Noctis' Apartment; Insomnia, Lucis. Friday Evening [06/28].

[hashtag_chocobro]

It had been...a very long day. Prompto whose mun figured that plot breakages was pretty much inevitable at this point had decided to tell the others...everything. About the worlds of darkness, about the crystals, about Noctis' sacrifice, about...about the clones, about the monsters, about all the terrible possible futures and what they could potential mean for them all. About how he kind of didn't want to go back, about how much more he could take.



Eventually, surprisingly, after what seemed like cases of Cup Noodle and take-out and dozens of cans of Ebony, he finally ran out of things to say, the room grown dark with the passage of day into night, despite all the bright lights outside in the city that never slept. The quiet was almost unbearable, but, eventually, the conversation got started, tentatively at first, starting with reassurances from Noctis that, no matter what happened, no matter where he came from, he was still Prompto, he was still their friend, and that was all that mattered. Echoes of things he'd heard before, from Vette, from Nina, so you'd think by now it'd be easier to believe it...it was almost a relief when the discussion turned more...tactical, more technical, Ignis and Gladio falling into the familiar cadence of what this could all mean, of what could be learned from all this.

"If anything, Prompto," said Ignis, with a faint wave of his hand, a shrug of his shoulder before folding one arm across his chest to hold up the other that stroked his chin...after pushing up his glasses, "I daresay that you returning to Insomnia for your final year of school is completely out of the question. Within the last year alone, the information you've been able to gather because of the peculiar nature of the place has been...well, quite frankly, it's rather astounding."

Prompto blinked at him a few times, uncertain whether what he felt was more some sort of grateful relief....or some sort of overwhelming dread. "W-what?"

"He's right, you know," Gladio put in with a stern rumble. "Don't get me wrong, the whole thing sounds ludicris, but if there is any merit to any of the weird futures you've seen because of that place, we've got to know about it."

"And hopefully," Ignis continued, with a side-long glance at Noctis, who had been the quietest out of all of them through most of it, and who could blame him? It was his life supposedly on the line here, "prevent it. Far-fetched as some of it may seem, it may still prove useful. We can be on the look-out for anything that may sway these events from ever happening. We can know what to watch out for. By the sound of it, these experiences may yet save not only Noctis' life...but the whole fate of Insomnia as we know it."

There was the heavy silence again, seeming to fall completely on Prompto's slim shoulders. Not knowing what else to do, he scoffed a little, shaking his head. "Great," he said. "I can save the world, all it takes is a half-dozen or so horrific, terrible living nightmares."

"You didn't think saving the world would be easy," Gladio grunted with dry humor right back at him, "did you?"

"I'm so glad I get to be the guinea pig for this one," Prompto murmured, then regretted it, because of the unspoken feeling that they all sort of wanted to say that, well, he was designed for that, wasn't he? But there was a line, and they all knew that would cross it, especially since they all felt it, and none of them liked it, but it...was so necessary.

At least it would make him useful. At least...he might actually make a difference. At least he was finally bringing something to the team that literally none of them could. They actualy...needed him now. And if they really could set things on the path to a better future, then it would be worth it, right? It would be worth every second of the worst thing Fandom could throw at him, times a million.

"Besides," said Ignis, his cool, calm voice slipping in to ease away another uncomfortable silence, "we've already gone and picked your classes for you, Prompto."

Prompto blinked again, because it just seemed something so light and normal, and it actually made him laugh a little, his grin going a little crooked. "Y-yeah?" he asked. "What's on the menu this time, boys? Anything good and fighty? Another cooking class with Dr. Lecter?"

"Perhaps," Ignis may have actually grinned a little bit there. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Oh, come on! Tell me!"

"Don't worry about it," said Gladio. "You're going to love them."

"I do not like that chuckle, Gladiolus Amicitia!" Prompto protested. "That is not an encouraging chuckle! C'mon, Noct! I'm letting myself be exposed to unfathomable tortures and unimaginable pain for you! You're not going to leave me hanging, bro, are you?"

