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punslinger

Post Tracking

Summer of Our Lives [FFXV/FFXIV AU]

Prompto finds out he's not the only rescued Niff baby

Nyx and Rox pick up where they left off entirely too long ago

Noctis keeps holding back for reasons that turn out to be entirely false

The morning after always has some interesting consequences.

Eighteen is a big deal. It's an ever bigger deal if you're the Prince of Lucis.

LINK NAME

Losing All Control [FFXV Promptis PSL]

Prompto insists he's fine. Noctis knows he isn't.

LINK NAME

Love and Heartbreak [Abaddonia/RWBY AU]

Ryne and Gaia arrive on Remnant

LINK NAME

< isopods >

punslinger

Summer of Our Lives FFXV AU Timeline

*= canon divergence

†= au events

nightcoeurl

Truthfully, scribbling King Regis' name in the margin of the small guest list for the wedding had been half a joke on Nyx's part, especially with Rox swearing up and down that they couldn't do that as he laughed and did it anyway. However when Noctis spoke up and said that his father often received wedding and other life-event invites - he just kindly declined most of the time - Nyx actually started to rattle the idea around in his genuinely a little more.

The worst the King could do was say no. It wasn't like Nyx was the first Kingsglaive to get married, nor did he figure he would be the last.

That was how he found himself in the King's throne room after being announced by the lightly flustered door guard, giving a respectful bow as Regis eyed him with bright but silent amusement and Clarus, always at his King's side, fixed Nyx with a slightly raised eyebrow at the obvious slightly decorative envelope in his hand.

"What brings you here today, Ulric?" Regis asked, his tone light and personable.

Despite how well they had gotten on at the few events they'd managed to attend together since his induction into the Glaives, and basically being one of his son's personal instructors and a friend at this point due to being a part of the Pickheart family even without being officially wed yet, there was a rush of nerves that almost put him off the entire thing.

Too late now, though.

He held out the invitation, prompting Clarus to come down the steps and take it from Nyx, bringing it back up to Regis.

"It would be our pleasure to receive His Majesty at our wedding," he managed to get out without stuttering, though his tongue certainly felt like lead in his mouth. "You're absolutely not obligated, though."

Regis, bless him, didn't call Nyx out on his obvious nerves while taking the envelope and opening it carefully. The invitation inside was simple but elegant; probably one of the few things the couple had actually splurged on a bit considering they had so few to give out.

"Thank you for your consideration, Ulric."

Nyx nodded, saluted and walked out quickly, boots clicking on the smooth, reflective marble floors.

Regis looked the invitation over with interest.

"Should be simple enough to clear my schedule for that day," he mused, more to himself than to Clarus, though the man gawked some.

"You're not seriously considering attending, are you?"

"Come now, Clarus. Ulric is one of my best Glaives. His bride-to-be may have retired, but she was among the top in her time, to say nothing of her being the mother of my son's lovely girlfriend. I would consider this an event worth making an exception for," Regis admitted, then added with a chuckle. "Besides that, the last wedding I was able to attend was yours. It was, as the kids say, quite the rager."

Clarus groaned out loud, pinching the bridge of his nose but relenting seconds later.

"I suppose you have a point... and my son and daughter have already received their invitations."

"Excellent. Now, what do people give as proper wedding gifts these days... ?"

Clarus just sighed.

[Wedding Day, Pickheart Household]

Banners, flowers, balloons and other decorations matching a theme of earth, flora and nature decorated the house inside and out. The back yard had been utterly transformed, with tables and chairs tied with ribbons and covered in delicate tablecloths as well as a beautiful flower arch sat at the end of a small makeshift walkway for the couple to stand at when the time came. The whole house smelled of delicious food, herbs and spices that had been prepared throughout the day by Rinka, Aurene and a few other helping hands. The guests were dressed in light semi-formal clothes, nothing nearly as fancy as the prince's birthday party, all keeping in relative theme of Galahd and nature.

For all intents and purposes, for a small, intimate event consisting of close friends and family being held at the house of the bride-to-be, it all looked perfect.

And it should have been.

If there wasn't for one tiny hiccup that Nyx was now forced to say to his beautiful fiancé dressed so perfectly in front of him.

"... we didn't hire an officiant."

nightcoeurl

"They're sending us to the front lines."

When those words were spoken to his sister and her friend, Nyx Ulric thought deep down that it would be some of the last he would ever say to them. Not that he was going to die in that exact moment directly after speaking them, but that he would certain perish out there with the rest of his adopted family that were also going to be among those being sent.

To go out in battle would be the preferred method for most their age constantly fighting that unyeling fight against Garlemald but Nyx had reservations about that.

Namely the bright green eyes staring back at him with barely veiled ache at the news and the thin lips that formed a soft 'oh' of pained understanding. Lips he wanted so badly to kiss until she was breathless in his arms but wouldn't. Give him a thousand Imperial soldiers to tear through and his courage was boundless, but tell him to speak his true feelings to one Rox Pickheart, the most beautiful woman this side of Bozja in his mind, and he might as well be a shy babe hiding behind his mother's skirts.

Not that he or many people these days even had mothers anymore.

He could have said something.

He should have said something.

Even his sister was looking at him like he'd lost his damn mind, not only agreeing to go but keeping his true feelings for the Hrothgar under emotional lock and key.

It didn't matter though because he was a dead Au Ra walking anyway.

And he very nearly was.

The battles were brutal. Many fell right next to him, mixing blood of resistance fighter and Imperial. They had terrible machines that would tear though numbers like wheat being threshed in the autumn sun and more than once something exploded entirely too close, leaving his sensitive horns ringing.

