adelphoi | (no subject)

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[ never before has alisaie so deeply, keenly known what it is to feel bittersweet.

arriving on hydaelyn again, surrounded by the familiar walls of the rising stones, eorzea's peoples and lands safe, restored, full - is it not what she had dreamt of since first she awoke in that icy pod? since she looked out over a wide vista of stars and attempted to process the fact that her home was gone? mourning an entire world had been a monumental effort, and when the news had come that their homes could yet be salvaged she had never been more relieved.

that relief, of course, had been soon followed by a sweeping despair. they were to return home, and only home, the natha had a duty to fulfill, to see to it that everything was restored exactly as it was, no exception, no compromise. for the greater good, they had insisted, and alisaie's heart had broken clean in two. she had made so many connections, so many close friends, she had carved a life out for herself on el nysa and -

- and prompto. to lose him forever was an ache she could not bear. she had already lost so much, so many, and to lose him.. of course she fought. she railed and shouted herself hoarse, she petitioned the natha again and again, begged, but they would not be moved. and so she was home again, surrounded by familiar walls and familiar friends, but on her clothing she could still smell prompto's skin, the sensation of his last kiss clinging to her mouth like a ghost.

a week of stunned grieving was all she allowed herself, but alisaie would not be defeated. traveling to other worlds.. it is possible, she has seen it done. the ascians, the warriors of the first - all had traveled between the planes, and alisaie was entirely certain, with all of her heart, that his eos was one of the many echoes, the worlds connected to her own by the sundering of the mothercrystal. prompto was gone and yet he still somehow felt so very close, just out of reach of her touch, her voice, her heart.

the pregnancy, of course, had been.. entirely unexpected. the natha had rendered them sterile, but she can only assume that they had reversed it some time before their restoration of their homes, long enough for him to quicken within her womb and leave her with a soul to remember him by, a sweet child with her own dark eyes and prompto's fair hair, and smile, and laugh that breaks her heart to hear. but gods she loves him, this little sunshine boy who thrives on touch and love, who sleeps well and smiles often and gives her the extra drive she needs to work, to finish, to find the way to drive open the doorway between their worlds. it is unstable, and unable to linger for long, it is entirely possible that this is a one-way trip, that she will never be able to find her way back, and that is all that stalls her. prompto is her heart, her husband, the mother of her child - but hydaelyn is her home, her family is here, and the thought of leaving her brother behind forever, leaving urianger, and the scions..

gods, it is nearly enough to unmake her, to convince her to abandon her work.

but they remind her, all of them, that prompto too is her family, that their child deserves to know his father, that if she does not make this step she will never see him again. she will.. simply have to do it again, to find a way to keep the doorway open. and if she has not, at least she has said her goodbyes, she has made her peace, and decided what it is that she needs.

and so that is what brings her here at last, to eos, where the air is thick with darkness, where the aether is in upheaval. gods, this is the home he had returned to? this is where he has been? the atmosphere is heady and oppressive, the roads swarmed with terrible daemons. she had made the right decision.

finding him, however, was much more difficult. finding her way to a well lit station had been difficult enough in a foreign world, and she had learned quickly to arrange her hair to cover her ears, avoiding questions she does not have the time to answer. but soon enough she had learned of him, where he was, and how to arrive there - to a city called lestallum, the last great bastion against the doom hovering on the horizon.

alisaie's heart is pounding when she arrives before the worn wooden door, in a narrow staircase with yellow walls, the paint peeling and the light harsh. she's ruffled and dusty with travel, exhausted and anxious, smelling of sweat and chocobo but once she had arrived in the city she could not bring herself to wait another second before searching him out, finding him. hefting the sleeping child higher on her hip, alisaie presses a kiss to his pale blonde head, taking a deep, stilling breath.

and she knocks. ]

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Of course it won't, but it was not easy living there, either.

[ in true mmo fashion there was, of course, always a threat to be dealt with. primals and factions, the garlean empire's constant hovering promise of conquest, and of course the ascians above all, and their dark god zodiark, orchestrating it all.

it gives her.. something of an idea of what might be going on here, to be perfectly honest, but that is a conversation for another time. for now, the three of them occupying this space, the the promise of its continued occupation, is all that matters. nuzzling her nose to his own, she smiles. ]

I am a survivor, you know that, you cannot deter me with danger.

