#conduit x rampart

[ahoysteviex]

18+ Conduit x Rampart

Hello! Here's a commission that I recently finished for your reading pleasure. Summary: Rowenna and Ramya fuck nasty in the locker room showers after a match. Top!Ramya and Bottom!Rowenna. 2.2k words. If you like what you read, you can commission me by DMing me! And if you'd like to tip me, you can do so here! Please support your local homeless author. <3

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were hiding from me,” her girlfriend’s voice sounds from behind her, as teasing as ever.

Rowenna smiles, amused. She almost turns from her locker to greet her girlfriend, but Ramya’s arms encircle her waist before she gets the chance. She only smiles wider, her own arms wrapping around the modder’s.

“Then it’s a good thing you know better,” she quips, leaning back against Ramya’s body and breathing in deeply, contentedly. There’s still a buzz beneath her skin from their recent match; a built up storage of energy that’s waiting to be released. “Not that I’m opposed to a game of cat and mouse. But no, not hiding. Just need a shower after that game. They call it ‘sweating’ for a reason.”

“And yet you make it look so effortless when you save my life.”

The modder pulls one of her arms away and Rowenna almost whines at the loss. Luckily for her, her partner doesn’t step away, only reaches up to push her short hair away from her neck. Even luckier, she starts pressing her lips to that soft, sensitive spot below her ear that always makes her shiver when it’s touched.

“I did save your life, didn’t I?” she asks, trying her best to maintain her confident, prideful tone despite her newfound breathlessness at the kisses being placed upon her skin. “It’s an honor, Ms. Parekh. Though, I do have to say, you’d think with all the time you spend with Witt that you’d be able to tell him apart from his decoys.”

“Ugh, with the bloody decoys!” Ramya says, exasperated, cueing a laugh from the woman in her arms. “I almost had him, too!”

“Almost. But your incredible, talented, amazing girlfriend had to swoop in and save the day instead!”

“That she did. Seeing you all guns-blazing as my knight in shining EVO armor was worth all the boasting I’m gonna get from Witt later. Especially since you were using the Rampage. You really know the way to a girl’s heart.”

“And you really know how to design a gun,” Rowenna counters. Finally, she turns in Ramya’s arms to face her, her heart fluttering quickly in her chest at the sight of the woman she loves.

Ramya wastes no time in pressing their lips together, clearly spurred on by the reliving of the match and the compliment to her skills. Immediately, Rowenna is pulled in, passion swelling within her as she lifts her hands to cusp her girlfriend’s face as they kiss. She can feel Ramya’s hands slip beneath her shirt and run up her sides, prompting goosebumps to pop up along her soft skin.

“If I recall correctly,” she begins once there’s enough of a break to speak. She’s breathless from the heat of their kiss. “You repaid the favor by saving me in the next fight.”

“You're lucky,” Ramya chides playfully, lightly kissing and biting along Rowenna’s neck and clavicle. “Maggie woulda torn you a new one. You really need to watch your six.”

“Why should I when I have you to watch it for me?”

Rowenna gasps as her girlfriend goes to lift her shirt up, her head swiveling to check the room, ensuring no one else had entered since they started talking.

“Someone could walk in, Ramya!” she scolds in a whisper. Regardless, there's a mischievous smile on her face. The thrill of the risk is tempting and she can't imagine forcing herself to wait to have her fill of the other woman.

Ramya clicks her tongue before she laughs and shakes her head in a way that tells Rowenna that her partner isn't buying her act.

“I appreciate your attempt at modesty, but ya can’t fool me, Ro.”

The other Legend pulls away and goes to her own locker, quickly pulling a bag from within and shutting it once more. Rowenna follows suit by shutting her locker, then trails after Ramya as she heads toward the showers.

They're both still sweaty from the match; eager to shed their clothes and get under the spray of the shower water – even more so to get their hands on each other. It's about more than just the physical appreciation when they're intimate after a game. It's more like rewarding each other for a job well done, showing their admiration for one another. After all, what better way to express the sentiment that you think your girlfriend is hot when she's spraying bullets at your mutual enemies? Especially if she manages to pull off a clutch play and save your life while doing so.

It doesn't take long for Rowenna to step into the shower stall and turn the water on, adjusting it until it's just on the edge of being too hot. She wets her hair and face, then turns when the stall door opens.

