[ Some of the tension in the air has passed, though a considerable charge still remains, even if it is for...different reasons now. They are no longer worried about ruining their friendship through the nature of their feelings, but — something else. Being armed with the knowledge of the true nature of her feelings for him, and being unable to do anything about it. It's...weird, so weird, and yet he'll just have to grow used to it with time, too.
And at least he'll always have that first kiss to look back on, and without any regrets. No, he could never regret that.
To her question, he is, of course, quick to answer. ]
Oh, yeah, totally. I mean, there are people in the Circle who have visited other worlds before, so I gotta believe it's possible. Y'know, I...talked to Rion about it, because she's dating someone from a different world, and...she told me she didn't think there was any one solution to a problem. So, I like to think...there's some way we could figure it all out.
[ He shrugs a shoulder, his smile slanting. ]
Just because we might end up on opposite sides of the universe doesn't mean you're gonna be rid of me that easily.
[ Especially if what Alisaie had told him about Eos is true, and how it could be a fragment of her very own Hydaelyn. This isn't even him trying to convince her of anything — it just seems so plain to him, that there must be a way. ]
[ the food is all spread out now on a little tea towel between them, bread and fruit (and cookies) fresh from the kitchens, and while she rolls a heel of bread around beneath her fingertips, she makes no move to eat it, just yet. instead she's quiet, thoughtful. ]
Do you promise?
[ she asks at last, her gaze flickering up to his face, and while her expression is soft and demure, she does not shy away from looking at him now, her eyes meeting his, gently pleading, awaiting the affirmation that she needs to hear. ]
Do you promise that it will not be the end? That you will find me? That you will not.. forget?
[ For a moment, he isn't sure what she's asking, until she clarifies her question. Slowly, his smile fades into something more serious, reflective, and for a long moment, he only returns her gaze, and contemplates, while his heart starts to race again.
What she's asking of him isn't an easy promise to make. She herself had returned home for a time, and did not remember this place. So had Gladio. Ignis, too, is returned to Eos now, and likely doesn't remember that he was ever a part of a Circle, helping to save worlds beyond their own, making friendships that ought to have been impossible. So very little of this is in their control, and so very little is even in Astoria's control. What if he makes this promise, and then tomorrow, he disappears? He forgets? Is he being impractical, in his fanciful belief that it will all work out in the end?
But it is not the first time he has had to make such a choice. Noctis had disappeared into the Crystal, and yet Prompto knows in his heart that he will return to Lucis in time. Sure, there might be some old prophecy to assist him on that one, but it's so much more than that. It comes down to what's in his heart, to what he feels, and when it comes to those he cares for, Prompto deals in absolutes.
He is quite for a long moment, so desperate to say the right thing, but terrified that he won't. In the end, as ever, all he can do is speak from his heart. Maybe it's foolish and impractical and unreasonable, but his heart has never led him astray before. ]
...yes. I promise.
[ There is nothing that could keep him apart from her, from his dear friend, his...Alisaie. Maybe he's made a mistake in believing it so easily, but he would rather believe that than anything else, than think, for a moment, of a future where he doesn't know her. ]
[ she knows that it's asking a lot of him - too much of him, maybe - to answer a question like this, to make a promise like this. none of this is in their control, and he cannot help what may or may not happen to them. it's selfish to ask, and almost cruel.
and yet she asks it anyway, needing to hear the answer, needing to know what he will say.
her exhale leaves her in a soft sigh. his answer is what she had expected, and hoped for, and he gives it with such complete and incredible conviction that she cannot help to believe him. he promises. he promises, and despite all the overwhelming power and evidence against them, she knows that it is a promise he will keep.
carefully, alisaie slips her hand into his, her fingers seeking his own, winding between them, her voice soft, quiet. ]
[ Her sigh tells him what he desperately wanted to know, which is that that was the right answer, as terrifying as it might have been to give. But he has no regrets in giving it to her. He means it, wholly. He will do whatever it takes to see her again once their time with the Circle ends. His heart will never forget her, even if his mind might. In the end, it was an easy answer to give, because it's the only one for him.