It was when they brought out something absolutely monstrous, though, that Nyx thought he saw the end of his days in full view. Some sort of terrible amalgamation of a bastardized Gridianian elemental and machine spitting aether-charged lightning everywhere, threatening to arc to places where even innocents on both sides were hiding from the raging carnage. Clearly whoever cooked up the horrendous beast didn't do much testing on it because the Imperial soldiers quickly lost control of it and abandoned their creation to rampage without prejudice. It was quickly building up an excess of aether that lashed out in all directions, killing any who were still too close to it.

The second to last thing Nyx remembered was Libertus, his dear Roegadyn best friend, screaming that it was going to explode and take everyone within twenty ilms out.

The last thing he remembered was charging at the connection between creature and machine, screaming as the might of a storm to rival Ramuh tore through his body when he stabbed his twin blades through it and severed the connection. The smell of burning and atmosphere choked him before he collapsed into a heap.

When he woke he was, ironically, in a clinic in Gridania being cared for by kind conjurers and white mages who looked shocked when he opened his eyes, and he was even visted by the Padjal leader of the Conjurer's Guild who spoke highly of his apparent "extenely powerful and natural affinity" for elemental magics that he didn't know he had. Said affinity had been what saved him, and when Lib and their other adopted family member Crowe realized he was still breathing he had been rushed back to Eorzea for treatment.

Treatment they hadn't even been sure would work.

But it did, and the dead Au Ra walking was given a second life by an ability he didn't even know he had.

Unfortunately recovery wasn't as miraculous and it took months just to be able to walk again. Crowe and Lib stayed by his side through it all, and as the last remnants of their once large adopted family they mourned the loss of so many, including his sister who did sadly succumb to another attack on their refugee settlement as well as the apparent disappearance of Rox.

That had been years ago. The world had come through the other side of an entire Umbral Calamity, Garlemald was still being Garlemald, and Nyx had started an entirely new life far away from the war torn regions of his past, always looking towards the future but with a quiet ache for the things he'd missed out on, the people he'd lost.

The ones he'd been unable to save.

But becoming a small tavern owner in a quiet corner of Gridania as well as a fellow instructor at the Guild that had saved his life kept him busy, and most days his thoughts didn't drift to the fang-filled smile.of the woman he could have had. A woman that for all itents and purposes... no longer existed.

pickheartwhetstone

Ignis had come by to pick up Aurene, Rinka and Crowe (who had to be only slightly bribed with booze and food) to go shopping for bridesmaids dresses. Rox had said, she didn't care what dresses they picked, or what color, or style. They didn't have to match, they didn't have to pick colors, it didn't matter to her. Whatever made them happy. Ignis had been utterly horrified that Rox had not even picked colors, but Rox wanted her daughters and Crowe to choose dresses that they liked and looked good on them, not have to deal with a color scheme that might not suit them.

Rox had no idea what the fuck kind of colors to pick. She just knew she wanted her favorite flowers for bouquets, now that she knew they could be acquired. They were going to do this at her house. So they just needed one or two extra tables to set up food. Rinka demanded to be in charge of the menu, despite Rox trying to insist that she'd make the dinner for everyone, and Aurene said she'd make the cake.

No amount of discussion or arguing had made either young woman cave. So Rinka was in charge of the menu, and Rox was okay with giving her that now that she was home and getting better every day, and Aurene in charge of the cake. Ignis was in charge of their dresses. She didn't know if Crowe wanted a particular job, but Lib was in charge of making sure they didn't fuck up any Galahdian traditions.

It still bothered Rox that she remembered so little of home, but at least Lib and Nyx did.

As for her...

Well, she intended to take advantage of the fact that Ignis was already out and about with the girls. Now would be her best chance to find herself a decently priced wedding dress. One she could buy with her own money and she wouldn't have to rely on Noctis or Ignis. They could buy whatever they fucking wanted for her daughters. But it was her wedding. She wanted to be in charge of her wedding dress.

So if she was to have any success for at least a moderately Galahdian-ish style wedding dress, something she certainly wouldn't find in any high end store that Ignis frequented, she had to drag the only person who may have had an idea on what that would look like.

That wasn't Nyx.

"Don't give me that grumpy face, Lib. You just stuffed yourself on my kabobs and wraps. I fed you and I need your memory," Rox said with a smile.

pickheartwhetstone

Rox didn't go home from the hospital. Every time she had to go home from the hospital while Rinka was still there, Rox hated it. She hated the empty house. Hated that the home she'd shared with her daughters was a shell. If she had to be there, she spent all of her time in the yard, beating the living tar out of the punching bag and practice dummy until she gave herself bruises. She just couldn't stay in the house. One daughter was in the hospital recovering from almost being killed, and the other daughter was with her lover, seeking comfort in his arms, something she didn't begrudge her baby girl.

After all, she wanted the arms of her lover, but he had kept busy. And away.

She knew why. The same reason she had avoided him a little at the beginning.

Guilt.

It ate at both of them. Gnawed on their souls, on their hearts, made them hesitate when around each other. Rinka had asked her when had been the last time she'd slept, and Rox hadn't had a straight answer. Look, nightmares were a thing, she'd said. And Rinka clarified.

No. Slept. With her fiancé.

Rox didn't have an answer for that at all, but she hadn't lingered to get a lecture from her daughter. Rinka wouldn't tell her anything she didn't already know, but had put off. So she didn't go home from the hospital.

