adelphoi | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ being in insomnia again is.. strange. the city is the same as she had remembered, and yet so different, so strange after so many long years in tenebrae. this city seems so enormous and sprawling, sharp and stark in comparison, bright and chrome and full of people. though she remembers her time here, her earliest years, she was still quite young when her parents swept she and her brother back to the motherland, and those tender years of growth had been spent in a city very different, a home that she had grown used to, settled into.

and now they are here again, political tensions spurring her father to emigrate here, to lucis again. the empire has been still and quiet, and there have even been talks of treatise, but alisaie trusts her father's judgment, for all his political involvement. more than national pride, he hopes for his family to be safe and secure, and short of living in the bush, insomnia had seemed to him the ideal location. with the wall so strong, such a city must be impenetrable, yes?

alisaie does not know the details of it all, her father would disclose only so much - she and her brother were to focus solely on their studies, bettering themselves, and not to worry about such things outside of their control. lucis might not be a large nation, but insomnia is safe, and secure. it suits their needs just fine.

still, settling in, for alisaie, is not necessarily easy. unlike the rest of her family, smooth-talkers with political savvy, she has a hard enough time simply getting along with her own peers. her friends in tenebrae had been few and distant, their relationships thin and civil but little more. to have to start over again is.. a nightmare. but she is not here to make friends, she is here to finish her schooling, to graduate and prepare for university and beyond. there's nothing to be afraid of.

yet her knuckles are white around the books clutched to her chest as she climbs the stairs that first day, eyes forward, chin high, and it takes less than a week's time for her to earn a reputation as a haughty, conceited little snob, the little rich girl sort who is far too good to waste her time with those she deems beneath her - everyone, apparently. this is not entirely the case of course, but it suits alisaie's needs just fine. let them think what they want, so long as it affords her a wide berth and quiet time to herself, without the terrifying distraction of working her way into, and maintaining her place within, a social circle.

the weekend seems to take an eon to arrive, but friday is here at last. alisaie sits outside at a table on campus, alone, peeling the crusts distractedly from her sandwich, her advanced chemistry textbook open in front of her. three afternoon classes, and this horrible week will be over.. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He knew, of course, the moment she was back.

Well, okay, perhaps not the moment, but when rumors started to circulate about new students from Tenebrae, Elezen twins, no less, it had been all but impossible but to stop his thoughts from racing. What would the odds of that be? There are probably plenty of Elezen twins that could have just happened to move to Insomnia and just happened to attend the same public school he did. Surely, fate is not so on the nose. The Leveilleurs moved away years ago, and Prompto had no reason to suspect they might return. All he has of the girl next door is his memories of her, her fierce kindness, smiles shared through the fence and a bandaid set onto a scrape on his elbow. He'll probably never see her again, and it's okay. He...never holds onto friends for long, it seems.

But his heart betrays him, even as people chatter about the new girl's chilly attitude and snobbish behavior. That doesn't sound like the girl he remembers, and it's not as if they will have several, if any classes together where he might catch a glance of her. He should stop thinking about it.

Of course, it's when he's reminding himself of this fact of the umpteenth time that her name reaches his ears. Oh, it's Alisaie, I think. Even her name is pretentious. But Prompto isn't even listening anymore, his heart suddenly thunderous in his chest.

It...can't really be her, can it?

So Alisaie is not the only for whom the week is agonizingly long, because as it passes for Prompto, his racing thoughts only speed up, lingering on her as he tries to catch glimpses of her in the hall, to confirm for himself the news that has reached his ears. He's distracted - even more than usual - to the point that even Noctis comments on it, and he's already got the correct diagnosis. Another pretty girl is on his mind, is she? Though that's not entirely correct. While Prompto has no doubt that Alisaie has aged into a fine young lady, he's far less concerned with that as the fact that she is here at all, that his first friend has somehow come back into his world again.

Perhaps it shouldn't be such a big deal to him. After all, it's been...what, at least five years? Probably even longer since the Leveilleurs moved. Surely long enough for Alisaie to forget all about him, about that awkward, shy, chubby kid next store who could barely speak a word to her without stumbling over himself. He has no reason to get his hopes up, and yet he does anyway. He's so desperately excited to meet her again, to speak with her, and yet in the same turn, he is absolutely terrified to as well. What will happen? What will she say? Can she really be as icy as they say? Will his precious memories of the two of them playing as children be swapped out for something fresher, something cold?

...Hah. Not a chance.