However, he isn't expecting her to take his hand, and immediately, the contact has his heart skyrocketing into his throat, and his face flushing anew. He'd though...he'd thought her mind was made up, that there was no convincing her, that they would stay just friends. He hadn't said any of this in an attempt to convince her to see things his way. His words would remain the same, were they friends or...or more. But the way she takes his hand then, weaving her fingers through his...
Had he been mistaken? Had she...not closed herself off to the possibility?
His breath catches as his eyes are drawn to their joined hands between them, but only for a moment, before he lifts his gaze back to her own. ]
...Alisaie?
[ Her name is a question that contains his entire heart. ]
[ to be honest, even alisaie does not know what she wants.
well, that is not entirely true. she knows what she wants, of course - she wants to continue exploring this thing, to be close with him, to dip her toe into the waters of courtship, and the sort of closeness she has never really known. she wants to follow her heart, to lean into his touch, into all that he offers, and navigate.. whatever this is, with him.
that is what she wants. even if she also feels that it is not what is best, for either of them.
and yet, when he says her name that way, quiet and gentle and so poignantly, she cannot help herself - thoughtlessly she leans forward, and presses a warm, chaste kiss to his cheek, bumping her nose to his skin. even that much is enough to make her heart leap up into her throat, fluttering fast, her hand in his clasping tightly, trembling. ]
She kissed his cheek. Unprompted, all of her own volition. This is no birthday kiss, and it doesn't seem like a kiss of gratitude or appreciation either, one that she might have given him as a friend. As soon as her lips make contact with his cheek, his brows fly up as he gasps softly, reaching up to press his fingers to the lingering spot of warmth and wetness her kiss had left there.
It was real. He didn't dream it. Alisaie kissed his cheek, and she's still holding his hand tight, like its anchoring her as much as its anchoring him.
For a moment, all he can do is gaze at her with something between surprise and wonderment in his eyes, trying to piece this all together in his mind, trying to understand what it means. But instead of responding with something eloquent or sweet, or a kiss of his own to return the favor, in true Prompto fashion, he blurts out: ]
[ she says, her voice tight, all nerves - look, it took a lot of courage for her to do that, prompto!! ]
I suppose I.. um.
[ swallowing thickly, she falls silent again, searching for the right words. the last thing she wants to do is lead him on again, but neither does she want to.. entirely discount the idea of what they both want. why must this all be so complicated. ]
Let us just.. move forward one step at a time, and see what comes of our time together. Is that.. is that fair?
It's not a complete turn-around. But it's more than he expected. Far more, honestly — he had thought he would come here and meet up with her and maybe, just maybe, they could figure out a way to go on being friends. But instead, she's holding his hand tightly, the warmth of her kiss still lingering on his cheek, and those words ring in his ears and bounce around in his head until they feel as warm and soft as a blanket.
...She's willing to give this a chance. She's willing to give them a chance.
His exhale is quiet but quaking, and for a moment he drops his gaze away, a warm smile splitting his face. ]
...Totally fair. So fair, it's like a carnival all up in here!
[ ...Is she sure about this.
A soft laugh slips from him as he meets her eyes once more. ]
Okay. You got it. One step at a time, you and me, Ali.
[ he's doing it again, saying those strange words that mean nothing to her..
but he could break into a song of gibberish for all she cares, because he seems happy, content with her answer, which is the best she could have asked for. the tight fist that has been squeezing her heart for days now at last begins to loosen, and the sounds she makes through a soft, exhaled laugh is low-key joyous, a week of tension melting away. gods, she had been so sure that she would lose him, too. ]
Aye.
[ you and me.
she shouldn't feel so giddy, hearing that..
alas, she must release his hand now though, in order to finish spreading out the food between them. ]
I want to know more about you. About Eos. About who you are.
