#bamfPrompto

[noirbriar]

FFXV AU: Loyalty and Devotion

Probably OOC, but I don’t think a father would be pleased if his son would choose danger when they made an effort to keep them safe.

There is an whole argument when Prompto was younger but the Leonis/Ulric household eventually works it out.

A short after the Altissia incident and Prom gets captured during the The Lion, the Coeurl and the Cub AU. (Slight warning for violence and a slimy scientist being slimy)

-----

I’m sorry. Forgive me, Noct.

Noctis Lucis Caelum snaps awake as his vision slowly becomes clearer.He has no idea where he is, until his memories return and he remembers. Leviathan. The trial. Luna. Niflheim. He hears Luna screaming from outside and jumps out of the bed and runs out to where she is.

“We need to find him, please, Ravus!”

There in the receiving room, Lunafreya is visibly distraught as Gladio and Ignis are trying to hold her back.Whereas Ravus Nox Fleuret looks conflicted. Something is not right. Someone is missing.

“Where’s Prom?” Noctis chokes out.His voice hoarse and strained. 

Ignis and Gladio share a look while Luna is too stressed and quietly collapses on the nearest seat. The Lucian prince does not like where this is going. To make matters worse, the double doors slam open and the King strides in along with the Old Shield, followed by two other men flanking close behind. Two men that neither member of the prince’s group really wants to see right now.

There was a brief silence until Cor snaps towards Noctis and his retainers with narrowed eyes.

“Where’s Prompto?”

Ravus, surprisingly, is the first one that breaks the tension in the room by kicking the nearest footrest in frustration.

——

Turns out that Prompto had tried to defend the weakened Oracle from Ardyn. Yet Prompto is unable to fend Ardyn off, his bullets hitting each time but they do not hinder the daemonic man’s advance. In the middle of the fight, Luna swears, the last she remembers was Prompto shoving her away from Ardyn, and into the crashing waves with an approaching Leviathan. His eyes burning of light like the sun. The oracle sees his lips moving, but only hears it in her mind as the water embraces her.

Obey and serve! O’Daughter of the Tides!

Then. Darkness. Yet Death does not take her, but holds her gently in safety and protection.

——

With Ravus officially defected from the Imperial army with his stunt in Altissia, his intel was that Niflheim has taken full offence at the Nox Fleurets defiance and will fully invade and destroy their country. While Prompto was last seen taken by Niflheim forces.

“What?!” Noctis grabs the Tenebraen Prince by the collar,” Where did they take Prom?!”

“Your Highness!” Ignis and Gladio pull Noctis off Ravus.The last thing they need now is more internal conflict. 

Nyx is mad and it was obvious because the Galahdian was deathly silent. Cor is breathing heavily, clutching his katana in a death grip. If only they were faster in breaking down the enemy forces between them and Accordo. If only they pushed more, Prompto would not have been captured.

Noctis demands that they push into Niflheim and rescue Prompto but Regis is against it. As a father and a friend, he wants to save him but as a King, he could not. The enemy numbers are overwhelming and there is an issue with Tenebrae’s impending attack as well.

“Marshal!” Dustin enters the room, completely ignoring the tension and shoves a tablet into his hands. There are few things in this world that will faze the Immortal Shogun. However the image before him only serves to fuel his anger before he snarls at the person on the other side of the video.

“Verstael Besithia.”

Regis and Clarus immediately crowds in beside Cor and Nyx’s eyes widen at the sight before him in fury. There was Prompto, wounded and beaten down, shirtless and covered in scars, bound to a metal cross. Although he is awake and trying his best to hold on visibly.

“I was wondering when I will get to speak to you, thief.” the psychopathic scientist laughs,”yet what has been lost will always come back.”

Dustin quickly shuffles aside, allowing the Prince and his retainers to watch the video feed.Noctis finally gets around and clench his fists as he sees the injuries and bruises on Prompto’s torso and every inch of visible skin.That is his friend.His beloved and precious friend yet he’s now suffering and what the fuck is he even doing here-

“What do you want with one of ours, Besithia?” Regis coldly begins. 

“Yours?YOURS?” The scientist laughs like the madman he is.” He was never yours, King Regis! Your soldier had stolen what was mine and yet, I ought to thank you.” Verstael puts a slimy hand on Prompto’s cheek in a creepy caress, which the blond tries to pull away from,”you have helped further my research. I see now that my prodigal son who has returned is a much more exquisite sample than his brothers! Even the starscourge has failed to leave a mark, how peculiar!”

