Someone will remember us, I say

eyes fall shut. hands fold behind him. the image is whisked from his mind. “ hm. ” features turn thoughtful. then those brown-gold eyes flicker open and move across the other's face. “ the isle is practically uninhabitable. if the mountain did not kill you, then the clergy would. ” he looks back toward the painting with an inkling of grief behind his eyes. “ we were not allowed to speak of the crystal unless in prayer. only the orthodoxy could touch it. i visited by accident. my father worked the mines after an injury took him out of war. i was young and foolish. i liked to stow away on boats and pretend they would take me far from home. ”

one day, after he dozed on one of their ships, he woke to sweat and heat and fire.

his gaze never leaves the painting, though the aether behind his eyes shifts in brightness and hue. “ i followed the path to the arboretum. all old stone and abandoned ambition. i was lost for three days before one of the soldiers found me. ” arthur looks down then, to the wood beneath his feet, something small and timid surfacing. the memory of the isle aches behind his eyes. somewhere, he can still hear the distant sizzle of fire, and the soft hum of power he could not explain.

“ i thought... ” he starts, then pauses as if unsure how to proceed. swallowing, he seems to gather himself more surely before continuing. “ at night, the crystal would glow, and the old stone would fill with strange color. aether, but… it would shine in different hues. move with a strange rhythm. ” he meets dion’s eye and shrugs, awkward but too far in now to take the memory back. “ i thought… i thought i could hear whispering when i slept. something calling my name. ”

of course, he had never told anyone. the silent revelation of that lingers between them. then lithe fingers pick at the edge of his tunic, uncertainty rising high beneath his skin.

Is that better? Or worse? Two extreme ends of the spectrum. Would you rather be treated like you are the worst thing that the world has ever spat out, or would you want to be put on a pedestal so high that not even you could reach the lofty expectations of it?

Still, he listens to Arthur's story intently, meeting his gaze with...pity? Camaraderie? Something else? Perhaps he understands, understands better than most. He doesn't know if he ever heard the crystal calling to him, but there are times where he would stand on his balcony in Oriflamme and stare up at in wonder. When he was a child, his father would sit with him and explain the tales of Greagor and all that she had given to them.

It feels so far away now, like a memory he can only half look at without crying.

Oh, God. Hi. How are you? It's been a while, isn't it?

Wait. You work here? Since when?

I think I left my watch at your place. Can I... can I come get it?

So we're just going to pretend that didn't happen?

You never called. I waited three days and you never called.

I'm pregnant. And before you ask—yes, it's yours.

That was supposed to be a one-time thing. So why can't I stop thinking about it?

You told me your name was [insert here]. Your real name is on this hospital badge.

I need you to sign this NDA. My publicist is insisting.

My friends saw us leave together. They have questions.

I know we said no strings, but I have to tell you something.

You're my new boss. This is... this is bad.

We can't do this again. I have a reputation to protect.

You said you were single. So who the hell is that in these photos?

I woke up and you were just... gone. No note. Nothing.

This wasn't supposed to mean anything.

You're sitting at the table with my parents. What are you doing here?

My roommate recognized you from somewhere. Want to tell me where?

You left your ring on my nightstand. The one that looks suspiciously like a wedding band.

I thought I'd never see you again. I was counting on never seeing you again.

That night was a mistake. A really, really good mistake.

You told me you were leaving the country. You told me this would be easy.

We matched on the app again. Is this fate or are we both just bad at this?

You're my best friend's sibling. They can never know.

I think I'm falling for you and that wasn't part of the deal.

You gave me a fake number. I found your real one.

This is my apartment. What do you mean you live in this building?

I haven't been able to touch anyone else since you.

You blocked me on everything. So why are you here right now?

That wasn't just sex for me. I need you to know that.

We have to work together on this project. For six months.

You told me you were just passing through town.

I can still smell your cologne on my sheets and it's driving me crazy.

My therapist says I'm using you to avoid real intimacy.

You're the emergency contact in my phone. I don't remember adding you.

That wasn't supposed to be the best night of my life. But it was.

I think I caught feelings. I know, I know—that's not what we agreed to.

You're at my door at 2am. We said we weren't doing this anymore.

I told you things I've never told anyone. And then you disappeared.

We said one night. It's been three weeks.

Your wedding is in two months. I saw the invitation.

I can't keep calling you when I'm lonely. It's not fair to either of us.

You said your name was different. I found your driver's license.

I know we're not together, but seeing you with someone else made me want to break things.

“  last night was nice.  ” “  lets do this again some time.  ” “  i’ll leave my number.  ” “  i gotta go, sorry.  ” “  can’t you at least stay for breakfast?  ” “  i’ll make coffee—don’t go anywhere.  ” “  next time, maybe i’ll buy you dinner first.  ” “  if we do this again you better buy me dinner first.  ” “  i don’t think my legs work again yet.  ” “  i don’t wanna get up.  ” “  no don’t move, it’s too cold outside the covers.  ” “  there’s no way i can hide these marks…  ” “  this was probably a mistake.  ” “  this can’t happen again.  ” “  you always say that, and yet we wind up right back here.  ” “  are you watching me sleep?  ” “  you look cute all frazzled like this.  ” “  why are you looking at me like that?  ” “  keep kissing me like that and we’re gonna end up back in bed.  ” “  something wrong? ” “  i’d stay if i could, i promise.  ” “  so if i put my number in your phone, you actually gonna text me? ” “  i made breakfast.  ” “  how do you take your coffee?  ” “  fuck! i’m late—  ” “  did you turn the alarm off?  ” “  if you don’t turn that alarm off i’m gonna throw it out the window.  ” “  i can’t find my shirt.  ” “  babe, we slept in.  ” “  i know you’re awake.  ” “  i’ll stay.  ” “  why don’t you stay?  ” “  i like waking up with you.  ” “  i like having you here at night.  ” “  you know, if you moved in we wouldn’t keep having to say goodbye like this.  ” “  so when are we gonna actually go on a real date?  ” “  do i smell bacon?  ” “  you made pancakes?  ” “  come on, come back to bed.  ” “  you weren’t there when i woke up.  ” “  i thought you left.  ” “  do you want me to go?  ” “  just let me sleep for five more minutes.  ” “  you’re really beautiful/handsome. even if you drool.  ” “  you talk in your sleep, ya know.  ”  