Still, that doesn't make it easy to seek her out once he finally has the chance. Or...chances, as the case may be, as Prompto has had several openings to approach Alisaie during the week that he chickened out of at the last minute. But now it's Friday, and the lunch period is his last chance to see her before the weekend. If he doesn't talk to her now, you can bet how he's going to spend the next two days sitting on his hands and repeatedly asking himself why he didn't talk to her, so - better to get it done now. He'll spare himself and Noctis a headache that way. Not that the prince still won't get a earful about her in either case, but - well, that's besides the point.

He tracks her down at the little table outside during lunch, and it...makes his heart ache, a little, to see her sitting alone. But it's unmistakably her, even all these years later, and his throat closes up unhelpfully as he stands a few yards off, deliberating for a very long moment before approaching. Better...to move in and not weird her out by just watching her eat lunch from a distance, he thinks.

Deep breaths. ]

H-hey! Uhhhh - crusts. Am I right?

[ Nailed it. ]

[ she can feel the weight of eyes on her, but that is nothing new. alisaie has gotten looks her entire life; people do not like girls like her, who keep to themselves and build high walls, whether they think it's an air of mystery or a snooty conceit, it always gains her.. attention, whether or not she likes it. of course, the fact that she is taking advanced classes and set to graduate two years early does not help. people have certainly been staring, at both her and her brother, the entire week, but of course, alphinaud is blending in quite spectacularly already. he has always had a way with people.

nevertheless, she pays the weight of those eyes no mind, keeping her eyes on the page, flitting over the words, popping a bit of sandwich into her mouth every few moments while she reads.

and so his voice takes her by surprise, and at first alisaie isn't sure he's even talking to her at all until she lifts her eyes from the pages of her textbook to find him standing there. what? why is he talking to her? alisaie pauses, then glances behind her to check that he hasn't actually been addressing someone else, but of course there is no one there.

with a crease in her brow, alisaie flicks her eyes to him again, and there is.. something familiar about his face, his blue eyes and scattered freckled, but still she does not know him. ]

What?

[ Oh, gods, why did he lead with that? Could he really come up with nothing better as a conversation starter than her crusts? No wonder she's giving him that look. She doesn't seem to recognize him either, so...that's not entirely unexpected, but not exactly great, either. This meeting appears to be well on its way to yet another chapter in Prompto's embarrassing encounters with other people.

Still, he has to try and salvage it for what he can now that she's actually looking at him and speaking to him. Her dark eyes are unmistakable, and they have changed so little from his memory. The rest of her, though - well, the shape of her face is still the same, but she is certainly not a little girl anymore. She's...beautiful.

So, now he's blushing, so that's great. ]

Uhh - hh - I-I...mean...h-hi! Hi. I...I heard you moved back, so I...wanted to say hi! Which I just did, okay. But - that's not why I wanted to say hi. I mean - it is, but - urgh -

[ He turns away from her for half a second, slapping his palm against his forehead and whispering words of encouragement to...himself. ]

C'mon, Prompto, get it together!

[ he flounders, and she watches him carefully, part perplexed and part concerned for his well-being?? it's.. familiar too, however, the way he stammers and stutters and turns away, and then that name is on her lips, and she cannot help the flood of warmth in her breast. ]

.. Prompto?

[ she.. she never could have expected..

not only is insomnia a large, sprawling city full of potential schools there they could have attended, he looks so different. no longer the chubby little boy in his drab tee-shirts, but grown taller, slimmed down and fit, his clothing stylish, his hair meticulous - at least by lucian standards. it's a complete turnaround, and one she finds.. disappointing, if she's honest. looking as he looks now, she cannot help but think that he has lost something in the process, ground away that natural kindness at the gym.

though it seems, at least, he has not lost his nervous, bumbling nature.

alisaie sets her sandwich down and rises from her seat, stepping toward him, though not too close. not too near. her voice is softer though, its hard edge dulled, gentled. ]

Is it.. really you?

[ she had never thought to see him again, that sweet, soft boy who had been her first and only friend, who had been too afraid to fight back the bullies that tormented them, who had sniffed and held back tears when she'd carefully bandaged his elbow, who had smiled shyly while he'd shown off his camera. ]

[ Well, if he still had any doubts that she would remember him, they evaporate in an instant. It's clear in her eyes, in the way she speaks his name before she even stands. She remembers him. Somehow, his awkward, shy former self left enough of an impression on her that she still remembers him now, even if she can't quite reconcile the young, chubby boy with his older, slimmer counterpart. And it's understandable. He's changed a lot about his appearance since then. He'd become a brand new him.