“Get your fucking filthy hands off MY son!” Cor spats,”and he isn’t yours you sick fuck. Prompto is a son of Lucis and I swear, once I have my hands on you Besithia, I will fucking do what I should have done 20 years ago!”

“Ahhhh.Would you now? Shame, but I have better things to deal with than you, Marshal.” The madman smirks at Prompto who glares at him with all the hate Noctis has never seen him with at all in their years of friendship.

”Besides, you have a welcoming committee in Tenebrae, no?Courtesy of us Niflheim of course.” Verstael rubs Prompto’s cheek and Prom struggles, his hands flexing in futile attempt to get away.”I just thought it be nice for you to say goodbye first in case you both can’t see each other again.Afterall you did care for my boy all these years-“ 

“Don’t fucking touch him-!” Noctis hisses, barely reining in his magic.

“Oh don’t worry Your Highness.We’ll have a splendid time reuniting.Till next time.Or not.”

The video feed cuts. Dustin wisely pulls the device away from the Marshal before he loses it to violence. He has worked with the man too long and knows his habits by now. However something seems unusual…

Cor and Nyx are calm.Too calm.

“Time.” Cor starts softly and Nyx checks his phone.

“1545 hours.” Nyx replies systematically.”90?”

“No, 72. Factor that he’s already in some time.”

“Alright.” Nyx then taps the device on his ear and belts out a series of codes and orders. 

“What are you even doing-We need to get Prompto! He’s not safe-“ Noctis looks at Regis and Clarus, who remain stoically silent.

“No.”

“W-Excuse me?” Even the prince’s advisor is taken aback by the sudden order from Cor.

“Marshal, what-?” Gladio is unable to process this.Its not like Cor at all.

“What do you mean no? W-THATS PROMPTO OUT THERE, YOUR SON-“

“Do NOT insinuate I will leave my own boy out there to die your Highness or so help me-“ Cor snaps at Noctis, his patience gone entirely.However he stops and inhales sharply, taking a second before he tosses his katana towards Clarus who grabs it effortlessly.

”What I am about to say will be considered treason to the crown, your Majesty. I call upon you to lay judgement as you deem fit.”

Regis is expressionless as he looks at Clarus.Then he looks at Cor again silently.There was nothing from his liege for a long while. Regis barely even casts a glance at Cor’s blade and chooses to stride past his Marshal, laying a hand on his shoulder before moving forward and taking a seat on the couch. His eyes closed. The King has made his judgement. 

Cor takes a deep breath before he lays it on the younger crew before him.

“I rescued Prompto as a baby from a literal hell.I kept Prompto safe for 20 whole years.I will be damned if you think I enjoy the fact that my son is putting himself in danger. With his past and me being so close to the Crown, I deliberately made sure he could live a normal life safely. Away from all the dangers he could have gotten simply by association! Yet, his entire life not once did he asked us for anything. Did you know what was the first damn thing he had sincerely asked for,your Highness?”

Noctis eyes the Marshal silently.Defiant.

“To be your friend.”

Ignis looks up at the decorated ceiling, breathing in time as if he is trying to hold on to whatever strength left in him. Luna trying to keep her composure but holding onto every word from her friend’s father.

“After that incident when you both were 15, he made his second wish.” Cor steps closer towards Noctis, putting his point across as he approached.”Do you want to hear what it was?”

“To be able to protect you by your side. So that your friendship will not be a weakness for you.”

Gladio turns around and hisses a curse.The younger Shield cannot process this mess and emotions in him all at once.

”As the Marshal, I do not hold any opinions, but as a father-” his knuckles cracked and Cor trails off, chewing his inner cheek.”I can only respect his wishes.”The Marshal of the Crownsguard then turns around, grabbing his katana from Clarus’ outstretch arm and saluting to his superiors, before sharply leaving the room.

Noctis hands are shaking. Not from anger. The feeling completely overtaken by a cold fear.

Its his fault.Its all his fault-

“Get ready, we are leaving for Tenebrae.” Nyx’s voice cuts through the fog in the Prince’s mind.”Now.”

“But, Prom-“ Luna starts but Regis interrupts at long last.

“Princess Lunafreya. We must not delay any longer.Tenebrae must be secured first.”He looks towards Ravus,” It is time for the land of the Oracles to be liberated.”

