real_life_rpg | [PROMPTO] ☠ the times they are a changin'

[PROMPTO] ☠ the times they are a changin' | for carbungle

From his first memory until the age of ten, Prompto had had a happy childhood. He had lived in Gralea with his mother. She was a scientist for the Empire so she worked a lot, but she always made an effort to make Prompto feel loved and special. Of course, a lot of that love was shown in the form of junk food and sweets so Prompto had been a plump young thing. His life drastically changed not long after his tenth birthday after his mother died during a freak accident at the research facility. Afterwards, he was sent to live with his father Verstael Besithia - the Empire's Imperial Research Minister. That happiness and warmth he had known in his life were gone. His father was constantly cold towards him. Had the poor boy put on a strict diet and exercise regime.

The only time Verstael ever showed any sign of warmth was when he was showing off his research and projects to Prompto - something the boy had little interest in, which only served to build more barriers between them. The Empire's Magitek army freaked him out. It made him uncomfortable that the clones being used looked just like him. The whole thing made his skin crawl. And don't even get him started on the Chancellor. He just creeps Prompto out.

The two constants in his life, however, is firstly the knowledge that the Kingdom of Lucis is the enemy. He's heard stories all his life about how the Lucians were evil monsters, set to destroy the world, and that Prince Noctis would one day seal the fate of man and purge them from Eos. He had no reason to believe it wasn't the truth. Why would the Empire lie? Secondly, his secret friendship with Lady Lunafreya - their letters sent back and forth via Pryna. Luna, however, always spoke so fondly of Noctis in her letters

When news of the upcoming peace treaty broke, Prompto was so excited. Finally, the world would know peace. He was also exicted that he would be attending the signing in Insomnia. He would get to see the city he had heard so much about, in person. He would get to see the crystal. He would get to see Luna in person. He couldn't be happier.

The day before the signing, King Regis held a gala to welcome the Empire to Insomnia. Somehow during the course of the evening Prompto found himself talking to King Regis. The man was king of an entire kingdom and yet he made time to speak with a nobody like Prompto. Funny, in those few moments Prompto felt more warmth and kindness than he had ever felt from his own father. Either the stories about Regis were greatly exaggerated or he was an evil mastermind who could fool people with facades of kindness.

All too soon it was time to retire for the night. Prompto was still munching on the delicious snacks as he made it back to the guest suite he was sharing with his father. Verstael shot him the most disgusted of looks as he entered. "Boy, do stop filling your face. You're a disgrace. Don't you remember what a vile creature you were?"

Prompto's heart instantly sank and he disposed of the rest of the snacks in the trash, which seemed such a shame given how nice they were. "Sorry Dad." It was then that Prompto noticed Verstael wasn't alone and that Ardyn was also in the room. Prompto excused himself to the en suite to ready himself for sleep. From the bathroom he overheard Ardyn and Verstael talking about increasing the production of the Magitek army. Wait... increase? That couldn't be right, surely? But he had heard correctly, they were talking about increasing the output of troopers tenfold.

He waited until he heard Ardyn leave before he left the bathroom. "Hey Dad? If we're signing a peace treaty... why do we need more MTs? Surely if there's peace we won't need them?"

"Foolish boy. There will be no peace as long as the false king sits the throne and has the Crystal. Do not involve yourself in matters you do not understand." Verstael stormed off to bed, leaving Prompto alone with his thoughts.

No peace? His mind drifted then to just how many MTs the Empire had brought with them. Surely a few to guard the Emperor was normal, but they had brought ships full of them, hovering just outside Insomnia... His father's words replayed over and over in his head - no peace as long as Regis sits the throne and has the Crystal... Crap... This... wasn't a peace treaty at all. It was an ambush.

His ruffled his hands through his hair, tugging at it with frustration. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He couldn't just rest knowing this whole thing was likely a set-up. He felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't exactly just march up to the King and tell him. One, he'd never get close enough with MTs stalking his every move outside of the suite, not to mention the King's own security. Two, even if he could get close, why would the King even believe him?

Think, Prompto. Think. The Prince had already left for Altissia. He remembered the King saying so earlier in the evening. But maybe... maybe... Prompto knew Noctis and Luna communicated via Umbra the same way he and Luna communicated via Pryna. Maybe there was a slight chance he could get a message to Noctis the same way. He didn't even know if it would work or if Noctis would even believe him but he had to try. Sure enough, Pryna was right there waiting for him. He grabbed some paper and wrote a simple note.