Ramya is a dream with her hair down. The dark brown locks frame her face in a way that makes her look almost sophisticated. She's taken her bindi off and no matter how many times Rowenna sees her without it, she always thinks Ramya’s face looks naked without the teal dot sitting between her thick eyebrows.

“Are you gonna use that on me, or are you just gonna stand there showing it off?” the older Legend asks playfully, her brown eyes flickering down to the strap nestled between her girlfriend's legs. It's impressive; a work that Ramya designed and built herself. Because of course she did.

“Just appreciating the view first, Divina,” Ramya says as she approaches. She shuts the door behind herself without taking her eyes off her lover. “You look so good after a match, especially the ones where you have to sweat. Can you blame me for wanting to soak it in?”

The modder grabs her hips and pulls her close, head dipping down to take one perky breast into her mouth. A soft gasp leaves her at the feeling, her head falling back to rest against the shower wall. Ramya’s mouth is warm, her tongue wet and soft against the sensitive bud and it only serves to make Rowenna all the more impatient.

So impatient, in fact, that she grabs Ramya’s face in her hands and pulls her up, pressing their lips together in a kiss that's more heated than the last. She pushes their lips together eagerly, and doesn't waste time before swirling her own tongue around her partner's in a dance that they both know well by now.

And luckily, Ramya doesn't tease. Instead, she bends to hook her arms under Rowenna’s legs, then lifts her up, pressing her back into the shower wall. She’s strong, of course she is. Whatever Rowenna weighs, it's definitely much less than Sheila and Ramya manages to run while carrying the damn minigun. For miles, at that.

The blunt tip of the strap presses hot against Rowenna’s core, just barely breaching her entrance. What was that she’d thought about not teasing? How naive.

“Ram,” she whines, impatient. It makes Ramya chuckle under her breath, too amused by Rowenna’s suffering.

“What?” the modder asks innocently, as if she doesn't know what could possibly have her girlfriend all desperate and pouty. Her hair is wet and sticking to her cheeks, so dark that it looks black.

“Oh, come on! You owe me!”

“Oh? Do I?”

Wrong thing to say. Now she's smirking and proud, like she just won the lottery.

“Ram, please!”

“Please what?”

“Just fuck me! We can go back and forth about the specifics later!”

Rowenna is rolling her hips down, trying desperately to shove more of the length into herself. It's pointless though, Ramya’s holding her steadily in place. Her arms are strong, her muscles flexing, and the water running over them is only aiding the visual.

“Aww, well… if you insist,” she gives in reluctantly. “You're lucky I'm feeling nice today, love”

“More like you just can't wait either.”

Ramya chuckles one last time before leaning forward and pressing another hot kiss to her partner's lips.

“You got me.”

Finally, the waiting is over, and Ramya presses forward, sinking the toy deep into her girlfriend’s eagerly awaiting opening. The sound that pours from her is one full of relief. After the build up – the fights, the near-deaths, the saves, and then Ramya’s teasing at the end of it all – she thinks being filled up has never felt so good.

Ramya must feel the same way, because she doesn't drag it out. She doesn't sit still once she bottoms out, waiting for Rowenna to pout and beg again like she usually does. Instead, she pulls her hips back, sliding out nearly all the way before quickly pushing back in. Steadily, she builds a rhythm that has the older Legend panting, her legs trembling.

Rowenna’s glad she doesn't need her legs right now, because they're as good as useless.

“Don't stop. Please don't stop,” she begs wantonly. 

The girth of the toy filling her is simultaneously overwhelmingly satisfying and yet not enough. Her walls hug the material tightly, pulsing, trying to keep it inside her because being empty feels like torture.

Ramya leans down to press her tongue against Rowenna’s left nipple, then sucks the bud into her mouth.

She's lost track of the sounds coming out of her own mouth, whether she's moaning or rambling senselessly is anyone's guess anymore. Somewhere within the babbling, though, she must say something about being close, because her girlfriend's efforts increase.

Hot, open-mouthed kisses are pressed against her neck and collarbones. Rowenna reaches up to pull Ramya’s face to hers, their mouths locking in a messy,  passionate kiss as they chase her climax.

“You're so gorgeous like this, Ro,” Ramya pants, her voice low.

The modder’s eyelashes are dark and stuck together, water droplets decorating her sharp cheeks. There's a severe look in her eyes that feeds something deep within her lover, something hungry. If Rowenna had the capability to string together more than three words, she'd return the compliment.

