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week 6; exhaustion
[the end of the night comes, the meeting with who remains ends...
and noct really doesn't want to go back to his room just yet. he doesn't really want to deal with ash right now, and—well, he's still concerned about milla. even after seeing her in the meeting, the way she actually relied on him for help after jason hit her—it's hard to let that go. for someone who constantly keeps going, who had even said as much to him just a day earlier?
it's hard to ignore.
so it's her door he finds himself in front of again, knocking lightly.]
Hey, it's me. [he figures she'll know his voice easily enough, but he says it instead so she doesn't have to actually get up if she doesn't want to.]
and noct really doesn't want to go back to his room just yet. he doesn't really want to deal with ash right now, and—well, he's still concerned about milla. even after seeing her in the meeting, the way she actually relied on him for help after jason hit her—it's hard to let that go. for someone who constantly keeps going, who had even said as much to him just a day earlier?
it's hard to ignore.
so it's her door he finds himself in front of again, knocking lightly.]
Hey, it's me. [he figures she'll know his voice easily enough, but he says it instead so she doesn't have to actually get up if she doesn't want to.]
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the change of subject is probably for the better, because that whole day with ash still baffles him. he never wanted that at all, even if it served its purpose.]
Wish I could tell you. Even after six weeks, I'm still not sure what to do about him.
[he shifts very slightly, to make the positioning a little more comfortable, though noct does wince for a brief moment.] I'm just keeping an eye on him.
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. . .
[she also lifts a hand to her chin, brows furrowing]
Do you think him trustworthy?
[in the context of the game, of course. do they really have to talk business now? yes, apparently]
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...Not really. [ouch.] I don't think he'd kill people just to do it, but I think if he "won," he'd be a hassle. He's pretty serious about hating humans. It makes him... unpredictable, I guess.
[in any case, she can lean on him like this while they talk about it, though noct's kind of hoping they don't talk business too much tonight. it's exhausting and a bit depressing to never take a load off.]
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[naturally, that had culminated in him locking her out entirely. she wishes she could have done more.]
I'm concerned for his reasons for asking the Bounties to come forward at the trial earlier today. A few days before, he approached me and wished to enlist my help in locating the Deputy and the Bounty Leader.
[. . .]
I feel he has ulterior motives. I'm just not sure what they are.
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[he's not sure what ash is up to, and he hasn't had a chance to talk to him.]
I can try talking to him. He... kind of trusts me, I think. But it might not be enough for him to actually give up whatever else he's after.
[he's concderned about it, and:]
...You be careful around him too, just in case.
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[her gut is telling her that Ash knows a lot more than he's letting on, but right now, she doesn't even have an inkling of what that might be. she's feeling this conversation starting to weigh heavily on her as well, and with a small sigh (a shallow sigh, her ribs still hurt), she flops backwards onto the bed so she can stare at the ceiling]
[gently. gingerly. it's less of a flop and more her gently easing herself down]
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you know, out of concern because he's pure.]
I... think that's enough business talk tonight, yeah? Think we both need to just keep it light for at least a little bit.
[though he's also wondering if he should just leave her be to rest at this point.]
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[also, she wrinkles her nose and makes a slight face, but deep down she knows Noctis has a point]
I suppose. . . you're right.
[the trial earlier today had been even more exhausting than the past ones. but sometimes, it's hard for her to turn off the desire to keep working]
[she reaches up to tug on the sleeve of his shirt, but she doesn't sit up]
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I think we can go one night without it. Kinda starting to forget what it's like to think about other stuff these days.
[he gets it, though. especially with the sort of person milla is—not thinking about it at all is probably difficult. but they're exhausted, physically and mentally.
taking a bit to recoup isn't bad.
though when milla tugs at his sleeve, he makes a bit of a questioning sound, looking at her with... well, a bit of confusion. he doesn't quite know what that means, it's a new gesture to him.]
