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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. ]
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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And even if it's been a few years, he still knows exactly what to do. What to adjust, how to focus, how to just angle the camera correctly as he winds his free arm around Alisaie and grins a wide, beaming grin. ]
Saaay Carbuncle!
[ Ah, throwbacks. And as usual, whether she says it or not, he snaps the photo a moment later, the shutter clicking.
Gods, it feels so good. ]
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even once he is finished, alisaie cannot stop smiling, smiling so broadly that her face aches. she has hardly had such cause to smile like this in a long time; they are at last, together, as they should be.
she edges a little closer, craning her neck to peer at the screen. ]
Did it come out well?
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[ I mean, of course it is. Look at how cute all of them are. Prompto tips the screen towards Alisaie so she can see it, a collection of smiling faces that were always meant to be together. It's strange, to think that this is their first photo all together. When Prompto looks at it, it's like he's known this photograph his entire life.
But with that taken care of (though there will undoubtedly be many more to come), it's time to hit the town, and he sets the camera in its case on his belt, its weight like an old familiar friend. ]
Shall we?
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but for now, onward. alisaie dips her head and starts down the stairs, setting louisoix onto the edge of the sofa so she can kneel to roll a fresh pair of socks over his little feet, and his shoes after. ]
I was not able to see much of the city last night, so you will have to lead me around.
[ she just kind of. barreled through on a chocobo and didn't appreciate the sights. ]
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Can do! Lestallum may not hold up to its former glory, but it's still got some highlights. Now, if we found a way across the sea to Altissia...
[ A city that is far more pristine and breathtaking in his memory than it surely is now, but there's probably not a more romantic city in all of Eos, before or after the Starscourge settled over the land. ]
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Altissia..
[ she looks thoughtful, trying to recall the many things he had told her about eos all those years ago, while she stands and hefts the boy into her arms, moving toward the door. ]
.. that is the maritime city, yes?
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Yeah. Canals and gondolas and water everywhere. It's a sight! Or...it was, at least.
[ He trots towards the door to open it for them, and then pulls it shut behind them. It's a bit lighter than it was the night before, but there is, of course, no true sun in the sky. It's like it keeps trying to rise but just can't muster the energy for it, bathing the morning in a cool, predawn light that never ends. ]
It got pretty beat up by the Hydraean, but in its heyday, man. I'll have to show you some pics later.
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I'd like that.
[ she smiles, louisoix already pulling her braid over her shoulder, playing with the ribbon. ]
I want to know everything. I want to help as best I can.
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It's impossible not to look at them, to just appreciate the simple existence of this moment, and after they go along for a moment in silence, Prompto laughs quickly, his eyes warm and bright as he takes the pair of them in. His beautiful, fierce, passionate wife, and his perfect, smiling son. Gods, how his heart swells with adoration for the both of them. ]
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still, her eyes sweep the city, the tall buildings and the cracked streets as they approach. when prompto laughs she looks.. puzzled, her brow creasing as she peers up into his face. ]
What?
[ is something on her face?? ]
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I just - you're here! And Louie - it's...I still can't really believe it.
[ This - this exact thing, right here, is what he has wanted for so long. ]
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she's missed that smile so much. she's missed him so much. right now it's so easy to appreciate that, while she's not having to worry about finding him, getting to him, and staying on her feet. ]
I know.
[ her voice is a little softer, her smile warming up, and she turns toward him, though with her arms full of toddler she cannot touch him. ]
It feels.. like a dream.
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[ But it's gone on long enough now that Prompto knows in his heart that it is not a dream. It's still too good to be true, yes, but it is still true, nevertheless. She's really here with him, he really has a son, and everything is going to be different now. ]
C'mon. I got an old friend you gotta meet.
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but what's this? brows lifted in curiosity, she follows him along. ]
Old friend?
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Wait here.
[ With an eager grin, Prompto trots up to one of the weapons stalls, where a young boy, now barely a teenager, is looking over a few tomes. It's clear, even from a distance, that these two know each other well, and get on much better than Prompto does with many of the glaives.
A moment later, the boy disappears into the building behind him, the door ajar, and then scrambling out comes Peo. A few years older and grayer, a bit slower than he used to be, but Peo all the same, and while he spares Prompto a moment of greeting in the form of slathered kisses, as soon as Alisaie catches the dog's attention, he makes a beeline for her, all four legs off the ground at a time as he runs and barks warmly at her. ]
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she's still attempting to unravel the secret when a dog comes trotting out of the open door, and then makes a mad dash toward her - ]
Oh, Gods - Peo..
