(no subject)

[hardbargain]

	"It's Ulric. Make it good." UN: CuriousCoeurl

Comments

Text: @Leonharted

[tripletriadking]

Hey Nyx, are you in your apartment right now?

Audio: This man does not believe in text lbr

[hardbargain]

Well hello, geddah. Yeah I'm home... what's up?

Re: Audio: That's fine Squall likes Nyx's voice

[tripletriadking]

Want to come over? Miss you and I made you something special. [A pause.]

I'm dressed special for you too.

[hardbargain]

[Squall will be able to hear the start of a curious hum but it cuts off when he continues and then Nyx laughs, that low pleased chuckle that's so familiar by now.]

Oh? Two presents for me huh?

[Followed by the sound of chair legs scraping against the wooden floor and the jingle of keys being dragged off a surface.]

[tripletriadking]

[Squall quickly gets up to unlock his door hearing Nyx shuffling and then heads to the couch facing it and sits there waiting for Nyx. Is he naked? Yes. He has a tray of coconut cookies on the coffee table in front of him and nothing but a blanket draped over his waist to cover him. His face is red just at the thought of Nyx walking in on him like this any moment.]

Yeah, two presents. I hope you like them. Door's open for you.

[hardbargain]

[Nyx doesn't actually say anything else, just purses his lips to make a little kiss sound before cutting the call. A carry-over from when he used to tease Pelna. There's a moment, after he hangs up the call, as he's stepping out of his apartment that he has to stop, leaning against the doorway as the thought brings up the memory of sounds- screeching metal, screams cut short by the crunch of shattering bone and the wet thump of useless meat. He can't breathe- bile rising in his throat, adrenaline suddenly making his heart race. The door bumps lightly against his shoulder and he gasps sharply, the world rushing back in, the warm colors in the hallway pulling him away from the cold steel walls of a Niflheim airship.

His breath comes out in a rush and he does his best to take it in stride. Counting silently as he drags in another harsh breath. The motions of locking his door are rote and familiar and it's only two steps to cross the hall. He's opening the other door before he has time to consider that Squall was doing something special and maybe he should get his shit together more before he steps inside. Still the tells are small, too many years of constant fighting and hell mean that there's rarely time to sit down and process flashbacks, whenever they come.

His heartrate is a little too fast, his face a little too pale, something guarded and fragile in his smile. At least until he finally takes in the Squall's bare chest and.... legs? And....? One brow goes up, some of the ease coming back into his expression with a lopsided sort of grin.]

Mmm what did I do to earn this?

[tripletriadking]

Hey Nyx, got you something. Are you free right now?

[hardbargain]

For you bb? always. down at the training facility.

[tripletriadking]

[Too bad this is trxt, he's red up to his ears at that.]

KK. I'll head over there now. Got some special cargo with me so might take longer then usual.

[hardbargain]

don't you have a cat man to help you with that?

[tripletriadking]

Do you mean Griever? He's not a cat man....

[hardbargain]

He's kind of a cat man

[action]

[lucianprince]

Noctis rides his new chocobo pal as fast as he can back to find Nyx at the shop, Carbuncle sitting on his shoulder with its tail curled around his neck to give him directions.

He jumps down from the chocobo's back before it's even come to a full stop and runs into the shop, eyes darting around to find--

"Nyx! We've got a problem. A big one."

[hardbargain]

Noctis why can't you ever show up when he's doing something he can easily walk away from? That apron is back, this time his hands are buried in a bowl of ground meat and spices and? Apples? Are those Banoran apples?

Daggerquill, apple, and sage. Yeah, it's great sausage.

His head snaps up and he's immediately pulling his hands free, trying to get as much off and back into the bowl as possible as quickly as possible. He's scrubbing the remnants off on a towel just in case this problem is the grab your knife and warp kind of urgent.

"What?" Hard and serious and all business, none of his usual banter or cavalier smiles. Not even going to waste the time for more words than that single inquiry.

