#do you think the astral express crew will let him? or are they gonna try to find another way? without letting him do it all on his own?

[buqbite]

it's kinda fascinating to me how welt has been "at the end of his life" for like. several decades by now. he goes on and on about how old and weary he is and how "his job is done" and his story is over but- oh wait i just realized i can phrase this in a very funny way- he's kind of sorta immortal now because he got the herrscher core back, so he's really just stuck in the epilogue for all eternity

[theguyinthemathexamples]

Silly idea me and my friend had with sagau, sahsrau and possibly sawuwaau(??)

But like, what if, due to your consciousness essentially merging/being connected to the MC more, sometimes stuff gets a lil funky and you start seeing things you shouldn't

Like yk, ghosts 😇🙏

I recommend strapping in because these are gonna be three flash fictions into one + having lots of talking lol

(more utc‼️)

For example, in a fic style:

"Hey, are you gonna eat your food, Traveler?" Paimon asked, looking worriedly at the distracted visage of her friend. "Something on your mind? You can always tell Paimon what's on your mind!"

They shook their head, eyes looking at the person who stared at them and their companion. Eyes unblinking, appearance overall disheveled and aged.

"That guy's been staring at us the whole time we've been eating," they replied, eyes switching over to Paimon in a barely contained distressed fashion. "It's almost worrying me."

"What guy?"

Paimon silently asked again, "What?" when her friend looked at her so incredulously.

"You don't see him?" they asked again, now worried beyond belief. The last time Paimon saw them like this was when they fought Arlecchino.

"Traveler, I think that's a ghost we're both seeing," the voice inside his mind pointed out, trying to calm their mental state. Right, they forgot the Creator was a part of their mind now.

And as the voice just predicted, one blink and that figure was gone, the Traveler seeing its shadow scurry into a corner of the restaurant.

The door chime rang out and in a cyan and a blue haired boy entered the restaurant, another blue haired girl following right after. Right, Chongyun, Xingqiu and Xiangling.

The ghost must've scurried off when it sensed Chongyun nearby. Well, at least that put an end to their distress.

——————

LIKE THE AMOUNT OF DISTRESS WHEN THE MCS SEE A GHOST FOR THE FIRST TIME

it'd be so chaotic, especially hsr's mcs bc good god they're already so adhd coded

You could think of them going through it like:

"Woah woah, what's got you all terrified, Trailblazer?" March 7th asked, a worried Dan Heng embracing them when they accidentally bumped into him trying to run away from something.

The Astral Express were quickly informed by them personally that they've been seeing ghosts and all sorts of spiritual apparitions that don't normally appear physically like heliobi, but seemingly living people that were doing normal things or otherwise.

It all started around the time they also figured out that the Creation's consciousness had somehow taken an interest in the Trailblazer, latching onto their body and making the Stellaron inside them a bit restless, unstable.

"It's... I saw Cocolia at the Administrative District," they said, panting from exhaustion. The story sounded so unreal, with how impossible it sounded, but with how broad the Creation works nothing was truly impossible.

"She was looking at Bronya shopping and talking to the people, always un-staring." March patted their back in assurance, joining Dan Heng in sitting them down onto the red couches in the Parlour Car.

"When I came closer to see if she was real, she whipped her head around so fast with the scariest look on her face!—"

"It's okay, Caelus Stelle Trailblazer, she can't reach you here," the choir of voices erupted in their mind, the chirping of birds and clinking machinery in their tone momentarily calming them down by a substantial amount.

"Well, it's a good thing ghosts can't get into the Express because that means she can't hurt you here!" March exclaimed, Dan Heng having to resist rolling his eyes at the obvious but letting her reassure them nonetheless. Dumb, dumber and dumbest— the trio wouldn't be complete with one of them missing.

Then, the cabin's speakers erupted in an all too familiar voice. "Attention, all Astral Express crew members! Dinner is ready, so please hurry over to the kitchen cabin and join me and Welt to eat here!" The Astral Express's Conductor excitedly exclaimed over the mic, never failing to make the three smile from their infectious enthusiasm.

"Well, we were supposed to find you and Himeko for dinner but it looks like Pom Pom beat us to it again," March said, jumping up from her seat with her hands on her hips.

"Last one to reach the kitchen cabin is a rotten egg!"

"Hey, no fair, you got a head start!"

Dan Heng sighed at the two's shenanigans yet again, slowly getting up from his own seat as the two raced over to the cabin. That Aeon truly knew how to control and manipulate the emotions of a being to THEIR liking, and he even felt it wash over him earlier.

He'll need to observe it more before adding another entry into THEIR dedicated part of the Archives.

———————

This one was a little confusing to make into a scenario but it's what my eepy mind came up with on the spot :p

Now for our dearest Rover, it's a bit difficult to make it make sense, yk? Mostly because Tacet Discords shapeshifting into people is canon (if people actually paid attention to the lore), much less actually fitting the lore of this seemingly interplanetary eldritch being into the world of Wuthering Waves in the first place lmao

Maybe we could be the galaxy eye we see in the first cutscene, as well as the one when Abby (the lil echo that appeared after the Dreamless fight) and Rover being together

But this is all me yapping about a whole other subject— related, but not the one we're diving into right now

Getting back into the subject though, this is how i think it'd go:

It was another bright, sunny day at Panhua's Restaurant, the scent of delicious food wafting through the air as always. Rover, Yangyang, Chixia and Jiyan all sat around a table, with Abby floating around all plump and full.

"Say, Rover, didn't you say you had something to say for us today?" Chixia inquired, stacking and overall making the empty dishes look cleaner and neater.

"Yeah, just a strange sighting I saw near Desorock Highlands," they replied, putting a deft hand on their chin as if to think back on the memory.

"Me, Jiyan and The Black Sun were conversing like usual when we came across groups of people near the Tacet Field where the Thundering Memphis usually dwelled," Rover recounted, unconsciously pulling the leash that was attached to Abby's collar closer. "Some were laughing with eachother, acting as if most groups weren't crying out in agony."

"Aren't those just Tacet Discords that have absorbed lots of human frequencies?"

"No, there was something more... alive to them, besides the fact that the General himself couldn't see them," they replied to Yangyang, letting the leash go as Abby went back in their Tacet Mark with one last burp.

"Even when I went closer to them, they didn't attack me, more or less ignoring me entirely."

"Wait, who's this 'The Black Sun' you're talking about Rover? Is there another echo inside of you?" Chixia jumped up to ask, startling both Jiyan and Rover.

"The Black Sun is what you may have seen when you first found Rover and ventured back to Jinzhou, just as I did so as well," the General explained, waving over to Rover's direction in an attempt to explain this name to both ladies. Yangyang nodded and Chixia let out an "Oh," in understanding.

"I will admit, seeing them not react to us at all looked a lil' unnerving," the voice inside their mind stated in a breathy voice, unclear like a cloud of smoke.

