adelphoi | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ would that she had made it sooner..

ten years seems not so very long a time, but for alisaie is has been as a lifetime. so much has happened, so much has changed, she has lost, and grown, and changed, she has faced endless threats to her home, and the perils and tribulations of motherhood. she has lived.

but she has never, ever forgotten her promise. she would find him. she would reach him. and so she has. she can only hope that she has not come too late.

securing a path to eos was not so difficult, but learning how to travel that path without giving up her life had taken years to unravel, and even having survived the storm, hydaelyn is ever a world in chaos. crisis after crisis, primal after primal, the battles never cease, and alisaie cannot well abandon her duty to the scions for her own personal endeavors. still, she works hard, she sleeps little, every spare moment is spent in research, poring over sharlayan's libraries, speaking with ul'dah's leading aetherologists, studying the paths of aether that connected hydaelyn to its shattered echoes and devising a way to travel those paths without becoming lost, undone by the lifestream. that she will be taking a very precious passenger is all the more reason she needs to be sure of it. risking her own life is one thing, but she will not risk louisoix's. it may take decades to secure her way to eos, for alisaie's recklessness does not extend to her son.

the last year is the hardest. they are so close, picking apart the details had taken agonizingly long, and those last few months seemed to stretch into centuries before at last, at last the path was ready.

it would seem that she has arrived none too soon. the world is black, and the journey dangerous, but she remembered prompto's tales of daemons and these ten years have only seen her grow her strength. she cuts down those in her path and pushes chobi hard, and it is weeks before she is at last able to trace prompto's steps to hammerhead, and then, to insomnia. the sky is alive over the city, flashing blue and red so brightly it can be seen from hammerhead. she leaves louisoix there, exhausted from the road, to sleep deeply while she rides hard to the crown city, fueled by desperation and adrenaline alone. she will not have worked so hard and come so very far to lose him, not now, not like this, not after all they have been through, how long they have waited.

the lights in the sky have quieted by the time she arrives, but alisaie knows not what that means - she knows only what she must do. keeping to the lights, she follows the trails of black blood and ichor toward what can only be the palace, and when they reach the stairs she leaps from chobi's back, rapier in hand, to dash up the main thoroughfare, her hair wild and her breath quick and her clothing torn and filthy.

please. please. let her not be too late. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ His relief is instant, his smile brightening once more, as he squeezes her hand in his. Maybe this is some kind of dream, some sort of delusion brought on by the exhaustion and euphoria and grief, but all the same, he will not choose to end it. She feels so real, she's warm and near and her eyes are just as beautiful as he remembers. He wouldn't trade her presence with him right now for anything in the world.

So he leans in to press another soft kiss to her lips — he's going to have to get used to leaning up now — before stepping back, starting to walk so he can lead her towards where the Glaives will be waiting for his instruction. ]

Why, you got a hot date waitin' for you?

[ is it cindy

because, hot ]

[ sorry prompto your girl on girl dreams will have to wait for another time to be fulfilled..

but alisaie does smile in a knowing sort of way in reply, her fingers slipping into his while they walk. it's so easy to fall right back into, as if no time has passed at all. ]

.. something like that.

[ What's that supposed to mean?!?!

Unless he's the hot date, and she has some...plans for when they get back to where she's staying, wink wonk. It's truly remarkable, how much time has passed, and yet they step back into the same place they occupied like it was only yesterday they'd seen each other last. Alisaie had carved out a spot in his life at his side, and since they had parted, that space has remained empty, unoccupied, simply waiting to be filled by her again. So much has changed—they've changed—but it so quickly becomes apparent that the love between them has not, and Prompto can't help but smile, despite everything.

His thumb brushes her knuckles as they walk, gentle and sure, as he steals glances her way every few moments as if to just remind himself that this is real, and she is here. They see to several things in the city before they at last depart for Hammerhead, and in truth, there's so, so much more to be done. But Prompto is bone-tired and spent and gods, when was the last time he showered? They're dusty and sore both, and so, once the immediate plans have been made and they can cut away, Prompto walks out of Insomnia and back towards Hammerhead with Alisaie at his side.

