"Well, here's my room.", Noctis offered with a small smirk and flourish of his outstretched hands that was probably a tad too overdramatic if he was showing the space to anyone else. It hardly mattered, though. He watched with amusement dancing in his deep blue eyes as Prompto gawked and looked around the large space eyes dancing all over the room, indecisive on what to give attention to. Noctis merely smirked and took a seat at the edge of his bed, watching the Astral become familiar with his surroundings.

Prompto's eyes were wide, mouth hanging open as his eyes trailed over the room. It was rather large, for some place just to sleep. Back in the ocean, all Prompto needed was a small alcove to lay in, perhaps even a shallow trench, and he'd burrow under the sand and drift off easily. Humans needed far more space and far more things, it seemed. He walked slowly, glancing at things as he crossed the floor on quiet feet, and smiled when his eyes met the large windows on the far wall of the bedroom, brightening the space up with an abundance of natural light. But what really caught his attention was the view it gave them, allowing the entirety of Insomnia to be seen in all it's vibrant and bustling glory. Prompto practically jogged over to it, pressing his hands along the glass and taking in the scenery. His large eyes glittered, reflecting the neon and fluorescents of the city.

"You like the view?", Noctis asked, laying down and getting comfortable on his bed.

Prompto nodded vigorously. "It'ssss like… c-cooooralll… the… reeeeef…" He tripped over and slurred his words, the feeling of them not quite right in his own throat, but he could hardly care, even as his throat began feeling raw with the effort. He wanted to talk to Noctis. Wanted to communicate without hurting the man. Wanted to get better. "Only…. Greyyy. L-lotsssss of… grey." The tall and otherwise strange-shaped buildings that covered the city made all the people and cars below look like little fish, swimming through his corals back in the ocean. Even though it lacked the vibrant hues of the actual ocean floor, it made the Astral smile fondly.

Noctis let out a chuckle at the adorable terminology the blonde used. He had never thought of that before. It was true, he supposed. "Yeah?" Taking his eyes off of Prompto for a moment, he reached over to his bedside table and picked up his gaming controller, pressing a button in the middle and bringing the little electronic to life. "Insomnia isn't too colorful… We tend to stick with a very monochrome color scheme of blacks and greys… haha. But we're very industrial. Other than Niflheim, we're the most technologically advanced. So, there's no shortage of things to do here." He picked up the remote to his large TV next, powering on the screen.

Prompto's ears perked up and twitched at the sound of a video game being started, his head snapping over to the large window on the wall that seemed to produce its own images instead of a view. Brows furrowing in confusion, he walked around to stand along the back of the black leather couch Noctis had in front of the flat screen. Instead of sitting in the couch, the Astral leaned forward, bracing his weight on his hands along the back. He quirked his head when he saw a blonde man with pointy ears and a greet hat begin running around and smashing vases with a sword. Who was that man? Why was he breaking things?

Noctis started up the RPG but laughed as the man's form came between himself and the tv, blocking his view. "Hey, you're in the way, Prompto!", he teased, squirming in his place on the bed to try and look at the screen from around the blonde.

Prompto swiftly moved out of the way, looking between Noctis and the colorful window. He pointed at the strange thing with a cold finger. "Wwwwwwwhat's… thiss?"

Finally able to see, Noctis settled down once more. "That? It's a television. It lets me play games and watch movies and shows and stuff. It's…" He looked at Prompto's continued look of confusion and sighed softly. "..Never mind. I don't think you'll get it."

Prompto walked closer to the prince's bed, stopping just at the edge. He stared curiously at the object in Noctis' hands. Every time he pressed a button, the man in the television seemed to do something. Why? He didn't hesitate in lifting himself onto the plush blankets and making a slow crawl towards the prince until he was hovering just over him, blue-violet eyes staring that the game controller and watching Noctis' pale hands press button after button.