[ and then - splat - a spoonful of mushed spaghetti flung toward them and a peal of laughter just after. what a little jerk.. ]

I had a feelin' you might say something like that.

[ And it's so good to know that no matter how much time has passed, she is still the woman he fell in love with, the woman he married. He's about to kiss her again, then, the brief warmth they'd shared earlier sweet upon his memory, but SOMEONE apparently doesn't appreciate mom and dad getting too schmoopy in front of him.

The spaghetti hits Prompto squarely in the jaw, and he draws back with a laugh of his own to turn his attention back to Lousioix. ]

Oh, so that's how you wanna play it, huh? Huh? [ BRING IT, SON. Prompto delicately sets the jar of spaghetti aside...before launching into a full-on tickle-attack. Having a kid apparently will spare Alisaie from them. ]

You will learn soon enough that you two have quite a bit in common.

[ namely, getting whiny and jealous when mama gives other people or things too much attention. remember that time you were jealous of peo?? ah, memories. but little louisoix, in classic toddler fashion, will only tolerate not being showered with attention for so long.

while prompto is busy tickle-attacking the squealing boy, alisaie wipes off her face with the handy rag she had had picked up, then sits back a little on the sofa. the boy, it seems, has inherited her vulnerability to tickles, and he's screeching noisily, flailing his chubby little limbs, while alisaie reclines and allows him to suffer. at least it's not her.

and it's.. nice, to watch, to hear them both laugh, to see them both smile. her boys. ]

[ That's fair enough, and given all the time they have to catch up on, Prompto is happy to lavish attention on his son. His laughter is like music to his ears, perfect, filling his heart until it is fit to burst.

But he dare not betray his child so soon after their meeting and be forever known as the parent who tickles too much, so a few moments later, Prompto relents, instead lifting Louisoix into his arms again and gazing fondly into the boy's dark eyes. Everything about him is perfect, impossibly sweet, a beacon of hope and light in this otherwise dark and dreary world. He can't wait to introduce him - both of them - to Ignis, to Gladio, and someday...to Noct.

Leaning back onto the couch, he kisses Louisoix on his soft hair, tapping the tip of his pointed ears. ]

I want to know everything...when you're ready.

[ Gods know she must be exhausted after her journey. She doesn't even need to tell him anything tonight - just having her with him is more, so much more than enough.

Of course.

[ and there is so very much to tell that she cannot wait for him to hear, to see his face light up with every silly story. but he's right, she is weary right down to her bones in a way she hasn't been in a very long time. tomorrow. tomorrow there will be time to tell him so much.

for the moment she's simply enjoying prompto enjoying their son like it's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen, because it is. ]

Would it be all right if we used your washroom?

[ she and louie both are.. definitely ripe from the road. ]

[ He holds Louisoix close a moment longer, peering into his face and memorizing every detail of it, every freckle and eyelash. Would his camera still work, he wonders? It's been so long since he last tried to use it. But if there were any reason for him to pull it back out again...it would be for this. Gods, it's like he has his heart back, his life back at last, no longer driven by will alone.

At last, he stands, still carrying the boy and extending his free hand to Alisaie. ]

You bet. It's not really mine, anyway. Just...borrowin' this place for a spell.

[ There's a lot he needs to tell her, too. But for now, he'll lead her towards the washroom, right at the top of the stairs. ]

[ getting back onto her feet seems a monumental effort, but she slips her hand into his nonetheless, still reveling in the familiar warmth of his touch, and stands again, more than happy to allow him to lead her where he needs to.

it all still feels like a memory. how many times have they held hands? showered together? the easy domesticity comes back so quickly that it's as if no time has passed at all, only now they have another, a third, the beginnings of the family they had always wanted but never been permitted to build. but now here they are, through strength of will alone, united, like two broken halves or something whole coming together again.

the first thing she does is start running the bath, allowing it to fill while she works on everything else. it's muscle memory. prompto is still holding the boy, and far be it for her to pry him from his arms, so instead she stands before him and plucks off both of louisoix's tiny shoes, followed by his tiny socks. ]

Is this not where you live?

