Operation Vacay. It had started as a whimsical dream. Riding off into the sunset of chocobos to live out the rest of their days free from the pressures of Noct's royal life. It had quickly morphed into the very real idea of escaping outside of the city walls - just for a little while.
In hindsight, making epic plans after drinking pre, mid, and post soup wine probably wasn't the best idea. There was a very real risk that Prompto could go to jail or be executed - if the daemons, monsters and Imperial soldiers outside the wall didn't kill him first. But there was a part of him that was excited to see beyond the city.
Plus, there was no way he could ever say 'no' to Noctis. It was a flaw that had got him into trouble with Ignis and Gladio more than once. But this had to be the biggest, riskiest and not to mention the dumbest plan they had ever had. After all, there was a reason Regis kept the wall up, draining and exhausting himself, ageing before his time.
"Absolutely!" Prompto shot Noct a grin, albeit a slightly nervous one. "Can't believe you actually managed to be awake this early! Or that you evaded Iggy!"
Noctis isn't sure they'll make it as far as they're hoping to - which is the chocobo farm that's marked on the map. Hell, he'll count them lucky to make it to Hammerhead, which is just outside the city limits.
He knows it's a childish sort of idea - but he'd latched onto it regardless. To do something that wasn't training, or studying, or shadowing his father and watching the deepening lines on his face.
He already knows what he'll say when they get caught - that it was his idea, which is true, and that he strong-armed Prompto into helping, or that Prompto didn't want him to go alone. He'll make sure he takes the brunt of the punishment off his friend's shoulders no matter what.
In the meantime, he just grins back at Prompto.
"Iggy's always harping on me to get up earlier. So I just got up earlier than he did and snuck out the kitchen window," he says, before he reaches out, hooking an arm around Prompto's waist.
"Ready?" He waits for the assent before he's closing his eyes and summoning the sword he favors, throwing it at the wall - and warping through it, dragging Prompto through that realm between worlds.
They appear in the air, just past the other side, and it takes a quick moment of panic on Noctis' end before he throws the sword at the ground, warping them into a heap in the dirt.
They were so dead when they eventually get caught. Noct would probably be given extra training from Gladio, extra duties from Ignis and probably never be allowed to go anywhere, ever without a chaperone. Prompto would probably be banned from seeing him ever again. Even so, Prompto was more than willing to go along with Operation Vacay - it was something Noct needed.
"Ready," well, as ready as he was ever going to be. Prom braced himself for the warp.
Once they hit the ground - literally - Prompto rolled away from Noct to throw up. He hadn't been joking about warp sickness. He had no idea how Noct and the Glaives did it. They made it look so effortless and graceful. He pulled out a bottle of water from his backpack, took a swig to wash his mouth out before shoving some chewing gum in his mouth.
"Dude... DUDE. We did it! We're outside Insomnia." Prompto pushed himself to his feet and looked around. They had really done it. They had really warped outside of the wall. He let out an almost hysterical laugh. "Noct! We're really doing this!"
That had been the easy bit. The rest was still to come. He rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. "So um... which way?"
Noctis grimaces a little when Prompto has to hurl, but at least he's nice enough to stay nearby, and brushes Prompto's hair out of his face until he's done.
Still, when Prompto pushes himself to his feet and laughs, Noctis grins wide, bouncing on his heels.
"Yeah, we're on the outside. Free men now, right?" He asks with a laugh. He looks around. "We should probably stick close to the road, since I know that leads to Hammerhead," Noctis offers, pointing to the road that he can see from where they're in the dirt. "Though we probably wanna get away from the wall a little bit, first."
At least Prompto avoided blowing chunks on Noct's shoes. Mouth now minty fresh, and water bottle securely back in his backpack and no one would ever know he just barfed up - except for Noct who was there.
"Totes free men!" More like fugitives on the run. Who knew how long it would be before they were caught and hauled back to the Citadel. Not long enough. No amount of time would ever be enough to just be free to make their own choices - however bad said choices might be.
