Ignis Scientia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chef_chocobro) wrote2022-05-28 05:38 pm
chef_chocobro) wrote2022-05-28 05:38 pm
Within the Imperial Dreadnaught; Parts Unknown (Eos); Saturday [05/28 FT].
To say that the air was tense and awkward in the spacious Imperial transport as the Chancellor of the Empire himself airlifted them out of their imminent doom at Titan's fall would certainly be an understatement. After all, Ardyn had promised their safety, but there was no guarantee where he would be taking them now. For all they knew, they would soon be headed straight to Niflheim to be dropped off right at Iedolas Aldercapt's feet.
Just to be on the safe side, Ignis made sure to subtly switch his communicator off. The last thing they needed was for an untimely check-in from Shane or Liz compromising any information on their part. Especially if Shane had gotten in touch with the Rangers and made progress there. Wouldn't be much of a surprise attack if the surprise was spoiled.
Subtly, but not so subtle that Prompto hadn't noticed, and, when he did, he gave Ignis an almost desperate sort of look. Ignis returned one with apology, lightly shaking his head, and Prompto's shoulders sank with resignation, but understanding, especially as his eyes drifted up toward Ardyn, who was gushing at them even before the transport doors closed.
"Ohhhh, thank the gods I found you boys!"
"And what," Ignis demanded, his focus shifting entirely to Ardyn now, brushing himself off a little before he folded his arms, unimpressed, over his chest, "will you do with us now?"
"Why," Ardyn pulled back, his mewling tone injured at the question, "grant you safe passage--just as I said."
"Pretty generous offer," Prompto pointed out, "for an Imperial."
"Come noooow," Ardyn purred, eyes glinting just that little bit more as he looked at Prompto, that same look that he gave that seemed to pierce right through him, made him feel exposed. Made him fee seen...for what he really was, a look that was not at all helped by the words that followed, "is it fair to begrudge a man the circumstances of his birth?"
Prompto shrunk back under that targeted gaze, eyes lowered, fingers dancing along the wraps on his wrist. "No," he said quietly, "I…I guess not…"
"Best get comfortable, boys," Ardyn told them. "These dreadnaughts move quickly, it's true, but it may take a little time before we decide just where to drop you. Wouldn't want to carelessly abandon you somewhere dangerous, after all."
There was very little comfort to be had in the back of an Imperial transport and although Ardyn seemed to pay them very little mind after that, they knew privacy was not an option. Still, they couldn't just sit there and wait for their fate, either, so they gathered in a darkened corner with their voices low and frequent glances back at their benevolent captor.
"So," Gladio ventured, dropping his voice down low, "what do we do after he drops us off?"
"Go get the car," Noctis said firmly. They weren't going far without the car, after all, at least not comfortably.
"Can't leave her unattended for long," Ignis agreed. The only problem with that was that they didn't know where they were going to end up…and where that would put them in relation to the Regalia. He hesitated a moment, and then decided to lift his attention and his voice, back toward their…savior. "Chancellor, if you truly wish to aid us in our efforts, then I request you release us this instant."
"'This instant'?" Ardyn repeated with a quirk of his brow and a broadening of his smile. "It's a long way down. Perhaps the army could break your fall. Or perhaps...you could simply sit back and enjoy the ride. You needn't worry. You're in good hands with me."
Somehow, they did not feel comforted by those words, and yet, true to them, eventually, the transport landed, and the gate was opened to let them out, just in time for the approaching sunset, to put a particular dangerous damper on their plans to reclaim their own transportation.
"Here's to hoping you find that car of yours," were Ardyn's parting words, before the gate closed again and he was whisked away into the air and hopefully back out of their lives for good.
"Well," Prompto offered, looking around where they'd been dropped off and spotted a familiar golden sign peeking out from the trees, his voice growing hopeful once again, "at least he dropped us off near the chocobos! That's Wiz's farm right down the road!"
"....Indeed," said Ignis, who would gladly admit that it was fortunate that returning to the Disc would be far easier with chocobos at their disposal, but his attention was already on something else that diminished that stroke of luck entirely. Because when he went to click the communicator back on, there was no discernible change in it. Almost experimentally, he pressed the button, hoping to spark the device back to life, but it seemed to remain nothing but a cold piece of equipment strapped to his wrist.
Had it been the heat from the Disc, perhaps? Maybe he'd sustained damage to it during the battle without realizing it. Perhaps it had been some sort of technological interference on the Chancellor's part. Whatever the reason for the communicator's malfunction, though, as Prompto's energy and excitement and relief pulled them all down the road toward the chocobo farm, he thought maybe it might be best to save this particular bit of bad news for later.