Noctis only gave the blonde a quick sidelong glance as he crawled towards him and tried not to allow his cheeks to heat up when he was suddenly practically on top of him. "…You like it?", he asked as he noticed where Prompto was looking. Just as he'd suspected, the blonde nodded. "Want to try?" He handed Prompto the controller and watched the Astral fumble it in his hands before carefully holding on to it, mimicking how Noctis' hands had rested on it earlier. "Here." He sat up, pointing at the buttons. "This one makes him hit things with his sword, this one makes him walk, this one lets him talk to the other people in the village." Prompto attempted to play the game for a few minutes, but ultimately gave up, whining when everything was becoming far too confusing and all the knowledge about which button did what was blurring together. With a little aggravated huff, he shoved the controller back at Noctis and hopped off the bed, looking for other things to mess with.

He walked up to a large bookshelf that aligned a wall, lots of colorful, rectangular objects lining the shelves. Prompto smiled and dragged his fingers along the spines of the books. They smelled nice. He picked one at random, pulling it from the shelf and running his fingers along the color before opening it. He frowned. The inside was a let-down. Nothing but pages and pages of white with blocky, black words filling them. He closed the book, placing it back on the shelf.

Noctis paused the game, suddenly remembering what his father had requested of him. "Oh, yeah. The Cosmogony…" He paused his game and sat up, sliding off the bed and padding over next to the blonde. "Here. It's this one." He reached to the very top shelf, pulling down a deep blue book, covered in stars. The stars immediately caught Prompto's gaze, drawing him in. "Come on, I'll show it to you. Maybe you can find a way to return home in here?"

Prompto hesitated, but nodded, following Noctis obediently to the black couch and sitting next to the man. He watched Noctis open the book and immediately his eyes were gifted with page-to-page copies of age-old paintings. He liked this book. There was a chapter for each of the Gods, it seemed. Each chapter had pictures pf paintings made in that God's image, along with pages of descriptions and lore. He was impressed, really. Most of the pictures were fairly accurate, with only a few minor details wrong.

Noctis smiled as Prompto tentatively reached out, taking the book out of the prince's lap and into his own. Their fingers brushed as the exchange was made, and he flushed lightly at the contact. He watched Prompto more than he did the book's pages, having already read over its contents since a young age. Everyone knew about this book. It helps the people of Eos learn about the Gods and decide for themselves which ones they'd like to worship and pray to. Noctis had already learned from a young age which one he liked best. He'd pray to them all, but none of them half as much as he prayed to The Hydraean, ruler of the seas. He watched as Prompto flipped through the thick pages, staring intently at the pictures with a small smile. When he reached the chapter on The Hydraean, the Astral stopped to trace over her image with his fingers, the smile tipping into a small frown.

"Do you… recognize them? Do they really look like this…?", the prince hesitated to ask, but his curiosity on how much of this knowledge was truly accurate was getting the better of him.

Prompto looked to him and nodded, smiling a small smile. "V-verry… Almmmmmosssst…. P-p-perfeccct.", the blonde replied quietly.

Noctis returned the smile before glancing back down at the gorgeously painted image of the Tide Mother. In this particular painting she was raised halfway out of the ocean, her silver-blue scales shining immaculately under the overcast cloudy sky. Her fins along her sides stretched out wide, covering the space around her like glorious wings, becoming more translucent as they tapered off at the ends. Horns protruded from her skull behind her, and her mouth was long, pointy, and jagged with rows upon rows of sharp teeth. Her mouth opened in what was sure to be a furious roar. Most tales and lore of the Leviathan told of her harsh and cruel nature, often not caring much for lives out at sea. She'd send waves to wipe out ships with ease, the sailors forever being lost to the darkness at the bottom of the salty waters.

"She's beautiful.", Noctis commented, and smiled as Prompto nodded in agreeeance. "Is it true that she can swim in the sky as well as the sea?" Once again Prompto nodded. "That's so cool…" He bit his lip, his smile wavering. "Do you… miss her?"

Prompto thought about it as he turned the page and looked at another picture, this one picturing her resting along the bottom of the ocean, large schools of fish swimming around her. "I t-think… ssssshe… will missss m-me… more…", he answered truthfully. It was a miracle that the Goddess hadn't already sensed his presence was missing. It was only a matter of time. Giving most of the jobs to the Lesser Astrals, the Gods often rested, choosing to only check in every hundred of years or so, unless there was a large disturbance that jostled them and stole their attention. But when she did wake up, and she would, there would be no misunderstanding her rage, her sorrow, at the loss of her missing helper. She'd find a way to get him back at all cost.

