victory_road | when the night has come

Entry tags:

when the night has come

Who: Prompto & Ignis, Prompto & You

Where: Violet City (video and in-person interactions available)

When: October 15

Summary: Prompto loses more than friendships in ways he never imagined.

Rating: Mentions of death, facial injuries (specifically: eyes)(fairly graphic)

A. Violet Inn - Closed to seeingeyesteward (Ignis)

[Prompto wakes violently, pallid skin glistening with a cold-sweat and a strangled scream dying in his throat as terrified eyes open inhumanly wide. He immediately tries to turn on the night next to his bed, trembling hands fumbling with the simple switch until the incandescent bulb lights and part of the room is bathed in a yellow glow.

He chokes on his sob of relief. He can see.

Shaking, Prompto can't help thinking about his ~~dream~~ nightmare.]

(Dreamscape)He can barely hear Noct shouting his name over the pounding of his blood in his ears. He's running, which normally fills him with adrenaline but now every step fills him with dread. Something is wrong, something is happening, and he needs to move faster.

Dodging and weaving around hordes of daemons, something catches his foot and he falls. Hard. He forces breath back in his lungs and surges forward, driven by his one purpose: ~~Protect~~ Save Noctis. He's already failed to protect him, he can't fail to save him.

Sprinting now, suddenly darkness spills across his eyes. He lifts his hand to wipe them, and shouts when he feels it; shards of ... something embedded in his face. He's trying to carefully map out how bad the damage is while he runs (there's no time to stop for a simple injury, Noct needs him), but his hands are wet with blood and it's getting darker and darker with each footfall. Something else catches his foot, probably an imp if the screech is anything to go by, and he stumbles just enough to jar his left hand; it suddenly presses against the left side of his face and he screams as hot pain rips through him as easily as the shards rip through his skin... and his eye.

Blood flows freely down his face now, making it harder to breathe as he runs and pouring into his other eye, adding to the growing fuzziness of what little he can still see. It seems like ages have passed, but he's finally rounding the corner and Noct's voice is so close and -

Nonononono.

He's too late; he's failed again.(End Dreamscape)

[Yea, Prompto's had dreams of losing Noct before. Hell, he's had dreams of losing all of them. But never like this. He's shaking, rocking back and forth on his bed with his arms wrapped around his knees so tightly even Pryna, who woke up as soon as Prompto did, can't press her way in. The blond pays her no mind, completely lost in the lingering horror of that nightmare, of the last thing he saw before it all went dark and he jolted awake. Noct's body, mutilated and torn, laying in a haphazard heap on the ground and the way dying eyes met his fading one.

A more violent tremor runs through Prompto's body and he starts digging his nails into his skin, a subconscious attempt to bring him back to the present. He wants to close his eyes, but knows he'll just see it all again if he does. So he forces them to stay open, wide and unaware of anything other than the light filling the room. He still hasn't taken note of Pryna, who's gone from trying to get his attention to chirping, wild and nervous, at Ignis in the other bed.]

B. Video: Later that day

[The video opens to a patch of sky, slowly moving to be replaced by a haggard Prompto. His face is ungodly pale, highlighting the dark bags under his slightly bloodshot eyes (the eye-drops Iggy had helped a little) and even his hair seems pale, unstyled and limp around his freckled face. Exhaustion-dulled violet eyes look into the camera as he starts to speak.]

H-hey guys. M'sure I look like a mess, but I ... I've gotta see if anyone else is experiencing this stuff.

[He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, exhaling as he opens them to reveal a dim sparkle of determination. He's gotta get to the bottom of this, for his sake and for Iggy's sake. And hey, maybe others will benefit too.]

E-ever since the Phantumps and Drowzees started showin' up, my sleep has been pretty bad. And lately I've been having some nightmares I haven't had in a while. But most recently - Gods this sounds so crazy - I think I've started havin' dreams that aren't ... well, aren't mine. A-and I seriously need to know if anyone else is going through th' same thing...

[His eyes nervously dart from the camera to the ground and back up, feeling more than a little exposed after opening up to anyone who happens to watch this. Yea, talking with Iggy helped a bit, but this is ... different. He just hopes he gets some answers and that no one calls him crazy.

Maybe he'll sleep better if he knows other people are dealing with this kind of stuff too. But he doubts it.]

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Yeah I..yeah.

[Noctis doesn't really want to talk about the specifics of what he's experienced so far; he doesn't want to think about it more than he has to.

But how can he not respond when Prompto looks like he does?]

Are-- [He pauses, looking frustrated and on the verge of tears lingering from the result of his last nightmare.] ...I don't know why they're doing it but it has to have something to do with those Pokemon..

[That was the only explanation he could come up with.]

...Where are you guys?

[The fear, the horror he remembers from his nightmare rush to the forefront of Prompto's mind the moment he sees Noct's face on his screen.

