[Noctis makes an annoyed noise, though he does tilt a little in Ignis' direction as he pulls away, drawn like a magnet for a moment before he can refocus. Ignis is right. It's a contact, which means it's stupid and inanimate and he's fought more dangerous things before. Terrorists and giant beasts and daemons. He saved the world. He can put a piece of plastic against his eyeball.]
Yeah, I got it. Just gotta... angle it, I guess. ...Ugh.
[This is so ridiculous. Why couldn't the gods have given him normal eyes? Maybe he could just wear tinted glasses all the time... though that, too, would be admitting defeat. He won't have that now. With a sigh and a scowl, he gives it another go.
It takes a few more failed attempts and extra cursing, but at last he manages to wiggle it into position, squinting and blinking repeatedly as he adjusts to the feel of it before pausing and scrutinizing his reflection in the mirror.]
...So... what do you think?
[The colour is a little mismatched between the two eyes, if one looks closely, but in the dim interior light it's not immediately noticeable that one is a coloured contact instead of a natural shade. At the very least it's far less noticeable than the gleaming amethyst it'd been when left uncovered. When they're out and about, he shouldn't stand out nearly as much between that and his new attire. And more importantly, he looks a little more like himself, which he hopes will help Ignis feel safer.]
[Noctis glances sidelong at Ignis, watching his expression. He doesn't seem to mind, and might even approve of the change... that's a relief. Maybe this is better after all, and that makes all of the effort trying to get it in worthwhile.
He steps back from the mirror, rubbing briefly at his eye, and nods, feeling a newfound determination to get used to this. The more he wears it the more natural it'll feel, and now they can move more freely through town. Which means they can... oh.]
A night out, some dinner... you want to take me on a date?
[ He hadn't really given it too much thought as what to call this night out. A blush spreads up his cheeks a bit, like he's been caught red handed, but he smiles all the same. ]
Whatever we want to call this, Noct.
[ He shuts the distance between them then, planting a quick kiss on his lips as he reaches for Noct's hand. ]
I just need one little favor while we're out.
Ebony. Stat. [ He wants to keep up for this and not fall over. ]
Indeed they do. [ He was thrilled to hear that Ebony was being remade again and put back into stock. ] There's a store not too far from here we can check.
[ He gently tugs on their joined hands to get them moving out the door. ]
We'll grab dinner to go again, I've got the perfect idea for it. [ Just trust him on this one, Noct. ]
[ Shutting the door behind them, he pockets the room key. He doesn't know how he does it either, Ignis can drink coffee all he wants, but he can pass out easily, it does help him stay focused while driving though. ]
We'll get the food first, it's closer. [ Well, that depends on what they want of course, there's a couple of diners to pick from.
As they exit the Leville, it's dark out, but the city's lights are keeping everything bright, it's leftover from when the long ten year night. Ignis hadn't gotten to see Lestallum during that time though. ]
Did you have any ideas of what you'd like to do tonight?
Hadn't really thought about it. We've been so focused on getting here, I wasn't thinking about what would come next.
[He glances at their surroundings, trying to see if anything in particular catches his eye. He doesn't remember much, beyond the sights- what he'd seen in the dream, that is- but some parts of Lestallum are unforgettable.]
Maybe... you could show me what's changed since I've been gone? Seeing places that look different might make me remember something. Or places that stick out, I guess... either way, a tour would be useful, right?
[Noctis peruses the menu for a long moment, pretending to debate his options, before sliding it over and pointing to the one he'd chosen basically from the start: the biggest, meatiest rice bowl available. It resembles one of his old favourites, so he'd gravitated towards it.]
[ He's so not surprised by Noctis' choice here. He debates himself for a moment, wondering if he should grab the same thing or not. He likes his green usually, but he wants to get his weight back that he'd lost over the first few days that he'd been captured, before Noctis found him for the first time.
That and he still eats a little quicker than usual, he has a feeling that it'll calm down soon. Since Noctis drank half a can of Ebony for him, he can totally do this.
He places the orders down and gives their fingers a squeeze while they wait on the food to come out. He's so not telling where they're going after this. ]
We'll make our way to the spot I have in mind once it's ready.
