Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake
Ok, so this is the most time and effort I've put into a chapter/story yet, so really hope you guys enjoy. :D
"Hmmmm, I spyyyy something dusty and vast... and everywhere," Prompto drawled out, fingers tapping against the leather of his door in rhythmic annoyance. "Annnd nothing else," he added on after a verifying glance around their fleeting surroundings. "Like, literally nothing else; desert as far as the eye can see."
A quick and less than gentle 'thump' sounded on the back of his headrest, jolting him slightly in the process. "Spy quieter," Gladio huffed, seemingly growing irritated with the consistent string of complaints that had been streaming from the front seat over the course of the last hour. At last, blissful silence returned, shoving out the tedious gripes. He sighed out a sigh of contentment, only to instantly suck it back in and swallow it down when 'clicks' and 'snaps' entered his ears, like little slaps in the face. "You are about this close," slowly, he pushed his index finger towards his thumb, leaving only a hair of space between them, "to being a new attraction to this area."
"You know, murder is frowned upon for many," the blond needlessly reminded, taking another photo of the brute's unwavering scowl, even having the nerve to grin at him as he did so. "Come on, big guy, lighten up a bit," he pursed his lips, leaning over the seat, arms now draped over the shoulders of it. The driver now had his eyes set over, watching on warily; the urge to scold the young man for his reckless position was tugging at his tongue. But, he chased that temptation away, what was the point? He wouldn't listen to his heeding words of warning regardless of what he said. The best he could do was clear his throat audibly, exaggerating the noise in hopes he would catch the hint and correct the wrong-doing himself. Of course, that was giving far too much credit, "You ok?" Prompto asked, glancing over, "Not getting sick, are you?"
Ignis' fingers unconsciously tightened around the steering wheel, small and hushed squeals of leather on leather seeping out. "No, I am perfectly alright," he assured, fighting the instincts to grit his teeth, "Though, I cannot say the same about you if you continue with your incessant need of sitting every possible way except for the intended way," the words slipped out without his regard.
The gunslinger fell quiet. "Oh," he finally realized what the other had been so worked up about now. "You and Gladdy, always with the threats," he less than subtly pouted under his breath, turning around with a degree of more force than necessary for such an action. "Could have just asked," he mumbled, practically yanking the seat belt over himself.
"Tell me you would have listened," Ignis shot back, none too harshly, but knowingness stitching through his words. The stillness that ensued afterwards set his statement in stone. "Besides, it wasn't a threat, merely a few words of warning."
"Call it what you will, it doesn't take away the sting," he folded his arms over his chest, dipping down ever so slightly along with his slaughtered mood. "Not like we have to worry about hitting another car, I haven't seen one in ages."
The adviser's eyes had to resist the impulse to roll at the overstatement; he remembered seeing at least two in the last fifteen minutes alone. "That's beside the point," he answered anyway, choosing not to mention the mistake in his own remark. "There are a countless number of things that could cause an accident, other cars only being a fraction of those."
"Cool," Prompto masked his boredom with forced fascination, which still shone through brilliantly, blindingly really.
Of course, he couldn't blame them for being rather snippy, not after the day they've had. It felt like the imperials were only becoming more persistent in their advances, seemingly magnetized to them the moment they stepped foot outside into the light of day. So, it was no wonder everyone was short on fuses, barely being snuffed out before exploding with each time they spoke. Hopefully they could all unwind and extinguish their flaring attitudes with a night of real and genuine relaxation. 'Yeah right,' he thought, it would take a hell of a lot more than that to accomplish that task. With luck, though, they would be in Altissia, the city of pure beauty and magnificence, by the time night stretched over them; the thought of it alone painted a picture of calm in his weary mind; every stroke brought that expectation closer to reality. He smiled to himself, the promise of top tier accommodations were just within reach.
He turned his head slightly, gaze latching onto the occasional rock or decrepit tree, on the verge of crumbling under the sun's scrutiny, as they whizzed by. Yawning as he lost sight of yet another poor excuse of a shrub, his vision became shielded by his drooping eyelids. The wind assisted in blowing away his wakefulness in a gust of lulling temptation. Deciding to follow Noctis' example, he gave in, propped an arm against the door and placed his head snugly in the crook of his elbow. There wasn't a chance of him missing anything at least, that much was for sure, and with nothing to do, what better way to pass the time?
