agogelogs | [OPEN] what kingly dreams

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[OPEN] what kingly dreams

WHO? Noctis and you (and some other losers maybe)
WHAT? Dreams
WHEN? Whenever both our characters are asleep during this event
ANYTHING ELSE? Possible violence and trauma

[ Dream A ]

[ The decorations on the Citadel almost seem like physical impossibilities, great waterfalls of fabric draped over towering architecture and what feels like a never-ending amount of petals or confetti catching the light as they fall. It's not really all that consistent. It is a dream, after all.

Maybe that's why the crowd that chokes the plaza feels so indistinct, fuzzy background faces cheering for the wedding they're about to witness. Noctis takes a deep breath as he gathers his composure, unable to adjust his collar because fidgeting is inappropriate but it's so itchy. Nevertheless he turns his head from where he's standing at the height of the stairs, looking to what should be his bride climbing the last few. Except... ]

Wait, this isn't right. [ You are not Luna. ]

[ Dream B ]

[ The indignant cheeping of the chocobos in response to their beautiful plumage getting wet is louder at least than the steady rainfall against the rooftop of the Wiz Chocobo Post. Louder still might be Noctis's scoffing at his own hair getting wet, trying his best to smooth it down even as he ducks under the railing of one of the bird pens. ]

Easy, easy... You think I want to be out here either? [ Why is he here? He doesn't know beyond that it's definitely his job to feed these animals; that's a certainty. Did he take up a part-time job or something? One gloved hand smoothes feathers as he calls out to the other presumed worker on duty. ]

Hey, can you pass me that bag of greens?

[ Dream C ]

[ Students are whispering behind him, he can feel it. They always do. He looks younger, feels younger, and the school uniform he's wearing is as uncomfortable as it ever was.

He stares at the board, a complex math equation he's never seen carefully scrawled onto its face as his teacher tuts disapprovingly. "How can we have a prince that can't even solve something so rudimentary? You're so unlike your father," she says, and his discomfort only grows.

This is like a nightmare... How could anyone know the answer? ]

[ closed to Achilles ]

Come... on! Stay down already!

[ The bark of a frustrated yell comes from a visibly irritated Noctis, sword vanishing in an array of crystalline light before being replaced in his hands by a vicious-looking spear. He's facing down a monstrous beast that seems all too intent on slashing him open with swipes of its claws, narrowly dodging each hit. ]

Gladio! Where's-- Prompto, Ignis! Where are you?! [ That spear is hurtled at the behemoth's head as he warps in for an attack of his own, getting in a few solid strikes before he tumbles back down onto grass. Help's always appreciated. ]

[ closed to Midnighter ]

[ Noctis is unused to spending much time in the throne room of the Citadel these days, and it's even harder to remember a time when he's been in here alone. Fingers drag over the smooth surface of one of the throne's armrests before abruptly jerking back, as if he's suddenly remembered it should only be his father's right to place his hand there.

Where is he? He should be here. It's too quiet and Noctis has always loathed coming in here as an adult; there's no reason for him to linger when he expects an advisor or guard to show up and chide him at any moment.

The sudden sound of footsteps has him turning his head, however, the only warning he's given before the doors at the far end of the room burst open and another young male who looks to be close to his age -- but in much, much worse condition -- runs through them. Has he ever seen this person before? No, his mind says, but he doesn't belong in here. ]

Hey! Hey, are you okay? [ Noctis is taking those steps two at a time to move to his side. ]

[ closed to Hei ]

[ It's night.

The starscape in Lucis is stunning, too, a totally unique beauty that he could never appreciate in the metropolis of Insomnia. Out here, away from civilization... everything seems to slow down a little. Everything feels more real.

