hugtopia_logs | lucian royalty takin over here

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lucian royalty takin over here

♥ Who: Noctis Lucis Caelum + Open!
♥ Where: Just a catch-all for some stuff
♥ When: Now! + January catch-all
♥ What: The prince of Lucis has Things To Do
♥ Rating: PG? will update as needed

( a. have you met my emotional support scarf - Open to All! )

[At first glance, it's just a normal guy walking down the street, nothing to pay any mind. Getting closer however reveals that he appears to be... talking to himself? Or at least having half a conversation, glancing at the empty space by his shoulder and speaking, then looking down at his communicator for a silent response. It probably looks kind of weird, and he's quite preoccupied with it. Maybe try getting his attention?

Those who can sense magic might notice not just his, but a secondary presence at his shoulder, small and invisible. Those who can't sense magic might just hear it... squeak?]

( b. friendship is magic...? - Open to Family/CR he's inevitably harassing )

[Noctis is venturing out to find… people! People he knows. And likes. Or just wants to know and like better. Basically he's trying to visit his friends and family, in part for a very specific question but also just to try that whole open affection thing he keeps getting told to work on.

If he knows where you live, he's paying a visit! Otherwise, mayhaps he'll find you in the street or in a shop somewhere by chance.]

( c. girlfriend? girl! friend!! - CLOSED TO LUNA )

[Going out for a date is all well and good but for Noctis a night in is just as (if not more) enjoyable, and the fact that Luna feels the same and had suggested it makes him appreciate her all the more; thus, the only thing on tonight's agenda is a meal at home and each others' company. He'd helped her prep whatever dish she'd opted to make, but once it's ready to be cooked and he has nothing to do, he parks himself at the table with his tablet out, opening up the design doc for King's Knight 2.0. Prompto's not around so he can finally ask her without spoiling the surprise.]

So... if you were gonna pick a character to play, what kind would it be?

( d. those ding dang head whispers - CLOSED TO REGIS )

[A little later into the month, after weeks of stressing about it and hiding and wishing he was a hell of a lot stronger, Noctis at last makes a decision. No more putting it off- it's time to face his future, his responsibilities. Time to learn about what the hell he's meant to do going forward.

He sends a message to Regis, requesting a one-on-one meeting, while the house is otherwise empty. He's late to arrive once a time is decided, pacing and circling the house first, anxious and hating it. Coward, his mind is scolding him. Just do it already.

Finally, he steels himself for the last time and steps up to knock on the door before he can change his mind again. No going back now...]

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[Noctis's smile dims a little the more Regis speaks, letting the mood whiplash ease off into a more balanced calm. Luna... he wonders how she'll feel, to finally see the ring on his finger, after he'd delayed it for so long. They'd never discussed it - and she'd never asked - but with how long she carried it for him, how hard she must have fought to keep it safe, he was ashamed at how cowardly he'd been now that it's in his hands. She's been so supportive and understanding, but that doesn't mean she feels nothing for herself. Hopefully she'll be proud of him after today, hopefully it won't be sullied by any secret disappointment she might feel at his reluctance to use her gift.

He nods along with the demonstration of fire; it makes sense, and it is a little reassuring, admittedly. The Chosen King is perhaps not a weapon but a conduit, a whistling arrow to seek out the right target and direct the flow of power in a way that could destroy or mend the world depending on how it was pointed. "A little overkill," he'd told Gladio, when asked why he didn't use magic to light fires when they had trouble at camp without him; with how wild his magic control can get at times, and how reliant he usually is on flasks instead of his own hands, it would be foolhardy to risk that kind of collateral damage. The same could be said of the Astrals. A single attack could take out an entire Niflheim base, but without his desire and direction to protect what matters, it could also have killed his friends on the ground with the Nifs. And whatever magic is to be used to purge the darkness and daemons from the world could surely also wipe out humanity with them. Maybe a human has to make the choice.

Those thoughts remind him, reluctantly, of his purpose for being here: to cross the threshold and find for himself new power, a better way to channel magics he can't yet access. To allow the past to guide him, as it has done for all the other kings before him aside from the first. His eyes drop back down to the table, running a finger along the edge of the ring.]

Guess... that's one more reason why I can't just sit on this.

