Know Your Enemy [Noct]

[Stella Nox Fleuret]

Men were still confusing.

That was her thought as she once more found herself moving in the dead of night, heading toward the Caelum residence. Trying to rid himself of her, and then offering to talk once more. Stella, at the time, wasn’t sure she would take up the offer. Debating with herself, she had determined that it was just because of his background that he had offered to speak with her again. The last thing she wanted to do was impose upon him or his friends. She had overstayed her welcome last time, -which she was still embarrassed about- and didn’t plan on doing so again. Yes, she had told herself that she wouldn’t bother the young prince. That she wouldn’t impose on his polite upbringing. Now though, that was all in the background. She was going to warn him this time. It hadn’t been planned, she hadn’t meant to, but Stella had stumbled across her father initiating plans about trying to overtake the Caelum mansion. She had noticed, of course, the hiring of more and more soldiers lately. He hadn’t always been the way he was now, but greed did many bad things to even the best of men.

As she hurried along the street, Stella continued to remind herself that Noctis and his friends were trained to fight, and that they could take care of themselves. Yes, yes they should be able to take care of themselves. Still, she worried. They didn’t, after all, know about the invasion scheduled to take place, and she would just be a party in the attack if she didn’t try to warn him. She couldn’t be caught though. This allegiance of sorts she had with Noctis was putting her on thin ice. If her father found out she had met with him the last time, he would be angry, but she could sweet talk him out of being to terribly angry. She could blame it on anything really. Him inviting her, his good looks and charm. He would have written it off as silly girl notions, but this was very, very thin ice. There was really no telling exactly what he would do if he found out this.

Glancing behind her, Stella chided herself for being paranoid. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed. Glancing to both sides then, she hesitated, pulling herself into the shadows of the night, violet eyes darting here and there. Why couldn’t she rid herself of the feeling of being watched? Having snuck out, she had been sure that she had made no sound. She was in the Caelum’s city now, but despite that, she didn’t think people would stop to interrogate her about herself right then and there. Still, now, hours later, she felt like someone was there, waiting to grab at her. ’Calm down, no one is there.’ Telling herself that once more, Stella continued on her way, eyes darting behind her every now and then. If she could just warn the prince, then she could return to her home and think more about what she should do regarding this big mess. If only.

Brushing her fingertips against the brick of a building she was walking next to, Stella hesitated by the corner, once more glancing over her shoulder behind her, when she ran smack dab into another body. Fully expecting it to be just a random person walking the streets, she turned to apologize, when a voice stopped her cold. “Going somewhere Stella?” Freezing, Stella blinked, her mind working furiously trying to come up with a valid argument as to why she was here. Like a small child waiting to get spanked, violet eyes slowly turned up until she was looking right into the eye of her father. Her voice failed her, yet she stood straight and proud. Her throat, however mouth, were suddenly very dry. “You would see to destroy your own family? Your own flesh and blood?” The sneer was there, in his voice. Blinking, Stella stood her ground, not sure what she should say, if anything at all. The hand that clamped down on her arm was not a friendly one, nor was the face that was loomed in front of her. “I can explain,” she started, glancing up at him. “By all means, do. I’m dying to hear,” was spoken in a voice that sent shivers up her spine. Would he try anything? This wasn't the same man she had known in her childhood. Long gone was the man that showed affection, replaced by a man fueled by nothing but greed and a lust for power he didn't have. Could she even say that this was the same man?Despite his affirming that he did want to hear however, Stella felt herself swallow hard, not sure about what she should do, or what she should say. Even now, she felt torn by two sides. The side that was right, and her family.

No one had ever said life was easy.

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Words:; 1001
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Noct!
Location:; Caelum families city
Outfit:; Something >.>
Notes:; \o/ Gotta love muse
Listening to:;[/b] Falling inside the Black - Skillet

[Noctis Lucis Caelum]

Etro help Noctis figure this woman out.

Another night brought more excitement into Noctis' life, as if he were short on it to begin with. The mansion had received a call from a man who had just gotten off his shift only a few minutes before - he was one of the guards that worked the mansion evenings. Thus, he'd been one of the men who had gotten a good look at Stella during her recent...visit. He'd called to report he'd spotted Stella on the streets of the city. Not acting suspiciously, he'd said, but present nonetheless. He felt as if Noctis should know. Good judgment there. He'd also mentioned that he had informed the city's policing force about her, as well, and they were taking it upon themselves to figure out what she was doing.

Noctis trusted the men to make the right decisions, but he wasn't about to let a bunch of soldiers - who hated the Fleuret clan by indoctrination - handle the situation by themselves with absolutely no direction at all. Noctis had taken the first means of transportation out to the proper part of the city and given strict orders for the men watching Stella not to move on her or spook her in any way, which most of them had questioned profusely. So it seemed the news of his recent short evening spent with the blond Fleuret heir hadn't spread throughout all the city guard. Noctis had arrived in the security station of the city district where Stella had been spotted only a few minutes later, finding that a handful of men had taken it upon themselves to monitor her as she trotted through the city. They were all communicating via walkie-talkie, passing off surveillance to one another as Stella moved from block to block. They were working with almost a cold, malicious efficiency, which only caused Noctis to reinforce his point about leaving her by for the time being. He wasn't remotely suspicious about her activities - after all, if she wished to remain unseen, he was fairly sure she could have remained unseen. Then again, she wouldn't have wanted terribly much attention from the people within the city as it was. Noctis supposed that was why, once he finally got a look at her through one of the video cameras set up on a city sidewalk (mostly to help with traffic issues), she seemed to be clinging to the shadows as best she could. Noctis merely looked up at the monitor with his eyes narrowed, trying to determine what it was she was doing.

"Sir, do we plan on capturing her?", one of the three guards waiting behind Noctis asked, causing the prince to turn around and momentarily regard the man before his gaze returned to the video feed. "Not unless we have a reason to." Noctis could hear a gruff huff in protest, but the guard ultimately went back to polishing the blade on the sword he carried. Stella continued on, unabated as best he could tell, coming fairly close to the building Noctis currently stood within. He wasn't sure if he should actually step out to confront her directly or keep watching. When it came to this woman, he didn't know anything at all. He lost view of her once she rounded a corner, though, and Noctis turned away from the screen, causing all the troops to rise from their seated positions in unison. "Orders?" Noctis passed through them and stepped to the door. "Just do as I do," Noctis informed them, stepping out into the cool night air and hearing them scramble to do the same.

With Stella barely a building away, Noctis stopped at the next doorway and entered, making a beeline for the set of stairs within the building, which was empty save for a night guard who looked confused but turned his eyes back nervously to a magazine once he realized it was someone as important as Noctis who'd just nonchalantly entered the building. Noctis jogged his way up the steps to the second level of the building and moved alongside the windows there, skimming the nearby street for long, blond hair. He spotted her along the next building's edge and stopped at the window, gazing down on her. The three soldiers stepped up beside him a second later. They mumbled amongst themselves, asking each other what she could be doing, making comments about Fleuret rumors and, ultimately, gravitating towards analyzing Stella's looks. Noctis cast a dark glance over them once they did, and the three fell silent again. He knew what they were thinking though. Why is the prince acting like this? Noctis couldn't even answer that himself yet.