“I'm gonna-” Rowenna warns, or maybe begs, she's unsure.

Either way, one of her girlfriend's hands moves from her leg, instead traveling quickly to that spot between her legs. Deft, experienced fingers are pressed against her clit, rubbing in those perfect circles that sends shivers through her whole body.

She almost wishes she could hold it back. If she could just enjoy this bit for a little longer…

But no, the heat building in her stomach and emanating from her core is ecstasy and she can't quell the throbbing of her cunt as she falls deep into her orgasm. Her back arches against the shower wall, her legs quiver and tighten their hold around Ramya’s hips. Her girlfriend maintains her momentum as well as she can as she's hugged closely, leaning in to bite at Rowenna’s exposed neck. Her own hips are grinding downward as much as they can in her position, unable to stay still as her climax rips through her.

“Fuck- Oh my god…” she gasps, voice high as the last tendrils of it slip away. She's breathing heavy, her chest rising and falling with each quick breath as she attempts to recover.

“That good, yeah?” Ramya asks, cocky as ever. Rowenna wants to pretend to be annoyed, but she can't, not after all that.

“Don’t act surprised,” she settles instead. Ramya only chuckles.

“Think you can stand?”

“Absolutely not.”

“You make it so hard to stay humble.”

So Ramya holds her there against the wall until she feels she can trust her legs again. When she does, she pulls out slowly before setting her down and Rowenna winces at the loss.

The rest of the shower is sweet. They wash each other’s hair, their backs. They exchange kisses at every opportunity and teasing quips just as often.

“So,” Ramya begins as they're drying off. “What's the score then?”

“We're even,” Rowenna replies easily.

“Is that so?” The younger Legend raises one dark eyebrow, a mischievous smirk on her face.

“I saved you from Witt, you saved me from Mags.” Try as she might, she can't remember another instance in the recent game that would tip the scale in Ramya’s favor.

“You're forgetting that fight right at the beginning! Blasey nearly got the jump on you when you were too busy digging around for shield cells,” Ramya reminds her oh-so-politely, her hands gesturing as she speaks.

Rowenna pouts because now that she's been reminded, she knows Ramya is right.

“I boosted your shields though! Doesn't that count for something?”

“Ah, you’re so right. It does,”  she relents, taking the towel from her damp hair, Ramya smirks once more, amused. “And you gave me shield cells for my Sentinel. I guess that's two points against me.”

“What?” Rowenna asks, blushing and laughing lightly. “You're being awfully generous.”

“On the contrary. I'm being very selfish. I'm just looking for more excuses to fuck you.”

“As if you need one,” Rowanna replies, her smile widening.

She knows where Ramya is coming from, though. The back and forth, the IOUs, it's all so much fun. Whether they're on the same team or not. Every game has that much more at stake when it could mean getting fucked like that in the locker room showers. And hell, maybe one of these days they won't even be able to wait until the end of the match.

Now wouldn't that be fun?

[is-there-a-filipino-legend-yet]

My Apex ships

Canon in my heart

Mirage x Octane

Fuse x Caustic

Conduit x Catalyst

Bangalore x Loba x Valkyrie

Rhapsody (from mobile) x Rampart

Mad Maggie x Horizon

Me x Bloodhound

Like them

Rampart x Catalyst

Rampart x Valkyrie

Bloodhound x Catalyst (t4t!)

Bloodhound x Revenant (Hammond haters 4 lyf)

Bloodhound x Lifeline

Wattson x Conduit

Wraith x Loba

Mirage x Crypto

Seer x Loba

Alter x Mad Maggie

Crackship

Forge x Alter

Fuse x Alter

Loba x Alter

Ballistic x Caustic x Fuse x Forge x Revenant (Problematic White Men 5x)

Forge x Revenant

Every Legend x therapy

Respawn x whatever the opposite is of Amatonormativity

Respawn x optimizing their game

Fanartists x giving Crypto his melanin

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book One: Gold (Prompto x Reader) Chapter XII

The royal retinue and guardian split up in their respected groups. Noctis and Ignis went to search for the base's commander while Prompto, (Y/n), and Gladio caused a diversion. The blonde glanced between the two. "So, what's on the menu today for diversions?"

"The bigger stuff will make the biggest explosions. We'll start with any tanks or mechs," Gladio answered.