“I do not understand your majesty-“ Ignis tries to reason but he gets cut off by his King.

“All you need to know is that we have a battle to fight.” Regis replies, looking towards Noctis pointedly.”And you have your duty to the people as Crown Prince above everything else.”

With that he leaves, inviting Ravus to walk with him.Clarus following closely behind.

“Have faith in him.” Clarus tells them over his shoulder before he too steps out of the room.

The younger crew mulls in silence.Helpless.

——

The Niflheim army clashed with the joined forces of Lucis, Tenebrae. The waves of MT are relentless but as soon as it started, the numbers dwindled. With the support of Arenea’s faction after some bargaining on Ravus’ side, they manage to secure Fenestala Manor and half of the Tenebraen borders. Loqi and his men suddenly retreated mid-way through the battle, leaving behind forces of automated MTs that were quickly decimated. Whereas Ravus and Luna managed to capture Caligo Ulldor and is sentenced to death by the newly re-instated rulers of Tenebrae.

“Report.” Cor barks out as Nyx arrives into the safe room in Fenestala Manor with Noctis, Ignis and Gladio behind.

“Tummelt bloody fucking got away.” Nyx growls in annoyance, while Crowe rolls her eyes and slaps a potion behind her Captain.He glares at her, which was as useful as glaring at a moggle. Useless.

“MTs numbers have dropped too, but they are still significant.” Monica adds, fiddling with her coms and devices as Regis takes all the information in.”We still have the North and Western areas unsecured.” 

“Time?” Nyx asks Cor softly as he throws his ruined coat aside. While Ignis gets his prince and shield some curatives while Luna arrives in with her ladies in waiting with more resources.

“2 more hou-“

“Zero. Zero hours.” 

Noctis looks up. As does the other two beside him. Luna freezes completely.

“Prom?”

“M-MARSHAL!” Monica shouts at Cor who all but pushes Monica away with Nyx,who snatches the receiver mic and demands.

“Where was the first place we met?” 

“Really, out of all the questions? Baba? I was like 4?”

“Answer it.”

“Outside the Citadel Square, the corner behind the Queen’s Fountain.” Nyx lets out a loud sigh of relief and a couple of words in Galah similar to a prayer.While the tension on Cor’s shoulder finally goes slack as Clarus slaps a comforting hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Noctis throws down the warm towel and nearly warps in front of the coms along with the rest. There, battered, exhausted but alive was Prompto, dressed warmly and armed, nursing a can of ebony.

“PROM!”

“Hey Noct, you doing okay?How are you, Luna?Guys?” Prompto perks up brightly, seeing his friends.Trust him to ask about them first when the person who was captured was him.

“Don’t hey me you-”Noctis wants to shake the blond so badly,”what-“

“Report, Crownsguard Leonis.” Cor cuts in, watching Prompto keenly, observing. Prompto pauses, chewing his lip before taking a deep breath.

“Verstael is dead.”Prompto pauses for a moment,” I killed him.”

There was silence.

“You did good.”Cor replies calmly.”Are you in a secure area?”

“Yeah,I mean.Yes.Theres no more MT troops left here.No civilians sighted so far either- G-give me something secure, I’ll send some data over.”Prompto gets to work, clacking away at the system before him.

“Monica.”

“Roger.On it.”

“I’m sorry I took so long.”Prompto adds slowly,”I-I had to find a working facility with transmission.Theres literally nothing where they kept me.I-I’m sending over the remaining MT locations and outposts.Theres a few jammers here too, you can’t use magic in those areas.They also added anti aircraft walls once they confirmed defectors from the Empire. The whole Nifelheim is abandoned,I think they brought all the civilians into Gralea but I’m not sure, still too far out to tell.They-He…He daemonified everyone.He destroyed every living breathing thing he could find and-”Prompto trails off, clearly unsure how to go on.

“Breathe, Prompto. Where did they kept you in?” Cor asks.

“First Magitek Production Facility.”

The Marshal hisses.He remembers that accursed place.While the data ping-ed and Clarus helps Monica to break down and passes on the info to Regis.Who then barks out orders to his Glaives and the joined armies.

“I,I heard you guys are in Tenebrae, how is it?”

“Hanging in there.”Nyx supplies softly,”How are you kiddo?Do we need to extract you?”

“Just.Tired but-” Prompto looks at Cor carefully,”if it helps, I think want to keep on going here. I mean, there’s still a number of the MT production lines. Just need to blow them up once I slip in. I can find an easier way for Lucis to enter Niflheim from my end too.”

