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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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...You know, as normal as they can be with two infants in the home, anyway. ]
Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for.
[ Which goes without saying...but still. ]
All that matters is you're home now. With us.
[ With all of them, their family. ]
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[ whether or not she has control over what happened, prompto and louie suffered nonetheless. alisaie struggles still with the terrible fear of losing her loved ones, remembers clearly the terror and grief she had felt when prompto had been lost to her not once, but three times before. the last thing she should ever want would be to put him through the very same torment.
nevertheless, he is right. she is home and well, their children are hale and healthy, and they can move forward, past the dodged bullet that nearly struck their little family. there is plenty ahead of them, much to be done, and all that matters is that she's here, pressed close to him, warm and safe.
bumping her nose to his jaw, alisaie finds her way to his mouth again to brush a kiss there. ]
Have you already forgotten your sandwich?
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Don't you mean...have I already forgotten your sandwich?
[ He murmurs to her lips, quiet and private. HE KNOWS HER HEART. She wants him to eat, but she wants to eat, too! So at last he lets go and steps back to finish his work with the sandwiches — but not before pressing his mouth fully to hers once more, lips slotted together perfectly, sharing her breath. This is still who they are, through it all. Two halves of a greater whole, formed just right for the other.
And now, to make some sandwiches. ]
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so she slips onto a barstool to watch him work, shoving another cookie (or two) into her mouth, her free hand setting to rocking the baby bouncers again, though the twins are happily snoozing by now. it's been a hard day for everyone! ]
Are you excited to be a proud papa again?
[ she knows the answer but she wants to hear him say it anyway.. ]
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You bet I am! [ He nearly shouts. Whoops. Fortunately, the girls seem to have already learned to tune out his voice. ] That is — yeah. Only a month old, and I couldn't be prouder of 'em...
[ A little misty-eyed, he dabs at the corner of his eye before finishing up a sandwich and passing it over the counter to her. ]
Luna looks more like you, I think. She's got that little button nose...aaaaaand she likes to try 'n' pull my hair out more than Luci does.
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.. but thankfully the girls do not so much as stir, so he will escape her wrath. like as not they'll be up again in a few hours to mewling noisemakers, so she's happy to enjoy the quiet for now, while she can.
happy to enjoy this sandwich, too, even while prompto gets misty eyed for the umpteenth time today alone. ]
Mm, mayhaps she is trying to tell you something..
[ she says, through a big, satisfying bite. ]
Or mayhaps she likes chocobos.
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Mmm, definitely the second one. I guess there are worse things than havin' your hair resemble a chocobo...to an infant, anyway.
[ But it doesn't look like that to anyone old enough to tell the difference, gosh!!! ]
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So you admit it, then? After all of these long years, you at last speak the trush?
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No. What has he done.
Immediately, Prompto's hands fly up, waving quickly to dispel any sort of notion she may be forming that that was any kind of admittance. Because! It's! Not! True!!! ]
N-noooooo! No! Nope. That's not what I meant! [ what's the trush though ] I-I only meant that to a baby, a human who is less than a month old, it miiiiiight, maybe, could sort of resemble one, a little.
[ And that's as much as he will concede, thank you very much! ]
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their many years together culminate at last to this moment. prompto backpedals desperately, but it's far too late, the damage is done. he spoke the words, there can be no un-saying them, not now, it is over for him..
even better, here's louie coming down the stairs in his pajamas, ready to be tucked in. ]
Yeah, Daddy chocobo-head, Daddy chocobo-head!
[ alisaie bursts immediately into a cackle. ah, from the mouths of babes - betrayed by his own son!! ]
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His sandwich still in process, Prompto turns around and scoops Louie up into one of those pretzel-twisting dad holds where he somehow manages to both tickle him and blow raspberries on his tummy at the same time. ]
Ohhhh, I see how it is! You're a wise guy now, huh?! We'll see how you like your chocobo-head dad now!
[ His attack is unrelenting, and Louie squeals with laughter. Good thing the girls are still dead to the world... ]
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Unhand that poor boy!
[ she pipes up at last, standing so that she can wrestle the squealing louie from his father's maniacal tickle-grasp, scooping him near to smother his face with kisses. ]
'Tis not his fault that his father looks like an oversized chicken, after all.
[ this is why he's a mamas boy ]
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Prompto throws up his hands once Alisaie pulls Louie away, but not before he reaches over to give his son a good hair-tousling. The nerve of some people's kids! ]
I have no idea what you're talkin' about! [ HE WILL CUT OFF HER AHOGE WHILE SHE SLEEPS ] I ought to put you both to bed.
[ Alisaie has been back in the house for half a day and already she's a menace! ]
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Are you threatening us?
[ not that, like.. she wouldn't be super happy to be put to bed. please do put them all to bed, then she doesn't have to do it herself, because louie is at that age where he hates to go to bed even when he's pajama'd up and nodding off in his seat. ]
Chocobos are aggressive when aggravated, I suppose.
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Ohhh, yeah, and they don't read bedtime stories or give backrubs either, so you better choose your next words carefully!
[ Once again, the blackmail, he's not above it! ]
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Of course they can, they need only be trained properly.
