing how stupid that was.

Loqi took a long breath before continuing. “Doctor. Commodore. Just Prompto. Our journey has begun. In due time we will be upon our enemy’s doorstep. And then a true battle of wits will begin. Be sure you’re prepared for anything.”

“Oh, is that all?” Aranea asked.

“Wow dude, very helpful.” Del sneered.

“Like we didn’t already know that.”

“Fucking useless, this guy.”

“I cannot believe you addressed the prince like that.”

“Get it together, Loqi.”

“Yeah get your shit together Loqi.”

The two women shot insult after insult at the general with no regard whatsoever for his rank of station. It was...terrifying.

Loqi cleared his throat. “I’ll be in the first cabin should you require my assistance.” He said before leaving back from where he came from.

A tense silence settled in the air that threatened to choke him out. Prompto felt that familiar tingle of anxiety creeping up his spine, about to reach out and burst through in tears until he heard Aranea begin to laugh.

And then Del started laughing.

And then both of them were laughing harder.

“Can you believe that guy?” Del asked, rubbing at her eye.

“Gods, he is such a pain in the ass.” Aranea smirked.

“You’re telling me, I went to high school with him. Cannot believe he somehow made it this far.”

“Oh you’ve never heard of failing up? Pretty common around here.”

These women were brutal. They were mean, and sharp, and cut right through whoever was in their path without remorse. 

“Hey, Prom, you doing alright?” Aranea asked. “You’re looking a little pale there.”

“Oh!” Del jumped from her seat and sat next to him, putting a hand on his forehead. “Are you nauseous? Motion sickness is common on trains. I packed some dramamine in my bag, let me just-”

These women took no one’s shit and demanded respect where it was due. They were ruthless.

And they were both like older sisters fussing over him with care and…

Huh.

“I’m okay, really.” Prompto said. And he was.

---

Cor steeled his nerves one last time. The delegation was on their doorstep. They were either about to usher in a new era of peace, or make the biggest mistake in Lucis’ entire history.

But also the little kid who was really mean and shitty was all grown up and part of it. 

Cor had to figure she wasn’t that much different from her younger self. From what little intel they could scrape, she’d pissed off her father at one point. In retaliation she’d been banished away to private school in Gralea, got her act together, and got into medical school easily as a legacy applicant (Though her grades were part of the intel. She didn’t need that family name to get into whatever school she wanted.)

The most surprising thing in that whole file, however, was that she’d applied to the Insomnian Medical Institute. There were only so many foreign students accepted every year, and she was most likely disqualified because of her name. The irony was immense.

“Everything’s in order here. Status, Drautos?” Cor asked through the mic on his ear piece. The glaive had their orders, the crownsguard theres. The need for hospitality was great, and security even greater.

Everyone was playing their part. And that included Insomnia’s own civilians. It appeared the population was split in half in their opinions: one side embracing the idea of peace, one calling it a hoax and threatening violence upon the visitors.

Regis had made it quite clear they intended to greet the prince of Niflheim as a guest. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Free and clear, standing by.” Cor’s colleague reported into his ear. 

He crossed his arms behind his back, standing by his king’s side. On the other, the prince was reluctantly in his own royal regalia which did not quite fit him as well as his father had hoped.

Scientia had done his best.

Their intel on the prince was lacking, of course. Hard to get much information on someone who rarely left his heavily guarded room. But Cor knew enough. He knew where that kid came from. And he knew the woman who had been photographed again and again at his side.There was hope. Just a little.

There was always the chance Prompto was nothing more than a puppet, an unwilling actor in a show meant to destroy everything Cor held dear.

So vigilant he stayed, with a small layer of hope on top.

He hoped that little kid was still the rebellious little shithead who denounced everything her parents stood for and was ready to burn everything down.

That would work out quite well.

[bgn846]

One Giant Warp - FFXV Promtis

         Summary:            

Noct wants to show Prompto how he warps, how hard could it be? Very hard, like the wall he just threw himself into attempting to demonstrate.  However, the one nice side effect of his miscalculation is Prompto fawning over him.  Maybe he should throw himself into walls more often. a.k.a. Noct likes Prompto and doesn't know how to tell him.

--

It turns out the old adage of keeping your eye on the ball wasn’t just meant for sports. The same reasoning applied to warping. This fact made itself known when Noct decided to risk a quick glance over at Prompto. The prince had wanted to ensure his friend could see the feat he was about to perform.  Sure, his best friend was paying attention, and subsequently got to watch as Noct slammed himself into the wall of the training room.  One small note of comfort being, no one else had been there.  

The feeling of pain was first and foremost in his brain as he writhed on the floor.  Thank the six, the walls were covered in mats. Though he was pretty sure they weren’t meant for warping into. Noct was dimly aware of the floor vibrating as Prompto ran over.  His frantic shouts also helped clue Noct into his approach.

“Noct! Buddy! Oh em gee please tell me you’re alright?!” Prompto yelped in a panic.

Only able to manage some sort of guttural sound in acknowledgment, Noct reached out his hand to grab Prompto’s arm. Squeezing firmly he held on in hopes the gesture would calm his friend. Typical to Prompto, it didn’t work.

“Dude, shit, are you dying or something? Why are you holding me like that? Say something I don’t know what t--.”

“M’fine!” Noct blurted. “Hurts, give me a minute.”

“Did you break anything? If you did then you shouldn’t move. How’s your neck feel? What about your back?” Prompto rapidly fired as his blue eyes darted to and fro. “When you said you wanted to show me how you warped, I didn’t think you’d do it so forcefully!” he finished with a wince.

The shock of literally throwing his body at an immovable object was wearing off, and Noct attempted to roll on his side, albeit slowly. Thankfully, nothing twinged and the only part of his body that was starting to throb was his head. A headache he could handle.  Having to explain why a potion was missing later due to a broken bone wasn’t something he’d been looking forward to.

He knew he’d never be able to say the real reason why due to certain people like Ignis being able to see through him in a heartbeat. That was the only issue with practically growing up with someone, they knew all your tells.  Fibbing to Prompto, on the other hand, was easy.  Not that admitting he’d merely been trying to show off for his secret crush would work well either.

Noct simply had to survive this moment and move on, or rather move up. The floor was very comfortable right now, and the idea of even attempting to walk wasn’t sounding promising.  Fighting gravity combined with relearning how to balance was the least of his worries. He already knew he’d need Prompto’s help getting back home. The prospect of having to hang onto the blond was proving to be a worrying thought.

He didn’t mind being close to Prompto, quite the opposite, he wanted nothing more than to stay close. Having a crush on your best friend was fun and torturous all at the same time. Resigned to keeping his fantasies in dreamland Noct focused on trying to sit up.  No need in delaying this process any longer.  He needed to rest and forget this ever happened.  However, when Noct did sit up the room spun.  Guess he’d hit his head harder than he thought. Muttering a curse under his breath Noct clamped his eyes shut and reached out for the nearest thing to steady his movements. Prompto’s warm and slightly clammy hand enveloped his a second later.  Right, he forgot, Prompto was the nearest thing.

Laughing nervously to detract from his now equally sweaty hands, Noct began rambling. “I’m fine, really, it’s all good,” he lied opening his eyes once more.  Big mistake. Prompto’s blue eyes were right there, brilliant and bright, staring straight at him.

“You don’t look so fine, buddy. You sorta look ill.”

“You try throwing yourself at a wall and see how you fair.”

“Not funny, you didn’t see it from my perspective, or hear the noise either.”

“What noise?” Noct asked bewildered. “Did I yell?”

Prompto huffed out a breath and rolled his eyes. “No, dude, the noise I’m talking about is when your body hit the wall. It sounded like a sack of potatoes dropping.”

“Oh, yeah it wasn’t supposed to go like that.”

“We should get you to the clinic or something, just in case.”

“Huh? Clinic? Six, no, I’m not going to the doctor.  I’m fine,” Noct defended while attempting to stand and promptly grabbing his friend for support.  Stupid head, spinning around and making the simple act of standing an issue.

“Whoa, I gotcha,” Prompto supplied as he slung Noct’s arm over his shoulder.  “I know I just started crownsguard training but I’ve already learned about first aid,” he beamed proudly.   “Which means we need to go to the clinic.”

“Seriously Prompto, I’m good, I’m not gonna go,” Noct tried again as they hobbled along to the door.

“I’m not going to be responsible for killing the crown prince of Lucis because I let him bully me.”

Noct scoffed, “I’m not dying, my head hurts I need to sleep it off.” This statement got Prompto even more animated.

“Your head hurts? Shit, dude, that’s worse. You shouldn’t go to sleep.”

Noct was about to tell Prompto that he was perfectly capable of reading his own injuries when an idea struck. If he needed to stay awake then this was a perfect excuse for them to spend the rest of the afternoon and night together. Prompto slept over all the time but always used the guest room if he hadn’t already fallen asleep on the couch.  This time Noct had a valid reason for him to share his bed.

Impressed by his own cleverness Noct voiced his brilliant idea without pause. “Why don’t you keep an eye on me then, make sure I don’t pass out or something worse.”

“I’m already doing that dummy, and I’m going the extra mile by taking you to the doctor.”

Thinking fast Noct remembered that Cor might still be around. “What if Cor clears me? Would you accept that instead of the doctor? He’s got a medic certification too, remember?”

Prompto pouted but eventually nodded. “I trust his judgment, but I still think you’re being a baby.”

Noct waved Prompto off with his free hand motioned for them to go in the direction of Cor’s office. Needless to say, Cor was not amused by his appearance five minutes later.  The man took one look at the pair of them and scowled. “Noctis, why do you have a rather painful looking bump developing on your forehead?”

“I hit the wall with my head, but that’s not what’s important right now. Can you make sure I’m not going to die so Prompto won’t make me go to the clinic?”

Taking a deep breath Cor stood from his desk and sauntered over. “I warned you not to take your eye off the ball.”

This time Noct scowled and gave Cor a look that he hoped would stop the older man from pressing further. “You can’t even warp,” he grumbled.

Cor hummed in agreement, “I still saw your father do plenty of stupid shit, so I know the principle behind the magic.”

“Yeah, yeah, am I okay? You’ve seen real dead people before so you’ll know what to look for.”

“Noct, shut up,” Prompto whispered. “He’s the immortal for six sake.”

“Yes, I know,” Noct hissed. “That’s why we are here.”

Cor took all their comments in stride and if Noct was being honest he would swear Cor had a slight smile on his face. After some cursory questions about how he was feeling and Cor examining his head, he was given the clear to go home. A stern warning to call if anything changed was given out as Prompto steered them out of office once more.

