023 » these shallow waters never met what i needed

[shiruyeh]

CALL ME OUT MEME.

♛ please refer to this list for canon muses and this list for original characters. ♛ "call" one of them out — you can do so by putting their name in the subject line of your post! ♛ this can be informal/formal/comment spam/crosscanon/shippy/smutty/whatever tickles your fancy! ♛ here are some prompts inspired by other memes! ❶ — texts from last night. ❷ — morning after. ❸ — drunk/drinking. ❹ — picture prompt. ❺ — insomnia. ❻ — sharing the same bed. ❼ — snow day. ❽ — sky gazing. ❾ — roadtrip.

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prompto argentum; final fantasy xv

[inlay]

5 - Sleeping is hard when you're camping and there are gross bugs and things

[thatgoodnight]

[ If there is one activity Noctis seems to enjoy more than anything else, it's sleeping, and any chance at a nap he gets, he tends to take. It isn't only ennui that lulls him to sleep so often, of course - using the magic of the crystal and letting the others use it through him is itself draining in an altogether different way than physical exertion. But they've had plenty of that lately, too, with all the monsters they've been hunting to pad out their too-thin wallet. How ironic it is, then, that now when he is trying his hardest to fall asleep and has every reason in the world to sleep, Noctis finds he simply -- can't.

At first he blames their choice of campsite. For all that it had looked flat, they inadvertently built their tent on a gravely bit, and the bigger stones dig through the sleeping bag's padding just enough that he can't ignore them. But after some tossing and turning, he finds a comfortable enough position and... still can't fall asleep.

Next, he blames Gladio, snoring a little - enough of a noise that clearly that must be what keeps him up. But after a while Gladio shifts and turns his head and the snoring settles to the deep slow breathing of sleep.

Well, if it isn't the ground and it isn't Gladio, then it must be the night life. It is only on this camping trip that Noctis has developed a profound appreciation for just how loud nature can be. Crickets only sound calming and nice through a window or during a nighttime stroll through a garden. But their location is a good distance from the nearest body of water, and aside from occasional bird calls and the ubiquitous crickets, it really isn't loud at all - at least no louder than things he's slept through countless times before.

All other excuses reasons ruled out, he is left with nothing but his thoughts and the conclusion that his mind is the true culprit tonight - and the only cure for that is sufficient distraction. So, having given up on counting carbuncles, at long last he very carefully extracts himself from his cocoon, grabs his boots and extra carefully climbs over the shapeless lumps of his friends to leave the tent, glad that the mild weather means it isn't zipped and velcroed tight - Ignis, light sleeper that he is, would undoubtedly hear him then, and the last thing Noctis wants just now is a lecture about getting the proper amount of rest.

Once outside, he puts on his boots, tying them in the most half-assed way imaginable that still keeps the laces from dragging on the ground somehow, and stretches and -- finds himself immensely surprised to realize Prompto is already out here.

Noct blinks several times, bemused, before he ambles over to flop beside him. This is perfect in a way - one distraction already ready and waiting.]

Hey.

[It's already obvious neither one of them can sleep, so asking that seems like a waste of breath. Besides, he imagines Prompto will probably tell him that and at least half of the reasons he can't sleep without even needing, well, prompting. Please let it be a really boring sleep-inducing reason.... please...! ]

[inlay]

[the sound of footsteps makes prompto turn his head over his shoulder.]

Oh —

[he says, in a normal, conversational tone, but normal is too loud for the dead of night, and prompto has to catch himself, lowering his voice to a soft whisper more appropriate for ass o' clock in the morning.]

Oh, hey, dude. I didn't wake you up, did I?

[it is a sign of his role as the party marksman that prompto's keen eyes need only flick once over noctis's frame to take in the prince's general state of being — half-laced shoes, wrinkled clothes, mussed, flattened hair from tossing and turning in an effort to sleep.]

I got up 'cause, uh... I had to take a leak. [pause.] No, okay, that's a lie.

[why did he even say that? he's not even really sure. seemed like it would be funny. ha ha, prompto has to pee. something like that.]

...I had — this — weird dream.

[thatgoodnight]

[To the question of being woken up, Noct just gives a negative grunt.]