"That's great and all, but how're we planning on getting inside?" (Y/n) asked.

"You can carry two people, right?" The shield rebuttals with his own question.

"I think so."

"Good, because we're gonna find a hole in their patrol schedule and you're gonna carry us inside."

The spirit looked at the tall walls of Fort Vaullery. She wondered if she could jump to the top with two people on her back. "Guess we'll see soon enough..."

The trio watched the soldiers and MTs for a while before locating a place where they could infiltrate the fort without being spotted. (Y/n) transformed and the two boys climbed onto her back. She pushed herself off the ground and took note of the slight difficulty it was to carry two people. Her spiritual form was about the size of three chocobos and only really allowed for one person to ride on her back. She just mentally prayed she wouldn't drop one of them in her attempt to reach the top of Fort Vaullery's walls.

Getting a running start, the fox sped towards the fort. She leapt as high as she could and managed to land on the ramparts of Fort Vaullery. Watching the enemies' movements closely, she waited for the perfect opportunity to hop down to ground level. She carried Prompto and Gladio towards the area of the fort where they stored the energy tanks and mechs.

When they arrived are their destination, the two boys slid off the fox's back. (Y/n) reverted to her human form and glanced around the area. In the distance, she spotted the black car that had been following them earlier. "What a surprise..." She sarcastically muttered.

"What is?" Prompto asked, following her line of sight. "Oh..."

Gladio wondered what the two were looking at. Seeing the vehicle, his eyes narrowed. "Guess someone from the empire was really following us. But it's not our problem anymore. Let's blow some shit up."

(Y/n), Prompto, and Gladio got to work on their diversion. They blew up many of the energy tanks and mechs, grabbing the attention of the entire base. The two boys used their weapons to wreak havoc while the guardian used her variety of fire spells to destroy the imperial weaponry and the approaching enemies. Among the crowd of soldiers and MTs, she spotted a familiar pair of emerald eyes and spiky black tresses. She glared at Callyx as he pushed through the imperial forces, commanding them to stand down.

The girl, noticing Callyx has a sword in his grasp, placed herself in between him, Prompto, and Gladio. She summoned the Creator's Blade, eyes never leaving the man for a second. He came to a halt a few feet in front of her, scowling. "I don't know if you all are moronic or brazen for infiltrating this place in board daylight."

"You were the one following us. Why?" (Y/n) demanded.

Callyx raises his sword and points the sharp tip at her chest. "You're the spirit the empire's searching for-the conduit. I was convinced you weren't until I saw your blade. You've a lot of nerve lying to me."

"I only became the conduit after visiting the Archaean," she spat. "But why does that matter? You told me yourself you wanted to protect our people."

A wicked grin manifested on the man's face. "Oh, please. That was a bunch of nonsense. I only said such a thing to get closer to you, but it didn't work. You were guarded the entire time."

Her glare sharpened. "So then what's your true goal?"

"To kill the conduit."

(Y/n)'s grip tightened on the hilt of her blade. "Were you the one who killed the woman in Lestallum?"

Callyx chuckled. "Of course, but I only did so because of you. You are the reason she died. Her husband must've been devastated."

"You've got a lot of nerve blaming me. You're the one who betrayed his own people."

"Of course I did, and I'll keep doing it until I become the conduit. All I have to do is keep killing spirits until Brahma has no other choice but to choose me. With his power, the empire will be indestructible and no one will be able to stop them."

"You're a sick bastard," Gladio growled.

"Call me what you like. Just like you, I'm only serving my kingdom with every fiber of my being," Callyx scoffed.

(Y/n) swung her sword and forced the man to retract his blade from her chest. Without looking at her companions, she addressed them. "Prompto, Gladio, regroup with Noctis and Ignis. I'll handle him."

"Be careful," Prompto said. He, although reluctant to leave her, trusted in her fighting abilities.

Gladio also believed in her strength and didn't argue. "Don't keep us waiting too long, short stuff."

"I'll try to make this quick," she replied.

Prompto and Gladio rushed off. Callyx ordered his men to pursue them while he remained behind. He stared into the girl's golden eyes once all the imperial troopers and MTs were gone. "Are you going to hand over that sword or will I have to pry it from your dead body?"

"No way in hell you're getting this sword," she hissed.

Callyx sighed. "This would've been much easier if you knew who you truly were."

