Chapter 8
We trained for what felt like hours, but when Noct and Prompto came out to tell us breakfast was ready I was informed that it had only been one.
Prompto walks next to me as we all head back to the motel. I rub the back of my head as we walk, a new bruise is starting from me smacking it on the ground so many times. The last two times I hit so hard that my lazy bun came undone, so now my hair is not only down, but sweaty and a mess.
"Man, are you okay?" He places a gentle hand on my right shoulder and I wince slightly.
Oh, that hurts. He pulls back quickly realizing I'm in pain.
"Yeah, nothing a potion can't fix…" He raises an eye brow and I look away giving an uneasy laugh. "Or at least that's what she keeps telling me…"
I can see Gladio waiting for us just off the motels porch, when we cross the street he sees me and starts laughing.
"Oh, you poor thing. Man, Samn, you don't know how to pull a punch do you?" He turns and walks up the stairs with us. The order is, Samn and Gladio, Prom and I and then Noct behind us. He's only behind us because he had to pick up the weapons we borrowed and return them to the Armiger. Gladio gets to the door first and pushes it open for us, Samn taps him on the arm before entering.
"It's the only way she'll learn." I roll my eyes and then turn as I hear Noct clear his throat from behind me.
"You uh…you got a little…" He trails off as I look to see that he's pointing at my ass and that as of right now, it's more dirt than pants. I stop in my tracks just inside the door and reach back to try my best to dust it off.
"Did I get it?" I can feel the red coming to my face, but I try and act like it's no big deal. Noct puts his hand on the back of his head and looks away blushing.
"Yeah, you're good." He looks back after a sec and folds his arms. "Let's go inside and get you a potion. You look almost as bad as I did when Gladio was training me." A big hand comes down on Nocts shoulder, it doesn't take a genius to know it's Gladio.
"Yeah, when you'd actually show up Princess." Noct pushes his hand off with a smile and I turn to step into the room.
Having two rooms must have cost them a pretty penn-uh Gil…
The motel room looks almost identical to ours but with only minor chances. I look up as Ignis emerges from the Kitchen wiping his hands on a towel, when he sees how fucked up I am he gasps in surprise.
"Oh my. You certainly took a beating." He glances to Samn who's sitting on their couch with her hands across the top. "When you said you were going to train her I thought you meant in the ways of each weapon, not beat her to the inch of her life with one." He sighs and puts his hands on his hips as Samn shrugs. "C'mon, let's go into the bathroom, there's a med kit in there."
"Already on it Igster." Prompto comes out of the bathroom carrying a small med kit. "So, where you wanna do this?" Prom smiles and holds the kit above his shoulder like a waiter. I raise my hand slowly.
"Getting my ass handed to me multiple times made me really hungry…so can someone fix me up while I eat?" Prom grins and Ignis turns around to head back into the kitchen, we all trail behind him.
As soon as I step into the kitchen I recognize the smell of eggs and toast. My mouth begins to water as we all crowd around the table.
"Is there a special place I should sit or…?" I stand in front of a spot with a rather plain looking omelet and toast. I turn to Ignis for some direction.
"No, sit anywhere you like. Do you need anything else?" He goes over to the fridge and brings back a pitcher, he comes back over to me and fills my glass with some sort of juice. The sounds of chairs being pulled across the floor echoes as Gladio, Samn, and Noct take their seats.
"No thanks, I'm fine." I slowly turn the chair and lower myself into it, my fresh wounds screaming all the way. I sigh and try my best to gather up all my hair and put it into another lazy bun, so I don't manage to eat it while I eat my normal food.
"Prompto, why don't you hand that to me and eat? I can take care of her injuries." I hear him, but I'm too busy staring at the most beautiful omelet I've ever seen.
I hear the tinking of silverware as everyone else eats their food, but it's just too good looking to eat, I don't want to ruin it.
"You gonna eat or have a staring contest with it?" I look up to see Gladio looking at me, his fork hovering over his plate. Ignis goes back to the kitchen and gets a rag and a bowl of water before coming back I switch between looking at them.
"It's…um…I don't wanna ruin it." I look down to my right where Ignis has set up the med kit and bowl. He looks up at me as he reaches for my pant leg.
"May I?" I nod slowly as he rolls up my pant legs to assess the damage; it's pretty bruised. He puts his hand to his chin as if he's thinking, but then Prompto pulls my attention.
"Oh, I get it." I watch as he pulls out his phone and leans over to take a picture of my food. "There, now you can eat it and not feel bad. I kinda had the same problem when I first had Iggy's cooking, but then I thought of it a different way. Iggy makes all this stuff especially for us, it would be rude for us not to eat it right?" He pauses, and I look from him to my food.
Well when you put it that way…
"Yeah…that makes sense Prompto, thanks…" I glance back and watch him put a forkful in his mouth and smile.
"And if you ever feel like that thought doesn't help, let me know and I'll take a picture for you." He talks with his mouth full and it comes out a little muffled, but I look down and begin to cut my omelet, so I don't see the food fly out of his mouth.
"And don't forget you have to eat so you can have energy for training. You were getting better towards the end there, but we still need to cover hand to hand and you need to choose a weapon, so you can earn your own Gil." I look across the table at Samn as she speaks. "We have a long way to go."
"I know…" I take a piece of egg and put it in my mouth.
Oh wow…I don't normally like eggs, but this is really good! Seems like an Eos version of ham, egg, and cheese.
My jaw begins to ache as I put another bite in my mouth, but then Ignis hands something to me. I put my fork down and take it and look at it closely.
This is a potion…but they don't know I know that…gotta act stupid…
"What's this?" I turn the potion over in my hand and pretend to inspect it.