Though the voice had no body and claimed that they weren't an echo like Abby, only really being able to be heard clearly when they're dreaming, it often provided support whenever it could— unlike a certain someone.

"I've already sent the proper human resources over to investigate the matter, the only thing left to do is to wait for results," Jiyan said, already standing up when he saw the bill arriving.

The three simply nodded in thanks to the General, knowing full well he'd insist on it till his last breath. And when he came back to the table the subject had already changed into another, more or less silly one.

Well, at least everyone was enjoying themselves.

———————

I didn't have much for the last part like i said, and it's more filled with dialogue, but it's better than nothing

Please do tell me if I missed anything or said something totally wrong!!

Now, is this an excuse to push my sahsrau fic more? ... mmmmaayyybbeee 😇

[downbadmostofthetime]

with the release of 2.0 and with the comments & reblogs this has received, i wanted to add a bit more to my point.

firstly though, i do want to clear up the fact that ruan mei apparently DOES have a place for you to talk to her whenever, it’s just that it’s through a phone. though my point still stands for dr ratio and now especially more considering that he got screentime in the penacony quest (not that much but it was still notable)

it was also brought to my attention (i knew about this but i just forgot at the time of making the post) that argenti’s voicelines are incredibly one sided. he has voicelines for the astral expression crew and even ones for joining into battles, but nobody on that fucking train has a voice line about him. NOBODY. like what?? not even a joining battle voiceline from the trailblazer?? what the hell is this????

the knights of beauty were also mentioned briefly in the penacony quest about how (if my memory is correct” they were invited to come, but they didn’t respond and thus didn’t come. honestly, this feels like (to me) a messy way to try and include them. the knights of beauty all work alone, so when it’s said that they were invited, so they mean every knight or just one or a few?? AND i think it’s pretty obvious that they wouldn’t even go in the first place. like i said, they work alone for idrila, so idk why whoever was sending these invites out even thought that a single one of them was gonna show up from their invite.

that could just be me overreacting in some way or being dumb but idk that’s what it sounds like to me.

i also previously mentioned how argenti doesn’t get a lot of attention compared to a character like dr ratio, and sure, maybe dr ratio is an unfair comparison because he’s someone who got a lot of attention because we got him for free ( and his bathtub lightcone…)

but i also wanted to shed light on another male character who is in the same place as argenti: luka.

of course, luka is a four star character so idk if it’s really fair to compare him to five stars. but luka is in the same boat with argenti & his appearances (except he actually appeared in an event once, unlike argenti). and i mentioned how dr ratio’s lightcone had people going crazy, while luka’s is pretty similar (and arguably, in my opinion, hotter) and yet nobody cares??

now. what’s something that luka and argenti both have in common that i think drags down their popularity (in the fandom) a lot??

they have no good yaoi ships.

there’s nothing wrong with yaoi ships. but it’s really annoying how nobody will give your favourite character time a day because they just happened to have no other proper connections with another male character.

at least for argenti, there’s velite. but literally (UNFORTUNATELY) nobody gives a shit about an npc x playable character ship (i wish people did though because i am a huge fucking argelite shipper holy shit) but for luka he has absolutely none because he like rarely even ever mentions a guy & his companion mission had seele play a big part in it, who is a woman and a lesbian and in love with bronya.

you may think this point is absurd but it’s really not. let’s take gepard and sampo as examples. by themselves, I wouldn’t say they’re the most popular characters, they’re definitely overshadowed by other characters a ton. but because if you ship them together, you’ve got that enemies to lovers, criminal x guard dynamic, and that increases their popularity.

blade and dan heng are both popular because of their ship, jing yuan is too considering he can be shipped with both. aventurine and dr ratio are newer characters that literally exploded in popularity because 1 they’re hot and 2 toxic yaoi lightcone

yeah my point(s) being that argenti still doesn’t get in game love by hoyoverse (he’s not even confirmed to be the world 9 boss in the simulated universe it’s that fucking boss in penacony that one hits you) and he also doesn’t get love by hsr fans because his main ship is with an npc we’ll most likely never see again

(edit a few hours later): oh yeah I forgot to mention that on twitter there was a 5 star character holding rate with a sample size of over 32k people and argenti was literally LAST WITH JUST OVER 20% SEE WHAT I MEAN HES LITERALLY SO UNPOPULAR DESPITE HIM BEING OP

can I be honest for a second

I actually kind of hate the treatment argenti got when he came out

sure. he’s a playable 5 star, got his own companion mission, and as well as a boss fight.

but comparing that to other characters, he literally got almost the bare minimum.

sure not every character has a companion mission, but those characters will usually be apart of other character’s companion missions or even in events centred around them (take sushang and guinaifen for example).

and while argenti is one of the few playable characters to have a boss fight, the others still have more than him

gepard may not have his own companion mission, but he was a main character in serval’s and even received visitor verification after you complete it, as well as the fact that he actually stands somewhere in belobog so you can talk to him whenever you please. plus he was also in the main story quest, just not as a prominent character. and as well that he’s a boss and is fightable in world 3

yanqing on the other hand does have his own companion mission, has visitor verification, is a fightable boss in world 8, had a very brief appearance in the main story quest (if I remember correctly) but was also complacent in two other companion missions (kafka and jingliu’s), and is available to talk to whenever you please.

kafka has her own companion mission, while she doesn’t have visitors verification. she’s one of the main antagonists in the game and is quite important to the lore (it’s unfair to compare her to argenti but you get the idea, so I won’t elaborate on the other things she has)

while argenti has:

-no visitor verification

-no appearance in any main story quest

-isn’t available to talk to whenever you please

-isn’t in any events so far

you can argue that “dr ratio and ruan mei are new characters and they aren’t bosses, available to talk to whenever, etc” but they do have main story quests (one for each actually), ruan mei has technically her own event (it’s based off of her own creations but they’re HERS and plus she has her own cat design so) and they both also have visitor verification.

maybe im just overreacting or just too impatient considering that argenti only came out in the second half of 1.5!!! and plus he’s gotten loads of attention outside of the game with hoyoverse buying the naming rights to a specific kind of rose species and naming it after him and holding a whole exhibition!!!! you know!!!!

but it kind of does suck with how his companion mission was so good, but the ending just felt very incomplete for me? like it feels like they didn’t know how to just properly end it so we got that (not that I’m complaining though I loved his quest). and as well as how he didn’t even receive visitor verification??? despite expressing his wishes to return???? they could just pull a seele, bronya and jing yuan with him but at least with those three they didn’t really have like an opportunity in the story for that to come around (if that makes sense) and thus them being added months later. but it’s different for argenti, considering how all three of them don’t even have a companion quest while argenti’s only main appearance is him having one.

argenti in my opinion is definitely one of the more underrated male characters and idk it just really sucks because I love him a lot and it kind of hurts to see how he isn’t getting as much attention as newer male characters like dr ratio for example.

yeah idk where I was going with this if anyone read this whole thing then hello I guess I hope you enjoyed that

[serenlyss]

Into Hell Chapter 1

Fandom: Astral Chain Rating: T (violence, hospitalization, near death experiences, injury, amputation) Relationships: Akira & Amane (PC), Amane & Brenda & Hal Summary: Akira is alive. She has no idea how she did it. She’d given one look to the sight of her brother’s body protruding from the body of that thing, and the next thing she remembers is rushing forward, faster than she’d thought possible, the Sword Legion on her chain. And it'd worked. Crossposted to AO3: Chapter 1

---

Akira is alive.

