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foerequiem2022-07-01 09:52 am
open post.
 tifa lockhart FINAL FANTASY VII |
 yuffie kisaragi FINAL FANTASY VII |
 lightning farron FINAL FANTASY XIII |
𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐲
( 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 )
→ Refer to the list above for active muses. Others on my muselist are available as well, but I cannot promise that they (or the other ones listed above) will be sustainable.
→ Put who you would like in the subject line & leave a starter! Feel free to come up with a scenario, or not. We can wing it, too.
→ Can be informal/formal/texting/cross-canon, whatever! Picture prompts (shipping and gen) can also be left and I'll whip up something from that.
→ AUs are super cool. However, I am not fond of modern AUs (coffee shop/high school/university, etc.)
→ Brackets preferred.
→ I love shippy stuff, but please check shipping prefs for characters if you'd like to go that route!
→ Some meme prompts listed below. (click to expand!)
RANDOM SCENARIO MEME
1. Zombies → It's the zombie apocalypse, lock and load!
2. Bar brawl → You had one too many drinks, said something wrong, and now you're being asked to take it outside.
3. Chase → You're caught in a high speed chase.
4. Gun fight → You're caught in a big shoot-out.
5. Fight with a friend → You're fighting with a friend, all out.
6. Interrogation → You're being interrogated for some offense you've done.
7. Aliens → Aliens are attacking and you're not going to take your probe laying down!
8. Final battle → This is it. The battle that will end all the fighting for you. Will you win? Will you get that peace you want?
9. Training → You're not actually fighting, just training for the inevitable.
10. No hope → You know this fight has no hope. It's not going to end well for anyone involved, but you can't turn away.
11. Sneaking in → You're stealing a diamond or sneaking in to kick some bad guy butt, but whatever it is, you have to practice stealth.
12. Blue wire → You're faced with a bomb that needs to be disarmed.
13. Fight for honour → You've been disgraced or someone you care about has, so it's time to fight for honour.
14. Showdown → Time for a cowboy-style showdown. Whoever draws the fastest wins.
15. War → You're caught in the middle of a war here. Remember to keep your chin up and keeping fighting.
16. Apocalypse → The apocalypse finally happened and now you're left to scavenge and fight for whatever is left.
17. Sabotage → It's time to sabotage someone's plan! How is entirely up to you. Do you set up a bomb in their toilet? Do you double cross them at the last minute?
18. Big damn hero → You know you have to handle this one alone, so that means disarming or knocking unconscious the person who wants to join you.
19. Fight club → You know the rules... you're in an underground fighting ring and you're fighting with all you've got.
20. Threaten → You've just been sent here to rough them up a little, threaten them into behaving.
ANGST.
1. Injury / illness → Your character has become injured or ill! To what extent is the mun's choice.
2. Last moments → You character has been gravely injured and this is their last chance to say their last words.
3. Depression → Your character is depressed, what actions they take is up to the mun.
4. Betrayed → You character has been betrayed by the other. How do they react?
5. Tortured → Your character is being tortured and needs rescuing or at least a sympathetic ear to help him through it.
6. Jealousy → Your character is feeling jealous and must deal with it, how will they do it?
7. Breakup! → This relationship has gone as far as it can, it's time to breakup.
8. Broken → For whatever reason, the character is broken, mentally or or physically.
9. Fight → You can't even be in the same room as your friend or lover without arguing anymore.
10. Lost → You lost the biggest fight of your life and now all you can do is try to pick up the pieces.
11. Worst nightmare → Whatever you fear the most is now real or maybe you're just trapped in a dream together, but whatever it is, it feels too real.
12. Addicted → You're addicted to something, alcohol, drugs, sex, whatever. It's destroying your life and you can't do anything to stop it.
13. Hurt you → You're being forced to hurt someone you love either by betraying them or even being forced to shout things you don't mean. It's for their own good in the end though.
14. Separation → You were forced to leave this person for their own safety and while you've been miserable without them, you really didn't mean to run into them again... maybe it was by accident or you were watching them from afar this whole time.
15. Becoming a monster → You are slowly changing, becoming a monster: vampire, zombie, demon, something you can't recover from and no-one can help you.