[ HEHEHhh of course she is unrelenting, she's got all of her mojo back now too so she's super sassy and ornery now!! one more bite to finish off her sandwich, and alisaie hefts louie more comfortably into her arms and steps toward prompto, tipping her chin to kiss his cheek. ]
They are very smart, and sweet, and loyal, after all.
[ they would never return their family to the family store. ]
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totally going to work yet again, for the millionth time, even if he's fully aware of what she's doing! Besides, he'll find a way to get his revenge...he will, he will, this time for sure.
But for now, it's time to get this boy to bed! Pour one out for his unfinished, uneaten sandwich, he'll remember to eat tomorrow, probably, or when the girls wake them up at ass o'clock. ]
Well, I guess it's time to put this son of a chocobo to bed.
[ Ah, but promises are promises! He reaches into Alisaie's bag of cookies on the counter and pops one into Louie's mouth. ]
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[ her, not him, not both of them. she hasn't noticed that he hasn't eaten his sandwich, you know!! prompto has been home to put louie to bed for near on a month on his own, alisaie is perfectly capable of picking up the slack this one time. ]
Just bring the girls up with you when you finish. [ a beat. ] Now, give your papa a kiss.
[ she says, and louie turns in her arms to reach for prompto's head with his little hands, to lay a cookie crumby kiss right on his cheek. nini, daddy chocobo! ]
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Sweet dreams, my little chicobo. [ And then, to Alisaie: ] Make sure you don't forget to do the voices!
[ She volunteered, so she must accept her full responsibility with putting Louie to bed! Once they're gone, Prompto returns at last to finish making and eating his sandwich, though it's hard not to just distractedly stare at his little baby girls for long periods of time. They look so peaceful...he'll try to remember this when they're screeching in a little while.
...He also steals one of Alisaie's cookies. It's a husband tax. He likes to live dangerously. ]
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okay no she hasn't counted them, she just shoved them all into her face arbitrarily, but she'll probably know anyway, most likely when she smells cookies on his breath in a few tags. but for now, it's up to bed with louie, for tucking in and storytime, after a thorough tooth brushing to clean off all the cookie sugar. for all he is obstinate about sleeping, though, the boy is fast asleep before she can even get through an entire page - it has been a busy, exciting day for everyone, after all.
after a nice, warm bath and some family time, alisaie, too, is flagging by the time she brushes her teeth as well and drops into bed to wait for him. she's recovering and healing very well, but she's still sore and achy and tired; it feels lovely to sink into the mattress and curl on her side, a pillow gathered comfortably to her chest.
gods, she'd missed her own bed. ]
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...Wow. Some day, huh?
[ He glances over at her, reaching over to take one of her hands in his, threading their fingers together.
Some day indeed. ]
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delightfully groggy, alisaie lifts her eyelids a little and offers him a sleepy smile, her fingers squeezing in his own, but it's only a moment before she's scooching in closer, wiggling up against his chest and into his arms. ]
Mm.. that is putting it lightly, I should say.
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I'm so glad you're here.
[ In so many ways, and for so many reasons, but it bears repeating. It always bears repeating. ]
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a family that has swiftly grown by two.
smiling against his collarbone, alisaie slides her hand free of his, but only so she can lift her arms and sling them comfortably around his neck and shoulders. ]
I know.
[ she whispers against his skin, inhaling the sweet, familiar scent, her fingers slipping into his hair. that little twinge of guilt strikes again, but she pushes it away as best as she can. ]
I will always be here.
[ no matter what pulls them apart, for however long, this is where she belongs, here with him, with their family. ]
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For the chaos the girls bring into their life, they settle into a pattern easily enough, both of them taking their turn to get up with them and see to the infants' needs, but gods, are they tired. It takes a week or so before Prompto stops feeling like a complete and utter zombie, and while he still isn't sure he has a grasp on this whole parenting-a-toddler-and-two-babies thing, at least he has Alisaie as his partner in this through the whole thing. It's exhausting, but he learns quick, aaaand at the very least, girls don't pee in his face. That's something he couldn't count on some kids not to do!
He starts to feel himself returning to some kind of normal a week or so after the girls have come home from the hospital. It's been a surprisingly easy evening. Louie went down without too much of a fight, and the girls have stayed on their schedule, napping peacefully in their cribs in the next room. That's an event in itself that has Prompto's mind on...some things they haven't been able to do for awhile. Aside from the, you know, several years the were separated, this is probably the longest they've ever gone without having sex. Even the pre-marriage embargo can't compare. Maybe, just maybe, if she's not too tired, tonight can be their chance to reconnect in yet another way.
So as Prompto steps out of the bathroom, fresh in his sleepwear, he gives Alisaie a meaningful look — that, uh, she probably doesn't notice, since she's sitting on the bed, reading a book. Well, if she's not to tired to read, then maybe...!!!
He slips quietly down onto the bed and beneath the sheets, still giving her the bedroom eyes, as she continues to...read her book. ]
Y'know, I think we're starting to get this parenting-three-kids-thing down!
[ He says, which inching ever closer to her side. ]
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