“Prom, no, its not safe, we can get you-” Gladio adds before he can stop himself and casts a glance at his father.

Prompto chews his lip wearily as he fiddles his Ebony can.

“Its not necessary.But- You think you can do that?Are you confident, Prompto?”The elder Leonis pushes on, keeping an eye on Prompto’s behaviour while skimming through the data. There’s so much.

“…Yes.Just…I-I need to do this.”

“Okay.” Cor relents,”I hear you. Keep your check ins.” There’s a cough at the back that sounded like Regis but the Marshal ignores it.”Do not overestimate yourself. Remember what we taught you. Your safety is first and that’s an order, am I clear? Prompto Leonis.”

“Yes sir.”

“I’ll see you soon, son.”

“Thanks dad. Noct?” Prompto smiles at his friend who shuffles nearer to the screen,”I’ll see you soon! Luna! Make sure you guys win back Tenebrae!”

“Prom..?”Luna doesn’t know where to start, still guilty that in saving her, her friend was caught by the enemy for her sake.

“It, it’ll be all okay,Lu!” Prompto beams at the Princess,”See you guys soon, okay? Take care, Noct.”

The video cuts and the Prince looks towards his father and his retinue, the younger crew demanding answers quietly.

“What the fuck?” Noctis starts, breaking the silence.Regis sighs wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose in effort to hold off an incoming headache.

“You need to tell them,Cor. Prompto is officially his retainer after all.”

Cor and Nyx share a look, before the Marshal addresses the Prince’s question.

“Did you honestly think I would have sent my son out of Insomnia with you defenceless?”Cor dryly asks the boys.

That hits Ignis immediately.The young advisor casts a glance at the Marshal, then to the Captain, across to the King and Shield.

“He trained and passed his Crownsguard exam.”Ignis starts to ponder aloud,”In a very short time.Before we left Insomnia.”

“Prompto already covered the basics since he was 16.”Nyx smirks,”though I’m sure you all thought otherwise. His exam was something else.”

A memory hits Noctis, back in their high school days, his exhausted friend, the need to keep up with part time work, school and exams… Yet his friend never failed to keep him company. Always there by his side with a smile and his favourite camera.

“Well he don’t fight as a trained Crownsguard that’s for sure.” Gladio points out and that earns him a laugh from the Captain.

“Then it means his training paid off! And all this?”Nyx points to the new maps of enemy territory and numbers,”is proof that his hardwork was worth it.This is not basic crownsguard work, Amicitia, this is more of Glaives work.”

Now Noctis is just pain confused,” what do you mean? Prompto trained as a Kingsglaive but took the Crownsguard test? That still explains nothing.”

“We don’t have the time to train him everything either. Do you see who willingly joined your ranks simply because of his devotion to you, your Highness?”Nyx brandishes the information in his hand proudly,” Prom grew up in Little Galahd, a bloody dense maze in itself. You can’t catch him if he doesn’t want you to. He can adapt to unfamiliar territory with his speed and stealth.That on top of his endurance and tenacity?” The captain of the Kingsglaive simply grins.

“His gentle personality as a whole will get the enemy to underestimate him. We all know that your bond with him can, and will be used against you as Crown Prince. Prompto simply removed that from the equation for you.” Cor adds calmly.”And if necessary, became a weapon instead.”

“A spy?” Ignis breathes out incredulously, finally linking the dots. Prompto fights less than average simply because they have been always engaging enemies in large numbers and in wide areas. Or against the wildlife. The blond was not trained to fight like them. Their sunshine was meant for the silence and shadows.

“No. But very close.” Clarus finally can’t stand the roundabout talks any longer.”You already have an advisor and a guard in your retinue. He is much more suitable in a different role, one that requires secrecy and mental fortitude. Or in worse case scenario, if you are all in the enemy’s hands. These two gremlins here literally gave you an assassin.”

That earned him a dark chuckle from the King’s Sword himself, who is glowing with pride,”Like I said.I won’t send my son out defenceless. I have never denied Prompto anything in his life. So when he made his request, you damn well bet that I made sure he makes it.”

“And yet he works better as a Glaive, riiiiight?” Nyx gives Cor a wide grin and nudges his husband incessantly.”Come ooon,say it.”

“Fine. He works better as a Kingsglaive.”Cor side eyes his husband.”Happy?”