Noctis' chuckle was much lighter, much more subdued that Gladio's, and he shook his head, lifting his hands. "I'm not even touching this one," he vowed.



"Hey," Gladio broke in, grin broadening, "you know, even if you didn't have all these great classes Iggy and I picked out for you to go back to, you'd still have to go back. No way we're dealing with Nina if you tried to stay here. We'd never hear the end of it!"

Groaning, rolling his eyes, Prompto slumped in his chair, considering the slew of text and pictures he'd gotten from her at the beginning of the week, during her party on Wednesay, and mostly expecting something else if not tonight then tomorrow, and for every other day until he actually did get back. And even if he did groan and roll his eyes for show in front of the boys, he couldn't really deny the little thrill of appreciation in there, too. He tilted his head, so he could look at Gladio warningly when he said, "I'd watch what you say about Nina outloud, dude. She probably has this place bugged to high heaven..."

Then he realized what he'd said.

Then he realized how it was probably true.

And the others were realizing it, too, he noticed, as they were all now giving him a mutual, expectant look.

"Right," he said, rolling out of the chair and hopping to his feet to go rig up a nice debug pulse through the apartment, "on it!"

[[ NFB for distance, of course, but post is open! ]]

Comments

[bookbeltof_love]

If Nina had the place bugged to high heaven—which she was, like, never going to confirm or deny, since paranoia was the spice of life--she'd be laughing since, like, a debug pulse was a good attempt at getting rid of her.

But, like, nothing was going to get rid of her for long. N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

And she'd find new and exciting ways to wriggle her way into, well, everything.

The pizza plan Vette and her had thought of on Wednesday had taken a bit of a detour as Nina had realized a) it was almost impossible to send a proper message with the pizza, unless she really was going to import pizza from Fandom to Insomnia, and then there'd been the snag of figuring out how to get foreign pizza through Noctis' security, which she'd given up as a lost cause because blah, blah, blah, terrorist attempts (Nina was not really sure what sort of terrorist would send delicious pizza to their target but, well, whatever) and so she'd been obligated to take a few extra steps to get pizza to Prompto.

And, like, the rest of the boys.

But mostly Prompto.

So it wasn't until Friday night (well, Friday morning, but then she'd made herself wait until night, because, like, it was a lot of pizza she was dropping on them and fresh pizza was a night food; leftover pizza was the morning food) that Nina got everything set up the way she wanted.

It really was amazing how she'd found out the place they got pizza from most often though, wasn't it? Which made it so, so much easier for her to get her order through with the expectation that it would actually reach the boys.

(This would be so much easier if she was in Insomnia, but so far, Nina had kept that particular promise to Prompto and hadn't set foot there.)

Either way, with almost suspiciously perfect timing, that may or may not have been a coincidence, there was a pizza delivery.

Of eight pizzas. Because that was totally a reasonable amount for four boys, from Vette and Nina's perspectives. (And if they didn't eat it all, they weren't trying hard enough! Or… like… leftovers.) The pizzas ranged from meat lovers to spinach and feta and basically everything inbetween because options were good and also look, Ignis, vegetables made this all healthy.

The inability to send a proper note had really, really grated on her. Really grated on her.

But she'd managed a short note, in the little comment section sticker that they placed on boxes of special order pizzas.

Surprise!!!!!!! We're just making sure you're eating right!!!!!!!! – N & V

And, like, it was just a note, sure, but if a note could be both dreadfully earnest and terribly proud of itself at the same time? That note was doing it.

Look what she'd done, Prompto!

[hashtag_chocobro]

And a stack of mystery pizzas showing up just when the hunger pangs of tumbling through so much drama and unpleasantness really started to hit was still likely to be approached with careful scrutiny, but once the enigma of their origins was solved (after a humorous round of 'did you order pizza? I didn't order pizza. Are you sure you didn't order pizza? I think I'd have known if I ordered pizza, dude'), they weren't going to waste any more time not digging into the pizza.

"I take it back," said Gladio around a mouthful of the one with the most meat. "If we're getting free pizza, we might as well keep you around after all."

