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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[ He hums, light and easy like a feather in his throat, resting his chin over her shoulder so he can admire Louisoix as well. Of course, a parent is always biased towards the nature of their own child, but who could argue that the boy in front of them isn't perfect? No one, surely. Prompto loved him instantly, but every laugh, every smile has endeared him to him even more than he thought possible. He loves every bit of Alisaie he can see in him, in that bright intelligence behind those dark eyes, in the inquisitive, thoughtful way he considers his own fists. Prompto can see himself in him, too, and that's so...strange and new. He had no blood relatives growing up to share traits with. He's never seen himself reflected in anyone before, and yet, here he is, seeing himself reflected in something, someone so perfect.

One of Prompto's hands moves across Alisaie's stomach, his fingers splayed and warm. What he wouldn't give to have been there, as he should have been...but he'd already tried to apologize for that once, and she hadn't accepted it then. There's nothing they can do to change the fact that he wasn't - they can only look forward now. ]

I told you you'd make a great mom, didn't I? And look at him. He just adores you.

[ It's the tenderest thing in the world, seeing how Louisoix gravitates to her so naturally. They've got a mama's boy on their hands... ]

[ he's not alone. all the while she had carried louisoix she had thought of prompto, of what he was missing, of how much he would have loved it. every kick had been bittersweet, she could have imagined it so easily, prompto's reactions, how he would have wanted to feel every one, and hear reports of the others if he were not around.

it certainly had not been their ideal pregnancy, but there can be no changing it, and more importantly they are here now, together at last, and prompto has all the time in the world now to watch their boy grow. ]

He adores everyone.

[ she argues, to be contrary, but also because it's kind of true. louie is such a happy little child, he loves people and attention, he laughs easily and thrives on being held and touched. ]

He is yours, after all.

[ and no one is more of a people-lover than prompto, at least no one she has ever known. ]

[ When will Alisaie accept the fact that she's a good mom...ah well. Prompto will get it through to her eventually! But all the evidence he needs is right there in front of him, in the form of their happy, healthy, laughing boy. ]

Yeah, but I didn't raise him. [ Not yet. So far, Alisaie gets all the credit for how Louisoix has turned out. Though the love of chocobos - that's definitely genetic. ]

He's...ours.

[ And as much as Alisaie can see Prompto in their son, Prompto can see Alisaie in him, too. ]

[ look.. she accepts she's good at some things but she's still nervous about this okay!! it's so easy to accidentally fuck up a child!! but with prompto's help she's sure it will get easier, though she's certain she's going to need to play the sole role of disciplinarian..

when it comes to it, at least. for now their boy is warm and happy and too young to get into any trouble beyond knocking something over or peing on dad's face. ]

Yes, he is.

[ her voice is soft and tender, her eyes dropping again to the boy who wiggles happily in the sheets, still tugging at her nightdress. ]

Still, I am glad to see he has inherited your disposition.

[ Ah, just wait until he gets to the human-Elezen equivalent of the terrible two's... ]

...I dunno how to take that when he's tryin' to take off your shirt. [ Yep. Despite his years of heartache, he's still like this. Didn't she miss him... ] Buuut I think it's a compliment, since he's basically perfect, anyway.

[ Seeing as house they're not tangled enough, Prompto swings one leg over hers and winds them together, unwilling to relinquish even the slightest bit of contact between them. It's been over three years - he's pretty sure this is justified, as is the following kiss pressed to the crook of her neck. ]

...How'd you explain it to your friends? Your family?

[ Did the ol' "dude from an alternate universe knocked me up" story work? ]

He's probably hungry.

[ but she's not sure she's in the mood to introduce prompto to the wonderful world of breast feeding yet, because she's almost entirely sure that he'll probably giggle. she has not forgotten prompto's.. promptoness. BUT SHE MISSED HIM ANYWAY... somehow. when he begins to wrap around her like an octopus she grins, tilting her head just enough to welcome more of those kisses, thank you. ]

Well, many of them remembered El Nysa. It made it.. a bit more easy to explain.

[ because otherwise, gods, it would have been so awkward. alisaie isn't exactly the type to go getting herself pregnant with some mystery man. thankfully she was hardly the only eorzean to have ended up awakened by the natha. ]

Everyone was very supportive, I was fortunate.

[ Her hunch is absolutely right - he would giggle, no matter how beautiful and wonderful and natural it is. But she spares them both that fate for the moment, and with that simple invitation it's the easiest thing in the world to drag kisses along her neck to the corner of her jaw, warm and soft and slow. It almost feels like no time has passed at all, and that so much has only makes this all the sweeter. ]

Glad to hear it. Besides, I dunno how anyone could give you trouble after he came around.