With any luck, she'd keep sleeping. After all, Prompto wouldn't be gone for long. He just wanted a few days with Noctis. Just a small, insignificant window of time to take back with him and cherish. Then he'd leave, and there would be no harm done. He'd make up something to tell Noctis later. For now, he wanted this time. He needed this time. He wanted to do as much as possible here on land, with him.

Noctis frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that… I promise. We'll find you a way back soon… Does the book not give any hints at all?"

Prompto frowned and flipped through the chapter slowly, pretending to read the words printed neatly along the crisp pages. The solution was simple. All he'd have to do is jump back into the sea. Pass that barrier that separated land and water, and he'd be back. The storm would rise, the light would encompass all, and then he'd be as he once was. Until then, he'd just have to avoid going back to the ocean at all cost. "Sssssorry…" It was all he could say.

Noctis nodded. "I see… Well… Are you in here?" Prompto couldn't help the smile that upturned his lips at the question as Noctis began flipping through the Cosmogony's pages, hoping to find anything that resembled the blonde. He shook his head, though, finding the prince's disappointed frown absolutely adorable. Noctis sighed loudly. "Oh… Well then, um… are there others? More of you, I mean. Um. What are you, exactly?"

Prompto closed the book and set it on the small coffee table in front of the couch before lifting his legs to rest on the cushions beneath him, his body twisting to face Noctis. He swallowed, trying to moisten and prepare his throat for more painful words. "Lesser… Assstral… Thhhhere are… f-five off us."

Noctis turned to face him as well, leaning his side comfortably along the back of the couch. He quirked his head to the side. "A Lesser Astral…? I've never heard of them… What do they do?"

Prompto swallowed again. He had to try and stick to small sentences, but this one unfortunately required much longer of an explanation. It would require effort that the blonde simply didn't have. He'd have to stick with the shortest explanation for now. "Everythinggg."

Noctis furrowed his brows, opening his mouth to respond, but a knock on his bedroom door interrupted another question from falling out. Prompto jumped in his seat a bit, not expecting the sudden noise, but Noctis merely smirked and called out, "Who is it?"

"Crowe. I've come to get our guest's measurements so that Merriweather can sew him something to wear for dinner."

Noctis hummed a quick response, moving to place the Cosmogony back on the shelf where it came. "Come on in, then."

Crowe opened the door with one hand, the other clasping a clipboard and roll of measuring tape to her chest. She kicked it closed behind her, giving her prince a teasing smirk as she moved to walk towards him. "Heard you got your ass chewed out today. Multiple times, even. I bet that was fun."

Noctis rolled his eyes, turning to face her with his arms resting over his chest. "Says the person who has to run errands for the Royal Tailor because she mouthed off to one of her superiors…", he quipped back, returning her smirk with one of his own. He liked Crowe just as much as he liked Nyx. Both of them had a quick sense of humor and a sharp tongue. They weren't afraid to speak their minds and it often landed them into trouble, much like the prince himself.

The brunette woman shook her head, raising a finger to wave back and forth between them as a light pout graced her tanned features. "Hey! The guy deserved it! He was being an utter, sexist ass and I wasn't going to suffer it for another minute. To hell with ranking!" She placed her equipment on the coffee table before straightening up and placing her hands on her slim waist. "Now. Where's this Astral I've heard so much about?"

Prompto raised his hand, waving at her softly. "Hhhhhhere." The words were little more than a whisper, but they caught the Glaive's attention well enough. He watched as she looked to him steadily, only giving off her surprise with a raise of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Surprisingly, she was the only one to even remotely keep her composure at noticing the otherworldly attributes along his skin and along his very aura.

