Open RP

[lucianprince]

[Container for PSLs/memes, etc.

Some memes I will always play, feel free to toss me a starter here for any of these:
- spoils of war (he's the spoils)
- tbd ]

Comments

so let me run to your shelter tongiht - for @saychocobo

[lucianprince]

It's all happened so fast. Daemons and magitek soldiers right on the city's doorstep, then an offer of peace that his dad accepted, with a caveat that pulled the rug out from under him in an instant. But really, it's difficult to protest much when it means securing the safety of the people and the end of the war. It's an unpopular decision in some quarters, but what's done is done, and from what Noctis has heard from the Glaives and Ignis, the war would have ended on much worse terms within a few years at most anyway.

He doesn't want to think about why. But if peace gives his father a reprieve from the constant drain of maintaining Lucis' defensive magic...Noctis would sign the damn treaty himself if need be, for that.

The whole 'marriage' thing hasn't really sunk in yet, but he gets to see Luna again after all these years, so that's a plus, too. The treaty also means that Noctis finally gets to leave the city in just a few short weeks, and he is so ready.

...mostly. The downside is not seeing Prompto for however long this trip will take. It sucks, but at least they can still play King's Knight and do video chats and stuff. Prompto can still send him awesome photos and stupid memes whenever he wants. And it's not like Noctis won't be coming back.

Thinking too much about it puts him in a melancholy mood, though, so he leaves Prompto a message inviting him over to his apartment to play video games and make nachos, and then he flops onto the couch for a nap to wait.

[saychocobo]

Prompto had heard the news - how could he not? It was inescapable everywhere. On his phone, on the scrolling marquees downtown, random snippets of conversation on the subway. He didn't even have to hear the whole conversation, nobody needed to hear more than so what do you think about all this to know. There was only one this today.

And Prompto didn't have an answer, which was at first awkward, because he umm'ed his way through two such interactions already. But now, it's approaching dire. Noct had texted him a while ago, and he'd immediately texted back "omw and picking up salsa cuz I know you don't have any".

And he was - and did - and now he's in the building and up the elevator and at the door and he still has no clue what's going on. It's so damn sudden - boom, bestie's getting married. Why didn't Noct tell him? Noct would've told him, right? Did he tell Gladio? Ignis? Is Prompto the last one to know, informed by the media like rest of Insomnia? That doesn't seem right - it's not fair to Noct - but there's this twisted up part of him that thinks... yeah, probably right.

Probably the last to know because it doesn't matter to Prompto at all, and they're just going to play video games and nachos because that's all Prom is in any of this so just knock and get this started until everything feels normal again. It'll be normal; he just needs a couple rounds of games as a distraction and he can match Noct's energy until then.

So he squares his shoulders and knocks. He's not sure if this is a smiling thing, so Prompto just tries not to look like he's in a dual mental deathspiral over the significance of the news itself and the significance of not-knowing before it was announced.

[lucianprince]

The knock wakes Noctis up, but just barely, so Prompto hears a sleepy-sounding "just a sec" before the prince trudges over to the door to open it with a yawn.

"Hey." He turns and heads back to the couch to plop himself down on it - sitting up this time, at least - assuming Prompto will close the door behind him and all that. He's been here enough times, he knows the drill.

"Where'd you go for salsa, the moon?"

[saychocobo]

He does, in fact, know the drill, and he isn't even surprised that Noctis' been clearly napping. At least some things don't change.

"Hey," Prompto says as he shuts the door and stumbles around getting his boots off with one hand because the other's dangerously swinging around the bag with the salsa. "Nah, c'mon, I didn't take that long! I had to stop at two convenience stores to find one that didn't have anything weird in it."

Meaning the kind that was as close to having no chunks of vegetables in it.

Heading into the apartment proper, he drops the bag in the kitchen before joining Noct, dropping into a chair, arms and legs flung out in all directions. And then - immediately feels the elephant in the room sit on his chest because it's like - he should ask. He can't ask. He needs to ask. "So... so! I-I... uh - did ya wanna wake a bit before I stomp you in a game?"

[lucianprince]

Man. See, this is what Noctis will miss - the guy thoughtful enough to help him evade the gross veggies people put in everything. "Score."

He watches Prompto flop into a chair and then sighs, leaning back to rest his head against the back of the couch. "I take it that means you've heard about the treaty?"