[ This is another arena in which he knows nothing, but he follows her when where he can. Bathing a kid can't be that hard, right?? Not any harder than feeding him had been, and that had gone well enough, aside from the flung spaghetti, some of which is still crusted on to Prompto's jaw.

So for now he holds Louisoix to best facilitate undressing him for the bath, trying not to cry at the sight of those tiny socks... ]

Nah. I don't...really live anywhere.

[ Which bears a little clarification, and his grin turns a bit more sheepish. ]

Not that I'm, like, homeless...except I sort of am, I guess? I...travel around a lot.

[ Lots to do in a world that's already ended, it turns out. ]

[ yes look at how tiny these little socks are.. they even have little baby chocobos on them..

alisaie's expression falls a little at his explanation, and of course it.. makes sense. when things were bad on hydaelyn and there was work to do, she would travel constantly, hardly in any one place for more than a handful of days, most times. still, that prompto is so alone is enough to make her heart ache. he is not built for the solitary life, he requires companionship and love, friends and acquaintances, people with whom to share all of that laughter in his heart. has it been this way the entire time? all these years? has he been alone?

well, he isn't alone anymore, she can console herself with that much, at least. still, it's enough to have her pausing from her work to reach and touch his face, gentle and soft. ]

I see. Well, I hope you will not mind having a couple of tagalongs.

[ alisaie smiles, working off the last piece of tiny clothing before she's turning to check the temperature of the water, and shutting it off. ]

In he goes.

[ There's some saying about throwing the baby into the bathwater, right? Oh, well. He won't take it quite so literally, instead stepping over to the tub and carefully lowering Loiusoix into the water. ]

Are you kiddin'? You guys'll probably be better at fighting daemons than I am.

[ They family that fights together...

It'll take some planning - they maybe shouldn't rush into into a den of monsters with a toddler, but the prospect of moving ahead with her at his side makes everything all the brighter. ]

[ that's.. not how that saying goes?? please don't throw the baby anywhere, prompto.

he squeaks a little when he touches the water, but otherwise settles, a shame his favorite bath duckie is still downstairs in her bag, all alone. alisaie snags a washcloth and kneels beside the tub, dipping it into the warm water and wringing it out. ]

Well, we shall see about that. They looked.. quite fearsome.

[ not your every day run of the mill forest monster. certainly she's fought fiercer foes than ochus and coerls before, but the sight of some of those daemons on the road had been enough to send a chill of fear down her spine. for now, though, they are safely indoors, and she is gently wiping the dust and pasta sauce from louisoix's little face. ]

[ Prompto hangs over the edge of the tub, watching her work with a fond smile, one hand still at Louisoix's back. He's old enough he doesn't need the support, but Prompto wants him to know that he's there, all the same, and that he isn't going anywhere now. A son...it still feels surreal, dreamlike, that he could have had any part in creating a life, even if it was wholly unintentional. It can't have been the most convenient thing to find herself pregnant after returning home, but at least she had Louisoix to keep her company. His boy has already done so much for him, before he'd even known how to walk. ]

...Some of 'em are pretty nasty. [ His tone is gentle, but not soft. ] They get more and more aggressive all the time, but...we just have to keep fighting.

[ Until the king returns. ]

[ it's certainly noted, how prompto cannot seem to stop touching him, and she can't say she blames him. to regain his wife and learn he has a son all in one evening.. gods, it must be so confusing, but also so wonderful.

once the boy's face is clean, she dips the cloth again and this time lathers it with a little bit of soap, and carefully begins to wash him, slowly and methodically from crown to toe, gently, baby skin is very delicate. ]

As always.

[ that's what they do, isn't it? for so long they have been fighting, it is a way of life. but she smiles as she says it, glancing sidelong toward him, her expression warm. ]

We will make it through.

[ one way or another, they always do. ]

[ He echoes her smile with one of his own, free arm moving up and across her back, knitting at her shoulder. ]

We will. Now that we're together again...gotta say, I feel pretty unstoppable.