The next challenge on the long, terrible journey home was transportation. Noct knew he shouldn’t drive, and he was not going to call Ignis for a lift. If he could keep this little accident a secret it’d be even better. Ignis wasn’t even scheduled to visit later. If Noct played his cards right he’d have Prompto all to himself for the whole night.

Convincing Prompto to drive the car back to his condo was tricky.  Noct laid out how terrible it would be if Ignis showed up, and how degrading it would be if Gladio found out.  They were best friends this was a moment between them, and them alone.  Noct was babbling and he knew it, but it worked.  Prompto finally took the driver’s seat and slowly navigated them to his place. Noting to never ask Prompto to drive again Noct focused on staying upright on the walk to the elevator.  Having someone to lean on was immensely helpful; otherwise, he was sure he’d have fallen over in the parking garage.

Curse living on the ninth floor, the elevator made his head throb painfully and he wasn’t about to take the stairs. Prompto noticed immediately when he sucked in a labored breath once the elevator began moving.

“You’re still feeling awful aren’t you?”

“I’m not in pain if that makes you feel better.  My head still hurts, but not anything unbearable,” he added quickly.  Prompto might take this admission as a sign of weakness and decide to call Ignis or something worse.

“Cor said to make sure you ate and to take it easy, let’s focus on that for now.”

“We can order pizza!” Noct exclaimed making them list sideways. This using his crush as a crutch was great.  Maybe he would stay ‘dizzy’ for a little longer. He was starting to enjoy this moment for all the wrong reasons.  Noct wasn’t even sure if Prompto liked him back that way. Asking that question of his friend though was another matter entirely. Noct didn’t want to risk losing one of the best things that had happened to him.  Prompto’s friendship had been a relief from the mounting daily pressures he faced.

Ignis and Gladio always had his back but this was different, Prompto didn’t come from their world. He wasn’t familiar with all the pomp and circumstance of being a royal. They were friends because they got along and had fun together, nothing more and nothing less. Noct was loath to ruin such a great thing by offering up his true feelings. Something about ‘hey I like, like you’ felt like a good way to seriously rock the boat.  Things were smoothly humming along; there was no need to destroy a perfectly good friendship.    

Lost in his own thoughts about how nice Prompto’s body felt Noct didn’t notice they’d reached his front door. It wasn’t until a hand began patting his pockets did he realize the issue. Prompto wanted his keys to get in.   “Huh, sorry, they are in my other pocket,” he offered sheepishly.

“Well then, we gotta switch sides for me to reach them,” Prompto announced right before ducking out from under his arm and moving. The sound of jingling keys erupted soon after.  

Noct was about to whine at being jostled until Prompto’s body pressed up against him once more. Smiling like an idiot he leaned further into his friend.  Unfortunately, his timing was terrible, and Noct merely made them both fall forward. The newly unlocked door swung open forcefully, and Prompto barely had the strength to keep them both upright.

“Dude, warn me when you’re gonna do that!”

“Sorry, you feel really good,” Noct murmured sleepily.  It wasn’t until a healthy blush developed on Prompto’s cheeks did Noct pick up on what he’d said.  Shit. This was bad. “Ya know like ah, um--,” he trailed off completely at a loss for words.  There wasn’t really a good way to explain away what he’d just said.

“You should sit down, I’ll order food,” Prompto quickly cut in as he looked everywhere but Noct’s face.

The walk to the sofa was deathly quiet as Noct desperately tried to think of something to say. Nothing came to mind. Prompto eased him down gently a minute later and then disappeared like his butt was on fire. Groaning at his own inability to function like a normal human Noct leaned back and stared at the ceiling, resigned to drown in his own insecurities.    

--

Prompto’s hands were shaking by the time he made it into the bathroom.  Noct’s apartment was open in the main living area so he couldn’t seek refuge in the kitchen.  He also knew he couldn’t stay in here forever. He needed to keep an eye on Noct and hiding in here wasn’t the way to do it.  His mind was still reeling from the simple comment his friend had made.

‘You feel really good’ was a benign statement in of itself, but combined with all the soft smiles and other things Prompto had noticed recently, it took on a whole new life. Maybe he hadn’t been imagining all of it before.  Maybe Noct liked him as more than a friend.

Pulling his phone out he called the one person who might be able to give him some advice. Prompto had wanted to let someone else know what had happened, just in case they needed help later, despite Noct’s protests.  He wasn’t about to put his friend in harm’s way.  Suddenly worried he opened the bathroom door and looked down the hallway.  Noct’s fluffy head of hair was still visible over the couch.

He was about to wander closer to really check when Noct’s hand came up and touched his fresh bruise.   Thank the six, he was still okay. Going back to his little haven, Prompto hit the call button and waited.

Gladio picked up on the third ring. “Hey Prompto, what’s up?” he asked jovially. “We didn’t have a training session today, did we? I thought it was on Monday.”

“No, no, you’re good I uh just need to tell you something real quick.”

The shield must have picked up on the stress in his voice due to his next reaction. “What’s wrong? Are you alright? Where’s Noct? Is he hurt? Are you hurt?”

“Whoa big guy, calm down, I’m fine.  Noct’s mostly fine. Cor checked him out if it makes you feel better.”

“What do you mean Cor checked him out?”

Prompto had to cover the speaker on his phone for fear Noct might heard Gladio hysterically laughing. The tale of Noct’s great warp strike to the training room wall was very funny to him. After Gladio had quieted down again he continued. “So yeah, I wanted you and Ignis to know, so you could like be prepared if something else happens. I felt like it was the wise thing to do considering the circumstances, and the fact that he refuses to go to the doctor.”

“Okay blondie, I’ll alert Ignis and make sure he promises to keep his mouth shut.  I appreciate you callin’ You’re a good friend to Noct, he needs more people like you in his life.”

Gladio’s comment made Prompto remember the other reason he’d called.  “Uh, so you were also right about the other thing.”

“Huh, what other thing?”

“The thing you relentlessly tease me about when I miss a move in training. The thing about Noct like, liking me and being to chocobo to admit it.”

“Seriously?! What’d he say?”

“Nothing much but I think hitting his head has made him a little loopy.  He’s super relaxed and saying things and hanging on me.”

“You gonna tell you like him back?” Gladio asked.

“Should I? I don’t want to ruin things.”

“You’re not gonna ruin anything. Noct likes you, just tell him and see how it goes.  I’d suggest you not try to ya know do anything tonight, he’s injured after all but talking about stuff is fine.”

“Oh em gee too much info Gladio, I’m not gonna jump him tonight, he needs to rest.”

Gladio laughed again but there was no malice behind it. “Go back and sit with him. You’re hiding in the bathroom, aren’t you? I can tell by the echo.”

“Yes!” Prompto hissed. “I got nervous, shit, I still need to order pizza.”

“Hey, calm down. Go sit with him and I’ll order for you. I can use his account to pay and then you can focus on making sure he’s alright.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Sure kiddo, you’re my friend too.  Besides, I know what you two like to eat.  Go check on him; make sure he’s not passed out or somethin’.”

“Okay thanks, Gladio.”

“No problem, call me straight away if anything changes. It sounds like he needs to rest and take it easy for the weekend.  I’ll let Ignis know so don’t worry about that either.”

“Alright, I’ll keep you posted. Thanks big guy.”

Pocketing his phone once more Prompto opened the door to check on Noct. His friend was still in the same spot and moving his arms around like he was having a conversation. Expect no one was there.  Wondering if he’d gone temporarily insane Prompto slipped out into the hallway and listened.   Sure enough, Noct was talking, but after a second Prompto figured out he was simply talking to himself.

The dialog was all over the place. Noct was berating himself for being stupid and messing everything up. What in the hell was his friend going on about? Not wanting to see Noct act so self-deprecating Prompto ran back into the room. “Hey you didn’t mess anything up,” he chided while coming to a stop next to the sofa.

“You’re still here?” Noct exclaimed with a pained look. “I thought maybe I’d messed up so bad you’d snuck out.”

“You’re such a dork, I’m not gonna leave. I told you I’d take care of you and I meant it.”

“Oh, you’re not mad at me?”

“Dude, how hard did you hit your head? No, I’m not mad at you.”

‘Sorry,” Noct mumbled as he looked away and stared at the floor.

“Sorry for what? Pizza is on its way and we get to hang out for the rest of the night and watch movies and like uh, you know be idiots together.” Prompto offered with a smile.

“What kind of pizza did you get?” Noct asked with a pout. “I’m hungry.”

Unable to stop the burst of nervous laughter from escaping his mouth, Prompto blurted the first thing that came to mind, “It’s a surprise buddy. You’ll love it don’t worry.”  

“Okay, I trust you.”

“So ah, how’s your head feel now? Is it still pounding?”

“It’s getting better, but I think I’ll be glued to the sofa for the rest of the night.”

Sitting down next to Noct, Prompto gathered his thoughts. He wanted to talk to Noct about how he felt, but he wasn’t sure right now was the best time. Gladio’s words flashed through his mind at that moment. Prompto should try and talk about stuff. He didn’t think he was reading the signs wrong, Noct sure seemed like he was interested in him.

“Um, what did you think you’d messed up?” he asked finally.

“Huh?” Noct whispered as he settled down into the cushions further.

“You were saying something earlier about messing up, what did you mean?” Prompto was sure Noct’s face was turning pink. That had to be a good sign. No one would blush if they didn’t have feelings to admit. Noct looked stricken; he clearly wanted to speak but couldn’t seem to find the energy.  Time dragged on as Noct stalled.  Gladio has been right, Noct was never going to say anything first. Prompto couldn’t believe he was about to do this but his friend needed him, now more than ever.   Taking a deep breath he voiced his own feelings in hopes it would prompt Noct into revealing his own.

“You--you felt good too,” he managed through the lump in his throat. Noct didn’t immediately react. Prompto watched as various emotions played across his friend's face. Noct was confused at first; it was an odd statement to make when they weren’t actually touching. It was understandable that he’d be wondering about the context. Then, in a flash Noct turned his head and looked at him with wide eyes. He’d figured it out, hopefully.

“Say it again,” he demanded, but not in a condescending way.

Licking his lips Prompto gathered what little bravery he had left and repeated his comment, “you felt good too.”

“You mean it?” Noct checked as he leaned forward and gripped Prompto’s arm. “I didn’t destroy our friendship?”

“Is that what you thought would happen?” Prompto exclaimed. “I’m always gonna be your friend. I don’t know what life would be like without you buddy.”