[One last breath, one last hesitation, and he looks back up to Regis.]

Anything else I should know?

[It feels so final, saying it like that, but it's the truth. Once he puts it on there's no going back.]

[Solemnly, Regis nods. He had known they were going to cycle back to the original topic of this conversation soon enough, though he had not expected it quite so quickly. Had it been Noctis who was delaying the inevitable or himself? Did it matter? Not really, for in looking at his son now, Regis can see he is as ready as he will ever be despite any earlier hesitation.

Instead of answering Noctis' question immediately, Regis stands moving to sit next to his son. Once seated again, he reaches out to give his son's hand a squeeze.]

There are a million things I could tell you and none of them would matter, expect perhaps this one.

[And in the end, perhaps not even this one if Regis is honest with himself, but he would like to think it matters.]

None of our line have had the chance you have right now. There is no one in recent history who has gotten to pass the ring from one to another while the other still lived. When it all washes over you, if it becomes too much, don't forget that I am here. All you need to do is reach out. I won't allow you to become lost. No matter what else changes when you put it on, the fact I am here for you will not.

[No matter how loudly a certain spirit may speak once the ring slides home.]

[Noctis turn his hand to squeeze Regis's back, grateful, even if it's only for a moment. One final boost of bravery, granting him the strength to at last move his hands to extract the ring from its chain, holding it between his fingers as they hover near to the other, a mere inch away from where it will sit. It's like it knows, immediately, sensing his indecision: the whispers come, indecipherable and scattered, an urgent pull on his soul. Even if the words can't reach him, the sentiment does. Put it on. Finally, finally. Put it on. Rather than encourage him, they make his strength falter, but with Regis at his shoulder, silently supporting him, he pushes past the anxiety forced upon him by the ghosts of the past and at last slides the Ring of the Lucii where it belongs on his finger.

And then screams, instantly, the sound loud and wretched as it's forced from his throat. He jerks in his chair, hunching over and nearly falling, his whole body locked up in sudden and unexpected agony. This can't be right, he thinks, through the pain, through the surge of fire suddenly burning through every vein in his body, bursting in every pore, pulsing with every heartbeat. He feels as if his skin is peeling from his body layer by layer, as if something inside of him is clawing its way out. Not since the Starscourge has he ever felt anything like this. The world around him disappears in that moment- there's no house, no table, no chair, not even his father at his side. Just him and the pain and the ring wrapped around his finger like a vice, ripping him apart, starting from his soul and tearing outwards inch by inch.

What did I do wrong? he wants to cry, clutching his ring hand with the other, trembling as the magic and pain runs its course, as those same whispers fall silent in his mind. Isn't this what you wanted?]

[Regis, perhaps, should have given more weight to his own thoughts before letting Noctis take this step. Not a few minutes before he had told himself things had to be different with the Chosen King. So why had he let either of them go into this with thoughts that it would be 'normal,' especially considering there really was no normal? It's why so much of what he could have told Noctis was worthless. Everyone's experience was different.

But no one's experience had ever been like this.

It's no surprise that the father in him reacts first. No parent wants to hear their child in such agonizing pain and the fact that Noctis hasn't even been born yet in his time doesn't change this for Regis. His arms are around Noctis before he even has a chance to decide if it's a good idea or not. All he can think of is Noctis collapsing into the table in front of him and cracking his head open.]

Noctis! Listen to me; I'm here. You're safe.

[The words are so useless though. Who can hear even the most heartfelt of pleas over the sound of of their very self being torn apart and that is certainly what it sounds like is happening to Noctis. In a moment, desperation turns to anger and when Regis speaks again, it's not his son he's speaking to. It's not clear which set of spirits he addresses when he speaks, but the command is clearly meant for them be it the set that reside in his ring or in the one that now rests on his son's hand.]

Stop this immediately! He has done nothing to earn your wrath!

[After a handful of seconds, though to Noctis it feels much longer, the agony at last begins to wane, leaving him exhausted and panting for air. Distantly he realizes he's being held, and it takes a moment longer for the voice to reach him, familiar and comforting, pulling him back towards reality.]

...Dad…?