Prom grabbed Noct once they were away from the vomit puddle, pulling him close so he could snap a shot of them on his camera, the wall glistening in the background behind them. "The first shot of our adventure! Come on, dude. I'll race you to the road!"
He would probably regret any unnecessary running later once the realisation hits that Hammerhead is miles away on foot and they probably haven't packed half the necessary survival supplies they should've. But for now, Prom was happily racing ahead towards the road, thoroughly enjoying the freedom.
Noctis is just glad to have a chance to make some dumb, reckless choices for himself, for once. He follows Prompto away from the sick puddle, his smile already widening the further they get from Insomnia, even if it's only mere feet.
He smiles for the picture and then laughs.
"Sure, I'll even let you get a head start!"
... Because Noctis is absolutely going to cheat, throwing his sword forward to cover the first stretch with a warp, catching up to Prompto with another laugh and starting to run forward.
They're absolutely going to regret this in an hour. But he's more interested in making it to the road, already looking around with big eyes. This doesn't look anything like Tenebrae, but he's glad to see it.
"It looks a lot different than I remember it being."
Hey! Using warping to win a race is a total dick move, Noct. Don't expect sympathy when you go into stasis. Only, it's Prompto and he would one hundred percent give Noct all the sympathy. The purest of cinnamon rolls. That doesn't stop him from running faster though. He's been running for years, if there's one thing he has it's stamina.
Only when they near the road does Prompto stop running, heaving air to try and catch his breath. So much for his stamina!
"It's so weird. But like good weird. Insomnia is so busy and there's always noise. No matter where in the city you are there's life. Out here is just so quiet."
He brought up the map on his phone. "So Hammerhead is supposed to be literally up this road, right? Noct. I don't see it."
Thankfully Noctis doesn't warp himself into stasis - just far enough forward to get the lead. He waits for Prompto to catch up, catching his own breath.
"I like how quiet it is," he admits after a moment. The noise and bustle of the city is soothing in its own way, of course, but the silence outside eases something in his chest.
Prompto brings up the map on his phone, and Noctis leans in to look at it, frowning a little before he shakes his head.
"Then we'll just have to walk until we find it. I know people have mentioned it before, so it can't just be gone."
He reaches out, grabbing for Prompto's wrist as he starts alongside the road out of Insomnia. "It's an adventure, right? We can't expect everything to go according to plan."
The quiet is rather nice. Prompto wasn't exactly sure what he had been expecting when they left the city - to walk straight into a warzone, maybe. But it was just peaceful. And so far no wildlife had tried to eat them so all in all it was going great.
He let out a soft laugh as Noct grabbed him, letting himself willingly be dragged along. "I mean, do we even have a plan? Aside from reach Hammerhead and then the Chocobo Post?" In hindsight, they really hadn't thought Operation Vacay through at all.
His phone was pocketed and replaced with his camera so he could snap shots of every little thing that caught his eye - and honestly, there was a lot. Including a lone dualhorn casually grazing just off from the roadside. "How close do you think I can get without it noticing me?"
Noctis is just glad to see that there's no warzone out here. That they haven't been entirely living in a bubble while people die. There's still a war, and he still knows there are more dangerous spots further out - but it's not being ignored on the front doorstep.
"The plan is, that there is no plan," Noctis states, confidently. He's also fairly reasonable; he doesn't think they'll make it further than Hammerhead before someone sends the Glaives out for them, but it's nice to imagine they'd get as far as the Post.
He stops when he looks at the Dualhorn, eyeing it a little warily before he shrugs and grins. "Wanna find out? I'll protect you if it does notice."
Prompto doesn't even want to think about when they get caught and dragged back. Even though Noct was willing to take the fall, he knew it was still going to be messy. Ignis would be pissed. Gladio would be fuming. And he didn't even want to imagine what the King would say or do. He was terrified that he would be banned from ever seeing Noctis again. That thought terrified him far more than the idea of prison.