[ He tickles Louie beneath his arm with a lazy finger - he's just so darn ticklable! And then Prompto is quiet a moment, drinking in the whole experience of this moment, lost in the warmth of her skin, finally finding it within himself to ask these questions he longs for the answers to. ]

...What was his first word? The first thing he smiled at? The first time he laughed? Does he walk yet?

[ How much has he missed? ]

[ soon enough the giggling will come, and she will roll her eyes, but she'll put it off until louie starts to fuss in earnest - for now, those kisses..

.. those are nice kisses. for all his occasional(?) imbecility, prompto had always been a good lover, attentive and sweet and always ready to shower her with affections and attentions. after so long bereft of it it feels so good now, every soft kiss like the first she's ever felt, the warm gust of his breath tickling pleasantly. ]

.. his first word was "book." [ she says around a smile. ] Which may or may not have been my intention. [ she definitely held up books every day, and repeated the word to him, until he finally spit it out. though it was more like "booh!" at the time. ]

His first smile was on a Sunday morning, at breakfast time. His first laugh when carbuncle nudged his nose.

[ so many memories she is happy to share.. and so many more ahead of them, that prompto will have for his own. ]

He does not walk yet - few times he has stood, but tumbled over just after - but it shan't be long now. Still, he is very good at crawling.

[ like, everywhere and onto anything. no doubt prompto will witness it very soon..... ]

[ His kisses don't stop while she answers, though he hinges on every word she says. Exploring her skin, the landscape of her neck and jaw and shoulder, is like remapping a place he hasn't been to in so long, a place he knows but time has muddled the details of. It's impossibly good to be there again, to twist around her so tightly that he feels like he'll never have to let her go again.

It's a dangerous game, he knows it, to hope for that now. But all the same, he does. He believes her, believes in her, and the love and warmth she's selflessly brought back to him.

The shape of his lips winds fond around his kisses. What he would give to have been there for those moments...but he's here now, and that's what matters most. ]

The little guy has places to be. I get that.

[ Never stay in one place too long. ]

Still, I'm glad he's savin' a few tricks to show off to his old man.

[ those kisses grow more and more distracting, each one brushed against hyper-sensitive skin, trailing goosebumps in their wake; gods it's been too long. for a moment she doesn't answer, her eyelids flickering and her breath catching and trembling, a wash of heat rolling down her body. it's never going to be enough. ]

He.. most certainly does.

[ like the energized bunny, he keeps going and going. he's prompto's child, after all, and while alisaie cannot match him in energy, she's no layabout herself, either. no doubt their children inherit a certain.. drive to keep moving. ]

You will learn soon enough.

[ her hand drops, sliding over his where it rests against her stomach, weaving their fingers together and squeezing. ]

[ He's so close he can feel her tremble beneath his kiss, feel her breath catch, and a sound low and plaintive rolls softly in his chest. He would do more - wants to do more, but for now he contents himself with this, even if she's right - it's not enough. Not for how long they've been apart, not for how long it has been since he touched her and kissed her like this. ]

I can't wait. I wanna learn...everything. And...teach him, too.

[ For as much as he fears he lacks in his ability to teach, there's nothing more that he wants than to teach his son how to live, how to thrive, how to be his own person in the way that had taken Prompto until his adult life to learn.

He squeezes her hand back, thumb smoothing slowly over the back of her hand. ]

[ a shame they were too exhausted to take advantage of it last night, to set the babe asleep in his fur-lined basket and fall into one another's arms. soon.. but gods, not soon enough. hopefully this day will be quite busy, enough to distract them both. there is so very much to do.. and to discuss, and the morning is drawing on. ]

You will.

[ a warm smile curves her mouth, and alisaie lifts his hand to press soft kisses to his knuckles. ]

There is so very much time.

[ prompto may have missed the pregnancy and birth, the first few laughs and blabbered words, but in the grand scheme of a child's life it is only a short time. there's still so much to look forward to, and so many, many things that prompto can teach him, so many things she can hardly wait to see.

but for now, louisoix is beginning to at lass fuss in earnest, his little face scrunching up with a whine. quiet time is over. ]

[ Quiet time is indeed over, and as much as he might think fondly of their time back on El Nysa, where they could languish half the day in bed and not suffer for it, she's right - there is so very much time, and they can get back to this later. With a final kiss to her cheek, Prompto draws back at last, though her warmth stays on his skin like a blanket when he cracks the space between them. Louisoix is getting fussy, and Alisaie's got to...do her thing.

The mom thing.

(He's not going to giggle. He won't!!!)

As he draws back, he pushes himself up and scoots back against the pillows. He's not exactly certain if there's anything he can do here to help, exactly, but...hopefully she doesn't mind if he sticks around. Navigating all of this is still so new, and he just wants to make things as easy and comfortable for both of them as possible.