[His voice is hoarse and tired, but he's no longer screaming, so he'll take that upgrade. His eyes open, cautiously looking down at his finger, at the ring that glows bright and harsh for a few seconds longer, as the eerie voices of his ancestors murmur their approval. But if they're so pleased about it, then what the hell just happened?]

[All it takes is that one small, tired word to break through all the protective rage Regis is feeling. His attention immediately shifts from berating the spirits of his ancestors--though he doesn't even know if they are at fault; they are just the most obvious targets--back to his son. He pulls Noctis closer, encouraging him to relax against his chest while he catches his breath.]

Yes. I'm here son. I've got you.

[That first word is a gasp of relief because, honestly, if Noctis hadn't answered, what more could Regis have done, especially when he didn't know what was going on?

Oh Astrals, he wants to ask what just happened, but he has a feeling Noctis will be as clueless about it as he is. The only ones who might know are the Lucii and as much as they may be whispering their approval to Noctis right now, those who reside in Regis' version of the ring are dead silent.]

[Noctis slumps his shoulders, relieved by that simple reassurance, and for a long moment just sits there in silence, broken only by the sound of his heavy breathing. Even the ring at last goes quiet, evidently satisfied for the moment with his cooperation. He leans his weight against Regis, relying on that familiar strength in a way he hadn't been able to for years back home. Younger or not, his dad makes him feel safe. That's always been so, and here is no different even as an adult.

Eventually he finds his breath properly again, his trembling hands resting on the table in front of them.]

I'm guessing it's… not supposed to go that way.

[Based on the lack of warning and Regis's reaction, he can only assume something went wrong, here.]

[Regis shakes his head, swallowing hard to clear the emotion from his throat before he speaks.]

No. Not at all. The ring is suppose to aid us and support us, not hurt us in that manner.

[It does hurt them. They both know that, but it's not suppose to do so like that whatever it was.]

If I had to compare it to anything, it would be how the ring reacts to one not of the line attempting to wear it, but we both know that is not the case.

[He flicks his right hand slightly, unwilling to release his hold on his son so soon after such a scare.]

All is quiet on my end. I don't suppose anyone is being more forthcoming on your end, are they?

[Noctis can only shake his head. He shows no indication or desire to move, either, just as reluctant to relinquish his hold while he has it.]

I never understand anything they have to say. It's just noise, too many voices all at once.

[He can't even pick out the voices he should know, like Somnus or his father. It's pure chaos every time, and he has no idea how anyone could make sense of it no matter how long they wear the ring. Rather than dwell on the kings he can't hear, he falls silent again to think on what Regis had said. He's definitely of the line, no denying that, but the differences between him and any other royal would be the Chosen stuff, and…

….ah. The same problem as usual, then. He's tempted to hide it, to hold his tongue and not let Regis worry about it, but he'll probably worry about something regardless. Part of being a father he'd assume. If he has to fret then let it be about the likely cause.]

The other kings probably didn't have Starscourge.

Yes, they do that.

[Regis' words are both fond and exasperated, the wry smile that crosses his face a clear sign that exasperation is the stronger feeling of the two in this case.]

They're like a bunch of excited children in that regard, always needing to speak first and speak loudest. You'll get better at telling them apart with time or, if not, you'll at least get better at telling them to quiet down and pick a spokesman lest you decide to ignore their advice completely.

[Despite the humor in his words, Regis' heart is just starting to settle back into his chest after the scare when Noctis' words send it rushing back there again. He goes very still, the father in him too terrified to act; the king in him rushing to figure out how it could have happened, especially when Noctis had made it clear just how careful his future self was with his son's safety.]

What?

[The question buys him a few more seconds to let his brain work and then it hits him.]

The visit to Sylva; it was no friendly visit.

[Of course it hadn't been. Why didn't he realize that before? There was just too much risk for such a thing.]

[He files that information about the old kings in the back of his mind, to ponder and maybe poke at later on. It'll be hard not to follow his obviously biased instinct to just ask his father to speak for them; there's a lot of them in there, and if he had the man's infinite attention after desiring it for so long, he's not sure he could trust himself to stop. He focuses instead on the realization of the king before him, about the Oracle. If course they would visit her for that, as the only known treatment.]

No, it wasn't. Sorry- I know you don't like hearing about the future. Just thought it would be better than wondering about it.