But some things still remain the same in his personality, and an earnest grin is quick to cut across his face upon her recognition. Whereas before it had been a struggle to get any words out, now they wish to come out all at once, tripping out over one another between bubbling laughter. ]

In the flesh! Heh - long time - man, I can't believe it's - no see! Ha - it really is you! I-I didn't want to get my hopes up, but then I was like - oh man, is this crazy or what?

[ Reunited after all these years. They may not be the people they once were, but that won't stop him from feeling joyous at their sudden, unexpected reunion. Even if she winds up not wanting to be his friend anymore.

Just knowing she's safe and well and near once more is good enough for him. ]

[ his turnaround is sudden and almost startling, but that smile of his is just as warm and sunny as she remembered, if not a little more confident than she remembers. in their short time together she had only gotten to know him so well, yet still she remembers him, the little boy from her youth, the only friend she has ever had, however briefly.

standing straight, she links her hands together before her, her mouth curving into a mild smile. ]

I never expected to find you here.

[ she never expected to.. see him again in general, to be honest. ]

You're tellin' me! I'm surprised you even remember me.

[ He is, after all, not especially memorable, she has no doubt had plenty of time in Tenebrae to grow and experience new things and forget about him entirely. He may not...be able to understand how she hasn't, but he is grateful for the fact, nonetheless.

But now that they're reunited, where do they go from here? Ostensibly, neither of them are the children they used to be. They can...still be friends again, can't they?

Guess they can only figure that out with time. ]

W-we, uh...we should catch up sometime! Y'know, when you're...not studying.

[ That, at least, doesn't seem to have changed about her. She is as studious as she ever was, and she no doubt already has a hell of a lot of homework on her plate. ]

Why wouldn't I? You remembered me.

[ the same amount of time has passed for both of them, after all, and he has had the same window of time to forget her that she has to forget him, so it only stands to reason, doesn't it? but he had always been unsure of himself, quick to insult himself.. still, grown as he is, slimmed down and toned up and well dressed, she would think he'd have moved on well past that.

mayhaps he has. she hardly knows him beyond a few sentences, after all. people change, and he has certainly changed. she seems hesitant to his offer, but that is nothing new; however many smiles they exchanged through the fence, it took a pack of bullies hounding him for her to at last reach out to him beyond a furtive glance. alisaie has been so dead set on keeping to herself, minding her own business, cultivating the icy image that others have so quickly imposed upon her - she hadn't stopped to consider a situation like this. being civil to complete projects or share notes is one thing, but.. catching up?

gods, family aside, how long has it been since she has spent time around another person simply for the sake of it? but she owes him this much, at the very least. he was a kind boy, her memories of him are gentle and fond and sweet, and alisaie is not hard-hearted enough to simply dismiss him off the bat without reason. so at last she dips her head in a shallow nod. ]

But yes, I.. that would be nice.

[ He absolutely lights up at her response. After all, his number of friends is potentially about to double! At least, he hopes it will. Maybe...it won't work out that way, but just as hers are, so are his own memories of their childhood friendship sweet and fond. Much as he might not deserve this opportunity that has come into his life, he can't not take advantage of it. Even if they don't hit it off again. ]

Great! That's - I mean, yeah, cool, sounds good.

[ He reaches to gather some of his composure, even as he deliberates over whether or not he has overstayed his welcome here. They may have only just been reunited, and there are so many questions he wants to ask her, so many things he wants to talk to her about. But he did just sort of barge in on her solitude and he wants to remain respectful of her time. Also? The longer he stays here, the sooner he puts his foot in his mouth, so. ]

I'll, uh...let you get back to it, then. How 'bout...next weekend?

[ he certainly seems thrilled with her response, which is sweet, though alisaie still cannot help the weight of dread that pulls down on her heart. what will they talk about? what will they do? one-on-one time with a near stranger, for purely social reasons, is frankly terrifying.

she'll manage. it'll be all right. and a good chance to settle herself in more comfortably. ]

Next weekend sounds lovely.

[ it's fine, she won't spontaneously combust. ]

Suh-weet! It's a date, then.

[ ...He has the presence of mind to at least rewind what he just said and realize how it might've sounded. Ah, yes. There it is! Foot back in mouth. It was only a matter of time, anyway. ]

I-I mean...you know what I mean! Um - s-see ya!

[ And then he's just going to...dash away, before he can do any more damage.

So about that spontaneous combustion... ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only