She has no idea how she did it. She’d given one look to the sight of her brother’s body protruding from the body of that thing, and the next thing she remembers is rushing forward, faster than she’d thought possible, the Sword Legion on her chain. She doesn’t know if it’d been her own instincts guiding her, or if maybe her Legion had taken pity on her and guided her, but in that moment, she’d known exactly what she’d needed to do. She’d seen them, faintly, the strings that had connected Akira to the monster who used to be Yoseph.

She’d never felt more in sync with her Legion than when they’d moved, then, the Legion’s bladed arm severing those tiny threads at the same moment she’d lunged forward to spear her X-baton through Noah’s center and shattered its core. She’d bargained everything--her own life, Akira’s, those of every other human still left living on the Ark--in a desperate bid to save the only family she has left. And it’d worked.

He’s not standing, not really. His entire body flickers with red corruption, and though his body above his waist still appears intact, his legs seem to disappear into shifting pixels. They remind Amane far too much of the flickering red shadows she’s seen on occasion within the Astral Plane, and the thought makes her stomach turn so abruptly that she thinks she might vomit. He stares at her in disbelief, having narrowly escaped his own self-assigned death only by the grace of his twin sister’s stubbornness.

Amane’s own legs feel like jelly. The longer she stands in the middle of the ARI’s roof, sucking in exhausted breath after exhausted breath, the more she can feel the numbness creeping up her legs and arms. She takes a few fumbling steps toward Akira at the same time he moves toward her, neither one of them able to stay on their feet for long.

It’s Akira who collapses first, stumbling on his corrupted legs, and Amane barely manages to get her arms around him before she falters herself, and both of them collapse to their knees in a messy heap. Amane clings to him tightly, and for the first time in a long time, she cries.

“You idiot!” She sobs, holding Akira’s head to her shoulder and burying her face in his neck. “How dare you try to die and leave me behind? You don’t get to sacrifice yourself for me, do you understand? And don’t ever make me choose between you and my job again.” She clings to him tightly, scared that if she loosens her grip, he’ll be corrupted entirely and go to a place beyond her reach, leaving only his shadow behind. Even now, she can feel the corruption from his body prodding at her, spreading, infecting her and the area around them, but she ignores it. She’s not going to let something as stupid as this separate them, not after everything they’ve been through.

Akira grips her back weakly, managing a quiet chuckle in the face of her chastising words. “M’sorry,” he manages, but he’s barely clinging to consciousness, and after another few seconds his arms fall limp and his head lulls against his sister’s shoulder. He doesn’t disappear, though, and Amane can feel his shallow breathing against her neck where it’s exposed by her high uniform collar. She continues to hold him close, even as her own body begs for rest.

She doesn’t know how long she sits like this, curled around Akira’s unconscious form, but eventually she’s snapped out of her thoughts by the crackling of her radio, which starts up abruptly after hours of radio silence. The voice on the other end cuts in and out with unintelligible words, and she instinctively reaches a hand up to the radio to answer the call. It takes a few seconds for the audio to clear, but when it does, she hears Olive’s concerned voice come from it.

“...hear me? Am I getting through? If you can hear this message, please respond.” Amane can hear the desperation in Olive’s voice, though the sound is nearly drowned out by the electric noise of the helicopters that land atop the ARI roof all around her.

“I’m here,” Amane rasps, her hand shaking against the radio’s smooth plastic. “Akira’s with me.”

“Oh, thank god!” The relief in Olive’s voice is palpable, the words coming as a sigh of relief. “We lost sight of you in the chaos. Our radios were scrambled and there was too much noise for the radar or biosensors to pick up anything concrete. We only just got the radios working again, but I’ve already sent a medical squad and a cleanup crew to your location.” There’s a pause on Olive’s end, and the sound of muffled words being spoken, and then she adds, “We’re gonna get you out of there, both of you.”

The signal goes quiet, and Amane lets her hand fall from the radio as, all around her, helicopters close in on her location and land on the roof of the ARI. She winces at the noise, gritting her teeth as the doors to the helicopters fall open and the rooftop is filled suddenly with shouting and footsteps and barked orders. Her vision is fuzzy, and she can no longer feel her legs at all, but she clings stubbornly to Akira despite the way her body fights her every move. She’s vaguely aware of being surrounded, and then Brenda’s voice sounds in front of her, drawing her attention.

“Amane? Oh, good, you’re still awake,” she says, brows furrowed in determination as she gives both her and Akira a quick once-over. “Listen carefully to me. Everything’s going to be okay, but we need to get Akira proper medical attention, alright? I need you to let him go so we can help him.”

Amane hadn’t realized how tightly she’d been holding Akira, but she realizes now that the medics surrounding her are trying, carefully, to separate them so they can move Akira onto a stretcher. She blinks, her hazy mind finally catching up to her, and she reluctantly loosens her grip on his half-corrupted form. She has to stop herself from reaching out for him as the medics lift him as delicately as possible and move him a few paces to where the stretcher is waiting. “Is he going to be okay?” she asks, desperation leaking into her voice and making her sound small.

Brenda offers her a small, tense smile. “We’re going to do everything we can, I promise,” she replies, but Amane can read the doubt that underlies her words. “I’m going to go with them, but my team will take care of you in the meantime. I need you to relax, okay? You got pretty roughed up, and I’m worried about your corruption levels, but you’re going to be fine. Just take it easy, everything’s going to be okay.” She continues to murmur soothing words to Amane as she grasps her by both shoulders and slowly pushes her down onto the ground, and dimly, Amane realizes that she’s being laid out on a stretcher of her own. She stares blankly up into the faces of the medics that lean over her, making sure she’s safely in the stretcher before they lift her up.

She feels heavy, dragged down by an invisible weight that lays over her like a thick blanket. She can barely think, and as voices reach her ears, their words turn into garbled, staticy nonsense in her brain. She lets her eyes fall closed, too tired now to even keep them open. The last thing she sees before she loses consciousness is the sky, dark, clear, and dotted with stars she wasn’t sure she’d ever see again.

---

Before shes even fully awake, Amane can hear the voices of people speaking quietly nearby, and the rhythmic beeping of machinery all around her. It’s a gradual reawakening, and it takes several minutes of listening to the muffled noise around her before she finally attempts to open her eyes.

She doesn’t get far. The lights above her head are bright, blinding, and she can’t help the pained groan that escapes her. Her hand twitches, attempting to move so it can cover her eyes and block out the light, but her arm is too heavy.

