And we're back with the boys! The sad, sad, sad boys... ho dear. Hecking with the timeline a lil bit again for my own convenience.
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Ignis didn't need his sight to know the twisted expressions Noctis and Gladiolus were making as they practically screamed at each other. His jaw tensed, and it took effort not to say anything as Noctis stormed off in one direction and Gladiolus stomped off in the other.
He could hear Prompto's shakey breathing, nearly feel the distress radiating from the man. "Ignis, should we...?"
"Let them be for now. They need to cool off." He listened as Prompto dropped into the seat across from him. He was upset. Ignis didn't blame him. The last few weeks had been... harrowing, to say the least. Gladiolus and Noctis' arguing seemed to be the straw that was breaking Prompto's back, and it hurt to lose his usually cheerful attitude.
But then, there wasn't much to be cheerful about right now.
"I don't like it either, Prompto," he said at length, when the silence became too heavy to endure. "But there's nothing we can do about them when they're in this state."
"And what about the state you're in, Iggy?" Prompto shot back, and Ignis leaned away from him, the question catching him off guard. Prompto plowed on, "I mean... you really want to go into the tomb at Cartanica? You can't see..."
It wasn't an accusation, but he flinched nonetheless. His lips drew into a thin line, but he kept his voice level. "I'm aware of that, but I won't know if I can fight unless I try. I'll do my best not to be a burden."
A soft gasp. "Ignis, that's not what I—"
The hasty almost-apology was cut off when Ignis' phone chimed with a text. Reflexively, he fished it out and looked down... and then he remembered. He held it out to Prompto. "Who is it?"
A gentle hand took the phone from him. A pause, inevitably Prompto unlocking the phone with the passcode, before the blonde spoke, "It's Aria," he answered, confusion colouring his voice, "Why would she text you? Didn't you tell her what happened?"
He winced again. "... What does the message say?"
"... Ignis..."
"Prompto, please." He didn't want to talk about that. Didn't want to consider the ramifications of his lies.
There were a long few seconds, but eventually he heard the sigh of Prompto giving in. When next he spoke, it was in the careful tones of reading aloud, "Ignis, don't know where you guys are, but if you're on your way to Gralea, watch your back. The MTs and the daemons have started to get insane around the imperial fortresses. We think it's because of those experiments the commodore told you about it. If it's this bad here, it's gonna be worse where you're headed. Be careful."
Ignis frowned. 'This bad'? What had happened? He turned to where Prompto's voice originated. "It doesn't say anything else?"
"No, that's all..." Prompto's words were now tinged with worry. "What do you think she means by the MTs and the daemons getting insane?"
"Nothing good, that's for certain." Holding out his hand, Ignis took the phone offered by Prompto and returned it to his pocket. "We'll have to be cautious, but for now, Cartanica takes priority."
"... Right." The tone of his voice made it clear that Prompto didn't agree, but blessedly he didn't argue.
The train's brakes screeched as their speed began to drop. Ignis lifted his eyes to where he could sense light entering the windows of the train. Sunrise at last. "We've arrived. Best find the others so we can get going."
He didn't object to Prompto's guiding hand on his elbow as they maneuvered toward the train platform. Physical contact was the least he owed the man for everything that was going on.