And he would have even more questions. Noctis watched with suspicion as a man emerged around a nearby corner and ran directly into Stella. A quick urge to react to the action notwithstanding, Noctis simply kept watching and noticed the look on Stella's face when she looked at the man. His voice was difficult to hear...but Noctis picked up a few words. He heard destroy. Family. I can explain from Stella. "Sir?" Noctis held up a hand to tell the men to hold, adding a quick glance to make sure they followed the order before his eyes moved back to watch Stella...and whom Noctis assumed to be her father...have their encounter. He needed to see this.

Words - 966
Muse - Excellent!
Outfit - Combat attire
Notes - This is odd, but should be okay. XD[/size]

[Stella Nox Fleuret]

Why had she stated that she could explain? Standing with his firm grip still covering his arm, Stella’s mind whirled around in a little storm cloud inside her head, trying to come up with an excuse that he could actually think was true. There were of plenty excuses she could come up with, but the problem lay in that she had never been a deceiver, at least not a good one. Honesty was important to her, and despite there being moments in her life when she had gone against everything that was morally upright to her, the truth still stood that every lie, every hedge on the truth, was hard for her to accomplish. Still, she had to come up with something. He was right there, holding her firmly in his grip, face expecting as he waited for her to ‘explain’, as she had so valiantly started. Without realizing they had an audience, she drew back a step, dismayed when he followed her, the grip not loosening in the slightest. She had hesitated too long, she realized with a sinking in her stomach.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?” The way he spoke, so without emotion caused her to flinch physically. How could she deny what he had said? Wracking her mind for something to say that could have any weight, struggling to come up with something, yet she could do nothing but stand there like a child caught in some act of disobedience. “What was it Stella? Was it his looks? His charm? What caused you to damn your family name and switch sides? Did you expect to keep us in the dark?” His fingers were now biting into her arm, but venomously she tried to deny what he said. “I didn’t-”, but she was cut off before she could properly give him any answer. “Didn’t think you would get caught? Pathetic Stella, I thought you had been raised smarter then this.” Wrestling out of his grip, Stella took a step back, running into the building behind her. Feeling trapped then, she shifted until she had the street to her back. What was she supposed to say anymore? She was angry that he would suggest she turn her back on her family simply over the looks of a man, biting the inside of her cheek in order to keep from snapping back and causing more problems.

“The guards noticed you sneaking out of the hidden entryway below, when you first left. Of course you had gone to him, but even then I was forgiving and would have let you off the hook, if you hadn’t attempted a second time. What was it this time Stella? Did he promise you the world on a silver platter if you betrayed your family?” Where had this man come from? Standing her ground, violet eyes stared at him as he threw accusation after accusation her way. If she could have denied any of them, she would, but looking back, she realized she had no real leg to stand on. Clasping her hands in front of her body, Stella’s mind raced in order to come up with something to tell him, some excuse to send his way and try to get out of this situation. She never should have come. Never should have tried warning the prince of the upcoming attack.

Was his cause worth throwing away her own life? Obviously she hadn’t weighed the outcome, for she hadn’t thought her own father would be the one standing here, in the Caelum city, throwing these insults at her. “He promised me nothing father, nor would he,” she finally spoke out, biting back the angry replies she wanted to throw back at him. After years of being taught that one should respect their elders, she couldn’t do that. “You insult me by thinking I would throw away my family for such a petty thing as a man’s physical appearance. He may just put an end to this war. Father, please, be reasonable. The fighting needs to stop.” Her voice shook with emotion then, but still she tried to contain it and have the serene appearance she so desperately wanted to have while facing off with him. This day had been coming for a long time, she finally realized. He had changed so much over the years, she couldn’t even recognize him anymore. It would have been foolish for her to deny having gone to see the Caelum prince. He knew she had gone, so there was no use hedging around that issue. Without raising his voice overly much or physically touching her, he struck her then. “You’re no Fleuret, not anymore. If you think he would have protected you, took you in, despite what you were, you’re sorely mistaken. But go, Stella, go to him if you feel so inclined. Don’t ever come back again,” was sneered at her, before he abruptly turned and started striding away. She had never felt so lost before, or so alone.

With mournful eyes she stared at him, unsure of what she should do. Never had she thought he would disown her so quickly. Breathing in deeply a few times, hands clenched into fists at her side, a faraway look in her eye. “What have I done?”, she whispered softly to herself, unsure of where to turn, or what she could do anymore. When had everything gotten so messed up? One thing was certain. Stella wouldn’t be going to ‘him’. Where she would be going, she had no idea, but it definitely wouldn’t be to the Caelum family. Gritting her teeth, Stella quickly brushed the few tears away that had gathered in her eyes, and looked around her. What…what now?

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Words:; 1140
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Noct
Location:; Random city street
Outfit:; Normal?
Notes:; Once again, I has no idea what this is XD But...
Listening to:;[/b] This is It - Staind

[Noctis Lucis Caelum]

A part of Noctis knew this could be an act. A play put on by Stella and this man to plant more ideas in Noctis' head about Stella's disagreements with her family. The rational side told him he could be completely and totally accurate in thinking that, since war was nothing more than a game of deception at its core. The side that didn't care that he was a prince informed him that he was dirt for even beginning to believe the rational side. But did it really matter whether this was the real thing or just an elaborate ruse? Not in the slightest, considering Noctis was no more than a spectator and would remain as such until he had a reason to react to the scene. He wished he could see the two of them below him more easily...but the dim night lights plus a window didn't do much for visibility. Noctis could only rely on hearing what the two were saying...and the man, whom he still believed to be Stella's father, was doing most of the talking. The soldiers standing with Noctis had gone perfectly quiet, as well. The prince wasn't sure he wanted them hearing all this, but it was better than them being overly curious about it if he sent them away. So Noctis merely stood still and absorbed all he could.

Noctis knew that he was the his and the him constantly being referred to. The soldiers might have known, as well, but if they did they didn't react. They seemed more intent to grumble at the angry propaganda he was spouting at Stella more than anything. It became obvious that Stella couldn't "explain" as she'd told the man she could. That didn't help Noctis' judgment in the slightest. Actually, the exchange was starting to make him uncomfortable. How this conversation wouldn't end in blows, he didn't know...but surely if this was Stella's father, he wouldn't be dense enough to start a scene in the Caelums' backdoor, even if he was an all-around jackass. But Noctis was even having a hard time trying to keep himself impassive. No doubt he had his disagreements with his own father, but this man was...the kind of people Noctis wanted as far away from him as possible. Dominating, unfeeling, haughty. Noctis could feet a shadow of a scowl attempting to crossing his face just listening to the man and the pressure he was pouring onto Stella.

