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[...it's some crazy hour in the morning, in which even prompto isn't awake for, still, meaning that it's way before sunrise. but his phone is blaring his obnoxious ringtone beside him, and he reaches out to catch his phone, to see who is this sociopath calling him. unlocking the screen only blinds him for a moment, and he's wincing, squinting as he lowers the brightness]

[then see noctis caelum on the caller id]

[what?]

Hnn... Noct?

[he answers, obviously, but prompto knows he's not sleeping on his bed. this is noctis's couch. the fleece blanket is itchy on his pasty legs.]

Y'know it's fuck in the mornin' and I'm in your apartment?

[ It's been weeks. Noctis couldn't seem to get that strange image out of his head. And it manifested in the weirdest way possible, while his arm had been stuck up the goddamned claw machine in the arcade. For some odd reason, the image of him being pulled-- Sucked into some glowing, crystalline structure that had completely engulfed him. Surrounded by hot, bright light until there was nothing but white.

What the hell was that all about?

He'd kept it to himself. Noctis had heard the experiences of others around Recolle, where strange "memories" come up during random experiences. But they're misplaced and make little to no sense. Noctis felt this first-hand, but part of him wants to brush it off as nothing more than mere imagination or... Something with his medication. It can't be real. The visual itself was horrifying, and he can't help but feel like someone was there. Noctis didn't see anyone, or even heard anyone-- It's as if the memory itself is fragmented and out of order, but he swears he felt a presence.

In his chosen silence, the odd vision has plagued his thoughts ever since. Haunted his nightmares. And it's this very night which that visual decides to come right back to him and make him feel as though he's suffocating and incapable of escape. This has to be the third night in a row that he's sat up in a cold sweat.

He's not sure why he dialed Prompto's number. Noctis hasn't wanted to call anyone about this, but in his half-asleep stupor, a feint desire to talk to his best friend about this dictates his actions.

Noctis is so out of it, he forgot Prompto had chosen to crash on his couch for the night. He's quiet for a second while that catches up to him, and he sighs. ]

Shit.

Sorry, dude. I forgot.

It's okay.

[he drapes one arm over his eyes]

Y'need something?

[ He's silent for a second, mulling over his intentions. Slowly, he starts to slip out from his bed. ]

Ah...

Yeah, actually. Mind if I go out there?

It's your place.

[prompto says, hanging up (because that's ridiculous), and sits up, stretching his arms over himself as he drops his phone on his lap. when his feet hit the floor, he remembers how cold the place is because of the air conditioner, and simply decides not to get up from the couch.]

[he but he sits there, leaning against the back, looking out into the dark hallway, waiting for noctis]

[ Noctis is clearly terrible at waking up. That's been consistent since the beginning, and so he shuffles out of the room with his eyes practically still closed. He sighs, scratching at his stomach and straightening his shirt until he plops down next to Prompto on the couch. ]

Don't make fun of me, okay?

Let me guess.

[he says, still slumped against the couch, but putting a hand over noctis's in a very condescending kind of way]

My dear Noctis had a nightmare? It's okay, tell Prommy all about it. I'll kick the monsters away.

[someone's still not 100% awake yet]

[ Noctis wrinkles his nose, pulling his hand away from Prompto's and lazily shoving him with it. ]

I said don't.

[ He groans, putting his hand to his face as he leans back against the couch. ]

Yes. I had a nightmare, but--

Ugh, it's just a repeat of something I saw the other week, and it's been bothering me.

Edited 2017-07-26 18:09 (UTC)

[the shove is not a strong one, but prompto falls back on the couch anyway, onto his back. he props his feet up on noctis's lap and continues to look at him.]

[suddenly serious]

Something you saw? ...like one of those memory things?

[ His hand is still on his face, rubbing at it because he's so exhausted. Noctis pushes his bangs back from his eyes, sighing heavily again. ]

How can it be a memory if it's something I'm pretty sure never happened?

[ It felt like it did, though. Noctis doesn't at all mind Prompto propping his feet up on his lap, but he still leans over his legs with his face in his hands again. ]

I know my memory's screwed up from the coma, but this...