[He'll leave it at that unless Regis prompts him for more information; the core detail would remain unchanged either way. The Scourge was the beginning and end of so many of his problems- his limp, his back, his dysfunctional magic, his apparent personality shift as a child in the aftermath, not that he remembers much of before- so it might as well be the assumed reason for this as well.]

The knowledge comes when the time is right.

[How many people has he told that? He's not preventing people from telling him things, but neither is he seeking it out. This, no matter how much he doesn't want to hear it, does answer a great many questions, even though it also brings up a great many new ones.

These, though, Regis doesn't press for answers on. Noctis is well now--or at least as well as he can be. No one is the same after being infected, not even those fortunate enough to have been placed under the tender care of the Oracle. There is only one thing he ends up having to ask about and it's likely not the question that Noctis is expecting.]

Do you remember much of it?

[Okay, so maybe the question is more expected than it would seem. After all, the first thing a father always wants to know is how much their child hurt.]

[Was it the right time for that? Hard to say, but there's no taking it back now, and it would be a strange thing to keep apologizing for so he leaves it at that. Hopefully Regis will take heart in the fact that Noctis is healthy now and worry overmuch about it. It's not like they don't all have scars earned somewhere over the years.

The question is… harder, and his hesitation might be an answer all its own, but regardless he does eventually respond,]

I was pretty young when it happened.

[It's mostly a non-answer, neither confirming or denying, but he lets Regis glean from it what he needs - or simply wants - to believe. The truth of what he remembers and how it rippled through the rest of his life will only hurt his father, and he'll suffer enough when he lives through it. Let him enjoy some semblance of blissful ignorance here.]

[Regis accepts the answer for what it is. The hesitation tells him there is more to it than what Noctis is saying, but it is complicated--painful for Noctis to remember, and something that will only make Regis feel helpless if he knew. After all, it's not like he can change anything here. Would knowing let him change things back home? There's no real way to know and he would never forgive himself for putting his son through more pain for nothing.

He gives Noctis a gentle squeeze.]

And what about now? Is the pain fading? I can get a potion if you think it might help.

No... don't waste one for this. I'm getting used to it.

[He lifts his hand off the table a few inches, flexing it, the trembling of his fingers starting to pass. The pain has ebbed into an unfamiliar ache coursing through his body, like a lingering headache or the chronic pains he's endured for most of his life. He's learned how to live just fine with that persistent feeling, so his tolerance is pretty good. It had been unbearably intense at first, now it's just... normal. If any of this could be called normal.

Maybe this is why Cor didn't want him to do this with Regis- maybe he knew something neither of them did. This wouldn't have gone better with Luna or Prompto, though, so he still firmly believes that his father was the right choice, even if the path of least harm would have been to do it alone.]

Nothing is wasted if it helps you, even a little bit.

[Honestly, Noctis, you should have seen that one coming, but what might be more surprising is that Regis doesn't push the matter despite having a potion stored in the Armiger. After all, how often has he been the stubborn one about this kind of thing? It's obviously a family trait.

Of course, the very fact that it is something Noctis has to get 'used' to, is distressing to Regis. He'd hoped it would just be that one burst of pain and then nothing afterward. Of course, that would just be too easy.]

Do you think that Lunafreya may be able to help lessen it any?

Of course you'd say that...

[It's kind, even if it's untrue. Ignis was always better at managing their resources than he was, and potions in this place were easy enough to make, but it still feels wasteful to him after so long on the road, when they'd spent all those hours wandering into the depths of the earth where all the fiercest daemons dwelled, learning how to bandage the shallowest cuts and save the potions for when one of them was on death's door instead.

Besides, potions don't help with this kind of pain. He's always known that, ever since Marilith.

The mention of Lunafreya makes him hesitate, and he considers it briefly before shaking his head.]

I don't... want to drag her into this. She's done enough for me already when it comes to the ring. I don't want it to hurt her.

["It is heavy," she'd told him, "And I am tired." Those words, and the way she'd spoken them, had given him plenty of cause to promise to himself that he would never let the ring harm her again. And that means keeping it the hell away from her, no matter the cost.]

I wouldn't be much of a father if I didn't.

[What kind of father, or mother for that matter, wouldn't give anything and everything to reduce the pain their child has to feel?