Source of the only escape from impending silence now teetering between the two realms, the Regalia was once again reduced to a shadow of its usual boisterous self. The remaining two of the group tried to relish in this momentary quiet, finally getting some muted time to dwell on their own frustrations. Ignis breathed weightedly through his nose, twisting his neck stiffly to the side as a few cracks sounded out, earning him a few minutes of liberation from the rigid sensation residing in his vertebrae.
"Not too much longer and we can have all this behind us, huh?" Gladio thought aloud, looking for no response in particular, only mindlessly wondering. He sighed heavily, placing his book to the side and turning to gaze over at Noctis, "In just a few short days, things will be completely different." It still seemed weird to him, but maybe that was due to the fact that he's known the kid the entire time he's existed, and the thought of him actually getting married sat strangely and unevenly in him. He smiled to himself, thinking how it felt like just a week ago, when he was teaching him proper sword techniques, not that he was particularly overly advanced now, but still. He'd come a long way since then.
The expert eyes of the adviser flicked to the rear view mirror, catching a quick glimpse of the man's sentimental expression, but losing it almost instantly as the man switched his own attention to something else, "Indeed, can't say if it will be for the better or for worse, but they will be quite changed without a doubt." He remained how he was for a moment, taking the extended silence in stride, "But if it does prove to have its worth, then I'll admit, I'll honestly be a bit surprised."
"Surprised?" Gladio asked, meeting the other's eyes through the reflection, "You beginning to have concerns over this whole marriage thing?" His tone adopted a blanket of false disbelief, clearly not at all rattled by the other's skepticism.
Ignis flashed another observant glance at the prince, making certain he was still out. "It just stands out to me as something rather precarious, is all," he answered vaguely, keeping most of his opinions on the matter locked up and to himself, the key buried deeply within his innermost thoughts and views. "It was proposed rather suddenly and out of the blue, so I have my reasons." He heard the shield huff out a dismissive grunt, accepting that as enough of an answer from the other. "Regardless of what I, or anyone else may think, this has to be done, and there's no deterring the inevitable."
He readjusted his position, straightening his back out when the slight slouch was beginning to pester him with its small, yet annoying, aches. Next were his shoulders, rolled back in an effort to rid the joints of their own pain-riddled jabs. The last time his body had objected this much was now a distant memory and he had his suspicions that all the recent stress was the main culprit in all this. Either that, or he really was getting too old for all the extra running around and fighting. He couldn't suppress the scoff that followed that train of thought; that was ridiculous, he wasn't that old. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he stared ahead along the length of the road, the end of it lost in the distance, obscured like that of their own forthcoming fates. But, now wasn't the time for maudlin reflection, there would be more than enough time for that once all was said and done; for now, he would simply worry about them all getting to their destination in one piece.
'Easy enough,' he thought to himself, well, so long as everyone behaved and didn't fall into one of their reckless and senseless manners of doing things. He wanted to laugh at that ludicrous hope; it was like asking Cor to stop being immortal, never gonna happen. Hung up the prospect of that ever happening, he finally decided it was time to perhaps turn on the radio. A bit of background noise would be the perfect remedy for his festering nerves right about now. A few button presses here and a couple clacks there, and hushed but soothing instruments now emitted from the speakers, filling the silence with their appeasing tunes. Luckily, with the two picky listeners unbeknownst to this, there was no fussing over his choice in music.
The man allowed the melodies to carry him throughout the rest of the drive, relaxing and meshing into the motions of the road. Following it easily until at last, transitions in the terrain made themselves be seen, and hues of green began popping into view, standing out like lush beacons in the drab of aridness. Flitting glimmers of light danced over the horizon, giving way to the ocean that resided beneath. Habitually, his fingers glanced over the volume, turning the music down until it faded down to a delicate hum. He pulled the car over, easing it to a stop with practiced precision and turned the ignition off. Sighing, he turned his head, seeing that Gladio was already in the process of waking up the raven-haired, who in turn wasn't taking too kindly to the disturbance.