Noct instantly relaxed and flopped back into the sofa, “I was so worried I messed everything up.”

“What? By telling me how you really feel about me?” Prompto asking hoping this might bait Noct into saying more.

“I’ve had a crush on you for soooo long, I just didn’t know how to tell you,” Noct admitted with a relieved look.

“Were you trying to impress me with your warping abilities?” Prompto queried with a smirk.

“Maybe, but don’t tell anyone else that! I don’t wanna get yelled at for abusing my magic just to impress someone I like.”

“You’d already won me over the moment we met.” Smiling at how that made Noct blush even harder Prompto continued on. “I’m flattered that you were willing to risk life and limb to impress me, but next time, tell me how you feel.”

Noct laughed and winced immediately afterward, “Shit, oh man I gotta take it easy tonight.  That sucks.”

“Sounds kinda nice actually.”

“We could be trying out so many different things tonight, but I can’t even stand up without the room spinning.”

The true meaning behind what Noct had said, sunk in a second later. Oh, damn he was referring to those kinds of other things.  One idea did come to mind that they could do. “So, we can always cuddle until you feel better,” Prompto suggested slyly.  “Ya know, and then later we can do some other uh, stuff.”

Prompto didn’t have much warning before Noct slumped to the side and tackled him in a hug. “Thanks, buddy, falling asleep against you sounds really good.”

“Hey, no sleeping yet, you need to eat.” The sound that came as a response didn’t sound like the English language. Had Noct already zonked out? “Dude, no come on wake up!”

“Sleeeeep nowwwwww, pizza laterrrr.” Noct mumbled as he began to rearrange them on the sofa.

Prompto patiently waited until Noct was fully sprawled across his chest before he pulled out his phone again.  He needed to send a text to Gladio but he was waiting for the inevitable. Noct falling asleep.

However, once Noct had stilled he took a breath to speak. “Why is your heart racing?”

That was an easy one to answer. “We just confessed that we like each other more than friends and now you’re lying on top of me.  Why do you think my heart is racing?” He questioned jokingly. “I’m excited and nervous, and happy all at the same time.”

“Sorry, my macho display delayed our fun.”

“Honestly, I’m okay taking things a little slow. I like what we are doing right now and maybe later after dinner, we can uh, you know, try kissing?”

Noct giggled like a freaking two-year-old once he’d finished talking. “We can kiss now if you want.”

“Nope, gonna make you wait since you laughed at me.”

“Hey, I can’t help it, you sounded really cute.”

“I’m not cute bro, I’m manly just like you.”

Noct laughed again even moved his arm to hit him in the shoulder. “Fine, you sounded really handsome and strong. How chivalrous of you to wait on my account, so as not to spoil my virgin body.”

“If you weren’t injured right now I’d have shoved you off on the floor already. You should thank me for being so nice to you.”

Snorting and groaning in pain Noct stilled again. “Stop making me laugh. I gotta take it easy remember?”

“Sure, buddy,” Prompto drawled out. “You’re taking it easy, and picking on me at the same time. I don’t think that should be allowed.”

“Okay, truce, I’ll stop until I feel better.”

“Deal, but I’m gonna fight back once you get better too, don’t forget.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Noct asked indignantly.

“If you pick on me I’ll retaliate.”

“How? You can’t hurt me I’m the crown prince.” He offered haughtily but Prompto could tell Noct was teasing.

“I have my ways. I know someone who’d be more than willing to tell me where you’re ticklish.”

“Iggy wouldn’t betray me like that.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“Shhh, enough talk about that, lets enjoy this moment before the food gets here.”  Noct went so far as to cover Prompto’s mouth with his hand to silence him. One well-placed lick of his tongue had Noct crying out in disgust. “Not fair, no licking.”

“Ever?” Prompto asked coolly.

“Never!” Noct replied but he seemed to realize what that might imply and quickly changed his tune. “Licking s’okay,” he nearly whispered a second later.

“I thought so, but that’s for later remember.”

“M’sleep nowww.” Noct hummed.

Prompto let Noct rest this time.  Once his friend's breath had evened out, he texted Gladio to get an ETA on the food. For once the Friday night rush meant the hour-long time was actually welcomed, considering his current situation.  Gladio had of course asked how it went and Prompto was happy to reply that they’d confessed their feeling to each other.  He was graced with a thumbs-up emoticon and a smiley face.

Putting his phone down Prompto hugged Noct closer and rubbed his back. He was going to make sure they had the best weekend ever! Happy to simply be with Noct and hold him Prompto drifted off until the door buzzed.  The night was just beginning as was their new relationship.  Prompto couldn’t wait to have more adventures with Noct.  So long as he didn’t throw himself into a wall again!

AO3 Link

[absolutelynoct]

Noctis/Prompto- “[NAME]. You’re my number one friend. A friend like you… won’t show up before me ever again. You’re that important, even if you don’t want to be.”

[Thank you for the prompt! It’s such a cute prompt and I hope you like it!!!]

It was another fishing trip, another peaceful day. But Noctis wasn’t alone this time as he sat at the edge of the pier, his legs swinging lazily over the open water. The fishing pole was in his hands, resting between his legs as the lure bobbed in the water. The sun was beating down on him, filtering through the leaves of the forest and creating a shimmer around him. It was a perfect day, and that was because Prompto was with him.

The first time he had taken Prompto on a fishing trip, he knew his best friend was bored. Prompto was lying next to him, just as lazy, as he looked through the many photos he had taken of the forestry and the natural light, exclaiming occasionally about how great a certain picture was or how wonderful the lighting was. Noctis was smiling as he listened to Prompto, his body simultaneously buzzing in delight and relaxed in the moment.

“You know, Prom,” Noctis said, interrupting the stream of consciousness that was running through both of their minds. “You’re my number one friend. A friend like you… won’t show up before me ever again. You’re that important, even if you don’t want to be. I guess you’re just going to have to deal with it.”

Prompto sat up and looked at him, his blue-violet eyes swimming in the sunshine. Noctis wanted to say something entirely different to Prompto, but he would settle for friendship. That was all he could expect from someone like Prompto. It was already greedy of him to demand so much of his attention.

“Just friends?” Prompto asked before blushing brightly. Noctis stared in shock, his heart pulsing rapidly, wondering just what Prompto meant by that. “Ah, never mind. Ever at your side, bud.”

“No,” Noctis insisted. “What did you mean by that Prompto? You can tell me.”

“Well…” Prompto began haltingly. “I just was thinking that… I can’t really lie to you anymore. And I’ve kind of liked you for a while. As more than a friend.”

Noctis stared at him in shock, his heart beating much faster now. Prompto looked away embarrassed, but Noctis quickly discarded his fishing pole on the dock in favor of taking Prompto’s hands in his. Prompto looked at him, eyes wide in surprise, his gaze darting between Noctis’s eyes and lips.

“Prom…” Noctis said softly, disbelieving that Prompto actually liked him too. “I always wanted to tell you that I’ve been in love with you, but I could never find the words. I just thought that friendship was all I could hope for.”

“No way!” Prompto said quickly. “Dude, I’ve loved you since I first met you!”

“All the way since elementary school?” Noctis asked, surprised. Prompto blushed, his freckles dancing on his skin, and nodded. “I guess we have some lost time to make up for then.”

“I guess so,” Prompto said. He was fidgeting, but he wasn’t pulling away from Noctis. “Can I… Can I kiss you?”

“Please,” Noctis replied, coming out more as a beg than he anticipated. He blushed, but it didn’t really matter. It was out there for them both, and now he was going to kiss the one person he had fallen in love with. Nervously, he leaned forward as Prompto did the same. In no time at all, Noctis was coursing with electricity as they kissed, his body thrumming with desire. This was far more than Prompto could ever hope for. 

“How did that feel for you?” Prompto asked him after they had finished their first kiss together.

“Amazing,” Noctis said with a smile. “Like I want to kiss you again.”

“Same,” Prompto replied. “We could… We could just forget the fishing.”

“I like that idea.” Noctis didn’t wait. He kissed Prompto again, pulling him into his arms as a fish nibbled on the line. It didn’t matter to him. Prompto was more important. He would always be more important. And right now, his lips tasted so very good.

[the-art-of-phwoar]

for the fandom asks: 6, 20, and 22!

6: Ahh, OTPs. I’m going to include platonic and familial pairings in yonder shortlist, because I ship those just as much as romantic pairings most of the time so I’d consider them just as “important” to me, so to speak (also, I’d have a lot less to talk about if I skipped ‘em). Hence, in vaguely chronological order:

[Fam.] Seto & Mokuba Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!) - I was practically raised on YGO as a young kid, and the dynamic of mature older sibling/dependent-but-capable younger sibling resonated very strongly with me, so I’ve always been very fond of any time the Kaiba brothers had on-screen together. My own brother’s penchant for Blue Eyes White Dragon and laughing like an anime villain definitely encouraged this, I must admit, but still!

[Plat.] Balthier & Fran (Final Fantasy XII) - the mutual reliance and trust combined with a good-sized dose of mickey-taking is entirely to my tastes, and as such they may or may not now be my yardstick by which I judge the quality of friendship dynamics rather often. They’re also pretty much the first clue I got to realising I was bi, buuut that’s beside the point.

[Rom.] Valvatorez & Fenrich (Disgaea 4) - for all that it should be a really skewed dynamic between these two, the way each character is written means that it’s not, and as a result the way they play off of each other is really great, in my opinion. I can also get behind people shipping them platonically, but NIS America ain’t subtle, and I can smell the subtext on these two from several counties away.

[Fam.] Chell & GLaDOS (Portal 1/2) - I don’t know if this counts as spoilers, but the underlying story between these two, and the way it builds right up until the climax of Portal 2 is just-- it’s perfect, honestly, and I’ve never yearned harder for two characters to hug each other, and that’s saying something. Portal 2 completely broke my heart, and I’m not ashamed to say it.

[Rom.] Alicia & Welkin (Valkyria Chronicles) - these two also have a really good dynamic with each other despite differences in hierarchy, and now I think about it, I think that may be a qualifier for what makes me likely to ship things. Hmmm. Anyway, these guys are cute, and they totally deserved their happy ending, even if especially because they’re both dorks.

[Rom.] Yue Jin & Li Dian (Dynasty Warriors) - by now, you should have seen this coming. I would go into detail, but I’d end up vomiting an essay all over your shoes, so I’ll stop there.