' Treaty a trap. King and Crystal in danger. '

He didn't sign it. He doubted it would be intercepted, but just in case... He pet Pryna as he gave her the note. "Please, girl. Deliver this to Prince Noctis..."

Prompto wasn't sure what else he could do but wait. Sleep didn't come easy. The day of the signing arrived and he could only hope Noctis had received his warning. Still, the uncertainty had his stomach in knots. He could barely concentrate, so tense about what could happen.

All too soon all hell broke out in the signing room. Both sides drew their weapons. Without even thinking, Prompto positioned himself in front of the King, his gun pointed at the Empire. "Stop this!! What happened to peace?!"

"Stand aside, boy. This does not concern you." His father's words dripped with loathing. How could Prompto have been so blind not to see the Empire were the monsters all along?

What happened next was a blur. Battle rang out through the room. Explosions elsewhere in the Citadel as the Empire targetted the Crystal. Prompto wasn't sure how, but somehow he found himself at the end of a corridor, beneath a stairwell, covered in blood and cradling a fatally wounded King Regis against his lap. The stench of death, blood and metal filled the air. His once white robes were stained various shades of red and brown. He torn off some of the material to try to stanch the worst of the King's bleeding. Luckily the corridor provided cover on three sides, there was only one direction any danger could come from so Prom was sure to keep it covered with his gun, even as he tried to help the King. He had suffered his own injuries too. Most notably, his shoulder which had been shattered by a gunshot. The bullet still inside. Luckily, adrenaline was keeping the pain at bay for now.

He idly wondered if Noctis had received his note? Maybe Pryna hadn't made it in time... Maybe Noctis just didn't believe him. Either way, Prom wasn't sure what to do now. He didn't want to risk moving Regis and he didn't want to leave him to try and find help in case he was attacked or simply died alone in a freaking corridor. For now, Prom was firmly froze in fear, doing all he could to keep the other man alive.

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Apparently, Prompto was making it a bit of a habit to endear himself to important strangers from Lucis. First Cor, then Regis, and even Noct. It wasn't even a conscious attempt to do so, his warm personality just shone through. If it weren't for the fact he bore an uncanny resemblance to a much younger, far less crazy Verstael Besithia it would be hard to even picture him as part of the Empire at all.

When Noctis clenched his fists in a tight death grip, almost tight enough to injure himself, Prompto wanted nothing more than to reach across and pull him into a hug. That felt like crossing a line though. Fist-bumps were one thing, but full on hugging? The big guy would run in here and stab him for sure.

Clarus Amicitia. Prompto wasn't sure how he felt about knowing the name. On the one hand, it made everything more real. Real people with real names was a lot harder to deal with than nameless masses in a crowd. On the other hand, he now had a name to put to the face of the man who saved his life.

It also explained why Gladio despised him so much. Not only was he a Niff, which was bad enough in Gladio's mind. But he was a Niff who had escaped alive with the King, when it should've been Clarus by the King's side.

"If it hadn't been for Lord Amicitia... neither the King or I would've made it out alive." Well, technically, if it hadn't been for Noctis and the phoenix down then the King would've perished anyway. Prompto had tried his hardest to keep the King alive and safe. He didn't have healing magic, he didn't have a lot of first aid knowledge. All he could do was keep the pressure on the wound and try to keep Regis conscious.

He feels sick to his stomach again as he thinks back. If Noctis hadn't shown up, he doesn't know what he would've done.

"I still can't believe it was all a lie. Everything is fucked up. If the Empire had just signed the treaty the world would be at peace right now." Prompto heaved out a sigh. "You know what the first thing I was gonna do after the treaty? I was gonna enroll at the university in Insomnia." Poor sunshine boy really hadn't known it was all lies.

"I was supposed to be getting prepped for a wedding by now." Noctis exhaled a noise that was halfway a sad laugh, running a hand through his hair, still messy from sleep. Between his casual clothes and the glasses, Prompto sure as hell looked more like a uni student than a political figure. (Or the son of one, anyway.) He tried not to think too hard about what-ifs, especially relating to his future with Luna- at least not until he knew that she was safe. Instead, he focused on the rest of what Prompto said.

He'd barely ever given university a thought, certainly not seriously. Not that education wasn't important for the heir to the throne, but his priorities had been more about learning matters of state, getting to know the council, understanding things about his father's job that he'd managed to mostly evade throughout his life until graduating high school. The occasional night courses would have been the most he'd been allowed to think about, and the pragmatic choices for those would have been political theory, economics, whatever else that Ignis opted to recommend to him rather than his own interests. 'What do I want to be when I grow up' wasn't something he had a choice in anyway, so what was the point.