The inescapability of it is exactly why Noctis is staying the hell home today. Fortunately, Iggy understood and is covering for him. He'd have gone to the Citadel if he thought his father would have any time to talk to him about any of it, but...fat chance, so here he is instead.

[saychocobo]

Prompto doesn't look over, just holds his head straight.

So they are gonna talk about it. Or at least - Noct's acknowledging it. Prompto's not sure if that means it wasn't some big secret before, but at least he doesn't have to pretend that the whole city's not talking the royal wedding. Finally, he nods exactly once. "Uh-huh."

He crosses his legs and sits up, taps his hands on his knee and boot. Stretches his fingers as far as they can go and finally just rubs at his ankle. The pressure's kinda grounding. "K-kinda took everybody by surprise. Dunno how many PR dudes you need to keep something that huge quiet. I bet it h-helps - that I didn't know, yeah? Cause I-I... don't know when to shut up."

[lucianprince]

"Huh?" Noctis sits back up to see Prompto doing his nervous fidget thing. Which is different from his excited fidget thing - Noctis can tell the difference.

"Needed approximately zero PR dudes, it just happened a few hours ago. Ignis was the one who told me, not long before the story broke all over the city. It's...part of why I invited you over."

[saychocobo]

"Ignis had to tell you?" His anxiety about what it meant that about their friendship, that Noct hadn't told him before it was announced: gone. Obliterated. Insecurity who? Indignation only.

And that's good. It's freaking terrible, too, because Prompto would this prefer this was somehow about him to ... whatever led to Iggy having to tell Noctis that his wedding was part of a treaty. "Dude, what the hell - why did he have to tell you? Why didn't you already know?"

The fidgeting shifts. Maybe it's not the fun excited fidgeting, but he's loosened up the grip on his leg and keeps looking over at Noct in between annoyed, confused outbursts.

It seems only right - you put in a stipulation that a guy's gotta get married, you let him have a part in the negotiations or whatever. You don't make his friend tell him. "I don't even know what to say. They suck. Not Ignis - and not Lady Lunafreya. But everybody else sucks, uh, also except you. Are you - is this okay?"

[lucianprince]

"Whatever happened, happened fast. One minute they were attacking us, the next Ignis was telling me an agreement had been reached. I didn't even know the imperial chancellor was inside the city until he'd already left."

It's gratifying - validating, even - to hear Prompto stand up for him, but Noctis can't really drum up any indignation on his own behalf. He's never truly had a choice in any aspect of his life, why should this be any different? He hasn't even bothered to think through what it means for him or examine his own opinion, because his opinion doesn't matter.

He shrugs. "It has to be. My dad wouldn't have made any concessions to the empire if it wasn't the only way to protect the people. We need peace, and if I gotta take a road trip to Accordo to get it, fine by me."

[saychocobo]

The casual acceptance of it is what hurts the most. Like - the news is hours old. And yeah, Noct and Lady Lunafreya know each other. Prompto knew that before he knew Noctis, so it's not the worst concept ever. He's not marrying some stranger from Niff, but he also didn't pick this. He never gets to pick anything for himself - basically the only things in the apartment that Noct chose are the nachos and Prompto.

"They're not having the wedding here?," he asks incredulously. Admittedly, he's never considered where any of his friends would get married. They would probably get married someday, like half the world does, but the where doesn't matter. Shouldn't matter. Apparently does if you're making the crown prince leave the city to get hitched. "Because the Citadel's kinda stunning, I've got so many shots of the exterior... that is so not the point. Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm still just. Trying to make it less - "

Stupid, but he chokes on the word. Noct's framing it as for peace, to protect the people, and yes, Prompto wants those things to. Knows those responsibilities will be on his friend's shoulders someday, just wasn't expecting someday to be today when he woke up.

He shifts gears, trying to figure out what Noct wants in all this so he can serve as a buttress. Match his energy and be a support because while calling out everyone as being an idiot for making a wedding part of a peace deal might be cathartic... it's not helping if Noct's already talking about his upcoming nuptials in terms of the greater good. Already accepted it. Gods he wants to ask about it in terms of is this what you want but he's afraid of the answer. Can't do anything if it's no, so Prompto's not gonna make him face that question. He'd undercut anyone but Noct for Noct.

"... road trip? So - you're coming back? You're not leaving and getting married and staying in Altissia?"