[Plat.] Reid & Jackson & Drake (Ripper Street) - the boys! I could also happily go into great detail about the team dynamic between these three; in short, they bounce off of one another perfectly, and are particularly entertaining as a group because of how well-developed each of them are in their own right. 10/10 writing for the entire show, to be honest.

[Plat.] Noctis & Ignis & Prompto & Gladiolus (Final Fantasy XV) - for the same reasons as above, these lads have some of the best-executed bro-chemistry I’ve had the pleasure to witness, and they almost make up for the botch job that is the game’s plot. Okay, scratch that, they definitely do.

20: One ship I wasn’t expecting to be anywhere near as fond of as I am is Cao Pi & Zhenji, almost entirely because I wasn’t expecting to like Cao Pi. I’d made the mistake of taking a cursory sojourn into Wikipedia, and thusly was fairly misinformed. As I read more about him, though, he grew on me, so I was more forgiving when it came to DW. Eventually I decided I liked the simplified version where he and Zhenji have a happy marriage, and then it all kind of built from there.

22: I kind of regret the way I went about writing something, I suppose. When I was younger, I used to use writing as a coping mechanism without really knowing it (my obliviousness knew no bounds, I must admit). As such, in a particular fic, I ended up dealing with some serious things in a really blasé manner because I wasn’t doing very well, and didn’t know how to handle it. I don’t regret physically writing the thing, because it was actually really helpful for me in hindsight, but putting it online was probably a bad idea.

Thank you very much for the ask! Sorry for rambling.

[crystallinevessel]

hewwo just curious:do you have any fav ships for your muses? luv ur blog

hello, sorry i took so long to answer this! and thank you for liking this mess of a blog!

so, i do have some fave ships for my muses, and some which just does not have any ships set.

Sinbad

i don’t actually have a favorite ship for him, I’m partial to sinbad/serendine, but that one needs to be planned out well considering how messy and complicated it is. but this is one of the few times i’ve seen sinbad have any possible romantic inclinations towards anyone male or female in canon. 

i’m very open for him to be with others, regardless of their gender, the problem is if he can develop romantic feelings, it’s very rare in comparison to physical or intellectual attraction. 

Noctis

oh! i’m a complete sucker for promptis, the strong connection between these two is so important. prompto cares for noctis, not because he’s a royal, but just for himself. in one point of the game, noctis explains to prompto how he wises to bring down the walls and accept everyone into his kingdom to make it better along with prompto. 

luna of course, that’s a given, she’s a very strong individual, and between the two she probably has the strongest will. although the oracle, i feel like she was more king than noctis was at times, and noctis more than likely would not feel ashamed about that. instead, he’d feel proud, he cares deeply for her.

ignis, oh sweet ignis, if anyone else besides prompto who has seen noctis at his worst and at his best-- it’s this man. i am w e a k for this ship, of course, when i say ship i mean platonic or romantic, and that goes for ALL of my ships. i like their dynamic, how ignis keeps noctis centered, and how noctis can pull him into doing silly or fun things. and the man’s puns, they’re gold l ol

gladio, listen, this ship is underrated and underappreciated both as friends or more. i like the idea of them not just being workout buddies, well, as much as noctis can work out lol. he’s not weak, but he’s not strong as gladio. anyway, i like the idea of them just chilling together, like maybe gladio introduces him to new books, bc he’s such a bookworm, or even read out loud to him. this ship has the potential to be soft and i feel like that should be explored more.

Shuichi

kokichi, i like this ship pregame or ingame, and postgame. my postgame verse consists of it actually being a VR so that opens a fair amount of possibilities. i think, overall, they do complement each other well, tbh, is kaito and maki weren’t so hard on “don’t like to kokichi”, i think shuichi could have connected with him moreso or tried to understand him more. it’s just a fun dynamic.

kaede, this is classic, i feel, romantic or platonic, she’s bright and sure of herself and that’s something shuichi needs either in or out of the game. while i’m away that pregame kaede is not the same, she still has a stronger will than him, and i think it could give some balance.

kaito, specifically ingame or postgame, 

Ayato

shipping with ayato is difficult to being with, mainly due to how he perceives people and his own personality. he behaves more now, but he still has that uneasy feeling around humans that potentially makes it awkward. this is stronger the younger he is, generally i rp him during his 18-20 ish time. still, im open to plotting with him in the regard and crossovers, even ocs, it doesn’t need to be canon.

Judar

i thought ayato was difficult, this guy here is even more prickly, maybe, not i lied. anyway, i don’t have a super favorite for him in particular, if they click then they click. i do like hakuryuu, kougyoku, and a couple others, but generally-- chemistry is needed for this pesky child. 

Barry Allen

iris west, like they fit each other, iris and barry are that couple, so it’s kinda of hard to not like this ship. lol

leonard snart, a true weakness, barry and len are married in one of my verses so that goes to show how much i like this ship lol. 

Kougyoku

judar, idk why-- it just makes me smile at the idea for some reason. maybe i’m weird. this can also be seen as platonic, like all my ships, im good with just platonic or even antagonistic relationships.

aladdin- eh, only when he’s older, mainly because it seems like he’s genuinely interested in him. but like not high on my list.

alibaba-- i love, love their friendship okay? someone feed me this lovely duo

Byleth

okay, okay i’m gonna lie, i am WEAK for byleth with dimitri, but in general im okay with this muse going with almost anyone. mainly bc... well... you can in the game, i’m partial to lindhart as well, but like i said. i’m cool with almost anyone for this bean. as long as there is chemistry, i’m down. 

Haydez

my oc, of course, has no ships since he is an original character of mine. 

Othello

the same goes for othello, they’re an original character, therefore they have no ships.

[shotcloned-blog]

Concept for Meta: the high likelihood of Prompto’s magitek training making highly resistant to pain and torture of the physical kind vs his emotional vulnerability and self worth.

you’re the kind of anon that’s speaking my language bless you, but i’m going to address this meta in 3 parts – first, dissecting prompto’s relationship to magitek, second, his emotional state, and third how the two correlate. 

prompto’s magitek affiliations impacting his pain tolerance:

so i wanted to talk about this first because the implication in the ask is that prompto actually has magitek training that then makes him resistant to pain of a physical variety. HOWEVER, it’s important to remember a couple things when it comes to prompto in relation to the rest of the magitek imperial army: 

1.) prompto is NOT a magitek soldier, meaning he is not ( fully ) robotic. he’s a CLONE, made from flesh and dna from verstael besithia directly. while i do personally believe he may have some wiring mechanics of him, he is for all intents and purposes, HUMAN. this is why when he gets hurt or dies, there’s no sparks, no wires to be found. he’s completely flesh and bone and as such, experiences pain similarly to how the other three do.

and 2.) he was taken from the magitek facility as an INFANT. per his wikia: When Prompto was a baby he was kidnapped from the First Magitek Production Facility by operatives working for the kingdom of Lucis, and brought to the Crown City. the relevance here is that prompto has no magitek training whatsoever. that being said, the original intentions of his creation was primarily as a test subject for verstael ( and correct me if i’m wrong but if i remember from his episode properly, verstael tells prompto he was designed to be the first test subject to be infused with daemon dna to build the imperial army’s daemon soldiers ). however these plans never came to fruition because prompto was kidnapped before any formal training could be given to him. 

with that being said, i am of the personal belief that prompto DOES have a slightly above average pain tolerance given the circumstances of his creation – where others may be more susceptible to physical blows, prompto is somewhat more resilient. however, this pain tolerance is only SLIGHTLY above average, so things like: falling off a train, physical torture, etc are all things that he would feel significantly and deeply. 

prompto’s vulnerable emotional state:

now i do have it in my rules with regards to my portrayal, but i personally believe prompto has borderline personality disorder. i’m too lazy to go into explanation of what bpd is ( if you want more information, click this link to read up on the nimh’s definition and classification for it ), but the best way to sum it up is irrational and intense feelings of ( real or imagined ) abandonment, and extreme efforts to avoid it ( there’s 2 million other things that classify it but this is the most relevant in terms of prompto ). for me, for example, i developed bpd as a direct result of abandonment, in a very similar way to how prompto develops it. his entire childhood is spent alone ( we see him in the anime always alone, and he himself states in parting ways that his parents are never home, not even to see him off on his journey ). this leads to those aforementioned feelings of abandonment that often link to the disorder. 

prompto also canonically suffers from impostor syndrome

in terms of his fragile mental state, about half of it has to do with being alone the majority of his childhood, the other half is directly tied to his friendship with noctis. though he would never blame noctis directly, he understands the moment they become friends, that he is not good enough to be friends with the prince, no matter how hard he tries. he has no formal training, he comes from a relatively low income family from insomnia, and overall he’s just not royal material. from the moment they become friends, there is a certain burden that prompto takes on because he is constantly trying to prove that his time is worthy of the prince, and that, while he may be a slacker, common folk like him aren’t bad company. he’s further shadowed by gladio and ignis, who have royal accomplishments and are seen as the best of the best in regards to their duty to the prince, and where they have the right to the prince’s time, prompto feels he doesn’t. any and all accomplishments he’s made, are shadowed by noctis’s royal lineage, as well as the accomplishments of gladio and ignis respectively, because ultimately, prompto is seen as the lazy kid who distracts prince noctis from his studies and duties. this only leads to further paranoia that noctis will one day realize he’s too good to be seen with prompto, and would up and abandon him in an instant. this feeling only becomes stronger after finding out he’s an MT clone because now, they have a legitimate reason to leave him behind and go their own ways. 

how does prompto being a magitek clone directly influence his mental state:

for the most part, up until he finds out the truth, IT DOESN’T. prompto had no idea what he was, he just knew he had a barcode on his wrist. his father never told him the truth, cor never told him the truth, no one told him what he was. prompto’s vulnerable mental state comes directly from a combination of his upbringing ( spending most of his time alone with no friends or contact with others ), and his friendship with noctis ( constant feelings of inferiority, fear of abandonment, and overshadowing from gladio and ignis in terms of accomplishments and closeness to the prince ). the latter is only amplified by prompto learning his origins, because all this time he’s been searching for a reason for them to hate him, and now he’s got one, and he goes on to believe they will abandon him because of what he is. his being an mt doesn’t correlate to his less than stable mental state until after he learns the truth, and it only fractures his image of himself from the group that much more.