[ somehow, the sight of him alone is incredibly powerful, almost more powerful than seeing prompto had been. she was prepared to see prompto, she had bent nearly her entire focus on ripping a hole between their worlds for the express purpose of reuniting with him. she had known what she had been facing.
but peo.. oh, peo. a thousand memories come flooding back, and alisaie feels her chest tighten up immediately, tears pricking her eyes, thick emotion building in her throat. her breath catches, and she can feel her expression crumpling. gently, she shifts louisoix in her arms to hand him off to prompto so she can greet her old friend properly, dropping to her knees and gathering him up into her arms. peo whines and yips, his entire body wriggling with joy, and she can't help it - alisaie falls to broken sobs, punctuated with tight, hiccuping laughs, burying her face in peo's wiry fur. he even still smells the same.. ]
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But all the same, he takes Louisoix into his arms so Alisaie and Peo can get properly reacquainted, with tears of joy and happy yelps and tail-wagging more furious than Prompto has ever witnessed. It's impossible to not let the tears surface in his own eyes, even as Louisoix grabs at his face with his tiny, chubby fingers. The three of them are now the four of them, and there are no words for how complete and fulfilled he is at that moment, kneeling down so he and Louie are at eye level with the other two. ]
Think he missed you just a bit.
[ A tearful laugh breaks around his words. ]
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but he is not yet too old, still active enough to play and kiss and paw at her. still active enough to be around for some time yet. ]
I missed him, too.
[ she whispers through her tears, kissing peo square between the eyes, rubbing her cheek to the top of his head. what a good boy.. ]
It is good to see you, old friend.
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The dog's attention shifts to the small, squirming human in Prompto's arms. Louisoix squeals with laughter as Peo draws near, sniffing curiously and then when he's decided this new thing is good, he starts to generously slather Louie with kisses on his chubby cheeks and hands, getting better acquainted with his little brother.
And from the way Louisoix laughs, he seems to like it alright, too. ]
Looks like these two are gonna get along juuuust fine.
[ Probably a little too well. Should they be worried... ]
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speaking of - it seems that they are making friends, and a soft, tearful laugh hiccups out of her. what a sight the pair of them make, and her heart soars to behold it. louie squeals with delight, patting at peo's head none too gently, but as always peo is endlessly patient, and knows full well that this little creature is to be protected, not feared. ]
I think they shall be fast friends.
[ and nothing would make her happier, prospective cute teamup be damned. ]
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He could do anything now, if these are the loved ones beside him.
At last he straightens again, nuzzling against Louie's cheek and wiping a tear from the corner of his own eye. ]
So...where were we?
[ On to the rest of this glorious, wonderful, perfect day. ]
SCREAMS LOUDLY AND TIMESKIPS BECAUSE THAT WAS THE GREEN LIGHT RIGHT IF NOT TOO BAD
within reason, of course. less reckless, yes, but alisaie is no less fierce, and she cannot allow her skills to rust from disuse while she sits back and plays housewife. she trains and she fights and she researches and studies, she whets her blade on daemon hunts, and regularly patrols the area around their home to keep it clear of threats. thankfully the daemons in this area are far fewer, and not as strong or fierce as they are where they gather near the roads, but still, all it takes is one lone goblin to kill a little boy, and so her watch is fearsome and vigilant.
and so they have carved out a life for themselves, here. a home of their own, quiet and secluded, with chocobos for riding and ample space all around them, plenty of light to keep the daemons at bay, and a warm, welcoming hearth. she can work here, train here, and most importantly, research, uncovering what she can about daemons, starscourge, how best to combat it and undo it. it is slow work, and certainly not easy, but it keeps her mind occupied.
for awhile, at least, until something else creeps in at the edges of her consciousness. she's been sick for two weeks now, with terrible nausea that comes in waves, that can only be settled with mint tea, and even that does not always work. at first she had assumed a flu, but there were as yet no other accompanying symptoms - not flu-like symptoms, at least. she's tired, exhausted, with pounding headaches and incessant, constant nausea but there is no fever, no congestion, and no worsening crescendo of symptoms to suggest a stomach flu.
at first she is irritated, she hardly has time for this, but soon enough it begins to feel.. wholly familiar, and after three days of a maddeningly sore chest, she's quite sure she knows what's happening. when was her last moon blood, anyway?? she definitely hadn't been keeping track..
.. so here she is now, in the bathroom, staring at several plastic sticks lined up on the counter. these 'pregnancy tests' are rather mystifying to her, how does a magic pee stick know?? but she trusts eos's technology well enough, and it's certainly unlikely that five separate tests would be false.. right? honestly, they really only prove what she already knows, what her aches and nausea and the very slight but noticeable (to her, at least) swell of her belly are already telling her.
despite herself, how well she knows prompto, how thrilled he is sure, to be, alisaie still finds herself nervous, fidgeting in front of the sink, looking from stick to stick with a scrutinizing glare. of course, she had not had to tell him, before - showing up on his doorstep with a freckled babe in her arms had been more than enough to do the trick. but when she hears the front storm door clatter open and closed, heralding prompto's return, she knows she has to face the music. sucking in a deep breath, she sweeps the sticks into a paper cup and slips out of the bathroom, casting a glance toward the sofa to see to it that louie is still asleep, flung over the cushions with his stuffed moogle. ]
Welcome home.