"My hero, Noct." Prom started to inch closer too, wanting to get the perfect shot. He managed to get some pretty good ones too before he was spotted and ultimately charged at.
Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about the King's wrath because he was going to die, right here on the outskirts of the city, impaled on a Dualhorn.
No. He wasn't going to die here. This was Operation Vacay. They hadn't even made it to Hammerhead yet. He wasn't going to let the first creature they encountered kill him. Instead he grabbed Noct by the hand and started to run.
Noctis, meanwhile, is all princely confidence that he'll be able to swing this as a him idea and not a Prompto idea. He also knows that his father is fond of Prompto, for the reason being he's a friend of Noctis; it doesn't mean there might not be some consequences down the line, though. (Like Prompto getting rounded into Crownsguard training).
Noctis watches Prompto carefully but not ... carefully enough, it seems, because the Dualhorn starts charging. Noctis has an oh shit moment before he's being tugged along.
Knowing it's not likely to outrun a Dualhorn, he turns and summons a pair of his training daggers, tossing them at the dualhorn's feet. It won't hurt it too badly, but it'll keep it from following them hopefully.
In the meantime - he holds tight onto Prompto and warps them across the street, making sure to hold the other boy in case he throws up.
All the colour drains from Prompto's face and he looks like he might blow chunks at any moment. Somehow, he manages to hold back. He sucks in a few shaky breaths.
Luckily, the Dualhorn decides the chase isn't worth it and goes back to its previous grazing spot.
"Holy crap. I didn't expect something so big to move so fast. I guess it's like Gladio. A guy his size has no business being as light on his feet as he is!" He looks over at the beast. "I'm calling you Gladio II. That's your name now buddy!!"
His gaze then turns to Noct. "Thanks for saving me... Hey, you think we can trust Crowe or do you think she's already sold us out?"
"Gladio II? Why not Gladio Jr? I'm pretty sure Gladio's actually bigger than that thing."
It's an easy joke at his Shield's expense, and he shrugs a little, reaching into Prompto's backpack for the water he'd watched him tuck away and offering it up.
He looks thoughtful before shrugging.
"On the one hand, Crowe loves watching stuff go up in flames. On the other hand, she kinda actually cares about my dad, and he's gonna have a heart attack once he realizes. So, depends on when Iggy and Gladio notice and tell him, I assume."
He expected his bribery to only go so far.
"If something seriously bad happened, that's why I told her - so she'd know where I was."
"Fine, fine. It can be Gladio Jr. Besides, I think I'd rather face like ten of those things than one angry Gladio. I love the big guy, but he terrifies me. And don't get me started on Iggy - he might be a lot smaller than Gladio but I am certain that guy can make people disappear - if you know what I mean."
Prompto accepts the proffered bottle and takes a small sip. The colour slowly returns to his face, making him look a lot less like he's about to hurl or pass out.
"And let's face it, Ig will know you're gone like super fast - I swear he knows everything. So, we should probably hurry it up a bit if we hope to even reach Hammerhead before we're dragged back and murdered."
He rolls his shoulders, puts his bottle away, readjusts the backpack and starts walking again, shooting Noct a bright, toothy grin. "Well? You coming?"
"Not murdered. Just gonna send Cor to string us up by our toes, probably," Noctis murmurs to himself with a little laugh, shaking his head at the image of his severe uncle-figure doing so.
Prompto's right about Ignis, though. The only delay they have is if Ignis scours the nearby area for him before he tells the king, with Gladio's help. So he runs a bit to catch up to Prompto, pulling out the map on his phone again. He only has a saved one - he turned his location services off in the hopes of delaying being found earlier.
"If we make it to Hammerhead, what do you wanna buy? We should get a souvenir, right?"
He tucks his phone back into his pocket. Why does it seem so close on the map and so damn far now? He squints into the distance.
I'm torn. I want them to have an adventure. But really, Ignis would track them down pretty quick.