Nn.

[being informed that prompto had to pee gets a blink, and the admission that no wait that's not true gets lifted eyebrows, and noctis keeps right on waiting.]

Oh?

[he slouches down comfortably to listen.]

[inlay]

[prompto fidgets in his seat in the gravel when nocis sits down next to him — part of him wants to tell the guy to sit on a nearby rock or some softer dirt or something — but he holds his tongue.

on that matter, at least. as far as the "weird dream" goes, he babbles awkwardly while skirting around the subject.]

Yeah. I mean... I've been having them a lot recently. Not like, a recurring dream, you know? Just sort of... the same kinds of dreams, but they're always a little different every time. And then I always wake up... in the middle of the night...

[he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, looking out at the outlying lowlands.]

...I mean, it's not a big deal, right? Like, I haven't been shooting worse or anything, right?

[thatgoodnight]

[watching just how much prompto fidgets makes noctis feel tired all over again, so he follows his friend's gaze towards the horizon]

Mm.

[it's tempting to be glibly insulting on prompto's shooting skills, but as bothered as prompto seems just now, noctis decides teasing would make it worse]

No. Same as always.

[he isn't lying. but he also hasn't been paying minute attention. maybe prompto has been worse and he didn't realize amid the dust and chaos. but no one was hurt more than usual and things died about the same as normal.

he looks at prompto again, weighing his options. it seems best to cut to the chase so prompto can get on about what's really bothering him.]

... what are they about?

[inlay]

It's, eheh... man, I don't even know where to begin.

[prompto laughs awkwardly, glancing over at noctis as if he'll somehow be able to read his friend's unreadable expression; he averts his gaze as soon as he's able.]

It's, like... promise you won't laugh?

It's... kind of the same thing every time. Like last week I had this dream that I was trying to keep up with Ignis, only he was running so fast, and I was running so slowly, that in the end he left me clear behind. And... couple days ago, I had this other dream that we were being attacked, but I was a kid again and — and I couldn't do anything, and you all had to protect me. And just now I dreamt that this MT — the kind with an axe, you know? — this MT was about to kill you, and I had him in my sights, but for some reason I hesitated to pull the trigger and —

[he lapses into a brief silence.]

...And, you know.

no prompts but the prompto

[azeymarose]

[Skirmishes with the beast tribes of Eorzea are not news. Rarely do they qualify even as gossip, unless the outcome is particularly swift or brutal. It nonetheless surprises Coeleste, taking her ease and a pint in the Bobbing Cork, to hear of Natalan Ixali warriors advancing from the snowy Coerthan wastes. When no one is looking, she rolls her eyes and takes a long last drink. There is never an end to any of this, is there?

Circumstances aside, the _ is brief and unremarkable, with the feathered aggressors beating a retreat and the Wood Wailers picking each other up from among roots and broken stones. One of them had the misfortune to tap a nest of bombs (or whatever it is bombs call their lairs) and though it led to victory for the Wailers it also led to a lot of smoke, burns, and flying rock shards.

Coel bends to pick up one such shard and nearly drops it. It's warm, and not at all made of stone. This looks much more like what comes of a machinist's spent shot... Well, if Stephanivien is about, he's far from home and wandered a long way in pursuit of a tribe he cares nothing for. In her periphery she catches sight of a yellowish flash and while it could be a chocobo...

...Further investigation reveals a crouching Hyuran form in the shadows instead. Whoever it is has uncertainty in their posture, if not something more hesitant. Not the uniform of a Wailer or Quiver, either.]

They're gone. [Those that could retreat. The clouds and thin fog muffle her voice somewhat, so three steps closer she goes.] Your business is your own, but ware the fog thickening and hiding the way back.

[inlay]

Oh! Uh... hey there!

[the blond hyur braced against a rock is an oddity to say the least. his clothes don't look anything like what they make in eorzea, but they're not quite of garlean make, either; garleans don't hem their vests in colorful plaid or wear coeurl-print pants. the gun in his hand is smaller and sleeker than the sort that stephanivien makes, though, and perhaps that is something of garlean manufacture.

but hostile imperials generally dont look like lost chocobo chicks with their head feathers bobbing in the breeze.]