Crowe whistled, turning to face the Astral she was searching for. How had she not noticed him sitting right there next to where she was standing? "You're a lovely one. Those scales are gorgeous. Mind if I take a picture for the Tailor? She'll want to draw inspiration from you." Prompto looked to Noctis, face slightly worried and confused, but the prince smiled and nodded towards him, letting the blonde know that everything was okay. With the prince's approval, Prompto smiled and nodded. "Sweet." The Glaive took the slim phone from her pocket and stepped properly in front of the magical creature, holding it up closely towards him, capturing him from the waist up with a soft click. Afterwards, she placed it back into her back pocket and straightened back up. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

Prompto blushed and smiled, looking away bashfully. He couldn't help but fiddle with his own hands in his lap as the woman continued to stare down at him, watching the way his scales changed color under the sunlight of the windows.

Noctis blushed as well, having much the same thought, only he turned to face the bookshelf once more so that Crowe wouldn't see. He pretended to look over the titles on the spines. He was gorgeous. Maybe he was weird for thinking so, but the fact was obvious. He wondered if every Astral was as pretty as Prompto.

"Okay, Squirt. Stand up. We're going to take your measurements now." Crowe picked up her measuring tape, letting the roll unwind and fall from her fingers to the floor. Prompto quirked his head at the term "Squirt", but otherwise followed her instructions. What was a Squirt? Was it yummy?

Noctis rolled his eyes before making his way to sit on the couch in Prompto's place. "He has a name, Crowe... It's 'Prompto'. You probably shouldn't talk down to an Astral like that…"

Crowe just snorted out a snicker, running the length of her measuring tape down one of the blonde's arms, from his shoulder to his wrist and scribbling down the numbers. "Well, the way I see it, if this guy really wanted to hurt us, he'd have already done so. The fact that he's here and going to dinner of all things is testament to that." She smiled down at Prompto with a wink. "Isn't that right, Squirt?"

Prompto still didn't quite understand the name, but her smile looked absolutely stunning on her and he couldn't help but nod back, helplessly lost in her straightforward personality. He briefly wondered if all women on Eos were as beautiful and fun as the two he had already met were.

Crowe wiped her wispy bangs behind her ears before holding the tape up to the boy from his neck to his hip. She scrunched her nose, noticing how baggy the tank top on him seemed to be in the breast area. "Ughhh… Prince Noctis? Any particular reason he's wearing girl's clothing?"

Noctis couldn't possibly hide the blush that time. Partly from embarrassment. "They're not mine! I'm not some- pervert- okay?! They're Cindy's. She let Prompto borrow them so I could take him out in public. The guy was naked when I found him, Crowe. I can't just walk around with a naked guy!" That was his defense and he was sticking to it. Now, if she could see the milky pink panties with the little bow in the front that the Astral was wearing underneath his cargo pants, that would have been another conversation entirely. He wouldn't get out of that one without a very stern talking to.

Noctis blushed harder at the sound of Crowe's laughter as she wrapped the tape around Prompto's waistline. "It's cool. I'm not judging. We all have our kinks."

He groaned loudly, falling to lay along the length of the couch. "Whatever…" Why couldn't people just leave him alone today?

It only took a few more minutes to finish taking the blonde's measurements. When she was done, she took a few more pictures of Prompto's scales. "Any preference on clothing style?" Prompto furrowed his brows in confusion, shaking his head. She laughed. "Thought not. Well. Whatever the Royal Tailor makes for you, I'll be sure to tell her to show off your gorgeous skin somehow. You shouldn't need to hide all those scales. They're part of you. Be proud of them." Prompto smiled as she mock-punched his shoulder before turning around and making for the door. "Yee ya, Prince. Stay out of trouble now, will you? None of us needs Endymion up our asses, got it?"

Noctis merely grunted in response, choosing not to get up. His spot on the couch was simply too comfortable. The perfect spot to drift off. Just for a few minutes.

"Wwwwwwhen w-will… it… beeeeee donnnne…?" The Astral asked shyly, voice barely audible, fiddling with the end of his shirt. Was what he was wearing now really that bad…?

Crowe stopped in the middle of opening Noctis' door to turn around and smirk at him. "Don't worry, Squirt. Merriweather can make miracles happen. Shouldn't take too long at all… I'm sure I'll be back well before the dinner starts with the finished product." And with one final wave, she excused herself.

