i walked tall.

     It is with a slight frown that the blonde regards the strangers calling out to her now, tilting her head slightly as she looks at him now. It’s not often strangers call out to her but since arriving within this city, such occurrences have become more and more frequent as time passes on. So while a little suspicious, Terra approaches the other slowly with some caution.

      ❝ … I do, ❞ she says simply, stopping a few feet before him now.

      ❝ … What’s wrong? ❞

☆☆☆ Noct turns towards her and rubs the back of his head. He’s extremely concerned about the cat that’s stuck, and even more concerned when he thinks about how it might be panicking. Though he does not show it on his face his body language does betray a little bit of desperation.

@luciianoir​ liked for a starter!

Hop eyes the young man across the clearing from his spot on the bench, looking down and fiddling with his phone every now and then so his obvious staring doesn’t seem so, well, obvious. The guy who currently has Hop’s attention is looking at his own phone, thankfully (hopefully) unaware of the Trainer’s gaze.

It reminds him of studying a Pokemon in their natural environment - though he quickly dismisses the strange thought. Hop shifts again, turning slightly to crisscross his legs in front of him. Maybe the reason why is that this guy exudes cool - which normally wouldn’t be a problem for Hop, but Lee was always there to introduce him to the cool people. Why can’t I look cool an’ act cool? There’s gotta be a secret to it that no one’s tellin’ me about…

It’s only when he comes out of his thoughts and remembers he’s trying to be sneaky that he realizes the stranger is staring back at him. Hop waves awkwardly, paired with an equally awkward smile. Oops…

Well, he made his bed. Time to lie in it. “Sorry fer starin’,” he starts once he’s sure he can be heard, “was just off in lala-land, yanno?” Not a lie, but not the full truth. Followed by flattery - that usually helps, right? “Say, uh, where’d ya get yer cool shirt?”

☆☆☆ Noct doesn’t notice at first that someone is looking at him. He's searching through his phone, skimming through texts from some new people he’s met recently -- some asking for minor favors, some asking to hang out. He isn’t lonely here, per say, but he definitely did like that other people are reaching out to him. Even if it’s a weird version of what him, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis used to do when they were doing hunts.

Only... the hunts this time are things like catch a cat that ran out into the alleyway, or deliver a message that someone doesn’t want to deliver themselves.

Noct looks up -- he’s not sure why he does, but his phone goes back in his pocket and he’s making eye contact with someone from across the way. His brows furrow and he’s trying to figure out why the other is staring when he speaks.

“Oh? Uh...” he pauses, looks at his shirt, and then back up again. “The mall. I got my shirt at the mall.” Is it cool? He didn’t really think about it like that, just that it’s the Insomnian royal color -- black -- and what he feels most comfortable in. 

He stops in his tracks, twists his head slightly to give Noct a Look. Badou’s arms are stretched out at his sides, like he’ll ballerina-hop away in a second if need be.

“You think I don’t know that? I’m way too gangly to not know that, vividly. You tried to break any of this yet? We could try with your head,” he teases.

☆☆☆ Noct almost resists the urge to roll his eyes, but fails and does it anyway. He’s smiling just a little -- it’s nice to be teased, even if it’s at his own expense.  “How far do you think this goes?” he asks instead, and starts shuffling out a little towards Badou. The ice is thick and he knows it’s difficult to traverse, it really wouldn’t do well to fall straight on his ass.

  being situated in the place for near a year now, matt’s grown accustomed to the random happenings that tend to take the city by storm. in this case, it was sort of… a literal one. something akin to snow on the surface, yet it wasn’t snow at all. layers of cool diamond took over, causing problems one after another. apparently for this bloke, he was on the unlucky end himself. must’ve been desperate if they were asking matt for help.

  ❝ … seriously, man? it’s not my problem. ❞  glancing down at his phone, matt notes the time then looks back at the formation blocking the stranger’s path to his home. well. he did have time to kill, but…   ❝ don’t think i have much to really help ya either. so… what exactly do ya want me to do? ❞ 

                                                                                    — @luciianoir​ // event: shine bright.

☆☆☆ He’s frowning, and it almost looks like a pout. Maybe it is, but Noctis doesn’t want to admit it. This guy doesn’t really seem like he’ll be much help, but there’s no one else around to ask anyway.