And once he'd dropped the final bomb on her, he left. Just like that, leaving Stella to herself. The soldier behind Noctis voiced the prince's own unstated feelings on the scene. "What a piece of shit." As if the words were a cue, Noctis started walking again, back towards the staircase. "Follow him," Noctis ordered. "And the girl?" Noctis didn't turn around to them as he started descending the stairs. "I'll take care of her."

Or would he? Out of all people she didn't want to see right now, Noctis was likely at the top of the list. After all, he was the spiteful creature that had just caused her own flesh and blood to leave her high and dry on a foreign city street, wasn't he? Did Noctis himself care? Partially...in a way. He felt sorry for her, and he didn't know why. This should have been something he looked for - a chance to rip the Caelums' primary remaining rivals apart from an inside. Yet all he could see out of the window before he'd stepped away was someone whose ruined life he felt inexplicably guilty about. He sighed lightly under his breath to himself, picking up his pace as he exited the doors in spite of himself. The soldiers all followed him out but moved on down the street to trail behind the male, leaving Noctis at the end of the alleyway where Stella waited. He swallowed. He had to do this, but he didn't know how he was going to pull it off.

Not by standing around. Stepping over to make himself visible in the end of the alleyway, hands tucked into his trenchcoat pockets as he merely made himself visible to Stella and watched her somberly. He didn't have any worthwhile words to say yet.

Words - 771
Muse - Great!
Notes - Not great, but should work. [/size]

[Stella Nox Fleuret]

Stella was left staring after the retreating figure of her father. Never had she felt so alone in her life. Throat closed and eyes shifted until she was looking at the shoes that were on her feet. How was it that in less then five minutes your world of security could come crumbling down around you? Feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t make her feel better, but she was having a hard time not doing so. She wasn’t even in her own home. How far would his dismissal of her go? Would he post guards to check and not allow her to cross the border? Or would it just be that she couldn’t go to her old house? It was then and there that she felt like calling out and chasing after him to beg his forgiveness and plead with him to let her come home, tell him he was sorry. But was she? Stella didn’t know, but she had been acting according to how her heart had told her to. The feelings of honesty that she had were real, and she couldn’t say she regretted going to prince Noctis to try and end the war, nor could she be sorry that she had followed her heart or her morals. She could be sorry, though, that her father had disowned her.

Whatever he was now, he was still her flesh and blood father. He hadn’t been like this while she was growing up. No, he had been a loving father, doting on her. She could still remember being placed on his shoulders and being taken places with him. Holding his hand and the times when he would tuck her into bed and read her stories. When had that all changed? Even now she couldn’t bring herself to be mad at him. No, he wasn’t himself, and the memories of her childhood made her yearn for those days back. Why couldn’t things be simple again? Instead of being left high and dry in the ‘enemy’ territory, disowned and cast out by your father, she wished she could be back in that secure home with parents that loved her. Somehow, he was still in there. Her father, with his love and his affection was still in there. Or so she desperately hoped. Which was the reason she was devastated instead of just angry.

Instead of giving into her childish desire to chase after him and beg him to forgive her, Stella turned and placed her palms against the building, leaning forward until her forehead was pressed there as well, still not knowing they’d had an audience. Tears threatened again, but she bit the inside of her mouth and forced them back. What could she do now? If he let her back over the border, then she had friends that she could stay with, an advantage to being a friendly girl. The problem was that if he figured out she was living with someone, he might put pressure on the parents. Stella figured that they would be torn between allowing their daughters friends stay with them, and not displeasing her father. Stella didn’t want to be a burden on anyone, and so she wasn’t quite sure what to do. Her desire was to go home of course, home being Tenebrae, but if she had to stay here, could she make a new life for herself? The one thing she knew, was that if she stayed here, she would have to drop her last name. They would know instantly who she was if she went around shouting out ’Well hey everybody! I’m Stella Nox Fleuret!’ How had she gotten to this point again?

Finally she took one deep shuddering breath and pulled away from the wall, hands dropping to straighten her appearance, before one hand came back and brushed away the few tears again that had gathered there. Gritting her teeth, Stella told herself over and over that she would be fine and turned to walk away from the alleyway she was in right now. Looking down at her hands as she did so, it took her a moment to look up and see who was standing there. Perhaps the last person on the planet that she actually wanted to be there. Dear Etro, had he heard everything? Face paled under the moonlight, knees locked, keeping her right there instead of moving. She suddenly felt a need to sit down somewhere and take the pressure off her legs. Fighting the urge to turn heel and run, Stella forced her wooden feeling legs to carry her toward the prince that she had started out to warn.

She was embarrassed, ashamed and didn’t want to have to speak to him right after her own family had disowned her. Still, she forced a brave look on her face and went to him, trying to crush the shame she felt. When she got closer she stopped, hands clasped in front of her and glanced from his eyes to the ground, biting the inside of her cheek once more. “You heard.”, she stated hollowly, keeping her violet eyes downcast and wished once again that if anyone had had to watch that display, it wouldn’t have been him. He had been the subject of their topic-…oh Etro, she was so embarrassed. “I apologize.”, she ground out before turning and heading toward a bench that was positioned on the sidewalk a few steps away. With shaky knees, Stella settled herself down in the seat and clasped her hands on her lap, keeping her eyes carefully on her feet, a bit lost looking. "I didn’t mean to-…” she stared, but trailed off, unsure of what to say. Lips moved to try and explain, but finally she clasped them shut, trying desperately to keep the miserable look off her face. “To cause problems for everyone. I was just trying to make things better.” Sighing, Stella shifted in her seat. “That was foolish of me,” she mused sadly, talking more to herself then him, still feeling the burning of shame that he had had to be the one to catch her argument with her father. Had he also heard what had been spoken about him? Probably.

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Words:; 1206
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Noctis
Location:; Random street bench xD
Outfit:; Something >> <<
Notes:; Great muse
Listening To:;[/b] Angel of Darkness - Alex C Ft. Yasmin K

[Noctis Lucis Caelum]

It was a sad sight to see Stella idling in the alleyway, clearly lost, confused and probably at the point of tears, but what could he do? Etro knew Noctis didn't know how to fix a Fleuret family problem, especially with their family leader being as bad of a man as Caelum propaganda had ever made him out to be. Noctis believed Stella was better off without him, but he didn't know, really. Obviously, she loved him, or she wouldn't have been so disturbed to have been cast out. Would Noctis feel any better if his father threw him out of the country and essentially robbed him of his name? Not in the slightest. Still, Noctis couldn't really think of anything to do. Go to her? Try to comfort her? She didn't want that...probably the last thing she wanted after that speech. But he couldn't just walk away either. Something kept him rooted firmly in place. Pity? No. Something else. Same sense that had caused him to grant her entry to the mansion...same sense that had kept him talking to her the night of the treaty signing. Noctis was stuck, and he didn't like it one bit.