“Very.”Nyx laughs,”But his style is all yours.” That sufficiently pleases the older Leonis.

Noctis is still reeling in from the shock.His best friend? Trained as an assassin? The boy won’t even hurt a Chocobo, yet, Cor and Nyx’s words haunt him. Prompto had chosen this because of him-

“Prompto had chosen you. Just as you had chosen him. His loyalty and devotion is not to the crown.Its to you and only you.Your Highness.” Cor pauses for a moments if sensing the young Prince’s dilemma, “he made it so that you didn’t have to choose between him or your duty.So, win this Battle for Tenebrae. My son is still waiting for us in Niflheim.”

Noctis knows. Now determined more than ever to push on.

——

With Prompto’s infiltration into enemy territories and constant intel, the Lucian army quickly recovers Tenebrae and presses on into Niflheim’s domain. Apart from a giant dead magitek worm and various dead magitek beasts, the Kingsglaive quickly occupies all the outposts and overtakes the strongholds where Prompto has destroyed the magic jammers.

“Theres soooo many Ebony machines, how does Niflehiem not get caffeine poisoning?” Prompto whines over the feed while sending another batch of data.

 They are getting closer to meeting up now that Noct has taken a detour to make a covenant with Garuda, a lost Messenger that Prompto stumbled upon. Cor and Nyx allowing the boys to talk while they sort out reports with Regis and Clarus. Whereas the rest of the glaives and guards with them are taking a breather.Cor, however, looking worse for wear with the recent troubled sleep, forcing him to let Nyx handle a bulk of the work. Noctis overhears the couple talking something like ‘dreams’ or ‘premonitions’ and ‘hurry’ but the prince quickly ducks out before he finds himself at the ire of the Immortal Shogun and the Hero of the Kingsglaives. He still likes living, thanks.

“I’m sure you can’t die of a little coffee, darling.”Ignis muses.

“Prrrroooom.”The prince huffs, trying to get his attention as childish as it seems but he misses his best friend.

“Noccccct!” Prompto pouts along,”I miss you guys!”

“Miss you too sunshine. We’ll be catching up with you soon, then we’ll enter the Gralea borders together.Just hang tight till then. Prince Charmless has been extra annoying without you.” Gladio grins at his youngest friend, glad to see him well.

“OI.”

“I want curry Iggy! I’m sick of cold steaks.Theres literally nothing he-”Prompto stops halfway and swerves around instantly with his gun already in hand. Before a shadow slams his lithe frame onto the console causing distortion on the feed.

“PROMPTO!?” the crew yells, helpless, while Cor and Nyx rushes over and takes the comms from the boys.

There, before their eyes was Ardyn Izunia, with a dark inky claw digging into Prompto’s neck in a chokehold.His eyes dripping with darkness.

“Well,well, looks like I found a wild lil chocobo out of his cage~”

“F-fuuuck eu-” Prompto struggles to claw free while getting his spare gun but the daemonic man is faster and slams the blonde onto the console with an inhumane amount of force.Dark liquid drips.There was blood on the screen.

“ARDYN! Get the fuck away from Prompto I swea-“

“Now now your royal highness, don’t need to panic. He’s still breathing. Barely. But still,I digress.” Ardyn smiles menacingly,”Come to Gralea if you wish to have your lil friend back.He’ll be there, along with your precious Crystal. Don’t worry, I won’t kill him just yet.”

“IZUNIA!”Nyx snarls but the feed gets disconnected just as Prompto’s painful cries begin.Cor ignores everything else, shoving the comms aside and summons his katanas, roaring at the men to get moving. Regis and Clarus already on their feet as Nyx barks out orders for his glaives while Dustin and Libertus relays info to the rest of their forces. Noctis summons his sword while Gladio and Ignis follow quickly. Their friend is in danger. 

They have gotten too complacent.

——

The Empire soon kneels before King Regis and his men in the bowels of a ruined capital amongst the dead daemons. Loqi Tummelt and his tiny charge with a handful of civilians surrender as Lucis tears Gralea apart. All of the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard carrying out a simple order on top of their main objective.

Find Crownsguard Prompto Leonis. At all costs.

——

When they finally reunite with their lost friend. In the depths of a cold abyss where the Crystal sits with an unconscious chancellor of Niflheim laying the the ground as the light of death fades from his now mortal form. While someone else that is clearly not Prompto, challenges the Astral within the Crystal, bearing eyes brimming full with power. 