She went to the Lower City. She went to the studio apartment she had never actually visited, but that she had the key to. She didn't expect him to be there, so she let herself in, and took in the small space that oozed the essence of the love of her life. She smiled to herself, put down her bag, and began to clean up. She tidied everything, made a simple meal in his small kitchen for him and herself for later, then crawled into his bed to just soak up the scent of him.

His bed hadn't seen him in ages until recently. His nights were usually spent in her bed. But lately they've slept alone, if they slept at all. Rox had more often than not fallen asleep in the hospital sitting up, or in her car, or on her couch if she made it home at all.

But being surrounded in his scent unwound something in her. She cried silently into his pillow and fell asleep waiting for him to come back.

voidblue

[For timeline clarification this takes place during early M.E. 753]

Rinka couldn't recall exactly when, after her first ever cycle as a, as her mother put it, 'blossoming woman' the pain had started. Maybe it had always been there, that uncomfortable, low body ache that in time worked into her hips, her thighs, even down to her knees. Nausea, headaches, fatigue. Her body could run the whole gamut in a week's time, to say nothing of all the other symptoms that were happening with the actual bleeding part of it, and it only got worse as she got older.

Which, fine, whatever. She could deal with it. Gritted teeth and pain killers and heating pads. Maybe lighter meals when the stomach issues were a little too much to handle. If she really needed to miss class to stay curled up in bed, it wasn't like her grades were anything to crow about anyway.

What really got to her, though - and got to her family, too - was the utter dismissal she received from multiple doctors. Some women just have difficult periods, they insisted, refusing tests and medication. She'll grow out of it in time, her body just needs to settle, they continued. Even when Rox stepped in and demanded more attention it was brushed aside.

A common problem with civil health care, she'd heard from one of her clubmates once. Worse, if you weren't Lucian, which of course made Rox even more furious. Just because she wasn't didn't mean her daughters weren't, at least in her mind. Rinka had to remind her that she was adopted and by all rights brought in from outside the walls of Insomnia.

Which just meant Rox hugging her tightly and softly saying that didn't mean she was any less her daughter.

She knows, Mom. That wasn't the point, but whatever.

(She loves you, too.)

So she suffered through, stiff upper lip and all that, but that had all been before meeting Noctis and his little entourage. It was easier to smile things away when the people who dealt with day to day didn't actually consider you a friend so much as an acquaintance you did Kendo with, but when actual friends came into the picture it became.

Complicated.

Actual follow up questions were asked when she said she was fine, a little under the weather, it'll pass, don't worry about it. That worked for a time, but when she was over at the prince's fancy flat hanging out with the boys and Aurene and she couldn't hold her dinner down despite her best efforts to, because Gods, wouldn't that just be so insulting to Ignis? But her stomach disagreed and it wasn't like she could hide the sounds of her puking. They were all reasonably worried and Ignis even insisted on taking her to the 24 hour urgent care, fearful that the girl had come down with something.

Saying she had probably would have been less embarrassing than the conversation she had with four boys between the ages of sixteen and twenty about the fact that her monthly "just did this sometimes". At least they were sympathetic to her plight, and Ignis was kind enough to swing by a convenience store while taking her home that night to load her up on ginger ale and chocolate.

That had been two months ago, and it was getting worse.

She was supposed to meet up with Prompto, Noctis and Aurene at the usual tree for lunch. She had said she would be there despite clearly starting the morning looking like absolute garbage, uniform barely put on, short hair even messier than usual, bags under her eyes from a horrid night of tossing and turning. Aurene had commented that she wasn't sure if Rinka should even be at school but as usual her sister insisted that no, it was fine. She'd get through it like she always did.

Except fifteen minutes before lunch she could no longer fight the roiling in her stomach and the sweat breaking out on her brow, asking to be excused to stumble out of the classroom on shaking legs that felt like they'd give out any second. She made it to the nearest bathroom and all but dropped onto the floor on her knees to let go of what little she'd been able to choke down that morning, head spinning in a waves of dizziness and pounding ache. Everything from her abdomen down throbbed and she was beset by cold and heat in alternating cycles.

At some point she dropped back against the stall wall and put her head on her arms, unaware of the passage of time. Even the sounds of the other students moving about out beyond the door to the bathroom for lunch just sounded like a distant buzzing in her ears.

She had no idea how long it had been when she finally jerked back into awareness, letting out a shuddering breath, realizing she'd left her phone back in her bag in the classroom. She groaned and went to get up so she could at least hobble her way to the courtyard, but her legs refused to work. Even pushing herself up on the toilet seat just made her drop back down hard when her knees gave and she couldn't find the strength in them to stand.

"... shit."

She sucked in a pained breath, trying to hear if anything was happening outside the door in the hall, but it had gone quiet. Everyone was either eating in the classroom or had gone elsewhere for the lunch period.

"Fuck."

This was going to be...

Mortifying was probably the right word.

But she also couldn't just wait for someone to come in and hope they actually had enough compassion to help her. Or for the teacher to notice her absence.

She sighed, shook her head, cursed under her breath a few more times and then called out.

"C... can someone help me... ? Please? I can't... I can't get up..."

voidblue

Surely it wasn't too much to ask.

That the state of things in their little circle stay halfway calm.

Nyx and Rox were engaged. Rinka had Noctis. Aurene had Prompto. They were growing up, growing past the awkward and unsure phases. They had attended the prince's 18th birthday party without incident. A night of feeling beautiful and shining under a canopy of stars and the flashes and bangs of celebratory fireworks.

It would have been nice if they could have continue to coast off of that, especially with Rox and Nyx now having to plan a wedding. A small wedding, but a wedding none the less.

But no.

Too easy.