Ignis, meanwhile, was simply going to try his very hardest to not be offended by the suggestion that they wouldn't be eating right with him around, honestly!

And Noctis was going to pretend not to be amused, while Prompto was going to pretend he wasn't tucking into that pizza on a sort of emotional eating bender, and debated on whether or not he should text one of them back. He...sort of felt bad for not really responding to any of the party stuff, but what could he say, anyway? He was glad everyone was having fun, but, at the time, he was crushed under the miserable weight of the prospect of telling Noctis his biggest fear, the one that had dragged him down pretty much his whole life...

But he did response, sending both Nina and Vette the eventual picture of a stack of empty pizza boxes (only six of the eight, though, Ignis insisted that they not go too overboard) with the message: I think it's safe to say............the food was appreciated!!!

Now excuse him while he totally abused the pizza and heart and diamond emoji.

[bookbeltof_love]

And, like, Nina was obviously going to still be awake.

For one, she wasn't sleeping that well right now anyway, but for another, she'd been working, since that was way better than sleeping, too, obviously.

So his litany of hearts and diamonds and pizzas was totally going to be interrupted with a barrage of stars and rainbows.

It gave her time to cover her hesitation about actually saying anything back to him, since, like, she didn't know if she should... but on the other hand, he was talking to her, so...

Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she settled on. That was the hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hashtag_chocobro]

He was talking, sure, but it wasn't like he really even knew what to say. He just knew, with physical evidence of pizzas, he couldn't just...not say something to them. He bit his lip a little, considering everyone in the apartment as they just sort of settled and maybe finally let the mental exhaustion of the day start to seep in, and sort of slipped off to somewhere slightly more private so that the inevitable crap and teasing that was going to be dealt to could at least be delayed or lessened slightly.

Of course, relocating didn't help him think of anything to say, though.

Ya done good, he decided on. And thanks. It really was appreciated.

And oddly timely. But he wasn't about to quesiton such things.

[bookbeltof_love]

It… it was probably best not to question such things. And why would they tease him for being stalked with pizza?

Nina sent him a pile of hearts in response to that.

Weird-but-unimportant question???????????????? Are my selfies and party pics in black and white or did you get them in colour????????????????????

She was pretty sure of anything to ask him, that would be the most innocuous thing to say.

[hashtag_chocobro]

Well, it wasn't so much the 'being stalked with pizza' part he was worried about; it was more the 'sneaking off to text girls' part that was going to get him.

But that was a pretty weird question.

Black and white, he texted back. Why? Either way, they looked great, Nina. ARTSY!! I liked em!

Even if they made him feel all sorts of conflicted jumbly feelings because they'd arrived when he was probably at his worst never going back to that place again moment.

[bookbeltof_love]

For SCIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, the other boys wished they had Nina and Vette texting them! Wished they did!

Like, no, some of us have been wondering if, like, because the island is still all b&w—nothing else weird this week btw—if the island was actually grey or if it was just our eyes that were seeing that way?????????

[hashtag_chocobro]

Prompto took a moment to look around where he was at.

I mean, it's pretty grey here, too, but i'm pretty sure that's just noct's ~~aesthetic~~. Everything's been the usual colors since I got here, so that's probably definitely an island thing. But at least that doesn't seem like a bad one.

How very, very gracious of the island to give them a goddamn break, right?

[bookbeltof_love]

well, like, there was some talk about if we'd all be puppies by the end of the week since we're all colour blind right now, but yeah, it doesn't seem to be happening??????????? just no colours!!!!!!!!!!!!! which, like, TOTALLY SUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKs for Hardison's WEDDING THIS WEEKEND and for Pride????????????????? but at least it's just we're missing colour

Missing colour was… well, it was weird and Foomy was very strange in black and white (which Prompto was now getting a picture of, Foomy hanging offer her Moogle doll's shoulder) and it made picking out clothes hard, but…………….

Tell Noct that colour is good for the soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hashtag_chocobro]

I'll tell him that if he doesn't add a nice accent wall or a pop of red here or there soon, that you'll come in an redo the whole place in pink. ♥

Prompto was pretty sure Noct would rush out of a bright piece to add to the place immediately at that.