Fortunately, the eventual direction of Stella's gaze saved him from his anxious suffering as he stood there. Noctis met her gaze, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible but sure his lips and eyes angled downward slightly in spite of his efforts. She looked petrified to see him. He wouldn't have blamed her if she ran...or started yelling...or whatever else emotion would compel her to do. But like a good "princess," Stella seemed able to approach with some manner of poise. Noctis almost wished she had ran. He could take a girl running from him...it was the ones that came to him that proved to leave him completely and totally out of his comfort zone. It had always been easier for Noctis just to be surrounded by Gladiolus and Ignis, and even Prompto. There was a reason he didn't have a reputation as a "player" like most sons of rich families he knew. He was simply too...bland around strangers for anyone to be interested in him, so he was never interested back. Not until the night of the signing had he ever seen someone actively pursue him for a conversation and try to maintain it. Maybe he'd looked sheepish...for strictly masculine reasons. And this was what that night had led to. He should have expected it, shouldn't he? Not a complaint...only an observance. And another reason to feel guilty for a family being torn apart...even a rival family.

She reached him, and Noctis supposed he started to avoid her gaze at the exact moment she did the same, because when he cut his eyes back, he noticed her gaze having fallen to her feet. He was left to stare, still lost as to what to do, at the top of her head as she apologized meekly. Noctis moved his arms to...do...something...but his hands didn't make it very far until he pulled them back awkwardly and started rubbing his knuckles, angry at himself while Stella made her way towards one of the nearby benches. Noctis turned to face her again as she sat down, the poise with which she'd approached him gone. The prince rubbed roughly at his eyes. For all he knew about war and about maintaining his father's businesses and all else, he wished he knew more about what to do in these situations. He didn't have a mother to explain these things to him, and his father had never quite been the hands-on type when it came to Noctis' social life, what little social life he'd decided to maintain. So he was in the dark, compelled to do something but unable to decide exactly what that something should be.

One thing he knew, letting her continue on spouting apologies wasn't what he should be doing. On very uncertain legs, Noctis started slowly making his way over to the bench as Stella continued her saddened, quiet ranting. Hesitation hit him once he reached the edge of the bench. Wasn't this the exact trap both of them falling into? Wasn't this the exact sort of scenario her father had been barking at her about? He looked away, off down the street where an elderly couple were innocently crossing the street, and stared at them for a few seconds. Closing his eyes, though, he forced himself into what he would do next, sitting down beside Stella and generally matching her posture, staring at the ground in front of him with elbows propped on his thighs. "I've never thought of making things better as being a foolish thing...", Noctis said, as it was the best thing he could come up with to start. He cut his eyes over to her slightly, not far enough to reach her face. "I don't know what you're apologizing for. You don't need to put any more of this on your own shoulders. You're the one hurting here. I couldn't care less what he says about me, but..." Noctis took in a breath. "...it does bother me to know I could have caused this situation for you. A family's a family, Fleuret, Caelum or whatever else. So I'm sorry." His eyes moved back to the ground, and with another breath, Noctis fell to silence, only at somewhat less of a loss than he'd been a few seconds before.

Words - 992
Muse - Excellent!
Notes - I have no idea what this is. [/size]

[Stella Nox Fleuret]

She didn’t honestly know what to do now. If she had been confused before, she definitely was now. How…where had prince Noctis come from? Had he heard everything? Those kinds of questions swirled around her mind, but she didn’t know the answer to any of them. For heaven sake, how could she know if he had heard the exchange between her and her father? The closer she got and the clearer she could see him, the more her stomach dropped. She would rather be anywhere but here. How humiliating. It was bad enough, what had just happened, but having someone else witness it, that someone being this certain man, another thing entirely. It seemed like an eternity passed before she was standing there in front of him, hands clasped in front of her body, face turned down, studying the pavement beneath her feet as if it were the most interesting topic in the world. Thankfully the dark hid the pink that worked it’s way up her neck and cheeks, burning with the embarrassment. Of course, she didn’t really need to say what she did, obviously he had heard what had been said –or else he probably wouldn’t be standing here-, and that knowledge made it hard to meet his eyes at the moment.

Without waiting for him to speak, she turned away and headed toward a bench that was close to her. She felt like she needed to sit for a short while, maybe collect her thoughts. Despite his own eyes cutting toward the ground instead of looking at her blankly, it was still unnerving to be the subject of someone’s scrutiny, and she was positive that she was that. So she settled into the bench and sat with a straight back, keeping the poise she had lived with for so long despite the turmoil within. With a tired gaze, saddened, she gazed down at her lap and at the hands clasped there, grip so tight her knuckles were white. How did this sort of situation even happen? She felt the need to explain though, even if it was just a short bit. Anything to fill the silence that was looming before them. He was quiet, that she knew, but now it was grating on her nerves.

She felt him settle in the bench beside her, more then saw him. Interestingly enough she didn’t feel the need to try getting away or scooting away. If he had wanted to do something cruel, he could have done so by now. Her eyes stubbornly continued to hold her gaze on her lap instead of on anything else, mouth moving to let loose her quiet speech about what she was feeling. It was then that she felt the overwhelming desire to have her mother there and be able to crawl onto her lap with her arms wrapped around Stella for comfort. She yearned for that, for someone to comfort her, to tell her it would all be okay, to pat her and console her. But that wasn’t what she needed. She didn’t need to be coddled in regards to this. After saying her piece though, the silence fell again until his voice, steady and quieter rang out. Somehow what he said did indeed calm her down.

How…could he not see that she should be apologizing? Saying nothing for another few seconds, she shook her head and sighed slightly. Unclasping her hands to free herself from the tight grip, she reached over and laid a hand on his arm, not sure why she did so or what she was trying to accomplish. After a moment she drew it back and glanced at him quickly. “Please, prince Noctis, don’t…” What was she supposed to say here? “This was by no means your fault. Time and different occurrences change people, we can’t help that. This-…well, it’s been a long time coming.” But she had thought she might be able to fix things. Again, it was foolish of her to think so. All the worries she felt came flooding back, yet she battled them back and simply sat there, unsure of what to say or do. How she wished yet again that he was her mother, so she could blubber on and get her fears out in the open. Instead she sat and attempted to hold everything together, the stark reality pressing down upon her. Trying to change the subject, she lifted her eyes, watching the same elderly couple as they made their way down the street. "When did things start to go so badly?", she mused aloud again, thinking of not just her own situation with her father, but of the war that would effect them all.

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Words:; 949
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Noct!
Location:; Random bench!
Outfit:; Click!
Notes:; --
Listening To:;[/b] Shine With Me - P.O.D

[Noctis Lucis Caelum]

If this had been a fight instead of a conversation, Noctis could have handled it just fine. Putting on a stony face for combat - since he was the supposedly powerful prince with access to the crystal - wasn't a difficult job at all. He could play the part of the dangerous enemy all day. But right now...he had to be the compassionate enemy. No, he didn't have to be. He wanted to be. And it was a task. He simply wasn't used to being all that open with anyone but the three men that surrounded him regularly, and even with them he wasn't one to go on with apologizing to them and attempting to correct problems between them. It had never been a necessity. The inexperience left him rambling to Stella, he supposed...all he was trying to say even sounded stupid to him, and he was the one saying all of it. He should probably just shut up...because he doubted he would come up with the means to say anything that would genuinely help.

