another "NOCT" o u t ;

<333 you’re doing great. like. seriously great.

e x h a l e s

ik you said you don’t need validation but i honestly think you’re doing well, and i can definitely relate seeing as i’m entirely new to the final fantasy/kingdom hearts rp community – it’s rly friendly tho and i’m getting the hang of things quite quickly ; even then i second guess myself, too. it happens to everyone i’m p sure uvu

for what it’s worth, you’re doing an awesome job yourself. your cloud is fantastic. ♥

For Noctis’ part, he manages to hold neutrality. Aside from the arch of his brow, his expression is forced impassivity while he observes the other’s twirl. Noctis is almost positive -- almost entirely so -- that this is still a joke. He’s not really being flirted with, is what he assumes. Probably.

It’s then that the introductions are given, and a small nudge to his arm has his attention briefly altered. (He resists the instinct to return the gesture as he would with his friends.) A soft amusement replaces his previous steeled expression.

Genesis is something else.

one of the worst things about being new in a community (that is the complete opposite) is finding your voice, your confidence, and your place with the character you’ve chosen. i know this, and yet i still second guess myself constantly. i’m having a great time and overall, everyone’s been friendly, so maybe it’s just my illness getting me discombobulated, but i worry about how i’m doing. i highly doubt there are droves of people judging me because that’s just ridiculous. i’m just doing that social anxiety thing i do sometimes.

i don’t need validation. if you read this, please don’t think it’s me crying out for a compliment or anything; i just really needed to air out this feeling so i can move past it.

in any case, thank you for being here with me on this journey. it’s new. it’s exciting. it’s a little overwhelming? but hey, i’ll make it.

An easy target. Noctis clicks his tongue, casting his gaze elsewhere to avoid exposing his emotions too vividly -- more so, rather, than he already has.

It is harmless, truly it is, but he feels as if he’s directly in the spotlight; as if he’s being made fun of for reasons unknown. Would he engage? He sighs, benign, and drops his arms back to his sides.

Well, “don’t think we know each other that well.”

Without warning, his phone powers down and the surrounding world does, too.

Shadows blanket the scenery. Overhead, clouds an ominous deep gray appear in abrupt formation. It’s an electrical surge that has his hairs standing on end and his phone screen a bright white -- its the crack of thunder that has him jolt. Lightning gathers at angles he’s never witnessed and spark in exaggerated flourish. Their spiderweb gathering and jagged edges draw his attention as he shields his face from the sudden gust of wind.

       Reality is a pop of all sound and then none.

Something hits the ground, although he strangely doesn’t see it fall. On impact, dust kicks into the air. Noctis hesitates. It’s his curiosity which pulls him closer, gathers him in, and as he moves, the clouds above vanish.

Vanish entirely.

He swats at the dirt to no avail, yet still he sees the outline of what appears to be a human. Closer, he realizes he’s seeing a woman and reality sets in. He panics. “Shit.” She must be hurt, and with a surge of haste, he moves to her side.

“Hey! You alright?” His hand touches her shoulder in an effort to rouse a response. “Come on...”

No, what he’s seeing are wings. Ivory, situated along her back against the blue of her duster. An angel? His lips fall open.

As the grass trickles into a field, his footfalls grow slower.

There’s someone there.

He pauses by the edge. Here, he can see clearly a young man he doesn’t recognize, and as his initial surprise dwindles, he realizes that this is a public location. (No one had ever been there in his prior visits yet that hardly would negate the possibility.) It’s then he considers finding another spot to collect himself, although he’s curious about this boy.

He’s dressed so oddly...

The way he’s circled with grace, a grin shot in his direction, Noctis can feel the oncoming slither of heat advancing along his spine. He’s offended now, yet still he harbors that asphyxiating embarrassment at being so unduly teased. He assumes now that his walk is far less elegant and this, for whatever reason, is a way to draw attention to his awkward lumbering.

-- or he’s being too sensitive.

Majestic...Yup, I know.

The exchange happens only in his head.

He can feel a glimmer of embarrassment beneath his own perplexity. Should he be offended? The curl of this guy’s lips speak volumes for his jest and -- wow, Noctis has no idea how to handle himself in this situation. He feels strongly that he’s being teased, although he isn’t sure why.

Pictures exchanged at a distance, guarded by derisive world leaders at war -- Luna for so long was a friend at an unreachable distance. Now, standing before her, Noctis could only wonder if this were real.

His lips parted, words evading every attempt to speak, but he smiled. Within his chest he felt a joyous rattle that threatened eruption purely at the sight of her; purely at the sight of someone dear he’d missed for years. And finally, oh so quietly, he said, “hey.” His chin tucked down in a rush of shy energy, yet his eager desire to speak surmounted until he dropped his gaze to the floor and took in a long, soft inhale.

His nerves threatened to obliterate the teetering social skills he possessed.

“It’s...been a while.”

The expansive evening sky lit up not only from twinkling of stars but by the spark of -- wait, was that fire?

Noctis stood on the stairs leading to the castle and squinted toward the moonlight, seeking what he had assumed was his imagination. It wasn’t his fleet -- no, not Lucian military at all -- and that meant it had to have been an illusion. Nothing could penetrate the “wall” over Insomnia; no foreign crafts could enter without clearance and, to his knowledge, there should not have been any alien ships in the sky, and certainly not at this time of night while the king (presumably) slept peacefully.

    Unless he was mistaken?

“Man...must be losin’ it.”