Though that reminds him... ]

So! Guess we oughtta...find a place to live-live.

[ .. the mom thing ..

it's a sad time when prompto finally pulls away, and alisaie sighs softly, but if it's one thing that all of this has taught her it's that her wants must always come second to the child's, and that will never change. besides, as she had said herself, there is time now, time to learn one another all over again, however impatient for it she might be.

of course she has no intention of shooing him out of his own bed, the thought does not even cross her mind. prompto has seen all of her a thousand times, and to be honest, she's gotten so used to this that it hardly seems like anything out of the ordinary at all. it's not like it's obscene, prompto stop being a child!!

so without another thought, alisaie sits up until she can recline against the headboard, slipping the strap of her nightdress off of one shoulder so she can shrug it down, and lift the complaining babe to cradle him to her breast. they fall into it like clockwork. once he's situated himself, alisaie lifts her eyes to the ceiling, casting her gaze in a cursory sweep around the room. ]

I suppose we do.

[ what a nice idea. in a world like this where doom hangs on the horizon, it seems silly to look forward to something so domestic and mundane as finding a home together, and yet she finds herself smiling about it nonetheless. ]

Where would you suggest?

[ It's not obscene, it's just new, okay!! And he...doesn't really know what to expect. Of course he knows what breastfeeding is, but it's entirely different to witness Alisaie doing it with their child. He knows how juvenile he is, at least, and he's preparing himself for when he invariably says something stupid and earns her (justified) ire.

But then Alisaie sets to work, her movement natural and easy like she's done this a thousand times - and Prompto realizes, she probably has. This is only new for him, and as she lifts Louisoix in her arms, he can't help but marvel at how she has grown into this role of a mother that she did not necessarily ask for. Sure, they'd discussed it, wanted it, but they hadn't planned for Louisoix to happen, exactly, and he'd come regardless. And yet now here she is, a couple years and change later, every bit as fierce and radiant as she's ever been, mothering her son without a second thought.

So, no, he doesn't laugh. Instead, he smiles, stretching out and tipping his head back against the backboard. ]

To be honest, Lestallum is the safest place around these days...but it's crowded, too. Lots of refugees, safety in numbers, y'know. There's other outposts, but they're...all pretty drab.

[ So, the options aren't great. ]

But I'm also...not the most popular guy here.

[ well would you look at that, he didn't giggle! amazing. with a soft, slow exhale she relaxes, her fingers at the back of louisoix's head threading gently through his baby-soft hair. she enjoys these moments, the serene ease between mother and child. soon he'll be old enough to go without this entirely, which honestly, she's looking forward to, because teething, but still she will miss it, and the peace it brings them both. ]

Well, this is your world, so I will bow to your expertise.

[ safe is good, but they can also be safe other places. neither of them are layabouts, and honestly, their skills may be better put to use elsewhere. she came here to find prompto, but she also came to help a world in peril - she remembers the stories he'd told, she had known full well what it was that he would be returning to.

but his further commentary has her furrowing her brows, watching him curiously. ]

What do you mean?

[ how can anyone not like prompto ]

[ It's not a fun explanation to give, but it's necessary, all the same. With a worn sigh, Prompto sinks lower against the pillows, casting a glance at the window. ]

I mean...we...let down the world. Or...that's how everyone else sees it, anyway.

[ And part of him agrees with them. Their king and his right hand men hadn't been able to stop the Starscourge from coming, and Prompto and the others hadn't answered for that failure. They hadn't joined up with the glaives like they perhaps should have - hell, they weren't even official hunters. To everyone else, they were just lazy drifters, awash without their king to guide them, the physical reminders of everything Eos has lost without the Oracle and the King. ]

Guess I'm used to it by now, but...makes things a little tricky to get arranged, sometimes.

[ And it's why he's typically spent so much time outside the bigger outposts when he can get away with it. ]

[ his explanation makes sense, but it puts a foul taste in her mouth nonetheless, and it shows as much in her expression. she understands that weight, the scions are much the same - all of eorzea at their doorstep like mewling babes. people are quick to celebrate you when you succeed, and just as quick to turn on you when you fail; it has always sat poorly with her, which is no real surprise. politics have ever been her enemy. people should be grateful at all that there are others willing to stick their necks out to defend them and their homes, but twelve forbid they should be outmatched.

she doesn't give voice to it, not now anyway, because she's sure it would not make him feel better, and she has been in eos less than a fortnight, it is not her place to cast judgment just yet. still, it's quite clear that it rankles her. ]

I see.