In his thoughts, he hadn't noticed Stella reach over until he felt her hand on his arm, and his eyes lowered to it. Noctis could think of no way to react, only shifting lightly in place and moving his gaze down to the ground at his feet, trying to avoid cutting his eyes over to her. Comfortable but uncomfortable, and unable to really say anything. Had what he said instigated this much...concern (he supposed it was concern) from her? He wished she wouldn't be concerned for his sake if she was, with what she was already going through...but he didn't actually want to deny the feeling. Stuck again. Noctis silently listened to both of their breathing until the hand was drawn away - Noctis subtly watching it leave - and Stella spoke again. Calling him Prince Noctis.. "Noct," he reminded, quietly, before his eyes moved up to meet hers long enough to confirm the statement. He listened to her words. She was right...a very long time in coming. But Noctis had never believed this was what had been coming out of the bad blood between their two families. A Fleuret cast out and Noctis starting to wonder...if he shouldn't start trying to act against the forces that were causing this war as Stella had stated she wished to do during her too-short visit. Funny how one little event - one little meeting - that Noctis thought would lead only to more conflict could lead to this. Maybe all that fairy tale madness about the light in the sky hadn't been as mad as he thought it to be...

Coming out of his thoughts, he glanced Stella, who seemed to have spotted the same couple walking down the street from before and asked a question he wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer. After watching the couple for a moment, he decided he would indeed answer it. "When jealous men started getting older and more jealous," Noctis said, shaking his head, as he looked off down the street. "Our fathers are proud men...too proud more often than not, in my father's case. I guess proud men can reach a point where their pride means more to them than anything else, and they think all they can do to satiate their pride is to beat that last great enemy they have and claim the glory, blocking out everything else in their lives." Realizing he was getting off on a small tangent, Noctis turned back to Stella and gave the ghost of a smile. "I may have read too many books..." He rubbed lightly at his forehead, looking back down at his feet, now not as nailed to the ground as they'd been before. Maybe at some point there he'd found the place where they could level and he didn't feel like he was constantly saying the wrong thing...

A small thunderclap at a distance stopped him from saying any more immediately, and he craned his neck over his shoulder to peer at the sky. Turning back and resting his elbows on his knees again, he built himself up for what he was about to propose. "The mansion has a completely unused guest room," he said, knowing she'd get the meaning without him having to draw her a picture. He turned back to look her in the eye again, hoping he wouldn't have to fight yet another war right here. He hoped his voice didn't come out pleading, but that was essentially what he was doing. Leaving her out here to fend for herself during a rainstorm? He still felt too responsible for what had happened between her and her father to be able to just go back to the mansion and know she was still at a loss, with weather to contend with to boot. This was exactly what her father had spitefully taunted her with...but maybe she didn't have to care about what her father had presented to her only a few minutes before. Not if she really wanted what she had talked with Noctis about the night she'd visited. Swallowing, he finally spoke. "Don't turn it down."

Words - 934
Muse - Excellent!
Notes - I was happy with this. ;_; Well, mostly. [/size]

[Stella Nox Fleuret]

Sitting next to Noctis Caelum.

How often did that happen? Placing her hand on his arm, she tried to tell him that it wasn’t his fault. That none of this, her father abandoning her here in enemy territory. None of it was his fault. It took a moment, but finally she realized that her hand was still pressing against his arm. When she did, Stella retracted her arm and cleared her throat gently, studying his profile as his gaze kept to the ground by his feet. What was she doing? Here? With him? If she had tried to run, would he have chased her down? Violet eyes studied him still, expressionless, and she thought about it. He might not have. Taking from the fact that he was sitting beside her and there was no hostility, Stella determined that she should have left. The last person on the face of this planet that she wanted pitying her was sitting right beside her. Was he pitying her? She hoped not. The last thing she wanted period was being pitied. Living on her own would be different from what she was used to, but she was sure she could live up to the challenge.

The soft voice, reminding her of his name caused a small smile to lift onto her lips, meeting his eyes. “Noct,” she agreed with a slight nod, remembering how he had told her to call him that at the signing. Had that really not been so long ago? It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. A heavy sigh came out from her then, her poise slightly becoming more relaxed. It was only then she realized just how ridged and tense she had been. Everything would be alright. If she just kept telling herself that, it might happen. It just…might. So she would just have to keep telling it to herself. Over and over. Somehow, his restating the nick name to her helped put her at ease. She needed a friend, and that just might be what he was offering. Just maybe…and she could use a friend, even if it was a man who she had attacked in the thought of killing. Well…when she put it that way, it was even odder then she had thought. She just wanted to put her face in her hands and give out the most unlady like groan she could muster, followed by some sort of rant. Too bad her upbringing won out.

The question she had asked to herself, honestly, she didn’t expect an answer. After all, Noct had always seemed like the quieter type, shy, and of course, he had been unwilling to talk about the light that they could both see. This, in her mind, would be no different, with hesitation to talk about it. Yet he surprised her when he started to speak. It was with some amazement that she listened to him. The rant was correct, and showed wisdom, but when he stopped himself and stated he’d read too many books, she couldn’t help the laugh that came from her lips. Glancing over in time to-…was that a smile? Well anyway, looking over at him, she contained the mirth and mused over what he had said. “You’re right of course, with all of it. But perhaps you have read too many books,” she ended up mentioning, a note of teasing in her voice.

The thunder rumbling in the background quickly snapped her out of the relaxed mood he had put her in, bringing reality crashing down in the same note of finality as the thunder had. All teasing fell away and she simply glanced up at the sky, willing the thunder away, all the while chiding herself for her childish thoughts. The silence had fallen once again, except for the occasional rumble of thunder. She needed to get going. This was just a fantasy. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she could handle it. And so with that, she was all set to get to her feet and disappear into the night when once again his voice reached her ears. It was at that instant that she froze completely, hands clasped on her lap once more.

Staring at the ground, Stella’s first thought was a blatant ‘No’, her mouth parted slightly to tell him so. The rumble of thunder that came then, louder as it got closer broke her from her instant denial of his assistance. Turning her gaze from the ground to the sky, she tried to keep her worry and insecurity from her eyes as she mulled over his offer. Wasn’t this just what her father had told her to do? Run to him. Would she really be a traitor if she took the young prince up? Pride told her to say no, but her brain was telling her to say yes. One night… She wasn’t going to impose, and she wanted to show her father that she hadn’t gone running to Noctis lucis Caelum at the first sign of needing help. That stung, but it was a lie! She-..hadn’t…had she? It was too confusing. Sitting straight in her seat, Stella heard his last statement, staring straight ahead. It took her a few moments, but finally she made her decision. Shifting in the seat, she looked him straight in the eyes. “Before I answer, tell me one thing.” Somehow she remained expressionless, some miraculous way. “Is your offer borne from pity?”