"Tortured by Cor the Immortal. At least it'll be one to tell the grandkids one day - if I survive the torture. And if I ever have grandkids. Because like that would mean having kids first which means finding a wife and I don't see that happening like ever." Prompto realises he's rambling and cuts himself off. "Still, being tortured by the Marshal would make for a great story."
At least they both had the sense to turn off their location services. It was probably the one sensible thing they have achieved in this whole crazy plan. "Aw man. I wonder if they'll have any chocobo plushies! Fluffy McStuffins needs a new friend." Ah yes, Fluffy McStuffins, the adorable black chocobo plushie Noct had won at the arcade for Prompto. It was his pride and joy and went almost everywhere with him. Including on this trip, he's safely nestled in Prom's backpack in his rolled up sleeping bag.
"Or a keychain. Or maybe a moogle lanyard or... I dunno. I've been saving my crowns so I can afford all the things." He had even picked up extra shifts at the camera shop. "How about you, Noct? What are you gonna get?"
Noctis listens to Prompto go on about grandkids, and wives, and how it'd make for a great story with a small smile. When Prompto finally comes back to the beginning, he laughs, reaching up to pat his friends back.
"If nothing else, you can tell Gladio's grandkids or mine or something." He shakes his head a little in amusement, smiling at the mention of Fluffy McStuffins, who was definitely one of his favorite wins for Prompto.
"Maybe Fluffy needs a partner. A cute mechanic chocobo from the gas station," he teases Prompto instead. After a moment he reaches out, tugging on Prompto's wrist. "Hey - there's a pretty decent hill over that way. Maybe we'll be able to get a better lay of the land over there?"
"Oh. Em. Gee. A mechanic chocobo plushie? Dude. That would be totes adorbs. Fluffy McStuffins needs a mechanic sidekick in his life!" Or rather, Prompto needs a mechanic chocobo plushie in his life. To be fair though, Prompto needs every kind of chocobo plushie in his life. He is definitely not too old to collect them. No one is ever too old for chocobos!
Maybe if Niflheim had more plushie chocobos then the world wouldn't be at war.
Prompto willingly lets Noct drag him along. "Noct, that's not a hill, it's a mountain." Okay, okay, it isn't that steep, but Prompto had vastly underestimated how much walking they would be doing. Even so, he trudges on, making his way up the hill.
He lets out a low whistle once he reaches the top. "Whew. Now that's what I call a view." He suddenly gives Noct's shoulder a push. "Dude! Dude! I see it! I see the sign!!"
then cor and the crownsguard can string them up by their toes
No one should ever be too old for Chocobos. Noctis is still very concerned with how he's perceived, but even he has a little black chocobo plushie he'd been given as a gift in his bedroom.
Noctis makes plans about getting a chocobo plushie if they don't make it to Lestallum, instead climbing up the hill-mountain with Prompto until they get to the top. He almost misses the sign - he's not sure how, considering it's right there - for looking out on how far the roads and flatland go out past it.
He's having a moment, okay. But he grins wide when he spots it.
"Awesome! That's... a lot further away than I was expecting, actually." The map didn't make it seem that far! He glances back towards Insomnia, then does a double take, pushing Prompto forward a little.
"Oh shit - we should get going. I think I just saw the Regalia."
Prompto stumbles a little, but manages to catch himself before he plummets down the side of the hill to his death. He's about to shoot Noct a death glare when Noct's words sink in.
"Dude... seriously? You're not playing?" He suddenly looks very much like a petrified Anak calf in the headlights and feels like puking, crying or peeing himself - he's not sure which.
But then a fierce look of determination settles on his face. "If we keep away from the roadside and sort of weave through the rocks and scrub we should be able to at least reach Hammerhead before they find us!"
With his newfound determination, Prompto readjusts his backpack on his shoulders and starts off down the hill before breaking into a jog. "You with me, Noct?"