He hadn't had any actual close friends to talk about it with though, besides listening to the chatter of his peers a few years ago, so colour him curious. "What would you have taken if you got in?"

He didn't know the process of applying for university in a foreign country - with the peace treaty, would that have made it easier for Niffs to come and go within the barrier? wouldn't it be dangerous? - but he did know that the city had a bunch of high-quality schools. Ignis had recommended a handful to consider for those night courses.

"Aw hey. On the bright side you can still get married, right? I bet Luna will be in touch soon enough to let us know she's safe and where she's heading next. Then you guys can meet up and then wedding bells."

Prompto wasn't really sure what the failed signing meant for Noctis and Luna in terms of them having to get hitched. But they could still choose to do it if they wanted, right? Nothing like a wedding to bring smiles to peoples' faces.

He seemed to settle down a little when it came to discussing university rather than the events at the Citadel. His posture relaxed and he slowly uncurled from his huddle.

From his research, what he had learnt was that if the treaty had gone ahead then people like him from Niflheim or other lands outside the Wall would be able to apply for a visa, allowing them to come and go to Insomnia as they pleased, seek accommodation and employment for the duration of their course providing they had no criminal convictions and were of sound character.

Prompto had always known he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, much to the older man's disappointment. The clones freaked Prompto out. And that was before the whole Starscourge part. He just wanted to nope the heck out of there. His lack of love for science only served to deepen the divide between him and his father.

A soft smile settled on his lips. "Hm. Well definitely some kind of photography course and um... chocobo husbandry." No politics, no history, no weaponry. Photos and chocobos.

Did he want to get married? He hadn't really had the chance to give it much thought- everything had moved so quickly. No one had asked if he wanted it, he'd been told it was going to happen and that was that. The obligations of the throne, easing the burden on his father, forging a lasting peace for the world, etc. All good reasons not to fight it. He hadn't gotten a chance to ask Luna what she wanted, either- had been kind of afraid to ask. She was always so honest in her letters, and seeing her confirm that she had misgivings, or only viewed him as a distant friend, or outright didn't want it... his heart ached at the thought that his marrying her might make her unhappy. She already had so much on her shoulders as Oracle. Plus being the wife of a king came with certain... expectations, particularly in a line as critical to the world as the Lucii (though perhaps less so now, since the line had remained unbroken waiting for the Chosen, and he was already born, so). They couldn't just get married and live as platonic roommates forever if she had other preferences.

Regardless, it wasn't his primary focus, and wouldn't be for a while. In truth he probably wouldn't dare broach the subject unless Luna brought it up first. By the sound of things, she likely had as much of a challenging day as he did.

So, Prompto. Noctis tilted his head, considering the idea. "Right, the chocobos... actually, I forgot about that." He reached into his magic and pulled from it the map he'd gotten from Cindy the other day, unfolding it and pointing first to one spot, then another some distance away. "Here's where we are right now, and way over here... chocobo farm."

They needed some good news, after everything they'd been through with more to come. May as well give them something to look forward to.

Prompto leaned over to look at the map, eyes following Noctis' finger. "Wait, what? A chocobo far? Like a legit, actual chocobo farm with chocobos?! Dude!! That is so awesome. Aw man, I wish we could go. I bet it's the most magical place in the whole of Eos."

His whole face lit up at just the thought of a farm of chocobos. "I kinda had this dream once that I could buy a couple of chocobos and go live in the wilderness with them. I'd build a wooden cabin for me to live in and a stable for them. I'd grow greens for them and vegetables for me. And there would be a stream or lake for water. I know it's a dumb dream, it'll never happen. But... it's always been that little glimmer of hope that keeps me going, y'know?"

Again, Prompto was either a genius mastermind of manipulation. Or he was a literal cinnamon roll.

"Back at the facility it's so dreary. There's no windows and it's all artifical light. Outside is just snow. And the labs scare me. But just picturing a life away from all of that... I'd even settle for just one chocobo."

Noctis smirked, folding the map up again and dismissing it; he was definitely, definitely leaning towards the cinnamon roll theory. He'd seen Iris show the same kind of enthusiasm when visiting the royal stables, so he could totally buy into the idea that Prompto genuinely felt that way. If the reality of what Prompto's life had been like wasn't so sad, he might have been tempted to tease a little. Instead, his response was more genuine. "It's not dumb. If nobody ever dreamed about taking care of chocobos, there'd be none of them left- the war almost made them go extinct. It's because of people like you that they're not just storybook creatures now." He considered leaving it at that, and then more quietly added, "I used to want to run an animal shelter. Can't exactly blame you for loving chocobos."