[bladesandkittens]

"You gonna stay silent like that? If I don't address it, the next time— who knows, you might find a new best friend or something. Yeah, I'm not gonna let an argument waste our friendship. Talk to me."

|| Continuation of x

Loneliness –it is nothing more than a slow poison that gradually drenches every cell of one’s being. Loneliness is nothing more than a thief of joy and warmth, capable of leaving behind an empty, wounded shell. Loneliness is a monster –one that overwhelms, haunts and corrupts the soul with its sheer presence. Loneliness is a scar; a painful remnant, a wound of wrath and envy, of jealousy and blame…

Ever since their exchange in the elevator, Noctis had kept to himself in shame. His Saturday was shared with naught, save for the brief interaction with a very concerned Ignis. He distracted his mind with video games, but no stimulus could rid his shoulders of this new weight. Sleep was his only solace but even then, his escape was riddled with treacherous dreams. 

Sunday was spent locked away in his room, fatigued body hidden beneath the weight of blankets. Noctis was unproductive and stagnant, for his sight was blurred by the scars of his tears, and his feet dragged against the ground each time he walked. It was in these moments that he resembled anything but a Prince. He resembled a coward, a weak man who knew of nothing other than fleeing.

Uninterrupted solitude taught him of Prompto’s importance, for life itself became bland without his friend’s presence. Without his sunshine, Noctis felt as if all the colour had been stolen from the world. The food tasted flavourless, the sun was dull and the entire city felt empty and abandoned.

   He missed Prompto… He missed his friend so dearly that it felt as if a limb was torn                                    from his frame. It felt as if a part of him was simply stolen…

He’d lie there, eyes stinging with threatening tears as he reminisced the entire incident. This was his fault entirely. Prompto never did anything wrong.

                                Prompto was simply nice to him.

                                                          He was the one who misunderstood

He admits his fault with a heavy heart, but even so he was unable to reach out. Messages were composed, only to be deleted before they were sent. His mind relentlessly convinced him that the last thing Prompto needed was an emotional and unreasonable friend. Besides, perhaps this newfound rift between them could numb his heart and rid it of this confusing infatuation. In those moments, it felt as if being apart was a wiser choice.

Noctis’ conscience condemned him. His guilt stemmed not from their exchange nor the date he seemingly witnessed, but mostly from the fact that he had treated Prompto so poorly. He treated his friend as an item –as a thing that would answer to his beck and call. He called himself Prompto’s best friend –but a friend would never push another away as he did. This murderous guilt deemed him unworthy and convinced him that distance was perhaps the wisest solution.

Thus, when Monday arrived, Noctis hid in the shadows. He attended his classes diligently but would leave immediately when they concluded. Each time his eyes settled upon his… friend? Acquaintance…? His heart would fall to the vestiges of his gut. The love housed within his heart tore him up from the inside, for he knew Prompto would never feel the same. But… it mattered not if Prompto would ever love him, for Noctis would not allow himself to love his friend –especially after how he treated him. Hell, he felt like he didn’t deserve the ‘title’ of friend anymore…

Beneath an unfamiliar tree, the weary Prince spent his lonely break. He hid himself from Prompto –from everyone. He was unsurprised by the fact that he was once again friendless and accompanied by none other than his own shadow. Though, it seemed everywhere he turned, remnants of their friendship would toy with his mind. Haunted by melancholy and taunted by his desire for companionship, Noctis simply wished for the afternoon to conclude. He wished to return to the comfort of his bed, to drown his sorrows with sleep once more…

The afternoon painfully dragged on until the day finally concluded. With the sun setting in the sky, Noctis began his lonesome journey home. His hands were tucked away in his pocket, and his bag was carelessly strung over his shoulder. He felt very, very lonely without his best friend. 

A familiar voice, one he had been craving stirred him from his thoughts. He freezes, shoulders tensing in surprise. Noctis dares not to face his friend, but rather slows his pace for him to catch up. It didn’t take long for his footsteps to find their rhythm. 

❝ Huh… Don’t worry, you’re irreplaceable… ❞

[sassycassie-s-writing]

The Prince’s Birthday Ball

By: SassyShoulderAngel319

Fandom/Character(s): Final Fantasy XV/Prompto Argentum

Rating: PG/K+

Original Idea: Classic Trope!

Notes: (Masterlist)(By Character)(About Me) This one is 3,300 words... that’s longer than I intended... XD

^^^^^

“Rory, emergency!” Prompto exclaimed the moment I picked up the phone.

“What’s up, Prom?”

“Do you still have that pretty silver dress you wore to high school formal?”

“Yeah…”

“How fast can you be fancied up for a formal event?”

“Well, depending on how fancy, anywhere between a half-hour to two hours. Why? What’s going on Prompto?”

“I was supposed to be on guard duty for the prince’s twentieth-birthday gala—‘cause I joined the Crownsguard, remember?—but Noct just called and said I’d been removed from guard duty so I could go as a guest instead because I'm his friend from school. But I have to bring a date.”

I blinked. Prompto and I had been friends since we were in elementary school. Sometimes I’d joined him on his runs. I went from being able to lap him to being lapped by him in a very short span of time. When he became friends with Noctis, I did too by proxy. Sometimes the three of us hung out at Prompto’s place together because his parents were never home.

“Prom, Noct already invited me to the gala. Like three months ago. You were there. I said I didn’t want to go because it’s not my crowd.”

“I knooow but pleeease, Rory? You don’t have to stay too long. As a special favor to me. And to make it up to you I will get you ice cream or something tomorrow. Please, Aurora? Please, please, please?”

I sighed, pushing the left side of my sliding closet door to the right to find my formal gown. “Fine. But you owe me big time.”

“Yes I do! I’ll come get you in like an hour!”

“Okay.”

“Bye!”

“Bye Prompto.” I hung up and stripped my casual clothes off. “MOM! I'm going to Noct’s birthday ball after all! Prompto basically just begged me to go!” I shouted, changing from my comfy weekend bra to my nice fancy bra.

My mom appeared at my bedroom door as I shimmied into my gown. “Sweetheart if you’re going to the prince’s ball, you can’t wear a high school formal dress.”

“Uh… why?”

“It’s a bit hokey and juvenile. But I have just the thing. Brush out your hair and get started on your makeup. I’ll be right back.” Mom left—heading for the attic.

“Uh… okay,” I said, getting out of my silver gown and into my bathrobe. I brushed out my hair and dug my makeup bag out of my dresser, heading into the bathroom for the better lighting and the magnifier mirror.

Mom reappeared, holding something out. “Your sister wore this to her friend’s wedding when she was studying in Altissia.”

“My heck. It’s gorgeous.”

“I know. Put it on. She won’t mind if you wear it for a night. I don’t think she even fits in it anymore. I think she got too tall in the torso.”

I shed my bathrobe and slid into the gown. It fit me perfectly. The satin was smooth against my skin. “Wow. Thanks Mom. I’ll be sure to thank Cilla later too.”

“Are you wearing your silver heels?”

“I was planning on my black ones when I was wearing the silver dress but now I'm planning on the silver ones.”

“Good. Let’s get out the curlers.”

“Mom, we don’t have time for curlers. Prompto is coming to get me in an hour!”

“Well then, let’s bust out the curling iron. Your ends need to at least be curled under.”

“Okay,” I said.

Getting ready was a whirlwind. Hair, makeup, jewelry, heels. I was buckling my left shoe when the doorbell rang. I couldn’t get up to get it, but I heard Mom open the door.

“Aurora! Prompto’s here!” Mom shouted from downstairs.

“Coming! Just putting on my other shoe!” I called. I slowly got back to my feet so I wouldn’t tear the dress and headed for the stairs.

^^^^^

Prompto stared. Aurora had been beautiful at high school formal their last year. He remembered seeing her in the silver gown, shimmering like the ocean in moonlight and beaming behind dark-painted lips.

That was nothing compared to this.

The gown she wore was holographic satin, shifting between blue and green and purple. It flowed around her legs and had cap sleeves and a high but somewhat wide collar. The bodice was lightly embroidered with silver threads and star-shaped rhinestones. Her lips were a dark purplish pink and her eyelashes were long, thick, and painted black. The ends of her hair were curled underneath, with sections above her ears twisted back to hold her hair away from her face, clipped in place by a beautiful, ornate silver barrette with blue, green, and purple stones set in it.

A blue star rhinestone was glued to the corner of her right eye. She wore a silver star on her necklace—the same necklace she always wore—and tiny diamond stud earrings. He caught a glimpse of elegant silver heels under her gown as she came down the stairs. There was a smile on her face—but it quickly dropped as he stared.

“Prompto please say something,” she said.

“You look stunning,” he said.

Well, not said so much as barely managed to whisper because he was speechless.

Under her rouge, she blushed. The light pink spread to her ears. “Thanks. Not too bad for an hour of warning, eh?” she joked.

“No. Not too bad at all. Really good. Incredible, actually,” he rambled.

Mrs. Aubade—Mama Aubade, as Prompto had called her since he was ten—ushered the two of them together for a picture. “Mom,” Aurora complained. “This isn’t a high school dance!”

“No, it’s even more important and you both look so beautiful and handsome!” Mama Aubade said. “Now smile, Rory.”

Aurora’s smile had always been breathtaking to Prompto. Even when they were kids and she had a mish-mash of baby teeth and “grownup” teeth all crowding together. After she got her braces off in high school Prompto couldn’t help but be floored every time she beamed. She smiled with little reserve. Sometimes, when she was particularly elated, or just laughing, her lower lip would curl down and she’d smile with her bottom teeth exposed too.

When she smiled for the picture, Prompto wished he could have looked. But instead he focused on the camera. “You’ll have to send that to me, Mama Aubade,” he said.

“Of course, sweetie,” Aurora’s mom said. “Now get goin’. You don’t want to be late!”

“We will. Love you Mom!” Aurora said, already fumbling for the front doorknob.

“Baby, don’t forget this!” Her mother handed her a small turquoise clutch bag with a thin strap on it to wear as a purse. “Phone. Lipstick. Compact mirror. Tissues. Call if anything goes wrong. Or if you get lost.”

“Mom. I'm twenty and it’s a royal gala. This isn’t an awkward first date!” Aurora took the clutch from her mom—and Prompto’s hand. “Love you. Don’t wait up. We shouldn’t be too late!” She pulled Prompto out of the house. He yelped in surprise and waved to her mom as Aurora shut the door. “Sorry about that. You know Mom.”

“I thought it was fine,” he said. Awkwardly, he offered her his elbow. She took it, holding the bend so he could help her down the front porch stairs in her heels. She’d been wearing heels to special occasions since she was seventeen—he knew by now she had a hard time going down stairs in heels. She could sprint upstairs in them no problem but down was too difficult. “You really do look amazing,” he added. And I’ve had a crush on you since we were twelve. Six help me.