Immediately, the talking stops, and Amane hears the shuffling of feet on the floor. The lights above her head dim considerably, enough that she can squint against it without feeling like she might go blind. Brenda leans over her, watching her closely. A smile blooms on her face, relief flooding her expression. “Hey, kiddo,” she greets softly. “Take it easy, alright? You were asleep for six days, so it might take a little while for you to catch up to the rest of us. How do you feel?”

Testingly, Amane wiggles her fingers under the thin blanket draped over her. “Tired,” she responds, her voice rough and scratchy from disuse. “Confused. Where am I?”

“You’re in intensive care, at the ARI. You were pretty badly hurt after the Commander went on his… rampage, and you picked up some of Akira’s corruption, too, so we had to be careful to keep that contained and make sure your injuries were taken care of,” Brenda explains. She reaches toward the bed with one hand, and hesitates for just a moment before smoothing Amane’s hair away from her eyes. The gesture is surprisingly tender, coming from the typically no-nonsense Brenda. “Everyone’s been really worried about you, but you’ve always been a sturdy one. Guess it runs in the family.”

The mention of her brother sends Amane’s heart racing with adrenaline, and she bends her arm underneath her in an attempt to sit up. “Where’s Akira? Is he okay?” she demands, but just the motion of lifting her torso off the ground has her head spinning, and she pitches suddenly forward, unable to maintain her balance.

“Woah! Careful, you’re gonna give yourself a concussion on top of the one you already have,” chides an energetic voice, and cold hands steady her by her shoulders before she can tip out of her bed entirely. Amane lifts her head, searching for the source of the voice, and finds herself staring into Hal’s face, his eyes hidden behind his vizor. He’s smiling, though, partly amused and partly relieved. “If you wanted to sit up, you could’ve just asked, you know.”

Amane blinks. “Hal?” she says, surprised. She’s only ever known him to be famously reclusive, so to see him here, in person, is enough to confuse her all over again.

Brenda comes to Amane’s other side, and she and Hal manage to help Amane into a sitting position with her back against the bed’s soft pillows. “Akira’s doing alright,” she assures, offering Amane a small smile. “He was touch and go for a few days while we got the redshift under control, but he’s stable now. He had his surgery this morning, and now he just needs to rest and let his body do the rest until he’s ready to wake up. It’ll be a while still before either of you are back on your feet, but you’ll both recover, with time.”

“Surgery?” Amane echoes, worry creeping into her voice. Her gaze flicks from Brenda to Hal and back again, questioning.

It’s Hal who answers her question. “The corruption on Akira wasn’t… normal. It didn’t turn him into an Aberration like it does with most people, but his Legion didn’t blueshift it like it usually does, either,” he explains. “We were able to clear most of it using Yoseph’s machinery, but we weren’t able to save his legs. They had to be… I guess ‘amputated’ isn’t really the right word? Um, they had to be removed. The corruption there was just too strong.” He shakes his head, pursing his lips into a thin line. “Brenda called me out in person to help build him some prosthetics. Just like mine, you know?” With a grin, he lifts his arm and flexes the robotic limb as he might a real one. “That’s what the surgery was for. He’ll have to do a lot of physical therapy to get used to ‘em, but with time he’ll be running around like nothing ever happened.”

“He’s very lucky to still be alive,” Brenda adds. “I’ve never seen that kind of corruption on someone before. By all accounts, he shouldn’t have survived. Maybe it’s because he’s a legionis, or maybe it’s due to the treatment Yoseph put him through after his fight with Jena. Or, maybe he’s just that stubborn.” She grins at this, amusement in her eyes.

Amane manages a shaky smile in return, and a quiet, raspy laugh. Her eyes start to water, and she lifts a shaky hand to wipe away her tears before they can fall. “I’m so glad,” she whispers. “Thank you for saving him. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost him, too.”

“Of course,” Hal says. “I still owe you for Zone 09, after all, and even if I didn’t, this was one call I couldn’t sit out for. As soon as I got the call from Brenda, I came as soon as I could.”

Brenda’s smile morphs into a hint of a smirk, and she leans forward, holding a hand up to the side of her mouth conspiratorially. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him actually come down from wherever he likes to hide. You and your brother must be pretty special to get him to come out of hiding,” she adds, much to Hal’s embarrassment.

“Hey! I come down sometimes! I just… don’t usually need to! I can code from my own home, you know,” he insists, and a hint of red flush creeps out from underneath his vizor. 

Amane stifles a giggle behind her hand, a hint of her grin peeking out from between her fingers. She turns her gaze from Hal to Brenda. “Can I… see him?” she asks, somewhat hesitant.

The mood in the room quickly sobers, and Amane watches as Brenda exchanges a hesitant glance with Hal before turning back to her. “Are you sure you don’t want to take a little longer to rest?” she asks. “You’ve only just woken up. A lot’s happened to you that you haven’t really had time to process; I don’t want you to overwhelm yourself.”

Amane winces, tearing her gaze away from Brenda and looking down at her hands, clasped in her lap overtop of the clean white bedsheets. It’s true, she hasn’t had a moment to really sit and just think since they’d all gone to infiltrate the ARI. Maybe Brenda’s right, and it would be better to wait, but she knows she won’t be able to rest properly until she sees him with her own eyes. “It’s okay, I can handle it,” she assures, determination outweighing any apprehension she might feel. “I’d just really like to see him myself, if that’s alright.”

Brenda contemplates this for a few seconds, then lets out a sigh. “Okay, I suppose it should be alright, if you’re sure,” she relents. “Just be careful, okay? Take it slowly, you haven’t been on your feet in nearly a week.” Turning to Hal, she quickly adds, “Hal, you’re good to go rest up for a bit. I’ll call you when it’s time to run a checkup on Akira’s prosthetics.”

“Sure thing, doctor,” Hal agrees, giving a shy little salute. To Amane, he says, “Feel better soon, okay? The whole crew’s anxious to have you back. See you around.” Then, he takes his leave of the room, the automatic door sliding open and shut to accommodate him.

Amane moves her legs testingly, slipping them off of the bed so she can sit on its edge. Brenda holds out her hands, a silent offer of assistance, and Amane puts her pride to the side for the time being and reaches out to grab onto Brenda for support. Experimentally, she pushes herself to her feet, careful to watch her balance as Brenda works to steady her. For a few seconds, she sways, feeling a brief rush of dizziness wash over her that quickly passes; it feels like getting out of bed too fast, her limbs still heavy and weary from resting for so long. Still, she stays on her feet, and after the initial dizziness passes and she starts to feel more secure with keeping herself upright, Brenda drops her hands and smiles.