The conversation made him feel a little better, more confident and focused on what they were doing here, so he tugged the table a little closer to himself and leaned over the feather once more, hovering his hands just above the curls of down. After a few seconds, a warm blue light began to flow into it, weaving itself into the tips and soaking inward to the center. The more magic flowed into it, the more it began to pulse with energy. He'd keep working on it while they talked.

Prompto found himself mesmerised by the magic. He didn't think he would ever grow tired of watching Noctis. Um, watching Noctis' magic that was. A curious part of his mind wondered what would happen if he swirled his fingertips in the dancing blue light. His smarter, logical mind warned him that was probably a really dumb idea.

"Hey, if you ever get tired of the whole royal thing. You're welcome to come live in my wood cabin. We can adopt all the stray cats and dogs as well as chocobos."

Did offering to run off and live in the woods together count as kidnapping? Prompto really hoped not.

"But first... we kick the Empire's ass and get the Crystal back right? Then the Lucis-Caelum-Argentum Sanctuary for Chocobos and Other Creatures."

If it was kidnapping, Noctis didn't sound bothered by it at least; he stifled a quick snort of laughter behind his hand instead. That name might take some extra work.

"Better set it up inside Insomnia then, or I'll be no help." He kind of had to end up back there eventually, what with the whole future-king thing. Assuming they did successfully kick ass and reclaim the Crystal.

He finished with the phoenix down, lifted it to give it a little spin between his fingers to make sure it was fully saturated with the required magic, then tucked it back into the Armiger. Next up: the energy drinks Prompto had purchased, which he lined up and began turning into potions, one by one.

The name stayed. Maybe it could the shortened to LCA Sanctuary for Chocobos and Other Creatures because business cards aren't very big. And once Insomnia was rebuilt then there were bound to be plenty of critters in need of sanctuary. Maybe locating in Insomnia wouldn't be the worst thing. It wasn't quite a cabin in the middle of nowhere, but it would do.

Prompto watched as Noct worked. "So, like, you can turn energy drinks into potions? With your magic? Guess that explains why you didn't want a whole bunch of cola cans instead."

He propped an elbow on his knee. "And your magic comes from the Crystal right? So... if the Empire have it... can they use magic? Is that why they wanted it? Or can only you and your dad use it? I mean, they already have daemons, why do they need magic too?"

Insomnia was a pretty huge region, to be fair. Plenty of open land and little collections of trees just begging for a cabin. The king or crown prince could totally delegate an area for an animal sanctuary, especially to repay someone who'd saved their lives. If they could pull all of this rebellion business off, that is.

"The Niffs want everything, what else is new." The reply came automatically, just an everyday bitterness directed towards the known oppressors of the entire world. He did catch what he said a moment later; it'd probably take a while before he was faster at remembering that he was technically still talking to a Niff. He didn't want to talk to Prompto the way Gladio did. "I mean, the emperor probably wanted it all along. He's got all the political and military power, rules the whole world- why not get the magic power, too? Why would he let us keep Insomnia if he could have all of Lucis in one go?"

He tried to keep his tone more matter-of-fact than angry, and he thought he mostly pulled it off. It was just the truth, considering everything that had happened today. "...Anyway, it's pointless. The Crystal's just a rock without me and Dad to channel the magic. They can try all they want to cut us off from it, experiment on it, store it in that keep or wherever you said it'd be; it won't matter. We've got a wireless connection."

Prompto knew it would take a long time for the group to stop seeing him as a Niff. If ever. He tried not to let the bitterness sting. After all, Noct and the others had every reason to hate the Empire.

"Well, sucks for them. Because they didn't count on Team Awesome coming to take the Crystal back. That's us. We're Team Awesome. Just in case you weren't clear on that."

Even if he was hurting, Prompto was going to keep on smiling as best he could. "We fix up the King. Rescue the Crystal. Kick bad guy butt. Simple! Three-point action plan."

If only it were that simple. There was a very long and difficult road ahead of them.

It was a simple plan, yeah- outrageously so. But Noctis had always been a fan of simple plans. There was a good reason why he usually let Ignis come up with battle tactics. If they relied on Noctis, he'd just charge in mad and wing it.

"You're awfully presumptuous," he mused. "Hasn't even been a day and you're already renaming the prince's posse and his animal sanctuary."

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[PROMPTO] ☠ the times they are a changin' | for carbungle

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