She beamed at him, and Prompto felt like the evening was suddenly noon for all her brightness.

He’d seen her darker than a storm cloud before, but she had starlight in her eyes and smiled like the moon.

^^^^^

“You look really handsome too, by the way. That bowtie really brings out your eyes,” I said as Prompto got the door to the car for me. He smiled, circled the car, and climbed in. Usually I was nervous about how he drove, but tonight I was confident he’d do just fine.

“Don’t you remember? You gave me the tie,” he said, adjusting it as he started the car. It was a deep indigo silk bowtie that really made the violet tint to his blue eyes pop out. He pulled away from my house and headed for the Citadel. “When we were in high school.”

“No, yeah, I remember,” I said with a smile. “But I haven’t seen you wear it in forever.”

“Well… not a lotta reasons to wear bowties in my life,” he remarked. His hands were clenching and unclenching on the steering wheel.

“Nervous, Prom?”

“Uh… to be honest, yeah. Never been to a gala as a guest before. I’ve played guard duty at a few, but I’ve never been as a guest.”

I reached over and patted his shoulder. “It’s gonna be fine. Promise. You’ve got me! Mom has me properly trained in etiquette and all that outdated junk.”

Prompto laughed—a single loud “HA!”—and then shrunk against the driver’s seat. “Sorry. That was just really funny,” he apologized, shooting me a quick glance as we passed under a streetlight. “Man. You look like the northern lights tonight.”

My ears and neck grew warm. “Thanks,” I said.

Underneath his suit jacket and shirt, I caught sight of a plain black satin ribbon wrapped around his right wrist. I knew he was hiding something under it. He never left his right wrist exposed. Not even to go swimming. Even when he wore long sleeves he had something wrapped over it. I’d asked him about it a couple times, but he always shot the conversation right down so I’d given up.

“I hope you’re a better dancer than me, by the way,” he said, distracting me from my thoughts.

I laughed. “Prompto Argentum, I’ve been in ballroom classes since I was twelve, remember?”

He chuckled, but the sound was breathy and embarrassed. “I do remember. I remember you trying to teach me and me bruising your foot from how many times I stepped on you.”

“Well, tonight will go better. I'm not barefoot so it won’t do as much damage,” I teased. “’Sides, you’re more coordinated now. Right, big bad Crownsguard boy?” I couldn’t help but giggle. Mutual teasing had always been part of our friendship.

He snorted. “Right,” he agreed, traces of sarcasm flavoring his tone.

The drive to the Citadel felt pretty short when we filled it with talking. We laughed a lot too. Once we arrived, I checked my lipstick in the car’s mirror. I’d meant it to take just a second, but I’d smeared the corner a little and had to slightly fix it with a tissue. In that moment, Prompto came around and got my door for me. “Prom you don’t have to get the door when I'm getting out,” I sighed.

“Uh, sure I do. Don’t I?”

“Well technically yeah, but waiting in the car is so weird.”

“My lady,” Prompto said as I took his offered hand and let him help me climb out.

“You’re a dork,” I replied with a smile. He smiled back and looped my hand through his arm

where he was still holding it. He escorted me inside.

“Guys! So glad you made it!” Noctis exclaimed, weaving through the crowd to reach us when we entered the ballroom. “Seriously. Some duke’s been talking politics to me for like five minutes and he’s so boring he’s putting himself to sleep.”

I snorted, hiding behind my hand. “Sorry,” I said.

Noctis took a moment to take everything in about us. “Wow you guys look good together!”

Prompto turned red under his freckles. “Thanks,” he squeaked.

“Rory, you gotta show Ignis how spectacular you look. He’ll be über impressed.” Noctis gave me a sarcastic look. I snickered and let him lead us through the people to where Ignis was. I’d met Noctis’ retainer a couple times—usually when he was picking up Noctis from Prompto’s place when we’d hang out—and got the feeling that he was a piece of cardboard taped to a broom who occasionally made facial expressions.

Tonight seemed like a night when Ignis’s cardboard face didn’t want to move much.

“Hey Iggy! You remember Rory right?” Noctis asked.

“Miss Aubade and I have met on several occasions, yes,” Ignis said.

“Look at her dress! Look how awesome it is!” Noctis exclaimed—in his rather subdued way.

“Indeed. Altissian craftsmanship, I presume?”

“Uh… I think,” I said. “It was my sister’s. She wore it to a wedding in Altissia.”

Ignis definitely wasn’t as impressed as Noctis seemed to think he’d be. I wasn’t upset about it though because Ignis was Noctis’ friend, not mine. “I see. It’s lovely,” Ignis said, slightly deadpan.

Noctis glanced at me and Prompto and rolled his eyes.

Prompto tugged on my hand. “Hey Rory, may I have this dance?”

We both looked at Noctis. “Do you mind if we slip away for a minute?” I asked.

He waved us off. “Not at all. Have fun,” he said.

Prompto and I both giggled and rushed to the dancefloor.

^^^^^

“Look at ‘em, Iggy. They’ve been basically dating since we were sixteen and they’re literally the only two people on the planet who don’t realize it,” Noctis said.

Ignis grunted in agreement and took a sip of whatever was in the fancy flutes being passed around that no one would let Noctis touch until his next birthday. Ignis wasn’t terribly invested in Noctis’ school friends when there was work he could be catching up on.

Still, his interest was piqued when he saw the girl in the northern lights gown teaching Prompto to dance—where to put his hands and how to do the steps. “You didn’t mention she actually knows how to dance,” Ignis remarked.

“Oh yeah she’s been in ballroom classes since before I really met her,” Noctis said. “That important for any reason?”

“No. Just curiosity.”

Noctis blinked. “Did you think they were going to embarrass me because they’re from commoner households?”

“I didn’t have any preconceived notions about their behavior tonight. Prompto is part of the Crownsguard now. He’s attended these before and knows the protocols—or should. And I was unaware that Miss Aubade was coming.”

“Yeah, well, I told Prompto he needed to bring a date and I knew that his first call would be to Rory. He always goes to her in a crisis.” Noctis snickered.

^^^^^

“There you go. You got it. Waltz isn’t too hard, see?” I asked.

Prompto chuckled, breathy and awkward. “Uh-huh. Uh, yeah,” he said. “If you just ignore the fact that I’ve already stepped on your feet three times.”

His breathing was getting a little heavy and we hadn’t danced that hard. I knew what that meant. The anxiety was kicking in.

I let go of his shoulder, and dropped our hands, but kept mine in his. “You look like you need some air. Come on,” I said, tugging him away from the ballroom and out onto the balcony. He leaned against the railing. I copied his position and nudged him in the arm with my shoulder. “You did great, Prom. I'm proud of you.”

He snorted derisively. “How could you be? I'm a screw-up in a place like this.”

“No you’re not. I guarantee if I went into that ballroom right now and asked Noctis for a dance, he’d be even worse. And he’s the prince. Your ability to dance doesn’t determine whether or not you’re a screw-up.”

“She’s right by the way,” Noctis’ voice remarked from the entrance to the balcony. “I suck at dancing.” He gave us a wink with some finger guns and retreated back into the party.

Noctis’ birthday was in August, but that didn’t stop a chill breeze from blowing since it was after dark. I shivered, wishing I’d brought the shawl that went with my silver gown—a black thing that looked classy and elegant and kept me warm.

“Here,” Prompto said, noticing my shiver. He slid out of his jacket and draped it over my shoulders, tugging it at the front to secure it around me. I could smell his cologne clinging to the fabric and feel his heat lingering with it.

“Thanks,” I said with a grin. My ears grew warm. I wondered why. Why was I getting a little blushy over something he’d done five hundred times?

It wasn’t rare for him to lend me his jacket. I was always colder than he was and he didn’t like sleeves anyway.

He nodded. “Y-yeah.” Quickly he turned to look out over the balcony. The moon was rising, casting its pale light on Prompto, making his freckles almost sparkle and shine against his pale skin. “Beautiful night,” he said, shooting me a quick look. He rested his hands on the balcony. I glanced at the black ribbon around his right wrist. Shaking my head, I concentrated on the sky above us.

“Yeah. Thank you for inviting me, Prompto. I know I didn’t want to come but… any excuse to hang out with you is a good one.”

“You… you think so?”

“Of course! You’re my best friend. One of my only friends, really. There’s you and Noct and that’s kinda it.” I shrugged and pulled his jacket more securely around me, absorbing his leftover body heat.

“Oh. Well. Thanks. And thanks for coming.”

I smiled. “My pleasure.”

Impulsively, I set my hand on top of his on the railing. My pinky pushed his white sleeve up a little to expose the black ribbon better.

“Prom… when are you going to trust me with what’s under this?”

“I’m not… hiding it from you. I'm hiding it from… from me,” he admitted.

“Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad,” I reasoned.

He scoffed. “What makes you say that?”

I curled my fingers around his and smiled up at him. “Because it’s you. And you’re the nicest, sweetest, funniest person I know. So anything you’re hiding can’t be that bad because it’s part of you.” I turned so that I was facing him. “Even if it is something bad, that doesn’t change who you are. You’re still Prompto.” My Prompto, I added silently.

The thought pulled me up short. Since when did I think of him as my Prompto? I mean, sure he was my best friend but that didn’t make him mine.

He gave me a smile. The lighting made his eyes more purple than they’d ever been before.

“Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

Were we standing this close before? Or was I only just realizing that he was so close I could almost brush his torso? I swallowed. I was pretty sure we hadn’t been standing quite this near a few seconds ago. I could see the glitter of the New Wall and the stars beyond it reflected in Prompto’s eyes.

“Prompto…”

“Aurora… I—”

We cut each other off in the same moment, closing the distance between us. My arms wrapped around his neck and his arms snared my waist, pulling me flush against his torso. I took a deep breath. His jacket slid off my shoulders when I lifted my arms and landed at my feet.

After a moment, we broke apart. “I—did we just…?” I stammered, trying to figure out what was running through my mind. My thoughts were spinning too fast for me to make sense of.

“We did,” he confirmed.

“Oh good.” I pushed slightly closer into his arms. He bent down and met me with enthusiasm.

^^^^^

“Finally,” Noctis hissed to Gladio and Ignis. Gladio was snickering and Ignis looked bored. “I’ve been waiting for this for years!”