It just doesn't make sense.

[he pulls his legs away when noctis leans over, so he props himself up instead, scooting closer and putting a hand over his friend's back]

That's how it goes. I had some weird memories coming back to me that made literally no sense with anything I ever did--or would do, rationally.

...do you want to tell me what it was?

[ He doesn't want to think of this as a memory. It's far too terrifying for him to even consider as a memory. It's what everyone here refers to these visions as, and it just...

Noctis would rather deny it.

He keeps his face in his hands, taking a few seconds to gather his thoughts, because he's still half asleep. Eventually, he takes a settling breath, dropping his hands to lean back against the couch. ]

I'm in front of his giant rock--

Crystal, I'm pretty sure. And when I touched it, I couldn't move away. It started... Pulling me in. When I tried getting my arm out, it pulled harder until it swallowed me up completely.

[ He sighs, shaking his head. ]

At least, I think it did. The memory is really fragmented, like it's in different parts.

[he takes his hand back before it's crushed between noctis and the couch, deciding to keep to himself and just... listen.]

[clearly it's not the same as seeing it happen, nor feeling the emotions that come with it (feeling so incredibly real), but prompto can see how goddamn terrifying it is. what with his claustrophobia kicking in when he leaves the door closed in his bathroom for a second too long that he needs to walk out into the hallway half naked with a toothbrush in his mouth to collect himself, the idea of a rock, whatever type it is, pulling him inside and keep him there for whatever reason...]

[prompto reminds himself that he needs to keep breathing]

[he closes his eyes and counts to ten, then gasps for air, focusing, and turning his eyes back on noctis]

...can we sit outside for a second?

[prompto points out at the glass door leading to the balcony]

Fresh air might help you feel better.

Edited 2017-07-27 23:26 (UTC)

[ The more Noctis thinks about it, the worse he feels. He's not at all claustrophobic, but he definitely gets that feeling when he has to reflect on the memory itself. Reliving it explaination makes him feel like his arm is being tugged forward again. It was hot, burning, this bright light engulfing him while he writhed and struggled with absolutely no success.

His skin starts to crawl, almost completely in tandem to Prompto's own panic. The suggestion snaps him back before he can panic. ]

Good idea.

[ Tired as he is, Noctis can't get up fast enough. He seems to make a beeline for the door because, yeah, it's suddenly really stifling in here. ]

[prompto follows, forgetting how cold the floor is, and soon as he catches up with noctis (it doesn't take much) he puts his hands on his friend's back and leads him out, towards the railing--]

[where prompto takes a seat, lets his legs dangle, and presses his face to the bars, taking a deep breath and looking down at the city. as scared as he is of closed spaces, height does nothing to him. it fascinates him. and, from here? the city looks so small, so quiet, so peaceful; tiny bleeps of light in very few places, very few cars zooming by, not really any sound but for the rustling of leaves from trees far below.]

[it isn't a very windy night at all, either.]

That's fucked up.

[he finally offers, leaning back and looking over at noctis, hands holding up his weight behind him]

I've had some pretty scary memories, too, but nothing quite like that. I... found that talking about it really helped out. Especially because it wasn't just what I saw, but what I felt. Scared, anxious, like my heart's in my throat. I can't imagine being sucked into a crystal as anything but mortifying.

[please tell him]

[ Prompto isn't wrong. Talking about it does help, even if reliving it has been taxing. He follows suit, seated similarly to Prompto where he leans against the railing, looking out to the night sky. He sits in silence as Prompto empathizes, tries to put himself in a similar spot, and Noctis is pretty grateful for it. Knowing that he's experienced similar fears makes him feel less alone, but it does nothing for his confusion. ]

I just--

[ Noctis looks to Prompto, eyes still tired. ]

What does this all even mean? Was that real? Are they really memories?

...I don't know.

[he turns his gaze away from noctis, down at the floor, chewing on his lip]

[he wishes he had answers for his best friend]

What I do know is that in one of my so-called memories, Ardyn was in it. He remembered the exact same thing. I don't know if it means our brains were messed with or that it actually happened, whenever ago, but it's something alright.