Oh man tho, he added, if everyone was turning into puppies, I'd be back there in a heartbeat

And then instantly regretted it because he didn't realize until after it was sent that, oh, yeah, bringing attention to the fact that he wasn't there and that he might have been thinking about not going back was not the...best route to go.

But it was true. Goddamn if he wasn't a complete sucker for puppies, though.

Especially since, he added hastily, with intent to distract away from that, it's pretty true! I couldn't see in color that one time I was a puppy, either!

[bookbeltof_love]

Yeah. Yeah, that… that was not a pause due to happy thoughts or because she'd gotten sidetracked or something. That was a 'wrestle the horrible thoughts of Prompto not coming back ever back into the closet' pause.

I'm going to tell Noct that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because that gave her something incredibly stupid and obnoxious and silly to send to Noctis ('Colour is GOOD FOR YOU, honestly, are you allergic to it?????????????????? If your place doesn't pick up a throw pillow or accent wall or something in red or green or blue soon I'm going to redo EVERYTHING IN PINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! y so much grey??????????? prompto gave me the idea btw') while she thought about how to actually address the elephant in the room that Prompto had decided to bring up while she'd been doing a much better job of ignoring it.

I wonder what I'd turn into????????? she mused, since flat out asking if he was coming back would be functional and sane and less upsetting and… she was a bit scared to actually ask, but…

[hashtag_chocobro]

Prompto didn't mean to mention it! It just slipped out! Because, yes, he was awkward and flaily enough that he could slip up on things even in TEXT FORM.

He was, however, thankfully distracted by a shout from the other room of "Prompto! What are you texting to them right now??" and he had to chuckle a little, shaking his head.

Yup. Gladio was right. They weren't getting rid of Nina any time soon.

And he got a little soft about it as he looked at her question and considered it and how best to respond.

Probably something adorable. I can't believe you haven't actually turned into an animal yet, tho

Meanwhile, Noctis was suddenly scouring the apartment for something that actually did have color to try and prove to Nina that her help in decorating was not needed, thank you very much. Well, the couch was cream, but he wasn't sure if she'd accept that, and it was kind of covered in junk right now anyway, so he was just going to have to forget about it right no---

"---hey, Ignis? Don't we have, like, a blue teapot or something?"

"Tea, Noctis? At this hour? You won't get any sleep!"

"No, no, this is...just get it out for me, will you? And, like set it up all nice so I can take a picture that looks like it's like always there and stuff."

"...what is this all about, then?"

"N-nothing. Don't worry about it."

So then there was a picture of a nice little (clearly not very much used) pretty blue teaset in a hastily cleaned off corner of the very nice white-accented kitchen being sent to Nina as well, with a simple: We're good. and a plan to pick up a nice matching blanket to go over the couch or something later.

[bookbeltof_love]

Honestly, it was probably a good thing her neighbours were all thoroughly used to her at this point because Nina's mad giggling at Noct's response was not exactly quiet.

OHMYGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!! HE LIVES IN FEAR OF ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOOK AT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, Prompto was definitely getting that hilarious little attempt at colour (though it was a pretty cute tea set) forwarded to him. Because oh my gosh, amazing!

Noct was getting: Weeeeeeeeeeell, it's a START!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then she went back to Prompto since he was, well, he was a better conversationalist over text than Noct.

Even if she was going to save that picture and giggle at it a lot.

I'm always adorable, Nina added, though she most certainly was not, but Prompto had better know better than to say that to her, though, like, I wonder how it decides what we turn into????????!

[hashtag_chocobro]

Anyone was a better conversationalist than Noct in any form of communication, really.

But at least Prompto had a pretty good idea of what that groan coming from the kitchen was all about, and had to try not to giggle too madly himself.

Always adorable, he agreed, and always a menace. So google adorable + menace + animal and see what comes up, and that's probably what you'll be. I think maybe it's, like, based on personality or something?? LIKE, a spirit animal or something. I'm totally like a puppy, right? And Vette was a blue bird that one time.