[shielddrake]

FFXV and KH3: The Challenge of Setup and Payoff

So, having recently finished Kingdom Hearts III and taking a few days to digest it, I have concluded something: the current writers on staff at SquareEnix have problems with setup and payoff in regards to storytelling.  This is something I think warrants discussing because it is one of the most common techniques in creative writing (including video games), but it appears to be what the developers of both Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III seem to have the biggest problem accomplishing.

 This is not meant to be a review of either game. Plenty of other people are doing or have done that, and I feel I don’t really need to add to that discussion.  I also don’t mean to be preachy when I talk about setup and payoff in terms of writing.  This is merely my interpretation of what I experienced while playing these games.

 Finally, I don’t mean to say that using Chekov’s Gun is the end-all, be-all of story telling. Setup and payoff are not absolutely necessary to tell a good story, but as they seem to only try to use this technique about halfway, this seems to be the biggest, rather glaring flaw of both of these games, although in different ways.

 WARNING: Spoilers under the cut for both Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III, more so for the latter because it just came out and the former has been out for a while.  You all have been warned.

In play writing and screenwriting, it is said that if there is a gun hanging on the wall in the first act, then it better go off by the third. If it doesn’t, it shouldn’t be hanging on the wall.  This is well-known as Chekhov’s Gun, basically saying that if something is mentioned, it better be mentioned because it furthers the plot in some way.  This technique has been discussed by far more educated people than me, so if you want to know more about this, you can do your own research.  For the purposes of this discussion, let’s just say that if something is brought up, it needs to payoff in the end somehow, or else it’s not important enough to mention.

 Let’s look at a few Final Fantasy moments that do setup and payoff well, and there are quite a few. The Hymn of the Fayth in FFX is mentioned, and sung, several times over the game, and it is revealed that when Sin/Jecht listens to it, he calms down.  It ends up being a key part of making Sin docile enough to be attacked, infiltrated, and then destroyed from the inside, thus ending its thousand-year destruction of Spira.  Final Fantasy VIII has the mention of Squall’s ring named Griever, which later ends up being the Guardian Force summoned by Ultimecia in the final boss battle of the game.  (The significance of this is left up to the player.)  And, very famously, there is Final Fantasy VII’s Aerith and her white materia, which she claims does nothing but is actually what saves the world from Meteor by casting Holy magic at the end of the game.  There are many others, but those are a few examples.

 That being said, both FFXV and KH3 suffer from issues of setup and payoff, but in sort of opposite ways.  Let’s start with FFXV.

 First, this is not to say that FFXV completely fails at setting ideas up and then paying them off in the end.  The entire situation with the Ring of the Lucii is set up and pays off by the game’s end, and the story of Shiva and Ifrit’s love story sets up the end of the battle with Ifrit when Shiva is summoned to finish him off (at least, the set up is there better in the Royal Edition).  Episode Ignis also has the alternative ending where Ravus ends up coming to terms with his sister’s death and gives Noctis his father’s sword willingly, rather than dying and Noct finding it after the fact.  The setup of Ravus having issues with Noctis finally has a proper payoff when he accepts that Noctis is the Chosen King and supports him, and Ravus finally gets the character development he so desperately needed and was cheated out on in the original version of the game.  This concept of setup and payoff is not completely lost on SquareEnix.

 There are times, however, when the setup is there but the payoff is little to nothing.  The Royal Arms are brought up by Cor roughly at the start of the game, but then they become nothing really more than a tidbit of information at best and an optional sidequest at worst.  During my first playthrough, I actually forgot all about them between meeting Titan and obtaining the Katana of the Warrior.  I was like, “Oh, right.  Those things.”  They are brought up again at the end of the game where the Kings of Lucis all kill Noctis to purge the Starscourge and defeat Ardyn, so I guess that’s some payoff, but it seems so minor compared to the other plot points that I find this debatable.

 I also have big problems with the use of Luna.  Her character is absolutely fine, don’t get me wrong there, but there is an almost complete lack of use of her character as she relates to Noctis.  If they are supposed to be close, possibly in love or at least in like, then the flashback sequences from their childhood don’t really do it justice.  They show interactions that don’t advance their relationship at all.  As such, when the “payoff” of Luna’s death and Noctis’ despair from it happens, it doesn’t really mean anything to the player.  We’re sad for Noctis, but not necessarily sad that Luna had died.  There was no setup for her relationship with him, so her loss isn’t all that poignant.  This could have been fixed if the journal the two share could have been read by the player, even with just small snippets of their written conversations with each other, but this wasn’t an option.

 Next, I want to talk about the DLC.  Ignoring the fact that I’m one of those people who think the events of Episodes Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto should have been included the game proper from the start, the absence of them also hurts the setup and payoff techniques of the story.  The setup is in the DLC, but the payoff exists in the original game.  So, in a way, we’re getting the payoff before the setup even happens, chronologically speaking.

 For starters, let’s look at Episode Ignis.  This episode is arguably the best of the three DLC, so it is no surprise that it has the strongest story.  There is actually an example of really good setup and payoff within the episode itself, and it starts where Ignis and Ravus are hiding while they wait for the Niflheim soldiers to leave the area.  Ravus mentions that he tried to use the Ring of the Lucii for himself and lost his left arm in the process.  So, anyone who isn’t of Lucis Caelum blood pays a price for using the ring.  Okay, plot point established.  With this knowledge, when we see Ignis put on the ring, we know that there will be some kind of price he has to pay to use it, and this is confirmed when he loses his eyesight.  And there’s the payoff.

 The problem is that Episode Ignis wasn’t released until December 13, 2017, just over a year after FFXV was originally released.  So, we already knew about Ignis’ blindness and saw the consequences of it, but we just didn’t see the event that caused it. Heck, we didn’t even really know the reason why he became blind, just that it happened during the events in Altissia. So, when Gladio goes off on Noct about how “Ignis took one for you too,” instead of thinking that Gladio has a point and Noct needs to step up, we just think that Gladio’s being a jerk.  Ignis could have been shot by a Niflheim soldier or fell off a building and his eyes were injured for all we know.  The context of how Ignis lost his sight is lost on not only the player but Noctis as well, so the payoff feels empty.  We see the consequences of him being blind in that he can’t fight as effectively and can’t cook for the team, but again this is all after the fact.  The payoff is there, but it seems like it came out of nowhere because there was no setup for it.  Seems like they set of Chekhov’s Gun without ever showing us it was there to begin with.

 And then there’s Prompto…

 Oh Prompto.  I feel he really got the short end of the stick when it came to his background. His story is actually a really good one and could have been a really turning point for his friendship with Noctis, but it is so rushed at the end of the game that it feels a little forced.  The slower pace of Episode Prompto fixes this, but just like with Episode Ignis, the payoff that happened in the main game had already been seen by the players.  

 The whole conflict for Prompto during his DLC is that he worries his origins will mean that Noctis and the others will no longer want to be friends with him, and as a child that grew up very much alone (where the heck are his parents?!), friendship is vital to this poor kid.  The sequence where Prompto dreams he is an MT that is being pursued by Noct adds so much suspense and is an excellent visual to the anxiety he is feeling…or it would be if we didn’t already know that Noct accepts him with practically no convincing at all.  We already know that their friendship survives this revelation, so there is really no suspense for the players as they watch Prompto go through the motions of coming to terms with his origins.

 All of this could have been avoided if the darn DLC had been included in the main game in the first pla—No! Not getting on that soapbox!  I could go on about how much that bugs me, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.

 Now, if FFXV suffers from lots of payoff with very little setup, then KH3 has a lot of setup but very little payoff.

 For those of you who have read this far and didn’t see the spoiler warning at the top, this is your final notice:  There are major spoilers for the events of the recently released Kingdom Hearts III.  Turn back while you still can if you don’t want to be spoiled!

 With that out of the way…

 There are a lot of cutscenes in KH3, and I mean a lot.  It’s one of the controversial points I’ve read in a lot of reviews, but the presence of a lot of cutscenes doesn’t bother me too much when the game is trying to tie up loose ends and explain things in what is perceived as the final installment in a series.  Metal Gear Solid 4 had the same problem, but again, they were trying to tie up loose ends. The fact that the series has continued from there and thus only added more loose ends is also a topic for another day.  My point is that several long cutscenes are not necessarily a bad thing if they are used well.

 The problem with KH3 is that many of them are not used well. There are numerous cutscenes with Ansem the Wise, Ienzo, Dilan and the others that don’t really seem to have any point to the plot.  Sure, Ienzo talks about trying to find a way to help bring Roxas back, but they never end up doing that anyway.  They bring back Namine, certainly, but what were they trying to accomplish with all their talk about atoning?  I get what they want to atone for, but what are they doing to actually do that?  It’s a bunch of talk that doesn’t really go anywhere.

 Along the same lines is the scene with Even and Demyx. They talk about atoning and being benched and betraying the Organization, but the only thing that comes of it is Demyx brings Ansem and a vessel for Namine to Ienzo.  And then the conversation between Even and Demyx is never mentioned again.  What was the point?  Is Namine being brought back supposed to be the payoff?  But then we never interact with her at all.  She’s only seen during the ending cutscenes and has no dialogue with anyone.  Not very satisfying at all.  Where did her heart for the replica even come from anyway?  Her heart was in Kairi, who by that point is dead...sort of.  I actually think she was sent to the heavenly place Sora went when he had to gather up pieces of himself, but I have nothing to support that theory.

 Speaking of Kairi, her scenes with Axel during their keyblade training are great.  They are cute and provide good setup for both Axel’s vague memories of Xion and their abilities in wielding keyblades…which end up being pointless since Kairi ends up kidnapped (again) and Xemnas destroys Axel’s very cool fire keyblade, although it does come back later, so there is really no reason for Xemnas to taunt Axel about not being a guardian of light anymore.

 I’m not going to talk about how Kairi being kidnapped robs her of the agency she should have gained during her training (again, plenty of people have already talked about that), but it does make the scenes regarding her training seem like a cop out.  What was the point of showing all that if she was just going to be a kidnapped damsel again?  She doesn’t really do anything with the keyblade that we see, so it doesn’t add much to see that she was even training to begin with.

 Axel has the same problem since he loses his keyblade. He was training to use it, but then Xemnas destroys it at the first possible opportunity.  There was no scene where he saves the day with it or manages to defeat Isa or something along those lines with it, so watching those scenes again feels empty.  The setup was there, but there was no payoff.  What use is it to show the player that these two characters are training hard with keyblades if they end up not ever really using them?  The gun was shown, but not shot.

 Conversely, and very briefly, it was good that there was setup of the Riku Replica earlier on in the game so it didn’t seem like he completely came out of nowhere when he came to help Riku against the Organization’s Riku (man, there are a lot of Rikus here).

