Recolle AU/OU COMBO BREAKER PSL - Prompto, Ignis and Noctis

[kittycaterer]

[ Often times, Noctis would wonder when he would become like the normal citizens of Recolle. When he would become blissfully numb and unaware of the oddities that often fell upon those who lived there. With the Retrospec app comes the strange awareness of everything, and when it's taken away? Nothing.

He watched Gladio go from being in disbelief to the world around him to being completely unphased. As if he didn't even notice anything. Often times, Noctis wishes the same would come of him. The second he opens his eyes to an unfamiliar apartment and equally unfamiliar bed, he realizes he's not even one step closer to that.

The alarm buzzing from the cellphone on a nearby nightstand is unfamiliar as it yanks Noctis from a dead slumber. His eyes open to the morning light spilling through the windows, and he rolls to his side to turn off the offending sound.

It's not his phone.

Noctis sits up quick to try and figure out how to turn it off. It's a smart phone, but not at all like the one he has. When it shuts off, he's met with a wallpaper. Himself and Prompto; not weird, but...

They're wearing uniforms in it. Prompto grinning his usual, stupid grin with his hair matted down, a green-striped tie loose around his neck in a blueish blazer. Noctis' hair is significantly shorter in this picture. Prompto and him never went to school together. He's only known him a couple years at best. It's then that a text message comes through, the name not unfamiliar but.

Definitely unexpected.

Dad:
Noctis, it is 12:30.
You were to be here for briefing at 10, as we discussed.
Son, I understand you are newly graduated, but please remember your duty.
You are two days from 20 years and no longer a child.
I've sent Ignis to retrieve you.
- Message sent Sunday, August 28th M.E. 755 12:30PM ]

What?

[ Noctis' eyes go wide, looking at the phone as if something has started to crawl through it. Not only is he being told he's 19 years old, but duty?

What?

He rips the blanket off of him and jumps out of bed. He's only in his boxers, but he doesn't think about that when he yanks the curtains open to see that this is not the city that he is familiar with. This obviously isn't his penthouse in Recolle, and this...

This looks like... ]

... This... Isn't right...

[ Oh god. Oh no. Oh no, this is Insomnia. ]

Comments

[kittycaterer]

[ Noctis isn’t a stranger to affection. It’s not out of the question for him but this is so vastly different. Yet he doesn’t leave the embrace. He lets his other arm join, fully returning the gesture. He’s so tired. Its weird how tired he is. Is the Noctis that belongs here always this exhausted and stiff?

Prompto is warm. He’s cold. He feels that warmth soak into his bones. ]

We’re in the middle of a war, but...

Nothings happened yet. I don’t know.

[ His hair smells nice... ]

[mercurio]

Then it should be okay to take it easy and think this through calmly.

[he nods against noctis, drawing back slowly]

--does that help?

[kittycaterer]

[ They slowly part. And it’s odd that Noctis instantly laments it. He slowly nods. ]

Guess so.

... Thanks, Prompto.

[ A bit softer: ]

You’re... Surprisingly no different here. I’m glad.

[mercurio]

Except for the part with the kissing, right? I knew we weren't an item in -- Insomnia. [haaa...] Promise it won't happen again. Not while you're the one here, anyway. Wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable.

[kittycaterer]

[ He chuckles a little, posture finally growing casual. He feels at ease. Like they’ll figure this out. ]

Just surprised me. I don’t mind it.

[ Noctis shrugs. ]

I’ve kissed you before it just wasn’t serious.

[mercurio]

I can't believe we played gay chicken even in the other parallel universe.

...I mean, I guess I can believe it.

[kittycaterer]

[ Finally, Noctis laughs a little. ]

You lose every time.

[mercurio]

[prompto pouts at that laugh, sitting back and presses knees to his chest, arms hugging them close.]

I bet you also beat all my high scores too, huh?

[kittycaterer]

Still need to beat your FPS score at the arcade, but I’m close.

[ Gods, this room smells of antiseptic and... Wait, is that weed? Noct’s nose wrinkles a bit as he glances around the room. Sure, he’s got duties to maintain, but Noctis is far from needing to fully face them. Outside of his father not doing so well, which Noctis decides to stop thinking about. ]

This is weird...

[mercurio]

[prompto draws a deep breath, mostly to try and calm himself down]

You can say that again.

[he glances up at noctis, then curls his hands into fists, resolute]

The bathroom's in through that door. You can clean yourself up and I'll -- Are you hungry? We'll have breakfast and I'll run you through things so it can stop being super weird and just a bit weird, even if it's totally going to feel extremely weird...

[he shakes his head, getting up and limping towards the crutches. this really sucks.]

--oh. You have two dogs and two cats, as pets. The you here. So... I'll introduce you, okay?

[he should step out and let noctis walk around the place, right?]

[kittycaterer]

[ Noctis looks around the room again, still grasping at straws to figure out how he got here. To process that he’s replaced the Noctis who supposedly belongs here. Yet the Prompto who belongs here knew... Who he was. On the spot. Every second that passes provides another question he can’t answer. Prompto is his only means of understanding this, but he’s yet to really settle down here and—

Prompto gets up. Limping. And he can finally see the bandages on his leg. Noctis abruptly gets up. ]

Woah hey—

[ It doesn’t matter what version of Noctis he is. Prompto still means the world to him as his best friend. Noctis doesn’t think when he whizzes over towards Prompto to grab him by the waist. Giving him balance while he reaches for the crutches. ]

What happened?