Noctis sinks down a little at the top of the mountain, hopping after Prompto once he's sure the Regalia hasn't seen him. He hopes it's Cor, and not his father. Actually, he's sure it's Cor - his father wouldn't leave.
"With you all the way, buddy," Noctis calls after Prompto before he jogs after him, expression determined.
And Astrals help them, they almost make it. Rather, they make it to the parking lot where Hammerhead is - but the Regalia, and another Crownsguard vehicle, are already parked there.
Prompto skids to a halt, struggling to catch his breath, feeling his hopes and dreams of Operation Vacay just sink. They were so close. The poor kid looks absolutely crestfallen.
Looks like it's over... Unless... Prompto pulls out his phone to study the map. "Maybe we could make a run for it... Maybe we could slip by unnoticed. I mean they're expecting us here at Hammerhead. They're not expecting us not here."
It's a long shot, but Prompto isn't quite ready to give up the dream of a vacation with Noct outside the city walls, away from all royal responsibility. Deep down he knows it's already over though.
Noctis glances up, looking at the Crownsguard that are already there - Cor's definitely there, and that might be Crowe with him, and he's pretty sure he can hear Ignis - and then back to Prompto.
"We should definitely try to make a run for it," he whispers to him. He's not ready to give up the fun little chance at freedom too, even if this is doomed to end in failure. But the depression in Prompto's tone makes him want to try, even if just for five more minutes of it.
Well, that and the fact this is probably the biggest thing he's ever tried to do since the attack in Tenebrae. He takes Prompto's hand in his own after glancing at the map - there looks like a path leading out behind Hammerhead - and starts trying to sneak them that way.
They are definitely going to die. This is how their life ends. Tortured to death by Cor. Ignis is most certainly there and Prom can just picture the look of displeasure and disappointment on his face - the thought of that is almost as bad as the thought of torture.
He swears he hears Gladio too. Oh man, he does not want to see how pissed the big guy is going to be. Prompto knows they should cut their losses, give themselves up and face the music. But he desperately wants to make Operation Vacay work for Noct. He just wants Noctis to get the chance to be a carefree kid for a little while. Is that really too much to ask the Astrals for? Just a few teeny tiny days free in a whole lifetime of responsibility.
Prompto holds tight onto Noct's hand as he follows him. Desperately trying not to make any sound that would alert the others to their presence.
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In hindsight, making epic plans after drinking pre, mid, and post soup wine probably wasn't the best idea. There was a very real risk that Prompto could go to jail or be executed - if the daemons, monsters and Imperial soldiers outside the wall didn't kill him first. But there was a part of him that was excited to see beyond the city.
Plus, there was no way he could ever say 'no' to Noctis. It was a flaw that had got him into trouble with Ignis and Gladio more than once. But this had to be the biggest, riskiest and not to mention the dumbest plan they had ever had. After all, there was a reason Regis kept the wall up, draining and exhausting himself, ageing before his time.
"Absolutely!" Prompto shot Noct a grin, albeit a slightly nervous one. "Can't believe you actually managed to be awake this early! Or that you evaded Iggy!"
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He knows it's a childish sort of idea - but he'd latched onto it regardless. To do something that wasn't training, or studying, or shadowing his father and watching the deepening lines on his face.
He already knows what he'll say when they get caught - that it was his idea, which is true, and that he strong-armed Prompto into helping, or that Prompto didn't want him to go alone. He'll make sure he takes the brunt of the punishment off his friend's shoulders no matter what.
In the meantime, he just grins back at Prompto.
"Iggy's always harping on me to get up earlier. So I just got up earlier than he did and snuck out the kitchen window," he says, before he reaches out, hooking an arm around Prompto's waist.
"Ready?" He waits for the assent before he's closing his eyes and summoning the sword he favors, throwing it at the wall - and warping through it, dragging Prompto through that realm between worlds.
They appear in the air, just past the other side, and it takes a quick moment of panic on Noctis' end before he throws the sword at the ground, warping them into a heap in the dirt.