[ they've chatter plenty, and learned about each other at face value, but.. if he hopes to take this thing between them deeper, thee is more she would want to know. everything. ]
[ She's not the only one feeling that immense wave of giddy relief, though he can barely begin to reconcile what's just happened. They're...no, not dating, exactly, but...testing the waters. She hasn't shut that door on their future together completely. And one step at a time, they'll see where this path takes them. It's exhilarating, and he has to resist the urge to throw his arms around her, or alternatively, get up and run a lap around the lake. Gods, he could sing, he's so elated right now.
That warm static is enough that his comprehension of her words is a little slow than usual, and he wills his heart to slow down and his mind to start, you know, functioning normally again. But there's no discounting how thrilled he is, how he's going to be thinking about this for the rest of the day, and the rest of the week probably. How they're giving it a chance. ]
You bet. You want all the gritty details about my high scores on King's Knight, you got 'em. [ He says around a laugh, before at last he picks up a heel of bread, though he almost has too many butterflies in his stomach to eat. Good butterflies, mind, but butterflies nonetheless.
It's an easy concession to make, though. Alisaie already knows his deepest, darkest secret — if she can know that and still...still even entertain the possibility of being with him, then anything else will be easy.
But then he reaches out his hand, nudging her gently on the shoulder with his knuckles. ]
You know the same goes for you, too, right?
[ He knows it's not easy for her to open up, but she's already gone a long way in sharing her fears with him. Maybe she will be willing to share more, with what they're trying to build together.
[ he's not the only one feeling giddy, though of course, alisaie's excitement is harshly tempered by her fear and misgivings. he made her a promise, and his words are not hot air blown in an attempt to win her over to his cause - no, he means them. she may not believe that they can possibly find some way to be together beyond this place, but she believes him, so if he feels that a way can and will be found.. well, she will put her faith in him. not in the circle. not in astoria. not even in herself. but in prompto.
for now, that will have to be good enough. ]
Yes, yes..
[ she says, wryly, while slicing an apple into two halves, one of which she offers forward. ]
[ He chuckles again — he can't seem to stop chuckling, honestly — as he takes the offered apple-half and takes a bite out of it. Really, at the end of the day, it was a simple promise to make, but Prompto has always trusted in his heart before anything else. If he feels so deeply that they can make this work somehow, then he has no regrets in telling her as much.
He has no regrets about any of this, save waiting a week to see her again. Maybe he needed time to really come to terms with his feelings for her — and her feelings for him — but as they say, all's well that ends well.
Or begins well, in this case. ]
Soooo, you want me to start with my high score on King's Knight, then?
[ She is gonna have a regret. But it is nice that they can fall back into the regular routine so easily, like nothing has changed at all, when so very much has. ]
Well.. if that is what you would like to tell me about..
[ even despite her response, she can only hold back her smile for so long. honestly, if prompto wants to talk about king's knight for an hour, she's happy to hear it. it's still about him, about his life, about the things he did before she met him, which makes it just as important as all the rest. she doesn't always need the poignant tales of his youth. it's the little details about a person that help you to really know them, and she is just as happy to hear about those as she is to hear about his lifechanging experiences.
[ Well, he was mostly kidding, but now she's actually asking about it, and he finds himself at a crossroads between telling her way more than she could ever want to know about a shitty mobile game, or giving her the abbreviated version and going on to something a bit more meaningful, perhaps. He might love the game, but he knows this isn't really what she was asking for. ]
It's more like a...way of life. [ He knocks his elbow playfully against hers as he takes another bite. ] Yeah, 'course it's a game! Only, like, the coolest mobile game around. Me 'n' the guys used to play it all the time when we were travelin' around. Great way to pass the time at camp, or waiting for Noct to fish...