It was a God.

[wildcardwriting]

Rise Against #1

[Final Fantasy XV]

Next Chapter | Rise Against on AO3

Summary: Contrary to belief and those of the people of Lucis the Niflheim resistance did not start in Niflheim. It wasn't an organized group of people, and no one planned to change the world or go back to their homeland or some other shit. The Niflheim resistance wasn't some grandiose thing, set up and manned by a dozen people. No one planned it. No one felt it was destiny or some sort of smart thing to do. Because it wasn't.It wasn't. I’ll level with you. The reason the resistance started in the first place was actually quite simple. Prompto wanted a new camera.

There are a bunch of lies that everyone believes about the Nilfiem resistance that is complete and utter horse shit, but people still believe them. Really believe them. Hold them like Shiva damn truth and fuckin’ snuggling it because it comforts them in their little ball of insecurity and superiority to what it means to live in the Crown City.

Contrary to belief and those of the people of Lucis the Nilfiem resistance did not start in Nilifiem.

It wasn't an organized group of people, and no one planned to change the world or go back to their homeland or some other shit. The Nifileim Resistance wasn't some grandiose thing, set up and manned by a dozen people. No one planned it. No one felt it was destiny or some sort of smart thing to do. Because it wasn't.

It wasn't.

Hell, probably the smart thing to do was stay away from the resistance and continue our boring, meaningless, menial jobs instead of fight the strongest empire on Eros, but none of us were exactly known to be smart.

I’ll level with you.

If you wanna hear the whole story, then you should probably sit back and listen (or read as the case might be). Because according to sunshine, the reason the resistance started in the first place was actually quite simple.

He wanted a camera.

...

Yah, that was my fuckin' reaction too. But sit your butt down and scroll down. This story isn’t about the crown-effing-prince or his servant peeps, it's about someone better.

It's about that stupid sunshine brat. [There’s a line like someone tried to scratch through the line, but it was erased.)

My name is Prompto! Prompto Argentum! Not sunshine. 

(ﾉ￣□￣)ﾉ ~┻━┻  When are you guys going to get it right? 

XXXxxXX

Short stupid little chapter. Trying to get back into the groove of writing. Life’s been kinda of miserable lately. :(

Next Chapter | Rise Against on AO3 

[mathclasswarfare]

Reblogging because BAMF Prompto week is on, folks! @happybamfdayprompto

The Lucians,

Ch. 1: The Storm

Prompto’s parents have been keeping secrets from him his entire life. Now he’s finally learning the truth, and it changes everything.

Read on A03

[wildcardwriting]

Dollhouse #1/?

[Final Fantasy XV]

Next Chapter | Dollhouse on AO3

Warnings: Yandere, mentions of murder, stealing, hinted dub/con, blood, and death. Read at your own risk!

Relationships: one-sided Ardyn/Prompto, gruesome death and yandere-Prompto, sex, and dark undertones. A dark fix-it/AU. Pain. Really dark

xxxxxxx

Chapter 1: The Human Mask

XXxxxxXX

After he gained Noctis’ friendship he made sure he was the very picture of normal.

He arrived in Lucis more daemon than human. 

He watched the humans try to get him to smile back at them. To speak like them. He watched them try and feed him the animal carcasses and even though he hated it, he eventually learned to live with it. Lucis was not the factory. Here the greatest punishment that he faced was isolation, and maybe a missed meal or two. 

Here, he wasn’t expendable.

Here he was the poor, experiment human, instead of the daemon halfing he was treated like in Nilihiem. Here he was valuable.

He spent approximately five hundred hours with the Crownsguard known as Cor Leonis, after arriving in Lucis, as the doctors and scientists at the shiny metal building poked and prodded him. They made him take test after test and go through several MRI machines before they moved him to a recovery room. They muttered amongst themselves and sometimes to a pair of men in black going through numerous pages of data chatting in an odd mixture of excitement, surprise, and disgust. He never knew quite what set them off, but he could tell that his existence depended on their decisions. All the doctors and scientists always bowed to them when they were in the room and even the fearsome Cor Leonis seemed to defer to them. They were probably in charge.

They talked in front of him, presumably forgetting his existence before they turned to him and began asking him questions. So many questions. About his wants and needs, and about his scars. He answered all of them, he had no reason to lie and everything to gain. So he answered everything as fully as he could, as they sent strange looks among themselves at his answers before all three of them rose and went outside the room.