[mercurio]

I-

[it's noctis. it's noctis and yet it feels like a stranger. it feels like noctis when he woke up from his coma, knowing certain things but ignorant to the bigger picture, like how prompto had to show him how everything worked--what everything was.]

[he tenses despite himself, looking at the other]

It's nothing. Got m'leg stitched up over a fall.

[kittycaterer]

[ He hangs tight as he straightens the two of them. Noctis doesn’t quite realize what this might mean for Prompto until we’ll after he’s been holding him for too long, steadying him so he doesn’t fall over. Once he realizes Prompto is tensing, he lets go, confident Prompto can stand.

He clears his throat as he hands over the crutches. ]

Must’ve been a nasty fall.

[mercurio]

S'more about where I landed than anything else. Thanks.

[crutches in hand, prompto gets to move around easier now. he continues looking at noctis.]

I'll give you some privacy.

[kittycaterer]

[ Prompto makes quite a bit of distance between them, and Noctis can’t help but feel guilty. The guy just promised to back off after realizing the whole relationship came as a surprise to him and it’s... Odd. Of course, he wouldn’t know the first way to console him here. Noctis is equally confused and out of place here, and there’s no telling how or if things will go back to normal. So he doesn’t know what to say that can help. He just rubs at the back of his neck, assuming this is a sign he should probably get dressed or something. ]

Er... Right. Thanks.

[ He looks over towards the closet, then back to Prompto. ]

Just need a few minutes. I’ll come out in a bit.

[mercurio]

[prompto nods at that, looking like he wants to say something more, but instead decides to stop himself from blurting more stupid things out (like his feelings). he steps out of the bedroom, and is quickly accosted by one very frustrated and confused ignis--who turns out not to be the ignis prompto has become familiar with.]

[prompto explains, hurriedly, and feels his anxiety going overboard. you don't want to have to explain all these things while wearing just your underwear, too, but also under the circumstances that you may not actually get your boyfriend back?]

[he does feel like crying.]

[he peaks inside the bedroom, voice shaky, although he doesn't step inside; all these things are making him feel more and more out of place, helpless.]

Uh, Noct? Ignis is here... Your Ignis.

[kittycaterer]

[ In the time he has to himself, he’s able to go through the closet. He’s relieved to find that most of the choices here are black or grey; at least their tastes are the same. But the clothes are smaller, and he double-takes when he thinks he won’t fit. Looking down, Noctis is reminded that he weighs a bit less here.

He finds something simple, choosing black jeans and a loose-fitting v-neck. But he stops as he pulls the shirt over his head, holding the hem over his belly. Noctis is briefly distracted by the scar around his navel, small, but deep. Like he’s been cut open there. If what Prompto said about his health has anything to do with this, maybe he had undergone surgery often?

He feels... Sad. Noctis looks at himself and there’s a face here he doesn’t recognize. He’s there, but—

The door opens again, Noctis shoving down his shirt hem when Prompto calls. He turns his head, brow raised. Ignis? ]

What?

[mercurio]

Yeah, he's--

[margenes]

Noct, are you alright?

[he's going past prompto. because despite ignis being well aware of who prompto is, he owes his eternal allegiance to noctis before any other blond kid in the premises.]

[he stops in shock at what he sees. noctis looks like shit.]

Astrals. What happened to you?

[kittycaterer]

[ Gods, this is such a mess. And Noctis isn’t sure if he finds any solace in knowing Ignis has been roped into this too. He’s about to walk through the doorway, but Ignis comes barreling in quick.

He certainly doesn’t look any different but not as fit as Noctis remembers. His hair is even shorter. Noctis stops in his tracks, absolutely baffled. If not a bit embarrassed when Ignis very quickly points out how awful he looks. ]

Er—

[ He looks down at himself, pulling in his jeans that are still too big. ]

He’s... I’m...

Sick? I guess?

What the hell is going on?

[margenes]

I've yet to figure out what has happened, exactly.

[is the quick response, ignis catching sight of several artifacts in the background for medical assistance. he excuses himself and steps further inside the room, quick to study those contraptions, working his way towards the bureau where the medicine bottles are in.]

[first and foremost, he's got to make sure noctis remains alive despite his illness]

Come here. Have you had any of these yet?

[he motions towards the medicines]

[ignis did his fair share of research on his(?) phone and knows enough to know that he is in another ignis's life, in a city called recolle. the information his life "here" was surmised, and although shocking that this is happening at all, ignis rolled his eyes real fucking hard at the astrals and immediately went on to check on noctis. luckily, here he was.]

[kittycaterer]

[ There is just so much going on. By now, Prompto has exited the room while the two of them work this out. Which is an awkward disaster in and of itself. He woke up with both of them cuddled up in their underwear. Nothing outside of these windows are familiar or even make sense, he’s easily lost ten to twenty pounds overnight, and he feels like he can’t breathe.

Ignis is here. Ignis has his head twisted on seemingly tighter than Noctis can manage, and so he responds. He listens and walks towards Ignis, where he hovered over a gathering of various pills and equipment. Noctis keeps glancing at that oxygen tank and thinking of seniors who are wheeled out of a home. ]

No? I was busy trying to take stock of who I was after just waking up.

[ Astrals, some of these pills are huge... ]

Is he dying?