She couldn't help but laugh. "I already know the truth about myself, but that doesn't change my loyalty."

"But what about that boy you care so much for? Does he know the truth?" (Y/n) tensed, which caused Callyx to guffaw. "So he doesn't? A shame if he or the others knew who you truly were. Would they cut all ties with you? Or even try to kill you? I am quite curious as to what their reactions would be. Maybe I should tell them."

"As if they would believe you," she sneered.

"Very true." Callyx jammed his sword into the ground. "Enough chitchat. Let's fight like real guardians." His body was enveloped in a bright light. When it vanished, a black tiger with emerald stripes, black horns, and wings stood in the man's place.

(Y/n) didn't hesitate to transform. In her spiritual form, she growled threateningly at Callyx. She nimbly leapt to the side when he launched himself at her. His form was bigger than hers, which meant she had the upper hand in agility. She kept her distance from the emerald-eyed tiger, trying to think of a plan of attack.

Callyx used a lightning spell. A bolt of lightning emitted from his front paws and darted towards the fox. (Y/n) promptly used her tails to form a large fireball and used it to absorb the lightning. She then hurled the fireball towards the tiger, but he easily jumped out of the way.

The moment (Y/n) went to conjure a fire vortex, Callyx pounced on her. He tackled her to the ground and dug his sharp claws into her side. She cried out in pain, struggling against the tiger as his fangs sunk into the flesh of her back. Using her many tails, she wound them around his body and yanked him off her. Tossing him aside, she got to her feet. Blood seeped from her injuries, trailing down her side and dripping to the ground. She bore her fangs with a menacing growl, the white tips of her tails becoming engulfed with flames. Each one shot forward and impaled the tiger.

Callyx roared as the blazing appendages pierced his flesh and burned his insides. Although the pain was unbearable, he managed to fight through it and free himself from the tails. Before he could attack (Y/n), she had pinned his body to the ground with hers. Her gold-slitted eyes bore into his emerald ones as she snarled at him. She placed her paw against his front right leg and used all her weight to step down. She heard and felt the bone crack under her weight.

The tiger roared out in pain, but he was soon met with even more anguish when a searing pain overtook his right eye. (Y/n) had used the tip of one of her tails to burn his right eye, permanently blinding him. She leapt back, putting some distance between her and Callyx.

Reverting back to her human form, she pressed a hand against her bleeding side with a wince. Her golden eyes never left the tiger, watching his right eye bleed and his front right leg twitch slightly at the strange angle it was bent. She huffed out a chuckle at seeing his pitiful state. "Looks like you lose, Callyx." She exhaled deeply, the pain in her side and back blooming. "As much as I would love to watch you squirm around like this, I need to catch up with the others. I'm sure some of your imperial buddies will patch you up, but don't expect to be seeing anything with your right eye ever again. After all you've done, you deserve more. Have fun writhing around in pain, you bastard." Turning her back to the tiger, she walked away.

With her hand still pressed against her bleeding side, (Y/n) trudged through Fort Vaullery in search of the boys. She came across some imperial troopers and MTs, but she quickly disposed of them with her fire magic. Her vision was beginning to blur due to the blood loss, the edges of her eyes slowly being consumed by darkness.

After trekking around the fort for some time, the spirit found the boys fighting against a woman. She saw how skilled she was, admiring her movements before deciding to help her friends. She conjured a throwing knife made of pure flames and threw it at the woman, catching her off guard. Noctis took the chance to attack, but his blade only sliced air when the woman leapt up into the air and landed on a platform above. "Aw, is it that time already?"

Noctis lowered his sword, puzzled at her question. "What time?"

"Quittin' time. Sorry, but this girl doesn't work after hours. I could, but there wouldn't be a single gil in it for me. We should play again sometime, pretty boy. And you." The woman met (Y/n)'s gaze. "I look forward to seeing you in action, firefly." She leaps out of sight, almost as if vanishing into thin air.

All the boys turn in wonderment as to whom the woman was addressing. Their eyes landed on the injured (Y/n), who was having difficulty standing on her own. Prompto gasped in horror when seeing the blood seeping through her fingers and cascading down her side. "(Y/n)!" He rushed over just in time to catch her as her legs gave out. Her body slumped against his as he fell to a single knee. "I need help over here!"