[ He says with no small degree of nostalgia. Hey, he came around to something more meaningful after all! Also, because I don't feel like going to look up the mechanics of King's Knight. Gacha is probably involved. ]
[ keep in mind she doesn't know what mobile games are, and even with her wrist thingy to remind her of tech, her thoughts still don't go that way, so she's definitely picturing this as like.. some sort of board or tabletop game, or something with marbles or little figurines. what a pain it must be to set it up over and over when they're out camping and roughing it!!
after polishing off the apple, she's smearing butter onto a hunk of bread. ]
It sounds like it was very important to you..
[ she says through a fond smile. it might be a shitty mobile game, but it's part of his history, it's something that he clearly holds a fondness for. ]
[ Yes, the set-up and clean-up for King's Knight was certainly extensive........
He goes for a chunk of cheese next, breaking off a piece of it to eat with the bread that's already sitting in his lap. For all his nerves, he's actually pretty hungry, though he is far less anxious than he was before. There's still a lot they need to figure out, but that can all wait. For now, he's more than content to just...enjoy her company, talk with her, and be by her side. ]
Youuuu could say that again...I might've kinda been a King's Knight-aholic. Played it a bit in Struxta since I could power up my phone there, but it wasn't the same.
[ And it made him more than a little homesick — but this is a happy conversation, and he doesn't want to bring it down unnecessarily. ]
Anyway — c'mon, now it's your turn! I wanna hear some Alisaie trivia straight from the source. Spill!
[ look, it's not her fault she doesn't know what mobile games are!! she's so new to this technological life. struxta was a wild ride for her.. she's even more confused when he talks about having played it recently, because his phone was powered up?? she does not understand the correlation.
and she would ask after it, but then he is suddenly and rudely turning the tables!! alisaie's brows lift in mild surprise, she hadn't been done interrogating him yet! ]
Me?
[ she pauses before she can take a bite of her bread, her brow creasing thoughtfully. ]
Well, I.. what is it that you want to know?
[ it's not like her life is interesting or anything!! ]
[ That's how it works, sweet cheeks! She might want to hear more about his life, but by the same turn, he is dying to hear more about hers. Surely his arcade adventures and mobage high scores are nowhere near as interesting as her missions with the Scions.
Though for his question, he reaches back a little further than that. ]
Will you...tell me about Sharlayan?
[ He's heard little from her about Eorzea, but even less about her homeland. What was it like? When had she left? And...why?
[ wow well that's quite different from asking about stupid king's knight that's for sure!! she looks surprised for a moment, but i mean, it's not like she can say no. she doesn't want to say no.
so she thinks back instead to the motherland, and while it's only been a handful of years since last she saw sharlayan's shores, so much has happened within that time that it feels as if it were absolute ages ago that she was there at all. she was so ready to be rid of the place, but distance makes the heart grow fonder.. her expression softens. ]
Well.. Sharlayan is an island nation off the coast of Eorzea, a city of scholars. It is beautiful, with tall white pillars and buildings, and mountains of books and tomes and scrolls.
But it's not hard at all to picture Alisaie growing up in a place like that, and he leans back, picking at his bread as he listens to her talk. What he wouldn't give to see the world she came from...every time she mentions it, it sounds like such a beautiful place. The sort of place that just begs to be photographed.
He is quiet a moment, before he asks, gently: ]
...Why did you leave?
[ She had mentioned it to him before, but he hasn't asked then. Why had she left home, if it wasn't to join the Scions in the first place? ]
but she asked for this, really. she is the one who started with this digging into the past idea, though really she had been preparing to ask prompto questions, not the other way around!! but she supposes that she has asked quite a bit of him already. he's told her so much about himself, about his past, and where he came from, but she has not offered too much in return, because he had not asked, and she is not the sort fo volunteer information without being prompted.
well, she's prompted now. ]
My grandfather left Sharlayan when I was very young, and never returned. I left to find answers. To understand the purpose of his death, to find meaning in it that I could accept.