At first, Regis is a little surprised that Noctis wouldn't want to have Lunafreya more involved in this. She is his Oracle. No matter what she is involved already. Yet, she has been through a lot. He may not know the details, but the weariness is there behind her smile for all who will see it. Besides that, how often has he wanted to spare Aulea the same? When they love, they love with all of their being.]

All right. I will trust your wisdom on this, but if you need anything or have more questions, I hope you will bring them to me. You don't have to bear this alone.

[He's not certain if wisdom is the right word for it, but he's not going to argue semantics when it's in his favour. Sure, he's being wise, not just stubbornly protective. He suspects his father would understand the sentiment either way.]

...Yeah. I'll have to give it some thought, but... I guess I just don't know what the next step is. Do I... do anything with it? Or just figure it out on the fly? I've never seen anyone use it for anything besides the Wall.

[And as much as he'd love to learn how to create shields, he's still working on much less complex magic, and said wall would be kind of redundant in this place unless the current one breaks again.]

Primarily, the ring's purpose is to help you focus and amplify your own power, which granted, is not something very visible to someone from the outside.

[Secondarily, it is a shiny pokeball for the bloodline, but...]

Even before you move onto learning how to do that, I would suggest you get used to having the Lucii in the back of your mind and drawing a line between them and you. After all, it is hard to focus on using your abilities when you are being overwhelmed by them. Once you feel you are set with that, we can begin some lessons if you would like. There is an element of discovery by trial and error, but I do have some tips I can pass along.

[A part of him still kind of wants to pull it off and fling it at the city's barrier hard enough to send it out into the abyss, rather than learn how to do anything else with it. That would be incredibly petty and not behaviour befitting a prince (or king) though, and while he can be kind of lousy at either, he's not that bad.]

Drawing a line...

[He clenches and unclenches his fist a few times, getting used to the feeling of the ring on his finger, and smiles wryly. He's still sore and tired, but... he feels a little better, with Regis here and offering to help. However it goes back home when he finally gets the ring back, this is bound to be much, much better.]

Or maybe putting up a wall.

[He can make at least one, this way.]

[Trust him, Noctis. You are not the only one of the line who has wanted to throw the ring far, far away at times.

His son's comment earns an approving look from Regis.]

Exactly. Walls are one of the ways our line survive, be they figurative or literal.

[Or both.]

I would not say embrace them as a friend, but they are most definitely an ally.

...Yeah. I'll give it some thought.

[He's a long way away from utilizing the ring properly, he assumes- besides the risk, knowing what it can do to people, and the lack of actual danger in town, the truth is he's just always been bad at magic. At some point he'll have to buckle down and ask his father about what the next steps might be, or perhaps how to progress with the other powers that the Lucii ought to have access to, ones that have been perpetually out of reach for him. For now, though, his priority is just going to be adjusting to having the ring on his finger, separating himself from those invasive whispers, determining his limits.

For now...]

Dad, um... can I stay like this for a while? If you're not busy...?

[It's a little embarrassing, and he's not a child, but curled up against his father, he feels... safe. And after all that just happened, that's a feeling he wants to hold on to.]

Of course you can. I have all the time in the world for you.

[Regis tightens the arm he has around Noctis, a gentle and welcoming smile on his face. To be honest, after all that just happened, Regis would prefer to have his son where he can keep an eye on him for a while, just to reassure himself everything is actually okay. Thankfully, they have as much time as they need here so his words are not the lie they would be back home.]

Rest and if you would like, you can even join us for supper afterward. Perhaps between the two of us, we can convince Ignis to go light on the vegetables tonight.

[I have all the time in the world for you.

It's a little bittersweet, how he can't recall ever hearing those words, how they've never been true outside of this place. Regis broke a lot of promises over the years, but he never knowingly lied as far as Noctis believes, not to him. Things just... came up, uprooted plans, ruined hopes. Always, always. As much as both of them wished it were different.

...It's different here, though, so with an agreeable hum he settles in and closes his eyes, focusing on his father's presence rather than the thrum of power from the ring or the lingering ache he's felt since putting it on. At least for a little while, he can rest easy with his father here. For once, finally, they truly do have time.]

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lucian royalty takin over here

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