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[her tugging gets more insistent]
Lie down with me. I want to pet your head again, and I don't think my body will cooperate if I try to sit up again.
[s. . . so bold??]
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[they all need the rest. every single one of them; even where trust is high, so are tensions.
but...
well, the topic is going to shift pretty rapidly because.]
Y... you want me to lie down? [yes, noct.
that's exactly what she just said. but... well.
it's kind of embarrassing? he's never even platonically did this with another girl because he's an embarrassing nerd and luna was in another country entirely for twelve years. even if this is... really harmless and innocent in intentions—
he's just trying to wrap his head around it. all the same, milla is truly a force to be reckoned with, given her insistence and the fact that she's injured and he'd really rather she doesn't aggravate it.]
Okay. I, uh... I guess that's... okay?
[he's moving slowly and a bit unsurely though, because (?????). he's just awkward, sorry, milla.]
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It's comforting. And we could also use a bit of that right now, don't you think?
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(and really, he doesn't even want to say no anyway.)]
Ye... yeah. I think you're right about that. I just... needed to make sure you were.
[it's not as if they're really doing anything wrong, but he's... on a bed with a woman and that sure is new for this awkward prince. but even still... when her fingers are in his hair, he feels that same sense of comfort from before, and that does relax him a bit.
but he doesn't close his eyes, instead, noctis utilizes these moments where milla's eyes are closed to look at her face and study her features a bit.
(and she's pretty, though maybe someone who is akin to a goddess should really never be anything less, huh?)]
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[although when the silence stretches on for just a bit too long, she opens one eye just in time to find him watching her]
You're staring.
[blunt as always! she doesn't even have to ask why, though. he wouldn't be the first person to look at her like that, so she's very much used to it at this point]
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oops.
his gaze averts a little—he's clearly embarrassed by his own staring.]
Sorry. I, um....
[kill him? end his life please.] I just never really looked that close before.
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To be frank, I don't mind.
[a beat, and she clarifies]
One of the benefits of this form is that it distracts males soldiers during battle, after all. For the very same reasons it distracted you.
[Milla why]
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[probably? sure, her fashion sense is a bit distracting in how revealing it is...
but he never really looked at her that way, because he wasn't in a mindset for it. not with all the murder and tragedy—but maybe in some way, what the heart want prevails.
so when it's things like warmth and comfort, it becomes much more difficult for him to ignore that sort of thing.]
I guess that's all part of your duty though, huh.
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[she asks that question idly, because the real reason it might have changed doesn't occur to her. driven by duty and conviction 24/7, Milla was never in a mindset for relationship stuff]
And I suppose you could say it is. I need to use every tool at my disposal to my advantage.
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[yeah, there's a reason it changed. the reason is that the more he learned about her, who she is and the kind of person she strives to be...
the more he wants to be around her. even noctis knows this is a pretty lowkey crush, one that he should shove to the side and ignore because of... well, everything. because they're in this sick game, because they may die. because they're from different worlds. because she's a lord of spirits and he's a king of humans.
it's not something he should pursue in the least, and he hardly thinks she would even reciprocate something like that anyway.]
Better you focus on your duties with that kind of thing, anyway. I guess.
I'll... mind my gazes, in the meanwhile.
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Don't feel obligated to mind it. As I said, I don't mind.
[she shrugs it off like it's no big deal]
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and even he can't be.
so for a moment, he closes his eyes and he tries to find his composure instead.]
Guess... you can just take it as a compliment if you want.
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[lightly teasing again! plz keep in mind she's been petting his head throughout this entire conversation]
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You probably get that a lot. [enough for her to take it in stride.
but in turn, this time it's noct that reaches out, brushing her bangs away from her eyes so he can see them better—and letting his fingers linger there a bit longer than intended.
...he's charmed, to be sure.]
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[. . .]
[and then she sneezes]
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[has he ever seen someone so excited about a sneeze]
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