He's there, talking, responding to Prompto's desperate video. He's alive. As fast as the terror rises, relief floods his system and his whole body slumps against the tree at his back.]

H-hey Noct. It's - it's really good to see you.

[His voice cracks a little but he'll blame the exhaustion, even though he knows that's not the cause.]

We're in Violet City right now. Iggy's lettin' me do the tourist thing... I might try to get some shots of Sprout Tower tonight. W-where are you and your other friend?

It's good to see you, too.

[Seriously. With the way these nightmares had been he'd been starting to worry that--it was getting hard to tell what was still part of the nightmares and what wasn't.

Noctis nodded slightly, glad to hear they were at least in a city for the time being.]

We're in the Safari Zone. Just got here a few hours ago. [A pause.] Stay..in Violet until this is all over, okay? I think it's safer for all of us to not be on the road.

[Prompto almost lifts his right hand in a mock salute before he remembers where his wristband is. Instead, he opts for a shallow nod and grin.]

Waaay ahead of you, man. After I get my night shots I'm gonna see if Iggy's cool with us hangin' here until this stuff is sorted. You'll stay in the Safari Zone, which sounds awesome by the way, with Ash right?

[His head ducks a bit and his voice softens a touch, partly out of exhaustion and partly because he's always tried to hide when he gets like this.]

It's ... been pretty hard. Iggy's tryin' not to show how what's happening is effecting him but there's no way I can miss it. An' I'm worried about you too, y'know? Like, all this crazy shit's happening and I can't be there for my best friend. [He shakes his head, now's not the time.]

I know you've got Ash with you, and I'm happy you have a friend while this is goin' on. Just ... I-i'm here too and I'm still your friend. Ever at your side. ...even when I'm not literally at your side.

Ignis jolts awake in his own bed around the same time as Prompto. He manages to stay still, fingers white knuckling the pillow in the darkness. It wasn't an unfamiliar nightmare but it usually wasn't quite so vivid.. and after a period of time without remembering...

Suddenly Pryna was on the bed, startling Porkchop who bounces away and starts attacking the Eevee's tail in a hyper bat. Porkchop was a kitten and didn't care obviously.

Ignis sits up, tilting his head to listen for Prompto who he can hear the quickened breath.

"Prompto..? Are you awake?"

The pace of breathing was too quick to be sleeping, actually too quick to even be a calm wakefulness.

"Did you have a nightmare..?"

[Noctis manages a faint smile.]

Yeah we don't plan on going anywhere right away. At least not until all this stuff stops. [A pause.] After this is all done and we all meet up again, I'm bringing you guys to the Safari Zone. I think you'd get a kick out of it.

[Something they could re-bond over. Things might not ever be like they were when Prompto was here originally but he didn't want to lose his friend. Even if it did hurt a bit.]

..I know, Prompto. And you don't know how much I appreciate that.

[He adores the blonde and values his friendship so much. It's just..the situation is a complicated one.

Noct looks down, shoulders sagging.]

I promise we'll talk. About..things. Why I've been weird about stuff. When we meet back up, we'll talk. Okay?

Pryna sees that Ignis is awake now, and she hears him say her trainer's name. She's hopeful that the sometimes-sad but always-watchful man will help because she's pretty sure her presence isn't going to be enough this time. All this in mind, the Eevee uses her tail to swat at Porkchop before turning to engage the kitten in a playful game of stalk-and-pounce.

Through the haze of lingering horror, Prompto thinks he hears a voice.

He loosens his grip, angry red crescents marring his skin, and bleakly looks around as he continues to attempt controlling his breathing. The voice comes again and his eyes finally take in the form of Ignis, sitting up in his bed and looking a little pale himself.

"I ... Y-yea. S-sorry if I woke you." His voice is shaking almost as much as he is, and Prompto curls in on himself, arms wrapping tighter around his knees. "It was ... bad."

Part of him wants to go over and see if he can just sit with Iggy. Anytime he had nightmares back home while they were on the road, the physical closeness of the others in the tent helped him a lot more than he'd ever admit. He's not sure if Iggy knew about it, but Noct definitely did and never really seemed to mind. During particularly bad dreams, he'd wake up with his back pressed against someone or his hand clenching Noct's shirt.

But he doesn't know how Iggy would react to him just plopping on the bed and he's in no shape to ask. So he squeezes his knees even tighter and apologizes again.

"Sorry. Y-you can go back to sleep. I'll be okay."

Pryna pauses mid-tussle and gives a little snort. Prompto needs comfort, but she's occupied now trying to teach Porkchop how to properly stalk and tackle. Ignis is too smart to miss Prompto's lie. If left alone right now, her poor trainer would take hours and hours to calm down.