Maybe there was something to that dumb patch Prompto bought at a street fair last year.

" 'It's a beautiful day, now watch some bastard fuck it up'," Rinka had read off the patch's embordered words. She rose an eyebrow as Prompto stood there grinning while holding it up, a stark contrast to the nihilistic phrase. "That... seems really unlike you."

"That's why it's perfect! No one would expect me to have something like this!"

"... you're an odd duck, Argentum."

"And that's why your sister and me get along so great."

The 'bastard' fucking up the otherwise nice day this time was one of her coworkers that she could just barely stand to be around, doing a last minute schedule change that forced her into closing.

Alone.

On a night when Noctis was stuck at the Citadel.

"You've got to be kidding me, Atria."

"Sorry, hun. It's an emergency," the dark haired girl was saying as she shouldered her purse, jacket already on, ready to leave. It would have been one thing if the place she worked was a larger restaurant or a chain, but it was just barely above 'small business' with the tiny location on the outskirts of downtown and the small amount of staff that were long term and not seasonal. Rinka had taken it because Ignis had put in a good word for her and she was able to get a position higher than starting upon being hired, which would look good for her when she finally applied for culinary school, but it had come with it's own brand of headaches.

She was often stuck doing multiple jobs for the same pay because there weren't enough people to be dedicated waiters and dedicated cooks.

She'd had to talk to her boss, the owner, more than once to get his own staff to stop making passive aggressive remarks at her.

And this wasn't the first time Atria ditched her.

'Emergency' her ass...

She was positive they'd gone to the same high school but they must have been in different classes because she only vaguely remembered the girl. It nagged at the back of her head for some reason but she chose to ignore it. They were all adults now, right? Or, were supposed to be.

Rinka watched her leave with a scowl that didn't lighten even as Atria swore she'd 'make it up to her'.

"I'll believe that when I see it..." she grumbled as she shoved her towel back in her apron and went to the back, angrily grabbing her phone out of her bag to frantically text Noctis.

atria ditched me
AGAIN
idk how much longer i can take this damn place
citro is a good boss most of the time but the rest of this group of chucklefucks are gonna make me pull my hair out until i'm bald
i appreciate iggy sticking his neck out for me but i might have to give up on this before enrollment
i hope he wont be mad if that happens
anyway i hope your meetings are just boring and not this aggravating
i'll be at mom's tonight
love you

Sighing deeply, she tossed her phone back in her bag and went to change the music over the loudspeakers, one of the few things that actually made closing alone tolerable.

The job wasn't horrible it was mostly the people that were the issue, and she wondered, idly, if that would be the case anywhere she went. It had been the same in school. Noctis had been the exception to the world, and with him, Prompto, Ignis and Gladio who were all basically family to her now.

Noctis could make all of her oddities feel like she was the most unique,beautiful girl in Eos, but Astrals knew she was never going to get away from the scrutinizing gaze of others, especially if their relationship continued. She was already somewhat recognizable even with her face being kept out of a good majority of publications. Not every publication was willing to follow the rules set down at events like the birthday gala, and apparently someone had even gotten into Prompto's personal files shortly after it had concluded.

Something he was still apologetic about.

They had brushed it off and he'd sworn he would get better protection for his laptop, but every so often she caught someone doing a double take in her direction when she was out alone.

These were the things that swirled around in her head as the sun set past the skyscrapers and splashed the little eatery with shadows, the rest of the evening blessedly uneventful. Only a few regulars came in - nice ones, thank the Six - and got their meals to go for the rest of their nights back home. The same place she wished she could be right then.

Curled up on Noctis' couch as they barely paid attention to whatever schlop was on TV.

Would that they could.

Even if she had gotten out at a normal time tonight, he was going to be stuck in meetings until who knew how long, and probably staying at the Citadel after rather than making the drive back.

At least the relative quiet of the night meant she was able to clean up slightly early. Sign turned, outer lights off, the street and sidewalk went from barely busy to almost abandoned, save for one or two people hurrying past. She did the checklist, changed her shoes, put her apron on the hook, checked her phone - no messages, poor Noct, probably bored out of his skull - and gathered the rest of her things to leave.

She locked up the front door and pulled the shutter down to lock that as well, tucking keys into her purse before staring to walk towards the underground tunnel. A chill ran down her spine as she passed by the narrow space between the restaurant and the building next to it, but she chalked it up to the summer air finally breaking into cooler fall weather as the sun set earlier in the day.

Still she found herself clutching her bag tighter and closer to her body as she picked up her pace slightly, boots clicking on the cement sidewalk. She would never admit it to Noct, who was already paranoid enough, but the nights when she had to close alone were always the worst on her anxiety. The area just got too damn quiet. At least once she was on the train there were a few more people around to make her feel less solitary but there was little she could do about the rest of the time.

It's fine... she chastised herself. Mom had taught her to fight. She had things to use inside her bag if it came down to it. She wasn't some helpless princess.

Hells, she wasn't even a princess.

In any case, no one would be out here. No one should be out here. The area was all businesses that had closed well before her place did. Maybe someone else rushing to get home like her but that would be all.

That being the last thought in her head before she felt someone's hand roughly grab the back of her shirt and yank her back had to be some kind of cosmic joke. She stumbled with a cry and twisted to try and swing at whoever was daring to do so, only to feel something prick the side of her neck and some sort of liquid burn going inside her veins. She gasped with wide eyes, putting a hand over her neck while black spots danced in her vision, making the already dimly lit street even harder to see.

She struggled to focus on the face of the person holding the tiny syringe responsible for the burning.