Uh, got a question for you. Fighting against giant bird people? Is that a regular occurrence around here?

[azeymarose]

[Though she can't spot all the details, Coeleste notes his manner of dress is a bit...sharper and cleaner-cut than favored by any Twelveswood native. Not to mention the extra flair. There is something off about his manner of speech, too, but it doesn't raise her guard listening to him. Hells, he looks about as out of place as-

As she did when she was new to the realm. Already she prays for better for this adventure-seeker than she has herself faced.]

In this area of the Twelveswood, yes. The proper term for their people is "Ixal". [She grins quickly.] "Birdmen" will serve in almost any local conversation, though.

[Another few steps closer. ...What is that material making up his garments, exactly? Once she spots the firearm (with no aether converter, at that) she stops advancing.]

Forgive my presumptions, but would you care for a bit of compaany back to Fallgourd? You seem rather shaken.

[inlay]

Uh... yeah! Yeah, I could use that. I... don't think my friends are around.

[apparently, he's sharp enough to notice how coeleste's advance is stopped short once her eyes fall on the weapon in his hand. he looks down at it, and then makes as if he's going to toss it over his shoulder — except, rather than fall to the ground behind him, it just disappears into what seems like a burst of aether.

it's not like she's said anything to indicate that she doesn't trust him, but all the same, he holds up both hands as he stands — i'm unarmed — then casually laces them behind his head as he walks over.]

What's Fallgourd? Is it a town?

[azeymarose]

[Both eyebrows shoot up as his weapon vanishes. She has seen more than her fair share of tricks and sleights using the aether and something about this one seemed...different. He either intuits or coincidences "show the lady with the bow that you aren't going to shoot" and...is shorter than she expected, but the combination of friendly stance and whatever it is his hair is doing gets him another half-smile.]

"Town" is a bit too lively a description, I'm afraid. But it is peaceful and well-defended. [If the threat is spotted in advance. Coeleste glances around at the mist.] Your friends?

[inlay]

Yeah, uh, I'm supposed to be with three other guys, and a car. I... don't know what to tell you about them. We're all devilishly handsome and wearing a lot of black leather.

[the mysterious stranger shakes his head. he seems preoccupied with his clothes; he picks a stray twig off his shoulders, then looks up and smiles again.]

But they're not here. If they were, they would have heard me in that last fight. Boy, I did not expect birds.

Anyway! My name's Prompto. What's yours, uh... ma'am?

iris amicitia; final fantasy xv

[ensata]

[vengefulness]

[The moment the puppet emperor has been escorted from Insomnia, one imperial chancellor finds himself compelled to return. It’s no surprise, really — he does so love to see the people that put their trust in the royal family running about like terrified little ants. Yet he finds it difficult to fully enjoy this retribution for one reason: this city should be his, and every destroyed building gnaws at him.

Oh, well. He’ll take his entertainment where he can get it.

Ardyn’s focus is on the people as he skulks through the streets, on their disbelieving wails and their useless resistance and even on their looting and rioting (though he takes it upon himself to “handle” the latter group when no one’s looking if they trash his city too much). For the most part he doesn’t take notice of them as individuals, he just soaks in the air of despair and panic with pleasure. But when the Amicitia girl catches his attention out of the corner of his eye, he zeroes in on her in particular. Should he kill her? Her brother would be crushed, and no doubt he would take out his anger on Noctis. That would be something to savor… but no, that pathetic little prince will need all the help he can get. He can’t afford to push the boy’s friends away from him, not yet. His chamberlain will dutifully follow after him no matter what happens, and the sweet little MT would never dream of turning on his prince. Gladiolus is the weak point. Gladiolus is the one that needs something more to fight for than duty alone; he fights for his family. He’ll spare his baby sister.

Or perhaps he’ll have to do more than that. She’s a spunky thing, isn’t she? Look at her trying to fight her way out! An unarmed girl really doesn’t stand a chance against the might of the imperial army, and more troops are dropping in every moment. What a bother. Glancing around to make sure no one’s watching him, he conjures a sword and dashes in to take out the trooper at her back.]

A young girl like yourself should really be more aware of her surroundings, [he drawls, entirely too relaxed for this sort of situation.]