16. Frozen → You are entirely helpless, frozen, to stop some kind of disaster.
17. Prison → You were very bad and now it's time to pay the price by turning yourself in or maybe the law just finally caught up to you.
18. Fear → You're not sure why, but you are suddenly terrified and you can't deal with it. You need help.
19. Hated → You are now hated by the person you loved the most.
20. Down and out → You're living on the streets, you've hit rock bottom, and you don't know what to do.
FLUFF.
1. Cuddling → For whatever reason, characters feel like being close and cuddling.
2. Pillow talk → After the main event, characters are up for some pillow talk.
3. Celebration → Anniversary or some other big event is taking place and characters want to celebrate!
4. Love confession → Someone has finally decided to confess their love and today is the day!
5. Appreciation → You feel the need to show appreciation for that person closest to you, even if it's just a pat on the back.
6. Apologies → You made a mistake and now it's time to make it up in some way you know the other can't refuse!
7. Get back together → Why did you break up again exactly? Whatever the reason, it was a huge mistake and you both know you can work through it.
8. Date night → You've planned for a wonderful night together and you can't wait to get it started.
9. Family → You've either found out you're pregnant or you've already got that addition to your family.
10. Marriage → You're just about to get hitched or maybe you're enjoying your honeymoon. Maybe you've been together for years now! Whatever the case, it's time for that next big step.
11. Meeting again → It's time for that happy reunion finally!
12. Love at first sight → For whatever reason, you are now insanely in love with the first person you set eyes on.
13. Flirtation → You can't resist to do a little bit of harmless flirtation all of a sudden.
14. In the snow → Look outside! It's a winter wonderland, so why not go out and play in it?
15. Engagement → You've planned it all out and now it's time to finally pop the question.
16. Friendly games → You've set up the game station or board games for a friendly competition!
17. Gift → Time to give that special someone a gift just because.
18. Recovery → You're taking care of someone who's just recovered from some illness or injury.
19. Healing → Time to help mend that someone who's been through hell and back.
20. Better than ever → You've finally got everything you've ever wanted here. What is your ideal life and who does it include?
GEN.
1. Nice meeting you → It's your first time meeting this person! You bumped into each other on the street, in a bar, at work... whatever!
2. Drinks → You're out for drinks! Or just chilling at home with some beers. Wherever!
3. Lost → You're lost and you kind of need help finding your way to where you're going. A little help with directions?
4. Costume party → You're at a costume party, both of you are wearing masks. Do you keep the anonymity or take it off and see whose company you've been enjoying?
5. Wrong number → Oops, actually you didn't mean to call that person...
6. Drunk → You're already drunk! Drunk dialing, stumbling into someone, showing up unexpected... what type of drunk are you anyway? Aggressive, loving, happy? How does the other react?
7. Old friends → you haven't seen this person in a long time!
8. Rivals → you're suddenly rivals! Or maybe you have been all along...
9. Problems → you've got a problem with each other, just got in a huge fight, whatever. Try to work it out!
10. What are your intentions... → This person? They're dating a close friend, family member, etc. You need to find out if they're going to hurt them! Or you need to discuss your friend/family's dating choice.
11. I saw you → you saw the other person doing something bad and you need to confront them about it.
12. Sorry but no → the other person has feelings that you just don't share. They don't necessarily have to be romantic... maybe you just don't agree with their sudden desire to quit their job and start a business making tiny, fuzzy teddy bears.
13. My hero → you need to tell this person how much they mean to you. They've been your best friend or your role model your whole life and they need to know.
14. Enabler → you're enabling the other (or each other) to do something bad, really bad. Addiction, stealing, killing, or just any other self-destructive behavior.
15. Cooking → Time for an impromptu cooking lesson!
16. Oh, sure, I remember you... → It's that awkward moment when someone comes up and seems to know you, but you have no idea who they even are!
17. Rescue! → One of you was in trouble, but you came to the rescue!
18. Boss → One of you works under the other. Is your relationship good? Are you scheming things? Or do you hate each other?
19. Perfect crime → You and the other person have just pulled off the perfect crime... or you're planning to! What are you doing? The heist of the century, an assassination?
