Untold Omens
Chapter Four: Motivation
Screams and moaning groans blasted out the speakers, followed by violent gunshots and gory explosions. Noctis stood bored and lackluster in front of the zombie game among the obnoxious flashing and upbeat music in the arcade. His stance straight and his arm held in in perfect balance as he idly shot at each zombie that appeared on the screen. Compared to his weapons' training, arcade shooter games were nothing.
The gun had no knock-back, caused no ear ringing and he didn't have Gladio hovering over him watching his every move. It was just him, a limited health bar and the endless horde of zombies. He was alone and that was all he—
"What happened to staying irregular? Are you trying to get caught by Gladio?" Aracelis' voice broke his attention from the game and his character died a gruesome death in his inattention.
"If you're here, it's a safe bet that he isn't," retorted Noctis as he glanced to her with mild annoyance. "You're trying to avoid him too."
"Fair enough," agreed Aracelis before she dropped off her bag next to his and dug out her coin pouch. With a grin, she pulled out the gun and jingled her coin pouch in question. "Round two?"
"If you're paying, sure," shrugged Noctis as he resumed his stance.
Playing together became an odd routine for them whenever they ran into each other at the arcade. He never said much during the meetings, but it didn't seem to bother the older girl. Though, he suspected it might also be due to her awkwardness when it came to talking in general.
"So… are you and Prompto friends by any chance?" asked Aracelis during the pause when they decided to switch games.
"That blond kid that got hit by a car?" noted Noctis. He recalled the teen, half-wondering why she brought him up so suddenly.
"Ah, I guess not if you're referring to him as that blond kid," muttered Aracelis with a shake of her head.
He'd ask why she brought up the question at all, but she seemed to have randomly gotten over it much like how she felt the need to ask in the first place. The raven-haired prince couldn't understand her. The girls at his school were all horrendous busybodies with weird notions of who he was and what it was like to date him. They think he doesn't hear them in passing, but he's heard almost every possible variation of gossip on him.
From liking shy quiet girls to being an enigmatic badass, he's thankful the majority of the gossip painted his character akin to prince charming, albeit he'd most definitely admit he was not. He has to question how they even came to that conclusion in the first place. Gladio calls him prince charmless behind his back on more than one occasion, but then again, his future shield viewed him as lesser than dirt on most days. It was hardly a fair assessment.
Even so, Aracelis was rather odd. Despite being Gladio's friend, she didn't view Noctis in the same light as that muscle-head. Unlike Gladio, the stringent taskmaster was more than willing to work him to the inch of his life through training, Aracelis on the other hand, recommended routine breaks. She offered advice on how to effectively avoid the Amicitia heir and occasionally anecdotes on how difficult the older teen could get whenever he gets into a mood.
It made dealing with Gladio... a bit more tolerable. Noctis was still far from being on good terms with his shield, but at least he didn't dread his training sessions as much compared to before. The fact that Gladio has yet to catch him when he skipped training made it all the better. He took a small amount of glee in the fact that it frustrated his reluctant shield to no end.
"It's getting late. You might want to head back soon," noted Aracelis, always at a time that will allow him to get back to the Citadel by public transportation at a reasonable hour.
"Yeah, yeah," sighed Noctis as he gathered his bag.
Apart from the time she rushed to the hospital, she seldom drove him back to the Citadel. He reasoned it was so Gladio would be none the wiser to them going off to the arcades and shirking their duties. Had she drove him home every time, it would have given away their tentative comradery against Gladiolus. As inconvenient as it was to take public transportation, he'd much rather keep this odd correspondence with the older girl. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one who needed to run away from time to time.
"Prompto, Prompto, Prompto, you're killing me," muttered Aracelis. She buried her face in her pillow out of frustration.
It's been weeks since she lucked out with the meeting between Noctis and Prompto. With how well the two interacted with each other, she was certain there was nothing to be concerned about. Except, for whatever reason, the blond never initiated the friendship.
To make the situation worse, Prompto's initial onslaught of endless texts and calls had more or less stopped. She had no clue why and had no valid reason to contact him. She ended up checking on Noctis to gauge the extent of their relationship. Her meeting with the prince at the arcade was not by chance. She had meticulously calculated the possibilities of which arcade he would show up in at any given day. As well as keeping track on how often she so "happens" to run into him to keep his suspicion down.