If only he knew they'd have a deluge of bad news already ahead of them.
[[ dun-dun-DUUUUN. NFB, definitely NFI, OOC always welcome. This is probably half actual FF XV stuff and half my own embellishments on this one ]]
Just to be on the safe side, Ignis made sure to subtly switch his communicator off. The last thing they needed was for an untimely check-in from Shane or Liz compromising any information on their part. Especially if Shane had gotten in touch with the Rangers and made progress there. Wouldn't be much of a surprise attack if the surprise was spoiled.
Subtly, but not so subtle that Prompto hadn't noticed, and, when he did, he gave Ignis an almost desperate sort of look. Ignis returned one with apology, lightly shaking his head, and Prompto's shoulders sank with resignation, but understanding, especially as his eyes drifted up toward Ardyn, who was gushing at them even before the transport doors closed.
"Ohhhh, thank the gods I found you boys!"
"And what," Ignis demanded, his focus shifting entirely to Ardyn now, brushing himself off a little before he folded his arms, unimpressed, over his chest, "will you do with us now?"
"Why," Ardyn pulled back, his mewling tone injured at the question, "grant you safe passage--just as I said."
"Pretty generous offer," Prompto pointed out, "for an Imperial."
"Come noooow," Ardyn purred, eyes glinting just that little bit more as he looked at Prompto, that same look that he gave that seemed to pierce right through him, made him feel exposed. Made him fee seen...for what he really was, a look that was not at all helped by the words that followed, "is it fair to begrudge a man the circumstances of his birth?"
Prompto shrunk back under that targeted gaze, eyes lowered, fingers dancing along the wraps on his wrist. "No," he said quietly, "I…I guess not…"
"Best get comfortable, boys," Ardyn told them. "These dreadnaughts move quickly, it's true, but it may take a little time before we decide just where to drop you. Wouldn't want to carelessly abandon you somewhere dangerous, after all."
There was very little comfort to be had in the back of an Imperial transport and although Ardyn seemed to pay them very little mind after that, they knew privacy was not an option. Still, they couldn't just sit there and wait for their fate, either, so they gathered in a darkened corner with their voices low and frequent glances back at their benevolent captor.
"So," Gladio ventured, dropping his voice down low, "what do we do after he drops us off?"
"Go get the car," Noctis said firmly. They weren't going far without the car, after all, at least not comfortably.
"Can't leave her unattended for long," Ignis agreed. The only problem with that was that they didn't know where they were going to end up…and where that would put them in relation to the Regalia. He hesitated a moment, and then decided to lift his attention and his voice, back toward their…savior. "Chancellor, if you truly wish to aid us in our efforts, then I request you release us this instant."
"'This instant'?" Ardyn repeated with a quirk of his brow and a broadening of his smile. "It's a long way down. Perhaps the army could break your fall. Or perhaps...you could simply sit back and enjoy the ride. You needn't worry. You're in good hands with me."
Somehow, they did not feel comforted by those words, and yet, true to them, eventually, the transport landed, and the gate was opened to let them out, just in time for the approaching sunset, to put a particular dangerous damper on their plans to reclaim their own transportation.
"Here's to hoping you find that car of yours," were Ardyn's parting words, before the gate closed again and he was whisked away into the air and hopefully back out of their lives for good.
"Well," Prompto offered, looking around where they'd been dropped off and spotted a familiar golden sign peeking out from the trees, his voice growing hopeful once again, "at least he dropped us off near the chocobos! That's Wiz's farm right down the road!"
"....Indeed," said Ignis, who would gladly admit that it was fortunate that returning to the Disc would be far easier with chocobos at their disposal, but his attention was already on something else that diminished that stroke of luck entirely. Because when he went to click the communicator back on, there was no discernible change in it. Almost experimentally, he pressed the button, hoping to spark the device back to life, but it seemed to remain nothing but a cold piece of equipment strapped to his wrist.
Had it been the heat from the Disc, perhaps? Maybe he'd sustained damage to it during the battle without realizing it. Perhaps it had been some sort of technological interference on the Chancellor's part. Whatever the reason for the communicator's malfunction, though, as Prompto's energy and excitement and relief pulled them all down the road toward the chocobo farm, he thought maybe it might be best to save this particular bit of bad news for later.
If only he knew they'd have a deluge of bad news already ahead of them.
[[ dun-dun-DUUUUN. NFB, definitely NFI, OOC always welcome. This is probably half actual FF XV stuff and half my own embellishments on this one ]]