“That’s the way. Come on, I’ll take you to Akira’s room. He’s not far from here, so you should be fine to walk there,” she explains, leading the way out of the little hospital room and taking a casual pace down the empty white hallways. Unlike how Amane had seen before, the data corruption that had caused the blocky growths from the astral plane to fill the halls less than a week prior are gone, and the Institute looks clean and sterile again. Brenda must catch her looking around, because she explains, “We had to hack our way through all those rocky clumps when we first came back here, but the ICU was mostly untouched, thank goodness. A lot of the corruption was centered on the upper floors, where Doctor Calvert did the brunt of his research, so we were able to get you and Akira set up in here right away. The cleanup crew came and finished with the rest afterward, but a lot of the upper floors are still heavily corrupted. They’ve been cordoned off until they can be properly sterilized.”

Amane half-listens as Brenda continues to babble off updates on the situation at the Ark, the adjustments being made in Yoseph’s absence, and the mundane day-to-day trappings of the other Neuron officers now that the largest of the danger is past. Eventually, Brenda pauses outside the door to a room that’s been sectioned off for post-operative care, holding her key card out to undo the digital lock so the door slides easily open. “You’re clear to go inside, just… know that he looks way worse than he really is.” She casts Amane an apologetic glance. “Oh, and watch out for his legs, try not to jostle him too much. It’s going to be a month or two before they’ve fully healed, so for the next few weeks, he’s on strict bedrest. I need to check up on Akira’s charts and take down a few notes for later, so I’ll be keeping an eye on you from the observation room next door. Just shout if you need anything.” That said, she steps out of the way and gestures with one arm for Amane to go inside.

Despite having requested this in the first place, Amane finds herself suddenly frightened of what she might see. Surely it can’t be worse than when he’d been here last, after recovering from Jena’s stab wound? But all of Brenda’s warnings are starting to give her second thoughts, and she hesitates outside the door, hugging her arms to her chest in a self-protective gesture. She casts Brenda an apprehensive glance, then swallows down her fears and forces herself to take those few steps forward until the electronic door slides shut behind her with a soft whooshing noise.

Akira’s room, much like her own, is composed of white floors and white walls with a single window at the front of the room and a viewing wall to her left, presumably for the doctors. Against the opposite wall is Akira’s bed, which is surrounded by machines depicting several different monitors that track his heart rate, blood pressure, hydration, and more that she can’t make sense of. Half a dozen wires connect Akira to the medical equipment that surrounds him, many attached to the IV in his right arm, some directing oxygen to the mask that covers his nose and mouth. Brenda had been right to warn her; he looks terrible, and it isn’t just the machinery. The skin on his face and arms, exposed by his crisp hospital clothes, are mottled with dark, angry bruises and bandaged lacerations, and his left arm is contained in a sling that keeps it held snugly against his chest. There are stitches in his right cheek under his eye, and the cut, while healing, is purply-red and bruised all the way around it. The sight of it turns her stomach when she first sees it, but she’s quick to compose herself, taking a few more steps into the room until she can approach the end of his bed.

There are blankets folded into a neat stack at the foot of the bed, likely for use overnight, but for now they’ve been removed, which means Amane has an unobstructed view of Akira’s legs, or at least, his legs from the knees down, where they poke out from under his gown. She draws a sharp breath at the sight of the robotic legs, an amalgamation of long tubes and thick plates of metal held together by bolts and joints. She recognizes Hal’s work immediately; they look quite a bit like Hal’s own legs, if a bit newer and cleaner, and Amane feels simultaneously amazed and horrified that this is her brother’s new reality. Akira’s in for a rude awakening, she knows, once his body recovers enough for him to wake up.

Still, all she can do is wait until that happens, so for the time being, she pulls up a nearby chair to sit near the top of Akira’s bed and reaches tentatively for his unbound hand. It feels colder than she remembers, but then again, it’s been a very long time since she’s held his hand like this. Not since they were children, in fact. She squeezes that cold hand tightly in both of hers, as though trying to make up for all the times she’s passed it up before, and swallows back the lump that forms in her throat. “Hey,” she murmurs, speaking softly to ensure that no one can overhear. She’s acutely aware of Brenda on the other side of the observation window, checking monitors and casting them the occasional glance, but she can tell the doctor is doing her best not to interrupt, only supervise. Amane bites her bottom lip. She has no idea if Akira can even hear her, but the silence feels somehow louder than her own voice, so she drowns out her thoughts with whatever comes to her mind. “Looks like we both made it out in one piece, huh? Well, mostly.” She casts another glance at Akira’s healing prosthetics, then pulls her gaze quickly away. “Everything still feels like a dream. Yoseph, Noah, waking up in the hospital… part of me keeps asking when I’m going to wake up, back home in our apartment by the headquarters, even though I’m sure that I’m already awake. Maybe I just need a little more time.” She lets out a sigh, lowering her gaze to Akira’s hand, clasped in hers. She rubs her thumb over his knuckles softly, a nervous gesture meant to help soothe her own anxieties, just to remind herself that he’s still alive. If she focuses, she can feel his heartbeat pulsing in his fingers to the rhythm of his heart monitor, and she lets the steadiness of it lull her into a more relaxed state.

“You really scared me, you know? Saying all that nonsense about how sacrificing you was the only way. You’ve always had a terrible martyr complex. One of these days, I’m scared you’ll really go through with it.” She purses her lips with worry. “I hope you know that if you ever do that again, I’ll be the one putting you in the hospital this time.” The threat is as empty as it can possibly be, but part of her hopes that, somehow, Akira will hear it and take it to heart, if only so she can stop being so damn worried about him all the time. She falls quiet, half-hoping for Akira to banter back to her in the snarky, sarcastic way he’s known for, but all she hears is the steady, quiet beeping of machinery. Against her will, her hands start to quiver, just a little, and she feels her chest tightening with a sudden wave of grief and regret. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this,” she whispers. “I wish I could do more to help. You’re a reckless, stupid, bastard of a brother, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Reaching up with one hand, she dabs away the tears the form in her eyes before they have the chance to fall, stubbornly refusing to cry out here in the open. She continues to clutch Akira’s hand in hers, comforted by his steady presence at her side and the gentle thrum of his heart under his skin, dutifully keeping him alive.

She falls quiet, untrusting of herself to speak out loud any further, and lets the beeping of the machinery around her drown out her thoughts. She sits for several minutes like this, unmoving, until Brenda comes to rejoin her and let her know that her allotted visiting hours are almost up. Amane can see the sympathy in her gaze as she leans against the doorframe and patiently waits for her to join her, and the sight of it agitates her pride against her better judgment. It’s uncomfortable, having someone feel so sorry for you, but part of her is grateful for Brenda’s constant, understanding presence. Standing up, she drops Akira’s hand and reaches out to brush his long bangs from his eyes, his skin cold and clammy under her touch. Then, reluctantly, she goes to join Brenda by the door.

“Technically, this ward is off limits to visitors entirely,” Brenda explains as she walks Amane back to her room, “but just between the two of us, I’m already making plans for Jin and Alicia to come see you both. They can hardly leave me alone when I’m back at HQ, you know. Constantly pestering me, wanting updates on how you’re doing… they haven’t been the same since you were hospitalized. They’re probably just stressed out, not being able to see you guys in person. I have a feeling that some time away from HQ will do them both some good.”