Ignis rushes over and kneels beside the couple. He pulls (Y/n)'s hand away from her wound and saw the severity of it. He saw not only her side was injured but her back as well. Using a couple of hi-potions, he was able to mend the wounds and stop the bleeding. "She will be needing rest."

"Thanks, Iggy," Prompto sighed in relief.

(Y/n) was able to get back on her feet, but the blonde wouldn't let go of her. "Prom, I'm fine. I can walk."

He shook his head. "No way. You're pale and you still look like you're about to pass out. Lemme give you a piggyback ride."

She exhaled heavily, knowing he was right. She was feeling lightheaded and wouldn't make it far before passing out. Accepting his offer, she climbed onto his back when he turned around and squatted down. She loosely wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands cupped the back of her knees. He gently hoisted her onto his back, making a few adjustments when he stood up.

"What happened to you?" Noctis asked the girl as they make their way out of Fort Vaullery.

"Callyx happened," she replied. "That bastard's the one who killed Cynthia and so many other spirits. He's so desperate to gain Brahma's powers that he's willing to kill his own people for it. I made sure he suffered."

"Is he still alive?" Gladio questioned.

"Yeah, but I left him with a broken leg and blind in his right eye."

"Why didn't you kill him?"

"Death would be an easy escape for him. I want him to suffer for all he's done." (Y/n) leaned her head against the side of Prompto's. She closed her eyes, intending to clear her head. However, she wound up passing out.

<-------------<<<<<

Back in Old Lestallum, the royal retinue regrouped with Iris. The young Amicitia noticed the passed out guardian on Prompto's back and began bombarding them with questions as they piled into the Regalia. With Gladio's help, Prompto was able to get (Y/n) off of his back and into his lap in the front seat of the car. Riding out of the small town, he held her close against him.

Gladio, wishing to shatter the silence, spoke up. "I coulda gone another round."

"Given her prowess, you should be glad you didn't," Ignis stated.

"Yeah, that Loqi guy was nothing compared to her," Prompto chimed in.

"Though we may not have fared so well without the marshal."

"Think things would've gone differently if he were here now?"

"She offered to play again. Maybe we'll get the chance to find out," the shield said.

"Wonder what happened that other guy," Noctis pondered. "Y'know, the one who injured (Y/n)."

"You mean Callyx?" Prompto asked.

"Yeah."

The blonde combed his fingers through the spirit's (h/c) locks. "(Y/n) did say she injured him pretty badly."

"Probably pissed him off, though," Gladio spoke up.

"I pray we do not encounter him soon," Ignis added. "For (Y/n)'s sake."

Prompto continued to stroke the sleeping girl's hair before twirling a single strand around his finger. He listened to her even and steady breathing, which brought him some semblance of peace. He didn't care that the others could see him. He wasn't as shy as before in front of the guys when it came to (Y/n). It may have also been easier to control his emotions when she wasn't awake and teasing him.

During the drive, Prompto removes one of his hands from the spirit and searched for his camera. When he found it, he flipped through the pictures until he came across one of Callyx and (Y/n) at the Cauthess Coernix Station. He examined the photo closely, eyes widening when he took a closer look at the man standing beside the golden-eyed spirit. Callyx was wielding a small dagger that was partially hidden by the sleeve of his jacket. Thinking back to the time he took the picture, he remembered he interrupted the two guardians right after taking it. If he hadn't intervened, Callyx could've possibly killed (Y/n).

"Is everything all right, Prompto?" Ignis asked after noticing the blonde's extended silence.

Prompto didn't hesitate to show the picture to the others. Noctis took the camera from his best friend and analyzed the picture, easily spotting the small dagger Callyx was trying to conceal. "Would he really have killed (Y/n) right then and there?"

Gladio took the camera from the prince and took a glance at the photo. "Wouldn't put it past the bastard, especially after hearing what he said at the fort."

"It's a good thing I showed up when I did," Prompto said. "If not...(Y/n) could be dead right now."

"Oh, that reminds me," Iris spoke up. "What did Geralt have to say?"

Prompto looked over his shoulder and peered into the backseat. "He told me a couple of things about a guardian's death."

"Well that's...gruesome," Noctis mumbled.

"Like what?" Gladio pried.

"He showed me the ring he wore that had Cynthia's gemstone on it. He told me it once was blue, but the gemstone was cracked and black. If a spirit dies, their gemstone loses its color and cracks." Prompto glanced down at his bracelet with a solemn gaze. "He...also mentioned what it felt like to lose her."