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"Ready," well, as ready as he was ever going to be. Prom braced himself for the warp.
Once they hit the ground - literally - Prompto rolled away from Noct to throw up. He hadn't been joking about warp sickness. He had no idea how Noct and the Glaives did it. They made it look so effortless and graceful. He pulled out a bottle of water from his backpack, took a swig to wash his mouth out before shoving some chewing gum in his mouth.
"Dude... DUDE. We did it! We're outside Insomnia." Prompto pushed himself to his feet and looked around. They had really done it. They had really warped outside of the wall. He let out an almost hysterical laugh. "Noct! We're really doing this!"
That had been the easy bit. The rest was still to come. He rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. "So um... which way?"
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Still, when Prompto pushes himself to his feet and laughs, Noctis grins wide, bouncing on his heels.
"Yeah, we're on the outside. Free men now, right?" He asks with a laugh. He looks around. "We should probably stick close to the road, since I know that leads to Hammerhead," Noctis offers, pointing to the road that he can see from where they're in the dirt. "Though we probably wanna get away from the wall a little bit, first."
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"Totes free men!" More like fugitives on the run. Who knew how long it would be before they were caught and hauled back to the Citadel. Not long enough. No amount of time would ever be enough to just be free to make their own choices - however bad said choices might be.
Prom grabbed Noct once they were away from the vomit puddle, pulling him close so he could snap a shot of them on his camera, the wall glistening in the background behind them. "The first shot of our adventure! Come on, dude. I'll race you to the road!"
He would probably regret any unnecessary running later once the realisation hits that Hammerhead is miles away on foot and they probably haven't packed half the necessary survival supplies they should've. But for now, Prom was happily racing ahead towards the road, thoroughly enjoying the freedom.
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He smiles for the picture and then laughs.
"Sure, I'll even let you get a head start!"
... Because Noctis is absolutely going to cheat, throwing his sword forward to cover the first stretch with a warp, catching up to Prompto with another laugh and starting to run forward.
They're absolutely going to regret this in an hour. But he's more interested in making it to the road, already looking around with big eyes. This doesn't look anything like Tenebrae, but he's glad to see it.
"It looks a lot different than I remember it being."
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Only when they near the road does Prompto stop running, heaving air to try and catch his breath. So much for his stamina!
"It's so weird. But like good weird. Insomnia is so busy and there's always noise. No matter where in the city you are there's life. Out here is just so quiet."
He brought up the map on his phone. "So Hammerhead is supposed to be literally up this road, right? Noct. I don't see it."
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"I like how quiet it is," he admits after a moment. The noise and bustle of the city is soothing in its own way, of course, but the silence outside eases something in his chest.
Prompto brings up the map on his phone, and Noctis leans in to look at it, frowning a little before he shakes his head.
"Then we'll just have to walk until we find it. I know people have mentioned it before, so it can't just be gone."
He reaches out, grabbing for Prompto's wrist as he starts alongside the road out of Insomnia. "It's an adventure, right? We can't expect everything to go according to plan."
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He let out a soft laugh as Noct grabbed him, letting himself willingly be dragged along. "I mean, do we even have a plan? Aside from reach Hammerhead and then the Chocobo Post?" In hindsight, they really hadn't thought Operation Vacay through at all.
His phone was pocketed and replaced with his camera so he could snap shots of every little thing that caught his eye - and honestly, there was a lot. Including a lone dualhorn casually grazing just off from the roadside. "How close do you think I can get without it noticing me?"
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"The plan is, that there is no plan," Noctis states, confidently. He's also fairly reasonable; he doesn't think they'll make it further than Hammerhead before someone sends the Glaives out for them, but it's nice to imagine they'd get as far as the Post.
He stops when he looks at the Dualhorn, eyeing it a little warily before he shrugs and grins. "Wanna find out? I'll protect you if it does notice."
He's already starting to inch closer.