For all he has lost...for all Eos has lost, the future is bright once more. ]

[ for her part, alisaie does not know how to be of assistance beyond simply following orders - this world is new and strange to her, and so very much has happened in so short a time period. the culture shock is enough to have her head spinning.

but prompto knows what he is doing, this is his home, his realm, and she is more than happy to simply follow his lead. in some ways it almost feels as if she is intruding on something private, that she cannot fully grasp the incredible meaning of this day, and how impossibly, painfully wonderful it is to feel the sun on her face. she has been here only two weeks and it feels like a relief - how could she possibly understand what it had been like to endure ten years?

nevertheless, she does what she can, in what small ways she is able.

by the time they ride back to hammerhead, with the sun high over their heads, she is weary down to her bones, but there is not yet time to rest, and.. still so much more to explain. though nothing could please her more than to introduce prompto to his son, reunite louis with his father, she still cannot help the way her stomach tightens into a knot when they at last retire to the small apartment above the garage that cindy had graciously offered, where, just behind the door, louisoix sleeps soundly on an old sofa.

alisaie hesitates by the door, linking her fingers together with anxious uncertainty, her heart kicking up into her throat. ]

Before we go in, please try to lower your voice. I do not want to wake him..

[ wake who?? her new lover, clearly. ]

[ For all his life has radically changed so far today, Prompto is completely oblivious to how much it is about to change again, as soon as they head through that door.

At this point, however, he's so ready to just collapse into bed and hold her close and fall asleep to the sound of her breathing and the scent of her skin that he hardly notices that she seems...nervous. What could she have to be nervous about now? They're together again, the sun has risen, and the Starscourge is gone. Eos can begin to rebuild and thrive once more. In light of that...there could be nothing to be nervous about in the whole world.

Wearily, one side of his mouth tugs up into a smile as he leans close to the door, trying to discern any sound coming from the other side, but there's nothing. Nothing but the distant sounds from Cindy's garage below, and while Alisaie hadn't made any mention of anyone else making the journey with her, there could perhaps be a few people on the other side of this door that he can think of.

He nudges her jaw playfully with a knuckle. ]

Him? Letting Alphie get his beauty sleep, huh? Pretty thoughtful of you. Have you gone soft in your old age?

[ ...Because if it's not Alphinaud, who is it? Urianger? ]

[ that broad, sweet, silly smile is enough to ease her heart, and alisaie exhales softly, a weary smile curving her mouth. she's still nervous, for how.. incredibly intense this is like to be, but she has waited ten years for this. they both have.

so she summons her courage and at last twists the knob, slowly, carefully pulling the door open so as not to wake the boy. like as not he will want to sleep for many more hours, the trip has been hard on him, and while he is growing fast, he is still so young, and she has asked so very much of him.. ]

I would like you to meet.. my son.

[ louisoix sleeps soundly on the sofa, sprawled on his side, completely undisturbed by the movement and soft voices. he's a slim young boy, long-limbed and fair like his mother, but his hair is a soft, pale blonde, his ears not quite long and not quite pointed yet not entirely human either, and his young face is scattered with freckles, bright for how much time he has spent in the sun. well. before arriving here, at least.

but alisaie's eyes move away from the boy quickly enough, fixing on prompto's profile, watching with bated breath. ]

[ Way to bury the lead, Alisaie.

There's really no preparing him for those words, for the shock, no cushion to catch his halting heart on. Her...son? Alisaie had...a son?

Before he even fully steps into the room, a million and a half ideas begin to form in his mind, his stomach twisting up into anxious knots that had been absent only moments before. Of course...Prompto shouldn't have been so presumptuous to assume that Alisaie wouldn't...that's to say, ten years is an awfully long time to go without companionship, without love, and Alisaie has so much of it to give. Prompto was all but gone to her for such a long time, their meeting again only a faint dream, and impossible thing. It only...makes sense that she might've taken a new lover. It's okay. It's—she's here now, and at his side, and that's what matters most, and this child, whoever his father is, Prompto will love him, because he's hers. It aches—oh, how it aches when he recalls how badly they'd wanted children but been denied the ability by the Natha's hand, and in many ways, they were probably right to do so. But they'd cried and railed and mourned the family they would never have, for those unborn children. He's glad, at least, that Alisaie was at last able to have that joy in her life. She deserves it more than anything.