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Words:; 1073
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Noct
Location:; Bench
Outfit:; That one I linked!
Notes:; Nothing!
Listening to:;[/b] Runaway Train - Soul Asylum

[Noctis Lucis Caelum]

Good, so she remembered what he'd told her to call him. Stella had no real reason to remember such details from their first meeting, since Noctis had been convinced it had all been nothing but a set-up to give her the opportunity to weave her way into his psyche a bit, then strike and be done with him. Apparently, he was starting to think he'd been as wrong about her as she'd been to attack him that first night. The part of his mind that was trained to protect the crystal continued wanting to scream to him that she could still be putting on some sort of an act - that the moment his back was turned to her, she would strike again. Noctis - the Noctis that didn't care if he was important or a warrior or anything of the sort - knew that those whispers came from a life living in some manner of paranoia and something more. He'd always had to worry about the next woman who came along, because she just might turn out to be the one that got to him. And...though he didn't understand why or how, this one got to him. So he would naturally be worried that she'd turn on him at a moment's notice. His father had preached that to a younger Noctis about women once. Noctis had believed it wholeheartedly. Now it seemed like more of his father's hot hair.

He didn't know how, and he certainly hadn't expected it to work, but Noctis certainly noticed that the noise Stella made in response to his comments was a laugh. Funny...he didn't think he'd heard her laugh at any other point, not that they'd interacted long enough for a laugh to be warranted, especially with Noctis' tendency towards complete rigidity. He kept the faint smile on his face as he turned to face her at her words, deciding she was either making a genuine agreement or poking fun at him in some way, something he typically hated (and especially when it came from a woman). He couldn't actually bring himself to care much, though, and though his expression did revert back to normalcy before long and his gaze moved from her face back to the ground, he had to say, he almost started to feel at ease. Or he would have, if not for the thunderclap that brought him back to the reality of the situation and the question Stella presented to him.

His eyes did meet hers at the question she intently presented. Noctis had to ask himself the same question, letting his eyes deviate from hers as he did so to look straight down the alley before them. Was he simply pitying her? Pity was not something Noctis was all that familiar with over the course of his life. Pity could get a man killed, especially when he was dealing with assassins and enemy soldiers doing what they could to remove him from the worldwide equation. His eyes moved down to his hands and finally back to Stella, at whom he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, trying to decide for himself what motivated him. He went with what he believed to be the truth, finally, providing a slight shrug to announce he was about to make a poor explanation. "I wouldn't want you trying to walk in the rain to a home that may not even be open to you," Noctis explained. "But I think that's only human. I wouldn't wish that for anybody."

Unfortunately, Noctis had spent too much of his time trying to seem like someone beyond humanity - that great threat to all who tried to take the crystal for themselves. A fearsome opponent and little else. Was it wise to let an enemy know he could be something besides that silent, imposing prince? No...but he was starting to think of Stella less an enemy, more a kindred soul. Noctis started to believe that change in perception could be what caused him to ask her to the mansion, after all. Flicking his gaze towards her again, he tried to build past a struggle with words to inform her of such feelings. "It might be nice for the mansion to have a woman around, too, until you can get this dispute sorted out. And you'll have your privacy if you want it." Another crackle of thunder saved him from anxiousness at his own words. These were things he'd never said to anyone at any time. Gladiolus and Ignis hadn't needed to hear it, and they were the only friends Noctis could consider himself as having before Prompto came along. Now, they seemed necessary things to say, like he wouldn't be able to sleep for the next month if his thoughts weren't voiced and he somehow screwed up this conversation. It was a feeling he usually only felt during fights. Lightly rubbing at his eyes after his last words, he kept his eyes expectantly on Stella, hoping that if he at least tried to hold her gaze, it might help his case a little. He wouldn't be remotely surprised if it didn't.

Words - 916
Muse - Excellent!
Notes - Urgh, kind of wonky. @_@[/size]

[Stella Nox Fleuret]

Pity. She hated the word, and the thought. Pride was the reason for that, she knew it, but couldn’t bring herself to try and change her attitude. For that reason, she had to put the question to him. If it was simply out of pity that he was offering her, then she would refuse his offer. It was as simple as that. ’Beggers can’t be choosers.’, she reminded herself, closing her eyes and mind to the thought. The age old saying didn’t do any good right now, so putting it out of her mind was the best thing to do in this situation. A moment later violet eyes opened once more to look at him as he seemed to mull over her question.

The impatient part of her wanted him to tell her simply yes or no so that she could start thinking of alternative options. The patient side knew that whatever answer he would give her, it was going to be a thorough explanation, not simply a one word answer. He was that type. Knowing that, she sat quietly and waited for him to tell her what he was thinking. Something he always seemed to be doing. What were her other options? Going home…could she go back home and beg for her father to let her back in? No. That was out of the question. A hotel for the night? At least then she could sort things out better in the morning. It was hard to think when you had a thunder storm rolling over head, you were tired and this was all happening. Stella wanted her comfortable clothes, a fuzzy blanket and somewhere to curl up at. She would have to wait for any of those things, patience was vital here.

Patience won out when he gave his answer. She had been right, he had to explain his reasoning. Stella couldn’t really say that she knew him. In fact, other then the basics, she knew nothing about him. Not his favorite color – despite black being the best guess -, not his favorite food or what he did in his free time. How could your destiny be so intertwined with someone you barely knew? A ridiculous notion really, destiny was. Yet they could both see the light. That had to count for something, right? Obviously. Maybe that was the reason why he was offering the guest bedroom.

For a moment she sat and thought about the answer he had given to her. It seemed as if he was just offering because they were both human. Perhaps that included pity somewhat, but it satisfied her. Or perhaps it was the rumbles of thunder that helped to sway her decision. Whatever the case may have been, Stella glanced over at him and nodded slowly, unclasping her hands from her lap. “Alright,” she finally lamented, looking away quickly and up to the sky. Her voice was a bit strained when she spoke her quiet, “Thank you.” It was late, dark, thundering, and she was overwhelmed. The sooner she got somewhere that she could have her privacy and not have to put on a brave front, the better. It would be better in the morning, that was her assurance. Everything was always better in the morning, no matter what you were dealing with.

Nice to have a woman around the mansion? Stella didn’t look at him, but wondered once more about his life. Of course he had been raised in a powerful household, much like herself. That told her much, but she didn’t know anything else. She was sure that just as she had been told stories that spoke of the heinous acts the Caelum family committed, he had heard the same stories about the Fleuret family. Perhaps there was truth in the stories, perhaps lies. Perhaps there was both truth and deceit, she didn’t know anymore. Stella had yet to meet Noct’s father, but the prince she had heard would become a tyrant if not stopped was nothing like her father had painted him out to be. How wrong about someone could you be?