"Get up already, if we miss the boat I hope you know you're swimming there," Gladio urged, jabbing at the prince's side with a harsh and sturdy elbow.
Instinctually, Noctis replied by swatting a sluggish hand in the air, missing his mark by miles. "I'm up, I'm up," he mumbled, still sounding as though he were entrapped in his own dreams. "We're here already?" he asked, peeking through pressed lids, sun proving to be too much for his sensitive gaze. A hand hovered above his brow, blocking out the worst of it.
"Already?" Prompto repeated, stretching, moans escaping from between his lips as cracks sounded out along his spine, "Easy for you to say, you slept the whole way here."
Gladio sneered behind him, "Like you're one to talk, you weren't much better."
"Well, at least I put more effort into it than 'someone'," He shot a mocking look over to his friend, who missed the gesture due to his own struggle of waking completely up, he breathed out a breath of annoyance at realizing this. "Oh well," he shrugged it off, stepping out to stretch his legs. His eyes naturally strayed over towards the docks, locating their next ride with ease; it was pretty impossible to miss after all. "Whoa," he uttered under his breath, already in the process of strolling in its direction. "That's what we're going on?"
"Indeed," Ignis replied, swinging his own door shut and stuffing the keys in his pocket. It wasn't anything spectacular by any means, quite average really. But to someone who wasn't accustomed to such luxuries, such wonderful extravagance, it was absolutely stunning.
"It's incredible," he blurted out, unable to rip his focus away from it as he nearly shook with excitement. The idea that he was actually going to get to ride out at sea was an almost overwhelming concept to absorb, and he could already feel the breeze ruffling his hair, and the salty air assaulting his nose. "Let's get going, we have a wedding to get to!" he exclaimed, grabbing a sluggish Noctis by the wrist, almost dragging him as he let his inner child roam free.
The prince's initial reaction was to gasp at the intrusion, until he realized what was going on, "H-hey!" he stuttered, stumbling in the direction he was being bluntly hauled. "Prom, calm down will ya?" he said, but his body went with the flow, accepting its fate of being towed around like some broken down truck. "Can you at least slow down?"
"Sorry bro, no can do, 'slowing down' isn't on the schedule," he laughed joyously, going against the other's request and speeding up.
Noctis let out another noise of complaint, "Schedule? We don't have a schedule."
"I didn't say it was your schedule."
The other two stood back, staying out of this as they let it all happen, though they had to admit, it was mostly out of the desires for entertainment. "Should we help him?" Gladio asked after a few moments of enjoyment.
"Let them be," Ignis sighed. "He's a big boy, he can handle himself... I hope." He pushed his glasses up with a thumb, turning back towards the trunk, "Guess we've been left to do all the heavy lifting," he nearly fumed irritably. "You'd think they could have at least gathered their own belongings."
The shield hummed in agreement, hefting one of the larger duffel bags over his shoulder with a grunt of effort. "Yeah, don't worry, I don't plan on taking their stuff to the hotel, so that will be solely on them," he grinned as a particular thought teased his jest antics side, "Maybe we could even forget our own bags then."
Ignis shared his momentary amusement, right before he shot it right back down, "Do you honestly wish to risk that?"
"You may have a point," he admitted, looping his arm through the handles of yet another bag. Now with four of the packs draping off his form, he turned to head towards their next source of transportation, the other following close behind, steps sounding out almost in unison with his own.
To someone else, the baggage might have caused some issue, but to Gladio, this was a cake walk when compared to his morning workout alone; it was child's play, really. But, the closer he drew to the others, the heavier it felt, and the more it weighed down on him, the realization of their journey's end slowly dawning on him. Though, not all of it was a burden of despair, there was pride blended in as well, of course. "Here, take your things, I'm tired of hauling them around like some glorified lackey," he dropped Prompto's bag in front of him with an audible 'plop', Ignis doing the same, only with a pinch more care as Noctis' own bag was lowered to the ground.