Of the people the prince should worry about, Gladio should be the least of his worries. If he knew how much work and effort she put in to keep track of him, no doubt he'd run screaming or tell his father to have her arrested. Honestly, she's surprised the Crownsguards hasn't showed up at her front steps and demanded her parents to release her into their custody already. If they kept track of the prince half as well as she did, they would have noticed her absurd stalking.
Knock, knock
"Honey, are you okay?" asked her mother, Selene Hester, through the door.
"…I'm fine mother," replied Aracelis, her voice muffled by her pillow. She was far from fine.
The door knob jiggled with a soft click before it carefully swung open. Aracelis didn't bother to turn to the door, recognizing her mother's waddling steps from her rotund pregnant belly. Selene was a kind and overly doting woman. There was no comparison to be made between her and the mother she had in her last life. Simply because her first mother was never in her life. Her father was a soldier so she grew up a "military brat", hopping from base community to base community during his deployments.
"You don't sound fine to me," commented Selene gently as she planted a hand on her head and ran her fingers through Aracelis' dark locks. "What's wrong? Is it school? Or the work you have to do for Grandpa Jared?"
"It's nothing I can't handle," lied Aracelis.
She sat up on her bed and reached out to grasp her mother's soft pudgy hands. Selene was in her last weeks of pregnancy and her body had swollen immensely in her hampered state. It will not be long now before Talcott is born. Aracelis dreaded the day. She had some experience with Iris when it came to younger siblings, but unlike Iris, Talcott would eventually trigger the events that lead to their grandfather's demise. She will have to find time to hammer in the lesson of not talking to strangers to her new brother while dealing with the prince and his Crownsguards.
"Are you sure?" asked Selene worriedly as she clasped both hands over her daughter's. "You seem tired and stressed as of late."
"I promise, I'm fine," reassured Aracelis. "I'm… dealing with it."
"Hmm?" hummed Selene playfully. "By it, do you mean a boy?"
"…Mother," growled the younger Hester as she pulled away. "If this is your attempt to get me to start dating—"
"But honey," whined the older woman with a teasing tone. "You're young, smart and beautiful! Any boy would be happy to—"
"We've been through this mother," grounded Aracelis. "I—am—not—interested."
"Oh," pouted Selene. "What about Gladio then? You two get along."
"Mother," growled Aracelis as she pointed to her door. "We're done with this conversation."
"But sweetie!" protested the older woman.
"OUT!" snapped the freckled girl.
"Fine, fine, break your dear mother's heart," huffed Selene with mock hurt as she grabbed onto the four-poster frame and pulled herself up. "But in all honesty dear, you need to relax more. Make a friend and go have fun while you're still young. All this stress is not healthy for you."
It took a moment for her to waddle out of her room, but Aracelis waited patiently for her to leave before rolling off her bed to close and lock the door. Despite her mother's jesting, she knew the woman was trying to look out for her. Maternal affection was something she's yet to get used to even though she lived with the woman all these years.
Not that it made her care any less for her. In fact, she worried immensely, since neither her mother nor father were mentioned past Insomnia's fall. They could have very well died by then or even before. While maternal mortality in Insomnia was low, it didn't mean it wasn't possible. If that happened… Aracelis sighed deeply with her head pressed against the door for support.
"It's not going to happen. You're just freaking yourself out." The exhausted teen murmured quiet reassurances to herself.
It felt like her world was spiraling out of control and she had no way to stop it. Prompto aside, Gladio was the same as ever when it came to his disdain towards the prince and she had no clue where to even start with Ignis. It was impossible for her to read the straight-laced young man. She's convinced he thinks of her as an alien or something along those lines. Why he still bothers with her ruse was a mystery to her, but at this point, she'll take whatever she could get.
"It'll be fine." Aracelis continued to reassure herself to renew her determination. "I can do this."