Still, the thought of his father caused apprehension within her. As soon as she had accepted she had doubts. Perhaps she should excuse herself now and flee. Where to, she had no idea. Feeling trapped was a choking thought, but she took a deep breath and forced that apprehension back down, wiping a damp palm on her skirt. His father couldn’t be all that bad…could he? To cover her apprehension Stella tried once more to joke. “You think having a woman around would be good until your razor is dull when you go to use it.” Rising to her feet, she looked over her shoulder at the sky and then back to the prince there with her. Standing there made her feel awkward. Why? She had never been a self conscious girl, but here she was, unsure of herself. “Should we-…” To occupy her fingers, she smoothed down her skirt. “Should we go? It might start raining soon,” she mentioned, glancing away and trying to take a deep breath without him realizing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words:; 1032
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Noct
Location:; Caelum family city place!
Outfit:; Click!
Notes:; The muse
Listening to:;[/b] Caught a lite Sneeze - Evans Blue

[Noctis Lucis Caelum]

He waited.

Noctis wouldn't have been at all surprised to hear Stella refuse his offer out of pure pride. In the same situation, he might have done the same. They were proud people as representatives of arguably the two most powerful families in the world. Accepting help from someone outside the family was never going to be easy for either of them. Accepting help from a rival, if she still considered him anything of the sort, was even more of a challenge. For Noctis to have offered should have been a challenge, as well, but for those same confusig reasons that had been plaguing him for days now, it hadn't been. And now he was starting to feel as if he'd be disappointed if she turned down the offer. This wasn't sensible for a man whom this woman had come all too close to finally killing. And it was even less sensible to believe this woman sitting beside him could have done such a thing. If there was ever any doubt if the world had gone to madness, this interaction Noctis was having would discredit them.

Then, the answer. Noctis had not removed his gaze from Stella until she finally spoke, but his eyes diverted back to the ground at his feet. Okay, then, they'd gotten past that bit of awkwardness, though Noctis could tell it had been a strain. It was going to be a strain to smooth over Stella's presence in the mansion with Gladiolus or Ignis...or his father, if he was to find out. It was a burden he was oddly willing to take onto his shoulders. He believed so now, at least. Once he'd heard the first explosion from anyone opposed to his decision, he might not be quite so happy with it. His eyes moved up to Stella for only a short second when she thanked him, but he opted not to say anything in response, only glancing back up at the cloudy skies once again and noticing the far end of the city. The lights illuminated the first signs of rain in sight. Good. They wouldn't have to linger here and wonder if either of them had made the right decision with the rain chasing them back towards the mansion. Noctis moved his feet underneath him to get ready to stand up, but waiting for Stella to first move. He didn't need to go rushing her, of all things, if she was having her reservations about his offer.

But she seemingly did have a joke still in her. Noctis glanced over at her words about a woman in the house, letting another ghost of a smile cross his features and releasing a small huff of amusement. If this arrangement somehow worked, for however short a period, it would be an odd adjustment. Noctis' mansion was a fraternity in which it was rare for more than two people to be in the same room at any one time, not counting any of the guards. Having a woman in the place, even a woman who clearly knew her etiquette as he would have expected her to, "interrupting" the lives of men used to the space requirement one another presented would be...different. And the mansion would not be Noctis' retreat from the "tough prince" side he had to keep up with everyone but his three closest friends, would it? Most likely not...

Hmm. He told himself to just take the situation for what it was and move on. That seemed to be what Stella was doing.

Standing after she did, Noctis regarded her before turning to look back at the sky. "Yeah," he said, noticing the rain was getting all the more closer to them, as expected. Assuming she would have no problem with him leading the way, Noctis started off down the alley where he'd first found her to cross over and put them on the quickest path back to the mansion. His hands moved into his pockets as he walked, feeling as if he shouldn't just leave their conversation at this for the night. They had a good ways to walk, anyway. Silence would be more awkward than a few words. "How did he find out?", Noctis asked, partially curious. Stella did seem like the type not to get caught if she didn't want to...so he figured he might as well ask. Maybe her father was the same way, which was how he'd found out.

Words - 785
Muse - Great!
Notes - This is bad. [/size]

[Stella Nox Fleuret]

Despite her poor attempt at humor in this dark situation, Stella found herself only talking from nerves. The apprehension was just getting to her. That had to be it. Just apprehension, which had to be normal in this situation. Speaking was a way to avoid thinking about it. When she was talking, she could focus in on that. What did she have to be nervous about? Where had her self-confidence gone? Wherever it had, she wanted it back. Wanted it back right that instant, because she had never felt so much like turning tail and running. Where she would run to and what would happen to her didn’t even seem consequential at the moment. But that would be giving up. Stella refused to look like a weakling in front of prince Caelum.

So deep in thought, the ‘yeah’, he spoke in agreement to her asking if they should go caught her by surprise. Blinking, she looked at him with a somewhat puzzled expression, before it dawned on her what he was agreeing to. Not replying back, nor feeling the need to do so, Stella followed his lead, keeping up beside him. Could this situation get any more difficult? What was she doing, following him? She was going down a path she wasn’t sure she could handle. Staying in the Caelum mansion, accepting help from the Caelum prince. It was all overwhelming to her. Was she a traitor like her father had eluded to? No! Right? She hadn’t been trying to abandon her family, but rather she had been trying to fix things. Try to right the wrong and make it all get better. But the guilt was in the back of her mind, gnawing at her nerves.

Stella couldn’t seem to decide if the silence was helping or not either. It felt like something else needed to be said, but she didn’t know where to begin or how to end it once she had begun. What could she say? Just repeating ‘I’m sorry’ over and over again was no way to go about it. That just got annoying, and as of right this moment, he couldn’t go back on his offer, even though he might want to. Upbringing would force him to keep his word. So what else other then ‘sorry’ could she say? Everything she thought of during the few moments she had seemed either odd or just downright stupid. Best to simply keep her mouth shut and take the slightly awkward silence as they walked along. Unfortunately though, they still needed to discuss this as rational adults. Be that right now or later, it was going to have to be discussed. Stella would rather have it over and done with immediately…

And he seemed to want that as well.

Despite the shy personality she had pegged him for having, he got right to the point when it mattered. Shrugging a shoulder slightly, she peered at him from beneath her bangs, not sure what to say, before cutting her eyes completely away and intently studying the opposite street and buildings. “I-…well, he mentioned a soldier having seen me and alerting him.” Tucking her bangs behind her ear, she glanced at him, just as quickly shifting her gaze in front of them to avoid his piercing eyes. “The soldiers are perhaps more loyal to myself in recent years, but fear does much to a man. My father isn’t what he used to be. The stories I’m sure you’ve heard your whole life about the Fleuret family, they only became true recently, and never to myself until just now, but…he’s become paranoid.” For some reason she felt she owed him an in depth response to his question. It helped to talk too. “I suppose you could say he found out because I underestimated a powerful man. I made a mistake.” She wasn’t proud of it, but neither had she been proud of deceiving her father.