And it isn't what he wants to see; it's not his friends, or Luna, or the place that he'd most call "home". But it's what he needs to see, his world and the lands he's destined to rule over. Noctis exhales as he drags his fingers through cool grass, head turning to see the shadow of another figure only illuminated by starlight. ]

... ah. Hey. [ Again his gaze turns skyward, even if he feels a greater sense of unease now. ] It'd be good if this lasted, huh?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He thinks to ask about the political intricacies of a non-monarchy... and elects not to. That sounds like it would get complicated and/or boring quickly, and just because they're in a school building doesn't mean he wants to bring that on himself.

Especially when they could be talking about fighting instead. ]

Whose shoes are that big? Your dad's too? Or maybe like a fighting teacher... I've got a couple.

[He wouldn't have found out much from her anyway – Shinobu could not give less of a shit about politics when they seemingly had no reach in her lifestyle.

Fighting was by far the more interesting topic to her as well anyway.]

I only need one, my dad was the best mentor in the world, where I'm from. ["Was", she kind of accidentally let that slip, along with forgetting that the two of them were not from the same world, in that instant. A bit of melancholy crosses her smile, though she soon shifts it to something more serious.] And only I can come as close to understanding the blade like he could.

[Ah yes, the thing about her being younger in this dream is that she was also more melodramatic back then too. "Straight out of a samurai film", some might say.]

[ He doesn't miss her verb choice, attention snapping back to her a little awkwardly after it's gotten lost somewhere in an idle gaze out the window. "Was"... Yeah, that's tough. But why does it feel so much worse than it should, right now? There's a weird pressure in his chest that he can't define, brow furrowing. ]

Guess we have something in common. That sounds like my old man too... I still get stuck hearing stories about his "fighting days". [ Complete with lazy air quotes. ]

He sounds pretty cool. Your dad.

[Shinobu catches Noctis' expression change slightly, and briefly wonders if he too knew the loss of losing a family member. However, as he continues, the thought is dispelled. Maybe he was just super empathetic or something.

Whatever the case was, Shinobu smiles slightly, but with a melancholic edge to it.] Yeah, I got stuck hearing stories like that too. But... it's not all that bad, really. [A sigh passes as she glances away briefly.] You might miss it someday, you know.

[She manages to brighten up a little, though, at the bit of compliment.] He was no king, or anything of the sort, but yeah. There's a reason a lot of people admired him.

[There's a bit of an awkward pause, after that, until Shinobu speaks again.] So, uh. You wanna get out of here?

[Because yes, she is absolutely suggesting they skip this school. She had nothing to lose, as this wasn't Santa Destroy High and it seemed like this school was pretty lame for Noctis too. Win-win.]

[ Whatever abuses Noctis might suffer within these walls, he can't manage to hate this place. He fought with his father to be here, arguing that he wanted as normal an upbringing as possible until Regis had capitulated and allowed him to be schooled with his peers. That said...

When she mentions ditching class he's of two minds. One, he should probably stay and do his proper duty. But two, he's honestly had enough for one day and no one's ever asked him to do this before, which is a little exciting. He has always had a rebellious spirit. ]

... yeah. You cool to jump out this window? [ GO HARD OR GO HOME, SHINOBU ] I wanna' hear more about your dad on the go.

[While Shinobu, too, had a rebellious spirit, this was also her first time getting to do this. At her own school, she needed the cover to avoid sticking out as much as possible for the other students' sake and didn't have any friends to skip out with anyway, as they'd just be targeted by other assassins trying to take her rank. It was a little bittersweet, knowing that she'd never be able to do this in Santa Destroy, so she had to make the most of it now.

Noctis' suggestion warrants a momentary, wide-eyed look of bewilderment that quickly shifts into a satisfied smirk. Either this guy was out of his mind or was even more interesting than she originally thought. Either way, she could get down with this kind of madness.]

Of course. [FINALLY SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE "GO HARD OR GO HOME" MINDSET.] But you better tell me about yours, too. I might be the only person that really knows nothing about you at all.