But as he steps further into the room, absolutely trembling from head to toe as he approaches the young boy, his thoughts begin to coalesce, even if they do so in a way that seems impossible. In the sunlight that filters in through the shaded window, Prompto can make out the child's features. His blonde hair, the short ears, the freckles. He is, as ever, keen on picking out features, and in this boy...he can...

He can see himself.

Before he can think better of it, Prompto kneels at the side of the couch, reaching out a hand to gently ruffle the boy's soft hair. The room is near silent, except for the quiet sleep sounds of this child, and Prompto's own quavering breath. ]

He's...he's perfect.

[ He can hardly bear to tear his eyes away, but he manages to do so for a moment, to turn a look of awe and wonder on Alisaie, his cheeks glistening with tears.

Can it be...? But...how? ]

[ wow shutup??

she can see it though, the moment he realizes, when it dawns over his face, conflicted and amazed and uncertain. she had been just as astonished as he is now, and for a long time, mournful - they had wanted so badly to build a family together, to have at last been blessed with it only after being separated had been a fierce, cruel irony.

but she would not trade this boy for anything in the world, not to erase all the anguish she has ever felt. ornery and difficult though he might sometimes be, he is the light of her world, the motivation that had kept her moving forward when all had seemed so bleak, so impossible. would she have even made it here, if not for him? she cannot begin to guess.

alisaie quietly closes the door, then follows behind when prompto moves forward, and though louisoix stirs when prompto's fingers brush his hair, he does not entirely wake, exhausted as he is. not only that, he has clearly inherited his mother's.. sleeping habits. ]

Yes, he is.

[ easing to sit on the arm of the sofa, alisaie drops her eyes to the boy's mussed hair. ]

He could hardly wait to meet you.

[ A sob rubs against a disbelieving laugh in his throat, as the boy begins to stir. This child...this beautiful child, that bears the parentage of them both, that sleeps deep just as deep as his mother, that breathes in the same rhythm as his father, occupies Prompto's entire world in that moment. He yearned to be a father for so long, inadequate as he may have felt he fit the role, he dreamed of it all the same. Of filling a home with children and building a loving family that he had never been a part of growing up. Those dreams had shattered before they'd even left El Nysa, and after...well, what hope could he have then, when even seeing Alisaie again seemed like an impossibility?

But now...the boy doesn't look a full ten years grown but he's close enough for Prompto to believe that somehow, Alisaie had become pregnant before they'd parted ways, that somehow, the Natha or the gods or whoever saw it fit to give her this soul as a parting gift, something to remember him by. In a way, he's grateful, that somehow a part of him had been there to watch over her, when he himself could not. He might have only just laid eyes on this child, and they have yet to properly meet, but..

He's already proud of him, and for the light he must have been in his mother's life. Prompto has no doubts about that.

As the boy continues to stir, he asks breathlessly: ]

What's his name?

[ What is the name of his beautiful, wonderful, perfect son? ]

[ there's something so wonderful about watching prompto react to this, watching the love and adoration wash over his features all but immediately. though he'd only just learned about this boy mere moments ago, she can see already how much prompto loves him, and for that.. for this simple, fleeting moment and nothing else, all of her struggling has been worth it. every moment spent weeping and shouting and working, every sleepless night and sore muscle and headache, she would take none of them back. seeing prompto behold his son for the first time brings a joy to her weary heart that she has not felt in years. ]

I named him for my grandfather. Louisoix.

[ her eyes flicker to his face again. ]

I considered naming him for you, but that felt too much like giving up.

I'm...glad you didn't.

[ Not because he wouldn't have been touched, but because it's just as she's said. Naming their son after his father would have seemed like too much of a memorial, and neither of them had wanted to give up on the idea that they might see each other again someday, not matter how unlikely it may have seemed at times. And...it seemed very unlikely. But now, being here with her, their child sleeping before him in the light of the still-rising sun, it's like anything he could have ever wanted is coming together at last. It's not without pain and suffering, for they have been through so much, and Prompto hasn't been there for his son. He's missed...so much.

