Castles they may crumble

[berriedmemories]

WHO:XV Cast
WHAT: General catchall
WHERE: Probably mostly at the XV cottage
WHEN: spring/summer 2025
WARNINGS: blanket CW for depression (Noctis), suicidal ideation (Ardyn, Cor, Ravus), and general PTSD from a bunch of men that've been through hell. See subject lines for specifics

Comments

[threevirtues]

There's really still a lot to do, prep-wise. Normally Ignis could do it all himself in the blink of an eye, to help facilitate the actual cooking going faster, but, well. Perhaps, just this once, it would do to have some assistance in the whole matter.

They'll get to that in a moment, and Ignis steps away with just the slightest of raised eyebrows. Considering this is Prompto and Ravus, well, there's hardly any need to dance around the fact. Both men are just far too honest, for better or worse. Lying - proper lying, not just avoiding their emotions to not be a bother - does not come naturally to them.

So, really, it's been very clear just what's been going on between the two of them.

...Really, there's no way that Ravus simply carts Prompto off in his arms in full sight of all of them without it being clear.

But he doesn't press. "I see," he says simply, giving Prompto time to actually tell the truth. "Well, he and I are friends, after all, so this is hardly surprising. It is good that he was informed. Can you wash the potatoes, Prompto?"

[heliographic]

Oh, come on! Don't give him that look!!! Short as it is, it speaks so much more than mere words could to the flighty Prompto. Ignis clearly isn't buying something he is selling, that much is certain. It leaves Prom shuffling in place, helplessly grasping for some way to change the subject and keep Ignis occupied. Anything to not see that terrible, distant look in his green eyes that makes his heart ache. Ah. Potatoes. Yes, perfect.

"Yeah, sure, I got them!" Prompto says cheerfully, trying to lift the mood a bit as he grabs an armful of tubers and bounces his way to the wash basin. He picks up a brush and deposits the precious spuds on a nearby counter surface, then grabs one at a time to dunk them underwater and scrub them all over. Prompto whistles a happy little tune as he works, but the song soon peters out into contemplative silence.

Ignis probably knew this was the play all along. Definitely did. Prompto is just abysmal at lying, especially to loved ones, and especially by omission. The guilt starts to gnaw at him until no potato in the universe would be a good enough distraction. He ultimately blurts the next words out in a jumble, utterly defeated.

"Soooooooo Ravus and I kinda kissed, crazy right? I know, super out of this world kinda unlikely. We tooootally didn't do anything else like help one another bathe in a river or anything!"

Foot: meet mouth. Anxious nerves are a hell of a thing.

[threevirtues]

If nothing else, the act of getting everything prep'd and clean along with Prompto's almost physical discomfort with his lie is something of a distraction. Something for him to look forward to, rather than being haunted by images and knowledge that he can only hopelessly turn over in his head.

Eventually, in the dead of night, he'll be less haunted. Have a direction to go to. Look into a pair of mismatched eyes and know where he will have to plunge his blade, and the difficulties its path will be in order for it to meet its mark.

But for now, there are vegetables to clean, and meat to look over, and Prompto blurting out that he and Ravus have made out.

Amongst other things.

"That is a rather specific denial," Ignis comments mildly, position shifted a bit just so that he can make sure his hand is out of Prompto's sight when it trembles a bit. He has to fix that. He worries that he won't be able to fix that until he's actually gone to sleep, and maybe not even then. "Still, it's hardly surprising. He is more charming than he gives himself credit for, when the stress of his position has been removed from him and he may live a little more as he pleases." Not completely, because he and Ravus are of the same make, and how Ravus would truly want to live is in dedication to his sister...

...but in absence of that, training someone and exercising and raising plants while he learn how to eat properly will have to do.

"You both quite clearly liked one another as well. I hardly think there was ever a reason to keep mum on it, really." Igni glances over to him with a quirked brow. "You're already dating multiple men as it is, after all."