[ She is being prompted now, and though Prompto has wondered about these things before, he hasn't wanted to ask, because he didn't want to pry. He wanted to leave the choice up to her, should she choose to share more of her personal history, and the choice is still hers now. But things are different now, too. They have both actively chosen to get to know one another better in pursuit of this...something that exists between them. That it was her idea makes it all the easier to ask, though he makes himself an excellent listener nonetheless. It's one of the few things he is truly, exceptionally good at.
His tone remains quiet, gentle, as he meets her gaze levelly. ]
He...died? [ Oh. Alisaie had mentioned losing people close to her, but she hadn't realized...how very close she meant. ] I...I'm sorry, Alisaie. I-If you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to. It's okay.
[ The last thing he wants to do is make her feel pressured to talk about something she isn't ready to. Before they go any deeper, he just...has to make this clear. ]
[ she says, waving one hand dismissively, and though her expression is soft and sad she seems comfortable and calm. still, no matter how much time passes, she's not sure she will ever entirely heal from louisoix's passing. he was taken from this world too soon, he had so much left to teach her, and not a day passes that she does not wonder what he would think of her choices, or if he would be proud of her.
but prompto uncovered the depths of his heart to her, she owes him the same. besides, it is.. nice, to talk about him. though it hurts, though it will always hurt, she wants to remember him fondly, to keep him alive in her heart. ]
It was years ago, now, but I was so.. angry, then. Angry at him for leaving me, angry at the world for taking him. So I left my home to understand why he left.
[ Slowly, the pieces start to fit into place, painting the bigger picture of her life as things begin to tie together. She had told him that she was seeking answers before, but never why, and it all makes more sense now just how personal a journey it was. Alisaie had wanted answers for a beloved family member's death.
He shifts slightly, moving just a little bit closer so his elbow brushes hers, a tangible reminder that he's here to support her, no matter what. She's opening up to him in ways she hasn't before, and he can absolutely recognize that. ]
And...what did you find out? Why did he leave?
[ He has no doubt that her grandfather loved her dearly, so whatever reason he had for leaving must have been an important one. ]
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And at least he'll always have that first kiss to look back on, and without any regrets. No, he could never regret that.
To her question, he is, of course, quick to answer. ]
Oh, yeah, totally. I mean, there are people in the Circle who have visited other worlds before, so I gotta believe it's possible. Y'know, I...talked to Rion about it, because she's dating someone from a different world, and...she told me she didn't think there was any one solution to a problem. So, I like to think...there's some way we could figure it all out.
[ He shrugs a shoulder, his smile slanting. ]
Just because we might end up on opposite sides of the universe doesn't mean you're gonna be rid of me that easily.
[ Especially if what Alisaie had told him about Eos is true, and how it could be a fragment of her very own Hydaelyn. This isn't even him trying to convince her of anything — it just seems so plain to him, that there must be a way. ]
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Do you promise?
[ she asks at last, her gaze flickering up to his face, and while her expression is soft and demure, she does not shy away from looking at him now, her eyes meeting his, gently pleading, awaiting the affirmation that she needs to hear. ]
Do you promise that it will not be the end? That you will find me? That you will not.. forget?
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What she's asking of him isn't an easy promise to make. She herself had returned home for a time, and did not remember this place. So had Gladio. Ignis, too, is returned to Eos now, and likely doesn't remember that he was ever a part of a Circle, helping to save worlds beyond their own, making friendships that ought to have been impossible. So very little of this is in their control, and so very little is even in Astoria's control. What if he makes this promise, and then tomorrow, he disappears? He forgets? Is he being impractical, in his fanciful belief that it will all work out in the end?
But it is not the first time he has had to make such a choice. Noctis had disappeared into the Crystal, and yet Prompto knows in his heart that he will return to Lucis in time. Sure, there might be some old prophecy to assist him on that one, but it's so much more than that. It comes down to what's in his heart, to what he feels, and when it comes to those he cares for, Prompto deals in absolutes.