[lucianprince]

Noctis doesn't know exactly what Prompto was going to say, but he can guess at the gist. It's a lot to take in at once, he definitely gets that. Prompto probably wants to make it feel more normal and less like their whole world is getting turned upside down. Noctis does, too.

"It's just as well. I've had enough of the Citadel to last me a good long while, and I'm not about to complain about finally getting out of Insomnia."

His feelings are way more complicated than that, but it's a lot easier to focus on the positive than on, say, the fact that having the wedding in Accordo means his father won't be there, which is a gut punch he'd rather not talk or think about.

"Can't be crown prince of Lucis from Altissia," he says, and then he gives Prompto a bit of a grin. "Admit it, you'd miss me too much if I didn't come back."

[saychocobo]

"Does that mean I can admit I'm kinda jealous you get to go on a road trip?" Prompto, like most Lucians, has never left the safety of the city - but that also means that everything he knows about the world's from other people's photos. It's not the same.

Sometimes, he wonders if they're too alike. Because he knows what Noctis is doing. Focusing on bite-sized chunks, making jokes to let off steam. And he falls into lockstep with him. "And nah, I wouldn't miss you for more than like a week. Cause I'd move out there. Dunno how I'd swing it, so I'm glad I don't need to figure it out."

[lucianprince]

"Sure, you can admit that all you want. I'd say I'll take pictures for you, but they wouldn't hold a candle to yours."

If they are too alike, at least what they enable in each other helps Noctis keep from getting so weighed down by everything that he can't function.

"Nah, it'd be no sweat. You'd make a living with your camera and get famous in no time."

[saychocobo]

"Guess I'm that predictable." It's not the potential photo ops that makes him want to go, but let's all pretend that it is. Because now even something like wanting to go beyond the city walls, see the territories, see another city - it's all kinda ruined by the why of it.

And there's so much Noct's not saying that Prompto's starting to think there's another shoe that they're dodging. He hasn't mentioned Lady Lunafreya once; he's making jokes about taking pix for Prompto instead of taking him along to take them himself. Doesn't want to think about it, doesn't want to remember it; doesn't want to invite him. "Nah, I bet you'd be good at it. You see things that people don't. That's like the most important thing. You can learn the angles and composition, and you probably have a better camera than mine that you lost under the bed."

Which... actually that could be true. He's seen under Noctis' bed.

"Or - you can borrow mine. It'll give you something to do on the trip," he says as he undoes the camera strap and holds it out. Gives it a little shake in his friend's direction before he changes his mind about letting his most prized possession and hobby go on a road trip without. "I can make a living with my camera and get famous when you get back."

[lucianprince]

"Huh, you think so?" It's an idle question more than a real consideration - photography's nice and all, but Noctis has his passions and that isn't one of them. But it is nice to hear that Prompto thinks he sees things other people don't, even if he's not sure what those might be.

"Hey, if you find a camera under my bed, it's yours." Not that he expects Prompto to go rummaging around in his room, and not that he'd recommend it, either. But it's true that if for some reason someone gave him a fancy, high-end camera, he'd give it to Prompto without a second thought. Something like that belongs in the hands of a real photographer.

"Whoa, what?" He sits forward, but doesn't move to take the offering. "No way, that thing's like your baby. It's not going anywhere without you."

It doesn't even occur to Noctis to extend the invitation, though, because Prompto isn't, and never has been, part of his royal entourage. Up until now, he's liked it that way. He doesn't want all his friends to be just people who work for him. Sure, with Iggy and Gladio it's more of a technicality than anything, they're closer than that - but it is still true that for them, their duties to him come first, no matter how close they are. He's always been grateful to have Prompto as someone who's just his friend because he likes him as a person.

[saychocobo]

"Ha, nice try. I'm not cleaning under your bed, Noct. I've seen what's creeping out from under there," he says with a roll of his eyes and a fake shudder. "The Lucian family jewels could be under there and it's still your problem."

But... he doesn't pull back the proffered camera. Does it mean something if he won't take it? Like, maybe he's not coming back. But why would Noct lie about that? Doesn't he know that it'd hurt so much more to not know in advance?

Prompto sucks is lips in over his teeth and slowly lets them roll back out. He doesn't want to ask - he already feels enough like an outsider when Ignis and Gladio are in the room talking Official Business. But, that's an opening a mile wide and this might be his only chance. The news made it sound like the wedding was happening quick. "So - so! The camera brings me along for the ride. I-I can be its plus one to the wedding, y'know?"