[ Or maybe it's just the contrast of hope speaking, that now he has warmth in his chest again, a real reason to smile. Could three years of loneliness be overwritten so fast, so easily? Evidently they could, because he's no longer thinking about how hard it has been, but rather looking forward to how good the future will be. ]

[ prompto's hand feels warm and solid at her back, and all at once she's feeling so tired, like at last, for the moment, she is.. safe. where she is meant to be. somewhere she can let her guard down. ]

Mm.

[ she agrees, dipping her head to press a kiss to his shoulder, before she's rinsing all the suds away from the boy, who's yawning wide, echoing her sentiment. but she believes what she said, she's not simply saying it to give him peace of mind - they were up against so much on hydaelyn, so many times the odds have been against her there, on el nysa, and now here as well - and yet all those times she has come through. whatever it is that troubles and plagues this world, they will see it through.

with a soft sigh she sits back. ]

Would you like to dress him while I bathe?

[ think of the cute socks, prompto. ]

[ His face lights up, telling his answer before he gives it. ]

Would I!

[ That's a "yes", obviously, and he's already rising to grab a towel off the rack so he can scoop Louisoix out of the bath and dry him off. Just think of how many pairs of tiny socks there must be down there...and also diapers, but uh, he can figure that out. How hard can it be?

He may have missed a lot of firsts, but at least there are still firsts for him, and he's glowing at at the prospect of dressing his child for the first time. ]

Any, uh...tips I should know?

[ Look, he just wants to be prepared, okay! ]

[ yeah good luck with the diaper prompto.. please remember to powder his sensitive baby butt first.

alisaie flips the drain on and rises again, stretching her arms up above her. ]

Well, you know how to dry and dress yourself, do you not?

[ it's, you know, the same but in miniature. alisaie steps out of her boots, and shucks off her heavy, dusty coat, tugging her hair down from its messy braid. ]

Just make sure he is completely dry, and Twelve preserve, do not forget the diaper.

[ and we're not talking huggies here, it's the cloth type that must be pinned on. they don't have pampers in eorzea. good luck prompto. ]

[ Yes, he knows how to dry and dress himself...he's a failure at adulting in many ways, but at least he's got that down! ]

Roger that! One dry and dressed baby, comin' right up!

[ Good grief, though, cloth diapers...this is gonna stink! Figuratively and literally, gross.

But Prompto is still in the honeymoon stage of finding himself a father and does not know fear in this way yet. He will. He will. For now, he starts to pat Louisoix's head dry, teasing him by waving the tip of the towel across his nose, and heads back down stairs where she had left her bag. ]

Edited 2017-12-04 05:08 (UTC)

[ LOOK cloth diapers aren't that bad..!! and they're good for the environment or something. parenting is gross, he will learn soon.. rip when he gets peed on for the first time. but hey, at least that baby sure is cute.

she watches them go, confident that prompto probably will not mess up too badly, and like as not he'll treat the boy like he's made of delicate glass, so she does not worry. instead she finishes stripping, leaving her clothing in a filthy pile on the ground, and steps into the bath.

gods it feels good. it's quiet and peaceful, and the hot water streaming over her body is like a massage, the heat sinking into sore muscles and bone. alisaie is not so picky about her vanity as prompto, but it still feels lovely to rinse away the dirt and grime of the road, to scrub her hair until it actually looks white again. even when she's finished she spends an extra few minutes beneath the water to soak up the warmth and silence.

but she probably shouldn't leave prompto without guidance too long, so some fifteen minutes later she's stepping out of the shower, wringing out her hair, and wrapping up in a thick towel. her clothing lies abandoned to deal with on the morrow, and she pads back downstairs in her towel. ]

Is everything going all right?

[ At least that baby sure is cute...

While Alisaie is upstairs enjoying her bath, Prompto has a (mostly) successful time dressing Louisoix. The diaper is, invariably, the trickiest part of the whole ordeal, making sure it's snug enough that it doesn't, you know, leak (gross gross gross), while still loose enough to facilitate movement and comfort. He's pretty sure he's got it pinned up nicely enough, and then he tugs on a cute onesie with buttons up the front that he assumes must be pajamas.