He is quite for a long moment, so desperate to say the right thing, but terrified that he won't. In the end, as ever, all he can do is speak from his heart. Maybe it's foolish and impractical and unreasonable, but his heart has never led him astray before. ]
...yes. I promise.
[ There is nothing that could keep him apart from her, from his dear friend, his...Alisaie. Maybe he's made a mistake in believing it so easily, but he would rather believe that than anything else, than think, for a moment, of a future where he doesn't know her. ]
I'm not goin' anywhere.
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and yet she asks it anyway, needing to hear the answer, needing to know what he will say.
her exhale leaves her in a soft sigh. his answer is what she had expected, and hoped for, and he gives it with such complete and incredible conviction that she cannot help to believe him. he promises. he promises, and despite all the overwhelming power and evidence against them, she knows that it is a promise he will keep.
carefully, alisaie slips her hand into his, her fingers seeking his own, winding between them, her voice soft, quiet. ]
I will hold you to that.
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However, he isn't expecting her to take his hand, and immediately, the contact has his heart skyrocketing into his throat, and his face flushing anew. He'd though...he'd thought her mind was made up, that there was no convincing her, that they would stay just friends. He hadn't said any of this in an attempt to convince her to see things his way. His words would remain the same, were they friends or...or more. But the way she takes his hand then, weaving her fingers through his...
Had he been mistaken? Had she...not closed herself off to the possibility?
His breath catches as his eyes are drawn to their joined hands between them, but only for a moment, before he lifts his gaze back to her own. ]
...Alisaie?
[ Her name is a question that contains his entire heart. ]
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well, that is not entirely true. she knows what she wants, of course - she wants to continue exploring this thing, to be close with him, to dip her toe into the waters of courtship, and the sort of closeness she has never really known. she wants to follow her heart, to lean into his touch, into all that he offers, and navigate.. whatever this is, with him.
that is what she wants. even if she also feels that it is not what is best, for either of them.
and yet, when he says her name that way, quiet and gentle and so poignantly, she cannot help herself - thoughtlessly she leans forward, and presses a warm, chaste kiss to his cheek, bumping her nose to his skin. even that much is enough to make her heart leap up into her throat, fluttering fast, her hand in his clasping tightly, trembling. ]
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She kissed his cheek. Unprompted, all of her own volition. This is no birthday kiss, and it doesn't seem like a kiss of gratitude or appreciation either, one that she might have given him as a friend. As soon as her lips make contact with his cheek, his brows fly up as he gasps softly, reaching up to press his fingers to the lingering spot of warmth and wetness her kiss had left there.
It was real. He didn't dream it. Alisaie kissed his cheek, and she's still holding his hand tight, like its anchoring her as much as its anchoring him.
For a moment, all he can do is gaze at her with something between surprise and wonderment in his eyes, trying to piece this all together in his mind, trying to understand what it means. But instead of responding with something eloquent or sweet, or a kiss of his own to return the favor, in true Prompto fashion, he blurts out: ]
Okay, now I'm really confused.
[ Has she...changed her mind? ]
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[ she says, her voice tight, all nerves - look, it took a lot of courage for her to do that, prompto!! ]
I suppose I.. um.
[ swallowing thickly, she falls silent again, searching for the right words. the last thing she wants to do is lead him on again, but neither does she want to.. entirely discount the idea of what they both want. why must this all be so complicated. ]
Let us just.. move forward one step at a time, and see what comes of our time together. Is that.. is that fair?
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It's not a complete turn-around. But it's more than he expected. Far more, honestly — he had thought he would come here and meet up with her and maybe, just maybe, they could figure out a way to go on being friends. But instead, she's holding his hand tightly, the warmth of her kiss still lingering on his cheek, and those words ring in his ears and bounce around in his head until they feel as warm and soft as a blanket.
...She's willing to give this a chance. She's willing to give them a chance.