The warmth of the sun, the gentle chirping of birds and the occasional soft breeze was ordinary, yet today seemed remarkable to Ignis. He wasn't sure when he started noticing the little things around the alcove he frequented in Valetis' lush green courtyard. He's sat there many times before, but he never took the time to actually take in his surroundings. Ignis glanced up from his food to the rustling leaves where sunlight peeked through. It felt different somehow.
"…Why do you always pick such an out of the way place to eat lunch?" sighed Aracelis as she planted a routine cup of coffee next to his food on the decorative garden table.
"It's…" Ignis paused to consider the question. He originally chose this spot to eat his lunch in peace away from the prying eyes of their peers, but now? He closed his eyes and took in a relaxed breath. "It's pleasant."
"…Uh-huh…" noted Aracelis in deadpan. "You enjoy that."
Ignis opened his eyes once she left. Belatedly, he noted a difference in her usual cadence. Over the past few weeks, he grew familiar to her quick driven steps whenever she dropped off coffee for him. At first, it almost sounded terrifying as though he was being hunted down, like prey. Now that he acquainted himself to it, her light-footed and lackluster steps were notably uncanny. He couldn't explain why, but this was bothering him.
In the past, he never thought to stray his attention from his lessons and let his eyes wander about the classroom. However, curiosity got the better of him and he glanced over to the bored freckled-face girl. She rested her chin on her palm as she stared blankly out the window.
Since he never bothered looking at her before, he couldn't tell if this behavior was unusual. Judging by her grades and her work ethic outside of class, he would hazard the guess that she wasn't the sort to daydream and ignore her course load, but he could be wrong. She's proven to be hard to read in the past. Seeing as he couldn't come to a conclusion, he returned his attention back to the lesson.
As usual, the droning voice of their lecturer placed the less enthused students to sleep, while the rest of them scratched away with their pens to take notes. By the time all their classes ended, it was evident to him that she paid no mind to the dispersing activity around her. He deliberately took his time to pack up for the day, more slowly than his classmates. She remained seated, still lost in thought with the orange hues of the afternoon sun cast onto her.
"…Aracelis?" called out Ignis once he finished packing his things.
"Hmm?" the girl jumped at the sound of her name and glanced around, finally realizing the room was devoid of their classmates. "Oh… class is over."
"You look like you have a lot on your mind," commented Ignis. "Something bothering you?"
"It's…" the brunette looked ready to deny his claim, but ultimately gave up and allowed her shoulders to sink. "Yeah… a couple of weeks ago, I nearly ran someone over."
"You ran…" Ignis stopped himself and hastily changed the direction on his words. "Is he okay?"
"He got hit by a different car a week later," muttered Aracelis darkly.
"A… rather accident prone individual I see," continued Ignis, barely able to keep his composure from turning into disbelief.
"Would you believe if I told you he got out of that relatively unharmed, but then ends up not being able to walk home because he overexerted himself?" groused Aracelis as she buried her hands in her hair in frustration. "I almost prefer having him give me a heart attack every time he calls me. At least then I know the idiot's not dead in a ditch somewhere."
"You said he called you, correct? Then surely you have his number," reasoned Ignis. "If you're that worried, why don't you just call him?"
"…Oh yeah," said Aracelis in realization before quickly digging out her phone and flipping through her contacts.
Ignis watched, not expecting her to do so this very moment. She seemed more like the sort to take her calls privately and away from spectators.
"Prompto?" greeted Aracelis the moment the call went through. However, the concern turned to fury as she began to scream into it. "Gladio? Why the hell do you have Prompto's phone? What did you do to him, you muscle-headed lunk!"
"…Muscle-headed lunk?" repeated Ignis quietly. Surprised by her sudden fury, he had never seen her so fired up. Even when she dealt with Flavius, she at most acted sardonic and dismissive. With this Gladio individual, she sounded absolutely infuriated.
"If anything happened to that boy, I'm going to gut you and string you up like cured meat," hissed Aracelis, pausing only when she heard laughing from the other end. "Stop laughing! It's not funny!"
Even under the threat of pain and death, this Gladio certainly sounded fond of her. Ignis can't remember if anyone in Valetis went by that name. While he personally didn't speak with any of their peers, he'd often glanced over the names posted with the exam results.