He even finds a little comb in the bag and is, of course, seeing to Louisoix's hair when Alisaie emerges and makes her way downstairs. This is his real legacy...the hair.

Still glowing, he glances up at her with a grin as she draws near. It's getting easier and easier now, like his muscles have remembered how instinctual smiling used to be for him. ]

Goin' great! Would you look at this handsome kid?

[ He turns the boy in his lap to face Alisaie, who lifts his arms and waves while chanting mama, mama! ]

[ ah he's already starting to get grossed out and it's only been like, an hour. this is gonna be great.. ]

Hello, little darling.

[ ah, the moogle onesie, good choice. alisaie shoots the boy a warm smile, ruffling his hair (oops) as she passes toward her bag, digging through it for a nightdress. she's slept fully clothed for a week now, it's going to feel so nice to sleep in something lighter. dropping her towel, alisaie rubs it around her damp hair with one hand, shaking open the nightdress with the other. ]

And yes, handsome indeed, but please do not teach him to spend days at a time preening in the washroom.

[ She drops her towel and Prompto pointedly does not look away. Cut him a break, it's been a really long time since he's been able to...appreciate her like this, eyes lingering on her figure, even as a laugh breaks through his relaxed grin. ]

Aw, c'mon now! What else am I gonna teach him about? I gotta pass down something.

[ He turns his attention back to Louisoix, probably the only thing in the world that could distract him from naked Alisaie, straightening his hair with his fingers once more. He mumbles something to him in baby talk, about how he's a good boy and he'll spend however much time he wants in front of the mirror and that's perfectly fine. Hygiene is important!!! ]

[ enjoy, prompto. on the downside, having a baby has left her with some noticeable stretch marks. but on the upside, it definitely.. augmented some things upstairs. wink wonk. ]

Marksmanship. Photography. Chocobo riding. Would you like me to go on?

[ prompto even you have to know that spending all that time in the bathroom is not about hygiene alone. it takes like, ten minutes to shower and brush your teeth. the rest is preening!! she will literally never have any time in the bathroom to herself ever again if he passes this habit down. anyway, she sets down the towel and tugs the sleeveless nightdress over her head, and it's so lovely and nice and soft, ahh.

once she sits down again, she probably will not want to get up again, so she sets to unpacking now. all the clothing stays in, but everything else comes out - the jars of food, his little cups, what few toys she had allowed (a stuffed chocobo among them, which is worn and well loved), and a large woven basket folded in half. ]

[ Ah, finally, flat-chested no more...

He continues to bounce Louisoix on his knee while watching Alisaie unpack, mouth quirking at the sight of the chocobo doll. Like father like son, apparently. Even if he wasn't around to share things with him before, Prompto's glad to know they have some things in common, regardless. ]

Hang on - lemme get this straight. You want me to teach our baby how to shoot a gun?

[ He's just...asking.

Louisoix, meanwhile, starts to stretch and yawn, slowing his babble, and Prompto takes that as his cue to lift him up against his shoulder, cradling him close, one hand gently patting his back. ]

Photography and chocobo riding, though...those I can get behind. Need to dust off the old lens, anyhow...

[ Time to start a baby photo blog and become the most obnoxious parent ever. ]

[ WOOOOOOW RUDE she wasn't flat???? just. nice little handfuls?? oh my god you're the worst husband she's going back to eorzea ]

.. not now of course, but when he is older, certainly. Besides, given the two of us, I've no doubt his aim will be impeccable.

[ she's no softhearted pacifist okay, she has killed a lot of people you realize. knowing how to fight and defend oneself is important, be it with sword or gun, you can bet she'll be shoving a grimoire into his hands the moment he can read and write. either way, between prompto's sharpshooter eyes and alisaie's elezen ones, it would be a waste to neglect a clear sniper in diapers. ]

Dust off?

[ she pauses for a moment, processing what he means, but then she smiles softly, and opens the basket to line the bottom with a soft, thick pelt of karakul fur. ]

Well, I think that is a fine idea.