[True to her word, she goes to the nearest window and opens it. Positioning herself on the sill, she glances down to gauge the distance, glancing back with a challenging sort of grin.] If you wuss out, though, I'm not telling you anything.

[And with that, she jumps down without hesitation, landing below in something that looks awfully close to a cool superhero landing pose. Coming out of nowhere from impossibly high distances was no problem for her, okay. Picking herself up, she takes a few paces back as she waits for Noctis to follow.]

[ From anyone else he'd expect a quick "no" and maybe a follow up "are you out of your mind?" after a question like that. But somehow... somehow, with her, he just knows she's going to go for it. The conversation's hinted as much and she gives off an air of confidence and risk-taking.

Besides.

The window isn't that high up.

He's pushing off the wall just to watch her as she pitches forward in a brave hurtle towards the ground, tempted to whistle when she pulls off that landing. If only he knew how. ] Hey! You okay? [ So instead he yells down at her, grin tugging at his face as he eases back a step... and snatches up a nearby pen. ]

Back up a little! [ The only warning he's giving before tossing that writing utensil down as he takes a deep breath... and it doesn't even hit the ground before Noctis is suddenly vanishing from where he stands, warping to it in a flash of crystalline light. He snatches it up as he straightens, nearly stumbling forward a step but catching himself -- someone hasn't had a ton of practice yet. ]

Ah-- ah, nailed it.

[The funniest part is that the only thing Shinobu thought was a little odd was that Noctis found the urge to throw a pen out of a window for whatever reason. But whatever, whatever floated his boat, she supposed. However, as he shifts away in a blink, soon appearing again on the ground. While Shinobu had seen a variety of fighters already, she had never seen anything quite like that.]

Pretty slick. [In regards to whatever move he just pulled off. However, she soon adds:] Now you gotta work on the landing. Seven out of ten.

[She smiles briefly before looking around to see what else this dream world had to offer.] What the hell was that anyway? You fight with a pen?

Ah, no, it's at least eight out of ten. [ His immediate comeback, in possession of zero shame when it comes to bragging about his combat skills. And this one is a work in progress, so he allows himself a tiny bit of leeway. ]

Wait... [ Noctis lowers his gaze to the pen in his hand, only then shaking his head when he realizes what she means. ] Could if I wanted to, probably, but no way. The reach on this thing sucks... It'd only work for sneak attacks, right? [ He turns on his heel with a shrug of his shoulder to invite her along, gaze pointed back out at a crowded but somehow still neat and tidy cityscape, skyscrapers towering overhead and shadowing strategically planted urban gardens. A rich district. ]

Uh-uh. [She shakes her head stubbornly, crossing her arms in a judging manner.] I'm being generous with the seven. If you don't end it with style, what's even the point?

[As he goes on to explain about the pen, though, her posture lightens up a little as she huffs a bit in amusement.] Too bad, it would've been kinda badass. Unless you could actually pull off the sneak attacks, I guess.

[As she follows Noctis further, she takes a moment to take in the surroundings, admiring the beauty of the district – clearly a place for the wealthy.] Nice place. You're from this area?

The outcome's the point... [ A muttered defense of the practicality of what he'd done even if his thoughts run secretly tandem with hers. Alright, fine, he wishes it'd been more stylish too.

At her commentary he lifts his gaze, however, focus stolen from the streets he intends to navigate to the scenery itself. He banks a left out of the schoolyard with a light shrug, hands finding pockets. ]

Not really. [ He nods to one building in particular, distant but looming, standing out even amongst the other skyscrapers for its incredible height. ] I'm from there. Prince, remember?

Hey, I gave you points for not stumbling. Seven out of ten, still.

[Well geez, Noctis, she doesn't know the place like you do! Regardless, she shifts her attention to the building Noctis gestures to, brows raising as she lifts her head to take in the full profile of the building.]

Damn, you live in that? Must be nice.