Once again apprehension hit her. Her own father hadn’t had a very good response about her being with Noctis. How…would his father react? “Your father…” she started cautiously, before trailing off. How did one tell their worries and concerns about a man to his son. A prince, a man she had attacked with the intent of killing, and who had just allowed her a place to rest her head when she had no where else to turn. That seemed unappreciative and self-centered, but…she had valid reasons to be apprehensive. What if he tried to use her to gain power over her father? Stella felt the crushing weight on her heart again, making her once again desire to turn tail and run. She wouldn’t betray her family, no matter if she already had or not. Would be resting her head at his residence tonight be doing so? She couldn’t say long. That would be doing exactly like her father had told her to do. Run to him. The last thing she wanted was to feel like she had to be or was dependent on the prince. That was power she wasn’t willing to give into anyone’s hands. Would he use power against her? Turning her violet gaze toward him once more, she studied him intently, wishing she could read him like she could an open book. Unfortunately he wasn’t an easy one to read. How big of a mistake had she just made?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words:; 1072
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Noct
Location:; You know >.>
Outfit:; The one I linked!
Notes:; I had Stella muse >> <<
Listening to:;[/b] The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani

[Noctis Lucis Caelum]

Good....he'd at least given Stella something to talk about as they walked, so the awkwardness of the situation wouldn't dominate. To the sound of the thunder in the background and their boot-heavy footsteps, Noctis listened to her words and became even more aware of how much their situations mirrored one another. Dominating fathers were the calling card of "royal" families, it seemed. "Paranoia..." Yes, Noctis knew all about that. It could be argued he was slightly paranoid - for at least a good reason - but his father was constantly thinking someone was going to take the throne from him of late, even Noctis himself. "Something else pride gets you." What did power give a person? The means to constantly believe there was someone nearby who wanted to steal away that power. Noctis' father may have encountered plenty of individuals during his life that made him believe everyone was out to get him, but it was still a pretty pathetic to see a grown man starting to jump at every shadow that passed him. Noctis handled it a different way. He only tried to get stronger when he felt something was threatening him. That might not have been the best way to handle it, either, but it was what had kept him alive thus far and it was a role he'd always believed he'd had to fill. Where would that life get him, though? A man couldn't fight everything and expect to keep winning indefinitely. Even if he was determined not to end up as "weak" as his father, he was just digging himself into the same hole. He'd known it a while...he'd just not admitted it to himself. Walking the streets with a supposed mortal enemy could do that to a man.

Noctis figured Stella would have been worried about Noctis' father, too. There wasn't any doubt in his mind that she'd heard the same horror stories about his father that he'd heard about her's. He didn't know how many of them were true, but Noctis well-knew that the older Caelum could be as bad as they came with his enemies. That was why he wasn't going to learn a thing about Stella whatsoever if Noctis had any say in it. "My father and I only talk on a need-to-know basis," Noctis told her, in a lightly grave tone. He turned and gave her his attention. "He doesn't need to know." Though he had his worries that this instance could slip from someone's mouth and end up reaching his father's ear, Noctis had hired all of his own men to protect the mansion - they were his troops, not his fathers. What's more, Noctis was trusted far beyond his father lately by Ignis and Gladiolus. If Noctis told them to keep quiet, he felt that they would. Prompto simply wouldn't care. For that matter, Noctis wasn't even sure his father knew Prompto existed yet. That fact made the prospect of keeping a different blond secret, at least for one night or only a few, a little less imposing.

With the lightning getting closer and illuminating the street, Noctis knew they'd have rain pouring on them soon enough. If the situation wasn't already awkward enough... Proving the sky with another glance, Noctis set his eyes on the mansion off in the distance, only able to see it because he knew it was there. Yeah, they still had a good-sized walk ahead of them and Noctis was already...out of things to say. If anyone ever wondered about why he didn't fraternize very much, this would be it. Noctis never thought he had anything worthwhile to say...and finding that the other person wasn't interested once he did find something to say was not among his favorite things to experience. Looking down at his own feet, he remained quiet, hoping the mansion would come faster than it seemed it would. Sometimes, he wished he had a touch of Prompto's confidence with strangers.

Words - 724
Muse - Excellent.
Notes - Worst ending ever. [/size]

[Stella Nox Fleuret]

Out of all the negative aspects that could pride could lead to, paranoia was one of them. Everyone had a certain level of paranoia, but it was how able you were to control it that determined how enslaved you were to the personality trait. Through the awkward silences, the two seemed to have periods of conversation. Still, she didn't want to talk about something just to nervously fill the silence. So the silence would continue to dominate the long walk back to the mansion. Stella was thinking too much to bother to try, and Noct had never seemed like a social butterfly. But one thing gnawed on her mind until she had to say something.

But as soon as she mentioned his father she pulled up in her thoughts. Would Noctis take offense if she told him her concerns? The last thing she wanted to do was to talk bad about his family. Despite what her own father had just done, Stella knew she would still be unhappy if he spoke down about her family. How could she expect him to feel any different? So she bit back her worries and tilted her chin up. She determined that she would simply have to cross that bridge when it came.

Forcing your thoughts to be calm was supposed to work. Stella could remember listening to her lady maid her entire life growing up. Whenever she had been worried, nervous, or upset about something, Elise had always told her the same advice. "You're only as apprehensive as you let yourself be. Tell yourself that you're courageous and you will be." Stella couldn't begin to describe how many times she had followed that same advice. She wished that the fiery middle aged woman could be with her right now, but unfortunately all she had was the words of wisdom the older woman had told her previously. It helped. Taking a deep breath, Stella repeated those words in her brain. Within seconds she felt some confidence come back to her.

His words simply built on that confidence. Despite not continuing, Stella was vastly relieved that he could understand what she was trying to say. His answer did more then answer her question. It might be difficult to keep such a thing from the king...but then again, perhaps the fact that he was the king could also be used as an advantage. A king obviously had more important things to do then to check up on his son and every matter in the kingdom. And all she needed was a few days, after she got her feet back under her, she would have more options and could really think about her future...a future that might have to take place in Noct's country.

The thunder continued to growl. Rain would come in a moment. Time was important if they were going to make it back to the mansion before it rained, but she took a moment to lay her hand on his arm, walking on his side. "Thank you for understanding my concern, the last thing I want to do is create trouble for you. I'm sure you have enough of that without my adding to it." Her steady violet gaze was earnest. Once again silence fell between them once again. This time it was somewhat more companionable, but Stella still felt it. In an attempt to break it, she glanced over, looking past him as a streak of lightning flashed. "Lovely evening for a walk, wouldn't you say?", her eyes showed mild amusement. The next instant it started, the rain coming down like the gates of heaven had been opened.. Glancing up, she narrowed her eyes and lifted a hand to shield herself for a moment before dropping it when she realized how silly she must look. "You know," she nearly shouted over the roar of the rain, leaning her head toward him to be heard easier. "Doesn't the teleporting ability fulfill any purpose other then in battle?" Somehow the smile on her lips didn't match the situation.

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Words:; 841
Muse:; Great!
Tagged:; Noct :3
Location:; Street
Outfit:; That one I linked!
Notes:; Bwuahaha, posting on this phone on long rides is great
Listening To:;[/b] --