20. Movies → movie night! Maybe it's a sleepover. Whichever the case, it's time to eat a lot and have fun.
SOULMATE MEME
1. tats, your character has a tattoo of the first words the love of their life will say to them
2. familiars, your character has an animal tattoo representing their soul mate on them
3. glow, the first time your character sees their soul mate, their chests glow!
4. world in color, life is literally black and white, until you see your soul mate for the first time
5. choose your own
SITUATION
1. first meeting, you've never met this person before.
2. childhood mates, you've always known this person -- but on one particular birthday, everything changes.
3. together, you've been in a relationship for awhile now! happily wed or not, you decide.
4. not together, you've known you're soul mates for a long time, and yet have avoided a relationship.
5. choose your own
CAUGHT IN THE RAIN
001 PLAYGROUND - Well, you can try to hide under the slide or maybe in the jungle gym... at least you're some place fun?
002 PARK - Always happens, caught outside trying to take advantage of the weather... and it ends up pulling a fast one on you.
003 STORE FRONT - Better hope they have an awning you can take advantage of
004 THE BEACH - Not exactly the best place to be during a rainstorm, however it is possible to get caught in a sudden storm
005 WILD CARD - Anyway you want it
ii HOW:
001 TREE - Not the best cover, but it'll have to do, stay close to the roots and you won't get too wet.
002 UMBRELLA - Most conventional... Kinda boring. But it works.
003 NEWSPAPER - Not permanent, but it'll have to do. Good luck
004 BAG - Well... y'gotta do what you gotta do.
005 NONE - You know what. You're a rebel. You don't need cover. Screw convention
006 WILD CARD - that's the way you need it
iii WHY:
001 REJECTED - Welp. Rejection sucks. And no one will see you crying in the rain.
002 WAITING - For the bus? For someone else? For some revelation? What are you waiting for.
003 MELANCHOLY - Sometimes the best place to feel a bit down is out in the rain.
004 HAPPINESS - Is everything going your way? Are you singing a refrain while walking down the lane? Just singin. Singin' in the rain.
005 ANGER - WELL YOU KNOW WHAT. SCREW YOU TOO RAIN.
006 WILD CARD - Anyway you want it.
INSOMNIA
01 • FEAR. Maybe you're hearing strange, indeterminable noises; maybe there's a severe storm happening outside; maybe you watched a scary movie before bed? Whatever the reason, you're terrified and it's keeping you awake. You just want to wake someone else up so they can protect you from the monster in your closet.
02 • HUNGER. Your stomach is growling and it just won't stop. Or perhaps your throat is so dry you could cough up a tumbleweed? Well, you've gone to the kitchen to remedy this and hey, that was a pan that just dropped on the floor. It was loud enough to wake the dead! Oops.
03 • PAIN. Your body is completely worn out, be it from exercise, battle, sickness, or what have you. Either way you're in enough pain to keep you from sleeping, so maybe someone else has a home remedy or something, or can at least help you take your mind off of it.
04 • SOLITUDE. For some reason, your bed just feels so empty at the moment. You're feeling terribly lonely and really just want someone to keep you company for a while. Maybe it'd be easier to fall asleep if you're with them...
05 • DISCOMFORT. Your room is an oven. Either that or a freezer. Or maybe this bed is just really uncomfortable? Who knows why you can't get to sleep, it feels like it could be anything. Why even bother trying? Maybe someone else can preoccupy you until you feel tired enough to ignore your discomfort.
06 • PENSIVE. Something's on your mind, and no matter how hard you try to focus elsewhere, it's just not going to work. Your body may be tired, but your mind is incredibly busy and it's virtually impossible to get to sleep. Surely, talking it out with someone else will help?
07 • SADNESS. Something terrible has happened that day, perhaps; or you could just be severely depressed. Either way you're trying your hardest not to cry yourself to sleep, and it's not working at all. Better find a way to get it out of your system somehow; you need a shoulder to cry on.
08 • ANGER. You are just... fuming. Who knows why - that annoying dog is barking again, or maybe the people next door are getting busy and keeping you awake. Whatever the reason for your ire is, you'd better put an end to it so you can get some damn rest already! Go wake up a friend so you can complain to them.