He's staring at the camera, trying to act like inviting yourself to a wedding isn't a major faux pas. To the royal wedding. At least Iggy isn't here to count how many etiquette rules he's violating. He'll use the wrong fork with the nachos too. But Noct's never cared about that.

But he hadn't invited Prompto, either.

[lucianprince]

"Hey, it's not that bad..." It is that bad, and he knows it. But he also knows that every time he thinks about cleaning it up, it makes him feel even more tired. And - selfishly - he knows that if he doesn't do it, Ignis will. He sometimes feels bad about that. Definitely more often now than he used to, mostly because he used to never really think about it. Progress!

He gives Prompto a small, grateful smile, but tinged with sadness. "Man, I wish. But considering everything surrounding this trip, I can only bring Crownsguard. And most of them are needed here for the treaty signing, so it's just Ignis and Gladio. Sorry." He sighs. "But we can play King's Knight every night, promise. And I won't even leave you on read if you text me weird memes."

[saychocobo]

"What, did Iggy finally lose it and clean it for you in the past 24 hours so it hasn't had time to build back up again?" Everybody knows how this little game is played, Noct. It is not a secret.

It is, though, easier to make light of than the rest of it. Maybe Noct has a good reason for not being able to invite him, and it does make him feel better compared to feeling like a dumpster fire. But he doesn't feel great about it, or even good about it.

Ignis and Gladio are great, and they'll make sure he's safe and doesn't do anything politically stupid, but ... they're both kinda uptight. Prompto's worried that they're going to make the road trip an absolute nightmare of precaution and stoicism. "R-right. And I-I'm not Crownsguard."

He sighs and scrubs his fingers through the hair on the back of his head in frustration, for once not caring if it gets messed up. There has to be a - huh.

An idea occurs to him that's so wildly simple that it'd probably work. He can't see why it wouldn't work, so Prompto goes for it. "B-But I could be Crownsguard, couldn't I? Like there's gotta be an application I could fill out or a scepter you could wave and, boom, I'm a Crownsguard? I know there's way more people in the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive than them. They come from somewhere - somebody has to know how they get hired."

[lucianprince]

"Shut uuuup."

Prompto's not wrong. Noctis cherishes his retainer and his Shield, but the trip probably isn't going to be all that much fun...well, except when he can convince Gladio to let him go fishing. Finding new fishing spots is by far the most exciting thing about the whole prospect, which maybe says something about his level of enthusiasm about getting married, but hey.

"Prom, Crownsguard is a career, not a temporary summer job. You can't just put on the uniform for a few weeks and then take it off." Because the idea of Prompto permanently dedicating his life to the military is ludicrous. Isn't it? Why would he want that?

[saychocobo]

His eyes roll so hard he loses sight of Noct entirely for a second. At both the shut up and the admonishment that joining the Crownsguard is a big deal. Prompto knows it's a big deal, and an oath, and probably a dozen rules he doesn't know about yet.

"Yeah - yeah, I know, Noct. Don't get a duty stick up your butt like Gladio about it. I've thought about it for like twenty seconds now, and all I see are reasons to do it. Okay so, for starters? You need an advisor who cares about what the proles think. And any job needs a personality hire - got that in the bag," he says, rising to the challenge of defending what was a very spur-of-the-moment offer. "Then, there's the mental health aspect - cause half the time you hang out with me, it's because Iggy and Gladio are driving you nuts with the duty of it all. Face it, you've never needed me more than you're gonna need me on this trip."

The blond's smiling, sure, but he's not joking. He ducks his head, though, rubbing his nose to hide more of his face. "And you're - gonna be busier when you get back."

Makes sense, he'll be married to Lady Lunafreya. They'll spend a ton of time with each other, and that time? Is gonna come directly out of the time Noct'd spend with Prompto. Gladio and Ignis will always be there. Prompto - isn't ready to be left behind. "If I'm in the Crownsguard, I'll still be around. It's not like I have a career anyway. My parents'd be thrilled that I found one."

[lucianprince]

It's Noctis' turn to roll his eyes when Prompto compares him to Gladio. That's not the same at all! But he doesn't bother protesting, just listens with a frown.

You've never needed me more than you're gonna need me on this trip. He's right, Noctis thinks, but what about after the trip? When they come back to the city and Prompto's stuck being a guard for the rest of his life, or ends up as a deserter if he changes his mind down the line?