SEPHIROTH FURROWS HIS BROW. he may have bristled at the implication of waloed's aggressive nature if the crown prince wasn't abysmally correct.

waloed was always looking for reason to pick a fight. with anyone these days, it seems. king barnabas adopted a decidedly bellicose nature, confrontational at the best of times, even when sephiroth wasn't trying to be antagonistic. his majesty found ways to escalate and test boundaries, reminding everyone present who held such power. he was driven with a newfound pride now that sephiroth had come of age; in the king's own words, he "represented possibility and power" in equal measure, and barnabas seemed determine to exploit both.

and then there was ultima. but he wasn't supposed to talk about that. especially not here.

( does prince dion hate this as much as he does? he doesn't want to give too much of himself away, but if they were supposed to fight each other, then perhaps they too could stop it. )  sephiroth blows out a breath. wishful thinking is dangerous. leaning against the balcony, he overlooks the heart of oriflamme.

"...I would try to bid for peace in any way that I could within reason, but I hardly think that King Barnabas is reasonable," he mutters, shaking his head. "My father thinks that the only option is war, that it's the question and not the answer, something seen as inevitable. He is eager to prove Sanbreque's worthiness, as if we have not already shown our might. I think..."

❛     ━━━━━━━        Questions   linger,   unspoken   between   them.   Innumerable,   crowding   the   space   where   words   falters.   Everyone   assumed   the   prince   had   perished   against   Ultima.   Sanbreque   mourns,   mourning   shadows   clinging   to   marble   pillars.   It's   a   wonder   the   throne   remains   undisturbed,   despite   simmering   unrest.   Before   answers   can   form,   Terence   presses   a   gentle   kiss   on   Dion’s   brow,   his   lips   lingering.   ❝   I’ve   been   searching   for   you,   helping   those   I   could   find...   ❞   A   pause,   gaze   drifting   to   meet   Dion's,   somber.   ❝   Currently,   Sanbreque   is   in   disarray.   ❞   Uncertainty   flickers   in   his   pupils,   torn   between   truth   and   mercy.   The   prince   should   rest,   not   bear   the   weight   of   a   fractured   kingdom.   ❝   But   don’t   worry.   I'll   return   soon,   let   them   know   you’re   alive...   just   not   yet.   ❞   For   now,   Terence   only   wants   to   remain   here,   held   close.   ❝   What   about   you,   my   love...   How   did   you   survive   ?   ❞

❛   ━━━━━━━   Terence   knows   better   than   most   the   burden   that   rests   upon   Dion's   shoulders.   Bahamut   himself,   a   figure   upon   whom   an   entire   empire   places   its   aspirations,   demands,   and   projections.   Every   success   is   taken   for   granted,   every   sacrifice.   His   father   expects   more   from   him   than   he   can   reasonably   handle.   It's   a   cruel   thing,   Terence   thinks,   to   spend   one's   life   fighting   wars   in   pursuit   of   peace   only   to   find   that   each   conflict   births   another   in   its   place.   Perhaps   that's   why   he's   been   feeling   so   much   concern   lately.

Dragoon   can't   help   but   observe   the   fatigue   lingering   underneath   noble   demeanor.   ❝   You're   exhausted.   ❞   Gloved   digits   brush   lightly   against   Dion's   arm   before   settling.   ❝   You   can   decide   when   a   break   is   taken.❞   A   faint   smile   tugs   at   the   corners   of   his   lips.   ❝   And   I   think   you   need   one.   ❞   Perhaps   it's   selfish   of   him   to   insist.   There   are   a   hundred   responsibilities   awaiting   Dion's   attention,   matters   of   state,   but   right   now   only   the   prince   matters.   ❝   Indulge   me   just   a   little.   ❞   Azure   gaze   softens   as   it   settles   upon   beloved   features.   ❝   Empire   will   survive   without   you   for   an   hour.   I,   however,   would   quite   like   to   steal   that   hour   for   myself.   ❞

❛   ━━━━━━━   Friends.   What   a   convenient   word   it   is.   A   simple   label,   easily   embraced   by   curious   spectators   and   eager   courtiers   alike.   A   term   that   obscures   far   more   than   it   reveals.   What   exists   between   them   has   long   since   surpassed   the   boundaries   of   typical   friendship,   becoming   something   that   must   remain   hidden.   Terence   has   grown   accustomed   to   secrecy.   Still,   that   doesn't   prevent   concern   from   emerging.

Steel   blue   hues   linger   upon   Dion's   countenance   for   a   moment,   pensive   as   he   considers   the   invitation.   There   is   never   any   indecision   when   it   comes   to   accompanying   the   prince.   ❝   You   know   I   don't   mind   accompanying   you,   but...   ❞   A   brief   pause   follows.   ❝   Aren't   you   expected   to   invite   one   of   the   ladies   attending?   ❞   Tilts   his   head   slightly,   concern   melting   otherwise   composed   features.   ❝   People   are   already   beginning   to   gossip,   aren't   they?   ❞   Terence   knows   how   quickly   rumors   spread   through   the   empire's   noble   circles.   ❝   Not   that   it   changes   anything   for   me.   ❞