"... Lynett... ?!" she managed to choke out, feeling fury and adrenaline push past whatever was making her limbs feel so damn heavy. She reached for the pepper spray in her bag only to have it swatted out easily, skittering away to stop against a wall.

"Tch. You would be stubborn enough to refuse to go down," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Fuck... you... you dumb bitch. What are you doing?!" Rinka groaned, stumbling around as if she were drunk. Lynett grabbed her chin roughly, inadvertently steadying her but also causing her further pain by nails digging into her skin.

"Taking care of a damn problem."

Rinka snarled, yanking away and attempting to swing a fist at her smug face. Her trajectory was entirely off with the drug fully setting in, and she tumbled to the ground hard, landing roughly on her shoulder. Lynett's feet were the last thing she could see before darkness finally crept the rest of the way over her vision.

Noctis... !

***

[chat: the whole fam damily 1:03 am]

photog: hey noct i know its super late but have you heard from rinka at all?

photog: aurene and rox are kinda panicking over here

specs: Explain.

photog: oh shit hi iggy sorry i didn't think you'd be up

specs: Prompto.

photog: right uh rinka worked late and was supposed to be going to her mom's place tonight but

photog: she's not home yet

photog: and nyx is about three seconds from warping out the door

cupmynoodle: are u fukin srs right now blondie why didnt someone say something SOONER

specs: Noct, an answer now rather than later.

nightcoeurl

The distant parking lot looked like a mirage as the ripples of late summer heat dissipated with the lowering of the late evening sun. The sky was streaked with gold and orange, the temperatures trying desperately to cling to the past month's weather as days melted from summer into fall. Insomnia didn't get hot for very long, but the final weeks of August often brought with it the desert heat from the outlying Lucian wilds, and stuck around until the second or so week of September.

It hadn't ruined Noctis' birthday gala any, especially since it started well after the sun was down past the high rises and the Citadel's massive tower specifically, but standing out under a barely shading awning of a restaurant in the middle district was reminding Nyx just how anxious he already was. Was the sweat beneath his tee-shirt from the weather, or just him?

He had no reason to think the girls would prevent him from doing what had been on his mind since that night when he first saw Rox in that gorgeous black dress, wrapped so elegantly in the sheer fabric with her body tucked into a form fitting corset, tan skin glowing and hair done up in beautiful ringlets that framed her wonderful face. Like Eos reborn, as he'd already thought of her so many times before.

He'd stupidly waited fifteen years before going after what he'd wanted all along, and now that he had her he was going to make damn sure he didn't do something even more monumentally stupid and let her go.

He looked up from where he was sitting on a paint-faded bench outside the small roadhouse grill as a car pulled up, Rox's daughters exiting. Rinka turned back around to speak to the driver, thanking them for the ride and ensuring her payment went through before closing the door and waving to Nyx. He smiled faintly and stood, going over so Rinka could give him a side hug, though she made a face when she did.

"You coulda waited inside," clearly talking about the fact that the heat had gotten to him while sitting out there.

"Probably should've," he laughed, giving Aurene a hug as well, trying to be mindful of his sweaty back when he did. "Sorry."

"Well you look like you're about to pop, so I'm guessing whatever's got you asking us to dinner is important enough to forget you're sweating like a daemon at sunrise."

"Yeah, well... I'll tell you once we're seated, yeah?"

Rinka waved a dismissive hand and opened the heavy oak door to the place, stepping into the dimmer, much cooler atmosphere inside. The hostess greeted them and got them a place to sit for three. Off in the bar area a news program was recounting something or another from the gala as they had been since it happened because apparently things like the refugee crisis or the slowly lengthening nights weren't 'good enough' for actual news.

Ignis had done well to keep their faces out of the media at large, but it still gave Rinka pause when she saw the event being talked about because she had actually been there. It wasn't just some far off droning about things she could never even imagine herself at.

But it still bothered her just how much of reporting these days wanted to focus on the frivolities of the upper class and not things that were important, but even King Regis only had so much sway over what reporters were going to zero in on.

"Rinka?"

"Huh? Oh. Sorry," she mumbled quickly going to catch up with him and Aurene at their table. They took their seats and the hostess got their drink orders ready.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, just. Weird to think that I was there," she admitted quietly. Only half the issue, but it was truthful.

"Heh. Yeah. You'll get used to it eventually," Nyx smiled at her over a glass of refreshing ice water.

She wasn't sure about that, mainly because she didn't think she'd ever get used to real issues being ignored like that, but it was what it was. She was just Noctis' high school girlfriend. Who knew where that would go in the future.

She took her own ice water and sipped at it.

"So. Spill it."

Nyx hesitated, then lowered the cup to the table, folding his calloused hands on it and taking a deep breath in.

"I wanted to ask you two... if you would let me propose to your mother."

nightcoeurl

Threatening Libertus to give her the address was probably not the kindest or smartest way to go about things, but it wasn't like she could out right ask Nyx, or else he'd know that she was up to something.

And that she actually cared, and she just couldn't have that happening.

She'd never hear the end of it from either of them. Lib's constant reminders of 'being like a sister' to them was annoying enough already.

Though now that Crowe was in front of the door to the entirely too domestic house in the middle residential district a part of her was quickly losing her nerve.

But Nyx's presence had gotten less and less over the recent weeks. He was allowed to have his own life, his own relationships outside of them, but it just made her bristle inside so much. That someone who wasn't even a Glaive anymore could capture his attention so thoroughly.

Lib had gotten punched in the arm for making a 'jealousy' comment but, truthfully, she was.