[ this smile is.. totally confident and not at all tremulous. alisaie sets the cup on the mantle and chews her lip, meandering slowly toward prompto. ]
Do you.. have a moment?
[ maybe he's busy, or had a long day, they can totally talk about this.. another time.. ]
how dare you i wanted to play out them buying eggs for breakfast!!!
But it does last, though it is not easy. Really, Prompto has to work harder than ever before - not only to fight the daemons, to train himself for the king's return, but to protect his family, small and precious and everything in the world to him. It helps, of course, that he has Alisaie as his partner in this. He trusts her skill more than he trusts his own, and so when he must go out on longer hunts, he doesn't have to worry about something happening to her and Louie while he is gone. Or...he worries less, at least.
Even with all of these things to keep him preoccupied, raising a son and protecting the world, they find time for each other, to simply hold each other close and appreciate the presence of the other. He'll never get over it - loving her, being with her, feeling valued and worthwhile and happy in ways he never thought he could be in a world of ruin. He wouldn't change a thing about it.
But change is inevitable, even if he does not always see it coming. Alisaie hasn't seemed completely well lately, but his inquiries after her health were easily brushed aside. Her symptoms weren't typical of any kind of illness brought on by the Starscourge, and thank the gods for that, and she didn't seemed too concerned about them, so he wasn't, either. No, she'd get better in time, and life would go on in this new normal pattern they've established.
...The moment he steps through the door and Alisaie greets him, however, he can tell something is up. Something in her smile tells him so, as does the weighty way she sets that cup down on the mantle. A kernel of worry nestles in his stomach. Maybe he's reading too much into nothing, but...they know each other so well now. He knows her tells, her smiles, her eyes and that note of hesitation in her voice. Alisaie rarely hesitated about anything, and the things she did, well...
They were Big.
So if doesn't matter if he's had a long day, or if he's busy. (He's not.) She has his full and undivided attention now, leaning into kiss her cheek in greeting. ]
Yeah, of course. What's up?
[ Instinctively, he reaches down to take her hands in his, winding their fingers together. ]
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there's no reason to drag it out. alisaie is honest to a fault, and they both know that she has something to Tell him right now, with a capital T. but ah, speaking the words.. she had not had to tell him before, and she finds herself impossibly nervous now, though she cannot say why. there is no one she is more comfortable with in the world than him, and this news - it is not bad news, it's wonderful, if challenging, and big, so big.
but it's all right. she exhales and lifts her eyes to his face, squeezing his hands tightly before she tugs them down, and gently presses his knuckles to her belly. ]
I - I'm pregnant, Prompto.
[ gods, to say the words out loud - they ring in her ears, surreal and strange, but her smile is mildly hopeful while she searches his eyes. ]
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Suffice it to say, he is not ready for what she actually says.
I'm pregnant, Prompto.
The words wash over him in a rush, eyes widening and his breath shuddering, even as his mind makes room for the enormity of this revelation. Of course, they'd talked about it here and there, how they would like to expand their family further and continue to grow but they hadn't been explicitly...trying. Then again, they hadn't been, uh, not trying, either. He just - hadn't expected -
But oh, how good an sweet those words are, how they swell in his heart and prickle as tears in his eyes. He hadn't been able to hear her announce this the first time; he hand't been there for her pregnancy and the birth of his son. For as unconditionally as he loved Louisoix, there's no denying the heartache he felt at the fact that he hadn't been there for that part of their lives, and that he would never be able to hold those memories dear. But now...his heart squeezes in his chest, replaying her words over and over again in his head as he soaks them in. She's pregnant. Alisaie is pregnant, and as his fingers tighten around hers, an irrepressible grin splits his face. ]
Y-you are? [ Though his voice quivers, it contains nothing but unabashed joy, as do the tears that gather in his eyes and spill forth. Pregnant...they're going to have another child, and this time, he will be here through the whole thing.
Unable to contain himself, Prompto laughs around a sob before pulling her tightly against him in a ferocious hug. ]
G-gods, Alisaie, I-I -
[ He can't even get the words out, overcome with emotion as it is. All he can do is cry and laugh, the tears rolling into her hair, and cling to her with all the dear, dear love he hadn't been able to the first time she had come to this realization. ]
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