No matter what he tries he cannot move the door that seems to be permanently shut, even using all of his strength in both of his arms and legs. 

He’s not about to give up, but he might enlist the help of another. He perks up when he sees someone walking by the alley he’s in, and it’s the first time in ten minutes that he’s let go of the door handle. He hadn’t realized how cold his fingers had gotten.

“Hey! Hey, miss! Sorry, do you have a minute?”

☆☆☆  “You’re going to slip,” he says, and crosses his arms as he sort of tilts his head to the side. It’s amusing, watching Badou like this. He wouldn’t call him a friend -- yet -- but Noct would be lying if he said he wasn’t fond of the other.

“It’s like ice. You have to walk slower.”

☆☆☆  It’s not the most pleasant of situations, Noct thinks to himself. The chaotic weather doesn’t do much to help his already souring mood, but instead of wallowing in it he’s deciding on how he should handle it.

The other girl who is stranded outside the small cafe in Golden seems cheery enough. He wraps his jacket around himself tighter and sort of pouts as he approaches.

“... are you getting locked out of all restaurants in the area, too?”

Ogata sighs.

“ The answer isn’t any more interesting, I’m afraid. I just like sitting here. “

As a cat would. Ogata’s spots also often make good vantage points and that goes here too. 

“ I live nearby”, he continues.

“ What are you doing here? Lost are you? “

☆☆☆ He considers the question for a moment and frowns. Is it so obvious that he doesn’t know where he’s going? He’s good enough with traversing the outdoors -- a fault of Gladio’s, no doubt -- but he’s still in unfamiliar territory.

“Yeah. I guess, a little,” he admits, and he looks away. “I probably can figure it out though.”

||  █ ▌— he hears noct say his name, but if he says anything after, it’s certainly drowned out. the music here is much too loud for a normal conversation, after all ( part of its appeal, if you ask ignis, but he certainly is regretting this location choice now ) and the words are lost amid the music. he lets noct grab him by the wrist, a demonstrated level of trust reserved only for his king, and is easily led away from the noise.

it’s difficult to hear much of anything, but he does pick up on noct’s words, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly behind his glasses as he tries to keep his lips from curling upward in amusement. 

likely noct has not thought too hard about what he just said, but ignis is good-humored enough, at this stage of processing his recent loss of sight, to try and make noct feel bad.

❝ oh, really? ❞ he asks, inclining his head as soon as they’ve left the club. out the front doors and into the chilly night air. he tries so hard to keep the laugh out of his voice and feign offense. ❝ you can’t see anything at all in there? i wonder what that must be like. ❞

☆☆☆ He still not looking at his face. He’s looking away, his eyes straight ahead as he continues to hold onto Ignis’ wrist. Ignis, who is an anchor, Ignis, who might tell him to eat his vegetables but still is there for him. He’s one of Noctis’ best friends, and he knows the loyalty goes both ways.

“Yeah,” he says, and sounds a little irritated. “It was too dark, and I couldn’t see. I didn’t like it.” There’s a moment where he pauses, lets go of Ignis’ wrist and turns to face him finally. He frowns and tilts his head to the side as he takes in the sight of Ignis’ outfit. It’s fairly Ignis-like in style, but something about it annoys Noct. He can’t put a finger on it.

What a headache. Baby wasn’t sure how exactly he was supposed to work the cellphone. He saw that he was able to click open a button, but everything was becoming too confusing. He decided to just give up and placed it away. He looked over at the other with a confused look before turning his attention towards the restaurant. 

“Oh, uhm, I actually haven’t tried it yet! I was actually about to go inside, but this thing distracted,” He explained and showed him his phone. “It kept making this strange sound and I am unsure what to do… Oh, sorry, uhm, I am sure that the food is good! There is a lot of people inside, so there must be something nice about the place!”

☆☆☆ Noctis looks at the phone and frowns a little. It’s not been that confusing to him, but the device does work somewhat differently than what he’s been used to. Maybe this guy is in the same boat -- it’s just unfamiliar enough to him that it gives him pause as well.

“What sound?” he asks, and holds out his hand. He might as well take a look at it. “I’m not the best at tech, but I can figure out how to get it to stop making noise if that’s what you want.”