"Thank ya, Gladdy daddy," Prompto cheerily piped, releasing his grip on Noctis in order to scoop up his belongings, the latter rubbing his arm as it rejoiced its newfound freedom.
The brute arched an eyebrow, staring at the blond for a few seconds, "Don't... ever call me that again."
"I'm sorry," he quickly apologized as what he said quickly processed in his own mind, "It just sorta rhymed, and I didn't exactly think about it," he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, averting his gaze to fall on the ground. His lips curled inward before parting again with a sharp, 'pop', "Alright, guess we better get going then," he painfully and awkwardly switched the subject, face now decorated with a faint hue of pink. Without giving any of the others time to comply, he spun on his heel, losing his balance for a fraction of a moment and righted himself again in his haste.
The larger of the three shook his head slowly, turning to the others to receive their nods of acknowledgement, and together, they went after the gunslinger. They spotted him as soon as they rounded the corner, already over his hitch of embarrassment and gushing over the boat once again. Any closer and he probably would have gone for a disagreeable dip in the sea. His bag was disgracefully cast to the side, being replaced by his camera, an onslaught of white flashes erupting around him. Other passers-by kept their distance, either out of respect, not wanting to get in the shot, or the opposite, avoiding the disturbance with a grimace on their face.
"Prompto, there will be plenty of time for photos on the way there," Ignis reminded with a twitch tickling his eye, ushering the kid along, barely giving him time to grab his belongings as he swiftly offered his apologies for any inconvenience it may have caused to the surrounding patrons. "But please, bear in mind that not everyone is as appreciative at such things as you are," he informed politely, the underlying message telling him to keep his badgering to a minimal when indulging in his hobby. He was doubtful the blond was even aware that others weren't as accepting of such shameless passion as they were sometimes.
"I know, I know," he replied, skipping out of the advisers herding hands. "But, it's pretty dang difficult to get good shots of the outside if I'm on the thing." He offered the other a knowing wink.
This time, he couldn't refrain from the eye roll that pulled at him, "Surely one shot will suffice, unless you plan on filling a scrapbook with the boat alone."
Prompto shrugged, "You don't know, I just might." He stopped when a hand extended out in front of him, preventing him from stepping any farther. "Oh," he faltered, gazing up to meet the owner's eyes. He now took a step back as another hand was thrust out in front of him, Ignis handing the man four stubs, earning a nod of thanks from the man as well as passage. "Ohhh," he repeated, registering what that was about now, "Right, almost forgot these things require payment."
"Unfortunately, most things do," he waved the other two over, the four of them now finally stepping foot onto the ferry, the feeling almost dreamlike and surreal; it finally set things into motion, and made it all seem so much more real. As a whole, they mindlessly drifted towards the railings on the opposite side, claiming the spot as their own until they arrived.
"Oh man, this view was worth it alone," the blond continued to drool over the experience, taking every second of it and storing it away to hold onto forever. Without another moment gone to waste, his camera was back up.
Noctis leaned on the rail next to him, staring out at the horizon, off in the direction he knew them to be heading soon. Every small ripple upon the surface disturbing his own sense of normalcy in his life. His arms folded over the edge, the heat collected in the metal prodding at his skin, but he ignored it and placed his head down, eyes still watching the ocean in odd fascination. Guilt washed over him the longer he thought about it; this should be exciting, shouldn't it? So why was it that he felt so indifferent, so disenchanted about it? Perhaps it was the fact that it was just abruptly thrust upon him, his hand offered without him having a say in the matter. It felt unfair in a way, and something he had no control over, and something that truthfully terrified him down to his last fiber of being. He wasn't ready for this.
A sudden and uninvited arm wrung around his neck, jolting him out of his reverie with a small gasp, "Isn't it beautiful, Noct? It really just sets the mood, huh?" The blond cooed, gazing at the same scene as him, but clearly seeing a different image. What Prompto saw was beauty, freedom, and a vast world of opportunity, while he was drowning in the hesitation and trepidation of the what ifs.
"Yeah, it is," his stale voice slunk out, fluttering and dissolving in the array of noise as their ride began its movement.