[lucianprince]

It all smells great but Noctis has no focus to spare for it right now.

"You know Ardyn Izunia? The imperial chancellor? I just ran into him at the stables. He's here."

[hardbargain]

Noctis can see the way that information hits Nyx like a physical blow. For a split second it's not Noctis but some bland news reporter saying the man's name, a broadcast the morning before the signing ceremony, Crowe's watch heavy in his hands, the dull clink of the moruboru-kun charm on her phone tapping against the table. A weight sinks into his stomach, grief and pain, color drains from his face-

Nyx's breath hitches and he's abruptly back in the moment, he doesn't remember clenching his jaw, curling his fists into the towel in his hands. Doesn't remember baring his teeth in a snarl but suddenly the towel is falling from his hands and he's marching for the door with the sort of purpose that only a military man can really convey. The earpiece he reaches for wasn't there a moment ago, Latro swiftly adapting from bead to headset in the time it takes to lift his hand, tapping the button as he snarls. "The Imperial Chancellor needs a welcoming committee."

Nyx pauses just long enough to hold the door open for Noctis, expression hard as he nods for him to follow. "Your Majesty." Which... is, in fact, the first time Nyx has acknowledged the fact that Noctis is King now.

[lucianprince]

Noctis watches as Nyx absorbs the news and his eyes fill with a heavy understanding that Nyx may not expect.

Nyx holds the door open and calls him *majesty*, and in the moment, it feels natural to Noctis. Before he steps through the door, though, he grips Nyx's arm both to stop him from running ahead and to get his attention.

"Agreed. But first, listen to me." He looks Nyx in the eye, and maybe Nyx sees a bit of Regis there in the way Noctis becomes very serious.

"You should know the full extent of his crimes. I know he was behind the fall of Insomnia. But he was behind a lot more than that, too. The emperor was just his puppet. Ardyn...tricked me into hurting one of my friends, and then kidnapped him. He led us by the nose all the way to the Crystal. Turned Ravus into a monster. And he..."

Noctis swallows, takes a slightly shaky breath, expression filled with pain - but he won't break eye contact. "Ardyn killed Lunafreya."

[hardbargain]

He's right to catch Nyx's arm, only just barely stopping him from taking off with a warp. More than just the Fall, more than just encouraging Drautos' madness. The emperor himself a puppet? What kind of man was this bastard?

As Noctis speaks Nyx is cataloging the words and it's awful but it's nothing that really shakes him. It's good to see those hints of Regis in Noctis, in the set of his jaw, the weight of his brow. His features are finer, more delicate than his father's but convey a similar sort of somberness when he needs to. A nod, firm and understanding as Noctis continues. At least he thinks he does. A puppet himself of this grand destiny Lunafreya spoke of perhaps, then. Or the orchestrator of it.

Turned Ravus into a monster.

He is bound by the past and lost in his lust for power.

Perhaps not so hard to turn a man like that into a monster. Especially after the price the ring exacted from him. Then Noctis speaks that final crime and Nyx reacts as though he were struck a physical blow. Silver eyes widen and he gasps hard enough to choke on his next breath, staggering back from the door.

Lunafreya. After everything he'd done to protect her, everything he'd learned, how much she meant to the world, the future she was meant to bring about. Her solemn determination. Everything about her, everything she stood for. She had reframed his entire way of thinking in one night, given him purpose again after years without it, given him hope even as he bartered away his life.

There's a sheen in his eyes that has nothing to do with the hot, violet light of Lucian magic that flares in them as he steadies himself. Somewhere he's distantly aware of Latro reaching out to Squall, jumbled words of pain and panic making it through to Griever. He killed her. Lunafreya- After everything- She's gone. Geddah, he killed her. Help.

He collects himself just enough to shoot a glance at Noctis, eyes falling not on his king but the ring on his hand. The ring that Lunafreya had given everything to protect, that had ruined Ravus, that had been the thing that had brought Regis' death as soon as it passed out of his hands.