[The smile crossing his face is the most genuine one he's had since waking up from that damn nightmare. It means so much to him that Noct is thinking of him even now, when shit's messed up and awkward for reasons unknown (well, unknown to Prompto at least). Even his eyes manage to light up a bit, regaining some of their former luster.]

With 'Safari' in the name, I'm pretty sure I'll be in heaven.

[He's glad Noctis mentions his being weird. Not glad that it's happening or anything like that, but it relieves the blond to know that he hasn't been imagining things. And now Noct has flat out promised that they'll talk about everything, which releases a tension he hadn't even known he was carrying.

Though Noct isn't the only one keeping secrets.]

That'll be ... that'll be good. I should probably tell you some things too. When we meet up again.

[Prompto gives Noct the biggest smile he can muster and he can feel the corners of his eyes crinkle with the sincerity of it. He's finally feeling something other than exhaustion and fear; hope.] See ya then!

Porkchop was in full play mode now. He meows and tackles into Pryna without abandon, chewing and pulling at her fur and trying to keep a nice firm grip until he chose to bounce away, running behind and under furniture with a little flash of tail behind him.

Ignis shifts to his feet, walking around the bed to go to Prompto. He knew that the young man preferred the comfort of others and the fact that wasn't coming over now was an indication that it was rather bad.

He only nearly trips over a charging Porkchop once.

He is blind though, reaching to find Prompto's shoulder and instead finding the young man's head before he can sit down.

"You sound terrified. You are safe, you realize that yes?"

Safer than he ever wuld have been at home even. The memory of his own nightmares were pushed aside, as Prompto clearly needed assistance in the moment. Nightmares were just that, unreal and would fade with time.

Prompto winces when he hears Iggy's shuffling stutter as he trips over one (or both) playing Pokemon and he wants to tell the man to stop and go back to sleep, but he knows better. He knows Ignis well enough - well, he knew Ignis well enough. He's reasonably sure that ten years wouldn't have changed the Strategist so much so that he'd brush off the suffering of a comrade.

The hand on his head is a welcome weight, pulling him more fully into the present and away from the horrors he just saw.

"It's not me I'm scared for. I ... I saw N-Noct. But he was - he was d-dead and I think ... I think I went blind?"

Prompto leans into Ignis, slowly unfurling his legs and moving to grip the fabric of Iggy's shirt. His voice softens on the last word, afraid of triggering any lingering ... anything, really, about how the Strategist lost his sight. But the blond is worried about Noct, worried about what this dream even was because it definitely wasn't his, and worried that he's going to alienate his travelling companion by clinging to him like a little kid.

"I've never had a nightmare like that before. I mean, I've had bad dreams where I lose Noct and you guys, but not like that. I ... I don't think it was mine. But ... how can that happen? Whose was it?"

He thinks he sees a flash of recognition cross Iggy's face, but Prompto can't be certain when his eyes are still blurring with tears over the failure he still feels from the dream and with new tears from his embarrassment at being so shaken over something as trivial as a nightmare, a nightmare that likely wasn't even his own.

There was definitely recognition. It was Ignis's nightmare. He'd been haunted enough times by it over the past decade to have it memorized. A nightmare that had felt like it became real so soon after losing his sight. Though Noctis wasn't dead, just sealed away. It was enough to haunt Ignis despite that.

"I do not know how it could happen." He only answers the one question. He wasn't going to point out that it was definitely his own. It would only worry Prompto more, he was certain of that.

"Nightmares can feel real in the moment and they have certainly felt more real as of late. Take a deep breath and try to relax. Dreams can scare you but not bring you to any real harm."

Prompto heeds Iggy's words, breathing deeply and evenly all while taking comfort in the older man's presence and closeness. The sounds of Pryna and Porkchop horsing around reach his ears and help anchor him further.

"You can say that again, the part about them feeling more real now." He trembles again as the memory of the nightmare surfaces. Cautiously, he scoots a little closer to Ignis. The Ignis he knew from home was a little ... unused to touch and Prompto is pretty sure this Ignis will probably be similar, especially if things have gone as south as he said. As much as he craves the comfort, he doesn't want to put Ignis out of his own comfort zone.

Especially because the slowly-calming blond totally did not miss the way Iggy brushed over the question of to whom the nightmare belonged. The man usually answers all the questions he can, and if he doesn't know the answer (which hasn't happened that Prompto can recall) he'd probably start researching right then and there.

That blatant avoidance coupled with the flash of recognition and the haunted look in Iggy's face lead Prompto to a sobering conclusion; the dream must have been his.

"...y'know I can be here for you too, right? I can't be the only one havin' bad dreams." His voice, though soft, is direct and he hopes the meaning is clear. He doesn't want to say it out loud, horrified that he'd seen inside Iggy's head like that; nightmares tend to be private in general and Ignis is an extremely private person. Prompto wants to apologize for intruding, even though he had no control over it (obviously).

"Just... you're not alone, okay?"

