week 3; bros who suffer together, survive together (maybe)

[elemancy]

[most of the afternoon was spent outside the reaches of the main town, out on the homestead. it was... not easy. nor was it fun. really? noct could use probably about.

oh, who knows?

84 naps? 84 naps sounds good.

either way, before he does that—there's someone else he sorely needs to check on. but when noctis doesn't see percy anywhere in sight, his first thought is to see if he's in his room. he... understands this well. too well, given what had happened in altissia.

(though perhaps worse in some ways, if only because noctis saw it and was helpless, but this isn't a competition for worst way for your girl to die and be dead, so he's sure as hell not considering it that way.)

he'll knock softly at the door.]

Hey... it's me. [noct is so good at greetings, right?] Got a sec?

Comments

[elemancy]

Even if there was...

[which he doesn't think there is. they never even found her body.]

She wouldn't want it. That's... it's not the kind of person she was. [no matter how much he may want her back, that's just not how luna is. she was so dedicated to her duty, and giving her life while carrying it out—

that's luna. she didn't live with regrets that way, that was why she was there when she was, right? his dreams told him that too... that luna left, but she did so with no regrets.]

[hydrokinetics]

…I'm sorry. [In a way, maybe this is better. At least he can bring Annabeth back.] In most normal situations, Annabeth would be the same way. I think she'll forgive me here, but I just have to figure out how to do it.

But…it doesn't have to be today, right?

[elemancy]

Not sure it could even be today even if we wanted it to. But...

[he nods. he gets it.] Not just her. Everyone who was killed unfairly—none of them deserved any of this.

[hydrokinetics]

You think some of the people here were killed fairly? [He's shifted, his face burrowed in Mrs. O'Leary's fur and his voice slightly muffled but at least he's talking.] Either way I agree, nobody deserved this. If we could offer the Bandits or whoever a better deal, maybe they'd stop doing this.

[elemancy]

That's... not what I meant.

[good going on the tact there, noct. he winces a little—he knows nobody died fairly, that every death was unjust, but the point is that it's not just about saving annabeth, but everyone who got sucked into this.]

Just wonder if there's anything we could even offer. We don't... we don't even know what the terms are to compete with it.

[hydrokinetics]

I don't know...getting people to trust us to come to us for help instead of being bullied into this probably sounds like a good start. [He's staying burrowed in Mrs. O'Leary's fur, whoops.] If people trusted us, we could figure out a better solution.

[elemancy]

Yeah, can't argue that. Just not sure how easy that part's really gonna be. It was already tough to begin with....

[and trust is going to keep deteriorating.]

[hydrokinetics]

If we just keep talking to people, that'll help. It has to. I can't give that up yet and...you trust some people here, don't you, Noctis?

[elemancy]

I'm not giving up, I just know... it's not gonna get any easier as the other things get worse.

[the more people end up dead, the more killers they end up not finding—he doesn't yet know how bad that will actually be, but his confidence in that much is undoubtedly a bit shaken.]

...But yeah, I do. At least a bit.

[hydrokinetics]

Hold onto those people. [He's busy curling into his dog, enough that Mrs. O'Leary whimpers.] Focus on them. They're going to be how we get through all of this.

...that, I think, will make it a little easier at least.

[elemancy]

Yeah, I think so to. You... gotta make sure to do the same, too.

[hydrokinetics]

I'm trying. I don't know how easy it'll be after this, but I'm trying.

[A pause.] ...sorry about this, Noctis.

[elemancy]

[to that, he shakes his get. don't be such a goober, percy.]

Nothin' to apologize for.

[hydrokinetics]

You sure about that? [A half-laugh] I'm telling you to trust people and in the same sentence I'm saying I don't know who to trust. Annabeth would probably say I'm being stupid. But...thank you for getting it. All of it.

[Please tell him to stop talking, now he's just rambling further.]

[elemancy]

I'm saying that I get it. Trust has to be earned, it's not something you can just... do.

[it's just how it is.]

Start simple, I guess. [noct can be trusted at least, percy.]

[hydrokinetics]

Okay. I trust you enough to be here. Is that simple enough? [Yes Noct, he knows you can be trusted. But regardless.]

[elemancy]

It's a start. I might have to kick your ass if you stop trusting me, though.

[#bros

it's a pitiful attempt to get his mind off things, but it's fine.]

[hydrokinetics]

You're not allowed to kick my ass when I'm already down, dude. That goes against the bro code. [But he's grinning just slightly into Mrs. O'Leary's fur.] But I'll definitely kick that in mind.

[elemancy]

Wrong. Sometimes someone kicking your ass when you're down is what you need.

[the bro code you learn when gladio is one of your bros, apparently.] Y'know. Tough love.

[hydrokinetics]

Can we schedule a raincheck for you to kick my ass tomorrow? [Why are they this way.]

[elemancy]

Don't think I won't hold you to that.

[because they're dumb boys.]