09 • RESTLESS. You're far too energetic to sleep right now. Maybe you're just trying to do so out of necessity - you have to be up early tomorrow! But you just don't think you'll be able to fall asleep for a while now, so why waste the time trying to sleep when you could be doing something else? Namely bothering someone else - you're totally jealous because they're getting more sleep than you.
10 • WILDCARD. Choose one of the options above, or make up your own scenario.
CITY AT NIGHT
1) WORKING.
You're still caught up at the office or wherever it is you're holed up. It's getting late, but there's work to be done.
2) RELAXING.
You're warm and comfortable someplace indoors, whether it's in a cozy nook of a café or maybe just in your own apartment. There's no other place you really need to be, is there?
3) MEET-UP/DATE.
Is there someone you're seeing for dinner? A date? Maybe you're going bar-hopping together with some friends, or your attendance is expected at some special event. Alternatively, there's someone you're meeting with to make a deal of some kind, whether it's perfectly legitimate or something that might invite trouble with local enforcement.
4) OUT FOR A WALK.
Sometimes, it's nice to get out for some fresh air—or, well, as fresh as it gets with all the air pollution around you. The park's not too far away; it might be nice and quiet at this hour, if you don't run into any...
5) TROUBLE.
It's getting late and it's dark outside, but someone has been tailing you for a while. Walking faster only makes them speed up; they're doggedly persistent. What to do now? Is there a busy street you can turn on to for help? Or maybe it's time to confront your pursuer... On the flip side, you're the one tracking someone. For what reason? Well, only you would know, right?
6) OTHER.
Anything else you can think of!
— setting prompts
A) STREETS/ALLEYS.
Are you visiting a busy district teeming with people? Or are you out on a quieter street? It can be dark out there, especially if you turn onto a smaller one without many streetlamps. Watch your step. Some of the alleyways might make good shortcuts if you're trying to get somewhere fast, but there's also trouble to be found sometimes. Don't get cornered anywhere, and especially don't get too curious if you see something suspicious in one of the dumpsters...
B) IN TRANSIT.
You're between locations right now, just trying to get on with your evening. You have some options, like public transportation: the bus, the train, the subway. Alternatively, you're a fancier kind of person: you've got your own car that you're driving, or better yet, you have a chauffeur and a private car. Or, you know, you're just taking a taxi or using a ride-share app. There are also transitional spaces like parking lots or garages.
C) DINING.
Some cities are melting pots of different cultures; you're bound to find countless spots at which to eat. There are small cafés if you want a quick bite, or fancier restaurants where you can wine and dine. You could support a small family business by dropping by at a local hole in the wall—sometimes the most authentic spots with the best food are nondescript locations. Or if you're really trying to impress, go for some famous Michelin three-star.
D) NIGHT LIFE.
Bars, clubs, lounges—all of it's fair game. Remember to drink responsibly—or don't, if you're looking to really forget about your troubles for a while. Just know that you'll only have yourself to blame for that raging hangover in the morning.
E) CORPORATE BUILDING.
In a larger city, major corporations might be headquartered in the glittering skyscrapers that line the most expensive districts. There are all kinds of businesses—banks, law firms, finance companies, tech groups, to state just a few. Some places might keep their lights on pretty late at night for the white-collar workers burning the midnight oil; others, perhaps not. Do you fit somewhere in this equation? Or if you're here for something more exciting, there's always corporate espionage...
F) SHOPS.
A lot of shops could be closed by now, but maybe it's that final hour before that mall or outlet you wanted to visit locks their doors for the evening. Time for some last-second shopping! Snatch up that deal before it's gone, or be sure to buy a gift for your date before it's too late!
G) HOME.
You're at home, wherever that is—an apartment, a condo, a house somewhere, or maybe something more extravagant. Real estate can get expensive in the city, especially in popular locations. Do you have a tiny apartment that covers all your basic needs? Or something much nicer, like the type of penthouse people usually only see in movies, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows?
H) CITY SQUARE.