Prompto winced after finishing that last sentence. His throat was beginning to hurt immensely, even when he wasn't talking anymore, and his skin was beginning to feel dry and rough once more. The feeling made his scales want to bristle. Quietly, he padded over to where Noctis rested on the couch, eyes closed and with an arm slung over his face.

Noctis felt an insistent tug on his sleeve and raised his arm, cracking an eye open. "…What is it?" He watched sleepily as Prompto frowned and pointed at his throat. "Oh… you're thirsty again?" The Astral nodded. Noctis thought for a moment. "…Do you need to drink it? Or can it just be on your skin?"

Prompto whined. He didn't want to have to use his human voice. So instead, he just nodded. The blonde was pretty sure any form would due, so long as he got it soon. He was uncomfortable, and it was a terrible feeling.

Noctis frowned and sat up instantly. "Okay. I'm sorry… I know you must be feeling bad… Was it all the talking?" Prompto nodded, solemnly, and the prince's heart throbbed painfully with guilt. It was entirely his fault that Prompto was trying to talk like a normal person. He hadn't thought about the repercussions. "…Got it. You don't have to talk for a while if you don't want to… Follow me, I got just the thing." He stood up and offered his hand to Prompto on reflex. The Astral took it gratefully, obediently allowing the man to lead him into another room. This one was also large, the tiles along the walls and floor shinning immaculately under the bright lights Noctis flipped on. Noctis lead him to one of the corners, where a large tub sat. "Here. I'm going to fill this up. You take off your clothes." Prompto hesitated a bit, staring as Noctis turned a few knobs and just like magic, water began pouring from a pipe and into the large tub, slowly beginning to fill it. When Noctis turned to face him, his cheeks were pink but he was frowning and the prince forced his eyes away to try and give the man some privacy. "Well? Come on, you'll feel better after this."

Prompto nodded and slowly fumbled his way through taking off his clothes. When it came to the shoes, Noctis had to help him out, telling the blonde to sit on the side of the tub so that the prince could undo the laces and slide them down his feet. He also helped to pull down Prompto's cargo pants, flushing heavily and averting his eyes as they slid down his hips, revealing Cindy's underwear. "Y-you can take the rest off yourself…", he mumbled, throwing the clothes into the laundry basket in another corner of the bathroom. Prompto made short work of taking off his tank top and socks and underwear, mimicking Noctis' moves and putting them into the little basket.

Still looking away, Noctis sighed, thankful that part was over. By this point the tub was mostly filled. He took a bottle from a shelf along the wall, pouring in a copious amount of bubble bath. In a few short seconds, suds and foam were covering the top of the water. He turned the knob, stopping the waterflow. "Okay, it's finished. You can get in now."

Prompto eyed the bubbles curiously for a moment before slowly stepping in. He was surprised to feel how warm the water was but melted into it like jelly once he seated himself, a little sigh falling from his lips. Already, he was feeling a thousand times better. He felt like he could sit in there forever. He could feel the tiny bubbles popping along his skin, could faintly hear them as his body shifted in the water, moving them along the surface. He smiled as he looked up at Noctis.

Noctis smiled back, moving to sit at the edge of the tub. "Yeah, I thought you'd like baths."

"…Battthhhh…sss…?"

"Yeah. They clean us. It's more sanitary than swimming in the ocean or a lake… haha." Noctis laughed at the way Prompto grimaced. He cold tell the Astral was mildly offended at him calling the ocean dirty. "Chill. I didn't mean anything by it." As Prompto's face slowly melted back into evenness Noctis reached back to the wall and pulled out anther bottle. With his other hand, he reached out slowly and felt Prompto's hair. The blonde stared at him with large eyes, a blush beginning to appear on his cheeks at the prince's light, intimate touches. His hair felt dry. Brittle, almost. Probably from all the salt in the ocean. It couldn't be good for the hair. At least not a human's hair. Trying to will his own blush away, he lathered his hands up with shampoo from the bottle. "Come here."