"He felt her die?" Iris gasped.

The boy nodded. "Yeah. He said it felt like someone had stabbed him in the chest."

"The connection between Geralt and Cynthia was severed," Ignis said.

"You know about it, Specs?" Noctis inquired.

The strategist nodded. "I've read a plethora amount of tomes in regards to guardians. When a spirit is killed, the connection to the soul of which gave birth to them is torn asunder. The pain is a result of the rupture between the two binded souls."

"Damn..."

Prompto bit his bottom lip with a sorrowful expression. He inhaled deeply, remembering what he told the widower. "I promised Geralt I would protect (Y/n), but...I guess I've kinda already failed."

"I don't think you have," Iris voiced her opinion. "She's still here, isn't she?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Who cares about what happened at the fort," Noctis sighed. "(Y/n)'s still breathing, right?"

Prompto tunes in to the spirit's deep and even breaths again. "Well, yeah."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just... I feel like I could've changed the outcome, y'know? Like, if I would've stayed behind with her to deal with Callyx, then she wouldn't have been injured."

"You can't protect her from everything and everyone, Romeo," Gladio said. "You're not some invincible, know-it-all hero from a comic book. So she got hurt this time, but she's still alive. That's all you need to care about."

Prompto's eyes gleamed with realization at their words. He nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, you guys are right. Thanks."

"Well, you cheered up quicker than usual," the shield commented.

"Glad we could help," Iris giggled.

"Eh, it's no big deal," Noctis replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

Glancing at the road ahead, Prompto's smile blooms. He holds (Y/n) as close as possible, overjoyed his worries were washed away by the words of his friends. He couldn't ask for a better group of people to travel with. "You guys are the best."

Gladio grinned from ear to ear. "Tell us something we don't know."

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[appendixz]