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"My hero, Noct." Prom started to inch closer too, wanting to get the perfect shot. He managed to get some pretty good ones too before he was spotted and ultimately charged at.
Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about the King's wrath because he was going to die, right here on the outskirts of the city, impaled on a Dualhorn.
No. He wasn't going to die here. This was Operation Vacay. They hadn't even made it to Hammerhead yet. He wasn't going to let the first creature they encountered kill him. Instead he grabbed Noct by the hand and started to run.
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Noctis watches Prompto carefully but not ... carefully enough, it seems, because the Dualhorn starts charging. Noctis has an oh shit moment before he's being tugged along.
Knowing it's not likely to outrun a Dualhorn, he turns and summons a pair of his training daggers, tossing them at the dualhorn's feet. It won't hurt it too badly, but it'll keep it from following them hopefully.
In the meantime - he holds tight onto Prompto and warps them across the street, making sure to hold the other boy in case he throws up.
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Luckily, the Dualhorn decides the chase isn't worth it and goes back to its previous grazing spot.
"Holy crap. I didn't expect something so big to move so fast. I guess it's like Gladio. A guy his size has no business being as light on his feet as he is!" He looks over at the beast. "I'm calling you Gladio II. That's your name now buddy!!"
His gaze then turns to Noct. "Thanks for saving me... Hey, you think we can trust Crowe or do you think she's already sold us out?"
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It's an easy joke at his Shield's expense, and he shrugs a little, reaching into Prompto's backpack for the water he'd watched him tuck away and offering it up.
He looks thoughtful before shrugging.
"On the one hand, Crowe loves watching stuff go up in flames. On the other hand, she kinda actually cares about my dad, and he's gonna have a heart attack once he realizes. So, depends on when Iggy and Gladio notice and tell him, I assume."
He expected his bribery to only go so far.
"If something seriously bad happened, that's why I told her - so she'd know where I was."
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Prompto accepts the proffered bottle and takes a small sip. The colour slowly returns to his face, making him look a lot less like he's about to hurl or pass out.
"And let's face it, Ig will know you're gone like super fast - I swear he knows everything. So, we should probably hurry it up a bit if we hope to even reach Hammerhead before we're dragged back and murdered."
He rolls his shoulders, puts his bottle away, readjusts the backpack and starts walking again, shooting Noct a bright, toothy grin. "Well? You coming?"
how far DO we want these dumbasses to get
Prompto's right about Ignis, though. The only delay they have is if Ignis scours the nearby area for him before he tells the king, with Gladio's help. So he runs a bit to catch up to Prompto, pulling out the map on his phone again. He only has a saved one - he turned his location services off in the hopes of delaying being found earlier.
"If we make it to Hammerhead, what do you wanna buy? We should get a souvenir, right?"
He tucks his phone back into his pocket. Why does it seem so close on the map and so damn far now? He squints into the distance.
I'm torn. I want them to have an adventure. But really, Ignis would track them down pretty quick.
At least they both had the sense to turn off their location services. It was probably the one sensible thing they have achieved in this whole crazy plan. "Aw man. I wonder if they'll have any chocobo plushies! Fluffy McStuffins needs a new friend." Ah yes, Fluffy McStuffins, the adorable black chocobo plushie Noct had won at the arcade for Prompto. It was his pride and joy and went almost everywhere with him. Including on this trip, he's safely nestled in Prom's backpack in his rolled up sleeping bag.
"Or a keychain. Or maybe a moogle lanyard or... I dunno. I've been saving my crowns so I can afford all the things." He had even picked up extra shifts at the camera shop. "How about you, Noct? What are you gonna get?"
a little adventure, as a treat
"If nothing else, you can tell Gladio's grandkids or mine or something." He shakes his head a little in amusement, smiling at the mention of Fluffy McStuffins, who was definitely one of his favorite wins for Prompto.