[ Ignis gives a small smile, giving away nothing to his plan here. ]
We're not going far. [ It is a short walk from where they're at and what do you know, the food comes out at that point. He pays for the food at that point then picks it up.
He leads Noctis to the lookout point, making their way to the tables that are off to the right side of the point. He grabs the closest one that gives them a beautiful view of the city and what's over the lookout point itself. Ignis sets his food down and gives Noct a curious look. ]
[Noct's eyes widen at the view, struck speechless for a long moment as he takes in the sight of the massive meteor in the distance. It's always beautiful, and he'd seen it from a distance earlier that day, but at nightfall the glow and the way it's backlit by the stars... it's truly breathtaking. He really doesn't know what to say at first.]
That's... amazing. [He blinks, and it clicks then.] Oh- the dream. That's why I wanted to go there, isn't it? [It makes sense. His past self would have known that it looks like this from Lestallum, so of course it would be just as beautiful up close.] I kind of like this view, though.
[ He can tell that he did good here, just watching Noct taking in the view. Ignis lets their joined hands go and winds his arm around Noct's waist, quietly taking in the view himself. ]
Indeed, we went there in our shared dream. [ Which is why he had picked this spot, both the meteor and Lestallum are well within their sights, they had visited both places in their shared dream. ]
I, uh, thought it would be special for us to have a beautiful view like this, since we seen it in our shared dream. [ He's feeling kind of shy ] You did call this a date. [ smiling softly now. ]
[That sudden influx of shyness is kind of sweet, actually. Noctis might have felt it himself if he carried all his memories with him, if he recalled all the years of feeling that weight of societal expectations on his back. There's something incredibly liberating about forgetting one's past. Less to lose, so why hide what he's feeling?
He tucks himself in closer to Ignis, leaning on his shoulder as he drinks in the view.]
You made the right call. This place is great.
[It almost makes him want to stay longer than a few days, though he knows they shouldn't. It's better to keep moving, safer that way. Still... he'd really like it here.]
It's a date then. [ said with a smile in his tone.
They deserve this, not just from the past couple of days, but years lost, years that Noctis may or may not remember, that'll be up to where they go and what he recalls. Ignis is more than happy to keep creating happy memories like this.
He's quiet while they take in the view, just enjoying the company and blocking out his own worries for now.
The smell of their food does hit his nose after a while. ]
[Noctis nods, hesitating a moment - still getting a feel for what he should or shouldn't do, finding the groove for his own existence - then leans up to softly kiss Ignis' cheek before tugging him back towards the table. Something's tickling at his memory, alluding to what might have happened here or what might come next, and right now he'd rather enjoy dinner - his date - with Ignis first.]
Yeah, I'm starving. We can enjoy the view while we eat.
[ He doesn't need that much prompting to go sit at the table with Noctis, side by side. Ignis pauses for a second, pushing aside his food bowl for a moment. He reaches into his pocket, feeling the discovery that he'd made when they'd gotten here, he'd missed it before while digging through the car. Prompto must have put them in after discovering who saved Ignis. ]
I have something to show you.
[ He sets two photos down, the first one of them where they are right now in Lestallum, at the outlook actually, from fifteen years ago. The second one from five years ago, shortly after the attack on Ignis, they had been cuddling near the campfire, Prompto was sneaky about getting that one in. ]
I found them in the car after we got here, Prompto must have left them there for us to find.
[ Ignis finally returns the kiss onto Noctis' cheek before he pulls back, allowing Noct to study the photos as he moves his food bowl closer to himself, stirring it up a bit. ]
[Noctis accepts the photos with a quiet exhale of surprise, spreading them out side by side in front of himself. The second one he recognizes, having regained that memory already, feeling a mixture of fondness and regret for the gentle warmth conveyed by it and the grief he carries for years they've lost, both before and after it was taken. The first, though...
He recognizes the location, four men posing together with the sun shining down on them and the Disc gleaming brightly at their backs. Ignis, Gladio, Prompto. And... a face he knows by instinct alone, but can't remember. His fingers trail just below it, brows lifting.]
