@pathcut ( barefoot gen prompts )
Noctis gives a terse nod from where he’s perched, shoulders hunched, brow furrowed. The Emperor’s words are meant to be reassuring, Noctis knows. And yet all he can hear is a dark, bitter humor. His lips twitch upwards in response, and despite his own misgivings with the situation – because how the hell could assassins have made their way through the practically airtight defense of the Citadel? – he still appreciates her words, for what it’s worth.
He takes in their surroundings, makes his own checks on their well-being – nose wrinkling in guilt at the tears in his suit, trying not to focus on the blood buried under his nails; his dad gifted him the suit just that morning with a fondly exasperated “as much as our esteemed guests might appreciate Crownsguard fatigues… let’s not isolate them with perceptions of aggression.” And Noct had groaned tiredly, throwing an arm over his eyes, uttering not even a thanks, dad. Nothing is worse than words left unsaid. And if the assassins got what they came here for then…
Noctis pulls himself from that line of thought with a shuddering breath, shoulders straightening in resolve. He won’t let that possibility become a reality. His dad can’t be… No.
He stands, antsy not just to see his dad safe, but also to hurt the people who would… who would attack his home like this. Quite suddenly, he realises this is exactly how many of the Kingsglaive might have felt, when their homes had been taken from them by the Empire. And what had Noctis, had any Insomnian felt for them, then? Nothing but a vaguely bitter indifference.
Noctis grimaces in disgust of his own negligence. If Noctis, as Prince doesn’t do anything, how can he expect his people to follow, to act?
“Can’t guarantee we’ll stay that way. They sounded pretty confident that we weren’t gonna be leaving here alive.”
He looks at the Emperor, really looks. Takes in a ruler torn but not broken by war, the tense set of her shoulders, the grim downturn of her lips. He gives her an assessing look.
“You want to go out and give ‘em hell?”