But he's here now, their family reunited at last, and they can only move forward from here.

Louisoix...their little Louie. ]

A-Alisaie, I-I...I can't believe it, I...I'm...a dad. I'm a dad!

[ He exclaims that last be a little too loudly, and Louisoix starts to stir in earnest, his dark eyes cracking open to find the source of that unfamiliar voice. Mystefied, they land on Prompto. As sharp as his mother, it doesn't take the young boy long to identify who it is that's kneeling in front of him.

And all at once, Prompto is paralyzed, his breath catching in his throat, uncertain of what to say. What could possibly suffice as his first words to the son he never knew he had, after ten long years of being absent from his life? ]

[ well, it was only a matter of time, really, before prompto got noisy enough to wake him.. honestly, she's surprised he lasted even this long. she knows full well how important family is to prompto, how very much he had wanted to have children, to built up the family unit that they had both been so desperate for. in many ways, this must be a dream come true for him. a simple dream, but a dream nonetheless.

gods, what a day it has been for him.. ]

You most certainly are.

[ alisaie chuckles softly, fondly, gently skimming her fingertips along prompto's cheek before dropping them to louisoix's fair hair, scratching at his scalp. ]

Say hello to your father, my love.

[ It's unreal. The idea of having children had all but left him, a distant thought in the back of his head, when even being with Alisaie again seemed to be such an impossible thing. As such, he hadn't...thought much about what it would be like, especially in recent times, when he's grown and changed and matured. But even if he had, it couldn't have prepared him for this. For finding he's had a child this whole time, that Alisaie has brought him with her here, and that that child is now peering at him with sleepy, curious eyes, a mumbled "dad?" rolling off his tongue.

His heart soars, when Louis calls him that, and all at once, Prompto remembers how to move, how to think.

Quickly, he leans forward, hands cupping Louisoix's cheeks, meeting his son's bright eyes with his own as he swallows against a thick knot in his throat. ] Yeah. It's me, buddy. It's me. I'm here. [ He draws in a shuddering breath as he smooths his thumbs over Louisoix's cheekbones. ] And I...

[ He pulls the boy against him in a powerful, fierce hug. ]

I-I'm never gonna let you go again.

[ it feels quite strange to be on the outside looking in for once, but alisaie could not be happier than to see, at last, her son reunited with his father. she has told him so very many stories, and as he'd gotten older, louisoix had asked only more and more questions, eager to know everything he could about this man he had never known, but that his mother had loved so very, very much. she told him of their adventures, how they met, the silly things they did - anything she could think of to keep the memory alive, and give her son at least a little hint of just who his father was. he had been eager to meet him nearly from the moment he could understand just what the word meant, and he has been no small help, either, keeping her on track, focused, driven.

how could she disappoint this boy, after all? how could she deny him a chance to meet his own father? how could she deny prompto the same?

and so here they are, and while alisaie is not wont to cry as easily as prompto does, it nevertheless brings hot tears to pricking at the corners of her eyes to see the boy swept up in his arms. to witness the raw emotion in this perfect, wonderful moment. she's quick to swipe the wetness from her eyes and sit up straight again after a moment - someone has to stay on task, after all, and there's no doubt that prompto is in dire need of rest, and louisoix as well. after several long moments she reaches to filter her fingers through her son's hair again. ]

You worked hard for this, dearest, we shall never needs be apart again. But you must rest again soon, and your father as well.

[ it has been such a very, very long day for him. ]

[ Prompto could have continued to hug Louis for hours and days and weeks and still it would not be enough to satisfy him, to make up for the ten long years he wasn't absent from this child's life. They have a long road ahead of them in actually getting to know one another, in bonding and forming a relationship that should have been there long ago, but when Prompto pulls back to peer into his son's face again, he knows it's going to be okay. That they're going to get along just fine, and at last their little family will become what it should have been long ago.

But Alisaie is right. They're all exhausted and overwhelmed and he needs some time to digest this new, unexpected turn in his life. It's a lot to take in and digest and there's a lot he wants to need and ask, but for now, his parting words are simple, straightforward. ]

I love you, Lou. [ He squeezes the boy's shoulders, nothing but genuine pride in his tone. ] Tomorrow...we're going to spend the whole day together, okay? I promise.