That's... me?
[Gods, but they all look so young. Smiling and astonishingly carefree. How could that possibly be the man he used to be?]
[ Ignis had been surprised to see that particular photo of all them together, looking so young like that. It was a long time ago. ]
Indeed, it is you, from fifteen years ago.
[ He can't place when it was taken since they were in and out of Lestallum quite the bit. He still stirs his food quietly, taking in Noctis' reaction to it.
It makes sense really, if Noct only sees himself now that he can't recall what he looks like from those years ago. ]
[Noctis studies it for a long moment, his expression shifting between a mixture of emotions as the seconds pass; longing, worry, curiosity. He lifts a hand to rub idly at his chin. No beard, huh...]
We must've really loved it out here.
[They all look happy, smiling and carefree. Now and in the memories he's regained so far, a lot of the smiles in his direction have been laced with some kind of quiet, subtle pain. Which makes sense, admittedly. He'd been dead or about to die.]
...Do you think, after we've got everything sorted out, we could do it again? Just the four of us.
[He's a little afraid of going back, admittedly- regaining his memories and returning to Insomnia. What if people expect him to become king now that he's back, what if people - any people - expect him to be some kind of leader? He's fifteen years gone, he knows nothing about ruling. He has a feeling, looking at his younger self, that he for the most part barely did to begin with even when he remembered it all. No good king would look that happy to have lost his kingdom and forced to live incognito. That's not even getting into the fact that he's not exactly a normal person anymore.
Putting it off for another trip around the country- wouldn't that be nice. Running away from responsibilities perhaps, but... haven't they done enough already?]
[ Ignis looks up, surprised by the suggestion. They're on this trip together to regain Noctis' memories back and he knows that Noct is afraid of going back to Insomnia, he'd seen the fear in his eyes and the hesitation back in the shack when he was talking them through their shared dream. ]
That might be a little more difficult, [ he says, sadly, understanding Noctis wanting to relive those memories. ] Prompto's doing well for himself with his photos and Gladio trains people for the Crownsguard. [ Noct's already seen Prompto, but Gladio still needs to see Noctis for his own eyes. He's a little worried about Gladio not being as accepting as Prompto was to the idea of Noct being alive. ]
I wouldn't be opposed to the suggestion, but they got their own lives to live now.
[ Five years had gone by and each of them had settled into their roles nicely. Ignis had trained people to take over for him in case of an emergency came up, which it did. He's always been prepared for stuff like this. ]
I'm on this trip to help you and I want to be with you. [ Giving a small smile and reaching out to take one of Noctis' hands, lacing their fingers together. ] You wouldn't have to talk me into going on another one with you again.
[He tries to smile at the encouragement Ignis attempts at his closing offer, but Noctis finds it difficult not to feel disappointed. Of course they'd have found lives for themselves... he'd wanted that for them, hadn't he? And he can't expect them to up and bail on everything they've built just to tour around on a whim. They've managed without him for fifteen years already. All he's doing is clinging to what feels the most familiar, reaching for an old life long gone and forgotten.
Maybe he shouldn't try to get his memories back. Maybe he should just be forgotten by everyone, the way he's forgotten them. He could just be fooling himself, and Ignis is the only one who'll be happy to have him back.]
Right... of course. I was just thinking out loud, nevermind.
[He doesn't pull away from Ignis' hand, but he doesn't quite squeeze back, either. He slides the photos back towards Ignis and reaches for his fork to focus on his food instead.]
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no subject
Yeah, I got it. Just gotta... angle it, I guess. ...Ugh.
[This is so ridiculous. Why couldn't the gods have given him normal eyes? Maybe he could just wear tinted glasses all the time... though that, too, would be admitting defeat. He won't have that now. With a sigh and a scowl, he gives it another go.
It takes a few more failed attempts and extra cursing, but at last he manages to wiggle it into position, squinting and blinking repeatedly as he adjusts to the feel of it before pausing and scrutinizing his reflection in the mirror.]
...So... what do you think?