[ He goes for an idle kick of a nearby rock as they move along, raising his head to again peer at that building when she references it. ]

Ah... Lived, past tense. I'm staying in an apartment now, but you asked where I'm from. [ A pause. ] It's called the Citadel, since you're pretty clueless about this stuff. Anybody around here could tell you.

[Shinobu tosses a piercing dry look over at him over his criticism before rolling her eyes with a sigh.] God, are you like this with every foreigner here? You suck as a date.

[Throughout the last couple of years, she would hold those kinds of comments a little better, but she was somehow even ruder then than she is now. And no, she doesn't actually consider this a date, it's more to provoke him.

Giving a shake of her head, Shinobu gives a harder kick to the same rock, which skids far ahead of them on the ground.]

But, whatever. Show me something else cool.

[ Wow. There is so much to unpack here. First of all, he wonders if he needs to clarify that this is in fact not a date. He decides that that one is a big "no"; she's just gonna' mock him some more. Then he wonders if he should be offended by the insinuation.

Another hard "no". Now he doesn't know which expression to go with. He settles with bemused apathy, his go-to. ]

Has anybody ever told you that you're super demanding before? I was gonna' head to the arcade early...

They have. [And Shinobu goes with utter nonchalance, her own go-to without bothering to follow up on that at all.

However, after a couple of silent, awkward moments pass, she pulls back the abrasive attitude a bit.]

Is it a decent place to talk? I haven't been to too many of 'em.

[ What a... bizarre question. That's a good thing, though, as it gives him the chance to at least feel a little more like the knowledgeable one again and thus gives him more confidence in the conversation. ]

What, an arcade? Not really... At least, not when I'm there. That high a score tends to draw a crowd. [ Just kill him. ]

[She hadn't touched too many video games in her life, so she doesn't know! But in spite of that, she liked him a little better as he seemed a little more confident anyway. Displaying a bit of a crooked smile, she continues on ahead.]

So you're good at it, huh? Now the pressure's on you. If you don't get the highest score, when I'm around, it's gonna be a huge let down.

[ He scoffs. Right, confidence is definitely on the table now. ]

Are you kidding? If I don't get the highest score, I'm gonna' be let down. I'm a lot better than you're giving me credit for. Prompto might take a win here or there when it comes to the shooters but that's it.

Guns are stupid anyway. [Yes, even when talking about video games. But at least they weren't beam katanas, those were the worst. But the name was certainly something new to her.] Is this Prompto some kind of rival to you, then?

[ There's a choked sound that was definitely going to be a particularly uncool laugh but Noctis holds it back. ]

Prompto? No... Maybe at the arcade, sometimes. But not outside of it. He's my best friend.

[She gives him a weird look at... whatever that sound was, coming from him, but decides to just not question it.]

One of those kinds of deals, huh? [Not that she can relate, because she didn't really have any friends to speak of, but it was at least familiar enough with the concept.]

Who's got the high score right now, then? Between the two of you?

[ Hands find his hips before just as quickly dropping back down by his sides, finding the position unnatural and therefore probably uncool. He hasn't talked to someone his age for this long in a while. It's not as bad as he figured it would be. ]

Me. You think I'd leave the arcade if he had it?

[At the very least, his attempt to look cool was actually a little funny to her. Not in the way of an attempt to look cool, but rather that he was seemingly so worked up over the question that he felt the need to get into such a defensive position.]

Who's to say he wouldn't sneak in sometime, when you're not around? [But right, this guy was apparently some kind of friend – there was probably no need for that kind of tactic.] You're really serious about this score, then?

Well yeah, I'm good at it.

[ This... is more revealing than he means it to be, in a few ways, but he isn't self-reflective enough to really notice. Yes, he craves simple, verifiable success. Doesn't everyone? And he isn't getting that feeling from many other places, not when any of his other talents are expected or still fall short of what is desired of him. ]

... if he's sneaking in then I'm never letting him borrow my manga ever again.

[OPEN] what kingly dreams

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