[ensata]

[really, iris shouldn't even be here.

she was stupid, really. she should have listened. clarus amicitia had made a point of telling his daughter earlier that morning to stay in the house until the signing is over — but she'd thought he was just being a worrywart, as usual, so she snuck out to watch the crowds cheer for the treaty-signing. stupid idea. it wasn't like she had any reason to be there. concepts like war and peace were things she knew but didn't quite understand. the treaty didn't mean anything to her except that noctis would finally be truly out of reach.

when the wall breaks and the imperial soldiers come pouring in, the first thing iris thinks is that it will be pointless to look for her father, because even if she did, king regis comes first.

that's the problem with being her father's daughter.

when the imperials open fire on the crowd, iris runs. sensibly. she may be an amicitia, but she knows that she's not her father or her brother, and she's never been trained to fight multiple attackers at once. crownsguard soldiers barking evacuation orders lead her toward the east gate — straight into a fresh drop of mts. she doesn't feel betrayed, but maybe she should. they couldn't have known, she thinks, and then: i can't keep running. i have to fight my way through this.

she's straddling the shoulders of one magitek trooper when ardyn takes down the one behind her, and it's only out of sheer panic that she manages to twist off the trooper's head as she turns around to look at her savior.]

Uh, thanks?!

[she tosses the thing's head aside and leaps off its shoulders as it whirrs to a halt and crashes to the ground. all things considered, iris seems pretty relaxed, herself — at first glance. but her voice is more high-pitched and shaky than usual, and her body keeps trembling despite her best efforts to stop. there's a scrape on her knee from when she'd fumbled a basic landing, and a gash on her right knuckle from when she'd tried to throw a punch to little effect. stupid idea.

this wasn't what her first battle was supposed to be like, and ardyn wasn't supposed to be her prince charming.]

You... [she stares at him warily, unsure what to make of his face or his weapon or his clothes.] You're not — you're not Kingsglaive or Crownsguard, are you?

[vengefulness]

[She's wary of him, and rightfully so. While Ardyn doesn't particularly care if she actually trusts him or not, getting her to safety will be a great deal easier if she does. So he puts on a smile, equal parts charming and unsettling.]

That I am not. I was just here to watch the signing...

[He tucks his sword away under his many layers instead of dismissing it. She'd be suspicious right away if he showed those sorts of abilities.]

...but I had a feeling it might not go as planned, so I armed myself just in case. Perhaps a gun would have been more efficient, but in a crowd they have a nasty tendency to hit the wrong target. I wouldn't want that.

[That's not at all true. He wouldn't mind that at all, he just prefers to take out his targets at close range. Ardyn sweeps off his hat, offering her a bow.]

Ardyn, at your service. You're evacuating as well, aren't you? It would behoove us to stick together.

[ensata]

[iris doesn't buy his explanation for a second. a man who just happened to have a sword on hand? yeah, right. he has to be someone important, someone politically involved. he feels vaguely familiar; has she seen him before...?

there are few things more repulsive to a fifteen-year-old girl than a middle-aged man wearing a gaudy hat, but iris isn't really in a position to be picky about the kind of help she receives right now. she feels faintly sick, particularly because something about his earlier comment is starting to sink in (a young girl like you should be more aware of her surroundings... like someone's going to snatch her up or something?)

something about this ardyn makes her feel as though she's covered in slime.

but she's in no position to say anything like why don't you try helping someone who actually needs it? — so she musters a slightly pained smile in return, tensing her hands at her sides.]

Um... yeah. Nice... to meet you. I'm Iris.

[another explosion conveniently rocks the citadel. iris winces at the sound.]

I'm Iris, and we should go.

[vengefulness]

[Whether she senses the daemons lurking within him or she just has good instincts, Iris clearly doesn't believe a word he's saying. Good — she'll be more likely to survive with an attitude like that once they've parted. Whether she believes in him or not, he'll see her safely delivered out of this chaos. Ardyn can be so very dependable when he chooses to be.]

Of course. Shall I take point?

[He doesn't wait for her answer. He spins on his heel, the many layers he covers himself in twirling dramatically with the movement. Ardyn starts forward with a fairly casual pace that will be easy for the much shorter girl to keep up with. After all, he has nothing to fear here.