His exhale is quiet but quaking, and for a moment he drops his gaze away, a warm smile splitting his face. ]
...Totally fair. So fair, it's like a carnival all up in here!
[ ...Is she sure about this.
A soft laugh slips from him as he meets her eyes once more. ]
Okay. You got it. One step at a time, you and me, Ali.
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but he could break into a song of gibberish for all she cares, because he seems happy, content with her answer, which is the best she could have asked for. the tight fist that has been squeezing her heart for days now at last begins to loosen, and the sounds she makes through a soft, exhaled laugh is low-key joyous, a week of tension melting away. gods, she had been so sure that she would lose him, too. ]
Aye.
[ you and me.
she shouldn't feel so giddy, hearing that..
alas, she must release his hand now though, in order to finish spreading out the food between them. ]
I want to know more about you. About Eos. About who you are.
[ they've chatter plenty, and learned about each other at face value, but.. if he hopes to take this thing between them deeper, thee is more she would want to know. everything. ]
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That warm static is enough that his comprehension of her words is a little slow than usual, and he wills his heart to slow down and his mind to start, you know, functioning normally again. But there's no discounting how thrilled he is, how he's going to be thinking about this for the rest of the day, and the rest of the week probably. How they're giving it a chance. ]
You bet. You want all the gritty details about my high scores on King's Knight, you got 'em. [ He says around a laugh, before at last he picks up a heel of bread, though he almost has too many butterflies in his stomach to eat. Good butterflies, mind, but butterflies nonetheless.
It's an easy concession to make, though. Alisaie already knows his deepest, darkest secret — if she can know that and still...still even entertain the possibility of being with him, then anything else will be easy.
But then he reaches out his hand, nudging her gently on the shoulder with his knuckles. ]
You know the same goes for you, too, right?
[ He knows it's not easy for her to open up, but she's already gone a long way in sharing her fears with him. Maybe she will be willing to share more, with what they're trying to build together.
Together. It feels unreal. ]
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for now, that will have to be good enough. ]
Yes, yes..
[ she says, wryly, while slicing an apple into two halves, one of which she offers forward. ]
But I asked first!
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He has no regrets about any of this, save waiting a week to see her again. Maybe he needed time to really come to terms with his feelings for her — and her feelings for him — but as they say, all's well that ends well.
Or begins well, in this case. ]
Soooo, you want me to start with my high score on King's Knight, then?
[ She is gonna have a regret. But it is nice that they can fall back into the regular routine so easily, like nothing has changed at all, when so very much has. ]
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Well.. if that is what you would like to tell me about..
[ even despite her response, she can only hold back her smile for so long. honestly, if prompto wants to talk about king's knight for an hour, she's happy to hear it. it's still about him, about his life, about the things he did before she met him, which makes it just as important as all the rest. she doesn't always need the poignant tales of his youth. it's the little details about a person that help you to really know them, and she is just as happy to hear about those as she is to hear about his lifechanging experiences.
the apple crunches loudly as she takes a bite. ]
Is this King's Knight a.. game?
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It's more like a...way of life. [ He knocks his elbow playfully against hers as he takes another bite. ] Yeah, 'course it's a game! Only, like, the coolest mobile game around. Me 'n' the guys used to play it all the time when we were travelin' around. Great way to pass the time at camp, or waiting for Noct to fish...
[ He says with no small degree of nostalgia. Hey, he came around to something more meaningful after all! Also, because I don't feel like going to look up the mechanics of King's Knight. Gacha is probably involved. ]
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after polishing off the apple, she's smearing butter onto a hunk of bread. ]
It sounds like it was very important to you..
[ she says through a fond smile. it might be a shitty mobile game, but it's part of his history, it's something that he clearly holds a fondness for. ]
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He goes for a chunk of cheese next, breaking off a piece of it to eat with the bread that's already sitting in his lap. For all his nerves, he's actually pretty hungry, though he is far less anxious than he was before. There's still a lot they need to figure out, but that can all wait. For now, he's more than content to just...enjoy her company, talk with her, and be by her side. ]
Youuuu could say that again...I might've kinda been a King's Knight-aholic. Played it a bit in Struxta since I could power up my phone there, but it wasn't the same.