"Stewards of the future..." Murmured under his breath, lip curling in disdain for those old kings as much as for the man that had carried out their godsforsaken destiny. Finally, he meets Noctis' gaze, lips trembling ever so slightly with an agonized rage. "She was that future." Noctis won't understand, not fully, of course but the sentiment, the pain and anguish in his voice conveys all he needs it to.

One hand clasps around the hilt of the kukri at his back, teeth bared in a snarl that becomes a shout, something between a battle cry and a scream of rage. Then that blade vanishes into the distance and so does he.

immediately after the clover incident...

[lucianprince]

[Noctis is maybe 20 minutes or so late for dinner by the time Nyx gets a text from him - or, more accurately, from Carbuncle. It's not unheard of for Noctis to be late, but usually it's more like 10 minutes.]

Nyx, hello! This is Carbuncle. Noct could really use a hand getting home right now, if you wouldn't mind? 🙏

[hardbargain]

[Honestly? Carbuncle doesn't get a response so much as a notification that the message was read and if the little guy checks Nyx's gps ping he's heading their way. Swiftly but not half so fast as he would be if he were really rushing. This is Nyx either at a jog or riding on Latro....... not warping across the whole sim.

He's sort of assuming there'd be more urgency in the message if Noct was in danger.

Considering what happened he's going to be pissed at Carbie for not calling him to save Noct from the whole thing happening in the first place. Oops.]

[lucianprince]

When Nyx arrives at Carbuncle's location, he'll find Noctis lying on his back in a clover patch asleep, and his DTF curled up on top of him, also asleep. Finding Noct napping somewhere random is pretty normal, but this time Nyx may be alarmed when he notices the rope marks on his wrists, arms, and neck.

Nyx may also notice a distinct feeling of lighthearted fun once he steps into the clover for himself.

[hardbargain]

Y'know? Rope marks are fairly tame considering some of the messes this place gets up to. It's the fact that those marks are also on Noctis' neck that has him tensing, worried and abruptly moving with more urgency than he had been. The surge of casual playfulness that comes with the clover is... startling. He frowns, steps back, away from the soft clover into plain grass, worry growing sharp once more.

"Fucking plants." Snarled under his breath. He bites his own lip, hard enough to let the pain keep him focused and grounded as he crosses quickly to where Noctis rests. Instead of attempting to wake him Nyx simply scoops him up into his arms and tries to get back to the safety of the grass. If Noct wakes up, fine, if not? Well it hardly matters as long as they're out of the influence of the clover.

[lucianprince]

Noctis doesn't wake up immediately, but he was apparently not napping for long enough to be as deeply asleep as he usually is, because he does wake up by the time Nyx gets him out of the clover. He doesn't stir much, though, just blinks his eyes open and takes a moment to orient himself.

"Nyx?" he says in somewhat bleary confusion, his voice hoarse. In the meantime, Carbuncle wakes much faster and leaps down from its perch on Noctis to grab his jacket, which was lying on the grass beside him, in its teeth and follow them.

[hardbargain]

"You're alright, princess." Nyx' voice is light, teasing, more casual than he feels in order to keep Noctis calm. The hoarseness of his voice is worrisome but if he can speak then the damage can't be too bad. If the fact that he calls his king princess while bridal carrying him registers with Noct he'll be surprised. He can't help it though. Damsel in distress~~

He does have to wonder who the fuck would have done this to Noct and then left him alone, outside, exposed to whatever else this place might cook up. Jerk.

"C'mon... let's get you home." It'll take a fair bit longer to get back than it did for Nyx to get there but he'll do his best to simply let Noctis rest against his chest.

@Chocobro- TEXT

[heliographic]

[Nyx receives a text in the early hours from Prompto. It's short, and any attempts at responding or calling him leads only to a blocked line.]

Hey,

Sorry. I'm not the guy you need to take care of Noct. I'll see you on the flip side. Please just make sure he's happy.