"Oh man, I still can't believe this is happening!" Prompto practically yelled, leaning precariously over the rail as he peered down at the spraying waters, being propelled out from the sheer power and force. "This is still so incredible, dude. I don't even know what to say anymore."
Something latched onto the back of his collar and gave it a solid yank back, causing him to struggle to keep his balance. "How about you say nothing and try not to fall in," advised the gruff voice of the shield, not hiding his clear humor with the other's unadulterated enthusiasm. "Not really up to diving in to retrieve your ass."
"So, you admit you'd still go back for me," the blond poked a finger against the man's bare chest, jabbing directly over his heart.
The larger man placed his hand against the smaller's forehead, effectively pushing him back, "Don't think so highly of yourself, don't want the fish to get sick with you contaminating their home."
Prompto pulled away and lifted his hands above his shoulders in an animated shrug, spinning on the ball of his foot to face back out towards the vast waters, "Say what you will, but I know the truth." He reverted back to his previous position, head bowed so far over the only barrier between him and the ocean that it was a miracle he was still on board. As he stared off though, something felt... unsound from within. Ignoring it, he looked back up, eyes latching to the line where sea met sky. Though, it didn't quite shake that inner turmoil that was only becoming more aggressive and assertive, then it hit him. "I don't think I like this very much anymore," He whined, placing his forehead against the metal, battling with his stomach to at least try to hold down the fort.
His friend cut his eyes over as an agonized and uncomfortably groan was carried over in the breeze, "Everything alright?" he asked, noticing the greenish tinge his face had acquired.
The other dropped down into a crouch, keeping his grip on the railing. "Peachy," he spoke quickly from a clamped jaw, struggling with all of his might to keep it together. "How much longer?" he questioned, begging for it to be over now prevalent in his voice.
"We just got on," Gladio pointed out, tone damp with evident patronizing, "Maybe an hour or two tops."
The blond snorted at that response, "Uhhhhh, too long."
"What happened to, 'I can't believe this is happening'," the shield only half mocked, leaning on the rail next to him and gazed down. All he received was a small and pitiful shake of the head and a half assed attempt at hiding a gag, "Not seasick, are we?" He grinned down at the obviously suffering man, finding the whole ordeal to be somewhat humorous, if not slightly pathetic. "Come on, it's just a bit of water."
Ignis had himself perched on the other side of the shield, aware of what was going on beside him but left him to deal with this one. He was quite thankful the occasional upheaval of retching was being mostly eclipsed by the rushing waves... mostly. Glancing over, he looked past the sick and the supportive and landed on the prince, still staring off and lost in his own world of mixed emotions. He let out an extended and peaceful breath, pushing himself away from the edge. "I'm going for a quick walk around the deck, care to join?" he asked as he floated by Noctis, feeling more than seeing his presence drift on his left flank. "Tell me, Noct, it's obvious that something is troubling you about this, so what exactly is it?"
A sigh, an annoyed and troubled one, seeped out, "I dunno," he answered plainly. He juggled his thoughts around, choosing wisely which he wished to throw out first for the other to catch, "Look, I've known her forever, and I love her of course, it's just that... the way it's happened..." his sentence faded, unfinished in audio, but completed in expression. Eyes downcast, and step faltering into a more leisurely pace, he inhaled deeply and slowly let it out, "Yeah, I guess I just had other expectations."
They descended into comfortable silence, simply enjoying the heartfelt company of one another as they walked, strolling along until they nearly completed their lap. Knowing that he had the adviser's unspoken support in all this, he figured it would all be alright in the end, not to mention Gladio to make sure everything stayed pieced together. And, of course Prompto, his best friend that above the others could provide him with the 'normal' sense of life he never had. As if on cue, the unpleasant sounds of vomiting reached his ears. He glanced up, finding the blond still leaning over, the shield's hand now on his back as he let it all out. Things were gonna work out, as long as they were there, things would be fine.