It was kind of hard to forget that one.

So I dont know, she's kind of birdy, right? Definitely chirpy. AND blue.

[chirpchirpchirp]

Vette was totally sending a wave of emojis right on back. Hearts and pizzas and diamonds and puppies, because Prompto liked puppies.

It was only right and proper, darn it.

Only six? Slackers!

[hashtag_chocobro]

Prompto almost felt a little bad for how much easier it was for him to respond to Vette than it was to respond to Nina, especially considering the snort of a laugh hers got out of him.

IGNIS WOULDN'T LET US EAT THEM ALL!!!

Which he was secretly grateful for, thank you Ignis; Prompto would have demolished half of those pizzas all on by himself if left ot his own devices right now.

[chirpchirpchirp]

Tell Ignis I said he's a jerk! I totally know these things!

... Vette could probably do the same on a normal day, but Vette literally had more than one stomach.

[hashtag_chocobro]

I did.

He didn't.

He says he's sending the Crownsguard out to apprehend the two of you and put you in jail on charges for trying kill the prince via slow death by clogged arteries.

He didn't.

But Prompto could totally hear Ignis actually saying something like that, so he figured it was close enough.

[chirpchirpchirp]

I mean, he's welcome to try! Even if they manage to survive Nina, they have to KEEP us in jail, you know! And I've never been thrown in a jail I can't get out of!

You know. Eventually.

[hashtag_chocobro]

....


Okay, so i know this doesn't work in text, but please just imagine I'm totally looking all snooty and stuff and waving around a hand and being all......~~mmmmchallenge acceeeeeepted~~~ like....

Oh, screw it. He didn't trust his texting skills to really convey the right mood well enough, so, even though he probably looked like someone who'd spent all day having to tell more best friends about being a weird clone made by the bad guys and about being a monster and having nightmares about daemons and how all the futures were the worst and then being told that he had to keep being subjected to this sort of thing because it was the best way to try to make it so not ALL the futures were the worse, he was going to go ahead and send Vette a short little video of him being an exceptionally lofty Ignis to really put it out there.

And then blame it on how Noct was totally a Mopey Boy and therefor his apartment was pretty much a case study in emo-and-unflattering mood lighting.

[chirpchirpchirp]

Vette chewed her lip for a moment, looking at that video. Oh, Prompto. She knew 'hard day' when she saw one.

But she let it slide.

It had been a rough summer, she got it.

See, he'd be like that, but he hasn't met me and Nina yet!

[hashtag_chocobro]

To his credit, Prompto texted back with a grin, u and nina haven't met IGNIS yet, either.

Mad props and respect where it was due. The guy handled Noctis on a daily basis, basically got foisted into a caretaker position for the crown prince, and did it practically thanklessly and without complaint. And fed them amazing food. Dude was solid.

Although i suspect Nina got a pretty good taste of iggy when she went to him about those library cards...

Oh, shit, he'd almost forgotten about the library card junk mail, too. Guess that was another reason he'd have to go back, wasn't it?

He had....plans.

[chirpchirpchirp]

Is that you saying we SHOULD meet iggy?

Leave it to Vette to weasel in edgewise when she spotted an opening!

[hashtag_chocobro]

Yeaaaahhh, she was a pretty good sneaky-sneak like that, wasn't she?

Prompto bit his lip a little.

Well, yeah, obviously you guys should.

And before she took that as an invitation to go portal hopping just then, he added a hasty: Eventually. I think I need a bit more time to build them up so they're even remotely prepared for YOU TWO.

Plus there was the additional issue of the fact that Vette not exactly looking human in a world where not looking human was usually a Very Bad Thing still needed to be...parsed out a bit.

[chirpchirpchirp]

Vette contemplated that for a few moments before tapping out her reply.

Sooner or later, I want you and Nina to meet my gang, too. Since I can get home now and everything. I think you two would like them. I'll even play translator for Plasmajack.

She was going to conveniently not translate the part where he called her 'girl' or 'little girl' all the time.