"I swear, Gladiolus Amicitia, if you don't tell me where you two are right now, I will burn your trashy romance novel collection," threatened the angry girl.
Amicitia, the line that served as the King's Shield, Ignis finally recalled. It's the family that employed the Hesters, Aracelis' family. He didn't know her relationship with the family of her future employer would be so close that she could openly threaten to destroy his property.
Regardless, Aracelis seemed re-energized by the call. He needn't concern himself about her lackluster behavior. Now satisfied, he quietly moved to leave. However, before he managed to make two steps, he felt a familiar death grip clenched around his arm.
"Wait!" Aracelis shouted to him before she growled back into the phone. "Not you Gladio! You and Prompto stay there! I'll be there soon."
Déjà vu washed over him as he watched the brunette end her call. It was like that day she approached him all over again. So fervent and distracted by her own goals, she never realized she kept his arm hostage.
"Yes?" asked Ignis patiently once she was done with her call.
"Look," started Aracelis uncomfortably. "I'm going to go check on Prompto, can you come with me?"
"…Why?" asked Ignis, startled to why she would ask him to tag along.
"Because I need a witness," muttered Aracelis quietly.
"A witness?" frowned Ignis. "What for?"
"So I don't end up murdering Gladio when I see him," growled the girl darkly. "I don't want to go to jail for the likes of him."
"You're acting utterly terrifying," quipped Ignis, straight-faced.
"Will you come?" huffed Aracelis, her grip tighten out of agitation as she met his eyes. "You being there will help."
Ignis didn't think he had a choice with how hard she kept her hold on him. While he was used to the girl's odd requests when it came to research, this was a whole other level of strange. No one had ever gone to him for confidence.
"…If it won't take too much time, I supposed I'm available to act as your conscience," replied Ignis.
Aracelis' grip loosen, a smile tugged at her lips as her body visibly relaxed with relief. Idly, Ignis wondered why she found such a need for him to tag along. The girl was impossible to read.
"Looks like Arie's on her way here," commented Gladio offhandedly as he tossed the phone back to Prompto.
"What!" screeched Prompto. He tried to catch his phone mid-air, but ended up juggling it frantically before diving onto the grassy park grounds to catch it.
"Ha, nice catch blondie," chuckled Gladio. He squatted down to ruffle the scowling boy's hair.
"Gladio!" whined Prompto. He swatted the older teen's hand away and scrambled to sit up on his knees. "Why is Aracelis coming here? I thought I was doing good with not calling her. She sounded angry!"
"Guess she's just worried about you," dismissed Gladio.
"But that was what I was trying to avoid," wailed the freckled blond.
Ever since Gladio agreed to train him, Prompto made an effort to cut down the amount of times he called Aracelis in a week. He still doesn't understand why she was so nice to him, but he didn't want to burden her with his problems. She made it so easy for him to rely on her that he didn't realize he took advantage of her kindness.
"Well, she's going to be here whether you want her to or not," continued Gladio as he stood back up. "We can either keep training or you can freak out until she gets here."
"How are you so calm?" shouted Prompto.
"Listen, if you're going to freak out over every little thing that comes your way, you're not going to get anywhere in life," lectured Gladio. "Do what you can and improve on it."
"…I guess," mumbled Prompto before he pushed himself off the ground and resumed the rep sets the Amicitia planned for him.
Much to his surprise, Gladio was far more patient with him than he expected. Despite his constant failings, the older teen remained supportive. It made Prompto grateful for all the time he spent on him.
"Prompto!" Aracelis' voice startled him halfway through his squat jump.
"A-Aracelis!" yelped the blond. He jumped further than expected, flailing his arms to balance his landing. When he didn't face plant into the ground, he cupped a hand behind his head sheepishly. "Hi…"
"You're…okay?" said the older girl in puzzlement once she came in range and grabbed him by the face for a better look.
"I'm fwine!" whined Prompto with his cheeks squished in her hands. "Gladio's jhust treining me."
"What did you think I was doing to the kid?" huffed Gladio. He rested his weight on one leg and crossed his arms.
"Knowing you? You get overzealous with your training methods," retorted Aracelis. She released Prompto's face and turned back to face Gladio.