“Are they really that upset?” Amane questions with a faint smile.

“Of course,” Brenda confirms immediately. “Those two think of you like family, you know. They were your father’s best friends, and they’ve seen you both grow up over the years. I think they like to think of themselves as your aunt and uncle, something like that.” She pauses, frowning thoughtfully. “Well, the way Alicia herds you two around and scolds you, she acts more like your mother than anything else, I think.”

Amane feels her face flushing pink at the implications, quickly shaking her head. “Come on, Brenda, you’re reading too much into it,” she insists, turning her back to the doctor to hide her embarrassment.

She can practically sense Brenda’s amused smirk. “If you insist,” she replies. “In any case, I’ll fill them in when I go back to HQ tonight, let them know you’re both doing alright, and I’ll try to bring them by tomorrow, if time permits.” She tucks her clipboard under her arm and pulls a Neuron radio from her pocket. Amane quickly recognizes it as her own, and Brenda sets it on the bedside table for her. “In any case, you should get some rest. You can visit Akira again tomorrow, if you want. I’ve given you clearance to his room as a family member, just be careful, and use your radio if you need to contact me for any reason.”

After promising Brenda that she’ll do just that, Brenda leaves, looking satisfied with their arrangement, and leaves Amane to her own devices. Glancing at the clock on her bedside table, she knows that it’s only been a few hours since she’d woken up, but as she sits on the edge of her bed and lets the events of the day sink in, she feels inexplicably exhausted. It’s only to be expected, she thinks, after pushing her body so hard for so long before her hospitalization, but it’s frustrating nonetheless to be so weak when there’s still so much to be done. Still, it isn’t like she has much else to do, so after a minute or two of internal turmoil, she resigns herself to getting the rest Brenda’s asked of her, and crawls under the thin hospital blanket to get some sleep.

[bgn846]

Origins of the Sun and Night

         Summary:            

Prompto and Noct are exploring their new relationship together when things take an interesting turn.  First introductions are made and a new future might be dawning.

                 Notes:    

This was supposed to be a short drabble, sure, I'm capable of that... not.  Anywho I hope you enjoy some cute young love.  :)

Noct and Prom are 18 and Ignis is 20, Gladio is 21.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

             Work Text:          

“Seriously Prom, don’t do that, I’m gonna have to take another shower,” Noct whined.

“Come on I’m just resting my head on your shoulder!” Prompto lamented.

“Yeah, and I already told you Gladio has a really, really good sense of smell for an alpha, he’ll know I was hanging out with someone new.”

“Sooooo, he’s just your shield, what does it matter to him. It’s not like you’re in a pack together or something.”

“He will ask me eighty billion questions, that’s why I don’t want him to know,” Noct sighed.

“Oh, sorry,” Prompto mumbled clearly upset by the thought as he pulled away and stared at the floor.

Noct could tell that he’d hurt Prompto’s feelings. Thinking fast he tried to come up with another answer that wouldn’t sound so rude. “It’s not that I don’t want you to meet Gladio or Ignis for that matter, it’s just that I don’t want anything to ruin what we have. Ya know?” Noct paused and waited to see if he had Prompto’s full attention.

“I guess I understand, but won’t I have to meet them eventually?”

“I suppose, but for now I want to have you all to myself,” Noct smiled as he reached out and squeezed Prompto’s knee. 

“Don’t they already know about me though? I had to go through that background check and everything,” Prompto huffed.

“Um, well, I actually asked the Marshal to do your check instead of Ignis. I made him swear not to say anything, so long as you passed.”

“Oh em gee, you’re keeping secrets from Gladio and Ignis, this is getting exciting!”

“I really like you, Prom, I don’t want to mess this up,” admitted Noct. He knew he needed to speak his mind soon, Prompto might meet another alpha and then his chance would be gone. Finding a mate and starting a pack of his own had seemed like such a stupid topic before he’d befriended Prompto.  Now it was all his hormone-addled, teenage brain could think of.  Being an alpha sucked sometimes.

“I like you too buddy, don’t worry about all this stuff. Let’s just have fun with it okay?”

Noct did manage to have fun with his beta for almost six months until it happened. Gladio and Ignis officially met Prompto and Noct’s world changed forever.

--

Prompto was nervous, only because he hadn’t told Noct that he was coming. He doubted the prince would see him in the crowd of people, but it made him fidgety none the less. Thankful that he was a beta and usually not pestered, Prompto made his way along the wall towards the front of the lobby.

Not willing to ever admit it, Prompto secretly liked it when Noct dressed up in his formal attire.   They’d been sorta dating for almost three months and Prompto was learning how to ask for things he desired. It wasn’t something he’d grown up doing, so having an alpha, a prince no less, wanting to do things for you was odd at times.

Finding a spot near some other betas Prompto waited for Noct to take the makeshift stage. His friend was supposed to be cutting the ribbon for a new multi-building housing project that had finished.  Sure, it was boring but Prompto didn’t care, he wanted to support Noct no matter what.

However, when Noct walked out some people in the crowd started booing. Great, that was the last thing Noct needed right now. People needed to leave him alone.   Torn between looking to the stage and trying to find the people making a ruckus, Prompto missed an important detail. Gladio, Noct’s bodyguard had taken the stage as well, but he was dressed in standard crownsguard fatigues.

Glancing back up to see if Noct was still going to speak, Prompto merely saw what he always called Noct’s babysitting crew in attendance. Paying no mind to what they looked like he focused on his friend. That is when he heard it, someone yelling about ��tearing it all down’ and ‘to hell with the monarchy’. Shit, that wasn’t something you wanted to hear while standing shoulder to shoulder crammed in a small space. The lobby, though grand, could only hold a few hundred people at most. The confines of the space meant any kind of commotion would lead to a rush of people trying to leave.

Hoping security would remove the angry people without incident, Prompto worked to stay calm. He wasn’t rewarded with that outcome, instead, a fight broke out. People began screaming and pushing against him to get away. Unable to hear anything aside from the panicked cries of those nearby Prompto worked to stay upright. Falling over meant he’d surely get stepped on.

Checking the stage quickly, Prompto couldn’t see Noct anywhere. Giving up on his chance to see his friend again he moved with the crowd toward what he prayed was the exit. That is when he saw him, a tall angry looking guy, probably an alpha, moving against the flow of people. Determined dark eyes unmistakably locked with his own, for a moment Prompto couldn’t breathe.

There was no way this guy could reach him, the crowd was too heavy.  Ducking down slightly Prompto made an attempt to weave sideways. Given the number of people and general chaos, this was no easy task. Spying a side security door, he pushed through the throngs of people in hopes it would be unlocked.  If he could make it out another way, this scary dude wouldn’t be able to catch him.