Some city squares are hubs of activity, filled with street performers, pop-up stores, or food stalls. There's a lot you could do, especially when it's nighttime and the little lights strung around the place look so pretty.
I) ABANDONED SPACE.
Every city has its fair share of abandoned warehouses or other buildings that are slated for demolition. Sometimes they attract certain types of crowds that would make your average person think twice before confronting. A lot of places are off-limits, but every so often, the no-trespassing sign is more of a suggestion than a real threat, right?
J) OTHER.
Anything else you can think of!
FAKE DATING
home for the holidays ⇢ You need to prove to your parents that you do so have a significant other. Just until they're gone.
no singles need apply ⇢ The place is perfect, but the landlady will only rent it to a nice, respectable couple.
it's not safe for a woman alone ⇢ One of you is vulnerable in this big, bad world without a partner to protect you.
public relations ⇢ There's only one way to stop these pesky rumors: start your own.
undercover mission ⇢ They'll never suspect a couple of lovey-dovey honeymooners of... whatever it is you're actually up to.
marriage of convenience ⇢ It's good for both your families. Or your finances. Or your hetero street cred. Whatever: might as well make the best of it.
well that escalated quickly ⇢ It's common knowledge that you're together, except you're the last to know. Is it worth correcting people?
OTHER MEME IDEAS
→ Picture prompts
→ Body heat
→ Seasonal prompts
→ Mistletoe/Pocky meme
→ Gen/Midnight/Shipping texts
→ Nursed back to health
→ Trapped in an elevator
→ Bodyguard/Protector shipping
→ Intimate bathing
→ IDK JUST COME AT ME
no subject
Which is why she's a bit fidgety when she searches for the tackle box and tries to pick it out among all of the other camping gear that they've brought with them. She frowns when she realizes that she has no idea which box is the tackle box, but her wrinkled expression is conveniently hidden behind her rosy waves.
... Huh, she really should have paid more attention to Gladio when he was trying to explain everything to her when she lost her patience with Noct the last time.
After some hemming and hawing and kicking her foot to rifle through their things, she eventually does find it and follows along behind him as he leads their way to the lake, pausing only when he calls her...
What was that?
Slowpoke?]
That why you asked me to get the box?
[She cocks her head to the side and stares at him down her nose, but there's still a smile present somewhere in the blues of her eyes.]
So I couldn't smack you with the rods?
[Definitely looking to get hit, and she would chase him all the way down to the lake if she had anything to smack him with.]
no subject
So instead, he slows his steps a little, meanders like he's distracted by something; in reality, he's just waiting for Lightning to catch up, a little, and once she's following the path with him, he gives a casual sort of shrug. She has the right box, at least, and there's a small, amused smile on his lips. ]
I mean, I guess you could throw all the worms at me...
[ There's a faint wrinkle of his nose--he doesn't like that he just gave her that idea, and it means that he skips forward a few steps, as though putting further distance between them. ]
But that wouldn't be very mature of you, or whatever.
[ Like that matters. Maybe it matters more for her, in the position that she's in--but he thinks he'd like it a little better if they were closer to each other's level, instead of trying to grasp at the straws of his own maturity to get close to her. Still: once they're near the edge of the river, he veers down to follow it, squinting slightly in the distance to make sight of where they should end up.
In the end, it isn't the largest fishing spot, but it'll definitely do. There's a small wooden platform, likely built by someone awhile back, that juts out over the curve of the lake; he steps up onto it, twists on his heels and turns back to look at her with a faint smile again, as though reassuring himself that she hasn't gotten bored along the way and turned back. ]
Looks like we can catch some barramundi or even some bass here, so... [ He's holding out the better pole for the job to her, though he won't admit that he's giving her an advantage because he wants her to enjoy herself. ] ... Here. Load up some bait.
no subject
I'm not above throwing worms if it comes down to it.
[Don't plant any ideas in her head, Noct. It's a much better one that beating him with the fishing rods, she thinks. She'll have to tuck that away for later, just in case.
There is a ghost of a grin, an obvious enough glint in her eye that tells him—if he checks—that she's kidding. As much as she's always wondered what it might be like, sometimes wished, to be closer to him and be in a place where she can feel comfortable joking around with him, she could never not take her position so seriously that she would dare throw anything at the crowned prince.