Noctis' frown deepens as Prompto goes on, and then it turns into a scowl right at the end. Sure, his parents would be thrilled, because they don't give a shit about Prompto and just want him out of their hair. But he's not about to say that out loud.

Prompto's...not necessarily wrong about the other stuff, either. Noctis wants to say that he'd still be around anyway, Crownsguard or not, but the truth is that Noctis has no idea what comes after he gets married and they come back to Insomnia. Will he be expected to start taking over duties for his father? Or is this just a gesture to appease the empire that won't change much? ...well, not much except probably moving back into the Citadel because Luna will be living with him.

But he's just going to not think too hard about that.

He's quiet for a long moment. "...okay, say you did try to join the Crownsguard. You'd only have a couple weeks to complete your training, and Cor's really strict. And after we got back, you'd still be expected to fight. And that's - that's a lifelong commitment. What about your photography? Your tech skills? Working with machines? You're good at all that stuff and you like it, why..."

Why would you give all that up just for my sake?

"...why trade it all in for the military? You could do anything with your life."

If Noctis could choose what to do with his life, he'd be a very different person. He can't, but that's no reason for Prompto to get in the damn boat with him.

[saychocobo]

See, he knew it was a good idea as soon as he said. If it completely sucked, Noct wouldn't be willing to go along with the hypothetical. He just say nah, and maybe he'd be right - cause again, that's what he'd do if it sucked. He's not arguing any of Prompto's reasons - Prompto's on to something here.

So the blond thinks about it, too; he doesn't rush right in in 3 seconds with more random rationale. He gives the questions like fifteen seconds. "Why can't I do all that in Crownsguard? They gotta need somebody to take pictures of stuff. Niff movements and I don't know what else. Places they might build a barracks? And, seriously, the tech stuff? Somebody's gotta fix the cars and troop movers and coffee machines. It might as well be me."

Either one sounds like something that he wouldn't hate doing, and the more he rolls the idea around in his head, the more he likes it. Making a living at photography... he keeps hearing how unrealistic it is. Making a good living as a mechanic - not even an option to tell his parents he'd want to do that. "Be for real, I didn't do good enough in my exams to do anything. This'd let me do things I like and make it cooler than it is 'cause the uniform's sick. Like you said, Cor the Immortal's supposed to be incredible and kinda scary, yeah."

A bit more than 'kinda' scary, Prompto is now considering having to be trained by a freaking legendary warhero, and that's. Gonna be daunting if it happens. "I-I'm not trading anything away for the military. It'll let me keep what I've got and... more, I guess. I'm not gonna lie and say it's not an honor, but that's not why I wanna do it. I-I can learn how to fight, but the Crownsguard stick to the city most of the time - it's not like I'm joining the 'glaives. But like - say I pass all the entrance tests, and the training - say the Marshal thinks I'm good enough to join. Would you - you could have anybody in your Crownsguard. I'll drop it, won't even try to enlist if you'd say nah don't let him in if I got that far."

[lucianprince]

Prompto's making way too much sense. Clarus knows how to leverage every Crownsguard's strengths and skills to their fullest, so he would definitely make the most of all the things Prompto is best at. Still, Noctis is having a hard time envisioning his best friend as a hardened warrior. He doesn't really want to imagine Prompto as a hardened anything.

"Nahhh, Cor's not scary. Just big on rigorous training, pushing you to do your best. And hey, give yourself some credit. Exams mean jack shit, you've got brains and mad skills, anybody'd be crazy not to hire you."

But the more Prompto talks, the more Noctis can tell that he's talking himself further into this idea. And, selfishly, Noctis can't deny that he'd rather have Prompto by his side, too.

"What? Course I wouldn't." He frowns, but he's losing steam and he knows it. "I mean...if you're sure this is really what you wanna do, then of course I'd want you with me. But..."

How does he say he'd never, ever forgive himself if something happened to Prompto on duty protecting him?

"...it'll be dangerous outside the city. I'm gonna be a target, peace treaty or not." Just like the last time he left the city, when he was just a kid, and that Marilith...he grimaces and falls silent, trying to banish the hazy memory of abject terror and the stench of blood.

After a long moment, he manages to lighten his tone a bit with a shrug. "Just...don't want you to end up a daemon's lunch, that's all."