[ people can be so damned.. small.

but she believes in him, she always has, and that he has done the best that he could in a difficult situation is something she would never question. lifting her hand from the boy's head, she trails her knuckles along prompto's jaw; no matter what others might think of him, she will always stand stalwartly beside his choices and actions, she will always support him. ]

Mayhaps it is for the best, then, that we stay somewhere else.

[ because it certainly won't help, staying somewhere they are not wanted, and knowing prompto he will blame himself for that. right now, eos needs him to be strong and sure, not second guessing himself, so keeping him away from that.. toxicity is probably a good idea. ]

[ After a moment, he nods against her touch, eyes lowered and hooded. Prompto only ever wished the best for others, but he can't...he can't help them in the way they need right now. The people of Eos wanted to be saved, but they couldn't be. Not yet, anyway, and while Prompto whole-heartedly believed - no, knew - that Noctis would return, the denizens of his world did not have such a luxury. They had an old prophecy, and that was all they had to believe in. It's hard to maintain that hope when it's been years since they felt the light of the sun on their skin. ]

...I think that'd be for the best. Old Lestallum, maybe...not too far from here but a lot less crowded.

[ A lot more dangerous, too, but it's dangerous anywhere. ]

Guess we'll need to go home shopping soon.

[ That, at least, brings a warm smile to his face. It's awfully domestic of them, even during the apocalypse. Husband and wife and their bouncing baby boy, looking for a place to live, to grow together, to put down roots in a way Prompto hasn't in so very, very long. ]

[ there's the smile she loves. it must be so difficult for him; prompto had always felt responsible for everything around him even when others did not blame him for it, but here they do, however unfairly. but prompto surely cannot understand that it's unfair, that these people are disappointed and afraid and taking it out on the most convenient scapegoat. that scapegoat being her husband, however, is not so easy for her to abide.

but they'll get there. at the very least he is no longer alone. ]

I look forward to it.

[ after years apart it will feel good to settle down again, to find a place to belong, a home to build together, one they have been searching for for as long as they have been together. ]

We can start whenever you like.

[ He is no longer alone, and that puts him in a state leagues better than he has been in a very long time by that simple truth alone. He still had Gladio and Iggy, but when they weren't together for weeks, months at a time, loneliness had been his more constant companion. That things will no longer be that way has renewed his heart, given him courage and warmth and strength he'd all but forgotten he had in him.

It's so, so very good. ]

Mmm...tomorrow, then. [ There was no reason to stay in Lestallum any longer than necessary, but - one day. He wants just one way to spend with her and Louisoix and do nothing else.

He leans over to gently kiss her temple. ]

Today's all booked up.

[ his answer clearly pleases her, as is made evident by the smile that breaks across her features, and the shine in her eyes when she looks toward him, nudging her nose against his own. ]

'Tis fair.

[ what else could she ask for, after being separated from him so long? there is nothing more she could want than to at last spend a day together, the three of them, like she has been waiting to for too many years.

and then, almost as if on cue, she feels teeth, and with a quiet yelp of surprise she scowls, lifting louisoix up and away from her body, leveling him with a hard glare. ]

That is quite enough, young man. I think it is time for my breakfast.

[ Prompto's eyebrows fly into his hair, not yet following her sudden reaction or her words to Louisoix, as she lifts him up and he smiles -

Oh. Right. The teeth. Ah...the beauty of a mother with her child.

His grin slips up to one side again. ]

A little shoppin' might be called for. Unless...you want Cup Noodles for breakfast.

[ Let's be real, this is probably what he subsists off of like 95% of the time these days. ]

[ mothering is a tough and thankless job...

a long suffering sigh, and alisaie deposits the boy right into prompto's lap, then tugs the strap of her nightdress back up and rubs at her sore chest, still frowning petulantly. stop smiling prompto!! don't make her bite your nipple to show you how it feels :rage: ]

A fine idea. I would like to see more of the city.

[ even if it isn't particularly welcoming, even if it's the last bastion in a world gone mad, it is still a part of prompto's world, and she is more than interested in seeing every corner of this place - or as much as she can, at least. this is prompto's history, his life, and she is eager to experience it.

at last she swings her legs over the edge of the bed and stands, stretching her arms high over her head. ]

[ No thank you, he's okay on skipping that experience...he he readily accepts Louisoix into his lap. The boy grins up at him like they're both in on some grand joke, and Prompto gives him something that's an approximation of a chastising look.

...And then he winks. He doesn't mean it, Louie! But he doesn't want to earn the ire of mom... ]

That settles it, then! I can give you the grand tour. [ What there is to see of it, anyway. Lestallum is a shell of its former glory, but it's still a sight to behold in many ways. Everything is easier when they accentuate the good, anyway.

Louisoix against one shoulder, Prompto slides out of the bed after her. ]

...Might even have a surprise for you out there.