[ They have so much catching up to do.

But for now, he stands, his hand slipping into Alisaie's once more to give it a gentle squeeze. ]

[ for all the stories she has told louisoix about prompto, all the details and descriptions, first and foremost she had always been sure to affirm and drive home his kindness, his warmth and smile, his loving heart. part of it had been to assure her son that no matter what, prompto would love and adore him, and be so very happy to see him, but also in an attempt to nurture that same kindness in him. most boys want to be like their fathers, after all, and nothing would please her more than to watch him grow up in the image of the man she loves most in all the worlds.

it makes it all the easier for louisoix to accept it at face value, immediately, when prompto says it, his face lighting up ith glee behind a mask of shyness. they still need to get to know one another, to learn who they are as people, individuals, but alisaie has no worries whatsoever about whether or not they will get along. there is no doubt in her mind.

but she's switching into mom mode soon enough, fussing the boy back down onto the sofa and tucking the blankets back up around his chin, though only after slipping his favorite, worn old chocobo plush back into his arms. brushing the hair from his eyes, alisaie leans to press a kiss to his brow before at last she is standing, her fingers weaving through prompto's. ]

We will be right over there, should you need anything. Sleep well, my prince.

[ Though it's difficult to step away now, after they've been reunited at last, Prompto's made his promise and he can't wait for tomorrow to come, to spend as much time as possible with his son, getting to know him and learning everything about him, his favorite foods, his favorite things, whether he likes photography, how he laughs. There's so much, and he can't wait to get to it.

It will all come tomorrow. Giving Alisaie a soft, tender look, he steps back towards the bedroom, but not before adding a few final words before they slip through the door: ]

Goodnight...son.

[ He can still hardly believe those words just left his mouth. But they did, and a smile cracks wide across his lips as he shuts the door behind them.

He doesn't say anything—doesn't even know what he would say. Instead, he meets Alisaie's eyes, taking in the sight of her once more, taking in everything that has happened in the last 24 hours.

He has never felt so lucky, so loved, as he does in this moment. ]

[ louisoix settles, the door clicks quietly behind them, and alisaie exhales softly, slowly, a blanket of ease settling over her shoulders.

they've done it. they're here, they are together, the sun is in the sky, and at last they can begin to build the life they have always wanted. it seems a daunting prospect in the sense that there is so very much to do, so very much they can do, but they have all the time in the world now to do it.

prompto meets her eyes, and alisaie smiles, soft and tired and warm, and after a few moments she squeezes his hands, and tugs him gently toward the little attached bathroom. ]

Let us get you cleaned up.

[ He's as easily as led as ever, falling into step next to her as they make the short journey to the bathroom. It's all so familiar, and yet foreign, being here with her like this, on Eos, with his son asleep in the next room. He could have never predicted that this was the way this day would go, but he's...glad. So glad. For all they have lost — for all he has lost — they have gained something of great import as well.

It's why he can't stop smiling, weary though it might be. They're both a mess and a hot shower sounds like the best damn thing in the world right now, but it'll be even more so with her at his side—though he feels oddly...bashful about it. It's been a long time since they've seen each other, since they last kissed and touched and existed in this intimate space together. It's almost like relearning a language he's forgotten, as he starts to unbutton the heavy jacket of his uniform. ]

Yeah, guess I'm a little...how'd you always say it? "Ripe"? That.

[ He wrinkles his nose through a smile. ]

We both are, I'd wager.

[ he certainly isn't the only nervous one. ten years is a very, very long time to be separated from someone so dear, someone she had been so intimate with, and while her love for him has not faded, it is still easy to feel like a fumbling virgin again. she had been the confident one when first they had made love, so why is she so anxious now? it is a sweet anticipation though, and she is all too quick to intervene when he begins unfastening his coat. ]

Let me.

[ her fingers work slowly, delicately, snapping each button open while she dips her head to touch her brow to his own. it isn't long before she is pushing her hands beneath the dusty jacket and easing it off of his shoulders, her voice soft and quiet. ]

I have always loved these clothes on you..

