When the Night Has Come [Noct]

[attr="class","monsterexo"]

Though the farms weren't as common around Dalesville, they were still prominent enough to need the services of a bounty hunter that could eliminate pests ruining their crops. That's where Noctis played his part in this weird new life on this foreign planet known as Kindra. Could it even be considered that? He thought about it more times than not and he'd be lying if he said it didn't bother the living hell out of him. The last thing he remembered was letting himself be taken in by the crystal of Lucii. As far as Noctis knew, he could still be within it, living in this dream-like reality that kept him apart fro the dangers wrecking havoc all over Eos.

And the others... What had become of them? Ignis, Gladiolus, Prompto, Iris... Luna? Instinctively he thought of her, how he had been betrothed though all of their time apart hadn't ever given them the chance to truly know one another. It was "meant to be," and he had wanted to save her. Why hadn't he been able to?

A wild boar fell the ground in front of him, one of his royal weapons fading away, waiting to be called on once more. Thankfully, he had the power of kings on his side, no matter his location. He had the ring of Lucii tucked away in the pocket of his jacket for the time being; he didn't need that thing making its presence known in Stomend of all places. The people here... Didn't seem to take kindly to all of this "magic" nonsense, he'd come to find. Whatever. As long as he got paid, right?

He had pulled out his phone in order to take a picture which would serve as proof - he didn't have signal here (or any part of Kindra other than Nexus), but that didn't matter in this instance. As soon as he had gotten the dead creature in frame, something caught his ear that forced him to freeze. Filtering in through the distant noise of horses was a laugh. A lighthearted, stupid, goofy laugh.

His slate-blue eyes widened considerably as he whipped around, black clothing standing out against the sunlight. A camera hung around his neck (at least he thought that's what that was?), blond spikes adorned the top of his head and his hand rested on the horse as though it were a four-legged chocobo.

Prompto.

He didn't break into a run, for some reason. Noctis began to slowly walk closer; the other civilian of Insomnia turned his back towards the prince, which gave him a sense of comfort and the element of surprise. His stomach twisted painfully; what if this was nothing more than his mind, or the crystal's tricks? What if Kindra... Wasn't real at all? Part of him wanted to let himself believe that was true, but the stronger part of him outweighed from a hundred to one. Prompto was here, and he was here. That meant Ignis and Gladio could e here too, right?

But that, sadly, would ruin my girlish figure.

"Well at least you admit it's girly." He chimed in, a crooked yet delighted smile present on his lips as he hoped the fence with ease. "I see you've taken to horses due to chocobo withdrawals. Suits you."

[attr="class","monsterexo"]

Of  course the bond doofus would make time to set the camera down. Without the camera, Prompto lost a sense of his self, his identity. He probably should have been expecting the other Insomnian to break into a run, but for some ungodly reason, he hadn't been putting two and two together. Noctis almost lost his balance as soon as the chocobo-loving fiend had plowed into him at full force. If it wasn't for the fence he'd jumped over just moments ago, the two would have been plummeting to the ground, which would have been a little less than satisfactory. 

"Yeah, I sure hope it is." He responded with a smile, his own eyes beginning to burn, as much as he didn't want to admit it. He did feel like he could break down here, let himself cry and be done with these stupid emotions, but he couldn't... Let himself. Not yet. He couldn't let all of that fear and those feelings overtake him now. He had to appear as though he were strong, that he could be the King everyone knew he could, that he... 

Yeah, about that- 

To think that he would have lost his cool first. 

Tears fell down his face as his arms reciprocated the hug, teeth clamping down hard on his bottom lip to the point of near pain. Noctis held Prompto as tightly as he could manage, afraid to let him go. All of those thoughts he'd plagued himself with ever since he'd been here finally were put to rest. That he'd never be able to see them again... That, because of him, they were all dead. Even if this was just an illusion of the Crystal, he couldn't bring himself to care. Noct took in a deep breath through his nose, Prompto's calming scent washing over him and making it so he could finally let his shoulders loosen and relax. 

Maybe he could still pull this off? Make it look like he wasn't a blubbering idiot in the face of something way too emotional for him. 

"I'm.. I'm-" He choked, one arm moving upward on Prompto's body, hand reaching the back of his shoulder as though to securely lock him in place in a protective manner. "I'm so glad... That you're okay-" 

...Right. So much for "pulling this off."