He has nothing to fear anywhere.]

Do you have anyone you can meet up with, Iris? Feel free to give them a call, I'll keep an eye on things. Just follow after me.

[ensata]

Got it...

[at his mention of calling friends, iris pauses and pulls out her phone. it really should have been the first thing to come to mind, but she was too busy running and fighting to remember that she had her phone in her pocket. she flicks the screen on; the upper-left corner reads NO SERVICE.]

...I can't. There's no service. They've probably taken out the cell towers to prevent people from organizing. I bet radio's the only thing that's working.

[the amicitia family still has protocols for what to do when the city is under attack, but iris wisely decides to keep them to herself until she's out of ardyn's company.]

5 !?

[thatgoodnight]

[ For a man who enjoys sleeping in and napping as much as Noctis, he sure is bad at actually sleeping through the night sometimes. And this night happens to be one of them. Somewhere along the line, he gives up tossing and turning and leaves behind a warm bed to wander out of the bedrooms and into the kitchen and eating area of their safe house in Caem.

Briefly he considers a midnight snack (well... 2:45 AM snack, but who's counting?) but leftovers from the delicious meal Ignis prepared for everyone the night before sound appealing at this hour, so he finds himself poking through the cupboards for tea bags or hot cocoa or something warm and soothing and likely to help him fall back asleep. Groggy in spite of the insomnia and absorbed in his chosen task, he remains woefully oblivious to anyone else coming out to join him in late night restlessness.]

[ensata]

[as safe as the safe house in caem is, it's not exactly... uh, safe. iris knows it's been abandoned for a reason; there aren't any security mechanisms, so when it's just talcott with her, she tends to sleep light.

the noise from the kitchen wakes her, and she creeps out of her room in her pajamas (pink, rather overly modest; gladdy bought them for her since she left insomnia with nothing but the clothes on her back) to investigate the sounds. she hasn't had to chase off any burglars yet, though there was one incident with a stray cat rummaging around in their garbage...

today, it's a stray noct going through the cupboards.

she figured it was one of the guys.]

Looking for something, Noct?

[she's small, and walks so lightly that noctis might be startled to find her suddenly over his shoulder.]

i left out a word in my starter. whoops. oh well.

[thatgoodnight]

[She has amazing timing, as he's just leaning forward to peer into the depths of one of the cupboards when she speaks. Noct jumps and -- bumps his head on the cupboard door as he straightens. Hissing, he rubs his scalp as he turns to look at her, equal parts embarrassed and exasperated.]

Nngh. No. [ Wait why is he denying it? It's not like he doesn't have a right to poke through the larder too. ] Yes. Sorry. [ Damn that smarts. ] D'you know if there's tea or cocoa anywhere?

[There's a hopeful note in the word 'cocoa', though honestly at this point even just warm milk sounds good.

Wait, it's the middle of the night. What is Iris doing here? He didn't wake her, did he? He probably did. Oops...]

i didn't even notice

[ensata]

[iris can't help but giggle, though it's rather muted because of what hour of the night it is. oh, noct. never change.]

There's some hot cocoa and marshmallows in the top-right cabinet. Um, it's the instant kind, though...

[...not that that should surprise him. they aren't exactly living in the lap of luxury anymore. hot cocoa with real melted chocolate will have to be a thing of the past for now.]

Here, I'll get some water boiling.

[thatgoodnight]

[Of course. The one cabinet he hadn't looked in yet. Isn't that always the way? And of course the box of cocoa packets is allll the way at the top, forcing him to really reach. It's in moments like these he laments his lack of height, though at least he isn't as short as Iris... She'd probably have to actually climb on the countertop to reach.]

I like the marshmallows. ... are you having some too?

[If so, then that's two packets out of the box and reaching up again to slide it back into place and -- where were they keeping the mugs again? Oh - right. That cupboard.

He doesn't honestly mind instant hot cocoa. Sure it's not as delicious as the 'real deal' but there's a sort of nostalgia to the taste now as he'd always kept some packets around in his apartment. Besides, he really does like the little marshmallows.]