[The colour is a little mismatched between the two eyes, if one looks closely, but in the dim interior light it's not immediately noticeable that one is a coloured contact instead of a natural shade. At the very least it's far less noticeable than the gleaming amethyst it'd been when left uncovered. When they're out and about, he shouldn't stand out nearly as much between that and his new attire. And more importantly, he looks a little more like himself, which he hopes will help Ignis feel safer.]
no subject
Hm.
[ He scrutinizes Noctis' eyes for a minute before he speaks up. ]
It's a bit mismatched, but it shouldn't be noticeable unless someone looks closely at you. [ Like how he is now really. ]
I dare say that we're both due for food. Ready to go?
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He steps back from the mirror, rubbing briefly at his eye, and nods, feeling a newfound determination to get used to this. The more he wears it the more natural it'll feel, and now they can move more freely through town. Which means they can... oh.]
A night out, some dinner... you want to take me on a date?
no subject
Whatever we want to call this, Noct.
[ He shuts the distance between them then, planting a quick kiss on his lips as he reaches for Noct's hand. ]
I just need one little favor while we're out.
Ebony. Stat. [ He wants to keep up for this and not fall over. ]
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Do they make Ebony again these days? [Well, it has been five years.] I don't think you can count on me to find them this time.
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[ He gently tugs on their joined hands to get them moving out the door. ]
We'll grab dinner to go again, I've got the perfect idea for it. [ Just trust him on this one, Noct. ]
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I'll trust you on the food, but maybe I'd better pick out my own drink.
[Even if he liked Ebony, his sleeping habits are already bad, aren't they? Coffee before bed won't help.]
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We'll get the food first, it's closer. [ Well, that depends on what they want of course, there's a couple of diners to pick from.
As they exit the Leville, it's dark out, but the city's lights are keeping everything bright, it's leftover from when the long ten year night. Ignis hadn't gotten to see Lestallum during that time though. ]
Did you have any ideas of what you'd like to do tonight?
no subject
[He glances at their surroundings, trying to see if anything in particular catches his eye. He doesn't remember much, beyond the sights- what he'd seen in the dream, that is- but some parts of Lestallum are unforgettable.]
Maybe... you could show me what's changed since I've been gone? Seeing places that look different might make me remember something. Or places that stick out, I guess... either way, a tour would be useful, right?
no subject
[ He'll start moving them to the closet diner, it's not a far walk. The person there lets them have a look at the menu for a bit. ]
See anything you'd like?
no subject
This'll do. With uh... grape Randell?
no subject
That and he still eats a little quicker than usual, he has a feeling that it'll calm down soon. Since Noctis drank half a can of Ebony for him, he can totally do this.
He places the orders down and gives their fingers a squeeze while they wait on the food to come out. He's so not telling where they're going after this. ]
We'll make our way to the spot I have in mind once it's ready.
no subject
[How can he not be? Especially with how little he remembers. He can't even begin to guess.]
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We're not going far. [ It is a short walk from where they're at and what do you know, the food comes out at that point. He pays for the food at that point then picks it up.
He leads Noctis to the lookout point, making their way to the tables that are off to the right side of the point. He grabs the closest one that gives them a beautiful view of the city and what's over the lookout point itself. Ignis sets his food down and gives Noct a curious look. ]
What do you think?
no subject
That's... amazing. [He blinks, and it clicks then.] Oh- the dream. That's why I wanted to go there, isn't it? [It makes sense. His past self would have known that it looks like this from Lestallum, so of course it would be just as beautiful up close.] I kind of like this view, though.
no subject
Indeed, we went there in our shared dream. [ Which is why he had picked this spot, both the meteor and Lestallum are well within their sights, they had visited both places in their shared dream. ]
I, uh, thought it would be special for us to have a beautiful view like this, since we seen it in our shared dream. [ He's feeling kind of shy ] You did call this a date. [ smiling softly now. ]
no subject
[That sudden influx of shyness is kind of sweet, actually. Noctis might have felt it himself if he carried all his memories with him, if he recalled all the years of feeling that weight of societal expectations on his back. There's something incredibly liberating about forgetting one's past. Less to lose, so why hide what he's feeling?