Not stopping to think about why the guy even had his sights set on him, Prompto forced his way over to the door. Surprised when the knob gave way he nearly fell through when it opened. Other people followed behind him and soon a steady stream of spectators was pushing him forward. The corridor beyond was narrow but it had an exit sign at the other end. Risking a glance behind, Prompto nearly shouted when he saw the same dark eyes boring a hole in his skull.  The guy was only a few yards away!

Breaking out into a full-on run, Prompto barreled towards the exit door and threw himself out onto the street. Not even taking a moment to get his bearings, Prompto kept on running.  He had to get away. The sidewalk he was running along bordered the building and was free of people. However, he realized too late that there was a tall chain-link fence between him and the parking lot beyond. Forced to run on ahead, Prompto tried not to get distracted by what were surely heavy footfalls behind him.

His lungs were burning and he was about to try and jump the fence when someone called his name. Momentarily caught off guard he slowed slightly and scanned the area in front of him. When his name was shouted again, Prompto finally figured out that it was someone from behind.  Looking over his shoulder he saw the guy still chasing him but his expression had changed. No longer angry looking, the dude seemed upset.

Of course, the astrals had it out for Prompto because when he turned back around he tripped. The stupid sidewalk had turned to avoid a tree and he ran straight into the immovable concrete curb.  A sharp pain erupted from his big toe and caused his mind to go blank. Falling to the ground in a heap he cried out in pain.  All prior desperation was forgotten as he writhed on the grass holding his foot.

“Hey, whoa calm down there, you’re okay, calm down,” The guy who’d been chasing him cooed as he kneeled in the grass a few feet away.

“What – do you want?” Prompto managed as he tried to keep from crying.

“I was tryin’ to get you to come with me, so I co--.”

“No! I don’t wanna – I’m not going with you anywhere!” Prompto all but screamed as he sat up.

“No, no, no it’s nothing sinister, I’m Noct’s shield, Gladio --.”

When the guy dropped his name, Prompto’s ears started ringing. All he could do was stare helplessly at the man in front of him. Why was he so stupid sometimes? Gladio was wearing a crownsguard uniform, after all, it would make sense he wasn’t some random weirdo. Coming to his senses Prompto attempted to pick up on what was Gladio was saying.

“—only wanted to get you outta there and in a safer place. Noct said he saw you and had me go try and get you.” Gladio finished not even aware that Prompto had spaced out halfway through the conversation. “So like I said, you’re okay, you’re safe.”

“I think I broke my toe,” Prompto whimpered in response since his brain had turned to mush.

“I’ve got my field medic certification, can I take a look?” Gladio asked kindly as he inched closer on the grass.

Nodding Prompto looked away as Gladio worked to get his shoe off.  Even with him being careful it still hurt. Hissing in pain Prompto put his hand up over his mouth to keep quiet. That’s when he noticed the pain diminishing slightly. What was going on? Taking a deep breath caused his mind to relax even further. “Wha’s goin’ on?” he asked before falling backward in the grass again.

“Tryin’ to help with my pheromones, tell me to stop if it’s bothering you.”

“Feel’s good,” Prompto hummed.

Staring up into the tree canopy Prompto spaced out as Gladio poked and prodded his foot. The pain from before was gone and exhaustion was slipping into to fill the void. The sound of glass breaking caused him to look up and over at his foot. The cool rush of something numb and tingly was rushing through his system. Blinking in surprise, Prompto tried to figure out what had happened. The pain was gone and by all accounts, his foot seemed perfectly normal. Not even a bruise in sight.

“What did you do to me?” he asked in awe.

“Used a potion, figured Noct would be upset if I took you back inside with a broken toe.”

“Oh, that’s cool, I’ve never used one before,” Prompto whispered as he put his sock and shoe back on.

“Really? I figured since you hang out with princess all the time these days that he’d let you use one,” Gladio teased.

Shaking his head no, Prompto forgot about the fact that Gladio shouldn’t even know about him, let alone that he’d been hanging out with Noct. “We’ve never had a reason to use one, we just hang out and play video games and do homework.”

“Nothin’ else?” Gladio asked with a devilish grin. “Sure looks like a hickey you’re tryin’ to hide under that collar.”

Prompto felt his face heat up in lieu of an answer. “It’s not like that, exactly.”

“I’m not upset by it blondie, don’t stress out. I’m only teasing.  Come on let’s go find Noct, he’s probably driving Iggy mad trying to come out here and look for himself.”

After a minute Prompto felt strong enough to get up and follow Gladio back towards the building.  The adrenaline rush was long gone and Prompto felt a little light-headed. Accidentally bumping shoulders with Gladio caused the man to look over in alarm.

“Hey, you okay? You’re looking a little pale.”

“M’good, just tired, I got caught in a mob, chased by an alpha, and broke my toe.”

Gladio simply barked out a laugh and reached out to ruffle his hair.  “You can cuddle with Noct once we get inside; just let me know if you feel faint.”

Groaning at the sheer embarrassment of it all, Prompto dutifully followed Gladio back into the building. They passed several other guards along the way, each time Gladio would put an arm around his shoulders and usher him through first. It seemed to be enough to signal to the others that he was meant to be there.

Finally, when they’d reached what was most likely a suite of administrative offices, Prompto heard Noct call his name.  The prince appeared seemingly from nowhere and rushed over. “What took you so long?!” he demanded looking mostly at Gladio but sparing a few worried glances in his direction.

“Blondie here can run real fast, not sure you’d know anything about that, ‘Mr. I cheat by warping’, Gladio chuckled.

“I can run plenty fast!” Noct defended as he wavered in place.

Prompto wanted to hug Noct so bad but it appeared as if he’d have to wait, Noct wasn’t moving to initiate the action.  Not wanting to get the prince in trouble Prompto stood and smiled instead.

“Go on, don’t wait on my account,” Gladio urged suddenly as he pushed Prompto forward. “You both need a hug from the looks of it.”

Turning to look at Gladio, Prompto almost didn’t believe what he was hearing. “It’s okay?”

“Sure, gives me an excuse to dote on Iggy while you two are distracted.”

Noct’s arms were around him barely a second later. “I was so worried about you, are you alright?”

Nuzzling into Noct’s neck, Prompto took a deep breath. The alpha’s scent mixed with Gladio’s scent helped to further calm him down. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Noct hugged him tighter and began rubbing his back, “Why do you look so frazzled?”

“I didn’t recognize Gladio when he came to get me,” Prompto muttered softly, he knew Noct felt bad when he tensed briefly.

“Sorry about that, I guess I should have introduced you earlier, huh?”

“It worked out, he’s nice.”

“Come on, we’re leaving and I’m taking you back to my place to chill out.”

Prompto had no time to protest when Noct stepped back and grabbed his hand, pulling them towards another set of doors.

“Specs, I want to leave, can we go yet?” Noct whined loudly. Before he’d taken another breath to continue another man appeared followed closely by Gladio.

“Yes, I do believe the exit has been cleared and our car is waiting. Shall we?” The man, Specs, indicated with a sweep of his gloved hand.