 Then again, there was supposed to be some reason that Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord and Demyx were brought back?  Some “important purpose”?  The “ancient keyblade legacy”?  Which is…what?  It’s not explained and it’s never mentioned again.  And what about all the scenes with Maleficent and Pete searching for the box? The game kept cutting back to them but never went anywhere with them.  What was the point?  Wouldn’t it have built more suspense if we hadn’t seen what they were doing? Otherwise it added nothing to the plot other than the fact that the black box was missing, which the player already knows…or at least most of us do, who know about the Master and Masters and all that.  Hey, look, there are a bunch of guns hanging on the wall, but they remain unfired!

 But...And it’s a big but…There is one way that Kingdom Hearts III really does setup and payoff well, and that’s when you look at the story of the game as a whole.

 Near the end of the game, Young Xehanort warns Sora that using the power of waking too much will cause him to “condemn your heart to that same abyss,” meaning that Sora will fall into darkness, something that almost came to pass at the end of Dream Drop Distance.  Mickey also warns him that he might not come home from his journey to find Kairi.  The final cutscene (not the secret ending) of the game shows Sora disappearing from Destiny Islands while everyone else is partying and having fun.  It is presumed that he died after finding Kairi again, though personally I’m not sure if death is really what happened or if it was more of falling into darkness.  I think that’s left up to the interpretation of the player.

 Whatever the case, Sora is separated from the group, having given himself up to darkness in one form or another to bring Kairi back. Believe it or not, this is actually foreshadowed during the events of the various Disney worlds Sora visits over the course of the game.  What is the common theme seen through each of the Disney worlds?  The loss of a loved one.  

 The Toy Story world has all the toys worried about whether they’ll ever see Andy again.  The Caribbean shows Will and Elizabeth separated, just like at the end of the movie that world is based on.  The Kingdom of Corona shows Rapunzel being willing to sacrifice her freedom for Eugene’s life, and Eugene ends up giving his own life to cut Rapunzel’s hair to defeat Mother Gothel.  Arendelle…do I need to explain?  Elsa is terrified of hurting Anna, which she unintentionally ends up doing.  The 100 Acre Wood has Pooh worried that Sora will go away, leading to Sora worrying that their bond has grown weaker. Monstropolis has less to do with the loss of a loved one and is more about Sully and Mike needing to protect Boo, whom they care about very much.  And San Fransokyo has Hiro dealing with needing to destroy the first version of Baymax, his good friend.  Only Olympus doesn’t fit this pattern in terms of its plot, but that’s probably because that was already done in Kingdom Hearts II…but Sora and Hercules do have a conversation about Herc wanting to save Meg with all his heart.  Sort of parallels Sora’s desire to rescue Kairi, doesn’t it?

 And what ends up happening?  Sora does exactly the same.  He ends up sacrificing himself to bring Kairi back from…wherever it is she is. It’s Kairi that ends up losing her loved one in the end.  That’s the ultimate payoff for the pretty strong setup that was building throughout the game.

 SquareEnix has the ability to tell really good stories in their games.  The aspects of the storytelling process they get right, they really get right.  The problem is that they are inconsistent.  There are many ways to tell a story, and as I mentioned in the beginning, you don’t have to use the technique of Chekov’s Gun to do so and do it well.  But when only half of a creative writing technique is used, it can take away from the story rather than add to it.

[theperidotshade]

It occurs to me I’ve mentioned my Fisher King AU a few times but I’ve never actually shared what it is.  Partially because I outlined it in asks to other people a couple times and Tumblr ate the asks >.>

Anyway, the basic set up is the same for the Ardyn in Paradise AU, because this one actually came first and I adapted it for Ardyn in Paradise.

In case you don’t know/have forgotten the set up for AiP, Ardyn receives the Crystal and Ring earlier than in canon, and is an actual King for the duration of his healing journey.

Unlike AiP, he doesn’t figure out how to actually use the Crystal against the Starscourge (in AiP, he uses it every time he returns to his capital—not Insomnia, that city hasn’t been founded yet—so that it’s smaller power expenditures and he essentially burns away the accumulated daemons he’s taken in, in exchange for a small cost to his health/longevity).  In the Fisher King AU, he leaves it all for the end like in canon.

But even though he’s filled to the brim with Starscourge, the Crystal has already accepted him—it just can’t get rid of the Scourge.  There’s no rejection, per se, just a stop gap measure of shielding Ardyn’s self from the daemons.  So Ardyn’s stuck in a sort of limbo of perpetual illness, and—this is the important part—he’s a King, bound to the land.  So he becomes something like the Fisher King in the Grail quest of Arthurian Legend—always ‘wounded’, unable to die, with the land reflecting the health of the king.

The Astrals in this ‘verse are a little kinder than I usually write them, but honestly that can be chalked up to the fact that the Crystal didn’t reject Ardyn—they’re still uneasy in his presence due to the Scourge, but he’s also one of their favored, so they come to his aid when things go badly.

And oh boy, do they go badly.

See, like in AiP, Somnus is very ambitious, and he accuses Ardyn of becoming a daemon.  Unlike AiP, his accusations against Ardyn can’t be disproven by means of bleeding in public—Ardyn bleeds black.

It doesn’t quite get all the way to the crucifixion, as he’s rescued by Somnus’ wife Kalliope and spirited away with the help of the Astrals, but he is tortured in this ‘verse too.  It doesn’t leave any marks, however, because this universe’s Curse essentially reverses any damage done to him by returning him to his baseline condition of when it went into effect.  Which becomes somewhat important in the story because I’m projecting again and need to write out my feelings re: trauma that leaves no scars and the subsequent urges to self-harm to have some visible proof of what you’ve been through.  But I digress.

Anyway, Somnus is in all respects a usurper—which means the Crystal accepts him and his descendants, but only partially.  They have very limited access to the magic it grants them, and Ardyn is still King in all but name and function because he still has those vital ties to both land and Crystal.

And because Ardyn is still tied to the Crystal, it does interesting things to the people who claim the throne after him.  Like, oh, trying to mirror him as much as possible—the chocobo accident happened in this ‘verse (though he’s dmab this time around), and all the Lucian Kings develop suspiciously similar mobility issues in their left legs with no ascertainable cause.  Yes, I turned Regis’ mobility impairment into a plot point, and you can’t stop me :P  Incidentally, the Citadel has fewer stairs, more ramps, and more elevators in this ‘verse.  Can’t imagine why ;)

At this point, I should mention that the end game for this ‘verse is heavily inspired by Patricia McKillip’s The Riddle of Stars trilogy, which has a very bittersweet ending, fair warning for those of you who aren’t familiar with it.

Anyway, as the Chosen King, Noctis is essentially Ardyn’s heir—he needs to live through the end of the prophecy because Lucis has been bound to Ardyn’s magic for two thousand years; its sudden absence could cause disruptions in the land itself, such as droughts, flooding, infertile land, earthquakes, etc.  So Noctis and his descendants are meant to take Ardyn’s place.

As Ardyn’s heir, Noctis is the first to connect fully to the Crystal’s magic since Ardyn himself.  Which is very, very hard for him because he has no teacher for most of the things he can do aside from warping and infusing flasks.  He’s the only one who can actually use the Armiger.  (Aside from Ardyn, but Noctis doesn’t know that, shh).  Elemancy in its more raw form?  Nobody has a clue how to help him, which is a Problem because he keeps accidentally setting things on fire, oops.  Noct can even heal a bit because his magic’s meant to have the same properties as Ardyn’s.  Ardyn’s tricks with time and illusions are also things he could learn if he had anyone to teach him, but he doesn’t.

Meanwhile, Ardyn is mostly keeping himself to himself, wandering around Eos trying new things and meddling here and there when something he Does Not Approve Of happens.  He heals Noctis from the coma post-Marilith, for example, and helps smuggle Prompto out of Niflheim (the MTs are just clones in this ‘verse, not humans dissolved into daemonic miasma and encapsulated in machines).

Ardyn has a very strange friendship with Cor in this ‘verse, where they constantly get each other into and then out of trouble.

Niflheim is still a threat, just not as much of one.  They still have magitek, of course, and they’re still winning the war, but without the daemonic aspect of the MTs, Lucis is not as hard-pressed.

Not to say that it’s a walk in the park—it’s bad enough that Lucis is grasping at straws and sends Noctis out in a mirror of Regis’ own journey, to seek allies and gather the Arms of his ancestors, which prophecy has decreed he will wield.

There is no Wall, so attacks on Insomnia do happen; the city is besieged after Noctis leaves, and the Chocobros are cut off from their home.

Then Ardyn starts showing up to check in on his heir and begin to teach Noctis what he’ll need to know.  He can’t leave his possible final rest up to chance, now can he?

Basically, along the way, Noctis learns more and more about his fate and Ardyn’s story, until the final test of his ablilities, which is complicated.  Because Ardyn’s Curse and the Scourge are so entwined, removing the former could cause the latter to overwhelm him, and the Curse can only be removed by Ardyn’s abdication, while the Scourge can only be destroyed with a sacrifice, which can’t be Noct.

If you’ve read The Riddle of Stars, you know how it ends.  If not, here’s a hint: this is not a fix-it.

[sylleblosscm]

@princessofmuses​​ is being mean to me 🤍

As accustomed as Luna is to this world, she cannot shake the feeling that it isn’t quite hers. The way her peers interact is foreign to her, and though she is friendly with most of them, none of them seem all too eager to become friends with her. For their odd little nuances tug against her natural instincts, and she fears she is doomed to intimidate them with her eloquent speech and cordial demeanour. 

 In that way, she almost envies Noctis. It comes much easier to him. He is less formal, less constrained, and though he carries his title in his wake, it has not stopped him from finding genuine friendship among those his own age. She watches Prompto now as he packs up after class. They have spent time in one another’s presence before, of course, with Noctis acting as their intermediary - but he is absent today, and Luna has sensed in the past that her presence makes him uneasy. 

 Of course it’s important to her that she rectifies the issue. It was never her desire to make anyone feel uncomfortable, least of all the friend of her very dearest friend. It would be to Noctis’ benefit if she could only resolve the matter. And Prompto’s, of course. And her own. And besides, he’s a very pleasant young man, and he has a way of brightening the moods of those around him. Even without their mutual familiar, to make his acquaintance would be an honour in itself. 

 So she takes a breath to steady her nerves and approaches him. ❝It appears it is just the two of us today, dear Prompto. I wonder that you might still wish to...hang outward, as they say.❞