Her stride adopts a more casual tempo even when she catches up to him, and as the lake and the small dock come fully into view, she finds herself pausing. It looks so different under the early sunrise—it's brighter, clearer, more crisp compared to the red and orange highlights that the sunset painted across the water the night before. Being in the city all the time leaves no room for views like this, and while she is often a woman of few words, the refreshing sight leaves her a little stunned into silence.
And it occurs to her then, as her gaze moves from the water to Noctis, how much he looks at home here. Comfortable.
It's only when he turns to look at her that she remembers to keep walking, her pace quickening to reach him. Her boots hit the dock and she looks out over the water, checking to see its depth and if she can spot some fish flitting around under the surface. So far, nothing.
Setting the box down at his feet, she raises a brow.]
No idea what those names mean.
[Bass, maybe, but barramundi? She's a little out of her depth here, but it's no less impressive that he would know these things. That's why he's the expert and she's not.
Lightning kneels to the box and snaps it open as if she has any clue what she's doing, and as she looks over its contents, a frown sneaks its way into her brow and colour finds its way into her cheeks.]
... Which ones are we supposed to use?
no subject
He takes a few creaking steps towards her, the dock making noise beneath his weight, and the tip of his boot nudges against the tackle box a little, almost as though intending to give her a wordless sort of clue. ]
...Which one do you think is cute? [ It's less than helpful, but the way he's nearly grinning might be enough to convince her not to reach out and push him off the dock into the lake. ] We can use whatever you want. There's some advantage to using a couple over the others, but really, these are small fry, so...
[ Crouching down, he rifles through the box, plucking up one of the ice bomber lures, turning it carefully between his fingers before he gives a short nod. ]
I like this guy. Think I'll stick with him. If you want, you can just try one of the worms, but...
[ A casual shrug, as he pushes back up onto his feet--almost pointedly, his hands move slowly to secure the lure onto the end of his rod, almost like he's showing her without actually showing her how to do it. ]
Whoever can't catch a fish for breakfast has to jump into the lake. It's the rules.
no subject
It isn't until he stands up that she remembers, and only because of what he'd said, to which she lifts another perfectly arched brow.]
Yeah? Whose rules are those?
[Slowly, Lightning kneels in front of the box and searches through the selection and she's surprised—though, should she really be?—by how wide of a range there is. For a hobbyist, she supposes it makes sense, but it does endear him to her a little more than she anticipated he would manage on this trip. She chooses a yellow lure that looks like a poorly carved chocobo head and with her face crinkled in concentration, she tries to loop the string through, mimicking the motions Noctis had made with his.
It's a lot harder than it looks, working with something so small. Lightning is so used to punching and shooting things, not being so meticulous with her hands. Ignis must be good at this, she muses to herself with a snort, but the longer her attempt goes, the more frustrated she becomes with it.
...
At some point, she's risen back to her feet to get more sunlight on her work, and as she pulls the line taut with it around the hook, she shows it off to him, colour and heat finding its way into her cheeks.]
How's this?
[She figures she either did it right, or she failed miserably.]
no subject
Sure, he's seen her get red in the face, but that's usually do to some measure of frustration or anger, or even at times the heat of summer, pushing them all past their limits. Despite everything he's tried--and everything he's teased Prompto into trying--he's never really seen Lightning get embarrassed at all. Maybe she's too far past those kinds of emotions to feel them, or maybe she has a damn good sense of self control, more than even he could ever hope for. Either way, when he turns away from the water, his pole leaning up against his shoulder, she looks at him with a heavy halo of embarrassment; and immediately, his eyes go to her cheeks.
It's weird to think about: in the early light of morning, she looks less sure of herself, a little awkward, and, strikingly, a little more beautiful. It makes him feel absolutely stupid to think it, chewing at the inside of his cheek as he leans a step closer to her to examine the lure.
It would work, probably, but he thinks that having the knot this way would frustrate her--the first fish she gets might just take off with the lure itself, and he's musing over it as he lifts that little carved chocobo-head between his fingers, nodding faintly. ]
Yeah, this is good. [ He doesn't feel like being a jerk, so his fingertips work quickly to fix and center her knot a little, securing it without telling her that she did it wrong. ] Real good. You should be able to catch something this way.