He tucks himself in closer to Ignis, leaning on his shoulder as he drinks in the view.]
You made the right call. This place is great.
[It almost makes him want to stay longer than a few days, though he knows they shouldn't. It's better to keep moving, safer that way. Still... he'd really like it here.]
no subject
They deserve this, not just from the past couple of days, but years lost, years that Noctis may or may not remember, that'll be up to where they go and what he recalls. Ignis is more than happy to keep creating happy memories like this.
He's quiet while they take in the view, just enjoying the company and blocking out his own worries for now.
The smell of their food does hit his nose after a while. ]
Perhaps we should eat before it gets too cold.
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Yeah, I'm starving. We can enjoy the view while we eat.
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I have something to show you.
[ He sets two photos down, the first one of them where they are right now in Lestallum, at the outlook actually, from fifteen years ago. The second one from five years ago, shortly after the attack on Ignis, they had been cuddling near the campfire, Prompto was sneaky about getting that one in. ]
I found them in the car after we got here, Prompto must have left them there for us to find.
[ Ignis finally returns the kiss onto Noctis' cheek before he pulls back, allowing Noct to study the photos as he moves his food bowl closer to himself, stirring it up a bit. ]
no subject
He recognizes the location, four men posing together with the sun shining down on them and the Disc gleaming brightly at their backs. Ignis, Gladio, Prompto. And... a face he knows by instinct alone, but can't remember. His fingers trail just below it, brows lifting.]
That's... me?
[Gods, but they all look so young. Smiling and astonishingly carefree. How could that possibly be the man he used to be?]
no subject
Indeed, it is you, from fifteen years ago.
[ He can't place when it was taken since they were in and out of Lestallum quite the bit. He still stirs his food quietly, taking in Noctis' reaction to it.
It makes sense really, if Noct only sees himself now that he can't recall what he looks like from those years ago. ]
no subject
We must've really loved it out here.
[They all look happy, smiling and carefree. Now and in the memories he's regained so far, a lot of the smiles in his direction have been laced with some kind of quiet, subtle pain. Which makes sense, admittedly. He'd been dead or about to die.]
...Do you think, after we've got everything sorted out, we could do it again? Just the four of us.
[He's a little afraid of going back, admittedly- regaining his memories and returning to Insomnia. What if people expect him to become king now that he's back, what if people - any people - expect him to be some kind of leader? He's fifteen years gone, he knows nothing about ruling. He has a feeling, looking at his younger self, that he for the most part barely did to begin with even when he remembered it all. No good king would look that happy to have lost his kingdom and forced to live incognito. That's not even getting into the fact that he's not exactly a normal person anymore.
Putting it off for another trip around the country- wouldn't that be nice. Running away from responsibilities perhaps, but... haven't they done enough already?]
no subject
That might be a little more difficult, [ he says, sadly, understanding Noctis wanting to relive those memories. ] Prompto's doing well for himself with his photos and Gladio trains people for the Crownsguard. [ Noct's already seen Prompto, but Gladio still needs to see Noctis for his own eyes. He's a little worried about Gladio not being as accepting as Prompto was to the idea of Noct being alive. ]
I wouldn't be opposed to the suggestion, but they got their own lives to live now.
[ Five years had gone by and each of them had settled into their roles nicely. Ignis had trained people to take over for him in case of an emergency came up, which it did. He's always been prepared for stuff like this. ]
I'm on this trip to help you and I want to be with you. [ Giving a small smile and reaching out to take one of Noctis' hands, lacing their fingers together. ] You wouldn't have to talk me into going on another one with you again.
no subject
Maybe he shouldn't try to get his memories back. Maybe he should just be forgotten by everyone, the way he's forgotten them. He could just be fooling himself, and Ignis is the only one who'll be happy to have him back.]
Right... of course. I was just thinking out loud, nevermind.
[He doesn't pull away from Ignis' hand, but he doesn't quite squeeze back, either. He slides the photos back towards Ignis and reaches for his fork to focus on his food instead.]
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