They talk some more about him debating on his motives, and discussing the data from the tests, in words that become tenser the longer they’re outside. Unit 01025 doesn’t really know why they went outside considering he could still hear them just fine from the room but he doesn’t try to notify any of the doctors or scientists. This may not be the factory, but he knows he doesn’t want to find to out if Lucis has solitary confinement pods like the training faculty. He’d rather have the forewarning if he’s going to be killed. He’d prefer that over the pods. He hates the pods.

Eventually, the conversation dies off and the men return to the room looking resolute. The tall man with the balding hair seems unhappy, and the man with the cape seems more shaken but nothing compares to the stillness that is Cor Leonis. There’s something different about the man that makes he look even more tired than the other two combined. He looks at him with such strangeness that Unit 01025 can’t help but think Cor Leonis is displeased with him. Did he fail to give complete answers? Some unknown test? He hopes not. He hates failing. Failing means more tests, and more time in the pods.

And yet, what they tell him next is...confusing to say the least. They talk about security and experiments and rights, and he’s just getting confused, as they talk, using words like, shouldn’t have happened, child, orphanage, and happiness like he knows what that is and he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know anything about what they're talking about.  What does any of that have to do with him? He’s neither a child nor a human so none of that applies to him, but they act as if it does.

And it's scary. 

But he doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t want to get punished. He’s still learning the rules in this new place, and until he does know the rules he doesn’t want to mess up. So better to keep silence and pretend until he does know.

The two men in black leave him soon after and it's Cor Leonis that picks him up and takes him out of the room. He doesn’t say anything as they walk through the halls nor when Cor addresses a couple of men dressed in dark uniforms.

He orders them to do several tasks before he’s once again handed over to another set of doctors and scientists. They take blood from him and ask him more questions before they lead him to a room and ask him to do a series of tasks.

Can you make a square from these shapes?

What is this?

Can you tell me what’s in these pictures?

How old are you?

So on and so forth the questions go again and again. The one man dressed in black in the room is writing down everything he’s saying as the process continues over and over again. He sees a person while he’s sitting on a soft chair the most as she talks to him softly. She has him play with blocks and things she calls toys noting everything he does with a smile before she turns and hands it off to the man in black clothes.

Before he was shipped to a place crowded with young humans.

The new building he was currently dwelling in was called 'Lucis'

Here in this place, he had options and choices and so many playthings.

The other kids stayed away from him, unlike the other MT’s. So maybe they sensed something was different about him. Maybe they had some small sliver of what it was that flowed through his veins, and maybe they didn’t. But unit 01025, nay Prompto was resourceful in ways the other smaller humans weren’t.

He learned a lot from watching the other children interact with each other. He learned about bullies, leaders, sheep and the followers. He took note of what was popular among his peers and what wasn’t and sorted everything into categories of usefulness. The things that weren't useful, he discarded, but the things that were, he trained on. He practiced smiling in the mirror, a vital defense mechanism to put the humans--, the prey off their guard, and learn to show emotion. He'd sit in front of the one broken mirror in the upstairs attic and practice over and over again until his smiled look more like the other hum---children, and when he perfected that he moved on to learning.

He took the books from the small library on the first floor and memorized them for information. He learned about the different animals in parks, and the topography of Insomnia, he learned about fairy tales and the class of colors. He learned everything those few books the orphanage had to offer and took it in, but still, he found himself insufficient because those other children and even some of those older humans who sometimes visited the church were still avoiding him.

And he didn't understand why.

Because even though the matrons at the orphanage tried to force the other children to interact with him, none of the children would even stay in the same room with him.

Still, even if the other children didn’t interact with him didn’t mean he doesn’t know anything. No, he knew enough to pretend and even if he wasn’t successful he managed. He grew older and better every day taking his cues from everywhere he could. He imitated what he saw on TV, from the radio, from the computer, Prompto watched and learned.

He adapted so well and learned all their little tricks that soon enough he had been promoted yet another level. Instead of being Prompto of the Royal Noctis Orphanage, he was promoted to Prompto Argentum, or adopted as the matron of the orphanage told him excitedly.

And so began yet another stage of his new life.

xxxxxxx

Next Chapter | Dollhouse on AO3

[mathclasswarfare]

The Lucians,

Ch. 1: The Storm

Prompto's parents have been keeping secrets from him his entire life. Now he's finally learning the truth, and it changes everything.

Read on A03