Ignis was far more unused to touch now that he'd spent so much time on his own back in their world. He spent much time in solitude or around people he didn't have as close a bond with. When they all went their separate ways to spread out and do the most damage control it left Ignis to deal with many things on his own.

"It is not a dream I have not had before. Nightmares and dreams are products of stress in one's mind. The memory of it will fade and I will feel well enough by morning."

Honestly, the scars upon Ignis's face were enough to indicate he might have nightmares about the moments that caused the injury. The shared fear of losing Noctis was also present in the dream. Ignis did not feel his privacy was violated by whatever shenanigans were occurring.

"We can take the time to reach out in the morning to see if anyone else is having similarly odd experiences."

Prompto lets out a humorless chuckle; apparently Iggy still uses logic and knowledge to hide how things effect him. But he did admit to the dream being his, in a roundabout sort of way, and the blond is able to recognize that's a pretty personal admission.

He turns his head and is struck by how exhausted Ignis looks. He's not sure if it's from the emotional toll of the nightmare or from waking up and having to deal with his stupid ass being such a mess.

"That's a good idea. But morning is pretty far off so we should probably try to get some more sleep if we can..."

Scooting closer still, close enough that his arm is pressing against Iggy's, Prompto makes a hesitant request, cheeks blazing with anxious embarrassment.

"C-can ... would you ... c-could you stay with me until I f-fall asleep?" He knows it's childish, but the physical presence of someone he trusts is comforting in a way nothing else is. And he knows Iggy is pretty big on personal space. Hence the anxiety in the question.

Ignis's head had turned slightly, to acknowledge the Skitty attaching the edge of his pant leg. Little chubby paws thwacked wildly until he twisted his foot. Then Porkchop fluffs and scampers away just as suddenly as he had arrived.

"Yes. I can do that."

His head turns back towards Prompto. He had no where else to be, obviously. And he was awake now. He doubted he would fall asleep so easily at this point.

"Lay down and try to sleep. I will attempt to keep play time off your bed."

Prompto sighs with relief, glad and grateful beyond words that Ignis is willing to stay with him as he tries to fall back asleep. Though it seems like Iggy's planning on sitting right where he is and that's just not gonna work. For one, Prompto's legs will inevitably keep bumping him. But the biggest thing is that ... well ... he needs the touching component to help keep him planted in the safety of being here with Ignis, even while he sleeps.

But there's literally zero chance he'll be able to coherently ask for what he wants, not without nervously tripping over the words. So he grits his teeth and goes for it.

Wrapping his arm around Ignis, Prompto tugs the surprised male hard enough to make him lay down on the bed. Ducking his head, curling in on himself a bit, he keeps a tight hold on the hem of Iggy's shirt and mumbles into the small space between them.

"C'n ... can you stay here? Pryna won't let their playing come up here and I - this -" He really can't find the right words to try to convince Iggy that he's not trying anything, he just needs someone to cuddle up to.

So the blond simply keeps his grip on the sleep shirt and maintains a few centimeters of space between them, already feeling bad for practically manhandling his friend just because he's too anxious to use his words. If Ignis really isn't okay with this, Prompto isn't gonna force the guy to be his cuddle-buddy. As it is Prompto knows the simple contact between them before probably pushed Iggy's comfort-boundaries.

Ignis was surprised but he doesn't resist. He lets it happen.He remembered how Prompto preferred sleeping in the middle when they all shared the same tent or lying close to Noctis when they didn't.

So he tucks his arm under his head, settling comortably on the edge of the bed. He was comfortable, it was warm. He could feel Prompto's grip on his shirt and how close the young man was.

It was nostalgic. It felt like it used to. Ignis didn't hate it. He just listened to the room around them, with the soft constant music from wherever and the sound of Porkchop pounching and dancing away from Pryna.

Eventually, as kittens do, he passed out, crashing into Pryna and ending up laying on her tail.

As sleep slowly begins reclaiming the blond, he relaxes enough to shift closer to Ignis. His hand moves from where it's currently holding Iggy's shirt to reach across the older man's abdomen and grasp the fabric on that side instead.

Prompto isn't conscious of his hand's movement, just as he is entirely unaware of how his head shifts from the pillow to rest on Iggy's chest. The heartbeat he hears seems to soothe him further and the freckled blond slips into a deep, dreamless sleep with softly whispered words.

"Thn'ks Iggy. Y're th' best."

Pryna, sensing her trainer's serenity, smiles to herself and gently grooms the kitten sleeping on her tail. This Ignis is a good man, she decides, and she makes a note to find a way to thank him for helping her trainer when she couldn't.

Morning wasn't far off, but getting at least another hour or two of sleep would certainly do wonders for Prompto. And if one looked closely, they would see the sweet smile of genuinely peaceful sleep gracing the freckled mans face.

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when the night has come

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