He could not be more ecstatic when their destination finally came into view, his heart now joined his guts in their flipping as they gradually pulled closer to the docks. The need to haul it to steady ground was swiftly and effectively stamped out by his still churning insides, knowing that running wouldn't make matters any more tolerable. "Come ooooon," he whimpered one arm wrapped around his midsection, other gripped onto the metal for dear life. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing firmly. He risked ripping his eyes away from the wood beneath his feet, the only think that was motionless for him, to peer up at Gladio. "Can we please get off now?"
"Just hang on a little bit more," the larger man encouraged, "Almost there." His hand slid from the other's shoulder down to the center of his back, rubbing small circles as the blond leaned over, closing his eyes tightly with the swimming that washed through his head. "Just a few more minutes," he added when another threatening shudder racked the blond's body.
Prompto used his free hand to offer a cheery thumbs-up, but it fell back down quickly to join his other arm in the task of holding himself together. "I don't ever wanna do this again," he strained out, clamping his mouth back shut.
"How do you think we're getting back?" his smile was shining through in his voice. The other groaned once again at the registration of that little oh so important reminder. The man chuckled to himself, just now looking around him to process their fresh surroundings, and even he had to admit how amazingly breath-taking it all was. He expected it to be grand and otherworldly, but not to the extent that it was. And the retirement of the sun as it submerged itself behind it, glaring off various windows and stony surfaces, only assisted in illuminating its beauty that much more. "You're about to miss your perfect shot," he poked the back of Prompto's head gently, urging him to gaze up.
He complied, glancing up for a fraction, not nearly enough time to appreciate the wonder, but more than enough to know that he needed a picture of it. The shield felt the rummaging as it reverberated through his hand, and one moment later, a camera was almost thrust into his face, causing him to flinch back to avoid it crushing against his nose, "I trust you."
"Wha–?!" he blurted, fumbling with the device in his hands, "Prom, I don't know how to use this damn thing," he complained, rotating it as he inspected every nook and cranny. "What the...?"
Just as the camera had done, a hand shot up, index finger bending in a pressing motion, "Click, click," Prompto struggled to get the words out, "That easy." He swiftly veered to the side in a panic, latching onto the rail until his knuckles drained of color, matching that of his face. His bodies desperate heaves to rid itself of things that weren't there caused the others to cringe, sympathy clutching at their hearts.
"Alright, I'll try, I guess," he held it up, lining it up the best he could with the way the boat twisted and turned, now preparing itself for docking. 'Good enough,' he though, snapping the shot without another shot. Well, he figured it was better than nothing at all. "Hope you approve of it," he went to hand it back, but the way the other was still almost kissing the ocean, he pulled it back, "On second thought, I'll just hang on to this until you're finished."
A small head bob signaled his go ahead, still facing away from the other. "Alright, Prompto, pull yourself together, we have to get going shortly," Ignis patted lightly on his back, "I'll grab your bag, just focus on not throwing up between here and the dock."
Another nod. "Alright," he muttered, finding the single word to almost be an invitation for more puking, "Easy enough." One finger at a time, he pried them off against their will as they curled habitually, trying fruitlessly to cling back on. But, he was able to win the small battle of will. Though, he still allowed one hand to hover over the length as he walked, ready to return to his safety position should the need arise before he reached his salvation.
The going was gradual and unpleasant, but with time and effort, he was able to reach his goal, immediately crumbling into a heap onto the first bench he came across. On top of things, as per usual, Ignis fished around in his own bag until he located what he was seeking. "Here," he outstretched his hand towards Prompto, bottle of water held within, "You should drink some of this, it will help." The blond uttered his hasty thanks, fumbling with the cap. "I think I have some single packs of crackers somewhere in here as well for such instances such as these."
Once the wavering gunslinger took a couple experimental sips, he held up a hand. "I'll pass," he already had an arm wrapped back around himself as the water fought against settling.
"Should at least have something in you, or else you'll only feel worse," he returned to searching for the light snack, finding it and handing it over in the same manner. The younger mumbled under his breath incoherently, but accepted it with gratitude nonetheless. With shaking hands, he almost dropped the packet more than once, but managed to save it just in time both times. "As soon as you feel well enough, we should be on our way."
