adelphoi | (no subject)

[ alisaie is not quite so familiar with ishgard's street and climes as her dear brother, of course, but that did not earn her pity points.

as far as the scions are concerned, prompto is her little project. oh they like him plenty, and he's certainly helpful to their cause - for all he seems quite soft and, to a word, useless, he can actually handle himself quite well in a fight, and he's smarter than he might seem at first glance. he might have been a burden in the beginning, but he has learned, adapted, and grown into this place enough that she does not feel as if she has to carry him around any longer. she can trust him to fight by her side when she needs it, and more importantly, to do the right thing.

he is a kind soul. kinder certainly than she is.

nevertheless, alisaie seems always to be relegated to oversee him anyway. she found him, after all, he is the pup that followed her home, so she has become his de facto caretaker. it is up to her to keep him safe, to teach him as best as she can, and she supposes that is all well and good, so long as it does not interfere with her duties, but so far it has not. he seems keen to help where he can, mayhaps because it is in his nature, mayhaps because it keeps his mind and hands busy, but nevertheless, she does not much mind his consistent company anymore. suffice it to say she has.. grown used to him, even if he is foolishly idealistic and far more bubbly than any one person should ever be.

so here they are, striding over the chilly cobblestones of the foundation, toward a squat building in the near distance, where smoke rises from a sturdy chimney. ]

Nearly there, now. I daresay you shall be far more comfortable in clothing with sleeves.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's truly telling of how dire the situation is — or how tired Prompto is — that he doesn't bat an eye at a girl opening her bedroll and inviting him to join her in it. If it takes him a moment to respond, it's only because he's freezing, and his limbs seem to weigh far, far more than they usually do. But soon enough he's mumbling something incomprehensible and dragging himself forward, his arms slipping around Alisaie's waist to better facilitate them sharing their body heat.

He really doesn't want to die on the way to meet some chocobos, no. ]

Warm...

[ He murmurs, his eyelids heavy, thoughtless as he nuzzles against her neck and inhales the scent of her skin. He's never been this closer to her, or anyone before, really, and yet he doesn't even have the presence of mind to be flustered about it.

It is nice, though, and warm. It serves its purpose, as the storm continues to buffet the tent around them. ]

[ under any other circumstance she might blush demurely as well - she's not exactly accustomed to being held close by another person, but this is no romantic retreat. the chill is quite intense, it sinks into her very bones and prickles her skin, and even the meager heat he provides in the first few moments feels lovely.

it's difficult to navigate both of their bedrolls, but with some effort they're soon both wrapped up tightly in both of their bedrolls, curled up near, her legs drawn up and her arms tucked against his chest. her ears and nose feel like ice, so she buries her face against his hair as best she can, shivering hard, her teeth chattering beside his ear, though she can hardly hear it over the howling winds. alisaie is tough and strong, but she is also small and slim, she doesn't hold body heat very well. ]

G-give me.. your hands..

[ she asks, curling her fingers against his chest, her fingers stiff with cold. ]

[ Without a second thought, he complies, finding her hands curled into his shirt, and closing them between his own. Even though she's a young Elezen, Prompto has never really thought before about just how...small Alisaie is. He's also never thought about how snug she fits right under his chin, and he isn't thinking about it now. (Maybe a little.) But for as flustered as he can get by the smallest things, he isn't going to bumble through their own survival when sharing heat like this could be what saves them from freezing to death. Numb as his ears and toes might be, right near his heart, where he grips Alisaie's hands, he is warm. ]

I-I got y-you...

[ He murmurs through his chattering teeth, exhaling a warm breath against her cold ears.

They'll make it through this. They have chocobos to see...! ]

[ it feels a little better once he is closer, and alisaie frees one hand briefly to flick on the lantern that sits above their heads; any extra warmth will help, and the fire crystals will serve to heat this tiny space.

a hard shiver, and she's burrowing against him again, pressed as close as she can, heedless of whatever implications are dashing through prompto's mind. all she's thinking about is how cold she is, and how nice and warm he is, and also, maybe, about how nice he smells despite how hard they have been traveling. ]

W-we will m-m-manage.

[ she murmurs, closing her hands into fists beneath his fingers. ]

It will p-pass.

[ Funny, similar thoughts are passing through his mind, because no matter how small Alisaie might be, she feels like a veritable furnace when pressed up against him like this. He can smell her hair, feel it soft just beneath his jaw, and it smells...nice, familiar, like a scent he'd caught before but never really considered where it was from.

If this is how they die, well, it wouldn't be the worst way to go. But Alisaie is right — it will pass. They are made of sterner stuff than to freeze to death in a wintry snowstorm. ]

Y-yeah, w-we've got ch-chocobos to see, d-don't wanna disappoint 'em —

[ He burrows even nearer, nuzzling right to the top of her head. ]