Jealous that they no longer came first. That he could agree with Lib on being 'family' and then vanish to the nicer district to all but live with a single mother and her two kids. She never had any romantic feelings for Nyx but he was still special to her, Astrals damn it!

So, against the little voice in her head that was telling her this was a bad idea, Crowe knocked.

actualchild

After receiving the text from Rinka about probably staying with Noctis for the night after their date (and giving her a good tease about it), she called to her mom and Nyx that she was going to stay at Prompto's for the night.

Look, if her sister was getting laid, and her mother was getting laid, it made sense that she at least give herself that same chance, right?? At the very least she'd be hanging out with her boyfriend, and that would be nice enough even if they didn't end up getting intimate.

She'd packed some extra clothes in her bag, packed her favorite chunkabo plush to let him visit his original dad, things for school, and made her way out the door while sending a text to Prompto that she was on her way.

Hey, I'm coming over for the night. You don't mind, right?

He wouldn't. He never minded. She knew that.

chosenkingoflucis

"Really?! Do we gotta make such a big deal about it?"

Noctis gripes to his father over a private dinner while he pushes the candied carrots around his plate with his fork. Nice try there Iggy, adding sugar to a vegetable isn't gonna mask the gross.

"Birthday parties are for kids. It's not like I'm twelve." He sighs and lays the utensil down. "Besides, it's just gonna be attended by a bunch of stuffy nobles playing suck-up for their own gain. Not interested."

pickheartwhetstone

At some point during the night, Rox woke up and slid out of the bedroom to grab her discarded shirt and bra. She didn't know if Rinka and Aurene were home, and she didn't check. If they had come home maybe they had noticed, maybe they hadn't. Hopefully, they hadn't noticed yet. She knew when she'd passed out in Nyx's arms they hadn't been home, but at this point it was the wee hours of the morning.