[ And it made him more than a little homesick — but this is a happy conversation, and he doesn't want to bring it down unnecessarily. ]
Anyway — c'mon, now it's your turn! I wanna hear some Alisaie trivia straight from the source. Spill!
[ He nudges her elbow with his own again. ]
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and she would ask after it, but then he is suddenly and rudely turning the tables!! alisaie's brows lift in mild surprise, she hadn't been done interrogating him yet! ]
Me?
[ she pauses before she can take a bite of her bread, her brow creasing thoughtfully. ]
Well, I.. what is it that you want to know?
[ it's not like her life is interesting or anything!! ]
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Though for his question, he reaches back a little further than that. ]
Will you...tell me about Sharlayan?
[ He's heard little from her about Eorzea, but even less about her homeland. What was it like? When had she left? And...why?
They'll...get to that. ]
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so she thinks back instead to the motherland, and while it's only been a handful of years since last she saw sharlayan's shores, so much has happened within that time that it feels as if it were absolute ages ago that she was there at all. she was so ready to be rid of the place, but distance makes the heart grow fonder.. her expression softens. ]
Well.. Sharlayan is an island nation off the coast of Eorzea, a city of scholars. It is beautiful, with tall white pillars and buildings, and mountains of books and tomes and scrolls.
[ nerd city ]
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[ Yep.
But it's not hard at all to picture Alisaie growing up in a place like that, and he leans back, picking at his bread as he listens to her talk. What he wouldn't give to see the world she came from...every time she mentions it, it sounds like such a beautiful place. The sort of place that just begs to be photographed.
He is quiet a moment, before he asks, gently: ]
...Why did you leave?
[ She had mentioned it to him before, but he hasn't asked then. Why had she left home, if it wasn't to join the Scions in the first place? ]
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but she asked for this, really. she is the one who started with this digging into the past idea, though really she had been preparing to ask prompto questions, not the other way around!! but she supposes that she has asked quite a bit of him already. he's told her so much about himself, about his past, and where he came from, but she has not offered too much in return, because he had not asked, and she is not the sort fo volunteer information without being prompted.
well, she's prompted now. ]
My grandfather left Sharlayan when I was very young, and never returned. I left to find answers. To understand the purpose of his death, to find meaning in it that I could accept.
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His tone remains quiet, gentle, as he meets her gaze levelly. ]
He...died? [ Oh. Alisaie had mentioned losing people close to her, but she hadn't realized...how very close she meant. ] I...I'm sorry, Alisaie. I-If you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to. It's okay.
[ The last thing he wants to do is make her feel pressured to talk about something she isn't ready to. Before they go any deeper, he just...has to make this clear. ]
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[ she says, waving one hand dismissively, and though her expression is soft and sad she seems comfortable and calm. still, no matter how much time passes, she's not sure she will ever entirely heal from louisoix's passing. he was taken from this world too soon, he had so much left to teach her, and not a day passes that she does not wonder what he would think of her choices, or if he would be proud of her.
but prompto uncovered the depths of his heart to her, she owes him the same. besides, it is.. nice, to talk about him. though it hurts, though it will always hurt, she wants to remember him fondly, to keep him alive in her heart. ]
It was years ago, now, but I was so.. angry, then. Angry at him for leaving me, angry at the world for taking him. So I left my home to understand why he left.
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He shifts slightly, moving just a little bit closer so his elbow brushes hers, a tangible reminder that he's here to support her, no matter what. She's opening up to him in ways she hasn't before, and he can absolutely recognize that. ]
And...what did you find out? Why did he leave?
[ He has no doubt that her grandfather loved her dearly, so whatever reason he had for leaving must have been an important one. ]
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