[finally, he lifts his gaze again]

Were you alone in your memory?

[ Just another drop in the hat for his life then, huh? No choices. Noctis has to wonder what this place is really about, because it just seems like his life has taken a pretty strange turn since he moved here.

Noctis looks away from Prompto, back out to the city skyline. He holds on to the bars of the balcony, thinking a moment. ]

I didn't see anyone, but...

It felt like someone was there. Just... Watching it happen.

[that's something hard to... try and be reassuring about. prompto sighs softly, and just lets himself fall against noctis's side, leaning against his friend]

...in the end, you're here right now.

It sucks, but you can't let yourself get all messed up by it.

[he pinches noctis's leg, then smiles, pulling away]

Now's the present.

[ Noctis just doesn't feel right. Like he's not in the right skin, or that his head is somewhere else. Was someone there? Why was he even in front of this terrifying rock in the first place? It's all a ton of questions that have zero answers.

Prompto pinches him, assuring him that he isn't there. That he's here, indicated by the cool breeze that touches him and the sounds of the city below. Eventually, he loosens up, feeling Prompto leaning against him and it somehow keeps him sane. Their dynamic is still something to get used to, but Noctis finds himself becoming more and more dependent on it.

He sits in silence, mulling over everything, glancing over to Prompto a second and realizing that his chest is tightening in that weird way again and he looks away.

Eventually, he playfully shoves his friend. ]

I'm going to become diabetic if you keep that up.

[prompto laughs lightly at that, and the playful shove, allowing himself to fall on the floor. he pulls his legs up from under the railing and kicks himself up to standing. he's not wearing sweats, so his pasty legs shine under the moonlight]

[enjoy the show of chocobo patterned boxers]

Whatever, you probably already are.

[...but, prompto's content.]

Noct. If you ever wanna talk about any memory you get, no matter how confusing, just tell me, alright? Is that the only one you've gotten so far?

Just another drop in the bucket.

[ He's already sick. Why not!

Despite it, he manages to relax a little, getting up to stand with Prompto. It's actually pretty nice out... He leans over the railing, mulling things over. ]

So far, yeah. That's the only one.

[ He turns his gaze to Prompto. ]

You and Ardyn crossed paths before?

[don't say that...]

Apparently. We were talking outside a caravan.

[he sits down on one of the lounge chairs noctis keeps out there (it probably came with the apartment, to be honest), loosely crossing his legs over the knee]

I was sitting, kinda like this, and he was telling a story.

...I've never told you about my memories properly, have I? [he knows he hasn't]

[ His arms are still over the railing, leaning forward. Noctis' brow raises, both at the notion of Ardyn and Prompto sharing similar pasts, and at the suggestion that he's already had a few memories hit him. ]

No.

[ Noctis pushes off the railing and takes the adjacent lounge chair beside him. He's far too awake now to go back to bed. ]

You've had a few?

[prompto counts in his head, then voices them out and counts them on his hand]

First one I got, it was this chocobo song. I wanna ride my chocobo all day, but apparently no one else is really familiar with it. Then, I remembered this... chocobo farm. It smelled terrible, but there was a cute black chocobo! And this huge demon lion Ardyn told me is actually a Behemoth. Apparently I was chasing after it, like I was some sort of monster hunter.

[he snorts, and continues counting]

I told you the one I had with Ardyn at a caravan. He was... talking about gods. We've concluded they're Astrals. He got a memory of their name 'cuz of Chill Satan... Ah, hold on.

[suddenly, prompto gets up and heads back inside. he brings out his backpack, and sitting back down, he opens it up and pulls out his wallet.]

There's not just memories, but also things. I received this in the mail after I had the memory about fighting Chill Satan. Kinda confirmed things for me there, since I was a huge skeptic.

Oh, and--don't freak out.

[prompto pulls out a gun from his bag]

Lion Heart. I just know that's its name. Found it in my bathroom about a week ago. Which, on top of apparently knowing hand-to-hand combat to some extent, really makes me think I was a monster hunter.

[this is a lot...]

Edited 2017-07-28 21:26 (UTC)

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