…..

“Seriously?” 

His brows raise to nearly his hairline as he looks. At this poor pathetic lettuce. And the veggie on Noctis’ plate too. 

“It’s in it cause that’s what’s in it, dude. And for aesthetic too probably. If you dip it in the sauce you can’t even taste how boring it is.”

Seriously!! Seriously. 

☆☆☆ Dip the whole thing in sauce? That might hide the taste of vegetables, but it won’t do much to hide the disappointment that sits in his chest. He sighs and puts it to the side, the pout on his face very unregal.

||  █ ▌— genesis half-shouts as the wire snags his hair, his eyes widening and a cry of pain escaping him. it’s not as though he hasn’t had worse injuries, of course, but this one is sharp and surprising and, above all, at the hands of someone’s mistake, rather than an enemy combatant.

he shook his head a little as soon as the line was untangled, and tried to keep his temper under control. he’s irritated, certainly, but a mistake is still just a mistake.

it isn’t as though he has anywhere else to be, of course, but he still feels as though he’s been interrupted in some way. ❝ you weren’t, were you? ❞ he snaps, before he can stop himself, but then takes a sharp inhale and sighs.

❝ it’s fine. it’s fine. you barely pulled any of my hair out, which i suppose means that it could have been worse. ❞

he takes a moment to scrutinize the young man who had accidentally accosted him, curious. ❝ going fishing, are you? ❞

☆☆☆ Noctis’ eyes widen at the snapping -- he’s not used to being talked to that way, even when they were on the road and taking on hunts -- but still. He keeps his princely composure. “I’m sorry,” he says again, as if to placate the man. Some people cannot be pleased no matter what though, and Noct has learned that the hard way.

He watches the red haired man and starts to wind back up the fishing wire. “I was,” he says, a little slowly. It’s obvious that he is about to go relax, and that he was content to do it alone. Still, impulse grabs him and he opens his mouth before he can stop himself. “Are you?”

He’s so depressed….what’s going on. Badou glances between the plate, then Noctis, then back again.

“How? Did you see something move in there? I can’t say it’s never happened before, but it’ll die eventually from all the heat.”

Is he joking? Is this legit? …We just don’t know. Badou will almost eat anything…even veggies sometimes. So would he eat something alive in– who knows.

☆☆☆ “No, nothing like that...” he says slowly, his eyes back on his plate. It’s just an overall sad moment in his otherwise uneventful day. “I don’t think anything’s alive in here, unless you count... this.”

“ … “

Someone has ventured into the forest again huh…. Either lost or just taking a walk while still able. The weather is fine and all. Ogata observes him for a bit.

“ What do you mean how? “ he finally asks.

“ I climbed, how else? I don’t have wings on my back do I? “

☆☆☆ He really shouldn’t ask foolish questions, but maybe the man startled him. There’s a crease in his brow as he rubs the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.

||  █ ▌— this place is so peculiar. galatea has no idea how to make heads or tails of much of what she’s seen here. it’s enormous, and new, and shiny, and strange. as unlike her hometown or the asylum or oletus manor in every way conceivable. the games she played back home likely mean nothing here.

it will take some time adjusting to that.

still, she doesn’t want to get too distracted from her overall goals ( even if accomplishing them here seems rather difficult ).

she glances up at an unfamiliar voice, her eyes meeting those of the stranger for a long moment, as if she’s studying him.

whatever she sees, it doesn’t draw her attention for very long, because she glances away quickly and tilts her head slightly to the side. he seems friendly, or maybe just helpful. she doesn’t think that’s a bad thing, necessarily.

❝ how gallant. do i look like i need help, sir? ❞

Noct shrugs. He does a lot of that when he’s not sure what his body should be doing. He’s been taught to be regal, but as it goes sometimes lessons don’t stick. Most notably, poor posture and terrible eating habits are among his least noble attributes, but he’s not trying to convince anyone of his royal standing at present.

He smiles, rubs the back of his head and looks away. “Not really,” he admits, and feels a little foolish. She’s probably fine, but he’s used to asking everyone if they need something, and going out of his way to provide it. Even stray cats or people who don’t immediately ask for help, he’s willing to lend a hand when the time comes.