"A potion. To use it, you can either drink it or crush it with your hand. Any capsule like that will work the same way." I look down and a grin appears as I think about the way he accentuated the 'U' in capsule.
I extend my hand a little and grip it tightly, but now tight enough for it to break. "Like this?"
Prompto smiles and sets his fork down. "Yep, now crush it." He lifts his hand and opens and closes his fist as if he's crushing something invisible.
"Okay…" I crush the capsule in my hand and immediately envelope in green light. "Woah!" I jump back a little as parts of my body go numb and I watch the minor injuries on my arms disappear. "That's incredible." I look down at my legs and watch some of the bruises disappear, taking the numbing feeling with it leaving me achy.
"How do you feel?" Ignis pulls the chair to my left behind me and sits in it before applying an ice pack to a bruise on my right shoulder blade where I fell against a sneaky rock…I wince when the ice contacts my skin.
"I-I'm alright, or at least I will be…" Gladio rises to my left and walks behind e to put his plate in the sink. I pick up my fork and continue eating.
"Woa-hohoho, little lady's got some ink." I stop chewing and drop my fork as everyone else stares at me.
They didn't notice until just now? Oh, that's right they've only seen me with my hair down and my hoodie on, this is the first time I've had my tank on and my hair up isn't it?
"You have a tattoo?" Prompto and Noct stare at me dumbfounded as Ignis removes the ice pack and dips the rage into the water and starts to clean some dried blood off me.
I shrug painfully as Gladio continues around to put his plate in the sink. "Yeah…?"
Prom stands and walks around to see it, seconds later Noct follows.
"Woah, that's super pretty!" Prompto's enthusiasm calms my embarrassment and I smile a little.
"Thanks…"
"This is some kind of bird isn't it?" I turn my head to see Noct cross his arms, but then back the other way as Ignis rises to empty the nasty water. I look back to Noct as my brain finally catches up and realizes that he's asked me a question.
"Um-yeah, it's a phoenix…" I stutter slightly as they return to their chairs.
"That's super cool! If I were to get something I'd probably get something to do with a Chocobo." Prompto puts his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. I look down at my plate and pick up a piece of toast and try to eat it, but I just stare at it instead.
I'm not hungry anymore…
"Oh yeah? I'd probably get something cooler like a sword or something, Chocobos are lame." I laugh as Gladio takes a seat at the island behind Samn with a mug which is assumingly coffee.
"Face it Princess, you wouldn't be able to handle the pain." Noct swings around looking offended.
"I could totally handle it!" He tries to argue as Ignis comes back around and sits next to me. I look to him and the arguing begins to fade away as he smiles at me.
"Rowdy bunch aren't they, I hope it's not bothering you." I can't help but smile back at this glasses wearing cockatoo. He must have styled his hair while we were out training, I'm sure there's a reason that he puts it up the way he does, but I prefer it down. I lean forward with my arms crossed on the table.
"No not at all." I sigh and look over at the boys as the racket returns.
"Ignis! Tell Prompto that Chocobos are lame!" Noct seems dead set on someone agreeing with him and I can see the sadness in Prompto's eyes that his friend doesn't share his love of Chocobos even though in the game, Noct was just as excited to go to the Chocobo farm as Prom.
"I'm actually quite fond of Chocobos." Ignis takes a sip of Ebony to hide his smirk as Noctis groans.
"Ha! See, even Iggy thinks they're cool!" Prom turns to me and seems like he's about to ask my opinion but then stops. "Oh, I forgot! Ya see…Chocobos are these big birds that you can train and ride on. They can swim too, and sometimes there are Chocobo races! Their babies are adorable too! Hey maybe someday we can go to the Chocobo Farm and show you."
"She doesn't want to go to a farm, Prompto, she's a girl." Noct groans again.
I would totally go to a Chocobo farm for one, and why are you being such a girl, as I recall you were just as excited as Prompto. Maybe he's just acting tough…
"Actually…that sounds kinda cool, I'd love to go." I smile as memories of Wiz's Chocobo Farm come flooding back and Prom makes 'in your face' movements at Noct.
"Then it's settled! When we get the chance, we'll go see the Chocobos." Prom smiles and crosses his arms victoriously.
Samn gets up with a roll of her eyes and her plate in her hand. Seeing her holding her plate reminds me that I have a half-eaten omelet on mine and I look down at it.
"Are you feeing alright?" I turn to Ignis as he's taking off his glove to check my forehead for a fever. "Hmm you don't have a fever." His hand falls to his lap and I follow it, seeing his pressed pants.
I've always wondered what his suit is made from, it looks so soft…
Samn clears her throat and look up completely embarrassed. "I-I'm fine, just not hungry anymore…I'm sorry…it was good though." He smiles softly seeming to either ignore that I was staring at his leg or oblivious to it…probably the former…
"Alright if you say so." He takes a sip of his Ebony and movement catches my eye, I snap my eyes to Samn who stops beside me.
"You ready to get back to it then? We don't have much time to get you trained up, I have to go back to Ravatoh soon." She puts her hands on her hips and awaits my response. I sigh.
"As ready as I'll ever be…"
Hi everyone, i'm not dead :) *Waves* a lot has happened while i was away ^^' first i was in a slump plus working 40 hrs a week, then it was my birthday 4/3 and that was fun and i had to dogsit and a bunch of other stuff...i also have a new beta fish, his name is Ryuji :D but i got no new reviews faves or follows it seems except one who seems to have changed their name *waves to RinnaZevran1987* If you're new, "Hello" and if not "Hi anyway. :) Hope you're still enjoying the story.