[ but she loves them even more when they're on the floor WINK WONK ]

[ She takes over the task of unbuttoning his coat for him, and Prompto's eyelids drop heavily as she touches her brow to his. It's been so long. So long since they've had this quiet, close intimacy — even the kisses they had shared earlier weren't entirely private, even if there wasn't anyone else nearby. But now...they are closed off, their attention undivided from one another, and he can feel it, too. That nervous energy that sparks between them. It's not entirely unwelcome, even if it's unfamiliar. They've waited a long time for this.

As his coat drops to the floor, he guides her hands over the buttons of his vest, urging her to continue, even if there's a slight trembling in his fingers. ]

Had to take our home back in style. [ He nudges his nose alongside her own, inhaling deeply. ] We knew this day was coming for a long time. Seemed...right to go all out.

[ In more ways than one. ]

[ the vest, of course, it next, with his guidance. alisaie works each button open carefully, taking her time. ]

Of course you did.

[ even at the end of things, style is a priority for him, even if his hair is a bit more responsible now than it once was. the vest gives way, and alisaie carefully slips her fingertips beneath it, grazing his bare skin as she eases that, too, over his shoulders and off.

he is so.. different. she can still see him, of course, the boy she had fallen in love with, he's right there, the shape of him, the feel of him, the warmth. but prompto has broadened, filled out, and he's still lean and slim but stronger now, wider beneath her hands, but still with all the same old nicks and scars that she remembers. her palms skim up his chest, over his broadened shoulders, following the sweep of his collarbones. ]

I am.. so proud of you.

[ Its unreal, that familiar-unfamiliar feeling of her hands skating over his bare skin, and Prompto's breath catches in his throat as his hands fall to clutch him her dress. Gods, he's missed this. The affection, the gentle, warm, intimate touches, her soft, reassuring words in his ears. If she had come to him today and found that they had failed, that all their years of hardship and toil had been for naught, then he's sure he could still find comfort in this, in her.

But things haven't turned out that way, and now their natural course of action is to celebrate. Tomorrow there will be much to do, and there is a long road ahead for them and Eos both. But tonight...tonight is for recollecting, celebrating, rediscovering what has been lost between them. ]

Me, too. [ It's much easier than it once was to admit that. Lifting his hands, he starts to unbutton her own coat, careful and sure. ] We sacrificed a lot to get here. Everyone did.

[ He leans in to press a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. ]

[ how long had it taken him to come that far? to be able to say such a thing with certainty? it warms her heart to hear it, to know that these long years of separation have not seen him regress. it would have been so easy for him to fall back on his old, toxic habits in a world gone dark like this, bereft of close companionship, lost in a world of monsters. but he didn't. he is just as strong as she has always known he is, so much more resilient than he had ever given himself credit for.

alisaie smiles, her eyelids heavy, even as his mouth finds the corner of hers, though it soon gives way to a softly exhaled sigh. ]

If only I had arrived sooner.

[ she is not so arrogant to think that she could have made any great impact, but still, to know that he had suffered here, that she was not near to support him, to aid him, is a blow. it isn't her fault, nor his, nor anyone's, but still she cannot help but regret. ]

[ It hasn't been easy, but Prompto likes to think he's come out on the other side of these ten years better, stronger. That Alisaie can recognize it is all the confirmayion he needs, really. She's always had such a good sense for who he is, often better than he does himself.

He pushes her coat down and away, not giving it another thought. ]

If you could have, you would have. You're here now. That's all that matters.

[ And it is. For all he had hoped he would see her again, a part of Prompto had feared, reasonably so, that he never would. That they would remain worlds apart, ever pining for one another, but separated by dimensional walls. But she is here, and that in and of itself is so miraculous that he can't even think to look at it in any other way.

His hands move along her sides, smoothing over her dress, the curves of her different than he remembers, but somehow, still the same. It takes more courage than he might want to admit, but after a moment longer, he slips his hands beneath the hem of her skirt, rucking up her dress as his palms move over soft, warm skin. ]

Think I can get used to these new legs of yours...

[ He huffs a little breathlessly against her lips. ]