[ It's a faint, quick smile that he offers her, as he lets go of the lure; he feels like if he keeps looking at her like this, he'll end up saying something he doesn't want to, and he's already embarrassed that his thoughts are going there. Instead, he takes a few creaking steps down the dock, heading to the end of it before he tosses his line out into the water.
With his back to her, he takes in a breath--and then another. Really, really stupid to be thinking those kinds of things about her. She'd laugh in his face if she knew. ]
Don't expect me to go easy on you, though. [ At least he manages to have it sound teasing, light and warm. ]
no subject
So, when he offers it back to her, she lets those thoughts settle, the lure resting delicately in the palm of her hand as she watches Noctis make his way down to the end of the deck and, without even a passing thought, throws his line out into the water.
And she can tell that he already is starting to feel more relaxed.
Something that's always nice to see as he sheds all the burdens of royalty just to... fish, and Lightning remembers the entire reason that they came out here in the first place. It isn't about her—it never is. It isn't about how she's a fish out of water (pun intended), nor is it really about her learning how to fish for herself, but rather, for him.
She could chalk it up to him being her prince, and to her being sworn to protect him, but...
As she walks up to his side with something of a crooked smile and a scoff of laughter, she starts to wonder if maybe that's not all there is to it.]
I'd be more offended if you did.
[Lightning mimics the movements he had just done by throwing his line into the water—she winds her arms back, and then pulls them forward with a bit of momentum, and then—
plop.
It falls unceremoniously into the lake directly in front of her...]
no subject
...until he sees that sad little chocobo, floating up on the surface of the water, struggling slightly to cut down into the lake proper.
He takes in a breath. Then another. His shoulders shake, and his line trembles, and then, with laughter warring in his voice: ]
Yeeeeah, you're not really gonna catch anything like that.
[ It's so hard not to laugh, fully, and it takes a long, firm swallow to chase it out of his tone entirely; one of his hands stays steady on his pole, the other reaching over to flick and push at hers, dipping and casting the line out a little further, a little heavier. With one last glance at her lure, as it dips under the water, he returns his hand to his own pole, adjusting it slightly.
He's grateful, at least. That little plop is definitely something he'll be telling Gladiolus about once they get back to the city.
It doesn't take long for there to be a tug on his line--his hand moves to the line, turning it slightly, testing the pressure there as he starts to carefully reel it back; with a slight smile, pleased, he continues reeling once he can tell it hasn't slipped the bait entirely. ]
What do you think? A big one?
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[She offers it with a dry tone, and an equally sarcastic roll of her eyes.
For all the strength that she carries in her core, for all the training she's had to do, Lightning Farron never imagined she would be bested by a fishing line as it falls limp in the saddest way. She can hear Noctis trying to mask the laughter in his voice, and she would shoot him a daggered stare if it weren't for the fact that he reaches out to help her with it. Together, they move their arms, casting it back and then forward in a single, skilled motion until the lure flies out over the water and lands several feet into the lake with a far more satisfying sound, and it's there that it sinks.
It's almost infuriating how much better he is at this than she is, and she wonders to herself how much of it is him just showing off. Though, Noctis never did cross her as the type—she's really just searching for ways to make herself feel better about being so embarrassing right off the bat.
So, it's with a flush in her cheeks that she watches her line bob idly on the rippling surface of the lake, mesmerized momentarily by the way it shines in the light of the sunrise.
In that singular quiet moment, she comes to understand just what it is about fishing that appeals to someone like Noctis. It's silent, serene, and surprisingly calming as she listens to the sounds around them. The birds rising, the wind as it sweeps over the water, until her focus tunes into the man next to her. The light shuffle of his feet, his steady breathing—
All of that peace broken by his voice and the bobbing sound of his line when something pulls on it, and Lightning's eyes go wide as she watches him, a hand letting go of her rod to reach out for his like she's not sure if she should help...!?]
Looks like.
[Lightning steps closer until she's almost shoulder-to-shoulder with him.]