He nodded between crunches, barely nibbling at the corner of his first one. He managed to get two down without issue and stuffed the other half into his pocket, "I think I'm good," he unsteadily stood back up, looking up to the sky as guilt gripped at him realizing how long they sat there. "Sorry about that," he chuckled nervously, accepting his camera back from Gladio, "Not sure what came over me."
"Sea sickness," Ignis replied plainly. "It's fairly common, and given you never being in a situation such as that, understandable." Giving the younger a comforting sideways smile, he handed his bag to him as well, "Think you can handle this now?"
"Y-yeah, no problem," he graciously took the baggage from the man and swung it over his shoulder, only stumbling slightly when the sudden shift in weight almost toppled him backwards. "Okie dokie, let's get back to it," he brushed by the two older men to stand next to Noctis. "Better enjoy the remainder of your single life while ya can," he joked, giving a light punch to his upper arm.
The prince humored him with a returning jab, "I'll try as best I can."
Luckily, it wasn't too much of a walk to their hotel, but with the crowds that swarmed the night streets, the journey there was that of a troublesome and tedious kind. On more than one occasion, they drifted apart, ripped from one another's presence by the frequent cutting off of citizens. Multiple voices and chatters and laughters filled the crisp air, but there was one that stuck out as odd to Prompto. It wasn't one of jubilance, bit one of... despair maybe. He fell behind as he quickly scanned around, trying to find the source of the hushed and outweighed sob. There was no one who appeared to be crying in such a way, and from the looks of it, either no one cared, or no one else was hearing it. He jolted, biting down on his tongue to stop the shocked gasp from escaping, "Are you sure you're alright?" Ignis asked, concerned that the younger may have still been feeling slightly ill.
"You didn't hear that?" he asked, casting the earlier question to the side, "Like crying, or something." He continued to scan around. Again, it was faint, but it was definitely there, echoing delicately off the buildings nearby. "There," he turned to the side, stepping down a few steps absentmindedly, "What is that?" he asked mostly to himself.
He would have kept going if it weren't for the solid grasp on his wrist, "Where are you going?" Ignis asked, bewilderment etched into his features.
"We need to see what's wrong," he answered matter-of-factly. "Something has to be wrong, they wouldn't be crying otherwise." He stared back at the man, not at all oblivious to the skeptical gaze he served him. "What?" he questioned in offense.
"What crying are you talking about?"
"Th-the crying, you had to have heard it," he almost missed the way his heart rate had increased, putting his nerves on end. "It came from down there, I'm sure of it." He tugged at the man's grip, trying to drag him along if he had to, "Come on already."
Ignis sighed heavily. "Very well, if it will set your mind at ease, then we shall check it out," he waved the others over, who were standing patiently nearby. They obliged, a mix of curiosity and confusing mangled inside them. The blond gave them an appreciative smile before turning back towards the corridor the short entryway opened up into. Another set of stairs, and the sobbing was now painfully clear to him, stretching out like pleading fingers, caressing his senses. A cool and quick shudder racked his body as he tiptoed down the last two steps, the others close behind.
"Hello?" he called, voice taking on the borderline of cracking under his anticipation and unease, "Anyone down here?"
"I told you, there's no one here," Ignis said, turning back around, "We should get going now, it's getting rather late."
Prompto stood at the bottom for a moment, pulse still thrumming and skin still crawling with pins. "But, I know I heard it," he whispered denyingly. As the others' footsteps sounded off, bouncing off the stone walls and phasing straight through his being, he walked a little further in, making his way towards the center of the room, each step adding to the chorus of reverberations, almost without his consent. He stopped when he locked eyes with the only other pair to be seen; lifeless orbs stared back, holding no essence. A painting. That's all that was here, yet convincing himself that he heard nothing was hard to accept.
"Prompto? You coming?" Gladio asked, stopping at the top, staring down as he could now barely see the blond under the top of the doorway.
"Yeah, coming!" he called over his shoulder, shuddering again at the way his voice was carried back to him. With one last fleeting glance at the painting, he bit his lip and turned on his heel, making haste back towards the others.
Some chapters may take longer, have a friend down for a while that id in the military, so don't get to see him often, plus have a con in less than two weeks, so things might slow down soon for a little bit.