144. Not only are there no hot-air registers, return air vents, or radiators, cast iron or other, or cooling systems—condenser, reheat coils, heating convector, damper, concentrator, dilute solution, heat exchanger, absorber, evaporator, solution pump, evaporator recirculating pump—or any type of ducts, whether spiral lock-seam/standing rib design, double-wall duct, and Loloss (TM) Tee, flat oval, or round duct with perforated inner liner, insulation, and outer shell; no HVAC system at all, even a crude air distribution system—there are no windows—no water supplies, drains, bathtubs, urinals, sinks, drinking fountains, water heaters, or coolers, expansion tanks, pressure relief valves, flow control, branch vent, downspout, soil stacks, or waste stacks, or fire protection equipment: smoke detectors, sprinkers, flow detectors, dry pipe valve, O.S. & Y. Gate valve, water motor alarm, visual annunciation devices, hose rack and hose reel whether a 2 1/2″ or 1 1/2′ valve, foam systems, gaseous suppression systems; nor any sign of daisy-chain wiring or star wiring or electrical metallic tubing (EMT), rigid conduit, wireways, bus ducts, underfloor ducts, a cellular floor, a raised floor, or for that matter wire of any sort, No. 36 to No. 0000 (#4/0), or electrical boxes—3 duct junction boxes etc., etc.— or plug-in receptacles, 3-prong grounded duplex or other, pots on pans or cans, or switch plates, switches, whether swing pole, dimmer or remote, or circuit breakers or fuses, whether lead, tin, copper, silver, etc., etc., with a voltage class from 12, 24, 125, 250, 600, 5000+, or even lights, whether electrical discharge, incandescent, or combustion, no flame arc or gas-filled, tipless, inside frosted, decorative, general service, 10,000 watt aviation picture studio, projection signal, Christmas tree, arc projector, photoflood, mercury, sodium, glow, sun, flash, black light, water cooled, germicidal, purple x, ozone, fluorescent, Slimline, Lumiline, Circline, rough service, Q coated, Bonus A-line, 75,000 watt, Quartzline, special service, DVY, DFC, iodine cycle, axial quartz, halogen cycle, bi-post, heat, brooder, red bowl therapy, silver neck brooder, quartz infrared, bent-end infrared, iodine cycle infrared, RSC base, red filter, Marc 300, Lucalox, multi-vapor, e-bulb mercury, 1,500 watt multi-vapor, Watt-Miser II, Magicube, Flash Bar, Flip-Flash, GE-500, composite, discharge forward lighting, Precise, 35.5 lumens, white Lucalox, standby Lucalox, high output Lucalox, Halarc 32 watt, Halarc 100 watt, Staybright XL, high intensity Biax, metal halide, to say nothing of communication systems such as public address, intercom, radio, TV, CCTV, SATV, VSAT, telephone, (PAX or PBX etc., etc.,) or data, signal multimedia designs, or BAS, BMS, BMAS automation; there are not even any moldings or other stylistic signatures such as casings, baseboards, or finished floors, linoleum, cement, whether fast setting, coloured, fiber reinforced, self-leveling, mortar, high early-strength, sand mix, silica sand, plastic, hydraulic, or sheet vinyl, tile, cork tile, terrazo, rubber, carpeting, epoxy, ceramic & stone, slate, aputit-siarvaq, or marble, whether white—Danby Imperial, Colorado Yule, or Carrara—or black or green; or hardwood, whether overlay, strip flooring with alternate joints, or herringbone, inlaid, basket weave, Arenberg, Chantilly, or Versailles parquet; in fact no wood anywhere, whether rewordd, treated western hemlock, yellow pine, cedar, wood-polymer, Engelmann spruce, pecan, southern magnolia, Colorado spruce, alpine fir, american beech, northern red oak, Canada Hemlock, red maple, sugar maple, eastern white pine, butternut hickory, shagbark hickory, american plane tree, eastern black walnut, ponerosa pine, white fir, northern catalpa, common bald cypress, american sweet gum, bur oak, California live oak, mahogany, Douglas fir, eastern cottonwood; nor any sign of a sub-floor, sheathing, drywall, any kind of insulating material, polyicynne or other; sills, sill plates, sill sealer, rebar, anchor bolts, let alone footings or foundation walls; or bricks, whether split paver or red bullnose, or wall studs, firestopping, or braces, nor evidence of floor joists, rafters, king posts, struts, side posts, ridge beams, collar ties, gussets, furring strips, or bed molding (at least the stairs offer some detail: risers, treads, two large newel posts, one at the top and one at the bottom, capped and connected with a single, curved banister supported by countless balusters) though among other things no wallpaper, veneer plaster, Baldwin locks, any sign of glass, whether clear, reflective, insulated, heat-resistant, switchable, tinted, bad-guy, antique; or even tin-plated steel, factory-painted steel, brass; or even a single nail and screw, whether sheet-metal, particleboard, drywall, concrete, drive, aluminum, silicon bronze, solid brass, mechanically galvanized, yellow-zinc plated, stainless steel, epoxy coated, black finish, Durocoat; to say nothing of the sheer absence of anything that might suggest a roof, whether pitched, gable, hip, lean-to, flat, sawtooth, monitor, ogee, bell, dome, helm, sloped, hip-and-valley, conical, pavilion, rotunda, imperial, or mansard; no westwork, ziggurat, brise-soleil, trompe l’oeil etc., fenestration, tierceron rib, coffering, tholos, strapwork, stoa, egg-and-tongue, sala terena, absidole, rotunda, revetments, reredos, flying buttresses, retablo, herm, bedevere, pavillion, pastas, narthex, lunettes, dormers, cottage orné, pendentives, cheek-walls, cavetto, abutment, nor vaulted chambers, whether quadripartite or lierne vaults, or Mihrab domes, turrets, minarets, minbars, porticoes, peristyles, tabliniums, compluviums, impluviums, atriums, alas, exceedras, androns, fauces, posticums, peristylums, vestibules, arcades, apses, naves, naos, pronaos, opisthodomos, nymphaeum, internal crepidoma, courtyards, paradegrounds, bailey, demilune, caponiere, tenaille, flank, postern, rampart, face, bastion, embrasure, curtain, keep, brattice, merlon, or battlement; nor—obviously—pilasters, pillars, friezes, entablatures, architraves, facades, pediments, stylobates, triglyphs, scotia, torus, fillets, finials, and flutes, capitals, whether Ionic, Doric, or Corinthian, with volutes, abacuses, rosettes, acanthus leafe, or metopes, guttas, mutules, acroterions, dentils, or modillions, or even tretoil, Tudor, stilted, horeshoe, ogee, lancet, or equilateral arches, most probably resembling basket handle though without any sign of a keystone, pier, spandrel, voussoir, springer, or import. Picture that. In your dreams.

— Zampanò, House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski