Lunafreya Nox Fleuret | The Oracle (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sacredrites) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
pastorella2017-01-11 12:37 am
sacredrites) wrote in pastorella2017-01-11 12:37 am
( closed ) Schmoopy Lunyx things
Who: Luna and Nyx
What: A wild adventure
Where: literally all over Eos
Warnings: NSFW
timeline of events:
» meeting
» party saving
» separation thanks to the fall of Insomnia
» blissful reunion after Luna dies and comes back
» that one moment where they kinda kissed a few weeks after Noctis started his nap and her bro died
» darkness bonding times for Lunyx - great for UST
» failed meeting resulting in a little TLC
relevant gifs: i | ii | iii | iv | v | vi | vii | nsfw plurk image dump
What: A wild adventure
Where: literally all over Eos
Warnings: NSFW
timeline of events:
» meeting
» party saving
» separation thanks to the fall of Insomnia
» blissful reunion after Luna dies and comes back
» that one moment where they kinda kissed a few weeks after Noctis started his nap and her bro died
» darkness bonding times for Lunyx - great for UST
» failed meeting resulting in a little TLC
relevant gifs: i | ii | iii | iv | v | vi | vii | nsfw plurk image dump
Creeper Alert
It's almost as if he catches onto her suspicions, not only about the true purpose of the party, but also about him. When he saunters over to her later in the evening, it's after she's introduced herself formally to her new bodyguard. There's a snide comment about the clip now displayed prominently in her hair and it's enough to set Luna on edge. A life had been lost trying to get that to her, she wasn't about to allow it to be trivialized.
And then suddenly, Ardyn's too close and his hand is firm on her upper arm. She knows he's talking and making it all look like it's in good fun, but she can't breathe - can't even muster enough strength to call for help as the darkness slowly starts to cloud her vision. ]
did someone call for a hero in shining leather
Ever since the armistice's announcement, fielding crowds of impassioned protesters and watching foreign diplomats trickle into the city limits, Nyx had been trying those two words on for size. Peace times. It still doesn't feel real; ironically, he's found making peace with peace something of a stumbling block since trading in the clash of swords for the clinking of silverware, the boom of explosives for the crack and pop of fireworks.
More than not feeling real, it doesn't feel quite right. Something stinks in Insomnia, a stench carried in on the coattails of fancy imperial robes.
Fortunate that Nyx is a part of the security force and by virtue of his role expected to look detached and vaguely unimpressed with the world around him. He would hate to have to follow suit with everyone else at this party and fake enthusiasm over the proceedings, pretending it isn't the knife to the throat that it is. Like dung beetles rolling their shit onto Lucis' doorstep, Nifelheim rolls in with their peace treaties and promises and they just have to take it with a smile.
Some, he's begun to realize, have to take it with a bigger smile than most.
Of all the members of the royal retinue, the Lady Lunafreya is a question mark in his mental tabulation of the personalities assembled in the Citadel. Admittedly, more of one now after seeing her strange reunion with the king. She moves on after coaxing his name and Crowe's hairpin out of him, and for a while Nyx retakes his post, impassively watching the guests with arms behind his back, scanning for the trouble he feels brewing nebulously in the back of his head. Lunafreya reappears in his line of sight several times, doing whatever it is Tenebrae princesses do while mingling at parties, and it's only when he sees princess and Chancellor on a collision course does his gaze catch and linger, curious despite himself.
It's not the trouble he'd been looking for, but it's something, that much is apparent. The oily bastard wields irreverent charm like a weapon he's trained in all his life, and he points the sharp edge at Lunafreya. Smile a little too congenial. Pressing a little too close. Things that would look innocuous to idle eyes if they weren't watching for the slight frown between Lunafreya's brows.
To Nyx's eyes, it's the Chancellor being a dick at Regis' expense and he sighs. This is exactly why he and polite society don't get along. Shooting a look at Drautos, he sees the captain's attention elsewhere, looking preoccupied with the exchange happening between the king and the emperor.
No one to mind if Nyx just happens to take the time to do a roving sweep of the room, then.
He heads in the direction of the Chancellor's reverberating laughter, pace measured. The princess would owe him big for this if it didn't give him a certain amount of pleasure to be the kind of security guard that appears at just the right time to interrupt a Nif in the middle of grandstanding.]
Excuse me-- Your Highness?
[A look to the girl, trapped under Ardyn's arm like a niece with her least favorite uncle.]
This is for you.
[From behind his back, Nyx pulls out a folded note and extends it to her, with all the perfunctory air of a member of staff playing errand boy with a note. He hopes she has the foresight not to open it in front of the Chancellor. All it is is a flyer advertising for the signing ceremony's gala, but it should do the job of giving her a reason to excuse herself.
On second thought, maybe she does owe him for this a little bit.]
yes pls
This cannot be.
He'd done this with the intent of revealing his secret to her at the party. Where she couldn't have an outburst for fear of destroying the fragile foundation the treaty was being built upon. She wouldn't have time to warn anyone before the coming storm. They were walking into a possible massacre and there's nothing she can do to help King Regis. It's one of her worst fears realized. She was powerless to help and it was debilitating.
Ardyn's grip tightens and for a moment, she's not sure why. Until she hears a voice cutting through the pounding in her ears. There's a noticeable pause before her attention fixes on the source of the voice - the bodyguard. Nyx... Nyx Ulric. Yes, he was someone she could trust, perhaps. And he was coming to her rescue. Was it so obvious that she was in trouble? Would others notice around the party?
The rapid fire of thoughts are cut off as she takes the note with her free hand, clutching it tightly before attempting to remove herself from Ardyn's touch. ]
Yes, thank you. I must see to this immediately Chancellor, please excuse me.
[ Oil drips from her captor's tone, steel grip preventing her from moving any further. He tries to take the note, assuring her that it can't be as important as the coming dawn for Insomnia due to the peace treaty. Luna's fairly certain she's about to collapse, the hand with the note reaching out to take Nyx's arm. It's like a breath of fresh air when she makes contact, enough that she's able to find the strength to break out of Ardyn's grasp fully. Despite her best efforts, she can't stop her body from the soft tremors washing over her. Of course, in the moment she allows herself to re-capture her breath and excuse herself again, there's the sting of his touch brushing against her arm - attempting to take hold of it again.
She knows that if he can take hold of her again, she'll jeopardize everything but she'll have to protect herself. Shield against him to keep herself upright. While she didn't fear death, her journey was only truly beginning. She had a duty to fulfill and she wasn't going to allow Ardyn to be the cause of her fall. ]
no subject
He manages it with a nod that comfortably straddles the line between necessary deference and polite indifference, his greeting to Niflheim's chancellor schooled.]
Chancellor Izunia.
[... He manages it, but barely. His instincts are prickling, stirred to life by the subtle cues coming off both parties--the way the Chancellor has his fingers locked about her arm, the way he flippantly tries to intercept Nyx's "message" in a move that'd be unforgivably impertinent if done by anyone else in Insomnia. Or the way the princess in turn holds onto the paper the way drowning men hold onto floatation devices, looking for all the world like Ardyn is the riptide pulling her down.
Nyx risks a glance at her, at her bloodless features. He doesn't miss her trembling and he'd bet the Chancellor doesn't, either. What the hell did he just walk into?
He's here to protect the king and his company, not get involved in Nif politics--it's what Drautos would say if he could, it's all but what he'd tried to say before news of Crowe hit--but then Lunafreya's reaching for his arm instead, desperate enough to forgo all the usual etiquette between guest and guard, and Nyx already knows what he's going to do before he does it.]
Excuse me.
[His dismissal follows hers--firmer, a clean cut, denying the Chancellor an invitation to follow in one seamless move, turning on his heel to put Lunafreya on his left and the Chancellor slightly behind him on his right. Ardyn would be ballsy to try reaching around a glaive while he's leading the princess off--he's almost sorry the Chancellor doesn't make the attempt.
When they're far enough away that they can speak without being overheard, Nyx risks another glance.]
What was that all about? [And secondly:] Are you all right?
[Because she sure doesn't look it. Even for dealing with Ardyn Izunia, her reaction is a bit more than he would've expected.]
no subject
Luna tries to not hold onto Nyx as though her life was dependent upon his support, but it's difficult. Part of her just wants to collapse, not move for a week or so... But that isn't going to be possible. There was too much that needed to be done tonight before they moved forward with the treaty signing. If Ardyn was hosting a daemon and was allowed anywhere near the King without his standard protection detail, it could be a disaster. This city could be leveled by dawn of the following day, another Kingdom claimed through bloodshed and blight.
She breaks away from Nyx, pressing her back against a nearby wall as she lightly holds her left hand over her right arm. The pain wasn't subsiding quickly, significant enough that she doesn't speak for a long moment. The chill of the wall is refreshing on her back, swallowing hard as she tries to organize her thoughts. ]
It was nothing, I will be fine. [ Yes, that's believable with how she's still shaking and clutching her arm as though she'd been burned. ] I need to speak with King Regis immediately.
[ And to prove just how important it is to her, she tries to push herself off the wall - step faltering for a moment, settling roughly back against it with a wince.
Perhaps another minute before she attempts that again. ]
no subject
Right. That's why a friendly chat over the canapes has Her Highness looking white as a sheet? I don't know who you're trying to convince, but I'm not buying it.
[Candid, maybe, but that's Nyx for you; they don't put him on these details for his timid personality. He glances behind him, a quick check to make sure their corner of the reception is still secluded. He can only hope no one is paying too close attention to a common glaive leading Tenebrae's princess around by the arm or he's going to get an earful for leaving his post to play personal escort.
And she has her own image to maintain, he'd bet. The last minute has only made him more convinced everything isn't what it seems within the Niflheim party.]
You know, that wasn't really an answer.
[Light. Deceptively casual. His gaze betrays just how closely he's watching her, though, following her aborted attempt to catch her breath. A glaive's job is to protect the king. If he accepted every request for an audience without a reason, he wouldn't be very good at it.]
no subject
And while she appreciates his bluntness, it's not something she wants to deal with right now. Yes, he's doing his job and without an explanation, it will be difficult to convince him to allow her access to a man she just met with earlier that day.
There's a boisterous laugh from across the room as Ardyn recalls a story to a few of his fellow Niflheim elite, Luna uncaring if the joke is at her expense. She was used to it, the treatment never having been kind when it came to her. Like a second class citizen without a kingdom to truly call her own. She did not want to see Insomnia fall to the same fate as Tenebrae and countless other cities.
Luna manages a shake of her head, not buying just how even his tone is. It's familiar, though it's missing the usual air of menace that accompanied it depending on the source. ] I can't-- [ Her words are cut off with another wince. If a member of the Kingsglaive learns what happened, they'd be obligated to raise the alarm. Her own gaze finally scans the area around them, fear and pain still etched into her features. ] Please can you get me to the King without calling attention to it? It's a matter of utmost importance.
no subject
It's a small thing; a trinket, really. Nothing to someone of her wealth and class. But she'd said she'd keep it, and she has. And Regis--Regis had practically offered to cut her strings and let her slip out of Lucis undetected, and she'd refused to keep the army off Noctis' tail. Three days ago he'd given little thought to the Tenebrae-born princess, but those two moments--those two glimpses into a set of more earnest innerworkings than he'd have guessed--have sparked something. If he had to put a name to it, he'd call it regard. It makes him want to like her.
That's a dangerous concept when it's starting to feel like he can't put his faith in anything that's happened since the ceasefire. Nyx frowns, unable to hide a flicker of concern when she winces again. (Once more with feeling: what the hell did he just walk into?)]
He's busy with Emperor Aldercapt. I have orders not to disturb him unless it's an emergency, and more orders not to let there be any emergencies.
[Even so, it's not a no, exactly. He's listening. And he believes her--the fear burning in her eyes is too real and raw to fake. But he needs something before he throws a grenade on the king's already tight schedule after overstepping on Ardyn.]
Give me a reason why Niflheim's Chancellor would want to rattle your cage here of all places.
no subject
A part of her wonders how her leaving at the King's request might have changed the outcome of this evening. Her missing presence would have been noted and it could have thrown this already fragile call for peace aside like a battered doll. Of course, the peace would have been far more believable a few minutes ago. Now, she's almost grateful she'd stayed given what she's learned.
Frustration escapes through her lips in a soft sigh, knowing she can't interrupt that meeting without an upfront explanation. Odds were Emperor Aldercapt was well aware of Ardyn's true nature. She couldn't let them know she'd found out, unsure if the move was simply Ardyn showing off or something fouler orchestrated from the very top. ]
I see.
[ She lets her head dip for a moment as she weighs the possible outcomes of her next move, not sure she has much of a choice to do otherwise. Her voice is barely above a whisper, eyes pleading with him to hear her out. ] I am trusting you with something that cannot leave this conversation until I've spoken with the King and informed him of the situation. [ And with that, she unclasps the choker around her neck, allowing the right half to slip through its binding that connects it to the sleeve. The decorative piece slides down her arm, revealing pulsing black veins decorating her skin when Ardyn had touched her. ] Wha-- [ She hadn't expected to find a visual manifestation of her pain, panic flooding her system. She tries to touch it, the decorative sleeve slipping further down as she flinches from the pain. It's hard to keep her tone even as her eyes lock with Nyx's. ] There is something wrong with the Chancellor, though I am unsure of how deep his corruption runs and if it spans beyond him into the upper echelons of the Empire that are in attendance for tomorrow's ceremony.
Please, I need to see the King. I have never experienced anything comparable to this.
no subject
There's a feeling creeping down Nyx's spine, an impression that if he hadn't intervened when he had it would've been worse for somebody. He's just not sure who yet.
In response to her insistence on confidentiality, he cycles through answers--a conceding fine, all right to a more wry secrecy is kind of our specialty--mostly because it's difficult to know what to say when he doesn't yet know what he's saying it in reference to. Brows drawn into a flat line, he settles on:]
What situation?
[While he's still forming the last vowel, she's reaching for her clothing. Whoa, whoa, okay, okay. The press would get a field day out of this if they could see this now. Wardrobe malfunction on eve of signing ceremony. Ardyn wouldn't have to create a scene to make headlines, the tabloids would do it for him.
The princess seems just as surprised as him at what happens next. Her outfit falls away to expose an ugly black rash, scrawling the length of his arm, and Nyx can't hide the flare of surprise that widens his eyes and loosens his stance.]
What is that? ["Corruption," she says.] Tell me it's not what I think it is.
no subject
She calms enough to try and slide the sleeve back up her currently useless arm and into place, knowing she couldn't walk through the party with so much as a stitch out of place. Then, the rumors wouldn't be circulating the tabloids. Instead, there'd be a chance that Nyx could lose his position and her reputation would be smeared beyond repair - the Niflheim Empire stating the Oracle sabotaged the treaty on the even of its signing by having a tawdry affair with a Kingsglaive Soldier. ]
Whatever you think it may be will need to wait until after I've spoken with the King. I do not want to jump to a conclusion that may be unsubstantiated. [ And there's Gentiana again, soothing and steadying as though she was at her side - walking her through what she needed to do. It's a strong enough presence that Luna has to close her eyes for a moment to keep from crying as she borrows strength that isn't her own. She almost succeeds at keeping the tears at bay, one escaping when her eyes flutter open and she tries at moving her sleeve again. The pain is still crippling when she makes direct contact with the stain. ] I can't-- [ You are not alone echoes once more in her mind, eyes locking onto Nyx. ] Would you assist me? I cannot go back into the party with this exposed.
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[Voice little more than a rumble, he's already moving closer for a better look before she can ask, despite instinct telling him to get away from the dark discoloration. It's the same battle instinct that sends a soldier ducking just as a daemon's jaws close around the space above their head.
Were this any other context, and she any other woman, a good-looking girl taking her clothes off would be cause for a much different set of emotions than the unease creasing the area around his mouth with frown lines. But the only thing he's feeling is a cold horror, melting somewhat under the heat of a kindling anger that someone's in this much agony under his watch. He's supposed to be guarding these people. He's supposed to be guarding her.]
The only thing I've seen come close to this are injuries in daemon attacks.
[If he squinted, the black marks might look like a tattoo design--but that's no ink. Even as Nyx speaks, even as disbelief twists his words, he has a sinking feeling he already knows what she means by "corruption."
His gaze flicks up, noting the evidence of her pain slip through and dampen a trail down her cheek. Frown hardening, he breaks eye contact. It takes all of his will not to pivot around and drag Ardyn out of the hotel by the ends of his gaudy scarf. In contrast to the roughness of his hands from years of battle, his touch in reattaching her dress is gentle.]
I can get the king. You need a healer.
[Maybe it's a stupid thing to say to the Oracle, who's supposed to be the best healer in the world, but he forgets all the hats she wears. Right now she doesn't look like an Oracle, or a princess. She looks like a girl, afraid and fighting back tears.]
no subject
A daemon attack would be impossible within the safety of the city. [ Even as she says it, the more plausible it sounds. It tightens something in the pit of her stomach, taking a moment to compose herself as she fails to swallow back a hiss of pain at the movement. His touch is surprisingly gentle, yes, but she is also more sensitive than she should be.
She takes a breath and the urge she'd tampered back resurfaces. She reaches out, a hand falling on his side as he finishes refastening her necklace. Her head moves to rest against his shoulder, allowing him further access to the back of her neck. It's inappropriate, but by the gods, it's nice. This is the most secure she's felt in a long time and given how uncertain her future was... Sometimes it was best to take comfort in some of the smallest things in life. ]
No, not yet. I need to speak with the King before any other arrangements are made. I cannot be missing from the party long enough for someone to notice. [ Of course she worries about appearances rather than her own well being, though as she speaks she's not pulling away. Even if she should. And it's probably for the best as her body slumps slightly before she can find her footing. ] I just... I just need a moment to gather myself.
no subject
A couple of minutes ago, I would've said you walking out of the celebration with that-- [As he speaks, he gestures at what the glossy silver of her dress is hiding, whatever it really is. Whatever about it makes the skin at the back of his neck prickle.] --was unlikely. I'm starting to feel I'm five steps behind whatever's really going on here. The Chancellor wouldn't risk an incident without a reason.
[It's deliberate, the way he doesn't touch her with the finger he points with, the way he starts to shift back to reclaim distance. If someone were to see them having their own private tête-à-tête, they'd start asking questions and Nyx has enough of his own he's biting back, like what that black stuff is doing on her at all.
He's not expecting her to lean in as he leans out and, thinking it might be another case of lightheadedness, his hand goes to her other shoulder, holding her should she waver off-balance. He squeezes lightly. A command he's done a poor job of following comes to mind: Your orders are to protect her.]
How bad is it? Be honest.
[And don't tell him it's nothing--there's no point in her talking to His Majesty if she blacks out before she gets there.]
no subject
[ That is all the confirmation she'll give on that, still unsure of why exactly he chose to do this tonight of all nights, outside of a test or having expected a different result. She breathes him in unintentionally, brows knitting at the squeeze following his touch. It was kinder than she'd expected, kinder than she was used to. But, a moment was all she needed - a soft glow surrounding her for a moment before she pulls away fully. Yes, this would be highly improper if witnessed, not that she thought about Nyx in such a way right now. ]
I will be fine. I swear it.
[ Clearing her throat, her mask falls into place - the same one she uses in all political encounters. The same one that hides any pain she might feel after healing a few too many people because they'd been in far more need than she for relief. It's a mask of strength even if she feels as though she might fall apart at the slightest burst of wind. ]
Please, I must speak with the King.
[ Does she sound like a broken record yet? ]
no subject
He thinks the king would want her safe, regardless of whether Nyx had to cause a scene removing her from the evening's ceremony to do it. The way Regis had looked at her in the throne room--it hadn't been the look of a king to foreign royalty. More like a father to a daughter, or something like it.
But in the end, it's the king needing protection that ultimately tips Nyx's hand. If Ardyn could do this to the princess, he could do this to Regis.
That can't happen.
He isn't any more convinced Lunafreya's all right after she works some kind of unfamiliar magic than he had been before, but he still steps back, following suit to let her stand on her own. He nods, jaw set, acknowledgement and agreement all in one. The king is first priority, they're both agreed on that.]
Follow me.
[The Caelum Via had been reserved specifically for this event; the only people present tonight are authorized guests, bringing the normally bustling luxury hotel down to a skeleton crew. He knows where to take her that only security and staff have access to. Leading the way through a side door, he brings her through a seating area. Another door takes them into a lounge, empty aside from the two of them so that their voices reverberate oddly in the vaulted space.]
This room's sectioned off; no one's going to come looking here unless they're one of us. [Like Ardyn.] Wait here. I'll talk to His Majesty.
[Nyx is just a glaive. The king is the one with the authority to pepper Lunafreya and Ardyn with the questions Nyx badly wants to ask.]
no subject
As they move through the party, she can feel Ardyn's eyes on her, fairly certain that he knew where they were going. She can't help but fear that this had been part of his plan, why he'd chosen tonight of all nights to test her strength. Was it a test of the security? The loyalty of the Glaives? A test of her loyalty to Noctis and seeing this treaty succeed?
They're at the lounge before she realizes, nodding at Nyx's words. It isn't long before Luna's ushered in by the King himself, Regis removing everyone else from the room once the gravity of the situation is confirmed by Luna. A request is made of Nyx to fetch a Tenebrae-trained healer and bring them back, theories echoing in the room as Regis ushers Luna to a chair. Questions are asked that Nyx may have wanted the answers to, but there'd been a reason Regis had cleared the room and sent Nyx out. By the time Nyx and the healer get back, the sleeves are once again off - both discarded in an empty chair nearby. The movement had been just as painful as before, Regis apologizing as he inspects the wound with his own eyes. If Nyx listens closely he might hear Regis whisper that he won't let this destroy her the way the darkness had afflicted his son.
The strength she'd summoned to prove to Nyx she'd been capable of standing on her own has drained from her body with the pain, once again biting back tears. It doesn't get any easier when the highly trained healer arrives, attempting a few different techniques to draw some out of the darkness - standard spells used on those that had returned from a battle injured by a daemon. The last one earns a sob of pain from the Princess, knuckles turning white against the arms of the chair. Regis puts an immediate stop to the attempts, pulling the healer aside to hold a hushed conversation about what could be done to help her. Luna's earlier attempts to hold back the tears finally fail her, a few escaping as pain curls through her body leaving her feeling sick from the pure evil infesting her veins. It left her feeling helpless and exhausted, a dangerous combination on the eve of such a momentous occasion. ]
no subject
The expression that hardens the king's features into granite is a terrible thing to behold up close.
Nyx is relieved in his own right to be sent off for a healer; privately, he doesn't know how long Lunafreya can stay standing without medical attention. She'd put on a good face, but he'd seen her when Ardyn had a hold of her. The tremor in the fine muscles of her back and legs. The hastily brushed-off tears.
Even more privately, he thinks the decision not to act on the Chancellor right away is a wrong one, but he shuts his mouth. And manages to keep it shut remarkably well throughout the next twenty odd minutes for how close he comes to telling the healer he fetches to stop as the attempt at removing the corruption leaves the girl shaking in her chair like a prisoner after a round of enhanced interrogation. His fists clench ineffectually in white-knuckled mimicry of hers.
Watching makes Nyx feel uncomfortably like a voyeur to her pain. Still, he doesn't look away. Any time their gazes meet, he holds it, silently encouraging, willing her the strength to keep going. A second longer. A minute longer. Just to hold on until the worst is passed.
In the reprieve, he acts before he thinks, breaking from his stance behind the king to get a glass of water and kneel beside her chair with it. The black brand demands attention, but he can't seem to look anywhere else besides her face. She looks younger now than ever before, too young to be this ashen and bone-weary.]
Hey, you did good.
[Where did that come from? It takes Nyx a moment to realize he's thinking of Selena every time she'd gotten sick or hurt, fighting back tears to take a needle prick or get a bone reset. He curls the princess' fingers around the water glass before he can give that thought too much attention.]
Is it any better?
[The answer feels obvious before he asks, but he asks anyway.]
no subject
By the time Nyx comes over to Luna with the water, Regis has called in Clarus to bring him up to speed - hushed whispers that the Captain will also need to be briefed but it can't go beyond that if they want to keep it secure. Only the most trusted could be brought in on this. She feels as though she's on display, at least until a shadow is cast across her body - a calm voice breaking through the blood pounding in her ears.
Luna shakes herself a little out of the shock trying to control her body at the feeling of Nyx's touch, grateful for the coolness of the glass. She shifts a little in the chair to a more upright position, bringing the water to her lips for a long moment - savoring in the crisp taste. There's a temptation to be honest with him, to whisper the truth under her breath and confide in that gentle tone. But, she can't. She'd already exposed enough weakness to those within the room and if Regis was bringing more of his inner circle into the mix, she couldn't remain this way. She shifts again, setting the glass on the table nearby. Her hand moves to wipe at her face, swallowing the pain telling her to restrict the motion. She dries her face, letting her hand fall to rest on her lap - brushing it gently on the fabric of her dress. The emotional mask she'd developed around the Empire slowly slips back in place, clearing her throat. ]
I shall persevere, thank you for your assistance.
[ It's not a lie, she'll eventually heal. It just won't be a quickly as she'd hoped given the results of the healer. She'd been trained in Tenebrae, but this seemed to be a corrupted form of what they normally dealt with. Perhaps even something far older than some might remember. Her lips frown as she overhears Regis mention something about keeping her within the confines of the hotel, almost flinching at the mention of locked doors. Thankfully they were interrupted by the arrival of the Captain of the Kingsglaive, Luna suddenly feeling self-conscious with how exposed she was. She felt almost as though he could bore a hole into her soul. Drautos doesn't stop to see the King, instead making a pissed off beeline right for her and Nyx. ]
no subject
It's frustrating to feel somewhat out of the loop, but no worse than what Lunafreya must be feeling, and having a moment alone gives him the chance to check on the princess personally. So much for superior Tenebraen healing skills--she looks like crap. Crap with a poker face, but crap all the same.]
It was nothing. I would've faked an emergency sooner if I'd known the Chancellor was doing more than throwing his weight around. You know--
[He's still kneeling, putting them on a level, the easier to read in her eyes what she's not saying in so many words (that flinch gets filed away, though he doesn't immediately make the connection with the cause), and that's how Drautos finds him when the heavy double doors swing open.
Instantly, Nyx is on his feet. He knows that look. He steels himself for the other shoe to drop.]
Sir--
[A hand on his shoulder gives him him no time to finish, propelling him away from Lunafreya's chair into an unoccupied part of the room, scarcely a pause between Drautos laying eyes on him and pouncing. I thought your orders were clear or did you not hear me--
The words, delivered with a calm mercilessness that suggests someone is about to get a chewing out before all else is said and done, fall out of earshot after that. Nyx shoots her a resigned look before settling in for the inevitable lecture. Do they really have time for this?]
no subject
She knows people believe her to be in the pocket of the Empire, their puppet to parade around as they see fit... But she's so much more. If they only knew what she fought to keep behind closed doors, out of the public eye as she worked to inspire hope and dreams of peace.
When Drautos starts laying into Nyx, she refocuses her attention on the verbal assault. Before Regis can step in and before she can stop herself, she stands and levels him with a look. A look that would later cost her dearly. ] Captain, thank you for your concern but I hardly think this is necessary at this precise moment. He saved my life and I--
[ Regis is quick to slip in, a hand falling under Luna's elbow to ensure she remains steady on her feet with the caring touch of a father. His soothing words smooth any feathers that might've been ruffled before returning his attention to Nyx as the healer picks up the discarded sleeves of her dress. There's another change in everyone's positioning, Regis moving to block Luna as the healer re-attached the pieces with a delicate touch. Luna tries to bite back the pain, a soft cry escaping - similar to the sound she'd made when Nyx had performed the same task. Her steps falter slightly, Regis spinning in time to keep her upright.
There's a room prepared for you within the safety of the hotel, my dear. I leave you in the capable hands of Captain Drautos and Nyx Ulric, they will ensure your safety. Trust no others for now. ] And what of-- [ Regis interrupts her query, aware of the question attempting to escape her lips and the way a hint of fear rests behind her eyes. I will address any concerns brought up in regard to your disappearance. A healer will stop by in the morning to see if there are any changes to the injury. And with another look, directed at either Nyx or Titus, he gestures for someone to take his place at her side. ]
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Your Highness, you should be resting--
[Thankfully, though King Regis seems painfully slow to intercede over the daemon threat under their literal and figurative roof, he's swift where Lunafreya is concerned. Nyx relents, deferring to his care. Still, the stifled sound of pain is audible--and he's not the only left frowning at it.
Glancing over, he locks gazes with Captain Drautos who wears a similar expression, mouth pinched at the corners. In that look is a promise to say no more for the time being. For the time being. Nyx knows better than to think the captain will forget about this conversation forever. For now, though, there's mutual agreement; they each have jobs to do.
Both bow their heads at the implicit command. Nyx, being closer, spares a last glance for the captain before stepping up to offer his arm in place of the king's with the same formality he'd done so at the party. It gives him a chance to open his mouth before anyone can stop him. It's a long time in coming. He's been more patient the decision to entertain the peace talks than most, if not all, of the remaining glaives. And this isn't just about their homes outside the Wall--it's about Nifs and the new found danger they've proven they pose.]
Shouldn't we at least be detaining Chancellor Izunia? Your Majesty can't be expected to sign a peace treaty when we don't know what he's really capable of.
[The answer is simple, much as Nyx internally chafes under the clear, composed gaze of the Lucian king. Their fate, all of their fates, the fate of Lucis--they won't be decided with a retaliatory strike.
A bigger picture. The long con. Nyx understands, even if he doesn't like it.
That feeling of wrongness is as acute as ever.]
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She returns a look to Nyx, biting back the 'I'm fine' resting on the tip of her tongue. It would be a blatant lie and this was one of the few places she wouldn't be able to get away with it.
Luna takes the offered arm with her good one once the healer's done and the King has said his piece, relying on him a little more on him than she should in such company. Nyx asks the question that Luna had been expecting to be thrown into the room, an answer following the King's from her. ]
I was not meant to accompany the Chancellor and other Dignitaries to the treaty signing. The plans were changed last minute to include me and I fear this may have also been included in the changes. The Chancellor is calculating, he might be expecting an alarm to be raised. [ A beat. ] And as I answer to Niflheim for the moment, the King cannot act on actions they take against me on this of all evenings.
[ It's said more for Nyx than Regis, sure he's thought of something similar. Drautos confirms the last of what she says, not that Luna truly hears the words. Her time at the hands of the Empire had been anything but pleasant, the events of tonight not the worst of it... Not that she was about to volunteer such information in the already tense climate. ]
If you have no other requirements of me this evening, I would like to retire and allow myself a chance to recover as much strength as possible in light of the events tomorrow hold.
[ Regis gives a small nod, attention turning to Nyx as he gives him a room key and number. The King asks Drautos to remain behind a moment in case there are any unkind eyes, the Oracle being escorted by both a Glaive and their Captain enough to raise suspicion. Luna gives Regis a soft thank you, still holding onto Nyx for support, unsure she'd make it to the room walking on her own. ]
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... Fine. Whatever you say.
[He means it as a neutral-sounding submission, splitting a glance between King Regis and Princess Lunafreya and nodding sharply once to show he's not about to fight the decision, but he's afraid it comes out more passive aggressive than he'd intended.
Well, can he really blame himself? So much of these peace talks have stunk of political double-dealing, and his fond feelings toward the Chancellor are at an all-time low, to say the least. He shuts his mouth.
One thing they can all agree on (except, perhaps, Lunafreya herself): the princess needs somewhere safe and quiet. They leave first, with one last shared look with Drautos that Nyx has a difficult time deciphering as he turns with Lunafreya a solid weight on his arm. What does the captain think? How much of Ardyn had he seen at the party? Making a mental note to try and ask him later, Nyx opens the lounge door to see them out. The hallway beyond is empty, and Nyx has a mind to keep it that way, taking a less direct route back to her quarters where they're not as likely to meet with company.
Unsure what he can say that wouldn't be demanding more answers or action be taken, Nyx falls silent, letting his focus go to keep Lunafreya upright and moving.]
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Rather than adding to the already high tension in the room, she remains quiet - happy to be escorted out. Questions about her absence were going to be handled and that's all she could focus on right now, rather than plying Regis further with details, reminding him inadvertently of what her life had become over the past twelve years. If she had the strength to waylay the concerns herself, go back out and safely mingle before slipping away for the evening she would... But, with how heavily she was relying on Nyx for support, that wouldn't be able to happen. Not without raising more concerns than necessary. Ripples were already working through the pond, she had no interest in adding more.
Luna is grateful that the hallway is empty, letting out an audible sigh of relief. It seems to echo in the space, an interruption to the rhythm of their steps and the click of her heels against the flooring. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, Luna taking the time to let the thoughts turn over in her mind and strategies to start forming just in case the King isn't truly able to keep her safe. Because-- ]
I will be required to return to them at some point.
[ She didn't mean to say it aloud, voice barely above a whisper. In the chaos of the situation, it would seem she never received an answer to her unasked question. When the treaty was signed, if it was signed, there would be a period of adjustment and she wouldn't be able to stay in Insomnia indefinitely. Not if she wished to fulfill her sacred duties and help those that need it most. Her actions often left her weak and vulnerable, if Niflheim wished to have her back, they would see to it... Assuming her return wasn't a contingency to both parties signing the treaty.
Would the consequences of her actions negatively impact the peace of those around her? Or was this a calculated move by the Empire to sabotage the treaty? Her steps halt, straightening her back and steeling herself to deal with the possible argument she would get in response to what she was about to say. ]
I must go back to the party. I cannot stay the night here, there is too much it could impact.
[ Sorrynotsorry Nyx, apparently escorting the Oracle to her designated room won't be a cake walk. ]
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He can't stop thinking about those marks. Daemon corruption. It's almost too much to believe after everything that's led up to these treaty negotiations.
And Ardyn Izunia. A man who'd had the Oracle almost collapsed in agony after a single touch. Just who the hell were they dealing with?]
--What now?
[The whisper has to travel a long mile through dense brooding territory before Nyx processes what she's saying. It takes a moment, since he thinks she can't possibly mean what he thinks she means. That she wants to turn around and go back. At some point isn't tonight, when she's still being affected by whatever is burrowing under her skin, when this detente between Lucis and Niflheim is hanging on a knife's edge.
His brows become an unbending line about the same time her back does. She can't be serious.]
You want to go back out there like nothing happened? Not happening. You heard the king. [Unsaid goes the deeper emphasis you heard him and so did I. Nyx doesn't like this anymore than she does, but the king had made himself clear. And Lunafreya... Lunafreya's in no position to be putting herself in the crossfire for the second time in a single night.] The Chancellor of Niflheim all but attacked you in the middle of Insomnia. The last thing you should be doing is changing up the plan in the middle of the king's play.
HELLO
I am not a pawn. Not for the King and not for Niflheim. [ There's an edge to her voice, betraying her lack of confidence in her words. She's been a pawn since she was a child and she'd placed herself in that position in the name of protection of her people. She was a doll to be paraded around and touted as a prized possession of the Empire.
And right now, this pawn wasn't thinking straight. ]
I cannot ask him or any of those he trusts to put themselves into further harm. [ Her gaze softens as she finally looks at Nyx, a strange flutter starting in the pit of her stomach she quickly ignores. There'd been rumors of hero worship when someone saves your life, but she refused to fall into that trap. ] You've already done so much. If I stay at the safety of your side much longer, I fear what fate might befall you or another in my stead. You've already done so much for me, I cannot ask you to risk more. [ She gives him a tired expression, a hand lightly reaching out to rest on his forearm. ] Do you truly believe the King's plan will work?
[ Because if it didn't, she'd pay a heavy price of carrying the burden of the losses and the ensuing punishment for her defiance... Though those who might die in the process would be a loss she'd never forgive herself for. With a sigh, she breaks the contact to turn her back to him for a moment, weighing her options. She'd already come this far, the least she could do is give the King her trust and have faith in her hope of a good outcome.
And by default, some of that trust goes into Nyx with the hope that he'll be honest with her - a thought that forces her to face him again and wait. ]
TLC
There was a small council that had been formed with the remnants of the King's advisors to assist in a few decisions while Noctis was asleep. Decisions needed to be made while Luna recovered from her dance with death and few were left in such a position that didn't answer to Niflheim.
Her time with Nyx had been quiet, guilt and turmoil still curling inside her like a snake ready to strike. And apparently, now was the time. It drove her out of hiding, dressed as though she hadn't missed a beat despite her months of silence. She was terrified of the consequences, knowing Ardyn was still out there, still hunting her along with the rest of the Empire. She shouldn't have been brought back after the failed summoning of Leviathan. That was supposed to be the completion of her duty and from everything that had been drilled into her, the end of her life. She held no purpose beyond that moment and Nyx had borne the brunt of that frustration.
Of course, her emergence as a renewed beacon of hope in the darkness drew more attention than she'd planned. It painted a target on her and those who still openly supported her in this dark time. No public announcements had been made yet, just her appearing in front of the council for the first time since her fall. Why she'd thought it would go smoothly was beyond her, Luna storming out halfway through the meeting - the lights in the marble hall catching the beads of her dress as she moves - light blonde waves waterfalling over her right shoulder from the braided half up-do. It's quite a sight, though the anger etched on her face overpowers it. It's rare that Luna actually lets the emotions she's feeling slip out beyond the mask, something she's allowed more and more during her time with Nyx. He'd allowed her to be a person rather than a public figure and it had been liberating. Enough so that she didn't feel the need to play the games and suffer through more people telling her what she could and couldn't do.
There'd been a dark hallway off to the left of the chamber, Luna making a beeline for the area before changing her mind and deciding it might be best to go back in and give them another piece of her mind. Remind them that she wasn't going to be under anyone's thumb any longer. Granted, she hadn't accounted for a solid mass blocking her way - her body connecting with Nyx's. She doesn't pull away, instead looking up at him... Not sure if she might kiss him or just bury her face in his chest and let the frustration pour out onto him. She opts for a third choice, voice soft and heavy with something possibly more than anger if he's paying attention. ]
Do you know of a place where I won't be able to hear myself think?
post-Altissia reunions where everyone lives, fight me
Insomnia falls, and when the sun rises the next day he's there to see it. And the next one after that. And the next one. Borrowed time he hadn't thought to live. It's a surprise to him, as much as it is to Libertus who finds him fading in and out of consciousness in a pile of rubble. His heart is far from broken when the Lucii choose Drautos (or Glauca, whatever his real name is) as the sacrifice necessary to tap into their strength, but it means the end of the battle for Insomnia finds Nyx clinging to scraps of life, burned and battered, without his magic, in a city half-demolished with imperial reinforcements on the way and everyone else scattered god knows where.
Not exactly the unilateral victory a soldier hopes for.
He's one of the last to leave Insomnia--not for lack of trying. Moving in a hurry isn't easy when you can't walk without help. It takes time to heal in a refugee hospital across the border until he's well enough to get back on his feet, time they don't have but that Libertus forces him to take anyway, sometimes with gentle reminders (as gentle as Libertus gets), sometimes not so gently. More than once it gets the point of holding Nyx and the tangible outbursts of his frustration back. While he sits on his ass, the pieces on the board are moving--and two of them include a prince on the run and a princess in hiding. He needs to get back out there, magic or no magic. As long as there's still strength in his body. That's how it works.
(Not many people could wrestle him back into a hospital bed with the wider world calling, but Libertus manages. "I'll race you to see who can get the fuck out of their cast faster, hero."
"You're on, gimpy."
He owes Libertus more than he can say.)
The doctor is still clucking his tongue the day they suit up and head out--Libertus winning the challenge by a hair, only because Nyx is slower to tug off the sling from around his neck and abandon it on the bed--but the man's professional opinion that they're not yet combat-ready goes ignored. They'll have to be ready. There's a would-be king and his bride-to-be to find.
And find them they do, all the way in Altissia, the meeting place Regis had intended from the beginning.
Just in time for Altissia to explode from the inside out, water and rubble and screams of the Hydraen turning a peaceful waterside city into a maelstrom of shouts and confusion.
As in Insomnia when the threads of conspiracy had been ready to pull taught and rip the Crown City apart, Nyx is so close he can feel the threads slipping through his fingertips all over again, but just like before, he's not fast enough to clamp his fist around them. Always just a little too slow, a little too late. After the time it takes to enter the city and push against the crowd, arrowing for the center of the storm, the battle's over before it's begun.
What sticks out in Nyx's memory is the sound--the bone-rattling, earth-shaking sound of the wall of water collapsing and the Hydraen with it. The sound of Libertus pointing and shouting something that's whipped away by the wind. The sound of an Altissian guardsman relaying the happy news that Noctis had been pulled from the pier in one piece. Lady Lunafreya, a different story, less confidence in describing the state they'd found her. The sound of Nyx's pulse thudding in his ears.
The last is as loud as a drum in the militant silence he falls into as he and Libertus work to discern what's happened, where they've been taken. The longer it takes, the deeper and icier the silence gets. He can hear his own breathing--heavy, thanks to being winded. Libertus isn't fooled, though. His friend glances at him nervously a few times, sensing what that excuse hides. It's not just physical exertion that causes his breath to come rough--it's heavy with a feeling that burns like rage and makes the spot behind his eyes ache like grief.
Help mother! He's always just a little too slow. If they die--
No. That thought gets firmly shoved away while they spend the next few hours navigating congested streets, fighting to get to the last location the king and Oracle were reported to be receiving treatment. Only when they can prove their identities as the last of Regis' Kingsglaive and hear Noctis and Lunafreya are both awake can Nyx breathe easily again. Alive. Alive.
When they finally make it upstairs, Noctis is too busy with his own retinue to see them right away; Nyx leaves Libertus to wait and turns down the hall that will take him to another hospital room. Noctis isn't the only person he needs to see. Noctis isn't the one he'd been tasked with--and failed to--deliver to Altissia. Quite to his own surprise, he'd looked up one day and realized he has a history with Lady Lunafreya he hadn't thought to have. Only three people in the world had been present to hear Regis' last words, one of whom is dead. It's just them now, them and the bloody battle they'd survived together.
The knock on the door frame outside her room is gentle. If sedatives have her resting, he won't stay long.]
It figures you'd get in trouble without me. You really are a magnet for it.
[The wry, low-spoken greeting is the best he can do without his voice cracking, betraying the relief squeezing his chest. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been fleeing Insomnia, weeks ago. He's wondered more than once if that'd be the last memory he had of Tenebrae's princess.
Thank god it's not. Thank some god, no thanks to the Hydraen.]
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Everything beyond that moment felt more like a dream than reality, certain she was seconds away from her final breath escaping in the service of her King. She'd seen her duty through to the end, had sacrificed mind, body, and spirit to ensure his success. She'd communed with the Astrals despite the heavy cost and had faced her public challenges with an even tone and an air of hope for those looking on in fear... Even if the fear was recognized on a far more realistic level than those around her might believe. They didn't know her struggles, didn't know the hell she'd experienced over the past twelve years of her life - the amount of physical and emotional pain she'd learned to endure in silence so as to maintain her professional image. Fit the mold so many tried to shove her in without looking to see if the piece was correct or already damaged.
A part of her hadn't expected Titan to respond to her request for aid to allow her time to pass Noctis the ring, taking it as an indication that she wasn't going to be walking away from this battle. She'd said her goodbyes to Noctis and had slowly started to fade into the warm embrace of the night before it was ripped away. The gentle descent had twisted and contorted into bursts of pain and screaming. It felt as though she'd been ripped in half, but the torture was not completely her own. There were flashes of moments, dark whispers and corruption seeping out of every pore - no longer able to heal those who need it most. The power to purge the scourge from her beloved star slowly perverted itself into a mockery of her station, leaving her abandoned and forgotten in the darkness. Her only companion left eventually was the driving need to consume more and more to make the hurting stop, to become powerful enough to inflict rather than take. To silence the screams scratching at a parched throat only aggravated further by broken sobs begging for relief.
The memory had stayed with her even after she'd been revived, playing over and over in her mind - the only thing having drawn her from it the first time being the soft barks of Pryna, trying to hold onto her and keep her alive. Fighting off the disgusting touch of Ardyn and eventually growing loud enough to overpower the laugh that echoed as she left. She knows that might have been one of the reasons beyond her companion's tie to her life force that the white dog was so incredibly drained. Facing a daemon fueled nightmare-scape was a burden for even the most ardent of souls, she would owe Pryna a debt she fears she can never fully repay.
It's one of the reasons she'd refused to allow the doctors to remove the dog from the room, Pryna safely curled up on her bed and in almost constant contact. When there's a knock on the door, Umbra's the only of the two to respond - moving to put himself between the stranger and Luna with a soft, protective growl. She shifts into a seated position with a strained groan, her stitches pulling painfully as she moves. ]
It's alright Umbra, he's a friend.
[ The words ring true and perhaps it's the brutal exhaustion or the pain cutting through the medication, but she can't hold back the flood of emotions at seeing him or the way her voice cracks on the last word. If she could've gotten out of the bed, she would have to run to him - not realizing just how much she'd actually missed him once they'd parted... Or the way he'd been in the forefront of her prayers for his safekeeping despite barely knowing him. She'd felt connected to him in a way that was foreign, but so incredibly reassuring. For the first time in a long time, she'd felt like she could be herself around him.
She manages two words before the walls crumbled around her, the burden of the last few weeks finally coming to a head. ]
I'm sorry.
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Barely noticing the dogs, his gaze goes to her and stays there, riveted. When he'd left her in Libertus' care, the princess been bruised and weary, but still mostly in one piece. Still standing. The figure in the bed is a pale ghost of the young woman he'd last seen giving a speech to thousands at a podium, as unyielding as Insomnian steel.
To put it bluntly, she looks like fresh hell. Alive and awake, though, which is better than the jaded soldier in him had been expecting.
I should've gotten her to Altissia. It's that jaded part of him talking, the place where his regrets live. Seeing the smudges of exhaustion under her eyes is like a punch. None of this should have happened.
It's the apology that finally breaks him out of his trance at the door. She's sorry?]
Whoa, hey--
[He's at her bedside before she can get another breath in. His hair and leather are still greyed with dust from the debris in the air, but the sleeve of his armor hides the worst of the burns he'd been dealt in Insomnia as he rests a hand on the bed railing.]
You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who should be apologizing--it looks like I was late to the party. [An attempt at a smile quirks his mouth, but it doesn't mask the thickness in his voice, a rasp that's rougher than usual behind the words.] Long time, no see.
I'VE MISSED THIS SO MUCH ok hello hi
She should be dead and that's a new guilt she's dealing with. She'd said goodbye to Noctis, had given him the ring, and prepared for the tide to take her. She'd dealt with the idea of never seeing Nyx again, of losing that dry, sarcastic humor that seemed to calm her in such a strange way. He kept her in check and she respected him for it, even if she didn't always comply.
And it's that almost instantaneous trust they'd built that has her crumbling in front of him, the touch with almost failing rattling her more than her having died for a moment or so - of being on her own through all of this. Yes, Gentiana was by her side at times, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the level of companionship and support she'd have had if she'd allowed Libertus to accompany her, if they'd waited for Nyx.
She manages a soft laugh through the wave of tears, her bruised right cheek stinging from the movement. The thickness in her voice matches his, though she's unsure why. It would be too much to devote thought to reasoning right now, instead riding her emotions for once in what seems like forever. ]
Yes, it feels as though it's been a lifetime. I... [ She reaches out to touch the hand resting on the railing of her bed, expression shifting as her gaze moves from his, to his hand, and back up. ] You're hurt. [ It's not a question and yes, she's already shifting slightly in her bed to try to ease at least a little of his pain because that's what she does. Ever selfless, even on her not!death bed. It's one of the few ways she knows how to return the kindness shown to her, a gift so rare a far between. Give herself completely to ensure their success or survival. She'd released Regis's hand as a child to protect her people, had endured verbal and physical abuse at the hands of the Niflheim Empire to be able to help those outside of her city that were in need, and again she gave the last of her strength to Noctis to give him the last boost to successfully commune with Leviathan and get her to agree to assist him.
This was her purpose on this plane of existence. This was all she'd known for the last 12 years. Perhaps in another life, she might've been allowed to move past that... But such luxuries were not handed out like breaths of sweet, summer air that had been warmed by the sun. ]
scoops you into my arms and spins you
[He gently retracts his hand, putting it back by his side where it can't become the focus of the present where they'd very nearly lost two people of far more value. If the prince hadn't tamed Leviathan, if rescue had been any slower reaching Lunafreya...
The injuries he'd sustained from Drautos and the Old Wall are nothing in comparison. Old news. Nyx's gaze sweeps the room as if judging the amenities in Altissia and finding them lacking, light humor still branding the deflection for what it is. The best defense is a good offense. Cornering off that cold, dread feeling eating away at his gut keeps him from wincing when his gaze settles on her again, drawn to each bruise and cut visible on exposed skin. (She's pale. Too pale.)]
Hey, no tears, all right? You're alive, His Highness is alive, we're all alive. That's all that matters. [And now that he's talking it feels like he needs to fill in the silence that threatens to fall in the spaces between his words, so he forges ahead, grasps at what comes to mind.] Libertus is here. I knew I should have punched him harder for not following you outside the city like he was supposed to.
<3333333
She'd given her strength, her power, her life for Noctis and had resigned herself to death. Her words to Nyx were still true, she hadn't feared death and she'd done everything she could to make sure she wasn't just a witness to the carnage. They're all alive, though. That's true and it's something to keep close to her heart.
Luna attaches to the topic change, her tired expression shifting into something reminiscent of admonishment with his reference to Libertus. ]
Do not fault Libertus for allowing me to carry on without him. I did not give him a choice. Traveling on my own with minimal recognition was difficult, I couldn't imagine having done it with either you or Libertus and having the same outcome of success.
[ """""""""""""""""Success""""""""""""""""" ]
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Somehow that's reassuring. Some things haven't changed when it seems everything else in the world has. The coil in his chest relaxes a little.]
Speaking of your travels, you didn't mention you planned to go around waking up gods when you visited the Crown City.
[There's a lot unsaid in that one statement, a lot Nyx now realizes Regis and Lunafreya had known but hadn't disclosed. The ruse behind the treaty and the wedding, for one. Maneuvering Noctis outside the Wall before it could fall, for another. And now astrals, as if the rest wasn't enough.]
And here I thought the title of Oracle was just for show. We heard what happened at the Disc of Cauthess from what's left of the Crownsguard when we caught up to them--you and Prince Noctis have put on one hell of a wild goose chase. [A glance at the dogs curled up on the bed before he casts around him, finding a chair and pulling it close to sink into. Now that the chase has finally come to an end and he's found the prince and princess in one piece, the pumping adrenaline keeping him on his feet slows to a trickle.] I was hoping to catch you both, I just... didn't imagine it like this.
[He won't pretend he knows what the fuck is going on, that he should find the last remaining Caelum communing with the Six. (This started being above his pay grade the moment he slipped that ring on his finger and heard Regis' voice. A little before that, if he's being honest.)
Simple is best. He likes simple. Prefers it. Once upon a time, that had been his life--straightforward, uncomplicated. Gaze trailing over her, the sentiment that enters his voice is just that--plain and unornamented gladness, subtle but there in the inflection in his words, the corners of his smile. Gods are walking the earth, but some blessings are small.]
It's good to see you still in one piece after all this time.
[Words don't do it justice, even if he were good with them, which he isn't.]
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Luna smiles softly as he speaks, rather proud of their evasion skills. Good enough, apparently, to even evade each other. ] Thank you for coming after me. [ Not many would. At least, not many with good intentions. It's a thought that warms her heart. She's felt so alone for so long, clinging to the journal and her dogs as though they were lifelines to a happier time... And then she met Nyx. He was as headstrong as her with a passionate fire deep within that made her ache. ] I've missed you. [ It slips out before she can stop it, cheeks flushing ever so slightly as embarrassment washes over her. She knew better than to say such things, she was a lady. She didn't pine for another, and she certainly wasn't wistful - no, that had been drained from her when her mother died. It was strange how he could make her feel such trivial things when there was so much going on in the world. She needed to heal quickly so she could return to her duties, get Noctis back on his feet and seek out Ravus to ensure he was sa--
Ravus.
The thought has her sitting up in the bed, a new wave of grief washing over her. Any dreams of being able to steal a moment with Nyx in some far off dreamland are quickly cast aside. The shift of her position earns a whine from Pryna, Umbra lifting his head in curiosity. Here she was, entertaining the idea of spending more time with Nyx while her brother could be dying or dead. So, in a repeat of bad Luna decisions for 800-- ]
I need to find my brother. If they-- [ Her hand grips the edge of the bed as pain shoots through her, her body protesting every single movement with more and more fervor. Alright, that might've been a bad idea, but she needed to fight through the excruciating pain because Ravus needed her. She couldn't lose him. ]