"Whatever," dismissed the well-built teen before noticing the green-eyed stranger that came with her. "So who's this guy? Another hopeless case like Prompto?"
"Ignis Scientia, he's a classmate," said Aracelis firmly, but paused to reconsider her words. "He's important."
If Prompto hadn't made the mistake in assuming Gladio was Aracelis' boyfriend last time, he might've done the same with Ignis. However, Aracelis' introduction sounded ridiculously ambiguous, to the point even Ignis and Gladio looked to one another to confirm they heard her correctly. Then again, he thought back to the day he spoke to Noctis, the older girl was awkward there too.
"Anyway… I'm glad you're okay Prompto, but what drove you to train with Gladio anyway?" asked the girl curiously. "He's not known to take it easy on people."
"Hey!" warned Gladio, but as always, Aracelis ignored him.
"Well… You did so much for me. I felt like I was being a bother and I didn't want to worry you," shuffled the blond uncomfortably and scratched the side of his cheek. "Also, there's someone I wanted to be friends with… but I don't think we can be friends until I lose some weight."
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" snapped Aracelis.
"I know, but I..." mumbled Prompto as he scratched the side of his cheek absently. "I just thought I'd feel a bit more confident if I could be a bit more like Gladio first."
"A bit more like— "Aracelis gave an annoyed huff before she stomped over to Gladio.
The Amicitia raised an eyebrow when she stopped short in front of him and yanked up the hem of his shirt.
"Okay Prompto, you see this guy here?" said Aracelis before swinging her hand back.
SLAP, SLAP!
"Um…" the freckled-face blond watched uncomfortably as the girl slapped Gladio's exposed torso.
The Amicitia flexed his abs when he was struck, but remained unfazed as he glanced down to his childhood friend in question. Ignis, who stood behind them looked absolutely mortified. Like Prompto, he didn't expect Aracelis to do something so bold on a whim.
"You think this happens overnight?" huffed the girl as she slapped Gladio's abs a handful more times. "This here is years of hard work and dedication! You think you can get this physique with just a couple of weeks?"
Gladio stood with his chest puffed up and head held high, obviously preening at her words. Prompto didn't think the older teen was the vain sort, but after seeing this, he's quite confident that Gladio likes his ego to be stroked from time to time. Aracelis on the other hand, remained painfully oblivious.
"Umm… yeah, I didn't think I was going to get to Gladio's level overnight," admitted Prompto, disheartened at hearing it out loud from his own mouth.
"Not the point I'm trying to make," interrupted Aracelis before he could discourage himself further.
"Huh?" the blond glanced to her in question, not sure where she was going with the conversation.
"I'm not saying this to stop you from improving yourself," amended the older girl. "Rather, you shouldn't be using self-improvement as an excuse to hide and run away. If you want to befriend someone, go for it! You don't need to change who you are!"
Prompto found himself reprimanded yet again. He would start apologizing, but Aracelis didn't sound like she was finished yet. This was just like the night he met Gladio all over again.
"If you don't want to worry me, then stop giving me a reason to worry!" ranted the older girl.
"Y-yes ma'am!" squeaked Prompto. "But um…"
"What is it? Stop stuttering and speak up!" snapped Aracelis.
"But I don't know how to stop worrying you!" shouted Prompto.
His outburst stopped the older girl momentarily as if to observe him. When she made no move to resume her angry chastising, he took it as an opportunity to finally voice out his thoughts.
"I'm… really sorry. I didn't mean to take advantage of your kindness. I was really trying to be less of a burden and a nuisance, but it seems like everything I try just makes it worse!" admitted Prompto as he wrung his hands nervously. "And…and! You're way too scary when you're worried about me!"
What followed after was a pensive expression on the older girl's face. Prompto paled, hands jittering and utterly flustered. He cannot believe that he actually said all of that out loud. He never shouted at anyone before, much less someone he didn't want to disappoint. The blond was close to having a panic attack when a deep bellowing laugh suddenly escaped Gladio. He seemed immensely amused as he stepped forward and clapped a firm hand on the blond's back.