Prompto smiled and moved closer, placing his cold, wet hands on Noctis' thighs as he looked up at the man expectantly. This time there was no way Noctis could stop the blush from spreading at the touch. He went to work running his fingers through the Astral's hair, lathering it all up. "This will clean your hair and make it softer.", he explained and watched as Prompto nodded. "Okay… Now you can rinse it off." Prompto slid into the water, under the bubbles, and came back a few short seconds later, shaking the water from his hair like a dog. Noctis laughed, shielding himself the best he could with his arms. It didn't help much at all. "Aah! Prompto, no! I can take my bath later!" Prompto smiled sheepishly, submerging himself more into the water. Noctis smiled. Sometimes he was just so cute, it was ridiculous. Gods shouldn't be cute. They should be scary… Right?

He replaced the second bottle and gathered a third, lathering his hands in the substance once more. "This is conditioner. It's gonna make your hair soft and it'll help detangle it when we brush it later." Prompto nodded and moved to sit next to him once more, allowing those fingers to dig into his hair and massage his scalp once more. It felt like absolute heaven, but didn't last much longer than the first round had. After a short time, he was told to rinse once more and so he did. Noctis pulled a little bar of soap off the shelf last, handing it to the curious Astral.

Prompto sniffed the little bar, a wonderfully delicious smell filling his nose. Tentatively, he stuck his tongue out to lick it, and pulled away sharply, grimacing at the terrible flavor. It lied to him! It wasn't delicious at all! He whined, trying to hurriedly put it back in the prince's uncooperative hands. Noctis refused to take it back, laughing loud and heartily. "Ew, you wierdo, you don't eat it!" Prompto furrowed his brows even further, jutting his bottom lip out in a pout. "No, you gotta use it! Haha... Here. Rub it on your skin. It cleans your skin and makes you smell good." Prompto nodded and did as he was told begrudgingly, although he remained his glare at the little bar as he did so. He rubbed it along his entire body, thoroughly sudsing his skin up. "Okay, good. You can rinse it off now." Noctis continued to laugh as Prompto hurriedly cleaned the suds from his body. Before Noctis could take the bar of soap back, the Astral tossed it to the other side of the bathroom, sticking his tongue out at it triumphantly.

Noctis shook his head. "Okay, okay, it's all over... We can get you out and dry you off now." He went to fetch a towel and Prompto stood up and stepped into it gratefully. Noctis helped him wrap it around himself, securing it and tucking it into his waist. "I'm going to take my bath next. You can hang out in my room for a bit… Okay?" He watched amusedly as the blonde nodded, leaving the room with quick, wet steps.

…

When Noctis leaves the bathroom, he walks into his room to find it utterly wrecked. His things are all over the floor, scattered about, and Prompto is sitting in the middle of it all, with the Cosmogony book in his lap, once again perusing its pages. At the sound of the prince's entry, the Astral looked up, smiling brightly and proudly, as if the mess was a good thing. Noctis merely sighed and smiled back, shaking his head. Oh well. That could be a mess for someone else to clean up during dinner.

"Geez… You're really a handful, aren't you?" Prompto didn't seem to know what that meant, continuing to smile up at him innocently. "Okay, let's get you dressed." Noctis opened one of his drawers, pulling out two sets of t-shirts and sweat pants. He offered one set to Prompto and kept the other for himself. "Here. You can borrow mine for now."

They got dressed and this time Prompto knew the routine well enough from earlier to manage getting the clothes onto himself on his own. The blonde looked odd, wearing Noctis' black and dark grey clothing. The colors didn't compliment him. Still, he looked nice all the same.

Noctis fell to his bed, picking up the game controller once more. They had plenty of time to kill before his dad's birthday dinner. At least a good couple of hours. He started up the same RPG he had been playing earlier, and only smiled when Prompto settled himself on the blankets next to him. A few minutes passed and the next time Noctis looked over, Prompto was asleep, his face peaceful and his body relaxed, clutching one of the prince's pillows to his chest, his breaths slow and even.

He looked so cute, so peaceful, and the thought of getting in a little cat nap in himself was rapidly becoming better and better sounding as time passed. Eventually, he set the controller down, set an alarm on his phone just in case, and laid on his side, facing the Astral before closing his eyes and allowing sleep to overtake him.