Do you need... Do I need to do something?
[She might be both internally panicking and flustered all at once.]
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[ His voice is distracted--with good reason, given the weight that's pulling at the end of his line. He hasn't quite gotten it close enough to jerk it out of the water yet, and even so, he can tell it isn't the type where either of them will have to go diving into the lake, hoping to grasp and wrestle with a fish as long as person. Idly, he thinks she should be grateful there's nothing quite as big as that out here, though it would be hilarious to see her go diving in, soaked to the bone.
The thought distracts him. The line unwinds a little, and stubbornly, delicately, he picks up the pace. With a short nod towards the end of the dock, bracing his weight between his heels, he shoots her a glance, and then the water a glance, expectant. ]
Okay, here we go. You gotta grab for the tail, alright? Grab it and hold it upside down.
[ He could do it himself: now that he's got the fish practically out of the water, it's easier to gauge. Not too big, but definitely big enough for one meal, maybe two. Depends on how fat the sucker is. Even so, part of this is for Lightning to get her hands a little dirty, right?
So pointedly, perhaps a little boyishly, he swings the fish out of the surface of the water--and immediately angles his pole and line for Lightning at his side, the fish caught on the hook, flailing with all its fins in desperation to get free. Hopefully she's ready to grapple with it. ]
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Her feet are at the edge of the dock when her attention is forced elsewhere: to the fish that's dipping in and out of the water as it struggles and fights its way back from him, and when he makes that command instead—]
What?
[Now she really does recoil a bit, the wince clear in the crinkle of her nose, her surprise even clearer in how wide her eyes go as they move between Noctis and the fish.
Except that's all the time she has because with a splash, the fish is yanked right out from beneath the surface so effortlessly that she wonders if that was all just for show. The line swings in Lightning's direction and she stretches her hands out, waiting to catch it... and she does, the aim almost too perfect that it slaps right into palms.
She manages to get a good enough grip of it, even while it flails about in a sad attempt to escape, but in all of that movement and commotion...]
Shit—!
[Her foot slips at the edge of the dock and she goes tumbling down, down, down...
Maybe he'll catch her before she makes an even bigger splash!?]
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The same thing happens here: his instinct is to reach for Lightning, and rather than fumble with the line, he tries. One hand jerks out, catching her by the wrist, but the momentum of her fall is too much for him; his boots skid against the wood of the pier, and he knows they're going down with enough clarity to immediately squeeze his eyes and mouth shut, not wanting to get dirty lake water into either of them. The sound of the water smacks him before the actual weight of it does: he goes tumbling in after Lightning, his fishing pole still gripped in the other hand. The chill of the water is overwhelming; immediately he wrestles to find the surface, letting go of Lightning's arm if only to keep from dragging her along with him.
The fish, of course, desperate to be free, pulls at the line that's now tangled up in the water; he can feel the little snap as it breaks free and darts off through the murky depths. ]
...You really owe me. [ This is said in a grumbling gasp, pedaling water as he lifts a hand to wipe some of it away from his face; he's completely soaked, his hair clinging down to the sides of his face, but he doesn't look quite as upset as he sounds. ] You okay? You didn't hit anything, right? There's probably lots of rocks down here.
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...
And it's only then that she realizes that not only had she fallen in the lake, but Lightning had brought Noctis with her. More than that, the fish that they almost managed to catch has escaped, revealed by the telltale snap that she's sure she's heard plenty of times before when the other boys were out fishing instead. If she weren't so annoyed with herself in the moment, she'd feel a lot more guilty about ruining a perfectly good catch.
She will, eventually, but right now...
As she pulls herself out of the water and looks at him, shaking her messy hair away from her face, Lightning looks less like herself and more like a feral cat who's just been dumped into a bath with no way out.]
I'm fine.
[It's practically spat back at him with an unintentionally sharp bite while she resumes wading. It isn't his fault, she knows, but this is the most embarrassed she's felt in a long time, for as long as she can recall. And all of it in front of not just their Crowned Prince, but Noctis.
Another shake, and this time, she sprays him with some of the water.]
I'm fine... [She repeats it, gentler.] I already owe you enough. Next time, don't grab me.