"Maybe Fluffy needs a partner. A cute mechanic chocobo from the gas station," he teases Prompto instead. After a moment he reaches out, tugging on Prompto's wrist. "Hey - there's a pretty decent hill over that way. Maybe we'll be able to get a better lay of the land over there?"
They deserve it
Maybe if Niflheim had more plushie chocobos then the world wouldn't be at war.
Prompto willingly lets Noct drag him along. "Noct, that's not a hill, it's a mountain." Okay, okay, it isn't that steep, but Prompto had vastly underestimated how much walking they would be doing. Even so, he trudges on, making his way up the hill.
He lets out a low whistle once he reaches the top. "Whew. Now that's what I call a view." He suddenly gives Noct's shoulder a push. "Dude! Dude! I see it! I see the sign!!"
then cor and the crownsguard can string them up by their toes
Noctis makes plans about getting a chocobo plushie if they don't make it to Lestallum, instead climbing up the hill-mountain with Prompto until they get to the top. He almost misses the sign - he's not sure how, considering it's right there - for looking out on how far the roads and flatland go out past it.
He's having a moment, okay. But he grins wide when he spots it.
"Awesome! That's... a lot further away than I was expecting, actually." The map didn't make it seem that far! He glances back towards Insomnia, then does a double take, pushing Prompto forward a little.
"Oh shit - we should get going. I think I just saw the Regalia."
Which they also deserve
"Dude... seriously? You're not playing?" He suddenly looks very much like a petrified Anak calf in the headlights and feels like puking, crying or peeing himself - he's not sure which.
But then a fierce look of determination settles on his face. "If we keep away from the roadside and sort of weave through the rocks and scrub we should be able to at least reach Hammerhead before they find us!"
With his newfound determination, Prompto readjusts his backpack on his shoulders and starts off down the hill before breaking into a jog. "You with me, Noct?"
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"With you all the way, buddy," Noctis calls after Prompto before he jogs after him, expression determined.
And Astrals help them, they almost make it. Rather, they make it to the parking lot where Hammerhead is - but the Regalia, and another Crownsguard vehicle, are already parked there.
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Looks like it's over... Unless... Prompto pulls out his phone to study the map. "Maybe we could make a run for it... Maybe we could slip by unnoticed. I mean they're expecting us here at Hammerhead. They're not expecting us not here."
It's a long shot, but Prompto isn't quite ready to give up the dream of a vacation with Noct outside the city walls, away from all royal responsibility. Deep down he knows it's already over though.
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"We should definitely try to make a run for it," he whispers to him. He's not ready to give up the fun little chance at freedom too, even if this is doomed to end in failure. But the depression in Prompto's tone makes him want to try, even if just for five more minutes of it.
Well, that and the fact this is probably the biggest thing he's ever tried to do since the attack in Tenebrae. He takes Prompto's hand in his own after glancing at the map - there looks like a path leading out behind Hammerhead - and starts trying to sneak them that way.
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He swears he hears Gladio too. Oh man, he does not want to see how pissed the big guy is going to be. Prompto knows they should cut their losses, give themselves up and face the music. But he desperately wants to make Operation Vacay work for Noct. He just wants Noctis to get the chance to be a carefree kid for a little while. Is that really too much to ask the Astrals for? Just a few teeny tiny days free in a whole lifetime of responsibility.
Prompto holds tight onto Noct's hand as he follows him. Desperately trying not to make any sound that would alert the others to their presence.
these voreteeth get me every time i try to run to the haven
same!
not a problem at level 60 but level 1....
aw lvl 1. Back when everyone was happy. Before the pain.
the paaaaain.
all the pain and then some
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my heart hurts for prom /clutches chest
they both need all the hugs
this is also fun bc i have a cor journal so
Cor is awesome
he's around if you ever want a side storyline with training prompto! also went ahead and timeskipped
the kid needs all the training he can get
listen, late arrival uncle cor is great, or smutty if you're into that
I'm not opposed to either
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more iggy than noct for the moment
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apologies for the delay!
No worries <3
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