She was surprised when she returned to see a handsome, disheveled, bleary eyed Nyx sitting up in bed. Her recovered clothes were discarded and she jumped him. She got him all hot and bothered again and more intimate catching up was had, though this time, Rox made an effort to keep down her volume.

~~~

Rox heard rummaging in the kitchen. She lay draped over a hot, hard, delicious male in her bed. Muscles she'd forgotten existed were sore from the hungry, relentless activity of the evening and night before, but she savored every ache. Because it was Nyx. She opened one eye and peered at the handsome bastard who still slept soundly. She had worn him out, she thought with a pleased smile, quite proud of herself.

But as much as she wanted to snuggle, whichever of her daughters was in the kitchen making food—probably Rinka in all honesty—had awakened her empty stomach. It growled quietly in protest to all the exercise and the lack of calories. Of course, that rumble woke up her bladder, and Rox had to grudgingly and sleepily force herself away from the ridiculously tempting heat of the stupidly gorgeous man in her bed.

She wobbled a bit on her way to the bathroom and after cleaning up, grabbed the first shirt on the floor and tugged it on. Rox realized with a small smile it was Nyx's shirt as it slipped off her shoulder and hung down to her thighs. Good enough. She winced a little as she headed to the kitchen.

Rox patted Rinka's head when she passed by, yawning. She hadn't looked at herself in the mirror. So Rox was unaware that her auburn hair was an utter disaster from sleep and Nyx's hands, and bruises littered her neck and exposed shoulder. "Good mornin', baby," she said, her voice hoarse. She blearily blinked at a cupboard for a mug.

Coffee, yes. And food. She grabbed one of the mugs and put it down before leaving it behind to open the fridge. She lounged drowsily against the open door and stared blankly inside.

She didn't want to cook. Leftovers?

voidblue

Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum was a moody teenager at best.

Everyone knew that.

Of course the tabloids enjoyed spinning it with such phrases as "stoically aloof" or whatever nonsense they were feeding to the public at large, but really he was just. A teenager. One that had actually dealt with more hardships than most realized, as well, which certainly didn't help his outward demeanor, but he was still mostly a child trying to navigate his way through a difficult world that refused to slow down for anyone, least of all him, and the unique burdens of being the next in line for the throne.

But there was a difference between his usual quiet, reserved moods and whatever he had been in the last few days. Any time he got to spend with his father outside of mind numbingly boring meetings and other royal responsibilities was usually a cause for at least a few light, corner-of-the-lips smiles and bright eyes that betrayed how much he actually enjoyed it, but the last dinner they'd managed to squeeze in had him distant at best.

It took a good week to finally hear from Clarus who had overheard from Gladio that there had actually been someone in Noctis' life that wasn't his skinny, overly excited blonde best friend. The way it was told, as these games of telephone tended to do, was that he had befriended the adopted family of a former Kingsglaive, specifically the woman's two teenaged daughters, and while everyone around them could see that Noctis was absolutely smitten with the eldest daughter and she clearly had feelings for him in return, neither of them had acted on it.

And when Gladio had tried to give him (and Prompto, in regards to the youngest daughter) a push in his gruff and probably less than tactful way, he'd gotten a strange reaction from Noctis. A mix of upset and anger that he didn't usually display before stomping off. That very night had also been dinner with his father, and the entire time he was absolutely dour, barely responsive, dodging questions about school and worryingly distant.

The pieces were somewhat there to understand what may have been going on in his son's head, but something was still missing. Namely the 'why'.

Regis wasn't the best with emotions, either (Noctis had to get it from somewhere, after all) but this was something he actually felt couldn't just be regulated to letting Ignis try and pry it out of him. He wanted to address it directly, or as direct as he could, and see if maybe he could offer some legitimate fatherly advice.

Or if he would somehow make things worse.

Either way he felt for his son, truly wanted him to live his best life, and it worried him that he wasn't going for something so easily within his grasp.

Hence why he had asked Noctis to his office during a rare bit of down time in between meetings that afternoon, sitting comfortably in one of the plush chairs off to the side of his large heavy wooden table. Once Noctis entered quietly he motioned with his hand to the other empty chair.

"Thank you for coming, Noctis."

nightcoeurl

ulric: Come on, just help me out with this.

altius: no

ostium: ya i gotta side with crowe here buddy its a little weird

ulric: How is it weird?

ostium: she wasn't a glaive that long and it was like fifteen years ago now

altius: the fact that ur hanging out with her bc of her kids is weird

ulric: OK again it's not just because of her kids, it's because her kids became friends with the prince, and blonde shortstack nearly got himself killed by pneumonia because his parents are neglectful dicks and Six help me he's grown on me, okay? Anyone that can get the dear prince to -smile- on a regular basis is a good person in my book but damn if he doesn't need protecting from himself. Plus I see Rox at the Citadel all the time. It's not like we're suddenly talking again after fifteen years. Also is it so wrong for me to want friends that aren't you two chucklefucks?

ostium: wow rude nyx. when was the last time before this whole thing with the kid?

ulric: ...

altius: exactly

ulric: The Citadel is a big place! And how often am I even IN the city?

altius: ur digging urself a helluva hole here nyx.

ulric: Crowe please just answer the question.

altius: ... fine

altius: u owe me so many beers

altius: better not let her take up all ur time

ulric: Deal. Answer?

altius: ditch the plushie, way too high school second date. the wine is fine. u should kno im mad at myself. i wanted u to make an ass of urself so i could laugh at u later

ostium: don't bury him yet, Crowe. he might still fuck it up.

ulric: With friends like these, is it any wonder I'd rather hang out with a single mom and a bunch of teenagers?

altius: fuk u

ulric: Love you too, Crowe.

Nyx huffed out an exaggerated, bemused sigh and tucked his phone away, placing down the goofy novelty chocobo plush he'd been staring at for entirely too long. His friends certainly knew how to turn a single innocent question of 'is a plushie and some wine too weird for a "thank you for letting me crash on your floor" gift?' into an ordeal, but at least Crowe had finally given him an answer he could use.

It had been almost a month since that rainy night where he had helped bring a very sick, bruised and grieving Prompto Argentum to the house of Rox Pickheart, former Kingsglaive turned single adopted mom and subsequently wound up in an impromptu sleepover with her, her daughters, the prince of Lucis, his retainer and his shield. He'd been meaning to get her something in thanks for her efforts to give the boy a safe place and letting all those people crash on her living room floor, but of course missions and other obligations kept him from doing so until now.

His fellow Glaives were already giving him shit about it, teasing him about a 'crush' like he was a teenager himself. Crowe was slightly more abrasive about the whole thing but the second Libertius uttered the word "jealous" he got a rough punch to his shoulder that he was complaining about for days after. Nyx knew neither Crowe nor himself felt that way about each other, they were closer to family than anything romantic, but jealousy came in many forms and it was entirely possible she silently feared losing what little time she got to spend with him outside of work.

Of course he had no idea if there was anything between him and Rox, nor did he want to make a fool of himself by assuming, or bringing something as 'high school second date' (as Crowe had put it) as a plushie for a thank you. There had been something of a spark between them back during her Glaive days but they had never perused it, still being relatively new inductees into the recently established group of refugee-based royal guards and somewhat uncertain if they should or shouldn't.