Distracted for a moment, Prompto felt himself staring. Licking his lips he managed to utter a shaky hello. The man in question arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him and smiled.

“You must be Prompto, my name is Ignis Scientia, and I’m Noctis’ royal advisor.”

“Hi,” was all Prompto could manage to say again. Ignis was gorgeous. “Um—nice to meet you,” he tacked on for good measure.

“Noct, buddy,” Prompto hissed under his breath. “Why didn’t you tell me Ignis was an alpha too?”

“Wha? Ignis isn’t an alpha, what are you going on about? He’s with Gladio, they’re bonded.” Noct offered like it was obvious as he waved his arm around.  “See how they look at each other, it’s so gross.”

“Wait, wait, you’re telling me Ignis is a beta like me?” Prompto asked hopeful.  Getting to meet another beta sounded really nice. Noct was really his only true friend and having another person in their small circle was promising.

“No, I’m an omega,” Ignis cut in with a charming smile. Turning to look at Noct he continued. “I like your friend already highness, anyone that mistakes me for an alpha is a keeper.”

“Ahhhh, wait, what are you talking about? We’re not um – well we are but like you’re not supposed to know about it.” Noct lamented.

“Highness, Gladio sniffed out your new friend months ago, we were simply waiting for you to tell us all the juicy details. However, it seems I don’t have to wait for you to spill the beans, I can ask the source.” Ignis offered as he held out a hand to usher them all out to the car.

The car ride was a bit of a blur, Noct had pulled him close and they sat holding hands for the whole trip, much like Gladio and Ignis across from them.  Having never ridden in a limo before Prompto was slightly overwhelmed by the whole thing. Soon enough the rocking of the car and Noct’s warmth lulled him to sleep.

A gentle touch to his arm woke Prompto sometime later. Opening his eyes he saw Gladio kneeling down and smiling at him.

“We kinda want to send the driver home, wanna come inside?” he asked softly.

Looking around Prompto noticed that Noct had passed out as well, no wonder Gladio was trying to rouse him. “Sure thing big guy,” he offered without thinking. Pausing briefly with a panicked look, Prompto waited to see how Gladio would take the nickname.

“Big guy huh? I could get used to that.”

Blushing furiously Prompto ducked his head and scooted forward to move near the already open door. “What about Noct?”

“I got princess don’t worry.”

Watching the crown prince get carried around like a doll was very trippy. Gladio looked like he’d done this move a thousand times; Ignis barely batted an eyelash. Once they were upstairs and Noct had been safely deposited on the sofa, Ignis started his round of questions. Thankfully, they were all friendly in nature and easy to answer. It seemed that Gladio and Ignis already knew quite a bit about him, maybe that background check hadn’t stayed as under wraps as Noct initially thought.

“So um, what’s next?” Prompto asked once Ignis had finished.

“You finish school and continue to support Noct as his friend and whatever else you see fit to add in the future.”

Prompto felt his face flush, he knew what Ignis was alluding to but they’d not gotten there yet. Kissing and several heavy petting sessions were all that had occurred between them so far. “So, does that mean I’d be allowed to like, um, officially be with Noct? I mean if he wants me.” Prompto added in a rush.

“Certainly, there are no rules against the prince taking a mate of non-royal blood,” Ignis replied.

“What about that princess, the one from Tenebrae, isn’t she supposed to bond with Noct?” The question had flitted around in Prompto’s mind for months but he’d been too scared to ask Noct. Ignis on the other hand was easy to talk with and gave straightforward answers.

“Lady Lunafreya, I believe, has already found a mate if I am to understand correctly.”

“Yeah, she and Ulric are busy tryin’ to make babies,” Gladio commented with a toothy grin. Ignis simply rolled his eyes and reached out to thwack the shield in the arm. “What? It’s true, they’re really cute together.” Gladio defended.

“Yes, well there you have the answer, is there anything else you wish to know?”

Sitting and thinking, Prompto couldn’t think of anything else. He was allowed to be with Noct if the prince wanted him. Until a small thought wheedled its way into his psyche, “Uh, if we um, you know become a bonded pair, do you think Noct will have to find an omega in addition to me?”

Ignis tilted his head in thought and hummed quietly. “I’d not considered that, do you ask specifically for the reason of producing an heir?”

Nodding, Prompto waited to see what Ignis would say.  He wasn’t not open to the idea of being in a pack with Noct, but it would depend on who the other person was.

“At this time I don’t believe Regis will force his son to do anything he’s not comfortable with, including furthering the line of the Luci.”

Prompto’s eyes went wide, “Doesn’t that mean the crystal won’t work anymore?”

“There is that risk, but I would think Lady Lunafreya in her position as oracle would be able to supply a suitable solution via the gods.”

“Oh, that’s really heavy.”

“Heavy indeed, but not something you, yourself, need to worry about. Being a beta male you cannot bear children anyway.”

“What about you?” Prompto blurted. “Can you have kids?”

Ignis nodded and smiled, “Yes, I can, though I’d have to plan ahead to stop taking birth control.”

Grinning at the idea Prompto turned his attentions to Noct, the guy needed to wake up already. “Hey! Sleepyhead wake up! Ignis wants to have a baby!”

Noct shot up off the sofa and nearly fell over the coffee table, “What? Who’s having a baby?”

Gladio was snorting with laughter at the sight; Ignis was even laughing at their prince. “I said we should have a baby.”

“Oh my sweet astrals, I thought you said Ignis was having one,” Noct sighed as he flopped back down on the couch.  “Can we not talk about kids until like another six years have passed? I’m not ready for that kind of commitment.”  

“Sure thing buddy,” Prompto offered as he winked across the room at Ignis. The advisor merely smirked at the display.  At least the omega found it amusing, they could both pick on Noct, this was going to be fun.

“Hey Noct, why have you never shown Prompto how to use a potion before?” Gladio cut in curiously as they all relaxed.

“I never needed to why? What kinda question is that?”

“Just wondering, cause when I used one on him earlier, he was kinda in awe.”

Noct straightened up again and glared at Gladio, “What did you do to my beta?”

“Nothing princess, he stubbed his toe so hard he broke it.”

The prince looked stricken at hearing what had occurred, Prompto would have normally been worried about making him feel better, but he was stuck on what Noct had called him. His beta. “Did you mean it?” Prompto asked softly, “Am I yours?”

“Huh?” Noct sputtered as he reached out to grab Prompto’s arm. “Yeah, of course, you’re my beta, I love you.”

Whatever else Noct had to say on the matter was drown out when Prompto surged forward and tackled him for a kiss. “I’ll make – you – so happy!” He said in between kisses.

“You always make me happy!” said Noct as he pulled him down for another round of kisses.

Prompto wasn’t sure but he thought he heard Ignis and Gladio offering their goodbyes as they made out on the couch. He was pretty sure they’d be having another heavy discussion soon about what it was like to really date the crown prince. In all honesty, Prompto was looking forward to this new chapter in his life. Good things were coming and he could hardly wait.