"Good job kid, I guess you're not completely hopeless if you could tell Arie off," congratulated Gladio.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" Prompto began to apologize profusely, but to his surprise Ignis actually spoke up and was making his way toward them.
"If you send her regular updates, she's less inclined to be vexed with you," supplied Ignis as he adjusted his glasses. "Despite her high standards, Aracelis is not completely unreasonable."
"She might still bitch at you though," added Gladio wryly. "But that's normal."
"Shut up," cut in Aracelis, shooting a pointed glare at her friend. This only served to draw forward another laugh from Gladio.
Relief washed over Prompto at seeing the two older teens bicker. It was strange to have someone care about him. Even stranger, now that the number seemed to have grown. Aracelis and Gladio felt like the older sister and brother he never had, but sorely wanted. He glanced over at Ignis who remained silent again. Underneath his glasses, Prompto could see a secret smile on his face. Prompto wasn't not quite sure what to make of the quiet young man, but he was nice enough to provide him reassurances when he didn't need to.
"I'm…" started Prompto meekly, but grew ever more confident. "I'm going to do my best!"
...Easier said than done.
"I can do this. I can do this," chanted Prompto. He slapped his hands soundly against his cheeks in hopes of building up courage.
Despite how he promised Aracelis and Gladio that he would do better in the heat of the moment, it didn't make talking to the prince any less terrifying. His hands were clammy with sweat. His heart felt like it would pound out of his chest. Even the walk to school felt quicker than usual. Prompto's half convinced he might pass out in the middle of the street with each step he took.
"Haaaahhh…" breathed out the blond in an attempt to expend his nervous energy. "I got this!"
With renewed determination, he adjusted the strap on his wrist and walked towards the school entrance. Pointedly, he decided to ignore the looks he garnered from trying to calm himself. Any other time, he would have ducked his head down with a red face and hurried his way into the school. Today, he kept his eyes peeled in search of any signs of the prince. He hoped to talk to him before class, so he doesn't chicken out later on in the day.
Unfortunately, the prince was nowhere to be found. As he glanced about, he noticed there weren't many other students around. Belatedly, he realized he must've arrived at school too early. So much for working up the courage to talk to the prince. The raven-haired boy wasn't even at school yet. The confidence all but deflated out of him as he trudged the rest of the way into the school.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" mumbled Prompto under his breath when he saw no one was in the classroom through the door window. Dejected, he planted his head against the door with a loud thump.
"…Not sure what the door did to you this early in the morning, but are you going to go in?" asked an unenthused voice from behind him.
"I'm moving," moped Prompto as he peeled himself off and opened the door. He took two steps in before realizing the person he was looking for was right behind him. "Prince Noctis!"
"What?" replied the prince with a raised eyebrow as the blond gapped unattractively at him.
"I was looking for you!" started Prompto, but then immediately amended his words when he realized how creepy it sounded. "I mean… I'm Prompto Argentum. I don't know if you remember me but um…"
"Who could forget?" replied Noctis in amusement.
"Um… really?" said the blond hopefully.
"Not every day, you meet someone who got hit by car and happens to be an Assassin's Creed nerd," commented the raven-haired boy as he walked past him.
"…Oh," said Prompto, dejected that the prince's memory of him was that of an accident prone nerd. Maybe it was impossible for them to be friends after all.
"Are you just going to stand there?" called out Noctis from inside the classroom.
"Huh?" Prompto looked up when he realized the prince was still talking to him.
"It'll be a while before anyone else gets here," continued Noctis offhandedly. "I managed to beat that boss battle I was telling you about in Aracelis' car."
It took a moment for his words to sink in, but when it finally did, Prompto had the biggest smile on his face. The weight from all the worries he felt up to this point was suddenly gone. He didn't waste a moment longer and followed the prince into the classroom. He barely managed to drop his bag at his desk before the twoengaged each other in a conversation about their favorite game.
Now that they were finally talking, he wished he drew up his courage sooner. Noctis would've been his friend regardless of his size. Losing weight first was just an excuse. If not for Aracelis and Gladio, he probably would've never gotten the courage to talk to him. For what it's worth, everything went well and he couldn't be happier.