Her eventual decision to leave to raise the child she had helped rescue from a half-broken, barely functioning Nifelhiem base years back had turned it into a lost opportunity and admittedly Nyx had always been stuck on the 'what if' even though he still saw her infrequently due to her retaining a civilian job at the Citadel. For all his tenacity it was the one thing in his life he'd been hesitant about attempting to pursue, and now that she had adopted another child from a family that had failed her and the years had dragged on he simply wound up putting it to the back of his mind.

Until he heard her name again from the prince, and fell into a laughing fit that the boy's lanky overly energetic sunshine best friend had in turn befriended the youngest Pickheart daughter while walking back to an overly long meeting at the Citadel one day. Things kept weirdly falling into place from there as Noctis in turn got close to the older daughter and the four were regularly hanging out as a result.

Getting put on the frantic group call from Noctis that night where he begged Nyx to grab a few Glaives to search the city for a lost and potentially injured Prompto was unexpected, as was the resulting sleepover after they found him, but getting to talk with Rox at length later that night had been a breath of fresh air in a life that had become more about keeping the empire out of Insomnia than it had been about protecting the King, his son and the people of Lucis directly.

Which was what led him to her home in the quiet, shady residential district of mid town, feeling admittedly a bit grubby in his tight black teeshirt and faded black jeans but knowing there was little he could do about it as he'd already gone and knocked on the door.

It creaked open not to Rox but to Rinka, her eldest, who immediately rose an eyebrow at the person standing on the other side. She looked not exactly dressed up but definitely dressed to go out.

"... whatever it is, I didn't do it. This time," she blurted out. Nyx met her comment with a teasing smirk, folding his arms over his chest with one hand still holding the neck of the wine bottle.

"'This time'? Should I be worried about other times, Miss Pickheart?"

"... depends on if I can get Noct to get me a good lawyer or not."

"He probably could."

Both of them stared at each other for a moment before laughter bubbled out from them. She shook her head and patted him on the upper arm.

"You know I'm joking. Probably," she said, stepping around him but keeping the door open so he could come in. "Mom! Mr. Ulric is here! And I'm heading out!"

Mr. Ulric. Six, that makes me sound old...

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Rinka called as she bounded down the steps to the connecting street.

"That doesn't narrow it down!" Nyx called back as he entered the house, quietly shutting the door behind him. "Sorry for barging in..."

actualchild

Aurene was never any good at talking to people.

It had been that way since she was young, despite the best efforts of her mother and sister. Her sister was awkward in her own way, but overall was much more social and easy to talk to, but she was always a little too blunt, stared too much, generally made people uncomfortable. She was fine with that, though. She found she had a nice time by herself more often than not.

Like right now. It was lunch, but instead of eating in the classroom, she went outside and sat on a bench by a tree, quietly observing students as they walked together, socialized, and generally enjoyed their free time during lunch.

As far as her studies, she was doing ... Okay. She was smart enough, but not too terribly above average. It was almost as though she intentionally tried not to bring too much attention to herself, in every aspect of her school life. It was how she preferred it. She'd seen the crowds of girls who swarmed the Prince of Lucis, and had long decided she didn't want any part of that. He was good at ignoring them, and she actually felt a little bad for the guy. Imagine being followed by all of that when you weren't even technically single. Every one of those girls knew damn well that the guy was engaged, and yet swarmed around him at every opportunity like they might get lucky sometime. It was kind of sad to watch.

Nah, she'd rather just sit here by herself. Of course, she was vaguely aware of the feeling of being watched ... She wasn't sure what exactly tipped her off to that, but the feeling wasn't able to be shaken off. She looked around, trying to find the source, if there was one, and couldn't find it.

Hrm.

She shrugged to herself and took another bite of her food. She'd keep an eye out. Maybe it was just her sister trying to keep an eye on her like she did. That would make sense.

blessedoracle

Ryne groaned as she awoke, blurry vision slowly becoming clear as the image of four girls came into view. Vaguely, she felt she recognized some of them, but there was something just out of reach, preventing her from fully seeing a name.

Wait. This. This was wrong. This wasn't where she had been before.

She bolted into a sitting position, butting heads with the blonde of the group of girls with a loud OW from both her and the blonde.

"H-Hey, watch it!" Yang cried, as Blake moved quickly to her side to make sure her partner wasn't hurt. She knew Yang would be fine. The girl had a hard head. Most days.

Ryne felt her hand move to her head, making a pained sound. She had such a headache already and this didn't help.

"Oh, please, Yang. Your head is harder than that," Weiss rolled her eyes, then sat at the bedside of the girl.

"I'm sorry about that. This is probably pretty confusing for you. We just found you outside and wanted to make sure you were okay, so we brought you here. I'm Weiss. What's your name?"

Ryne felt memories coming back to her, so many at once. It hurt more than bumping heads with Yang had, but outside of a surprised gasp and a whimper, she didn't make any other sound.

"Ryne," She finally managed to get out.

"Hey, are you okay? I know Yang's head is hard, but not that hard ..." Ruby said, to which Yang responded with a hey!.

There was only one thing on Ryne's mind through all of this.

"W-Where ... Where is Oscar?"

punslinger

"You starin' at me ain't helpin', Noct."

Prompto's voice came out muffled from his arms, head resting on top of them on Noct's school table as Prompto straddled his own chair backwards while he was supposed to be eating lunch. Said lunch was sitting lukewarm on his own table, untouched. Every time Prompto thought his stomach was going to stop roiling long enough to maybe try and take a bite of something it started right up again, and a sweat had started to break out at his brow, making the sleeve of his uniform jacket damp.

Coming to school sick was never a good idea for anyone, but Prompto seemed to be making it his personal mission to stretch himself as thin as possible by refusing to just go home where he could hopefully sleep some of whatever this was off. He already arrived looking like Titan himself had dragged Prompto through thirteen levels of hell and continued to look worse the longer the day wore on. He had barely slept from the nausea and the few times he emptied his stomach into the toilet bowl yet here he was, taking up entirely too much space on Noct's desk and swearing up and down that he was fine, he just had to make it to the end of the day.

Then and only then could he shuffle home and collapse into bed.

"Y'know if my grades drop any more I'm not gonna get to graduate with you..." he said morosely, the very idea filling him with dread. "And you won't ban tests. So I'm here. For better--" urp "or worse."

love is a setting sun is a smoking gun

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Sticky: Summer of our Lives FFXV AU Timeline [WIP]

I wanna be the hero in your story, even when the script gets boring [ffxv au]

Like a storm on my skin [Abaddonia FC FFXIV]

[ffxv au] 'Cause if you like it, then you should've put a ring on it

[ffxv au] if it don't hurt now then just wait, just wait a while

It's just love, I know, but it hurts you all the same [ffxv au]

Do you think I'd give up? That this might've shook the love from me [ffxv au]

I was a lost boy when I met you, hold me until I'm not lonely anymore [ffxv au]

I was born, I was born with horns, demons couldn't shake me up [ffxv au]

It's 2AM and I can't fall asleep, I'm just not tired [prompto/aurene, big damn ff15 au]

Eighteen is a big deal. It's an ever bigger deal if you're the Prince of Lucis.

a lot can happen in twenty seconds [ff15 au]

lost all memory of the time before you, home is a foreign land [ffxv au]

anything can happen in these cathedrals we roam [ffxv au]

if you love me right, yeah, this could be the summer of our lives [ff15 au]

we were sixteen, up all night, love and heartbreak was our life [abaddonia/remnant au]

i'll take a chance tonight, another roll of the dice [promtis psl]